India - Through Chris's Eyes

Monday 12th April

The time arrived for us to leave on the train journey up to Agra. I'd been having my doubts as to whether going Sleeper Class was a good idea as all the overnight trains we had done before, sleeping had not been easy to do. Earlier in the week I had tried in vain to book up to an air-conditioned carriage which would have had less people in them guaranteed.

As we boarded the train and our carriage it looked as if I was right to have had reservations as the compartment we were due to go in already had around 12 people, the proper amount should be 8. Nobody was willing to vacate the seats they were in, including the seats reserved for us. Luggage space was also restricted due to the inflated numbers.

Somehow we did manage to squeeze the luggage and ourselves in but were not at all pleased. When the ticket inspector arrived I expressed my displeasure only to be told by him that there was a lot of people in India and in any case most of them were getting off at the next station a couple of hours away.

We came to the conclusion that he had been given some money as a bribe to let them have a seat, as opposed to travelling in their proper carriage, which would have probably been full.

When the carriage eventually thinned out we were left with two couples sitting with us. An Indian guy and his wife; and a mother and 17yr old son, all of which took a dislike to us except the son.

They constantly sniggered at our ways of doing things including our drinking and eating habits. Strange considering they all eat with their hands and don't wash them before doing so.

They also upheld the decision of the ticket inspector regarding the many people on the train and told us this was the rule between 9 in the morning and 9 at night, that other people can also sit in your carriage and if your unlucky your seat as well.

This journey was looking like being the journey from hell. We did in the end manage to survive day one and settled in our bunks around 9 o'clock for another night of little sleep.