Geylang to the Ganges

The taxi to Mughal Sarai Station arrived way too early at about 9pm leaving me a couple of hours to wait.  Coming into Mughal Sarai, passed lots of places set up for weddings;  o therwise it looks a dismal place.  There is no sign of my train on the indicator board in the forecourt. One kindly man suggested I make my way to Platform 3 where there was an air conditioned waiting room with seats for 1st Class passengers. The alternative was joining the hordes lying or sleeping in the forecourt or on the bridge.  Mughal Sarai Station The sign in the forecourt eventually showed my train coming in on Platform 6 but when I got to Platform 6 a few minutes before my train was due to depart, another train was arriving. A train to Agra came in on Platform 4 but it wasn't mine. Sure there is a logic in how Indian railways operate but it is well hidden. Most of the so called "Express" trains seem to follow long, convoluted routes across the country; the train I am wai...

Varanasi At the hotel reception met Y who offered to take me on an evening trip to the Ghats, the famous steps that lead down to the Ganges. After exploring Kolkata and Darjeeling on my own I was quite happy to let someone else show me around. We got a tuk tuk (auto rickshaw) for most of the way through crowds, traffic and cows and then walked through a market area to Dashashwamedh Ghat where the nightly Ganga Aarti takes place at 6pm.  Yes, I have finally made it to the Ganges! Being the dry season, the river is very low with what appears to be a sand bar or beach on the opposite bank. Lots of young boys flying kites. Since we were quite early, we walked along the river as far as the Ghat where cremations were being held. There were seven funeral pyres and far fewer mourners than I would have expected. Difficult to see such a public spectacle as the inevitable but sad end of someone's life. Apparently for certain deaths, eg pregnant women, people who die of snak...

Had bacon and eggs for breakfast at Glenary's. Not fantastic but a delightful change from the hotel.   Despite confirming the taxi from the hotel this morning, it arrived half an hour late after another reminder. Initially I was annoyed but the driver was pretty good, even stopping a couple of times for me to take photos of the spectacular views. Followed the railway as far as Kurseong where we parted company, descending down some steep hairpin bends. The hillsides looked beautiful, carpeted with yellow flowers which also decorated  the roadside. At Kurseong we stopped for a break and a cup of Darjeeling tea.  Learnt later that this is the wedding season. Arrived at NJP to find the North Eastern Express, my train,  is delayed by about 45 minutes. NJP is a big station and they have even got an escalator up to the footbridge but only steps to the platforms. Sure it made sense to someone. All trains seem to depart from Platform 3 but then they announced that the Nor...

Thursday 16th November Breakfast isn't up to much. Settle for some dahl, some paratha and a banana. No coffee or tea on offer. Putting on two tee shirts beneath my top shirt to keep warm  I walked out into a gloriously sunny day and headed down the hill towards the railway station. Asked at the ticket office about the trains to NJP and was told the line was closed by a landslide and was unlikely to open again for several months. So I booked a "Joyride" on the train for 1245.  Selected the diesel option as the steam option wasn't until late afternoon. Was amazed to find I had to fill out a form giving my full name, address, age and telephone number in order to get my ticket. Took lots of photos of the old steam locomotives and walked along the main street hoping to find a cosy cafe or tea shop to sit down and hopeful revive my energy with some caffeine. If there is a "nice" bit of Darjeeling I missed it. Most of it looks run down, dirty and poor. Surp...