Sherri and I had heard so much about train travel in India…how it is a wonderful way to get around the country, how relatively cheap it is to travel and that some trains are quite luxurious. Loving to travel by rail we were excited for our 1st Indian train experience. We had hoped for 1AC (first class with air conditioning) but it was unavailable so we booked 2AC (second class with air conditioning) which was supposed to still be quite nice. Train travel in India is really affordable, our 2nd class tickets were only 1200 rupees ($25 USD) for an overnight train trip.

Sherri in her 2nd class bunk

Arriving at the train station was pure maddness…our taxi driver zigged and zagged like a madman in and out of traffic, nearly running over multiple pedestrians in the process. The station was packed with people…it was crazy. We boarded the train and found our seats/beds. Much to our dismay it was not what we were expecting. While all sleeper trains we have been on in the past throughout Europe and even in Vietnam consisted of a cabin with either 4 bunks (2 on each side) or 6 bunks (3 on each side) this configuration was much different. There was no cabin…just the 4 bunks separated from the aisle with only a curtain…and then in the aisle were two more bunks running alongside the aisle with only a curtain. There was no privacy or security. Luckily we had bought chains and locks to secure our luggage…but sleeping on the train was a bit sketchy as Sherri and I were separated…her sleeping across the aisle in one bunk and me sleeping on the other side of the aisle behind the curtain in the 4 bunk configuration with a grumpy Indian man who snored very loudly all night. Normally I sleep really well on trains but this was not the most restful night.

We were very happy to arrive in Varanasi, but little did we realize we still had quite a journey ahead. We were swarmed by drivers upon exiting the train station. After much negotiation, where we even got in and out of a few means of transportation we finally settled with a tuk-tuk…it was quite a ride (see video clip below)! The tuk-tuk was unable to take us all the way to the hotel (supposedly motorized vehicles were not allowed to drive any farther down the road…first rule of the road we’ve ever seen followed in India) so he dropped us off in the middle of the busy dusty street. Still far from our hotel, unsure which way to go and sweating profusely, we next got into a bicycle powered carriage who promised to take us to the door of the hotel, but he didn’t so we ended up walking down many skinny twisting alleyways while dripping sweat and narrowly avoiding the cow poop that littered the streets. The guesthouse was located right on the ghats (steps) of the Ganges River and our room had a nice view…the room was a bit dirty, but it was cleaner then the one in Kolkata!

We only had 2 days/1 night in Varanasi but we definitely made the most of it. It was fun exploring the tiny twisting alleys, that sometimes lead to a dead end…we just wandered around taking tons of pictures. Varanasi is known as the cultural capital of India, famous for its religious and spiritual lifestyle. It is one of the most important pilgrimage spots for Jains, Buddhists and especially Hindus. It is situated on the banks of Holy Ganges River, which plays an important role in day-to-day lives of the people of Varanasi. We took a sunset cruise along the Ganges where we got to see the burning ghats where you can actually see them burning the bodies and tons of people bathing in the river. We even went across the river and got out on the sandy bank along the opposite shore to walk around amongst the cows and people. The Indian culture is very, very different. The women wear traditional clothing such as saris or salwar kameez and even when bathing in the river the women remain covered, while the men bathe in the river wearing practically nothing.

After sunset we strolled along the ghats and watched part of a religious ceremony. We had planned to go out somewhere for dinner but the electricity went out (which it often does in India) so we decided to eat by candlelight at the guesthouse rooftop restaurant. They had a generator that worked some of the time and powered the lights and the fan (but not the AC) in our room…we called it an early night.

We got up to watch the sunrise and go on another boat ride along the river…it was really cool to see people along the ghats performing their morning rituals and prayers. We spent the rest of the morning wandering the street exploring, taking photos and just taking it all in…there is so much color and culture in India, especially in Varanasi. While roaming around we noticed that a young teenage boy (he was probably 12 or 13) seemed to be following us. He kept appearing either in front or behind us as we zigged and zagged down the narrow alleyways. At one point he tried starting up a conversation but we told him we didn’t want to talk and to please leave us alone. He continued to magically appear wherever we were…he then came up & asked each of us for a hug which we both of course declined. Repeatedly we kept telling him to go away. We tried ignoring him but then he walked up to Sherri, started unzipping his pants and asked for sex! She ran past me as she was running away from him and he ran between her and I, blocking my path with his dick out. I lost it…I yelled & screamed at him and then he quickly ran away. Good thing too, because a knee to the groin was the next step. Some nerve! Being a female in India is not easy…we had been forewarned by fellow female travelers and the guidebook that women traveling in India need to be especially careful. Unfortunately it is quite common for some Indian men to try groping women (especially western women) in public. We even purchased traditional Indian salwar kameez outfits, which hide the shape of your body, to try and discourage any attention, but with our light skin and my blonde hair we still stand out.

Me, trying to get some sleep while people hover nearby

For the night train back to Kolkata we were in sleeper class…we had thought 2nd class was a bit rough around the edges, but we had no idea! The bunk configuration in sleeper class was similar to 2nd class, however in sleeper class the bunks were stacked 3 high, there were no curtains, no privacy, no sheets or pillows, no AC and it was sticky hot! To top it off no one seemed to be checking tickets and there were way more people than there were seats…people were sitting everywhere and the aisles were packed! Sherri and I had the upper and lower bunk that ran lengthwise along the aisle. We both sat together on the lower bunk and didn’t slide the upper bunk down so that we had space to sit up. Several times we had people come by and try to unhatch the bunk above our heads. We had to explain over and over that we had paid for both bunks and just because we weren’t currently occupying one did not mean we were giving it up…we got a lot of blank stares but we stood our ground. Due to the openness of the bunks, our location right on the aisle, our experience with the teenage boy earlier that day and the constant flow of people getting on and off the train we decided it wasn’t safe to sleep as we could easily be groped or robbed. But we were too tired to stay up all night so we decided to sleep in shifts…I went to sleep first but woke up when a fight broke out right next to us…one guy totally beat two guys up! He was slamming one guys head into the bathroom wall and shouting…it was crazy. Eventually things settled back down and I tried to get some sleep.

Around 3am Sherri woke me up…it was my turn to stand guard so she could try to get some sleep. I wrote in my journal and stared out the window as dawn began to break. The chai vendors would jump on the train at each stop, stepping over people in the aisle calling out “chai, chai, chai”. For only 5 rupees (about 12 cents) you get a little plastic shot glass of chai. It tastes sooo good and helped me to stay awake. The train was supposed to arrive in Kolkata around 8am, however we didn’t arrive until 11:30am! It was so hot by that time and the journey ended up being over 17 hours! We were soooooooo happy to get off that train! Sleeper class should be renamed, as one actually gets very little sleep on it.