Into God's Own Country

A Travel log for the Kochi Trip

Aug 7 2009

3:10 pm : Met Goat and Matka at the station. We are way too early. But anyway, hope it pays off. Hope we get to sit in some comfort in a general compartment.

3:45 pm : Bought tickets with ease. Counters weren’t crowded at all. Waiting on the platform now. Jose just about got here

3:50 pm : The whole gang is here. Things look nice, the platform is relatively empty…surprisingly. Waiting for the train to arrive.

4:20pm : Still waiting.

4:50 pm : The platform is filling up. We are a bit more concerned now about finding seats on the train rather than deciding who we are going to rag on the journey.

5:00 pm : Safely seated inside the train. There was a mad scramble for us to get here. We have seated ourselves in twos. Sadly yours truly is the odd one out. (That partially is one of the reasons as to why I’m translating my thoughts into ink). PS: Coming to the station 2 hours early didn’t pay off, did it?

5:15pm : The train seems to be slightly off schedule. Praying fervently for the train to leave as people have started packing in. There are 6 people in a seat meant for 4).

5:30pm : The train has started moving. I’m engulfed in the odour of what seems to be cheap liquor. Not like I expected the aroma of classy French wines in the air.

5:45pm : I’m writing another post in parallel to this log. (That's posted below)THAT is more aptly suited for my blog title.

6 pm : K.R. Puram : Finding out for myself why man is such an interesting animal. He has the ability to magnetise himself at will. Loads of members belonging to this species are clinging onto the train. Goes to show that humans aren’t just restricted to being leeches who cling on to other people.

6:10pm : We just went past White Field. I;m just thankful that the train didn’t stop here.

6:15pm : My back is beginning to kill me. Its supposed to be the monsoon, but there isn’t a rain cloud in sight.

6:45 pm : Its been just over an hour since we left. I think I’ll settle down for a bit with the the comic that I brought along.

6:50 pm : Bangarpet : Phew, some breathing space at last. They dropped off the train as quickly as the got in.

8pm : I went on a stroll thorught the carriage some time ago. Lots of people have made themselves at home on the floor and are already floating around in their reveries. Stayed back to chat with monty for some time . And as always, it has ended up as a session for “Soda Bashing”- Monty and Jose taking my trip. I;m just standing back and laughing my head off at some well timed PJs.

9:15 pm: Came back to my seat, I must say that the odour still lingers. But my God, doesn’t time fly when you are with friends.

9:30 pm : Salem: Ah! P’s hometown. Go die P. This place smells.

Aug 8 2009

4:45am : Ernakulam : Just got here. The “Soda Bashing” hasn’t stopped yet. Nothing surprising there.

6:45 pm : Kochi is really pleasant. After being dropped in the middle of nowhere, we had to walk quite a bit to get to the college. We are all indulging in – dare I say it , arbit rants.

8:45 am : Heading out for breakfast shortly. That’s to be followed by the quiz. Will continue once the quiz is done.

3 pm : Was a really good quiz. Nakul and Chaitanya wont it. I have to hand it to them. They were terrific today. Lady Luck decided to turn away at the last moment. We came 3^rd by a single point. That after getting 2 negs in the last round. Feeling really disappointed on missing out. Well, there’s always next time.

7:15 pm : Had a nice supper of some de-lish pizzas courtesy the champs. We just got to the station and are waiting for the train to arrive. Looking back, it certainly has been an eventful trip down to God’s Own Country. I’ll be going back home with contentment outweighing my heavy heart weighed down by disappointment.

Aug 9 2009

9am : Home.

A Journey

After wishing continuously for some time on my own, I seem to have been granted my wish. I’m seated alone in a crowded compartment. I feel like chewing my words, I begin to think that I’m more of a pack animal. Hold on, not just yet, I have some time to sit, look around and let some random and some not so random thoughts roam my head. That way, travelling is something truly unique. It can be enjoyed either when you’re by yourself or when you’re with a gang creating a ruckus all along the way.

I’m just sitting by myself watching the outside world whizz past the window. Its not something new to me, but something that I never find to be dull. It always seems so fresh every time you experience it. If not anything else, it makes you oblivious to the claustrophobic atmosphere inside.

Speaking about the people around me; Here I am, on a train to Kerala, on the border of KA, AP and TN when a Marwari woman boards the already crowded compartment with her child and a gent is jabbering away on his phone in what seems to be Bengali. I just found the above thought quirky. (If this makes you think that I’m some pseud NRI, who gapes at the sight of a cow on the road, then all I have to say to you are two words which when obeyed to the letter might cause you to increase your progeny).

A bad tech joke just ran through my head : More people are being pushed onto the seat, the seat does have only finite capacity, but there is no more space to accommodate overflow. Hence I just hope that the seat doesn’t crash.

I, for one, don’t think I would want to travel in such a fashion ever again. If I may say so, the bulk of the passengers seem to be from the financially restrained echelons of society. (read – the poorer sections of society). I pause to spare a thought to those who are compelled to commute thus on a daily basis. Coming back to the open mouthed, gaping firang that I mentioned earlier, I wonder what fascinates him about this very stratum of our society. It might be that he finds the content middle class to be too similar to himself for him to be free from his day to day mundaneness.

All my co-passengers are now in a stupor. I guess the journey can hold your attention only for so long. I guess its reaching your destination that gives you the drive to undertake the journey. Its rare that the journey itself can be recalled in the clarity that is usually reserved for those moments experienced when you get to those places that you want to reach.