My First train Journey..

Such an irony…I had never travelled in a train my entire life, until last month. It was a “TO DO” thing in my list for this year. And I am happy I did. It’s a nice feeling when; you do something which you planned. It is like an achievement. And the sense of relief you get is tremendous.

24th Sept , is an unforgettable day in my life for 2 reasons. This year it was a unique experience.
I had heard a lot about the train journey to Goa. We took the Vasco express on Friday, scheduled to depart at 9.50 PM. But the train arrived only at 9.50PM!

The first time I stepped into train, I could smell the air…it was not at all a nice feeling. We couldn’t do much once we found our seats, as there was already a family, who were asleep. I did not even realize and the train had started moving! Both the tickets had lower berth, but my friend got lucky and shifted to the upper one. Since it was a night journey, we just wrapped ourselves for a night’s sleep. It was a very unusual feeling...if the train halted at any station, I would wake up immediately. By the morning, the family had alighted at their destination, and I and my friend were the only occupants.

Early morning, it was a scene from a movie……..people making a beeline for the wash room..
It was and seemed very funny to me. But my friend warned, be careful.

Throughout the morning journey, it was a scenic view. Lush green landscapes, cool blue sky, not a hint of rain, and lots of tunnels! Every time we passed a tunnel (16 in all), the screams would soar.
Since this was my first time, everything that happened in a train amused me. The people, the place, the vendors shouting food / beverages, the stations, their names. Just an hour before reaching Goa, we passed a place called Dudh Saagar. The pass thru the falls for about 30 seconds or so and the scene is just amazing. Nature at its best. Most people at that point throng the train doors; to catch a glimpse...we were lucky enough to find some free space.

True to the movies, you do meet different kinds of people in the train. In our case too, we did.
Some who were most decent and some who were not, some who were very friendly and some disgusting to the core. And how can I forget the kids…cute, naughty and cranky… Luckily or unluckily we had to share our compartment with them.

Overall, the train journey was a pleasant one…lots of memories will now remain.
Not to forget, the return journey was also by train.