T Minus 30 and Counting…

I ended up settling on a small Target-branded backpack (their brand of backpacks is called Embark) as a daypack, which will hold my laptop and camera and some accessories when I’m out and about in a location.  I’ll carry that one onto the plane while my larger Osprey pack is checked as baggage (the Osprey is just a little too long to fit the carry-on dimensions); and I’ll stick some basic toiletries and some undergarments in the carry-on just in case I get separated from my larger bag...

The mosquito netting (this guy) will be picked up tomorrow, and tested out to make sure it’s intact, and more importantly, I know how to put it up and take it down easily.  I’m taking about 30ft of paracord, a half dozen wraps of duct tape and a few wraps of electrical tape as well, which should see me through any emergency repairs, until I can get to a tailor of some sort.  First aid type stuff, like alcohol prep pads, band-aids, etc. are being collected to some extent, but will really more be gathered closer to time.

As far as the trains go - of the 10 tickets I have purchased, all have confirmed now except two.  The Indian Rail system will actually sell you a ticket even if they don’t have a place for you on the train.  So, the status of the ticket is what’s important, rather that simply having a ticket.  “Confirmed” is the status you get when you have a bunk assigned and it is the final status.  “RAC” (Reserve Against Cancellation) is the status of tickets that will let you on the train, but not to lie down in the bunk (you’ll have to sit the whole way, even though you’ve paid for the bunk).  At least with RAC, you know you’ll be on the train.  With a “WL” (Wait List) ticket, which is the farthest practical status away from getting a bunk, you won’t even get on the train.

The number of RAC and WL spaces on a train vary based on how many cars (coaches) are on that particular train.  As people “in front” of you cancel, you move up the slots.  So for example, let’s say there are 5 RAC and 5 WL positions for a specific train.  When you book, let’s say you get WL 4, which would mean 4 people need to cancel before you get to an RAC slot, and then 5 more people would need to cancel in order for you to get a confirmed place on board (meaning you’ll have a proper bunk).

So, I have one ticket which started at RAC6 two and a half weeks ago, and I’ve moved up to the RAC2 position (I would think it would be sure to confirm (two more people cancel)).  The other ticket  started at WL21 and is now a WL16.  That one is much more dicey, and I’m thinking I may not even make it on that train.  For certain trains there exists a Foreign Tourist quota that would work out well for me, but I don’t know if that train will have such a quota, and it’s not something you can book ahead of time anyway.  It has to be done in person at the station, so we’ll see how it works out when I get there.

I’m planning on SL class for most all of the train journeys, though I do have one booked in 3AC.  SL class is called “Sleeper Class” which is a 2nd class, non-air conditioned coach.  There are 6 bunks (aka “berths”) per section and are stacked 3 high on each side.  The “section” is about 5.5’ wide by 6.5’ long.  It’s crazy to even think that 6 people can sleep in an area that tiny.  The top berths (for example) are about 6’2” long and almost 22.5” wide, and there’s about 21” as an “aisle” between the two top bunks.  There are side bunks also, but they are too small to fit me comfortably, so I haven’t booked any.

One of the main advantages of Sleeper class is that the windows are open (well, there are bars over the windows to keep the monkeys out, but there is no glass).  That allows you to really see what’s going by; seeing/hearing/smelling the scenery.  People with any experience on a motorcycle will know what I’m talking about.  On a motorcycle, you can feel the temperature changes when you ride through tree shade; you can smell the flowers, or a field of corn (or road kill).  It’s much closer to the action, closer to life’s vibrance.  Not all classes of train have open windows.  For instance, the air conditioned classes have blue tinted Plexiglas over all the windows to keep the AC in.  But the by-product of the more comfortable conditions, is that you miss the “real” India going by outside.

For taking care of business, each Sleeper coach has 4 toilets (3 squat toilets, and 1 “Western-style” toilet).  By toilet, I really mean “hole-in-the-bottom-of-the-floor-going-straight-to-the-ground-passing-below-the-moving-train”.  No flushing as we think of it, and no toilet paper provided.  The Indian way of wiping is using the bare fingers of your left hand to do the dirty work, which are cleaned/lubricated with some water you scoop from a common pail (or if so-equipped, a spigot).  This is why people eat with the right hand in India!

Sleeper class is the class of train travel that most ordinary Indians use for long-distance train travel; by all descriptions, it’s basic and “grubby,” and sounds perfect for meeting some very interesting people.  As I mentioned above, I do have one train ride in 3AC (which is basically a Sleeper class coach with air-conditioning), and I hope to have a shorter “local” trip in 2nd class unreserved.  That’s the appalling human squeeze trick class, which would (by far) violate any and all Health and Safety Regulations, Fire Occupancy Rating, and similar ordinances here in the US.  The density on a crowded train in 2nd class unreserved would probably be measured in humans per square foot.  I think a two hour trip somewhere in that class would cure me of wanting to do it again; and no, I don’t plan on getting on top of the train.

I am a little concerned about the heat, being that I will be travelling during the middle of the summer.  Crowded quarters at 115*F, in a jarring, non-air-conditioned steel box could get interesting.  I am prepared (if available, and if necessary to my health/sanity) to pay the extra to move up to the AC.  The good news is that dead poultry is prohibited on a train; albeit somewhat worrying that that exclusion needed to be made in the first place.  I remember reading about people moving livestock with them (chickens, goats, etc.), but I can’t remember now if it was by rail or bus.  I’ll have to clarify if experience proves it out.  Either way, I think this will be an altogether different experience than our Amtrak jaunt to New York City last winter.

Til next time…

T Minus 40 Days…

But really, who’s counting.

I have purchased most of what I will need to take, with a few notable exceptions.  Like pants.  And shirts.  And stuff. 

But my backpack (Osprey Atmos 50 Pack) is here, the SteriPen is here, my socks are here, and some earplugs are here too!  I’m evaluating some cheap-o day packs (like kid’s school backpacks) because they’re really light and, so long as I’m relatively sure that they’re safe, I’m sure I’m not going to want to take all my belongings out every time I leave wherever I’m staying.

My train tickets are all booked via the IRCTC website (that in itself, a pretty fun task, and a great introduction to both the Indian bureaucracy and language difficulties).  Well, I booked them all except for one, as I’m only allowed to make 10 per month.  So, the final one will have to wait until April rolls around to finish that up.

The good part of having the train tickets booked, beside avoiding the long, hot lines in the crowded rail station, is that the itinerary is somewhat set (at least the cities).  This is actually quite a relief when you’re starting with a virtual blank pad of paper when it comes to where you’re going to go.  Especially on a trip this long.  Planning for a solo 6 week trip is a bit of an undertaking, especially with my desire for information.

You see, normally, like when we have gone to domestic destinations, I’ve come up with a list of places to stay based on location, budget, amenities, etc.  Let’s say I start with a list of 30-40 places; many of them can be weeded out relatively quickly using the criteria I set out with.  Which leaves, let’s say about 10 places.  Then we get into looking at pictures, checking out their websites, reading reviews, etc. to get a cursory flavor of the place.  Then, using that information, we get down to maybe 2 or 3 that we have to decide between.  The research then gets a little deeper and more time intensive.  Checking to see what comes up with a Google search of the hotel, looking at reviews from multiple sites, checking it out on a map to see how easy it is to get in and out of, where the grocery or restaurants are (if there are), local transportation, its proximity to area attractions, etc.  At the end, I have a lot of information gathered that I attempt to use in a constructive way, to increase the chances that I may have a favorable experience, versus, let’s say, picking a place by throwing a dart at a map of the area.

However, there are several things which preclude me from doing the same thing on this trip.  One, is that if I’ll be travelling to 15 cities (let’s say), that’s a hell of a lot of work.  Two, is that I find myself a lot less interested in spending so much time trying to get the answer “right,” and third, is the fact that, well, while more and more information is coming online from these locations in India, much of it is not online.  Which makes research long and tedious, and when the translations are rough, very slow too.  Not to mention the fact that the “traditional” way to see India is to plop down off the plane and then figure it out; staying as long as you like in one place before moving on.

So, given my tendency to want to consume as much information as possible in advance, I am both excited and anxious about the trip.  Excited for the challenge and the opportunity to meet such a culture; anxious from my “lack of preparation” compared to previous travels.  We’ll have to wait and see as the time draws closer, which way the needle will lean.