Hardship of low budget traveling in India

Arriving in India is often tough because of the great contrast. We were particularly unlucky for our first 24 hours in the country.
We arrived at 2 in the morning in Mumbai (Bombay) airport. It was out of question to leave the airport at this time, so we slept fraudulently on hard seats in the international connection room. The sun then raised, and we finally went for the train station, already tired of the flights, jet lags, and the night. We then discovered the infamous way of queuing in India. Saying that Indian are dis-ordinate queuers : they try by every means to cut the queue, and of course there is no line, it is struggle for life!

We were finally able to buy some train tickets, last class, for Ahmedabad. When the train slowly entered the train station, we understood our mistake: it was severely crowded, people we even sitting on the luggage racks, so of course no seats for us. As hours were passing, the situation was worsening, at a point that it was more crowded than the Parisian Metro on rush hours. We weren’t even able to stand on our two legs, and we were kept standing by the sheer human pressure.
Some musicians passed : 3 young men with tambourines, they were really well appreciated by the crowd. Tea sellers, water and snacks sellers, beggars, transvestites, traveling in third class is exotic!

But in the coach tension was building up, some began to quarrel, and almost start to fight. We finally we forced out of the coach, half way. We were shocked, physically and intellectually. After that we spent another two hours to find accommodation not too expensive…
Welcome in India!

3 comments for “Hardship of low budget traveling in India”

  1. Un petit message d’encouragement pour cette phase apparemment désagréable de votre voyage. Cela étaye le fait que les Indiens ne sont pas tous forcément “Hin-doux” !! J’espère que vous retrouverez très vite les ambiances artistiques et musicales que vous êtes venu chercher en Inde. Bon courage dans votre remontée vers le nord de l’Asie, et pensez à bifurquer sur la gauche à l’occasion, direction soleil couchant… <;-))) de grosses bises de la part de Sofia, Céline et NonO !

  2. Aie !! Courage !

  3. Gardez ce souvenir en mémoire pour apprécier le métro parisien 😉

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