Back in India ...
I've been back in India a week now ....
After a couple of days in Mumbai (Bombay) I needed to get out of the city so headed for the sleepy beach town of Ganpatipule via Ratnagiri. I caught the train to Ratnagiri .. or so I thought ... but made the mistake of getting on the train that was at the platform before the Ratganiri train. Before I knew it, we were off, and before I could get to the door we were hurtling along at a speed that made any thought of jumping off impossible! I got off at the next staion, 45 minutes later, and went to the station master and explained my plight ...
He suggested I get a local train to Thane, 20 mins away, and if I was really lucky, I might just make the train I was supposed to be on ...
Well ... I have never been on a train ... or anything for that matter that was as crowded as this one ... somehow I grabbed on, and was hanging out the door by one arm as the train took off. Fortuantly someone took my bags and grabbed me so I could hang on with both arms before we got going really fast - and clung on for dear life, hanging out of the door until we got to Thane, where I jumped off.
Miraculously my bags appeared and were thrown to me! After a few panicky moments trying to figure out which of the ten trains waiting was mine, I got on the right train. It turned out to be a most pleasant trip after that ... my coach mate was a military helicopter pilot ... we had a great time talking about everything under the sun, had a great meal at out seat and I got off at Ratganiri and caught a rickshaw to Ganpatipule, some 45 kms away.
Ganpatipule was great ... nice, cheap hotel, a very clean, quiet village, lovley beach - until the weekend .. when people started arriving for a major festival - seems Ganpatipule is a pilgramage place for Ganesh - and everyone for miles around started descending on the town. I escaped today to Ratganiri, where I can do some internet, get my phone recharged, and get transport south.
I'm heading tomorrow, if all goes well to Panaji, where I was when I left for Canada. I'm having some problems with my hip and leg, so will get it looked at there and take things from there ...
There's good internet in Panaji, so I'll get some pictures up for you to see ...
After a couple of days in Mumbai (Bombay) I needed to get out of the city so headed for the sleepy beach town of Ganpatipule via Ratnagiri. I caught the train to Ratnagiri .. or so I thought ... but made the mistake of getting on the train that was at the platform before the Ratganiri train. Before I knew it, we were off, and before I could get to the door we were hurtling along at a speed that made any thought of jumping off impossible! I got off at the next staion, 45 minutes later, and went to the station master and explained my plight ...
He suggested I get a local train to Thane, 20 mins away, and if I was really lucky, I might just make the train I was supposed to be on ...
Well ... I have never been on a train ... or anything for that matter that was as crowded as this one ... somehow I grabbed on, and was hanging out the door by one arm as the train took off. Fortuantly someone took my bags and grabbed me so I could hang on with both arms before we got going really fast - and clung on for dear life, hanging out of the door until we got to Thane, where I jumped off.
Miraculously my bags appeared and were thrown to me! After a few panicky moments trying to figure out which of the ten trains waiting was mine, I got on the right train. It turned out to be a most pleasant trip after that ... my coach mate was a military helicopter pilot ... we had a great time talking about everything under the sun, had a great meal at out seat and I got off at Ratganiri and caught a rickshaw to Ganpatipule, some 45 kms away.
Ganpatipule was great ... nice, cheap hotel, a very clean, quiet village, lovley beach - until the weekend .. when people started arriving for a major festival - seems Ganpatipule is a pilgramage place for Ganesh - and everyone for miles around started descending on the town. I escaped today to Ratganiri, where I can do some internet, get my phone recharged, and get transport south.
I'm heading tomorrow, if all goes well to Panaji, where I was when I left for Canada. I'm having some problems with my hip and leg, so will get it looked at there and take things from there ...
There's good internet in Panaji, so I'll get some pictures up for you to see ...
posted by Andrew Smith at 1:02 AM
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