WE have been travelling for nearly 750 days and this, amazingly, was our first long-distance train journey - on an Indian railway from Varkala to Alleppey (about three hours) in Kerala, southern India.
First we booked a tuk-tuk in the morning to take us from our hotel to the railway station, where we waited for our friend Bob Lesson, who was also on his way to Alleppey (Alappuzha) - to visit a family he had previously stayed with. We were heading for the famous backwaters to stay on a houseboat.
I waited in line to buy our train tickets. Used to London prices, I was blown away by the low cost. We purchased 'sleeper class' tickets at approximately £1 per person. Cheapest tickets are about 30 pence, although the compartments are usually crammed.
We waited for the train. The platform is incredibly long. And you soon discover why. Indian trains have so many carriages. They seem to go on endlessly.
You see all sorts on the platforms: tourists, Indian families, people sleeping on the floor or benches, businessmen, school kids. It soon fills up, even if it was only the weekend.
And then, almost on time, the train rolled in. We located our carriage, jumped on board, loaded our luggage and found some seats.
While it wasn't exactly sparkling clean (and what trains are?), I was impressed. All the seats folded down to make beds, in case you wanted to snooze. There was plenty of ventilation and storage space. There were even power points for those who preferred to plug in a laptop or electrical appliance.
Our journey was relatively short. For some, it was only just beginning. The train was heading towards and beyond Mumbai (Bombay) - 36 hours away!
We soon settled in. Bob and Zenchai consulted the map and Kobra, as usual, attracted attention from fascinated locals. She posed for photos on request. Zenchai watched Kerala go by, looking out of the window, or climbed up and down the ladders.
Throughout the journey men came through the aisles selling food and snacks - hot and cold drinks, banana fritters, nuts, tasty, crispy lentil cakes (above) and even meals, like biriyani. You hear them coming, calling out really fast, "Biriyani-biriyani-biriyani" like it's all one word.
You meet lots of people. Indians are sociable, at least it seems that way towards tourists and families with young children. Jamie got chatting to one man we called Mr. Brahman, as he'd explained to Jamie about India's caste system and his position in it. He then got talking to Bob.
"If you want to know about anything just aske me," he boasted to Bob, as if he wanted to be tested.
"Yes," said Bob with enthusiasm. "Can you tell me when they have the boat races in Alleppey (Bob had heard about)?"
"Yes, yes, yes of course. Just ask the tourist information," said the wise Mr. Brahman!
Time seemed to whirl by. Before we knew it, we had arrived in Alleppey, which is larger than Varkala and, consequently, much noisier and busier. Every other vehicle on the road seemed to be a bus or tuk-tuk. All roads were lined with shops or fruit-sellers. Dust and the sound of hooters filled the air.
Zenchai, sitting on the driver's lap, took us to our hotel, the Palmy Residency, which my Lonely Planet guidebook had so appealing described as "the best deal in town. It's a brand new building and fab location - just over the Matha footbridge from the bus station, but set back from the road amid lush greenery. Rooms are spacious and floored in Italian marble." It was everything the Lonely Planet said, except more pricey at R750 (£10) per night.
No-one batted an eyelid as our near-six-year-old vehicle-obsessed driver whizzed through town on a tuk-tuk - not even a police officer directing traffic! Kobra held on for dear life.
They call Alleppey the "Indian Venice", but it's not nearly as striking as the Italian city. If you walk along the riverfront, though, be prepared to be asked every 10 paces if you want to take a boat trip - expect to pay around R200 (£3) per hour for a small group.
I went off in search of a houseboat - which is another story - and then we shared some time with Bob before he had to depart (sadly, we weren't sure we'd see him again on our trip).
As Bob set off, Zenchai shouted, "I love you, Bob", and local children arrived, looking from the hotel entrance at Kobra - the girls being particularly enchanted. Jamie wondered over with a camera and turned the tables on them - taking their picture instead!
Our time in Alleppey, though brief, was only just beginning.
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