REMINISCENCES OF MY TRAIN JOURNEYS

The earliest train journey I can recall (guess the year is 1983/84) is when we used to travel from Jallandhar in Punjab to Kannur in Kerala. Its vague as I was very young. Father was stationed in Adampur an Air Force Base. Every year we used to take 2 months of our summer vacation to visit Sister (who was studying in a boarding school in Kerala) and relatives in Vengara (www.vengara.com). Well mother made sure she packed Food for all of us for the entire 3 ( or was it 4?) days travel!!

Then there was a long gap between the train Journeys after we shifted to Bangalore as we used to take the bus to go to our village. The next train journey was in the year 1993 after I passed my 12th Grade, when Ministry of Defense,Government of India decided I was qualified enough to try out for the Office Cadre in Indian Navy , so I was invited by the SSB (Service Selection Board) to meet them for a four day all expenses paid interview at Bhopal Sulatania Infantry Lines, one of the most beautiful places I have seen!! Ten years later 2003 when I was working with FreeMarkets and was in Bhopal for a client meeting I requested my client to take me there, you see I am a very nostalgic person :-) Also walked in the Old Bhopal streets and had hot Jealbis of the halwai's from the street, maybe it was the same guy 10 years back too!!

Let me not digress and change the track back to Indian Railways. After 1993 I went all out on my travels by trains. I like to travel without reservations as this gives me the opportunity to meet people from the various strata of the society. These are rich, cherished and memorable experiences of my journeys.

• I have broken bread (rotis) with Lambani tribal women (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambani) prepared on a Kerosene stove inside the train compartment.
• Shared a top rack with an unemployed Bihari youth ( and 3 other people) heading towards Mumbai looking for a job for 30 hours!! And them not allowing me to spend even a buck to buy food or tea,they treated me as they felt I was a guest!! On reaching Mumbai I reciprocated by taking them for a good Lunch and Beer @ Papa Pacho in Bandra!!
• An Army Jawan headed to Assam to fight insurgency and his frustration with the life ( 2001 Chennai to Kolkatta)
• Shared a Patiala Peg along with the Ticket Collector to NJP and heard good stories on the way to New Jalpaiguri (2001 Kolkatta to NJP)
• Sat on the train door from Thrissur to Trivandrum the entire journey and watched the darkness pass by at 60kmph (1995 Engineering days 38 miles/hr)
• Had a insightful talk with a Sadhu (2000) did you know Govt. Of India/ Indian railways doesn't ask them for tickets!!!
• A small train (as big as a bus) on narrow gauge when I went for a rafting/hike in North Karnataka!!! It stopped for people to cross the railway lines!! (2004)
• The folks who took fascination to my Compaq laptop (2004 journey from Bangalore to Delhi 40 hours) after I showed them two movies and the battery ran out..in the middle of the second movie

What I would love to do is the longest journey on Indian Railways from Jammu Tawi to Kanyakumari, a distance of about 3,751 km covered by Himsagar Express ,a 5 day trip , planning to take a flight from Delhi to Jammu board the train .........someday its in my list of 50 things to do before I am 50!!!