Heaven

Oct 4, 2016
2 min read

We left for the train station about 4:30am, said goodbye to our dog and our hut full of ants, and began one of the strangest journeys we’ve had in India.

Firstly, the road to town was lined with men that were, well, that were taking a morning dump. At first I thought I was seeing things, but no, man after man after man. Delightful.

Then, we got cocky. At the train station, we had checked we were on the right platform, knew our carriage number, and knew the train number. So we knew the next train coming in was the wrong train, because it was the wrong number. We’re so smart, we got this. Ha.

The train arrived and the locals started shouting at us to get on. No no no. This is the wrong train name and number. This isn’t our train.

GET ON THE TRAIN.

Confused, we ran down the platform to a ticket conductor, showed our ticket, and were met with, well, confusion. All the while locals shouting at us to get on.

Eventually the ticket conductor pointed to the very end of the platform where this ENOURMOUS train finished. So we jogged down just in time to see the last three carriages had a different train name and number as they slowly chugged passed us.

NOOOOOO!

We tried to jump on but it was going too fast and wasn’t safe. The local who had followed us yelled at the train driver to “STOP! THIS IS THEIR TRAIN! STOOOP!”. And the train stopped. What?

“What carriage?”

“3B!”

“OK, be quick.”

Tottering back down the platform with our bags we jumped on just as the train began moving again. Eternally grateful to the shouty locals, we once again realised you NEVER know what you’re doing in India, sometimes you just have an educated guess.

Palolim was heaven. Quiet, but with lovely restaurants where you pick your fish and they grill it. Gorgeous beach where there are enough Westerners to make me feel comfortable enough to wear a bikini.