The Amaravathi Express Train (Hampi – Goa)

Ragu (my favourite tuk tuk driver and new best friend from Hampi) came to collect me and was waiting outside my guesthouse at 5:30am on Wednesday morning. Feeling very apprehensive about my first Indian train experience I loaded my bag into the rickshaw and off we went, headed for Hospete Railway Station. We arrived at the station and Ragu came inside with me to help me check the timetable for my train. My train was showing on the timetable as two hours delayed, Ragu didn’t seem the slightest bit surprised by this letting me know that actually it’s delayed every day. Of course he didn’t feel like letting me in on this crucial info before dragging us to the station at ridiculous o’clock because he was convinced one of these days it’ll be on time and it’ll be his fault if someone misses it. Fair enough I suppose. We then did what anyone would do when faced with a long boring wait, my tuk tuk driver and I went for chai.

Eventually Ragu had to head back, leaving me to wait out the delayed train by myself. The 2 hour delay turned into 4 hours and as the hours went by I grew more and more irritable with the never ending questioning by curious Indian men and more anxious about the impending train journey as I watched the heaving floods of people get on and off other trains. A couple of hours into my wait on the platform I got talking to two local ladies who to my delight were waiting for the same train and had a bed booked in the same carriage, sensing and seeing the terrified look on my face, they took me straight under their wing and I couldn’t be more grateful!

Boarding the train was just as stressful as the 4 hour platform wait, the sleeper bed I had booked had another man sitting in it so I crammed my stuff in and sat with my knees folded to my chest wondering anxiously how this set up would work for the next 8 hours. The train was as busy as all the others I’d watched come and go from the platform so when the lady I’d met previously tapped me on the back and asked if I wanted to switch seats I almost cried. My new seat was up high with the luggage racks, safe and away from anyone so that I could sleep, another incredibly kind act from a complete stranger, I am so lucky!

The 8 hour journey turned into 11 hours, I didn’t sleep much as we stopped a lot and it was very chaotic on board, there’s nothing you can’t buy during an Indian train journey! Drinks, food, fruit, earrings, electronic gadgets, you name it, someone will be along selling it. The last three hours of the journey were the most surreal, people started getting off and I went to join Rethika and Sister Maria (saved by an Indian nun??!) who were enjoying the incredible jungle scenes from the train windows. The train went straight through Dudhsagar Waterfalls and it was absolutely beautiful! Families in the carriage started singing traditional Hindu songs and the ladies and me were laughing with the men on the seats opposite as people screamed when the train went through dark tunnels. I felt like I was in a dream, having begun this (ridiculously long and somewhat scary) journey alone I was suddenly surrounded by and talking to some amazing local people looking out of the train at the most beautiful scenery.

As it got darker and my phone battery started to die the feeling of dread I felt back on the platform this morning returned. My two new friends were getting off a train stop before me and I suddenly realised I would be arriving in Goa in the pitch black middle of the night completely alone. Not having much choice but to just roll with it and hope for the best, sister Maria asked a man in our cabin to book me a taxi and make sure I got home safe. I definitely had doubt in my mind about trusting this complete stranger and maybe it wasn’t the safest option (sorry parents) but feeling absolutely exhausted when I (finally) arrived at the really scary and busy station I decided the stranger was a nicer option than the swarm of taxi drivers approaching me from every angle. Following the most nerve racking car journey of my life, to my delight (and surprise) I actually made it to my hostel!

Possibly the scariest most surreal but also the most incredible day of my life. People truly are amazing!