Train Train..

I was trying to book tickets to go home during the term break and I felt bad about the fact that Cochin is 24 hours by train from Hyderabad and it makes absolutely no sense for me to take a train. Besides, the timings are also odd. If I need to take a train, I will need to bunk my accounting exam, a though which is utmost unsavory!
I have always like train journeys. They are always eventful in one way or another. You get to observe a plethora of personalities and get to really feel to be a part of the mass. A bus journey by comparison is mostly overnight and does not offer you any insights about peoples behaviors. A journey by flight is too short to elicit any special events and I do not think I want my flight to be eventful anyways! :)
One of my memorable train journeys have been from my hometown in Kerala to Delhi. This was about 10 years back and I can still remember my terror at night, at the sound of the train going over long bridges, making me feel that we were going to derail and crash any time. I still remember the red countryside when the train went through the Chambal forests. I still remember seeing the landscape change as and when we crossed states and my wonderment at how this can so starkly change within a few kilometers and by the virtue of being in a different state. I still remember not being able to contain my enthusiasm when the train pulled into the Delhi railway station.
Yet another series of journeys where the trips to/from my college REC. This often used to happen in groups and was very enjoyable, culminating in a visit to one of the shops in Calicut where we would gorge on shawarma!
The train journeys are really beautiful when it rains. It is an amazing feeling to look out of the window when the train is turning a curve and see the rain drops fly past and graze your face. To see the tail of the train, winding as though like a majestic snake.
The coffee and the vada/pazhampori bought in the train always taste the best when it rains outside.
Given a chance I will want to take a break from everything and travel a lot in train. I will….soon! :)