How did a 5 hour train journey from Varanasi to Gaya turn into a 12 hour mess? Well, it starts with the train running a bit behind. Then late, then much later. We left 3 hours behind schedule - which is by all accounts, not that bad for India.
Our sleeper car was packed with all sort of people. Kids wailing, couples sitting silently and backpackers like us. Peanut husks, amongst everything else, littered the floor. I don't even want to think about the wet spots. At every stop the train was swamped with beggars - quickly in, then quickly out again. Not content to simply put out a hand, these ones grabbed a leg and tugged on it ... right about the time my book was getting really good and I had almost blocked out the smell of the nearby toilet I was brought back to consciousness!
Stop the train! We want to get off!!!
While it did appear the open doors were a safety hazard, I was pleased with the cross ventilation and it was, after all, another option if things got really bad!
Another "express" train races past the open door.
We soon found ourselves in Gaya and after banding together with several other US tourists, managed to get a very respectable looking SUV to drive us all to Bodhgaya, about 18km away... our final destination tonight.
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