We board the train, and find our seats, announcing to everyone in our area that the loud, rowdy, and obnoxious exchange students were here.
The seven of us find our booth and get ready for our ride. We're all catching up with each other, getting to know Sam, and letting Sam know how we work. By 10:00pm, we were all together. The others from the other district boarded the train and there is happiness and excitement in the air. I'm glad we were in second class, where be can behave like this. Though the differences between first and second class are tiny, they make the world of difference. For instance, in first class, there is A/C, and in second there is not. Which isn't so bad, since the wind passes through the open windows. Also, in first class they give out complimentary blankets and pillows. Second class does not give out such luxuries. Mostly, people travelling in the second class will being their own small blanket and pillow. In second class, all common courtesies go out the glassless windows.
Anyway.
We couldn't even bare to sit in our assigned seats. The 13 of us are piled into one booth. There simply isn't enough room for all of us to fit. Half are on the bottom, and the other half are on the top bunk. I can't imagine what the locals sitting within ear shot (Which would have been further than you think since we were being so noisy) are thinking. People passing by saw a booth overflowing with fair skin and blonde hair, singing, laughing, cuddling and hugging - both male and female!
With a reunion like this, sleep becomes less of a priority. However, as 1am rolls around the people around us start to lay down to sleep. We decide that we should sleep too, or at least split up so we're not keeping anyone awake. I didn't end up going to my booth, I bunked with Serenity in the very, very small bed. As Franzi, Anais, Olivia, Chris, Sam, Serenity and I lie down, we noticed just then how terribly cold it was. For those who did pack a travel blanket and pillow, they were tucked away at the very bottom of our bags, extremely inaccessible. We are travelling in the desert at night with no blankets and open windows. The wind whistles by loudly, as if its' chill wasn't enough. We tried to sleep until 4:00am. After tossing and turning under my thin scarf and Serenity's arm as my pillow I give up. Serenity and I look at each other with that look of frustration when you just can't fall asleep. Our chatting wakes the others too. We decide with the cold, it would be useless to try and sleep again. We cuddle for warmth, and purchase chai for the wallah calling out through the walkaway "Chaaaaaaaiiiii. Chaaaaaaiiiii. Chaaaaaaaiii."
Two hours of the crazies and we arrive in our first city, Jaipur "The Pink City, Rajasthan. The beginning of North Tour looking promising.
Basically.
The seven of us find our booth and get ready for our ride. We're all catching up with each other, getting to know Sam, and letting Sam know how we work. By 10:00pm, we were all together. The others from the other district boarded the train and there is happiness and excitement in the air. I'm glad we were in second class, where be can behave like this. Though the differences between first and second class are tiny, they make the world of difference. For instance, in first class, there is A/C, and in second there is not. Which isn't so bad, since the wind passes through the open windows. Also, in first class they give out complimentary blankets and pillows. Second class does not give out such luxuries. Mostly, people travelling in the second class will being their own small blanket and pillow. In second class, all common courtesies go out the glassless windows.
Anyway.
We couldn't even bare to sit in our assigned seats. The 13 of us are piled into one booth. There simply isn't enough room for all of us to fit. Half are on the bottom, and the other half are on the top bunk. I can't imagine what the locals sitting within ear shot (Which would have been further than you think since we were being so noisy) are thinking. People passing by saw a booth overflowing with fair skin and blonde hair, singing, laughing, cuddling and hugging - both male and female!
Yeah, that nasty foot is mine...
Let me remind you Franzi has a fractured ankle...How did she climb up there?
Getting wild.
With a reunion like this, sleep becomes less of a priority. However, as 1am rolls around the people around us start to lay down to sleep. We decide that we should sleep too, or at least split up so we're not keeping anyone awake. I didn't end up going to my booth, I bunked with Serenity in the very, very small bed. As Franzi, Anais, Olivia, Chris, Sam, Serenity and I lie down, we noticed just then how terribly cold it was. For those who did pack a travel blanket and pillow, they were tucked away at the very bottom of our bags, extremely inaccessible. We are travelling in the desert at night with no blankets and open windows. The wind whistles by loudly, as if its' chill wasn't enough. We tried to sleep until 4:00am. After tossing and turning under my thin scarf and Serenity's arm as my pillow I give up. Serenity and I look at each other with that look of frustration when you just can't fall asleep. Our chatting wakes the others too. We decide with the cold, it would be useless to try and sleep again. We cuddle for warmth, and purchase chai for the wallah calling out through the walkaway "Chaaaaaaaiiiii. Chaaaaaaiiiii. Chaaaaaaaiii."
Given up, tired, sugar filled and together.
... frustration, disgusting and straight up ugly too. (Serenity's gonna hate me for posting this for the world to see.)
Two hours of the crazies and we arrive in our first city, Jaipur "The Pink City, Rajasthan. The beginning of North Tour looking promising.
No comments:
Post a Comment