How to travel on trains in India, where to go by train in India and when to go
Trains in India can be booked up to 120 days in advance. This means buying a ticket in advance is wise. If it is impossible for you to book in advance, there are a few ways of arranging a ticket more last minute. I've listed some of them here.
For the 160th anniversary of India's Railways, I put up a few pictures of trains I took on the lines between Delhi and Agra, and the lines between Delhi and Jaisalmer. The carriages with the bars on open windows are third class. Five rupee masala chai is lovingly represented.
While some people go in for the corporate doesn’t mean anything anyway line on Valentine’s Day it is still a day when other people’s love lives and your own are uncomfortably thrown into the spotlight. So why not ditch it and go and celebrate someone else’s wedding in India?
Every now and then we stay in places that help us out. The people who work there take us in and allow us to really experience the place. It's something I hope will happen more and more in the future.
Women have to be careful in Delhi. I love Delhi and hope you will too. There are plenty of very friendly intelligent people here. But there are also some nasty bastards, so using common sense when it comes to travelling at night is a good idea.
The British persuaded people in India to grow and drink tea in the 50s. They didn’t want China to have a monopoly on the growing and exporting of tea. Today, masala chai tastes great. Here’s how you make Indian tea, it won’t taste as good but still worth it.
India. Overwhelming, sense-overloading, colourful, wonderful India. Hits you in the face as soon as you arrive and stays with you forever. This is how I felt before catching the night train to Jaisalmer 3rd class. Remember to book in advance or get a tatkal ticket the morning before.
Eyes wide alive as the first battered taxi you take through the streets of Delhi passes cows in the night. The cold is left behind and mosquitos fly at the windows. The air is thick and the smells are sweet and pungent.