In Transit

Jan 25

This morning I went to get tickets onward from Gunter. Glad I was not trying to do it in a hurry or with luggage. They have an odd but effective booking system. The local booking and information system is on the east side of the tracks. It is an incredible zoo with hundreds of people pushing and shoving to get their tickets for the local comuter services.To get bookings for the long haul trains you have to cross the tracks via the underground concourse, up out and way down the street, past the post raj palatial splendor of the Section chiefs quarters and to the other booking office on the western edge, of the station property. It is effective, if you are not carrying luggage, because that booking office is quiet without much in the way of lineups, unlike the scrum on the local platform.

So, I can get a train tomorrow, same one I got off yesterday, but that berth isn't vacated until the train reaches another station about an hour down the line. Back all the way across the tracks and buy a twelve rupee ticket on the same train I took up to Repalle leaving at 4:30 am tomorrow. I booked A/C 2 tier even though it is just an eight hour ride during the day and I could do it in a chair car or bus because in A/C 2 tier there is a pretty good chance I can lie down and get some of the stress off the old coccux for part of the journey, (and catch a little snooze to get over that 4am wake up call before the whole train switches into day mode.) If I had known how this was going to play out beforehand I would have been able to do the whole stop over on a break-of-journey ticket for much less money.

I find that the local people have as much trouble understanding my accent as I do their's, so am writing my questions down, makes for much faster comprehension. Everybody, even railway people are very patient and helpful. That is unusual, they always seem pretty stressed out.

Well, off for my day of exploring Gunter.

Did my usual random walking tour. Ended up circumnavigating the railway station instead of bisecting it as I did earlier this morning. Very strong Christian presence here. Big Cathedral, lots of different Christian themed institutes. Looks like they have been around for a while, an old building reminiscent of Goan churches now houses another institute. tried to take a photo of some roadside dhabbas and had the usual street urchins pop up and demand to be in the photo.

I was looking for a restaurant where I could sit down under a fan. Found two but I was half an hour to early for them, lunch at twelve. Decided when I got to a familiar corner just to send room service out to get me something and eat it under the fan in my hotel room.

I think I will spend the afternoon working on Edmonton Street News, take a nap, and head out for dinner when it gets a little cooler.