Back from Bundi

On the way back I was advised to take the train in case of traffic jams. I get to the train station at 4…the train was supposed to come at 4:40. When I ask them for a ticket, I'm to relax as there's still a lot of time. I pointed out that there was about half an hour left, prompting a snicker…Did I actually expect the train to be on time? There are sometimes cows on the tracks, or people. The train stops or hits one of them which creates problems and delays. So I sit down, wait, and read. As I'm waiting, I get to observe the start of the ascent of an average indian, These 5 people from the town had decided to go to bombay to try their luck. The train finally comes at 5:30pm (only 50 minutes late). I'm relieved since the journey from here to the place I need to get the next train at 8pm is only 40 minutes (30 miles or so) - I have plenty of time. The train stops here for 10 minutes allowing the passengers to grab a cup of tea and a samosa. After many stoppages and many contingency plans going through my head (ditching the train in the middle of the tracks and finding some other form of transportation , to coming back here to stay another night to spending the night at the train station). The train finally makes it to Kota at 7:30 and I'm able to catch my 8pm train to ahmedabad. Then came the class 3A- 3rd class but AC - only thing that was available. The redeeming fact was that they had sleeping berths. On the other hand I was stuck with a semi-literate family of 4. The mom and the kids were ok - the dad seemed to have just come from the khet. He put his bags all over the seats and then spreads out with his kids…he would start slapping his kids around and then they would start crying. Then to calm them down, he would play songs very loudly on his cell phone. I was sick and didn't feel like socializing - I tried to teach the kid how to play with those magic magnets but she didn't really care. So I went back to my book (by the way, kite runner is a very good and quick read).