That's it. I've passed my tolerance point. I've been at Varanasi station for 6 hours now waiting for a train to Gorakhpur. The train was supposed to arrive at 13:30. I'd been fed soooo many stories about how the train is 1,2,3,4,5 hours late. I've had enough of India. The dirt, the people, the complete squalor that everyone lies in (and tolerates), the stares, the touts, the beggars, everything. I did have some tolerance at 2.30, but now at 5pm I don't. I need to get off this God-forsaken country now!!!
18:06
I'm now finally on a train but its been at the station for 40 minutes. Maybe its something to do with a cow being on the tracks. Of course there's a cow on the tracks. Why wouldn't there be??? In my compartment is one stuffy looking jerk who won't look at me and his servant(that he treats like dirt) who wants to talk to me (possibly about escaping the p***k next to him) but his English is bad. And I have 5 hours on this train??? Call the cops because someone's not going to make it. And it's not me....
18:30
Now been moved by the conductor to my proper seat, thank God. I had got on a random carriage as it was impossible to find the one I needed. Now in a carriage that has only 1 other occupant. Eerily quiet...
23:13
Still on the move although I would contest that the train's name, "Gorakhpur Express", is fraudulent. Have also noted many non-fee paying passengers in my compartment, namely cockroaches. Many of them. This needs to end. Soon.
01:00
Reach hotel. I booked it over the phone and because it was in the Lonlet Planet, thought it would be OK. Wrong, it's a sh*thole. Least I'm only here for 3 hours before the bus to Sonauli and the Nepali border!!!!
Posted by cmelikian at October 27, 2003 09:14 AM