Last night we took our first Indian train ride. The train from Pondicherry to Kannyakumari (the southern most tip of India) was was about 10 hours overnight, from about 8:00pm to 6:00am. We are traveling third class, in the sleeping class, which is a real Indian experience. First of all, the train compartments are all open and each small section contains 6 beds. When you come onto the train there is a bench and a top bunk. The back part of the bench folds up to form the third bunk so you are literally stacked on top of each other. I was lucky enough to get a top bunk so I was close to the fan and felt like I had a little more of my own space. With my bags on the bunk there was not too much space for me to stretch out on the bed without hanging across the aisle. I was able to fall asleep then woke up multiple times during the night when the Indian men in the bottom bunks below me turned on the lights and were playing cards and sharing a meal.
In the early morning we had the most amazing view of during the sunset. We were passing rice patties and small rural villages with amazing mountains in the background. It was very interesting to see the contrast of such natural beauty immediately after being in busy cities.
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