IPL Season 4
Day 26 – 29th April – 32 Sleeps to go
No rush this morning as the part was not due to arrive until around 11am. My top priority was to work out how I was to get back to Kochi in time for tomorrow’s match. If the part arrived at 11 it would not be ready until about 14:30 and taking everything into consideration that would probably be 16:00 anyway. So figured I could book a late evening flight. No chance. The last flight to Kochi is at 16:20 and there is no way I would make that. OK so I looked early the next morning. It would mean staying another night in Bangalore but I would be there on time. There was a flight that would suit my needs but it was Rs25000. I had only paid Rs3700 to get to Bangalore so that seemed a bit ridiculous. The only other viable option was the train. There were two trains to choose from and I went for the 21:40 one this evening. It arrived at 10:00 tomorrow. Plenty of time to get to the stadium for the 16:00 match. I couldn’t book the ticket online so I went to the station. You have to complete a reservation request form before you can buy a ticket.
In SA or England you simply say to the ticket guy that you would like a ticket to wherever, pay him and he prints it. In India you have to complete a form and you need to know the train number and the name of the station. So saying the 21:40 from Bangalore to Kochi is not good enough you have to ask for train number 16526 departing at 21:40 from Bangalore City Station to Ernakulam You also have to provide your ID number and address etc. All very confusing and time consuming. Anyway I completed the form and the guy asked for the money. Rs257 for sleeper class. That is about R40 for a 600km trip in sleeper class.
Had I stayed over and caught the flight in the morning I would have had to pay for another evening meal, the hotel, taxi to airport and the flight. Even with a flight at the cheapest option my total cost for the extra night would have been about Rs15000. My actual cost was Rs100 Auto trip to station and Rs257 for ticket plus Rs150 for food for the journey. Result!
So now I had a plan and could spend the day in Bangalore waiting for the camera to be fixed. There was a match that evening in the city and it was being covered by another team so I thought I would hook up with them during the day and go to the match in the evening as a spectator. Prashant and Saikat were doing a couple of head shots at the team hotel so I gate crashed.
I knew the name of the hotel where I needed to meet the guys and I knew it was close by but I did not have the address. So I got hold of an Auto driver who quoted me Rs50. That was fine and so off we went. I had half an hour to get to the hotel which was no more than 2km away. Surely no problem. Anyway it turned out the driver did not know where the hotel was and we ended up going round in circles for ages. The driver then started shouting at me saying I should know where I wanted to go and that it was my fault. We eventually find the hotel and of course he wants more money. When I refuse he gets very animated and calls me a cheat. I tried to explain that I don’t know the city and when I asked for the hotel you were very willing to help and quoted a price but he was not interested and stormed off .
These guys are strange. They hassle you all the time as you walk along and then when you get where you are going they often demand more money. I understand they are on a low income but it would be much more pleasant if we could just agree a price and not have to re-negotiate at the other end. I have taken to paying the exact fare and just walking off. It gets rid of the “no change issue”
It was really good to meet the guys and be able to have a chat. They are great guys and I am lucky to be working with them. Once the head shots were done they headed for their hotel and to prepare for the match.
I now had the afternoon to myself so I headed back to Brigade Rd. It’s one of the main shopping roads in Bangalore with all designer shops mixed with locally supplied cheaper goods. It has a good vibe with bars and restaurants and lots of locals mixed with a few tourists. I wandered around for a while and was surprised to see more beggars than usual. The poor and the disabled are many in India and you are always approached for food or money more so because you are a “westerner” and therefore have money. The very fact you can afford to travel to India means you have money. Today however there were many more people with missing limbs or fingers. I have experienced this before many times in India but today it was overload. It’s really quite sad to see people suffering from leprosy or other inflictions and having literally no fingers. Holding their hands out and asking for money. Incredible thoughts run through your mind about the way they live and how their existence must be. It makes me sad.
Mrs Rukmin called and said the camera would not be ready until 6pm and so I went to their offices for about 5:30. I had had enough of traipsing around Bangalore.
Camera fixed so off to the match. I would have about an hour there with the guys and I would get to meet Parth. It was good to spend some time with him, albeit briefly, and to see the guys before I left for the train.
More fun with Auto drivers as he took me to the wrong station even though I showed him my train ticket. The station I needed was too far and he did not want to go there however begrudgingly he took me and when we eventually got to the right station he wanted more money.
Bought some supplies for the trip, water, food etc and also a blanket as in Sleeper class all you get is a bunk. Then boarded the train. Train travel is great fun. You get to meet people and you see far more of the country as you wind your way through it. The guy opposite me took out his tiffin with his supper, lemon rice, and insisted I joined him so he used the lid as a plate and we ate together.
That was really nice of him and is just another example of how hospitable the Indians are. Although there are many frustrations here I have never experienced a more welcoming people before. When you remove yourself from the touts and the Auto drivers and the guys selling tat on the streets and the beggars the Indian people are warm and extremely generous.
That night as I climbed into my bunk and tried to sleep with the rumbling of the train, whirring of the ceiling fans and the chatter of the other travelers mixed with the on train vendors selling chai and other delicacies. I had my little bag and a bottle of water and the most expensive pillow on the train
Cities Visited: Bangalore
Tried anything new? Sleeper Class on Indian Rail
Total flights so far: 14
Trains so far 1
