Day 15, Pune [Tuesday 18th December 2007]
Previous day: Day 14, Pune [Monday 17th December 2007]
Next day: Day 16, Benaulim, Goa [Wednesday 19th December 2007]
We're still in Pune, but we leave for Goa today, an overnight train ride away.
We get our photos burned onto CD to send home. It costs a lot - Rs. 550. That's partly because I get two copies - I don't really trust that the CDs will make it all the way home.
We find a posh little enclave on the far side of Pune Station, and Kate spends some time browsing in "Either Or" for clothes. There's a tailor's shop here too, with some magnificent, richly embroidered groom's clothing. However, the first thing the shop assistants draw my attention to is their collection of 'fine Italian wool suits'!
We hang around for a while waiting for our train. It looks like the Chief Ticket Inspector came through on his promise to sort us out. Our names are up on the reservation print out on a noticeboard, although our seats are far apart from each other - numbers 4 and 41.
When we eventually board the train we meet a girl, Nikki, who is transferring from her job at Delhi airport to one at Goa airport. Also in our section are a family of six - mum, dad, three sisters and a brother - who have come from Delhi and are heading to Goa for a holiday. Two of the kids, "Nikki and Shivam" - real names Sakshi - are really chatty, and they have pretty goo English. Their dad is a laugh too, he keeps cracking up at his own jokes. He's a banker, ironically for a South Indian bank. He tells me conspiratorially that the South Indians are what they used to call "black English". During the journey the mum, unseen by us behind the compartment curtain, sends through trays of snacks for me and Kate to eat - bread and butter, crispy fried mung dal, kachori and some sweet pastry. Afterwards the dad points to his throat, "Dry now, yes? Very dry? You will have some chai." He signals to the next passing chaiwallah to bring tea for everyone. It's a really lovely gesture. In return we give the kids a bag of Christmas chocolate coins that we brought with us from England, and some souvenir pens from London.
We talk for a long time together about India, Bollywood, school, our trip, family, England and our jobs. They're easy to chat to and we get on well. I try out a little Hindi and after dinner learn a new phrase, "achha khana hai" - "food is good!"
We manage to swap our seats so we stay together. We meet an old guy from Canada who was actually born in Bengal but left when he was 19 years old. He has some Hindi and joins in the conversation with them. We eventually meet the other two sisters, and talk about their university courses and jobs with them. We all swap email addresses and hopefully we can meet up with some or all of them in Delhi when we arrive there next year.
We have dinner on the train, which costs Rs 32 each. Kate only eats half of hers as she's so stuffed from the snacking earlier on. She puts her tray down but Nikki looks and says, "Such a waste?" It's a harsh reminder of the importance of food here, and being grateful for what you have in a country where so many people don't even have their basic needs met.
Today we spent Rs. 764.
Next day: Day 16, Benaulim, Goa [Wednesday 19th December 2007]
Previous day: Day 14, Pune [Monday 17th December 2007]