Train to Delhi

7 November 2006

Last of Jaisalmer

I checked out around 0900 before heading out for breakfast.  I have a departure on the overnight train at 1600 back to Delhi, so I had plenty of time to kill.  I read the newspaper; more about that later.

Afterwards I visited the palace using an audio guide.  While it was nice, I’ve had an overdose of palaces already.  Then I headed back to town to search for Patwon Ki Haveli.  I couldn’t find it but I didn’t try very hard.  Having seen such nice ones already I didn’t think it could have been any different.

I returned to the fort and ate at 8 July, a place owned by an Australian PR Indian woman.  The vegetable pizza with pineapple was nice.

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Train back to Delhi

I had successfully slaughtered by day and went back to my haveli to collect my luggage before taking a rickshaw to the train station.  The train was being washed and we boarded 15 mins before the 1600 departure.

Train being washed before our departure.

 

I chatted with Melanie and Katerina from Germany who had been separated with their seating arrangements, heading to Jaipur.  There was also a group of 21 people from Germany that later disembarked at Jodhpur.

My companions for part of the journey to Delhi.

 

I had a meal on board the train.  Not a box meal, but a two-box meal.  It wasn’t particularly nice compared to food prepared in a stationary kitchen. But it stopped me from getting hungry through the night.  As I searched for a bin to dispose of my meal boxes, the nicely-suited train guard saw me.  He relieved me of the boxes, opened the carriage door and threw it all out the door!  Simple!

Two locals joined us in the upper bunk from Jodhpur to Jaipur.

My two-box meal. The boxes were thrown out the door by the train guard when I was done. .

 

Reading the newspaper

Reading the newspaper here in India gave me some interesting insights.  There was an article that Chinese generally mistrust India. There are two apparent reasons:

  • Chinese children are taught in their school history lessons that India was aggressive in how they secured the lands (Tibet-like areas in the North East) near China. They aren’t taught about Tibet in a very different perspective though.
  • Chinese have an inferiority-complex when they view themselves against Indians. This is due to the richness India’s culture and besides India gave them Buddha. Hhmmm … I don’t quite buy this one.

The matrimonials section was also interesting.  Arranged marriages seem to be still the norm in India as most adverts request for responses to be directed to Mrs X (presumably the mother of the seeking party). It is very competitive and attributes boasted or sought include:

  • qualifications (MBA, IT … even for girls, and convent-educated … for girls only I guess),
  • caste (if Hindu, presumably),
  • religion (Sikh, Syrian Catholic, born-again Christian, Shite, Sunni etc),
  • language (Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Malayalam etc)
  • other features (Australian PR, USA H1 Visa).
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