A Taste Of Delhi, And On To The Buddha Train
“Please wear this for your identification”, he says, handing us a white baseball cap with the Indian Railway Company logo emblazoned on it. “And carry this too”. A bright yellow pouch bag. Classy.
Now, we’ve always smirked at people on cruises being shepherded around sites with their colour coded labels or whatever – now here we are setting off on this adventure with uncharacteristic white headgear and an even more uncharacteristic yellow bag, all for the purposes of being in that very type of herd which we thought we’d never be part of. Well, there’s a first time for everything.
But before all this, we arrive in India’s capital city blinking in the bright sunlight after our overnight flight and a crossing of time lines which meant the sun rose all too quickly and far too soon after our in-flight evening meal – partly because Air India staff aren’t exactly in overdrive when serving and it’s well past 1am by the time the meal is over.
Delhi looks different from the last time we were here six years ago. First, there’s the smart and efficient new “airport link” metro train which brings us quickly to within a kilometre’s walk of our base in New Delhi. And second, although this is unmistakably India – the sounds, the smells, the traffic, the sleeping dogs and thieving monkeys, the several million tuk-tuks all vying for our custom – this is a smarter, more westernised neighbourhood than where we stayed last time around. There is nothing like the same level of visible poverty which we saw before when based down in the old town.
This is Connaught Place, a trio of concentric circular roads around the aptly named Central Park – an area full of life, colour and all things Indian with a scattering of western influences. With great serendipity, our visit coincides with a large scale flower show within the park, featuring a host of colourful displays, floral animal and bird sculptures and intricate petal mosaic works known as pookalam. Strolling through the show is a very pleasing experience – and we must look very pleased, because at one point we are stopped and interviewed by a TV crew eager to know our opinion.
By evening the Connaught Place area is alive; the Palika market bazaar buzzing with activity as the lights of surrounding shops and restaurants shine brightly and tuk-tuks swarm around the circle like green and yellow flies. The soundtrack of the city night is exhilarating and energising, the air warm without being stifling. Delhi is only a brief call for us this time around though, just 24 hours to reacquaint ourselves with all that goes to make an Indian city before we rise on Saturday morning to make our way to Safdarjung station to board the eagerly awaited Buddha train.
Safdarjung is not a main station, but a quiet suburban stop with long platforms and few trains, an ideal base for the ceremony of arrival and boarding the Buddha Circuit Train. Walking through to the platform, we are greeted with a red bindi spot placed on our foreheads and a garland of marigolds around our necks; a group of musicians play traditional Indian music as we join other passengers on the comfortable chairs arranged theatre style on the concrete platform. A team of admin staff take their places behind a trestle table to check us all in and issue maps and itineraries. This whole process is distinctly ceremonial, and rather quaint for all that.
We settle in to our small two-person compartment and organise how we’ll best use the cramped space – after all, this is our home for the best part of the next eight days. The Buddha Circuit journey comprises eight days/seven nights, and five of those nights are here on board the train.
This first journey is the longest single one of the tour and means a hefty 20 hours on board from Delhi Safdarjung to the town of Gaya, some 700 kilometres south east of the start point. Our train manager makes occasional announcements over the PA: first to welcome us aboard and outline our itinerary, secondly to tell us that “high tea” will be served in the dining car at 3pm and lastly with mealtimes for tonight and in the morning together with all other timings for Day 2. There’s no doubting now that we’re on a “train cruise”.
Those 20 hours stretch from departure at 14:30 until 10:30 next morning, during which time the curry dinners are delightful but sleep on the unforgiving bunk is a bit like having our bodies bounced up and down on concrete. Those with back problems would not enjoy the experience! For us though it’s great rattling through the night after the daylight hours during which miles and miles of rice fields roll by, sweeping agricultural lands where crops are farmed by hand: scythes much in evidence, machinery not so.
Morning tea is brought to our compartment just after 6am and it’s back down to the dining car for breakfast a little while later. The food, delivered by a horde of young men in traditional uniforms, is so far very good: apart from anything baked, which is inedible to our taste, with all bread and pastries carrying a weird and overpowering taste of, of all things, chlorine. Bite a bread roll and it’s like swallowing a mouthful of swimming pool. Eurrrgh.
And so we finally disembark the train for our first visit to a significant site in the life of Buddha, the ancient town of Bodhgaya, a short bus ride through India’s ubiquitous calamitous traffic with everything from tuk-tuks to buses to cows gridlocking the route from Gaya station. Fun as the lengthy train journey was, it’s good to get out into the sunshine and stretch our legs.
The most sacred and important sites of Buddha’s life await, the mantras and teachings are poised to be imparted. Imparted, indeed, to this wandering flock of baseball-cap wearing, yellow bag-carrying sheep filing along behind their dutiful shepherd…
22 Comments
Gilda Baxter
You guys are so funny, you have made me lol.
Let the journey to enlightenment begin 😀
Phil & Michaela
Excellent – thank you Gilda
Monkey's Tale
Love the hat Michaela! Much more luxurious train ride than we ever had in India, sounds like quite the trip for you two. We visited Bodhgaya so I’m interested to see the next post. Maggie
Phil & Michaela
Not Michaela’s normal style!
Alison
Love it so far Phil and Michaela, the train looks wonderful. I thought I might see Hercule Poirot pop out from somewhere! Those bunks don’t look too comfortable but I’m sure you’ll manage a few hours here and there. Anyway you don’t have far to go at the end of the night.
Phil & Michaela
There hasn’t been a murder yet….which is a good thing…
Lookoom
I know the feeling of being stuck in a group discipline, when you are used to deciding your own priorities, it’s quite frustrating. But no doubt the quality of what there is to see will make you forget the frustration.
Toonsarah
I’ve been eager to see how you’re getting on. I must admit I didn’t expect the baseball caps and yellow bags – the marigold garlands seem much more in keeping with the tone I imagined this tour to have. I like the sound of the train journey, despite the hard bunks and chlorine-tasting rolls! How big is the herd of sheep? I can take a small group tour (as we had to in North Korea) but I’d be put off by the thought of more than 20 I think.
PS of course I loved the elephant made from flowers ❤🐘
Phil & Michaela
There’s 40+ in the tour group…more like a cruise than a tour. We’re seeing its good and bad sides, as you’ll see in the following post or two. But whatever, it’s great to be back in India and great to have this long adventure stretching ahead of us. We love that feeling.
Toonsarah
I’m looking forward to hearing more, naturally 🙂
grandmisadventures
I just can’t wait to read more about this adventure- yellow tour bags and all! Those flower displays are really incredible and beautiful. 🙂
wetanddustyroads
Love the flower animals (more than the caps)! And there you go … a totally different train ride than the one you had in Switzerland the other day (was it the Glacier Express?). I think maybe they should replace the dreaded white cap with a white flag … or something!
Mike and Kellye Hefner
You two are the most adventurous people I “know”. I admire you for taking this trek into India and possible enlightenment. The beds in the train compartment do look uncomfortable, but I’m glad to hear the food is good. Happy travels, and I look forward to more great posts!
Phil & Michaela
Thank you Kellye – this does indeed promise to be an adventure!
leightontravels
Your ‘taste’ of Delhi has had me pining for a return. I did spend a brief afternoon wandering around Connaught Place and remember it being perhaps the swankiest neighbourhood I saw during my time in the city. The flower show was indeed a fortunate discovery for you, love the elephant. Despite being a mixed bag (I was expecting something far nicer for your room!) your train adventure is clearly an amazing experience and one where you happily take the rough with the smooth. Looking forward to the next instalment…
Laura
I am so excited to be reading the first post of your Buddha train journey! That flower festival- the elephant in particular- looked so impressive. I hope you are able to settle in to your cozy space and get some decent sleep despite the lack of cushioning. I love the romance of train travel and can’t wait to hear more about your adventure 😊💕
Phil & Michaela
Thank you Laura, we hope you enjoy tagging along x
WanderingCanadians
The floral displays and sculptures look lovely. How fun to even be interviewed by a TV crew to share your thoughts! While it’s nice to have your own compartment on the train, the bed situation looks a bit rough.
Latitude Adjustment: A Tale of Two Wanderers
Amazing. You guys know how to roll. Hows the air pollution?
Phil & Michaela
That heavy haze which hangs over all Indian cities is ever present….but it’s not as humid as usual so guess it’s not at its worst.
Christie
Sounds like quite a trip! And you’re correct, there is always a first time for everything😊
Annie Berger
Loved the look of the exterior of the train and Michaela’s hat! The floral displays were sublime.