I' m in the army now........
Trip Start
Oct 13, 2009
1
29
82
Trip End
Jan 01, 2010
Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
First train very uneventful, everyone very quiet kept themselves to themselves and nothing much happened.
Got to Delhi and lugged my bag to see where the train to Agra went from. Couldnt find information so went into station manager's office (sometimes it helps being a tourist and a woman you can do things others normally can't!) and asked him which platform. He was straight on the phone barking out the question answer platform 10. Darn it the platform furthest away! Porter offered to carry my bag off he went before we could agree a price. On way I manged to see guidelines for costs of porters so when he asked for 4 times the nomal proce I could tell him no and bargain my way down. He wasnt happy as he hought he had found another tourist to fleece but nope that this time matey!
Checked reservation list on train to make sure I was on it and saw I was with a whole group of young guys from 18-21 oh god I thought this could be an interesting 4 - 5 hour journey. Football, socer team wasn't sure. A while later what did I see a lot of army uniforms walking down the platform - yep ' my guys' were in the army! Actually army cadets I later found out.
Everyone piled onto the train - sleeper class so those in the know what that is like. Bags and bodies were re-arranged several times and then we were off. Met the major of the cadets who was also a professor doing his PHD in forestry - army thing is part time. Had an interesting time discussing globalisation, economics, effect of over propulation and heaven knows what else! His boys meanwhile were mostly flat out asleep - they had been at the Nepalese/Indian border for 3 days training so where shattered and only wanted to sleep! They had been travelling for something like 2 days already and would have another 12 hours on the train before they got home. The professor taked about his family, one daughter having worked in London and eventually when he spoke to her I also had to say hello and have a chat.
After standing outside Agra station for something like 30 minutes we eventually pulled in. The professor wanted to see me off the train and asked (sorry ordered) one of his boys to carry my bag. We all piled off the train, my bag was carried as far as they could, hands were shaken, invitation to visit professor's home if I was in the area was given and then they all piled back on the train. It was only as I walking to the exit that I saw that there was a reception committee for a Parachute Regiment reunion on the platform - I had to laugh - what would they be thinking white tourist helped off train by group of army guys....
As Claire said when I texted her about this: only in india only in india!
