The Dehra Dun Mouse Run
Trip Start
Mar 06, 2005
1
29
34
Trip End
??? ??, 2006
Dehra Dun,
India
Saturday, June 18, 2005
From Varanassi we had originally planned to go to Nepal but had decided to change our plans and venture into the Indian Himalaya instead (due to reports from fellow travellers, of political and border crossing problems).
First of all we needed to get out of Varanassi and head for the foothills of the Himalaya by train. The furthest point we could reach via the northern rail network was Dhera Dun the capital of Uttaranchal. This proved to be a test of our patience.
We arrived on the Platform 45 minutes before our train was due to leave Varanassi. It was another record breaking day for heat (over 48 degrees) so we found a sheltered spot and flopped down on the floor to wait.
The platform was crowded with people of all descriptions ranging from army officers in full dress uniform to locals dressed in nothing more than loincloths carrying their entire possesions wrapped in a cloth tied to one end of a stick with their cooking pots lashed to the other. Numerous stalls selling 'ready meals' bubbled away providing food for hungry travellers, as well as luxuriant aromas and entertainment for us, they prepared all the food infront of us on the platform floor, throwing the offcuts onto the rail line for the waiting monkeys and birds to fight over.
Cattle wandered across the tracks, staring blankly at the oncoming trains and only sauntering away at the sound of their frantic wistles
Dehra Dun 01
. They appeared on the platform, lumbering through the crowds and grazing on the contents of the overflowing rubbish bins occasionally slapped by frustrated passengers or lead away by the ear like naughty children by the station staff, only to re-appear 10 mins later slobbering over some new morsell discarded by the stations vendors.When a train arrived (never ours) it was accompanied by 15 minutes of utter mayhem as vendors touted for business from its passengers' arms jutting from the barred windows. Hopeful passengers tried to gain entry before the train had stopped moving, jostling with one another to be the first to jump aboard. Arriving passengers jumped from the train as it slowed, fighting to be the first to hit the platfrom running.
Once stationary a hail of rubbish was flung from the train onto the platform and track. Leftovers from meals, daily papers, fruit, plastic cups (full and empty)...all manner of detritus littred the scene for the waiting wildlife to pick over.
As the train pulled away more fighting took place amongst those desperate not to miss it, running along side trying to leap aboard before the platform came to an abrupt end. As it clattered down the track further 'crap' could be seen being launched from every opening decorating the trackside, it was as if the station was the last chance they'd get to dump all their rubbish until their journeys end.
We read in the local paper of several people being killed over recent months indulging in the crazy practice of 'train hopping' or simply fighting over the prime spot of the carriage doorway
Dehra Dun 02
. Two local men had been charged with murder following one such incident, where a boy of 14 had been thrown off the moving train!Well at least all this activity gave us something to watch during our enforced wait!.
We sweated and waited, waited and sweated and then sweated some more, for over an hour past our supposed departure time before an announcement was made, our train had been delayed for 30 minutes. This routine continued for over 5HOURS and I am here to tell you that an Indian train station in 48 degrees is not a great place to wait for that length of time! Eventually the train arrived and we fought (literally) to get on it for the expected cool of the aircon carriage, but it was only marginally cooler than the platform and full to capacity with a mass of people trying any means to keep cool, fanning themselves and each other, undressing to underwear etc etc.
We found our bunks '2 teir' this time (the highest grade possible on the Indian rail system) and tried to make ourselves comfortable. We chatted to our neighbours (a wealthy Indian couple from Delhi (pilgrims) travelling around various Hindu holy sites for their 'holidays'. They along with virtually everyone else on the train were complaining about the decrepid state of the carriage (considering it was supposedly 'Fist Class').
After a fitful nights sleep (Jane kept waking me to report she had felt something 'run' over her and down the side of her bunk bed) we prepared to tuck into our breakfast (spiced egg sandwich, dahl, rice and curried meat with hot Chai) but as we folded down the table a cascade of small cockroaches fell onto us from behind it and scurried across our seats and the floor
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. We had just recovered from this surprise (Jane had almost stopped screaming) when we noticed two furry objects flash across the carriage floor between our feet...."mice" Jane shouted and sure enough for the rest of the trip we were treated to regular encounters with mice. They scuttled across the floor nibbling on the scraps of food left by previous passengers and sat on the seats next to us grooming themselves, well at least until we threw something at them. Perhaps Jane hadn't imagined her nocturnal visitors after all! To top off this uncomfortable 23 hour marathon the train was running 5 hours late (on top of the original 5 hours delay) and so we arrived in Dhera Dun over 10 hours late, tired, grumpy and ready for a cool room!Dhera Dun was at least a pleasant surprise, a relatively wealthy small town at the foot of the front range of the Himalaya. Its major claims to fame are the vestiges of its British past ie several notable institutions are located here such as the Forest Research Institute, the Indian Military Academy, Survey Of India and a prestigious private Doon school where Rajiv Ghandi was educated.
Our first stop was the bed in our room where we immediately fell into a cool comfortable sleep. That evening we wandered around the town and discovered a fantastic restaurant which served us the best curry we had so far tasted in India! After gorging ourselves with garlic nan the size of tablecloths and spicy curried veg washed down with copious amounts of beer we retired for more sleep.
The following day saw us finding out how to catch the bus to our next destination, Chandigarh from where we would take the toy train upto the Raj hill station of Shimla (with its famed English arcitechture)
Dehra Dun 04
. After much confusion and conflicting information (the norm in India) we spent our last afternoon wandering around the Paltan Bazar and scraping the melting tarmac from the soles of our sandals. The narrow streets are a hot and crowded place to shop but this didnt seem to deter what appeared to be the entire population of the town from joining us in browsing the shops, stalls, and pavement emporiums. You can buy most things here... and so we did, all those little odds and ends that your'e sure you'll need, they fill your rucksac and you never use them but you feel satisfied that they are there just in case.We liked Dhera Dun, there was nothing there to make it particularly special (except the discovery of an air conditioned oasis containing good coffee, fruit shakes, sticky cakes and SANDWICHES...thank you God for Barista coffee shops), no real sights to see and nothing much to do, save wander around the town and admire the crumbling colonial era arcitechture. The whole town had a pleasant atmosphere and the people were friendly in a way that we had'nt encountered in the bigger cities.
But ever onward and upward .....closer to the Himalaya...infact our bus journey to Chandigarh was to be a little too close to numerous edges of the Himalaya for our comfort!
Post soon Aubrey and Jane.
