Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
This morning Augustine came around again, and he went through first Alex's and then my mid-placement evaluation.
I had already my stuff first thing in the morning, and when Alex was ready Augustine kindly drove us to the nearby train station so that we could catch a train back to Penukonda, and he made sure that we knew which train needed and from which platform before he said goodbye.
When the train arrived, there was very little 2nd class general space on the train, and it was just one carriage right near the front. We had to walk much further down the platform than we had realised to get to the carriage, and Alex started to get concerned that we wouldn't make it in tie, and suggested that we got on and walked down inside the train instead.
I had been happy to keep walking along the outside and then get on as the train started moving if we hadn't got on already, but I empathised with Alex's concern, and this actually worked out a lot better for us... We walked inside the train as far as we could get, up until a door between carriages was locked shut. We were in an airconditioned carriage with sleeper beds, and it was very spacious and comfortable. We were able to ride quite a long way in this style before we had to get off to move down to the correct carriage, or else pay 10x our original ticket price to stay in the comfortable a/c carriage.
We did move carriages, but to put in into perspective, it would only have cost the equivalent of about $13 to ride in the a/c carriage.
The seats in the general class were pretty much full. Alex managed to find an actual seat, while I had moved back to the doors and sat in the doorway watching the world go by as we travelled along. I saw the countryside go by, and as evening drew in I saw a few groups of elegant black buck deer.
We arrived into Penukonda Junction station only 20-30 minutes late, not bad on a 3 hour journey - especially when you compare it British trains!
As I looked for the exit to the train station I saw that the station building was decorated in beautifully painted murals depicting the local culture and history of the Penukonda area.
Alex didn't seem too keen on the idea of walking, but there weren't enough autos for us to get a ride into Penukonda itself. I was feeling restless though after a slow morning and then hours on the train, so I wasn't keen to spend another chunk of time just waiting at the station in the hope that we could get a lift.
I was quite happy to walk back to Penukonda by myself and catch the bus back to Makalapalli, but Alex did come along too and he was able to get hold of Manni and Shammy (I don't have their numbers) to ask if they could collect us from Penukonda. We had a 20 minute walk to the town and then another 10 minutes to get to where Shammy arranged to meet us. Alex went to sit down while I waited at the side of the road where Shammy would be arriving so that I could wave him down in case he missed us.
We didn't have to wait too long, maybe just another 10 minutes, and then we were in the jeep and heading back to the farm again, ready for a field trip tomorrow morning.
I had already my stuff first thing in the morning, and when Alex was ready Augustine kindly drove us to the nearby train station so that we could catch a train back to Penukonda, and he made sure that we knew which train needed and from which platform before he said goodbye.
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| Arriving at the station |
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| According to the ticket, you can report unsavoury situations during the journey... |
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| Waiting for the train |
When the train arrived, there was very little 2nd class general space on the train, and it was just one carriage right near the front. We had to walk much further down the platform than we had realised to get to the carriage, and Alex started to get concerned that we wouldn't make it in tie, and suggested that we got on and walked down inside the train instead.
I had been happy to keep walking along the outside and then get on as the train started moving if we hadn't got on already, but I empathised with Alex's concern, and this actually worked out a lot better for us... We walked inside the train as far as we could get, up until a door between carriages was locked shut. We were in an airconditioned carriage with sleeper beds, and it was very spacious and comfortable. We were able to ride quite a long way in this style before we had to get off to move down to the correct carriage, or else pay 10x our original ticket price to stay in the comfortable a/c carriage.
We did move carriages, but to put in into perspective, it would only have cost the equivalent of about $13 to ride in the a/c carriage.
The seats in the general class were pretty much full. Alex managed to find an actual seat, while I had moved back to the doors and sat in the doorway watching the world go by as we travelled along. I saw the countryside go by, and as evening drew in I saw a few groups of elegant black buck deer.
We arrived into Penukonda Junction station only 20-30 minutes late, not bad on a 3 hour journey - especially when you compare it British trains!
As I looked for the exit to the train station I saw that the station building was decorated in beautifully painted murals depicting the local culture and history of the Penukonda area.
Alex didn't seem too keen on the idea of walking, but there weren't enough autos for us to get a ride into Penukonda itself. I was feeling restless though after a slow morning and then hours on the train, so I wasn't keen to spend another chunk of time just waiting at the station in the hope that we could get a lift.
I was quite happy to walk back to Penukonda by myself and catch the bus back to Makalapalli, but Alex did come along too and he was able to get hold of Manni and Shammy (I don't have their numbers) to ask if they could collect us from Penukonda. We had a 20 minute walk to the town and then another 10 minutes to get to where Shammy arranged to meet us. Alex went to sit down while I waited at the side of the road where Shammy would be arriving so that I could wave him down in case he missed us.
We didn't have to wait too long, maybe just another 10 minutes, and then we were in the jeep and heading back to the farm again, ready for a field trip tomorrow morning.
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