Indian Trains for the Adventurous

Although travel by train in India can be slow, it is also an excellent way to see the country at low cost. So says an article on www.dnaindia.com on the joys of travelling by rail in the subcontinent.

Indian trains carry some 20 million passengers a day, and that is just the fare-paying passengers. It does not include the occasional rat. Meals on trains are plentiful and inexpensive, since most are offered by vendors who travel through the cars.

Don't worry about being charged for bags on the train. You can carry as much luggage as you can manage, and so can everyone else, which can make for crowded cars. Gazing out an open train window is a great way to enjoy the sights and smells of the country. While the train may not run on time, it will give you a chance to experience the vagaries of Indian Standard Time.

As a traveller who has not been to India, I would be somewhat reluctant to venture so far into Indian culture myself. However, the article about train travel was written by a woman named Saanya Gulati, a graduate in international relations of Tufts University, a rival of my grad school, Johns Hopkins S.A.I.S., so I am inclined to give her account credence.