NIGHT SLEEPER AND JAIPUR

It was dark when I left the hotel for the train station. I did'nt think it was worth getting a rickshaw to walk the ten minutes to the train station. All along that short walk the street was blanketed with souls lying along the 'pavement', obviously to spend the night. Some of them who heard my footsteps, made a halfhearted effort to thrust their arms from underneath whatever covering they had; newspapers, cardboard and in some lucky cases filthy blankets. Ludhiana rail station during the day is tatty, but by night  it takes on fantasmagorical dimensions. It was like a scene from 'Escape from New York', with Kurt Russell. There were mini bonfires dotted around the entrance with all manner of people huddled around them. Occasionally, the odd one with more enterprising spirit would dash toward me offering a cheap hotel (for which I assume they recieve a few rupees comission). With a 'nahi, dhanyavad', I moved quickley towards the inside. Before I actually entered the station I observed more rats in those 100m then I had seen together in my entire life, in one go. There was an hour to go before my train arrived and so I made my kit comfy and settled down to 'people watch' although I got the impression that there were more people watching me. The train which arrived before mine, I noticed stopped with the 1a/c and2a/c in the middle of the platform, whilst the cheaper classes were stationed at the extremes of the platform. I watched as they quite literally fought and bundled their way on, not allowing others to get off. They seemed to appear refugees desperatley trying to escape some impending holocaust, shoving pitiful bundles through the windows as well as some smaller urchins to grab a space( not neccessarily a seat.
The 2414 from Jammu to Jaipur arrived on time and there being only two sleeping cars , I found my 2a/c easy enough, finding my berth 16 was'nt. As people had already turned in at Jammu, I had to wander through unnumbered berths till I found an empty one, which later I found out was mine thanks to the ticket examiner.
For those travel guides who say it is romantic and fun sleeping on a train in India. They are lying. The rash I got on my back was probabley to the sandpaper they used as a blanket. When an old couple in front of me decided it was their stop, they decided to turn all the lights on and leave them on, chatting amongst themselves without consideration for the rest of the passengers and when they finally got off, giving the cabin a couple of complimentary farts as they left.
I stumbled out of the station and thankfully caught sight  of Abdullah, my driver come minder who shooed away other opportunists wanting to ply for my custom. "You look tired my friend, do you want to go to the City Palace first or go and buy the material ?"
" I want to sleep. Pick me up at half past one and I'll decide". With this I arrived at my hotel, ordered two aloo parantha and a bannana lhassi and crashed out for three hours.

Ya era oscuro cuando me marche del hotel hacia la estacion. N o merecia pillar un rickshaw para los diez minutos, que se tardaba llegar. A lo largo del camino la calzada estaba emoquetada con almas pasando la noche. Algunos que presenciaron mis pisadas, hicieron un deman de estirarme sus manos por debajo de lo que tenian para taparse; periodicos, carton, y algunos casos mantas guarras. Ludhiana por el dia ya da asco, pero por la noche toma unas dimensiones fantasmagoricas. Parecia una escena de 'Fuga de Nueva York', con Kurt Russell. Habia pequenas hogeras, aqui y haya, alrededor de la entrada con toda clase de escombro humano a su alrededor. De vez en cuando, alguno con espiritu emprendedor, se levantaria para llevarme a un hotel barato( por lo que me imagino que les darian algunas rupias de comision) Con un 'nahi dhanyavad' me adelante hacia los andenes. Antes de haber entrado, observe mas ratas en 100m, de que habia visto juntas en toda mi vida. Faltaba una hora antes de que mi tren llegase asi que me acomode sobre mi equipaje y me dispuse a observar la gente, aunque tuve la impresion que habia mas que miraban a mi. E tren que llego antes que el mio, me fije, que paraba dejando los vagones de 1a/c y 2a/c en el centro del anden, mientras que las clases mas baratas se situaban a los extremos. Observe mientras esta gente se peleaban para subir a bordo, no permitiendo otros salir. Parecian refugiados que estaban desesperadamente intentando escapar de algun holocausto a la vuelta de la esquina, esforzando penosos bultos por las ventanillas con algunos de los mas pequenos para asegurarse un espacio( no necesariamente un asiento)
El 2414 de Jammu a Jaipur llego a tiempo y como solo habia dos vagones de literas, encontre el2a/c con facilidad, encontrar la litera 16 no lo fue. Como gente ya se habian acostado en Jammu, tuve que pasearme por el pasillo hasta encontrar uno vacio, que descubri que era el mio gracias al revisor un poco despues.Para las guias de viaje que te dicen que es romantico y divertido dormir en un tren Indio. Estan mintiendo. La roncha que aun conservo en la espalda, seguramente la consegui gracias a la manta harrapienta, chinchosa que debia de hacer las veces de papel de lija. Cuando una pareja vieja en frente de mi decidieron que era su parada, encendieron las luces y se pusieron a charlar entre  ellos, sin ninguna consideracion por el resto de los pasajeros. Cuando porfin se paro el tren se apearon, pero no sin antes soltar un par de cuescos de despedida.
Al salir de la estacion de Jaipur, vi con alegria a Abdulla, mi conductor (y guardaespaldas), que hechaba del medio los oportunistas buscando chollo." Pareces cansado amigo, quieres ir aver el palacio de la ciudad primero o ir a comprar el material?"
"Quiero dormir. Recogeme a la una y media y ya decidire." Con esto llegue a mi hotel, pedi dos aloo parantha y un lhassi de platano y me quede frito tres horas.