The high speed train that wasn’t

An early departure from Ooty (Udagamandalam) today. The coach drove us through the Western Ghat mountainous region again, navigating fourteen hairpin bends, until we reached the plains, where we had a coffee stop at a place that had a clothing outlet store. (Cotton clothing is manufactured locally).

Next stop was the railway station at Coimbatore. We had arrived about an hour early in order to be fully prepared to catch the high-speed train, so we got some drinks and snacks and had a look round. Unfortunately the train was then delayed by about an hour, so Elspeth and I took advantage of the A/C waiting lounge, which cost us 25 rupees each for up to an hour. We then boarded the train (A/C carriage) and now we are sitting a blue vinyl seats, going rather slowly towards Kochin. There are food vendors going up and down the train with trays on their heads. I’ve tried the ‘spicy doughnuts’ (not very spicy) and the coffee (very sweet). I am saddened that my travelling companions don’t share my sense of adventure regarding purchasing unknown food on trains. Perhaps they are sensible.

Update: we arrived at Kochin eventually, and got our lovely hotel rooms. The hotel is dry (no bar) but our guide led us to another hotel with a bar, and we seemed to spend a lot of time there, recovering from the journey. My £4.00 maroon glazed cotton trousers are very comfortable.

Extra is a roadside view of the Western ghat