Joining the crowd to claim a precious seat
Fuel for the road
Which bus?
I had better pictures to post but this computer doesn't want to cooperate, oh well.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
The joys of Indian travel
Time flies when your having fun. There really hasn't been too much going on, I spent a couple more days in Goa and then jumped South a little further to a town called Gokarna where I did some more beach bumming (minus the shack). But now I have come to the realization that time is running out I am not going to see everything I set out to see. So now I am making a big jump way South to the state of Kerala where I intend to spend most of my time left. So as I kill time here on the internet between buses, I figured it would be appropriate to fill you in on how I get around here. Mostly I have been travelling by bus, which is either a "deluxe" tourist bus or a shabby local bus. The tourist buses are pretty straightforward, buy ticket and go. However the local buses are where the fun begins. The bus stands are often chaotic with people rushing to catch their bus and the amount of buses is overwhelming at times. English isn't always spoken and signs may not be written in English. So sometimes getting the right bus is tricky. Luckily for me I have learned to read enough Hindi that I can figure out what something says if I know what I am looking for. But now as I move further South, there has been an unexpected language change so I am prone to the confusion again. The roads here are crazy, and downright scary at times. Passing is legal at all times and even if it is a two lane road, 4 or 5 vehicles across is just fine. When riding the bus one must make sure to: intently watch the people in front of you so that you can get the window closed before their lunch comes up, put your head between your knees as the driver make a wreckless pass on a blind corner, and always keep your arms and head inside, traffic seriously passes within inches at times. Of course there is the train travel, which I do enjoy, but that involves some planning ahead of time to get a ticket, so my train time is limited. I could go on and on about all the silly ways to move around this country but that should give you a fair idea. Traveling here can be a challenge and tiresome, but it is fun and entertaining. It is one of those joys of India.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Good Morning and Happy New Year. We were wondering:
How fast are the buses going and do you ever see any accidents?
Chat with you later.
Hey little bro! Happy New Year. So, are you mainly traveling on a tourist bus or a local bus? Sounds pretty chaotic! Can't wait to hear more.
I booked a bus journey late on a trip so I was lucky enough to sit in the cabin with the driver so I got to watch him in action. The fastest I saw the bus go was maybe 60 kph, but it feels much faster when you are playing chicken in the other lane. There is a lot of stopping and going. You do see accidents from time to time. Usually it is a semi truck over turned, and there is the occasional head on, again involving big trucks. We passed a head on somewhere in Rajasthan, not pretty. On yesterdays trip we came across a small car that rear ended a truck, it was pretty messed up. Always seems to involve the big trucks.
Hey sis, Jason, and little Zoey! The roads are pretty chaotic but at the same time there is an organization to it that I haven't figured out. It works. Depending on how long the journey is how I decide which bus to book. My guideline has been anything under 5hours, a local bus will do just fine, but if it is a night bus or an entire day trip then it is worth the little extra to go deluxe. It works out well, the long hauls are usually night buses anyways.
Post a Comment