Why I Never Went Hungry During That Very Long Train Ride

One of the most important things that a person has to prepare if he is about to take a more than a day train journey is his food. I was a bit worried about that part of our journey because I really do not want to end up having an upset stomach just because I ate bad train food. Anyway, once our trip has started and Riju and I have settled nicely in our berths, food vendors selling all kinds of food and drinks started passing by our compartment offering us all sorts of chips, candies, lassi, and whatnot. And being the monster that he is, Riju bought some dirt cheap samosas for snacks. I must tell you, the samosas were served hot like it's freshly made. I was never really a samosa fan and well, my fear of getting a stomachache got the best of me so I resorted to the snacks that we bought earlier from a nearby grocery shop.

Riju's samosa. It's just 5 rupees a piece!

Before dinner, a train employee asked us if we want to order our meals for the night and since we only brought with us snack food, Riju ordered a non-vegetarian thali/platter for us. I was really hesitant about the idea of eating train food at first but what the heck! I'm hungry and I need food if I want to keep my tummy happy.

Our train food consisted of a very spicy chicken curry, dal and rice. It was actually tasty.

The next day, for breakfast, Riju ordered omelette sandwiches for us. I was not able to take pictures of the sandwiches since I was too famished to even take out the camera from the bag.

Whenever the train stops at a bustling station for a good ten to fifteen minutes, train passengers can get down and buy food from the food vendors at the station. The variety is a lot and for the wary passengers, they can opt for fruits like bananas that are very cheap, chips (they have Lay's), cookies and other kinds of biscuits to stuff their hungry bellies.

One of the many food vendors at a train station.

A place for people who want to eat dishes with meat, poultry or fish.

This is the place to be for vegetarians travelers.

We travelled by train back and forth and we ordered the same food on board and you know what, I enjoyed the dishes and I came back home with a happy and healthy belly!

What about you, do you have any on-board dining experience that you would like to share with us?

Hope you enjoyed this post!

Have You Ever Tried a 25-hour Train Journey?

So, have you ever been on a train ride that lasted for more than a day? Well, I have! Not just once but twice! You see, it was a round trip journey so I had no choice but to take the train again so that Riju and I can come back home. And boy oh boy! It was definitely an experience that I will never forget!

Hello Everybody!

It was last June when we were invited by one of Riju's childhood friends to his wedding. Since they live in a different state that is very far from where we live, we have decided to take the train so that I can fully experience what my new home has to offer and besides, what better way to blend in with the locals but to get on the train and mingle with them.

A sneak peak of our compartment. That's our Polish co-passenger busy reading on his tablet.

I have to admit that once we have finally settled in our designated berths, I felt a bit worried about how I will keep myself entertained and sane until we finally reach our destination. But once the train started chugging forward, we found ourselves joined by a couple of Polish foreigners and a local family. Everyone was quiet in the beginning but after some time, everyone has started to loosen up a bit and conversations were happening here and there. Chatting is always a great way to pass time and we were lucky to have shared our compartment with the rest of the group.

Lolo Jerzy and Lola Kristin from Poland!

Every now and then, the train will halt at a station to unload some passengers and then load new ones. Inside the train, I felt like I was in a different world altogether. Vendors selling tea, coffee, meals, sandwiches, chips, chocolates, etc. kept on passing by our compartment and offering everyone their stuff. Lively conversations are happening everywhere. The train's just so alive!

Photo opportunity while the train is at a halt.

at one of the many train entrances

I'm not sure if all train stations have this but I think it's a wise idea to have it since it can get really scorching hot during summer here.

After dinner time, the mood inside the train started to shift from lively to relax mode. People have also started taking out the middle bunk bed that is usually folded up during the day because it is almost time to sleep. I was supposed to sleep on the lowest bunk but Lolo Jerzy, a co-passenger, asked me if Lola Kristin and I can exchange bunk beds for obvious reasons so in the end, I became the hotdog in a hotdog sandwich. You know, I'm in the middle bunk bed and the hotdog is in between the sliced bun... Yeah, yeah, corny I know.

Sleepy Yepuda trying to strike a pose! Goodnight!

The next morning, I no longer worried about what have to do for the rest of the journey to keep boredom at bay. After having breakfast, I cleaned up a bit. Changed my attire, brushed my teeth, you know, the whole works. Well, not really the whole works since I did not take a bath during the journey because the washroom is not really apt for such thing if you ask me. And speaking of washroom, I tried to limit my trips there as minimum as possible because the washrooms were not really regularly maintained so you know, the sight and the smell can be quite uhm, yeah, I'll leave that to your imagination.

Moving forward, so once I'm done tidying up, I decided to just sit near the window and enjoy the beautiful scenery outside. Whenever the train stopped by at a station, I read a book or I played charades with the kids in our berths. I took some power naps too until finally, it was already four in the afternoon and we finally reached our destination.

Look at that mountain! The peak looked like a Thumbs Up sign. Cool right?

Our view while passing by a bridge.

This picture may not bring justice to the beauty of this view but it really is a gorgeous sight to look at!

These days, people are always in a hurry to reach their destinations that is why they always take the fastest option, air travel. However, it would not hurt if every once in a while, you will stop hurrying up and take the longest route possible to wherever it is that you need to reach and enjoy the journey. Who knows, you may have the most unforgettable experience or memory in that longest journey of your life!

Are we there yet?

Hope you enjoyed this post as much as I enjoyed my first ever long train ride!