Bill's Bloody Brilliant Backpacking Blog : 46 hours on a train, and hardly a word said.

I am writing this as I am on my way from Kochi to Delhi, to meet my pal from Bristol, Ingmar. For the mode of transport, I had two options - the faster and more expensive one (aeroplane) or the cheaper and much, much slower one (train). Needless to say, as I am a tight bastard, I chose to take the train. It takes forty-six hours, and is costing me around £8.50.

What is making the journey in equal parts both interesting and boring, is that nobody around me seems to speak a word of English. Usually when I'm with a group of Indian people, at least one person has a basic grasp of the Queens language and takes a keen interest in me.

This is a typical conversation with a rickshaw driver:

Driver: name?
Bill: Bill. Yours?
D: coming from?
B: England
D: ah. Very good country. Lots of money. Married?
B: nope
D: girlfriend?
B: no
D: many girlfriends?
B: haha, no
D: you are lyinnggg!

Which is very flattering. But none the less.

It's been interesting getting an idea of the personality of people in my compartment without the aid of language, just by body language and tone of voice.

Ingmar in all his glory, in the grounds of the red fort, in Delhi

The neighbours

There's the guy in his 30's who likes watching Hollywood films on his massive phone and sits down with a real thud - he can be quite loud when he gets going chatting to others, but the only thing he has said to me is 'we sleep now' when it was time to assemble our beds last night.

There's another chap, probably in his 40's, presumably a businessman, with a fine and proud moustache. I think he looks like a stern chipmunk, I'm reading a book which is on its last legs, and when half of its pages blew out on to the floor, he very kindly picked them up for me.

Then there's the very cute father and daughter. The father is very serious but with a kind face and he hardly says anything to anyone, just sits with a faint smile. I think he is shy. His daughter is a pretty lass who is probably around 18, and really seems to look after her dad. She is always making sure he has what he needs, and there seems to be a really warm affection between them.

Finally, there is the younger lad, also probably around 18. I think he's taken a bit of a shining to the girl, and seems to be trying to chat her up under the watchful eye of her father. He has a cheeky face, is very chatty towards everyone, and I'm guessing he's pretty funny due to the others reactions. But he can't keep his feet still, which was fine until he was sat opposite me and kept giving me little kicks.

The busy streets of Delhi

What I found odd, but quite nice, was that they would all eat at the same time. The loud Hollywood fan, the chipmunk businessman, the cute father and daughter and the young foot fidgeter would all simultaneously get their meals out of their bags and start eating - at fairly innocuous times like 13:40!

Because I am bored, I'm going to try and fill in the gaps.

Loud Hollywood Fan - I reckon he has been to Kochi from Delhi on holiday - to meet up with 'the lads'. He's on the way home to his wife, and the daily grind.

Chipmunk Businessman - heading to Delhi on a very important business trip, trying to take his toothpaste business nationwide. He's a strict father and husband, but a bit of a softie really.

Cute Father and Daughter - the father, a widower, has brought the girl up himself. But she is getting older and more responsible, and the role of carer is shifting from father to daughter. She is going to her University in Delhi from her home in Kerala, and he has joined her to make sure she arrives safely, and also to catch a glimpse of her life in the north.

Young Foot Fidgeter - was going to visit his aunt in Kerala, and hang out with his cousins. But he also saw it as an opportunity to hang out on the beach, and test his womanising skills.

I'm sure I'm completely wrong about these assumptions, but it's kinda nice that I'll never know.