Travel takes up a lot of time in most of our lives, be it for holidays,business trips or social occasions, such as weddings in the family.
As my husband’s postings were mostly in Gujarat or in New Delhi, at the diktats of those in power, we had to travel at least once a year to the south for family events. I would start on my own earlier to help with the arrangements. I would take the Navjeevan Express from Ahmedabad to Chennai, or the Grand Trunk or Tamil Nadu Express from Delhi to Chennai. My husband would fly down later as his official work kept him busy.
Train travel has its problems like the crowds in the railway station, but there are porters to help with the luggage. Once inside the compartment, there is ample time to settle down and observe the travelling companions.
These companions during the journey tend to discuss many subjects — sometimes interesting, at other times boring. It depends on one’s mood and also the subject. Talking to these co-travellers makes the long journey less tedious provided one does not disagree and pick up a quarrel. Some become long-time friends with addresses being exchanged.
This is in contrast to air travel, which my husband always prefers. Passengers on planes hardly talk to one another because of their inherent snobbery. These days, airports are crowded too. If one travels alone, one feels miserable. The space between two rows is too narrow, a sore test for one’s knees.
On reaching the destination, passengers rush for the trolleys or luggage. There are no porters as in a railway station to help. The human element is lost in air travel.
Train or air travel? Certainly trains for me!
drgsundaram@yahoo.com
