Imagine a Train

The best way to get around.

The majority of our trip was through the south of the Indian subcontinent. India is monumental - it is enormous and very diverse. Throughout my travel I learned that India is incredibly multicultural and ethnically diverse. 1961 census of India showed that there are 1652 indigenous languages. And here we are, at the spot of India’s fame railways, looking at all of this culture interacting.

Holy men on a pilgramage to Varkala

There’s nothing like a bittersweet goodbye.

The trainmen ticks the final call away.

Open doors

You can feel the wind rushing by your face.

The trains go slow enough that it’s not just some enormous blur, but you get to see the exterior world.

We were on a path to Varkala which is a place on the south-west side of India. As always, we are flying by the seat of our pants. Very little planning, a lot of doing. It’s an interesting way to go about things - you miss some awesome stuff, but you also get into a lot of unforeseen shenanigans. The train ride was a solid 15 hours so we bunkered down in our cabin and got ready for the long haul. And that’s where we met this family.

They shared the train with us and were generally awesome people. I talked to the mother a lot about life in India and how her culture and identity fit in such a place. You know when you learn about different people’s lives it becomes unbelievably easier to empathize with them and understand why they do what they do. One of the most transformative elements of travel lies in this process.

Interspaced with the wonderful conversation was the unbelievable view of the rolling Indian landscape transforming as we made our way down the latitudes.

The trip is winding up - Chennai was a bit of a drag, but Varkala just sounds so interesting. We’re heading to a secluded mountain beach, with a vibrant travel community. One of the greatest pleasures of travelling is meeting others on a journey - there is so much stories to be heard and experiences to be shared. As our train arrives, I see the sunrise.

When I was in Mexico months ago, I was seperated from my then gf and I knew I wouldn’t see her again for some time. I looked at the sunset and realized that she was staring at the same sun. Separated by thousands of kilometers but a simple look can unite us. I think about how all people are going through different paths in life, but there are these ever present celestial bodies guiding, informing and illuminating our lives across time and space, and it’s nice - to feel that sense of connectivity.

Peace and Love
Sandro

Onwards to Varkala.

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