49 STRAIGHT HOURS of travel

From Stacey In India

From Stacey In India

From Stacey In India

So here's the thing about India - it's a subcontinent and it's HUGE.  I know this seems like the biggest "no shit" statement, but really there is no way to plan for how large it is.  Looking on a map we estimated it would take roughly 18 hours to travel what actually took 49 hours.  Not only are roads hard to travel on (VERY bumpy, not paved, and there are no "highways" - every road leads from one empty stretch of road into a town, and those towns have busy streets with kids, dogs, and all sorts of cow), but trains are packed and things run slowly.
I do have to say that the 49 hours was more fun than any of us girls anticipated.  9 hours in a car was not that bad (hey, we got to see a LOT of India!), and the train was fairly comfortable.  We had two top bunks which stay open all day and night, so in the middle of the day when our middle bunk had to be folded up, we just camped up on the top bunks and chatted.  Thanks to Randi for thinking ahead with the Duty Free bottle of vodka from the New Delhi airport, because that was a fun way to pass a couple hours.
One of the things every western female has told me about India is that the men STARE at you.  They were not lying - some men will just oggle and stare, and others (younger, more urban men) will come right up and ask to take pictures with you.  It's like we're a circus show, and at times with so many men constantly coming up to take your picture, it's hard to decide if you're to be flattered or insulted.  I choose to try and stay unfazed by the whole thing, although that can be hard!