Ambala via Delhi - flight and train

5th July 2008

The phone alarm for 3.55 am didn’t ring. My phone wasn’t in the best of moods :) and we overslept but not much. At 4.15am I woke up saw the time and jerked Purvesh awake. He too woke up fast and we completed brushing and other stuff and were ready.

Took our luggage out and Purvesh went out looking for an auto. Within seconds the auto came and we were on our way to the airport by 4.30. Luckily it wasn’t raining in Mumbai that time and we made good time up to the airport as it was morning hours no traffic, we reached the airport at 5.10am and checked-in our luggage and the cages. I was apprehensive at first whether they would allow those iron cages but they did!

While we passed the luggage through the x-ray the bike tools (spanner / screwdriver) caused a bit of interest among the officers there, they enquired what it was suspiciously and we told them then they asked bike ride...? n all and then let us off :) nothing much of trouble.

We checked in our luggage and went for security check and then went into the main gate area. We were feeling hungry but then the flight was announced. We were to go by Go-Air flight to Delhi. We got out after the ticket check but to our dismay found that the Go-Air bus wasn’t there. Pathetic service by those guys, extremely unprofessional. Finally after a long wait the bus came and we climbed in. Climbed up the flight and got into our seats. I’m bored of flights nowadays the only reason I travel in them is that they reach fast :P

The flight took off at correct time from Mumbai and we were in Delhi by 8.30am. Came out waited for the baggage got it and went to book a pre-paid taxi to Old Delhi station from where we had a train booking to Ambala. Purvesh had booked 2 tickets on the Saryu Yamuna express from Old Delhi - Ambala Cantt. The taxi was a maruti Omni and we got in , the climate in Delhi was horrible , cloudy and humid - no sign of rain. God it was unbearable.

The taxi started finally and wow...the roads of Delhi are something. They maintain the capital very nicely and what amazing green cover it has, all around trees and all. We reached Old Delhi station in around an hour at 9.30 am and went to enquire about the train. Heck , the trains are always late and this was no exception - our train was late by 4 hours , the actual time was 10.55am but now it was to arrive at 14.55.

We decided to dump our luggage have some breakfast and then visit the Red Fort which we had seen on our way and its near the Old Delhi railway station. So off we went to the cloak room where the babu was sitting. We put our bags there took the receipt and went out in Come sum cafe to have a nice breakfast of masala dosa, coke et. all.

After breakfast we came out, the climate was still horrible but still we decided to walk up to the Red Fort some 2-3 km away as we had ample time to kill. We walked along the crowded Old Delhi roads and finally reached the Red Fort in 30 mins.

Red fort is an awesome big structure. No wonder it’s the pride of India and there was heavy security all over due to the threats to blow it off. Being a Saturday there was a crowd there to visit the fort. We got tickets for entering the fort 10rs each and entered. The security is tight on the fort with CRPF personnel checking each and everyone there before allowing them to enter.
Purvesh or me by mistake lost one ticket which we found out later inside so Purvesh went out again and bought another ticket. We roamed inside the fort photographing all the architecture.

The inside is marred by shops allowed to be there. Spoils the beauty of the structure. The fort is a huge area with 2 museums inside - an army museum and the fort museum. We visited the throne area and came back to visit the army museum after which we visited the fort museum and came out.

For return we thought of taking a cycle rickshaw to the station back. The ride was eventful where the rickshawallah took us via crowded streets brushing against everything on his path. We felt pity on the rickshawallah as he earned a pittance to ferry people that too with sheer physical strength.Such is life.

We reached the station and went into comesum again to have something. We had kesar pista lassi which was yuck and a bad option but anyway we had it. After that we went to the cloak room and got our luggage back and went to the platform where the train was scheduled to come.

The walk from the platform 1 to platform 4 was painful lugging the huge haversack , the loaded pittu and the iron cage in one hand , we were sweating like pigs and huffing and puffing. Finally we reached the platform and put our bags and sat on a bench.The train was further delayed and finally came in at around 15.30pm , we went into our bogie and put our luggage and sat down with relief - not before cleaning our seats with paper because some idiot had dirtied them by putting his shoe on the seat , people never learn.

The train finally moved out of Delhi station but we soon realised that its being an express was moving like a passenger , we were least interested and had the whole berth to ourselves so made the most of it by sleeping there because we didnt have sleep from the previous night. Finally the train picked up speed and we were into Haryana passing via cool green fields and all , the climate all along was the same dull and humid one.

Purvesh in the middle picked up some conversation which we animatedly discussed about...that guy has a knack of speaking and I admire it. :)

We finally reached Ambala Cantt at around 6.50pm and got out of the train. Crossed over via the railway overbridge and went to the main area on platform 1. I volunteered to wait and Purvesh went to the parcel office to inform them about our bikes coming by today's train and he came back. He again went outside to find a good hotel for our 2 day stay and came back in 20 mins after booking a hotel room , it was Hotel Savoy at 400 bucks a day for two days.

We got an auto who took 40 bucks (that rascal) for a distance of 1/2 a km and arrived at Hotel Savoy and checked-in to our room. It had a cooler..wow! and it was a decent room for 2 people. We put our baggage inside and rested for sometime....

Finally we went out to fill out the petrol bottles for the bikes coming today, filled the petrol came back to our hotel and kept the bottles and saw TV for some time. Went out for dinner and found Deluxe Dhaba near the station to be a good one and went in. The A/C was on there and hence we found some relief. The waiter was a jolly good guy , we ordered and had a nice dinner. After the dinner we went to the station to check the time of the train whether it was coming on time and found that it was on time.

Walked back to the hotel and slept upto 12.00am. Woke up at 12am freshened up and went to the station. Talked to the parcel guys and the parcel babu told us that wait on the platform to get the bikes. Little did we know an ordeal waited for us ahead.

The train came in a little after 12.55am and to our dismay and surprise there wasnt anyone to unload the bikes except a lone guard. We opened the luggage door and to my horror i found that my bike was standing on its rear wheels , my heart skipped a beat...i thought something must sure be broken or something. We unloaded the bikes ourselves with the help of the guard and got all the 4 bikes onto the platform , a huge feat. The guard while coming down saw a broken footrest and we feared the worst , he gave it to us and I checked the bikes and it was Saurabh's bike whose footrest was broken cleanly at the weld at the brake side...it was to be a long day ahead getting the thing repaired. We thanked the guard and gave him Rs.50 for the help. So our worst fears did come true, there was truly no one to unload the bikes there and had we not come ahead then it would have been a different story. The railways sure suck big time...bloody @!*$!#(.

The parcel babu came after and said that as it was parcel we would get it the next day morning 9am and he assured us that the bikes would be moved to the parcel office immediately so that we can come and claim the bikes immediately.

We left the station satisfied and thought we would get the bikes easily the next day, some more ordeal waited for us the next day.

The day ended and we went to sleep, the sleep which was badly needed after almost 24 hours of continuous waking , we slept like logs at the hotel.

The day ended on a sour note and a good note that we made it ahead and got our bikes down. :)