The Hindustan Train_logy

Most of you has been lived within the prolong story, books and movies. Lets say The Lord of the Ring trilogy, Famous story tales written by JRR Tolkien that yeah... got me to know one of the hilarious trilogy ever and introduce me to the fabulous character of Aragorn. But this note is not about something that long, because other than such a "Logy" thing we also have "Logy" as part of the knowledge such as Biology, Dhermatology etc. And so on, lets talk about this kind of thing within the term of railway system in India, or simply i want to share a bit about it along the wrapping notes called the Hindustan Trainlogy. 

As we know, India is one of the world's largest railway networks comprising 115,000 km (71,000 mi) of track over a route of 65,000 km (40,000 mi) and 7,500 stations. As of December 2012, it transported over 25 million passengers daily (over 9 billion on an annual basis). www.wikipedia.com

And as a huge railway station at the huge population country, India has established a good infrastructure and ticketing system that are user friendly for both local and tourist. The system has consider passenger preference and of course its various from budget traveler up to high level train class.
How do we start?

For foreigners, we can buy the ticket online within the range as the same with locals through specific website such as IRCTC. For guidance how to have the IRCTC account, how to book and etc, seat 61.com has wrote clearly at this link 

After you got your account, do booking process as normal by select your preferred date and destination. Recheck your booking prior the payment to avoid any mistake. And of course, be familiar with your destination. Dont laugh for this, because India has so many route and even sometimes, one city has several station with similar names. For example, you will meet Agra Fort and Agra Cant in Agra, Old Delhi, Delhi and New Delhi when you visit Delhi. Mistaken on these gonna lead you miles away from your destination. 

Once your booking is completed, you'll got your ticket with certain unique numbers called PNR. These series of number has to be used to monitor validity and status of your ticket. PNR and name of passenger will be appeared at the chart prior to departure schedule. 

Inside Syealdah Railway Station, Kolkata

Chart ^^, i got mine

Hunting our name ^^ 

Syealdah Railway Station, Kolkata

And the other important thing when you have completed your booking is to understand the status of your ticket booking. Its not like in another country, in India, they has several ticket status as below: 

• Waitlisted
  PNR having fully waitlisted status will be dropped and names of the passengers will not appear in the chart. They are not allowed to board the train. If waitlisted passengers found travelling, they will treated as without ticket and charged as per extent railway. 
• RAC
  It means that you have the right to board the train, but certain terms applied differently compared to your initial booking. For example in my case, i booked economy sleeper train whereas one bed for one person. With RAC status, i have to shared my bed with others, hence such a bed transformed into sitting seat for 2 persons. 
• Fully Booked
  It means that no train available. Lets think another option then. 
• Confirmed
  This status absolutely OK. You already got your seat including the coach number, seat, and bed position (Upper, Under and Middle) for sleeper class. No need to worry at all. 

For train ticket status other than confirmed, ensure you have double check your latest status prior to departure since its often to be updated up to departure schedule. I have experienced to get confirmed ticket after being RAC and waiting list for one month. Such a condition happened since ticket booking open up to 3 months prior departure. So, save your seat by making an advance booking. 

How's inside the train? 

Most of you maybe have read from some books, blog or travel note about Indian Railways. But i will tell you my point of view. Again, on my point of view. 

A long with the rumors of the dirty, untidy and smelly place - yeah that's most people described this country, i dont think the same way. Why? After experiencing Railways system in my country, i just try to make an apple to apple comparison. Economy to economy, for example. 

Indonesian railways has no sleeper class. So, when i took the sleeper economy class i try to compare it with business class and surprisingly, Indian was much better. in India, the seat in economy class was comfortable and affordable. At least it has a thin bunk bed while business class in Indonesia was a plastic chair. Toilet economy class in Indian are the same quality as business class in Indonesia. 

I cant share about other class because i have no experience on it, but for AC tier 3 class, you can visit Tika's note.  For more details and pictures on Indian railways, you also can see seat61.com 

What i love about Indian Railways? 

1. Cheap, I spent less than INR 500 for each overnight journey
2. There's opportunity to interact and makin friends with local, some notes said it was annoying to see most of the local staring at you as the only foreigners at that place, but please ignore because its gone once you started to make a conversation. People that i met mainly are nice people. 
3. Act as local as you can. What's your travel meant when you avoid to experience such a thing. 
4. Sharing and get information about everything just make our next trip easier. Some people that i met was really helpful, even they woke me up when i fall asleep just a moment before my arrival station. 

And of course, i want to come back and treasure another lane of the Hindustan Trainlogy ^^

Day 1 - Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, My first step towards Hindustan

4 May 2013 

Most of the people that i met always had the same question, the same thought, similar view but sure some of them still have the different opinion. And for me, that's so human. What i got to do? Just listen.. absorb the good things and try to be positive thinking. They care about me. That's it!!! 

Maybe its not about visiting the most holy place for moslem as  we dreaming of, the huge metropolis city such a Newyork or amazing underwater place such a Raja Ampat but among that it was one of the must be visit place in my life. Especially, while i'm still have an energy to explore the Lord's creatures. 

Its a place where the second largest community lived in, where the needs spread across the country, when touts sounds so terrifying among traveler, but so on its where the symbol of love that stood up arrogantly as one of the worlds seven wonders. Not only that, it was a place when two religion finally lived in together and built their own history. But for me, its place to challenge myself, 

"Have i being thankful for everything that i had?"

First, i knew this country from some of movies shown on local television. A very long screen shot full with music, song and performance. Later, its known best with police, criminal and love story. But today, i remember it as the one best creator of the thoughtful message on their movies. 

"Life have to be useful for others, just like tomorrow never comes. "
"Live to give as much as you can"

Maybe you'll know from which movie i took those quotes. But i didnt come to this country because of this movie. You know, just like love.. you dont need a reason to love. 

And with Allah's blessing a took my first step to the gate of this incredible site of Asia, 4 May 2013, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Airport, Kolkata, greeting my footstep entering Hindustan. Namashkar!!! 

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Airport, Kolkata 

They said i'm solo, that's why they were worried a lot about me. A woman, single and India. Sounds like a wrong combination of holiday. Some newspaper wrote about rapped and sexual harassment, most people talked about the worst thing that might happen. Not ignoring all of the warning, i just try to believe best in people. 

We born alone. Die alone. So should we live alone? 

They said i'm solo, but you'll see that every single time i never alone. That's what travel should meant to be. Meet and learnt from others. Share and receive. And with all of these spirit i started my journey in Kolkata, one of the busiest city in Hindustan. 

My flight arrived around 5 PM in the evening. After got my Visa in Jakarta, i plan to chase the time keeper and grab the chance to explore a bit of the city, at least the famous Victoria Memorial Park. But you know, travel is not only about plan but how you turn out everything that seems impossible around you and make a small miracle. 

I plan to travel with one Indonesian guy and one Malaysian ladies that i never met before, but God grant me another companion. Three Indonesian guys from Batam and Pekanbaru. And the three of them applied Visa on Arrival that made me have to wait for them. It seems that i wasted my time right? What i'm avoid for, lead me to the place where i have to be stuck in the waiting room. 

But sure, its not about that. I do believe everything happen for a reason. That there's no such a coincidence in life. These wonderful five companion has coloring my day and just like a magic, it turned my solo travel became cheerful and memorable. 

And here they are... 

1st, Alid Abdul, blogger and budget traveler from Jombang. He has traveled a lot around Asia, talk active, Indian addict and energic. If you want to know more about him, visit www.alidabdul.com.

Second, Jardness. Aka Zarah Naumul. Famous Blogger from Malaysia. Eat, live and travel a lot. Visit her page at http://ignorantbrat.blogspot.com/. 

Third, Adi Wijaya. Travelholic from Pekanbaru. We hop on and off around Kolkata and Agra. Got him on @addywidjaja. 

Last, a crazy buddies from Batam; Yayan and Mukhlis. No plan, just gone with the wind hahahaha... just like leavin on the train Bro..thanks for sent me away from my first train ride in      India. 

MyCrazy Companion in Hindustan

First part, quarelling over prepaid taxi outside the airport. Yups, prepaid taxi consider as cheapest way to reach the city. But hold on, the first step is to find the correct place to got the ticket. There's taxi booth outside the airport, but prepaid taxi counter was located inside just close to the arrival hall. What you need to do is just tell them your destination, but please ensure you spell it correctly and they print the same thing at the ticket. Because what we had, we have to pay more than it should be. 

We divided our group into two colonies, first, me, Alid, Jard and Addy will go towards Victoria Memorial Park and drop Adi at his hostel on our way heading to Syealdah. Adi gonna stay in Kolkata tonight and heading to New Delhi by train tomorrow. Me, Alid and Jard gonna catch Darjeeling Mail Train from Kolkata to New Jaipalguri towards Darjeeling tonight. While the Batams, even tough they have the same destination as mine, they decided to headed directly to Syealdah Railway Station. They have to ensure that their train ticket running tonite. 

Prepaid taxi charged for INR 110 from airport to Syealdah and INR 310 from Airport to Victoria. It lil bit too much since we have to pay INR 150 from Victoria to Syealdah. See, it should be only INR 270. Unfortunately, Victoria has been closed upon our arrival and we decided to directly towards Syealdah after have a short photo session. 

Just Landed - Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Kolkata

Inside the airport 

International Arrival 

Only for Queuing, voucher bought inside the airport 

A Yellow Cab around Kolkata traffic at nite 

Me at the entrance of Victoria Memorial Park, Kolkata

Syealdah Railway Station 

Hunting our names, at Syealdah 

Inside the railway station 

After a long chit chat and hunting session, we noted that The Batams name is not included in the list. They have to argue with the ticketing officer until found out that they have booked another train towards Darjeeling. Yups, the fifth of us are heading to Darjeeling but only the two of them has different train. Another train departed on one hour after ours. 

So, till we meet again Bro!!!

Good Bye Hindustan ; p

Thursday, 16 May 2013

Finally, it has to be ended today. One period of escaping and hiding known as travelling. i do travel to same places, met some people from many countries, cultures and even try to blend with them. I laughed, but i cried at the same time.

Spent most of time in India with new friends, awesome. 

Thanks to Alid, who make me act as local in Taj Mahal. Jardness, famous blogger in Malaysia who always treat us, Allah bless you. Indo_japan guy, Adi, please be aware with your next trip schedule. It may overloaded boy^^. And short moment in Kolkata with Mukhlis n Yayan, hopefully you were enjoyed your trip guys, Taj Mahal as you were dreaming of. Tt was really a short time, but we always like an old friend when we step our feet out of our hometown.

At the first place, I just imagine India from some Bollywood movie i watched or books that i read. But to experience each part of it, its just a blessed.

Visit the most wonderful Tea estate in Darjeeling, boating on sunrise at the Holly Ganges, touchdown the magnificent of true love in Taj Mahal, enjoy local wedding till midnite in Varanashi, feel the warm breeze of the glorious Rajashtan, step into the Capital, New Delhi under the warmth of hillarious couples i ever met and finally relaxing at the Himalayan ground through the origin of the Holy Gangges, Rishikesh.

And the best of it was making a friends and Family, and learn that nothing in this life was meaningless. Where you can find a good friend to deal with the hottest Banaresh,  and a honest guy that accompany you to enrich miles of each part of it. Thanks to Arrihant and Gauraf for this, you two did awesome boys!! warm family of Bro Hussey, makes me feel Rajashtan was my hometown. Free dinner treat of Tanveer, your mom's cooking was awesome. And hillarious couples, Mamta and Anupham. thanks for received me at midnite, to host me around Delhi, that makes me feel that i was your little sissy and introduce me to the nice retired men in Rishikesh, Karkee. 

My plan didn't run out smoothly, but that's what Allah think the best for me. And i do believe it. i,ll never regret every step that i took today.

And now, what,s left?
my exam, and my mom.
yups, mom...i'll tell you later about this and still, "that's frightening thing" i posted earlier.

Welcome back to Jakarta, 
Work Hard, Play Hard
^^ 

Its started with a sleep; p

Saturday, 4 May 2013

I skipped my class today. Yes i do. It should be the sameas what i did a long time a go, but somehow.. its weird right now.

After a long day started with "packing", rush camera and gadget hunting, a long class session at Campus, continue with singing till midnite.. i have force myself not to fall asleep since i have early flight today. And here i am, stick on my sleepyhead after a lil bit having running man episode this morning.

Actually, i only have one problem. Yups, only one.
Fall asleep. ;(

Its Good to have a Big Dreams, but its frightening when suddenly became true...

I'm a big..big girl, in a big big world - Emilia 

Yups, that's what happening to me right now. Somehow, i realise why some people said, "Be carefull with your dream." 

Some people will say that its good, you're so blessed then..while the others will have another question following my wishy-washy thought.

I've been intimidated by my own wish. Frightening over what the upcoming next in my life. Or simply, I'm just afraid of loosing something that i never found.

Someday i became so selfish and going forward to make a harsh decision, but the other day i keep thinking about that dream again and again until i finally realised that i'm just afraid.

I will always talk to myself, its good to try anything and regretting after all instead of regret for not even trying. But, I cant have the same thought right now..

Yeah, Just like StepUp 3 quoted, "The most important decision in life is never easy"