FEB 12, 16 .. BACK TO AGRA CANTT ..

I nearly titled this post .. I COULD WRITE A BOOK .. with a sub title .. JUST ONE DAY IN INDIA .. but I am going to save this theme for some future time.

Patti has a favorite saying ..

“It won’t be easy but it will be worth it.”

What I am .. and have been .. encountering here during this visit to India is NOT EASY. The infamous jury-is-out as to whether it will have been worth it. Unable to post photos. Computer cafes closed due to power outages and other issues. It feels like we are up-to-our-hips in quick sand.

As you all can see .. Pondicherry was a bit-of-a-wash as to the number of Posts (three) we published. Oh Yes! .. Yes Indeed! .. Photos are being snapped away like crazy. Someday I hope to post them.

We left Pondicherry by first class air conditoned taxi at 2pm last Sunday headed for Chennai. As she did on the ride South from Chennai to Pondi .. Patti rode in the front seat. She will never in this lifetime know what she missed NOT having ridden the bus either to or return from Pondi.

We were in Chennai Central Railway Station by 6PM a full four (4) hours early for our 10PM train North to Agra Cantt. The two of us camped-out and enjoyed the gift of people-watching.

You title the below photo*..

“Cap I knew it would not be easy. I sure hope it will be worth it!”

It was a tad hot and a tad stuffy. The light blue bowl on top of the black suitcase was used to wash ourselves with drinking water to freshen-up.

I went off (I know Chennai Central very well!) to the computer reservation center to find out what our seating was going to be ..

Now to refresh all of your memories .. I am going to take you on a very short ..

Blast-From-The-Past .. PRIOR TRAIN DRAMA .. Goa to Pondicherry .. where Patti wrote about our prior train compartment DRAMA ..

“Once on the train to Pondicherry, drama number two began. It was an overnight train and Cap and I had asked for a lower and an upper berth in our compartment. After boarding the train we found out that we were assigned two upper berths in separate compartments. Normally they give preference to older folks for the lower berths and with my physical limitations, I CANNOT do an upper berth. Normally a couple is assigned to the same compartment! So, Cap began negotiations with the conductor to switch me to a lower berth. That was finally accomplished, but we remained in different compartments. I did get into a compartment with a delightful Indian family, a young professional couple and their charming two year old daughter. The night went well and we arrived in Chennai a few minutes ahead of schedule at just before noon.”

Back to the present ..

When I got back to Patti after my trip to check our seating reservations out of Chennai Central .. I said to Patti ..

“You are not going to believe this. You will never guess what I found out.”

Patti looked at me and said something to the effect of :

“We are both in upper berths only this time in two separate train coaches?”

I then said in reply ..

“My Dear Patti! We two have a private air conditioned coupe compartment for two. We are going absolute FIRST CLASS up to Agra Cantt.”

You title the below photo again* ..

“Cap I am just not in the mood for being kidded-around-with.”

It was a fun trip on the train up from Chennai Central to Agra Cantt and I have many photos to share with you someday.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 

IN A NUT SHELL ..

Patti and I are now in Agra Cantt the home of the world famous Taj Mahal.

The two of us arrived here in Agra Cantt precisely-on-time (and I mean precisely) last Tuesday morning the 9th of February at 3:50AM in the O’Dark O’Clock of the early morning. Like a military exercise Jeevan Lal was at the door of our train coach as we eased to a complete stop. I had our bags at the door ready to unload and did so promptly! We no sooner had our bags onto the platform than the train eased away and was gone into the dark of night! We found out that three (3) minutes was the duration of the stop! Had we ‘blinked’ we would have gone on to New Delhi!

Jeevan was an enormous help. He got us an Auto Richshaw and our room was ready for us at ‘our’ Hotel Pawan immediately upon arrival at about 4:30AM.

We have had a sort of up-and-down week here. We are both tired out from being sick. We both are fairly well as I write this but being sick for several weeks sure took-its-toll!

And?

I have many photos to post someday .. from Arambol Beach to Pondi to here in Agra Cantt.

Tomorrow .. Saturday the 13th of February 2016 .. Patti and I will head North for New Delhi on a night train leaving Agra Cantt at 9:15PM due into New Delhi about 11:30PM.

Do any of you recall the hit song circa 1983 by Air Supply .. Making Love Out of Nothing At All.

Well sports fans .. I just made a post Out Of Nothing At All ..

Smiles .. Patti and Cap ..

*If you are thinking to yourself that this is a new photo .. you are absolutely 100% correct. I got this one new photo into my photo album here on dot net and that-was-that! I have not gotten another photo uploaded at this writing.

• ← FEB 4, 16 .. GOA TO PONDICHERRY ..
• FEB 14, 16 .. BACK INTO NEW DELHI .. →