MAY 7, 13 .. MY ‘RETIRING ROOM’ AT CHENNAI CENTRAL RAILWAY STATION
LET’S HEAR IT FOR PATTI 99501!
With me on my cell phone here in Chennai in South India coaching Patti .. she was able to ‘put up a Post’ on Blogspot!
Since Patti and I put the Blogspot Post together by cell phone .. I have found an Internet Cafe here near the Chennai Central Railway Station and I want to post some additional photos of my room in the ‘retiring room’ section of Chennai Central.
So God and the Good Lord Willing .. here we go.
The first photo below shows the ‘retiring room’ corridor here in the upstairs level of Chennai Central. A ‘retiring room’ is basically a hotel room located within most if not all of the major railway stations here in India. They do not call them hotel or other rooms .. they are called ‘retiring rooms’ and IF you do not ask specifically for a ‘retiring room’ they will give you a ‘blank look’ and send you on-your-way’. You GOTTA KNOW THE ROPES here in India! Do you want spotless? Then just study the below photo!
Notice on the right of the below photo the ‘archway openings’. Further below I shoot a photo through the one across from my room out in the below corridor.
Below is an exterior hallway photo of my Room Number 5. I paid 825 Rs or $16.50 US for the room and was extremely lucky to get a full room. Usually they put single people into the ‘dorm rooms’ and save the full size ‘retiring rooms’ for families.
OK let’s you and I ‘step inside’ the above Room Number 5.
In the left background above you see my ‘Western Style’ toilet.
In the right background you see my separate shower and wash room.
Note that I have hot water should I so choose.
OK let me show you several more general views of my OUTSTANDING RETIRING ROOM here at Chennai Central Railway Station.
Do you all see my Traveling Bobbseys above on the left of the storage cabinet? Notice that the bed is made up as a double. In the below photo you will see that I stack the mattresses for comfort and use the empty bed board for working with the Bobbseys.
The below photo is taken with my back against the shower and wash room door looking back at the entrance door to my room. Notice my air conditioning unit. It REALLY WORKS WELL.
In the first photo above of this Post you can see ‘archway’ openings on the right side of the ‘retiring room’ corridor. You can see one of these ‘archway openings’ if you look past the entrance door above. Below is a photo looking through the above ‘archway opening’ down onto the main railway waiting area. Literally I just have to walk down stairs to catch my 10PM train this evening.
A closer-look at the mass-of-humanity below on the main waiting level.
Is it at-all-obvious to you exactly why the chair is up on the bed board in the below photo?
I washed only the neck-area of my dress shirt. It is hanging off the chair in-front-of the air conditioning unit to effectively dry!
Just a look back-across my room.
On-top-of-my wall cabinet you can see several bottles .. one green.
Below a closer-look at the above bottles.
In the green bottle .. he is green so I do NOT mix-him-up-with-the-others .. is ‘local water’ from the faucet. To his right is a small white bottle with bleach inside. To the ‘local water’ in the green bottle I add nine (9) drops of bleach to disinfect the local water. Then I can safely use it for washing my face and rinsing my mouth etc.
On the left are two full one-litre bottles of Railway Water. These tend to be very thin and flimsy in structure. The three short clear bottles are former juice bottles and are very strong. So I will fill them with my drinking water to carry with me on the train. Being smaller they will easily pack and squeeze into smaller areas.
YES OH YES! One can and we all do purchase drinking water on the trains. But when you de-train it helps to have-with-you your own ‘stash’ of safe drinking water.
“Captain my Captain! Do you sit awake at night thinking this stuff up!”
It is not-exactly a free-ride getting up and down from my room to the main train loading area below.
I would take-this-room any-day-of-the-week anywhere-in-India. All it lacks is a nice view (I have none really). But for all-of-the basics .. it sure has them all.
ANOTHER BIG THANK YOU PATTI 99501 for all of your work this morning on Blogspot!
MUCH JOY .. WOW ! .. I get to ride the train for two nights in First Class Air Conditioned comfort .. Cap ..