A weekly ode to the joys of moaning about your holiday, by Tim Roxborogh.
"Okay everyone, we'll only have 90 seconds to board before the train starts moving again. Letting you know now, the train doesn't wait for anyone!"
Words of warning from Sanjay, who was our guide for 17 days of adventures through southern India — and it's fair to say I was more than a little nervous. With a dozen clumsy Westerners in Sanjay's group, all carrying bulky backpacks, a mere minute and a half to battle through the heaving throng and on to the train before it pulled away would not leave much time to spare.
So we positioned ourselves as best we could and waited for the train to arrive. Suddenly, one of the girls needed the bathroom. "No! It's too risky! What if you don't make it back in time?" It was a unified chorus, but this young Australian evidently revelled in causing panic in people she barely knew. To rub it in, she walked unhurriedly to the bathroom, all the while knowing the train was due any minute. Even worse was her exaggerated nonchalance — toilet paper in hand — as she returned, anxiety levels in the tour group at peak level.
Everyone accounted for, the train reached the station. Unfortunately, so did the next snag to our successful boarding. The train had stopped with its doors spaced evenly either side of exactly where our group was standing, splitting us as to which door to board through.