The Delhi Train: There are two India. One that is running a race and another that doesn’t know how to walk.

Our journey from New Delhi to the Himalayan city of Shimla was not as bad as anticipated. We took a four-hour train ride to Chandigarh and then got on a bus for another five hours. We snaked our way through the train station in Delhi with a lot of help from our guides. They also hired people to carry all of our bags, so I felt like a student on a class trip rather than a tourist dealing with a logistical puzzle. Our guide figured out our seats by checking the paper pasted on the side of the train. Still, there was a major negotiation on the train about where we were sitting.

New Delhi train station

Book stand on train platform

Shafique and his elephant bag

On the train

The route from Delhi to Chandigarh is lined with garbage dumps, slums, rice paddies, and straw huts. We saw people defecating openly on the side of the tracks and children playing in the garbage. It is absolutely shocking and terrible.

View leaving Delhi

Breakfast and the paper were provided in the air-conditioned car.

A second class car across the way.