Sunday blazing Sunday

Sunday was Fathers day in Australia and apparently one of the coldest September days in a long time. It also happened to be the hottest Septemeber day in Delhi for the last five years. I'm telling you. We siteseed (site-saw?) the incredible Red Fort and a giant mosque and shopped and sweated and got suitably harassed by all and sundry and were invited to be special guest stars in the middle of Indian family photos and basically did all those things you're meant to do on a 40 degree day in the big smoke.

Then after a fitful sleep in our sauna-like room we leapt groggily up at 6am and staggered down to the train station. With the poise of connsumate train-going professionals we smoothly checked our train platform and departure time on the board, schlepped over to platform 12, found our carriage and our seats with the minimum of fuss and sat down to relax in the 20 minutes we had before the train was ready to go. Indian travelling pro-0stars!

About 2 minutes before departure a middle-aged Indian couple stood in front of me and said, "Excuse me I think you're in our seats." Wearily, with a here-we-go-again sigh, I pulled my ticket from my pocket and pointed at the relevant parts with the condescending tone of explaining something to a dull child. "See, carriage C3, seats 24, 25 and 26. Now, maybe you should check your tickets? Now off you go."

The man ignored my suggestion and grabbed miy ticket for a closer look. I surrendered it and exchanged a pitying look and a shoulder shrug with Sarah and Rae. Then the man jiggled his head in that inimitable Indian style and said, "Very sorry sir, you have right seats, but wrong train. This train go to Amritsar, not Haridwar. Your train already left."

Frantically casting about to the emphatic nods of the Indians all around us told a sorry story. "Yes, this one Amritsar. Haridwar train on same platform. Train go already" they chorused, clucking disappointedly for our benefit. Then one man behind me looked at his watch and said "You might have 2 minutes left."

Galvanised by this, I grabbed my pack, sprang off the train and bolted as fast as my filthy thin-soled thongs would carry me down the length of the platform to the place where frantically whistling guards were ushering off our train. Picking up speed I looked for our carriage, but then as the train started moving off I grabbed the nearest open door and whipped around to see Rae and Sarah a few carriages behind me. "GET ON! GET ONNNN!!!" I bellowed and as the train sped up I lept on. And instantly thought "Oh my god I hope those girls got on too..."

Thankfully they did and we settled in again for the ride. The Indian travelling pro-stars strike again.