Thanks to my Internet connection, I was able to make a lot of travel plans. First, I checked the status of my wait-listed train ticket. I got on the list at number five. Now only 20 hours before departure, I got to number four. It didn’t look good, so I went to the train station and canceled the ticket and got a refund.
I was checking online and most of the trains are full for one month from now. I read there are a few seats kept aside for foreigners, but still it seems difficult to use this train system.
I also canceled the second ticket I bought. If I couldn’t make it to this next city, there is no use to have the onward ticket. Plus I noticed the ticket said 27-2-2009, not 27-1-2009. I ended up canceling two tickets and buying two new tickets today. You have to fill out a form for each refund or purchase. I got a little angry when the lady wouldn’t accept my form in pencil after standing in line for 30 minutes. I ripped the form in half, left the line and started over again.
All this paperwork slows everything down. In a Chinese ticket office, there are many more people than here, but the line moves faster. In China there is no papers, you just say the destination and pay.
I have my airline tickets booked too, thanks to the wireless signal. I have my computer placed on a bucket, next to a open window to barely get a connection. I found out there isn’t 24 hour per day electricity in all of India. Here the power is off for 3 hours during the day at least.
I have updated my map.
