I’m normal, I’m normal 👀

A journey on The Northern Belle

World Most Famous Train Traveling Journeys : 4

With the covid-19 all holidaymakers around the world restricted to traveling, the restrictions are not only applied to international traveling, domestic traveling is also prohibited. But with the vaccination program going around the globe, traveling enthusiasts can have a good expectation to travel again. Also most countries will give tourism packages so explorers will get decent offers to…

I guess it’s over for now,

Those random conversations you’d find,

People sharing the table or row

On a train to anywhere.

Sometimes there’s just silence,

Each reading your own book,

Or amusement at whomevers loudest,

Telling stories nobody cares about.

That was the fun of reserved seats,

Guessing at the tales of people nearby.

I guess for now that’s over.

[Peel 419]

- Talking about train journeys -

A few years ago, I travelled on a long train journey instead of flying again, between Chiang Mai & Bangkok, in Thailand. It is a better option, if you want to experience the local culture, lifestyle and landscape, in a short time. Moreover, it was also much cheaper. It was supposed to be a 13 hour journey, which was half the length of my journey in India.

However, at one point, the train suddenly stopped in the middle of nowhere. A goat had been run over by the train. I glanced at the tummy of a huge goat that was the size of a cow. It was covered in blood and was stuck in a gap between the carriage and the railway track.

Getting rid of the dead animal was not easy. To start with, losing the goat was a big financial loss for the locals. We heard villagers crying and shouting in the distance.

Despite such a tragedy, the magnificent landscape remained stunningly calm.

-列車の旅について-

それから数年後、わたしは、タイでも同様に、チャンマイからバンコクまでを、あえて飛行機には乗らず、列車で長距離移動をしたことがある。短期間でその国の生活、文化や地形に触れるには、長時間の陸移動が最適だと思ったからだ。何より、低価格なのも魅力だった。その距離はインドの時の半分くらいの13時間程度の筈だった。

しかし、列車は突然停まり、そのまま数時間、大草原のど真ん中で停車してしまった。農家のヤギが１頭、列車の下敷きになり、走れなくなったとの事だった。

牛くらい大きなやぎの盛り上がった血まみれのお腹が、車両と線路の間の隙間からちょっと見えた。

家畜の死骸を取り除く作業もさることながら、農民の悲劇は惨憺たるものらしかった。そのヤギは村人の生計を支える程、貴重な存在だったらしく、物々しい雰囲気の中、遠くの方で、泣き声や叫び声がしていた。