After an extended power outage in our hotel, we were eager to go to Jaipur. When the train arrived, I double-checked with a man waiting on the platform to confirm that we were entering the right car. Just as we began preparing our berths for the night trip, the man came in, sure that the train was not going to Jaipur, as the gujar strike had blocked the track going to Jaipur, causing a rerouting of the train. While my friends watched the luggage, the man took me to the ticket booth and helped me purchase tickets for an alternate train that was leaving shortly. Alas, there were no 2nd class AC tickets, so we would have to be content with general boarding. Perhaps, the helpful man noted, a conductor on the train would be able to help us move to another car. Once inside, we were greeted with slight confusion and stares by the passengers, comprised entirely of men. For the first several hours, our four-women crew were the recipients of warm smiles and staring by the young men. A few kindly vacated the bottom berths, enabling our friend who was unwell to lay on one while the other three of us sat on the other. At 5:30 AM we arrived in Jaipur, the third stop in the famous “Golden Triangle” of India.
A big thanks to my travel partner Pat for these photos
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