Vyara to Lasina

Today it was time for our trip from Vyara to Lasina. Kris woke me up at 3:30 AM to get ready to go. We all got to the train station at 4:45. The train was scheduled for 5:11 but of course it was running late. 3 hours late. We all got on just after 8 with the help of our Indian friends who waited all that time so they could throw our luggage on. Good thing, too, because the train only stopped for 2 minutes. Then we couldn’t find our berths because there were other people in them. We had reserved 8, but for most of the trip (almost 10 hours) we had 6. Which was fine with me, I didn’t need to sleep. I didn’t want to miss a chance to see so much of India – even though for the most part it all looked the same.

About 8 hours in, we started getting worried about how we would know when to get off the train. The stops are very short and we have an obscene amount of luggage. Cleveland was supposed to find out the two stops before our stop at Badnera, but he had forgotten to do that. After a lot of stress, and several conversations with various people with various English speaking ability, we got a good idea of which stop would be before ours. Then we had to strategize how to get 8 people, 8 carry-ons, and 10 suitcases off the train in a space of 2-5 minutes.

I’m thankful to say we all made it off, with our luggage, with time to spare. Then commenced another terrifying road trip to Lasina. It was only scary for the first hour or so, then we got so far out of civilization that the traffic was mostly oxcarts, bicycles, pedestrians, and a few motorbikes.

WHAT AN ARRIVAL!! Where the kids in Vyara cried when they saw us, this time there was a roar of greeting as soon as we honked to open the gate. All the kids were out waiting for us. They went from one to another with handshakes and hugs, saying “how are you, aunty?” “What is your name?” and telling us their names, then quizzing us to see if we could remember. All of this in pitch darkness, mind you, because the current (electricity) was off. Then they showed us to our rooms and we ate dinner with about 30 of the kids who had refused to eat until we arrived We had chicken curry, rice, chapatti and tomato salad with yogurt dressing. Yum!