'Indian RLY. 150 years of glorious service'

We got our wits together and left Mumbai on the 3:45pm train to Cochin. At first our carriage was very empty but it filled up quickly. On Indian trains sleeper 3rd class, you have a designated seat number- one of three tiers in a six person carriage. The best 'beds' are those on top, because they can be used all day, whereas the ones below are converted into seats. The top bunk also gives you the option of escaping the constant stares and questions western women seem to get.

Even though we had a bottom and middle seat, the gentlemen were kind and let us take the top beds. The first part of the journey took us through some very high mountains with precarious drops and dark tunnels. Night fell and by the time we woke we were among dry grassy plains. It was only then that we discovered the massive detour this particular service takes en route to Cochin. With some dread we overheard the words, 'Andhra Pradesh' which is an east coastal state of India, and our journey led us through Hyderbad, Bangalore and Mysore. It says on the ticket that we travelled 1826km, and it certainly felt like it.

As we approached Cochin, at 4am, we could hear tropical birds and smell the rainforest, and were reminded of a trip we took together many years ago to 'the rainforest place' just outside Newbury. Did we imagine then that we'd find ourselves here?

We waited in a chai stall on the platform for the connecting service to Varkala, beseiged by mosquitos. We sat in the open doorway of the train for a further 5 hours, watching the rivers and palm trees slip by.

Yesterday it was wonderful to shower, and even more wonderful to play in the sea.