May 20, 2007 - 7:27Romance of the rails
For anyone who has traveled long distances by train before, the romance of the idea usually wears off quickly. Delays are not uncommon, travel is slow, and the ride can be less than smooth. Now think of train travel in a third world country. Speed and comfort should not come to mind. I recently had the opportunity to travel to the eastern tip of the island I live on and chose to travel by train. It was a blast – probably the highlight of the trip.
Conditions – my particular destination only afforded one option: the economy train. Even if the executive class with its air conditioning and TV in every car was an option, how can you argue with a $2 ticket price for an eight hour trip? So what if all the seats are sticky with spilled drinks and sweat, trash covers the floor, and cockroaches are crawling everywhere wishing the meddlesome passengers would get out of the way. However, by way of comparison, passenger cars are luxurious compared to the bathroom. In the cars the seats are padded and you can get used to the smell, especially with the air circulating. Not so in the bathroom. This dark room has a stench that can render you unconscious. The only fresh air comes, surprisingly, from the commode. This is because as you look into it you see the tracks passing by. Don’t fall in or you fall out!
Live entertainment – every stop ushers in new excitement. Not only do passengers get on and off, but so do the many opportunists. There are three types: sellers, those offering services, and beggars. These colorful people get on at one stop, ride the train for free, and get off the next stop. All provide varying degrees of entertainment. The sellers walk up and down the aisle selling fruit, fried tofu, small bags of rice, crackers, cigarettes, drinks, toys, live birds, candy etc. Since they want to sell as much as possible before the next stop you get offered their wares multiple times. It doesn’t matter if you already said “no”, maybe you’ll want it the second time they come by, or the third, or the fourth… By the fifth offer it starts to get humorous and you find yourself wanting that plastic corn toy with chirping birds inside. They know persistency pays off so they don’t mind offering you something seven times. Some take the tactic of placing their items in peoples’ hands on the way down, then, when they come back up the aisle they find people want to keep the peanuts or magazine.
The people offering services are usually musicians or floor sweepers. These guys are the best businessmen because whether you ask for the service or not, they give it and payment is expected. At least with the sellers you have an option. Sometimes the music is good, which is fine unless they are standing right by your ear. The sweepers make their way down the aisle with a little broom, pushing a huge pile of trash up to your feet and leaving it there until you give them something.
Then there’s the beggars. Most of them have some type of deformity that thy exploit. If possible they put their money cup in their twisted arm to draw attention to it. My favorite guy was the “blind” man. He had is eyes shut and his head bowed and inched his way down the aisle until his foot bumped into a passenger’s foot. Then he stopped and waited until he felt some movement in the sock he was holding out. I was really skeptical about his ailment, but I liked his style and was glad to give him something.
The countryside – In addition to all the colorful people that endlessly make their way up and down the aisle selling, singing, and taking your money, there’s the breathtaking landscape of East Java. This corner of the world, some well traveled people argue, is the most beautiful place on earth. With its rugged volcanoes, layered rice paddies, and lush greenery in every direction your eyes always find a feast when directed out of the train. Still, as beautiful as the landscape is, your attention will continually be drawn to the on-board drama of which you are a participant.Posted by | Comment (1)
Comment (1):
Great story, Luke! I’m wondering how much you saved by paying $3 for your ticket, though… $2 sounds good, but if the executive class was ony, say, $10… So, what’d you really save? 
timsamoff () (URL) - 20 05 07 - 20:02