We have never seen an Indian city so deserted. Crossing the road is a breeze. The temperature is very pleasant for a walk, even when burdened with rucksacks, and we make our budgeted time to tbe station. All of the shops and stalls outside the station appear to be closed and, although we see a couple of autos, they do not have passengers and don't seem to be looking for business. The station is quite crowded but there is seating space close to where our coach is due to pull up on Platform 1. Despite the strike the platform kiosks are open.
Train 16606 arrives around five minutes late and for once there isn't a scrum to board. We are at the back of coach C1 in seats 72 and 73. This coach is an AC Chair Car, about one third full and with the AC keeping things just nicely cool rather than blast chilled. Our seats are a pair, facing forwards, with an adequately clean window. To our left is the pair of seats reservef for the TTE (Travelling Ticket Examiner). The TTE on this train is a lady, a first for us. . We clearly don't look as youthful as we think we do as she waves aside the passports that D proffers in order to prove our entitlement to Senior Citizens discount. Between checking tickets the TTE's job seems to be sorting reams of old fashioned computer print outs into order.
Our train is classified as an Express, near the bottom of the velocity hierarchy of Indian trains. Today's trip of 283 km is costing just over a fiver for the two of us. We make stately rather than speedy progress across the countryside, stopping at most stations. There are very few vendors and not a single chai walla so D takes advantage of a ten minute stop at Shoranur Junction to buy some from a platform kiosk . Here there is a crew change and the lady TTE hands over to a male colleague.
En route we speak to Hyacinth, proprietor of our next stop - the Ezhara Beach House outside Kannur. She is concerned that the strike will mean that her driver will not be able to pick us up from the station until after 6 p.m. The only alternative appears to be an 11km walk. This does not appeal. We arrive on time (14.20) at Kannur and grab ourselves a row of seats in the shade and under a fan in the waiting room. The station facilities are trading so we can get water and chai. The wait allows D to explore and he finds train 16518 Kannur - Bangalore City Express at Platform 2. We will be taking this on Thursday so D sneaks onboard to check out our berth positions. As long as it is the same coach things look set fair. D also discovers that the booking office sells Trains at a Glance - the printed Indian Railways timetable.
D walks down into the town to look for an ATM. It is like a scene from some sort of post apocalypse movie. The streets are deserted. Very spooky. Around 4.30 some autos start to move and we call Hyacinth's driver who picks us up around 5.20. The traffic is still quite light and before long we are at the Ezhara Beach House, right on the shore a few miles south of Kannur.
Hyacinth greets us and immediately makes us feel at home. We have the upper floor with a small but comfortable bedroom, bathroom and seaview balcony. There is also a spare bedroom in case we fall out. We are introduced to the other guests, two young ladies from Canada who are on their second trip to India, and who have been here for a week. After a quick wash dinner is served - Calamares, three types of veg, rice and dal. For pud we have sweets and donuts.
The two young girls of the house entertain us with a song and dance routine before a few people settle in for a game of Sorry. D does not win but there is no tantrum. Not a lot of physical effort today but somehow we are quite tired.
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