Monday 2nd Pt 2 - D's other day out.

A taxi is booked for 5 a.m so it's a 4.40 alarm for D. The cab is booked to take him to the nearest station on the Kangra Valley NG line and then pick him up from the terminus. The weather is still filthy but the taxi is there so no backing down. A quick check that the driver has the correct brief and we are off through the wet, deserted streets. With no traffic progress is good and the roads don't seem quite so bad. The driver is originally from Nepal, is called Tensing and is keen to practice his English which is pretty good. He is of the view that the weather down below will be better.

T is a better driver than weather forecaster. We arrive well before the train is due and T explains that the booking clerks are not drivers and always allow too much time. We sit in the car listening to the rain and discuss NG railways. He is surprised to learn that there are different gauges and that the Darjeeling railway has even narrower track than this one. About twenty minutes before train time we set out down a track, across a rickety suspension bridge that is lit only by one dim lamp at the far end and then up another track to Kangra Mandir station. We enter via a waiting hall that is deserted apart from a few sleeping dogs. The booking window is firmly shut but the chai stall on the platform is manned and a glass of hot drink is most welcome. At least there is a roof over this part of the platform to keep the rain off. Tensing goes back to the car to make sure that he does not get blocked in and D will phone him when the train leaves.

It slowly gets lighter and a couple of other passengers arrive. Train time comes and goes and the ticket window stays shut. About twenty minutes after train time a man appears and unlocks the station master's office. D enquires about tickets and is told that there is a line block, train ended at last station. His English is almost as bad as D's Hindi. Quick rethink.  Perhaps take a short trip in the opposite direction instead. D phones T to announce the change of plan. No problem. By now it is fully light and D can see the bridge that he crossed in darkness. Nothing for it but back across.

T knows the roads and gets us to the main Kangra station. This time he comes to the booking office to act as translator. Here the story is that the train is running but is late so a ticket is bought. A few minutes later a hooter sounds and the train arrives, about 45 minutes late. D picks a coach near the back where there is an empty seating bay. The rain is still heavy so door riding is out and opening a window soon results in a wet arm. A couple of people speak English and ask D what he is doing. They obviously don't think much of the idea of photographing railways in the rain but are too polite to say so.

The scenery is interesting rather than spectacular and at times the countryside is quite flat, although we keep returning to hilly sections. At one wayside station there is a very long wait for an inbound train to cross.  Not every station has a passing loop on this line and our late running has thrown the scheduled crossings out of the window. By the time that we get going again we are an hour and forty minutes late. There is one more major halt,  Baijnath Paprola, before the terminus at Joginder Nagar. Here the train undergoes some unusual shunting movements,  involving a second loco and all but three of the train's coaches being left on a siding over an inspection pit. The few remaining local pasengers seem to view this as routine. D finds the idea of shunting coaches containing pasengers rather novel. Whatever would the board of trade say.  D gets thoroughly soaked trying to photograph all of this.

At this point Tensing appears and it is decided to skip the last section and instead head for the large viaduct south of Kangra and with luck get a shot of a train crossing. On the way there are stops for a few shots of interesting bridges and at  roadside dhaba for aloo parathas and chai, very warming. At the big bridge we wait an hour but see no train so we pack up and drive back up the hill to McL. Not a totally successful outing but at least D got one train ride.

Back in Mcleodganj the streets are running with water. R is relaxing over a cup of tea, having had a day out shopping and sightseeing in the rain. D has a hot shower and a change of  clothes before we head out to eat. We opt for The Tibetan Kitchen where we ask our waiter for recommendations that are not momos. We have Lamb Alu Phingsha, Dry Fried Beans and Tingmo, which is steamed bread. The food is delicious and we forget to take photos as we are so hungry. Two Austrian ladies, mother and daughter, are seated at our table and so like the look of our food that they order the same. On tomorrow's shopping list a Tibetan cookbook. They are good company and we chat about Indian experiences until the next restaurant need our table.

Outside it is still raining but not so hard. We treat ourselves to a nightcap before turning in.