Travelling northwards again 1

 caught a train yesterday from Goa to Ratnagiri. There is no reason why anyone should've heard of Ratnagiri, it's a locals town, but it happened to be a way-station on my path to Mumbai. I travelled 3rd class for the first time and it cost me 65p for the 200km journey. People make a big fuss over traveling 3rd class on Indian trains and I'm here to tell you that it's no big deal. I can't say it was terribly luxurious, but neither was it all caged chickens and carriage top clinging. It was fine and if you need to get somewhere in India and only have 65p in your pocket, then I'd say 'crack on'. If one is brave enough to sample the abundant drinks and snacks from en-route vendors, then I salute your courage. I had some chai and left it at that. 

Feeling particularly ballsy from my successful economy travel, I threw caution to the wind and had a much safer I thought, chicken tikka lunch in an economy cafe at my destination. Half way through my post lunch beverage, my body told me I'd made a horrific error of judgement and punished me by imprisoning me in the bathroom for several hours on the trot (if you get my meaning). A considerably slimmer and paler me emerged, rueing my gung-ho approach to roadside dining. I then padded lightly on the balls of my feet for a few hundred yards, before booking into the nearest guest house that promised a western loo. I'm afraid my written reading material has been sacrificed page by page for the greater good, and to ensure personal hygiene standards have been maintained. I mourn the loss of my John Grisham, but my review of his upcycled prose can be summed up as 'a touch abrasive, yet satisfyingly absorbing'. 

Interesting fact. Beer, although only found if painstakingly sought outside of tourist areas, comes in two varieties; 'normal' and 'light'. Kingfisher, Tuborg, Bud, Carlsberg and others are available and one is generally offered 'normal'. I've made the mistake to accept the offer more than once, at the cost of many many brain cells. 'Normal' is 8%. There are wines that come up that strong. After a couple of large bottles of super strength lager, one is almost always ready for bed soon after. Always go 'light' at 5% is my advice. When taken alongside volcanic MacDonalds, and cheese puffs that contain nothing resembling cheese but lots that resembles chilli, Indian food and drink should be regarded on the whole as highly flavoursome and almost as highly, lethal.

Indian railways also run a breakdown recovery service, and business is booming. 

Ratnagiri captured in a rare shot with minimal rubbish on show.