So how was your train ride?

Here is an answer to that question:

The train trip was fine. When I first got to the train station I was relieved to see 5 other American backpackers. There was an Indian guy who was trying to befriend all of us. After talking to all the Americans I decided that I didn't really like them enough to make an effort to be friends, but at least I would be waiting at the station alone until the train arrived. The Indian guy told us to board in the center and walk to the correct car.

The train was only 15 minutes late. I tried to seek out my car based on what was written on the outside of the train but that proved challenging. I knew my time was up when the train started to move without me on it. I quickly hopped on the train and asked some younger guys which way to go. They pointed me in the right direction, telling me that I was in 2nd class and that I need to walk up to the front. The one problem with that was that the path to the front of the train was blocked because it was the pantry. I walked as far as I could through the train car, passing feet and hands. Bodies were crammed into this small place and the image that unfortunately came to me was from the Holocaust.

While I waited until the next train stop, I was quickly joined by the group of American tourists who were probably given the same directions by another local. The small stuffy area included a man sleeping on newspapers and the American tourists. There were cockroaches crawling around and I stressed out because I really needed to pee.

Eventually I did use the squat toilet while the one really nice American girl watched my stuff. The train came to a halt after waiting for 30 minutes or so and we quickly scurried to an AC car. Luckily I came across a train ticketer who showed me to my berth. I thought I had an upper bunk and I thought I would have some privacy. But no, I had a middle bunk, with a man underneath me and a man above me. Everyone was snoring. It was pitch black. I didn't know what to do with my huge backpack so I simply threw it on the bed with me. I pulled out my sleeping bag sheet and a few minutes later, another train worker came by and provided me with clean sheets. Being squished between two beds and with little space to move, I managed to find a relatively comfortable position. Throughout the evening I was thankful that I was only 5 feet tall.

I thought I was the only woman in the area until I heard a baby cry in the double bunk across the way. Turns out that there was a family. The man in the middle bunk next to me was sharing a bunk with a child. I managed to get a few hours sleep. But I was very relieved once daylight came.

The whole train experience was no longer scary. I could see that there was a couple on their honeymoon, in separate beds of course, underneath me. There were three ladies traveling together. There was another family in the area next to me. I started to enjoy seeing Indian life on the train.

Once everyone was awake, the middle bunk is folded away and the three people sit on the lower bunk. The woman sitting next me (also who was sleeping under me) was curious about me. She was also a teacher. She taught 1st and 2nd graders. She took a photo of me with her cell phone and sent the photo to her sister. She asked to read my journal, and I agreed to let her, but started to feel uncomfortable when more than 5 minutes passed. Not only did I start to feel like there was private information in there that I preferred to keep to myself, but I worried that my recorded observations of Indian life might offend her. Particularly the thoughts on sexism in India.

I eventually gently took the journal back. She didn't ask any questions. I asked if she had any questions, but honestly I don't think she totally understood what I wrote.

So after 15 hours on the train I was relieved to get off. The scenery through Kerala is very pretty and I was met in Cochin by a hotel worker.
I was promptly driven to Fort Cochin and then my Cochin experience began.