Kerala trains and buses

Train or bus? If there's a choice, you usually go for the train. They cost very little, they're faster than buses, they're moderately predictable, and sometimes on time, and if you book in advance and go for the most expensive class available, they can offer a fair degree of comfort. It's also essential for every traveller to experience train travel - so important is it to India's life and soul. We travelled AC Chair class from Calicut to Ernakulam, and 2AC sleeper class from Varkala to Kottayam.

For the Ernakulam to Trivandrum leg of the trip the trains were all booked out. So we took a bus. We were advised to go for the air conditioned Volvo service, and after a fair bit of confusion and faulty advice from the bus staff, we did manage to secure the last two seats on it. (This was just before Christmas, and a peak travelling season). The first of the buses pictured here is air conditioned in the traditional Indian way, by virtue of its unglazed windows, but the lower one is the genuine article.

It was in fact a comfortable bus, physically speaking. The main drawback was the horror movie being shown. It was called 'View out of the front window', and it featured dozens of close calls with grizzly death scenes - our own. Of all the homicidal/suicidal road user maniac subclasses, the bus driver subclass is the scariest. We charged down the middle of the two-lane road, sending all other traffic scattering in every direction, sometimes right off the road. Occasionally our game of chicken failed us, and we would  screech suddenly to a halt. Even one of  the local Hindu pilgrims on board couldn't take any more, and started loudly chastising the driver at one point.

We were very relieved to arrive in one piece in Trivandrum. But I can't help wondering about the perceived safety of our train rides. Could it be that on a train you just can't see out the front? Maybe if you could, it would be just as scary as a bus ride?!!