The day I fell off a train in India

If the title did not grab your attention I honestly do not know what else you are looking for. Maybe you prefer something a little more civilized, but for those of you out there who like the wild side, here is my account of falling of a train in the Indian state of Utter Pradesh.

For those of you who do not know, I am in India and have been here for over six months. This particular story starts one month ago with my friend, Russell Vannoy, and me heading to Nepal for a bit of a holiday. Instead taking the short flight we decided to take the three day train ride from Pune to the boarder. We didn’t even have confirmed seats because once again we signed up for tickets too late and were consequently on the waiting list with hundreds of other Indians hoping and praying for a train birth to rest our head, but refusing to bribe the conductor. Because we didn’t give into the conductor’s hungry hands I found myself spooning with a Muslim grandpa all night. Let’s just say the bumpy train ride led to a very interesting first night sleep…we had plenty of opportunity to become very familiar with each other. I woke up at two in the morning to three more people sitting on our already crammed seat, and not to mention that one of them decided that the side of my face would be a great cushion. At that moment, feeling every giggling bump of the Muslim man while having an Indian’s left cheek resting on the side of my head, I decided I had officially had enough of India.

Five months of similar experience pushed my frustration to a head. India had won. The next day I upgraded to AC class for an additional 500 rupees (10$) and slept like a baby goat. As I woke up in the morning the previous day’s frustration still lingered but now that I wasn’t surrounded by three hundred people I felt a little more comfortable taking my camera out and trying to capture a few pictures of India. I grabbed my IPOD and my camera and walked to one of train doors to catch some of the passing scenery. I sat in the doorway enjoying the breeze while watching villagers harvest rice and little boys playing cricket. I breathed deeply. I have a seat in AC class, I thought. I am going to Nepal to visit friends for Christmas. Everything is going to be okay. Maybe I can even get a few good pictures of the train rushing by the countless villages.

I stood up and leaned out the doorway holding on to the railing with my left hand while extending the camera in my right one in order to get a better shot of the train cutting through the countryside. As I tried to steady the camera and hold down the focus my foot slipped and the unthinkable happened…I fell. My left hip smacked the side of the train. Immediately my feet found the speeding ground below and were useless – the ground was moving to fast for any hope of traction and my Chacos were being pummeled into the churning gravel. Yet for some reason I was still attached to the train. Why had I not fallen? Why was I just flapping against the train cruising through the country side? Ahhh my left hand was still holding on to the railing.

What to do? So there I was only twenty-two with so much to live for and I am hanging from a speeding train with my left hand. Some of you may have heard about the movie “cliff hanger,” well just wait till next summer’s blockbuster “Train Hanger” starring yours truly. Well after enjoy the breeze and pulsating massage the rocks were giving my feet for a while, I decided the ride would be safer on the inside of the train and somehow managed to tuck my feet up forming some sort of fetal position and joining my right hand to my left I managed to pull myself back on the train. At the impact, or while I was dangling, I do not remember, my camera had fallen out of my other hand, but I was alive and back on the train in one piece.

Entry in my journal shortly after falling: “I am alive and am truly thankful for this breath, this sip of hot chi, and even for the multitude of Indian’s surrounding me. Over the past few months a cloud of ungratefulness had slowly set in, after all I was an American Citizen traveling like an impoverished Indian. But life seemed to come full circle while I was sitting on a toilet shortly after having nearly fallen of a train. Gratefulness began to emerge. As I sat there shaking like a hypothermic, life began to make sense – I was alive and whole and grateful. Honestly, who knows how it will eventually go down? Maybe a heart attack at forty, maybe old age at ninety-three, or maybe a train fall at twenty two. Ultimately only He knows…”

Well friends if you have managed to read this far, thank you, and it’s OK to laugh at my misfortunes. From a post-perspective I actually find the incident pretty funny as well. I miss all of you and I hope this crazy tale has encouraged you to enjoy your own.