Following the white rabbit (or our adventures with the Indian Railways)

I mentioned in a previous blog entry that I had planned to revisit Mysore. It wasn't my only option. Faced with numerous possibilities but constrained by time and money, I was sinking deep into a rabbit hole, leading to a monumental decision dilemma! Every time I thought the logistics were just right, a fear of missing out crept in and pulled me right back.

When consulted, my friend who was going to travel with me opted for Mysore, but it took a simple sign to seal the deal. While browsing trains on the Indian Railways website, eager to relive the nostalgic memories of train journeys, I came across the Malgudi* Express! That clinched it—I was a happy camper with nary a doubt lingering in my mind.

*Malgudi is a fictional town in South India created by R. K. Narayan as a setting for his short stories.

The famed Indian Railways

We would visit Mysore, re-experience a good old-fashioned train ride, and to add to the fun, I'd be able to ride a train that shared its name with a short story series that gave me hours of enjoyment.

A relaxed start to our trip

Sadly, we had to settle for a different train since the timing didn't work out, but the Malgudi Express, like the white rabbit, served its purpose in leading me to my Wonderland.

I was confident we had set up a comfortable trip: a nice long breakfast at the Taj West End, a short Uber ride to the railway station, and plenty of time to board the train.

But, Bangalore traffic had other plans for us. At best, we were crawling inch by inch towards the station; at worst, we were at a complete standstill, looking at each other in alarm as time rapidly ticked away. Like our friend the rabbit - we were late!

We knew we weren't going to make it!

Breakfast is the most important meal!

Our Uber driver was very sympathetic and dropped us at the back entrance closest to the platform we needed. It was 11:25 am—there was no way we could make it to the platform in time for the 11:30 am train. In India, getting to the platform from the entrance is like playing an FPS game: navigating across several groups of people who seem to congregate just to block your path, all while trying to wheel your luggage up and down uneven surfaces. To add to the complexity, one of us was quite generous with her luggage allowance ;)

Providence came in the form of a porter. He oozed calm confidence, asked us which train we were boarding, and magically took charge of all our luggage. We didn't have the time or inclination to ask him how much he would charge for his services, which is truly unexpected in a country where bargaining is a core value. I still don't know how he managed it, but in a matter of minutes, we were in the train, our luggage stowed safely. We gratefully paid him a generous amount for his help and sank into our seats, exhausted but relieved to be on our way to Mysore.

Our adventure didn't end there. Much to our surprise, we spotted a sign with the simple words "R.K. Narayan's House" while driving from one spot to another on our sightseeing jaunt. A detailed itinerary with planned destinations is necessary for a successful visit, but impromptu surprises like this make it a sheer joy.

A pleasant surprise

If you are in Mysore and are a fan, try to fit in a visit to this simple but beautifully preserved slice of history. I was able to visit out of sheer luck and have fond memories of walking through the very rooms in which R. K. Narayanan started his career.

If you cannot, console yourself with reading (or re-reading) some of his best work.

And, always follow the white rabbit - you might just stumble upon unexpected delights.