We believe every train journey has its own story–sometimes fun, sometimes memorable, and sometimes…downright chaotic! That’s exactly what happened with three foreigners on a Kochi to Varkala train recently. What followed was a mix of humour, regret, and a lesson in the importance of booking early!
Foreigners Travel Next To Toilet On Kochi-Varkala Train
Digital creator Emma (@discoverwithemma_) is currently travelling in India with fellow travel vloggers Ameana Finds (@amina_finds) and Alex Wanders (@alexwandersyt). The three took a chaotic yet memorable train journey from Kochi to Varkala recently and shared an important life lesson–always book your train tickets in advance. Why? Because you might have to adjust in a crowded coach otherwise, and even worse, stand next to a toilet–just like these three travellers! In the video, you can see them with tissue-stuffed noses and sniffing on what seems like a balm to keep the toilet’s stinky smell away.
In the caption, she explains, “We couldn’t get a seat on the Kochi to Varkala train, so we ended up all squished in…right next to the toilets. The train had come all the way from Delhi, packed to the brim with people and bags, and the smell of sweat hit us the second we got on. It was so hot, so crowded, and so humid that the whole carriage just reeked. The toilet was leaking, the sink was spurting out suspicious water, and there was no air. Just pure, sticky chaos.”
Netizens Share Their Two Cents
In the video’s caption, Emma shares that after a while, the trio chatted and “made friends with everyone” around them on the Kochi-Varkala train. The foreign travellers admitted that they tried getting seats, but because of last-minute booking, they weren’t able to get confirmed tickets. “Travel tip: if you’re coming to India – book your train early,” they admitted in the post.
Netizens had a divided opinion on this post. “I’m an Indian, and I’ve never travelled in such conditions. Do they intentionally pick the dirtiest spots just to prove a point? There are plenty of comfortable ways to travel here, but they just seem to choose the worst possible option for “aesthetic” reasons,” one of the users commented.
Another one said, “How do you always find places where most Indians avoid?”
Others in the comments mentioned that they could have either rented a car or taken a taxi to travel from Kochi to Varkala. Some even asked them to tag Indian Railways and flag the problem.
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments.
Cover Image Courtesy: Instagram/discoverwithemma_
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