2,462 Kilometers

Although I've got friends doing yoga retreats north of Delhi in Reshikesh & have met many travelers heading west to the deserts of Rajasthan I decided to head south....way south...I bought a Train ticket from New Delhi to Bangalore...a 41 hour journey of 2,462 miles for only 562 rupees(about $12)....all the train carriages were 2nd class 'sleepers' which meant either 2 or 3 layer sleeping berths at night...I had an 'upper' which is the best as it stays in place the whole time whereas the middle berth is collapsed during the day & the lower berth is used to share 2 or 3 seats....I thought I was going to be the only 'white guy' on the train(& have six seats to myself) when right before the Train left 3 older (white) women & a bearded fellow came to claim the seats....Russians who spoke little to no English...(found out later they were going to Sai Baba's ashram near Bangalore).....there was a nice Bangalore computer IT fellow who had the top bunk across from me who was the only person I really chatted with a bit....
I find Trains much more comfortable than Bus journeys..(I actually sleep well with the rolling motions)..plus you have the various vendors walking the carriages shouting "Chai", or "Coffee!" or selling food & hawking in Hindi....& of course you have the Toilets....squat & hold on to the handles & please don't poop or pee in the Stations because it goes right down the hole onto the tracks!....
I made it to Bangalore with no problems, had a great Southern Indian Thali Lunch for 30rup & then got a cheap train to Mysore a few hours away...got a room for 90rup(Green Hotel) near the Maharajah Palace which I checked out the next day with Thousands of other Indian tourists...(you are herded like cattle through the very beautiful huge palace)....caught an overnight Bus to Fort Cochin the next night...