While going on this long drive, we went for most of the part next to my Friend (by now you all know about her isn’t it?) Godavari. And she kept on changing her colours and it was the first time for me to see a river changing colours and its really amazing. The drive was also wonderful as the roads were very good.
All four of us (Me and my friends) kept on singing songs and telling stories about each other’s school and we never realized the duration of the travel. Only parents got bored as they just sat watching their mobiles or reading news paper. So they asked Raju uncle (our driver) to stop the van for a cup of tea. They all drank Tea, and we had tender coconut water there. Then we reached our final destination.
So now you understood that our destination is a railway station isn’t it? Its a very small one and its nearly on the banks of river Godavari. This station name is Kotipalli. This small station is really special as a new kind of train runs from this station. Have you guys ever heard of “Rail Bus” You can have a glimpse of the same “Rail Bus” in the picture below clicked by my Dad.
The full picture of this “Rail Bus” is as follows: Its a single compartment train with engine also in the train compartment. Have you guys ever saw that one till date? The Engine driver uncle also travels with us in the same compartment along with the ticket collector uncle.
The next photo contains me and my friends posing with this new kind of train. Wait the fun has not yet started. Just that we posed for the photo doesn’t mean that our adventure is over. The adventure is yet begin. So our “Rail Bus” has started its journey and the Engine driver uncle asked us as to who would be willing to honk the horn for him. So Pranav had volunteered for that activity. Since I don’t like loud noise, I sat at the back along with my Dad.
Once in the train, we noticed that apart from the ticket collector uncle and Engine driver uncle, there are two more brothers in Orange colored t-shirts and they travel along with us. So we asked them whether they are also traveling just like us. Then they smiled at us and said NO, they have a big work to do during this “Rail Bus” run. So we started wondering what these brothers would be doing?
So coming back to the journey, the route was very scenic with lot of coconut trees and paddy fields, so I started enjoying the scenery and in the mean time the train stopped where there is no station. At first, I didn’t understand why it stopped. Then I saw that two aunties have climbed into the train. I started wondering from where they came. Only in the next stop, I noticed that these people are waving their hands and the train is stopping for them. Can you imagine a train stopping at the wave of your hand. Me and Vihaan started laughing and joking about it and then Kushi pointed that these brothers with orange t-shirts were getting down when ever the train stops and closing the railway crossings and opening them as soon as the train starts leaving. So now did you guys understand that this is their big job.
Wait, wait, the best part is not yet over. In the mean time, Pranav’s dad pointed to us the clothes that have been dried on the tracks. See the picture below. As its rainy season, and the sun has come out only today after so many days, the people in the village have used the railway tracks to dry their clothes. Can you imagine this happening in Chennai or in Mumbai. So we guys have had a nice laugh regarding the same. Then my dad explained us about the simplicity in the life style and their adaptability to the nature. Which made us wonder how simple their lives are really are.
So we had such good funny journey from Kotipalli for a while. So now you understand as to why this train is called “Rail Bus” isn’t it? If not, please message me, I will let you know. Hope you all liked this travel along with us in this unique “Rail Bus” which you can’t find any where in the world.
In the mean time, we started feeling hungry and thirsty too. So we asked our parents to take us to a hotel. So they asked our Engine driver uncle to stop the train and we all walked to the near by road point and our van driver Raju uncle was waiting there to take us to a hotel. We all had such a good lunch there in that hotel and proceeded to our next adventure point in the van.
Please stay tuned for more adventures from our Rajahmundry trip.
