December

Chickpea plants have grown clusters of 4-5 branches each. The tender branches and leaves are salty in taste. There is a curry preparation in this region of the pruned green leaves and branches. There’s some to be made tomorrow.

Managed a few 1K laps for evening run. Waterline is busy with birdlife. The pastures have busy herds relishing the colder days and lush grass of the season

Some plots have begun preparing for wheat. Winter wheat is preferred here.

Life is as peaceful and pleasant as it can get.

Mysore – Jaipur Express Day 2

Dharmavaram, Anantpur, Guntakal, Dhone… The string continued through the night. A cacophonous group of 20 board at 2 AM. I drift into sleep again. The train picks up speed. By the time the sun is up, we are in Maharashtra. Those small cotton field patches begin. Phone rings. There’s 20 minutes travel time for a train on maximum permissible limit from Hinganghat to Sevagram. This is a good enough time for someone to leave from home and get to the railway station for a pick up.

Sevagram is 10 minutes away.

Mysore – Jaipur Express

1/12/2022

The Mysore – Jaipur Express sets out on a grey afternoon for Jaipur, via Sevagram. The train runs twice a week. A big hump of a hill that is Makalidurga, shadows over the little coaches at the train takes the big right curve by its side. Long years back on an idle morning a couple of friends and I camped here overnight. The long horns of the trains made for a very urban experience on that camp.

Mysore – Jaipur Express’ schedule works well for me. Board at lunch time, get off the following morning at breakfast time. Some reading, a good night’s sleep and plenty of railfanning.