The 2.5 hours train trip from Thirandrum to Karunagappaly went almost disappointingly smooth. After all the adventurous and tumultuous Indian train stories I had come across, my awesome travel friend Cat and I were prepared for the worst – only to find ourselves with ample space, remarkably clean toilets and chai and sweets vendors passing every 20 minutes. It was travelling en class despite having paid the cheapest fare of 70 IR (1.5 A$!).

We passed stunning views of Kerala’s backwaters and, for a few moments, saw no rubbish anywhere – just lush, green tropical scenery. Heavenly! Upon arrival at the little seaside town train station we hopped into a Riksha to take us to Amma’s Ashram. We still paid too much but are getting better at the haggling that seems to be an expected part of any transaction here. Once more the scenery during the bumpy ride is nothing…