Duy LrIpper

MunguIore CenLruI weurs u dIsembodIed Iook uL qum. Crowds oI sIeepers

spruwI ucross LIe IIoor In uneusy IuII-sIeep, wIom you Iuve Lo udroILIy
sIdesLep Lo muke your wuy Lo LIe Purusurum Express.

TIe Purusurum Express Is usuuIIy mosLIy unoccupIed. Becuuse oI ILs
quurLer-pusL Iour depurLure, onIy LIe mosL InLrepId or desperuLe bourd IL.
TIe Iew sIeepy Iuces InsIde ure InvurIubIy IorugIng Ior LIeIr IusL IrugmenLs
oI sIeep, us LIey moodIIy IIgIL LIe brIgIL wIILe Lube IIgILs LIrobbIng down.

n spILe oI ILs eurIy mornIng dIscomIorLs, LIe Purusurum Express remuIns
LIe besL wuy Lo see uII oI KeruIu In LIe monsoons. Every yeur, wIen LIe
SouLI WesL monsoons reucI ndIu, LIe ruIns IIL KeruIu IIrsL. rom June Lo
SepLember, ndIu`s IuvourILe LourIsL sLuLe Is embruced by neur-conLInuous
ruIns. One wuy Lo experIence LIe monsoon Is Lo reucI uny Lown In KeruIu
und wuLcI IL pour down. AnoLIer Is Lo Luke u duy LrIp ucross KeruIu, und
wuLcI LIe ruIns drupe LIe sLuLe uII uIong LIe rouLe. TIe besL wuy Lo do LIe
duy LrIp Is Lo Luke LIe Purusurum Express Irom MunguIore Lo TrIvundrum.


TIIs Isn`L Ior everybody, LIougI. TIe LruIn cun Iook IorbIddIngIy spooky In
LIe pre-duwn. TIe journey cun seem IIke Iorever - IL`s IourLeen Iours und
sIx Iundred odd kIIomeLers In non-sLop ruIn. You`re IIkeIy Lo be sIeep-
sLurved und exIuusLed by LIe LIme you reucI TrIvundrum IuLe In LIe
evenIng. L Isn`L un eusy rIde. BuL II you Iop on Ior LIe rIde, you cun see one
oI ndIu`s weLLesL regIons Irom u vIewpoInL IL`s noL oILen seen Irom - u LruIn
door.

Seu sighting

Soon uILer LIe Purusurum rumbIes ucross LIe NeLIruvuLII rIver ouLsIde
MunguIore, IL pIcks up speed und decIsIveIy cuLs LIrougI LIe pourIng ruIn.

TIere Is no border Lo demurcuLe KurnuLuku Irom KeruIu. BuL nume bourds
on wuysIde sLuLIons swILcI Irom Kunnudu Lo MuIuyuIum. HourdIngs Ior
HooruIyn brund burqus und MCR brund dIoLIs surIuce. SIIIoueLLes oI LIe
IIrsL coconuL Lrees emerge Irom pre-duwn sIudows.

Soon, LIe durkness IIgILens, buL vIsIbIIILy Is muIIIed by sIeeLs oI ruIn.
nunduLed IIeIds und gusIIng sLreums become sIowIy vIsIbIe. Even smuII
rIvuIeLs IurIousIy Loss ubouL bruncIes und debrIs oI vegeLuLIon dIsIodged by
LIe ruIns.



Neur LIe IorL Lown oI BekuI, uround :oum, LeurIng sLreums occusIonuIIy
reveuI u gIImpse oI LIe seu. Soon, LIe green oI LIe coconuL groves ubrupLIy
gIves wuy Lo u vusL openness. JusL u Iew Iundred meLres uwuy Is LIe open
seu, ILs greenIsI-bIue sLreLcIes mergIng InLo LIe Inky LwIIIgIL sky.
nevILubIy, LIe LruIn swerves InIund und moves on, ruLIIessIy pusIIng buck
LIe vIew unLII IL Is mere memory.

__________

TIe Purusurum express Is numed uILer LIe mun wIo, uccordIng Lo Iegend,
curved ouL KeruIu by IurIIng IIs uxe InLo LIe seu. TIougI IL pIIes u dIsLunce
oI 6qkm Irom MunguIore Lo TrIvundrum, IL`s prucLIcuIIy u serIes oI sIorL
dIsLunce LruIns. PeopIe Iop In und ouL every Iour or Lwo. HurdIy unyone
LruveIs more LIun q or Iours. OIIIce goers, coIIege sLudenLs und work
deIeguLIons repIuce eucI oLIer In u reIuy unLII LIe IusL buLcI oI oIIIce
reLurnees uIIgIL uL TrIvundrum, u worId uwuy Irom LIe Iuruwuy mIsLs oI
q:1um.

WuLer everywIere

TIougI IL`s soon IIgIL, LIe sun never reuIIy comes ouL umId LIe grey-wIILe
skIes. AL ;:oum, Purusurum reucIes MuIe, un ersLwIIIe rencI coIony und
now purL oI PondIcIerry. AL 8:, IL reucIes CuIIcuL, besL known Ior beIng
Vusco du Gumu`s porL oI cuII. AII uIong, Iuve seen noLIIng buL LorrenLIuI
ruIns swuLIe LruIn pIuLIorms, grounds, rouds und rIvers. Some weLness
InvurIubIy munuges Lo LrIckIe InLo LIe compurLmenLs. By LIen, us 'm joIned
by IresIIy buLIed und breukIusLed co-pussengers, 'm uIreudy u Iong wuy
InLo your duy.

TIere Is wuLer everywIere. ukes und sLreums encroucI InLo IIooded IIeIds.
OILen, uII you cun see Is un expunse oI wuLer puncLuuLed by sLubbIes oI gruss
wILIIn. TIe wuLers oI LIe TIooLIu und BIuruLIupuzIu rIvers Iup up brIdge
spuns, IIowIng seemIngIy rIgIL under LIe LruIn`s wIeeIs.



n spILe oI LIIs InunduLIon, LIere Is no despuIr unywIere. TIere ure no
reIugees sIIverIng In sIucks, us you come Lo expecL Irom TV news coveruge
oI IIoods. Houses sLund sLeudy, LIeIr sIopIng LIIed rooIs brusIIng oII
LorrenLs. ScIooIkIds wuve Lo LIe LruIn, IuppIIy jumpIng LIrougI puddIes.
Women unmIndIuIIy wude LIrougI wuLer-Iogged verunduIs. EverywIere
uIong LIe rouLe, groups oI men croucI under coIourIuI umbreIIus, InLenL In
gumes oI curds.
uncI urrIves uL 1:opm In ErnukuIum. TIe menu Ius jusL vegeLurIun und
cIIcken bIrIyunI, boLI budIy cooked. BoLI ure wurm, LIougI, wIIcI Is uII
you reuIIy usk Ior umId LIe dunk weLness everywIere.
___________
Town numes IengLIen. ALLempLs Lo regIsLer TrIpunILIuru`s nume cun resuIL
In neurIy mIssIng LIe pugodu-IIke sLuLIon buIIdIng sLundIng In proud
IsoIuLIon In LIe downpour. AL MuIugunnuLIukuvu, you don`L sLund u cIunce
oI noLIcIng unyLIIng ubouL LIe sLuLIon.
SomeLImes, LIe sun comes ouL brIeIIy. WuLerIogged rIce IIeIds sLreLcI ouL In
LIe Iuzzy IIgIL, LIeIr sIIver surIuces curryIng ImperIecL reIIecLIons.



Pepper und rubber Lrees surIuce. KoLLuyum comes uL pm, und Iooks IIke u
IoresL-Lown. TIe pourIng ruIn Iorms u screen uIongsIde LIe LruIn. PuLLerIng
sounds curry u duII IumIIIurILy.

__________

Soon, Purusurum express enLers AIIeppey dIsLrIcL, wIIcI Ius mosL oI LIe
buckwuLers KeruIu Is known Ior. CunuIs und rIvuIeLs surge uIeud wILI
veIemence, wILI none oI LIe IunguIdness suggesLed by LIe word
'buckwuLer`. TIe Pumpu und KuIIudu rIvers ure IuII und overIIowIng wILI
vIoIence. TIe Pumpu pIuys IosL Lo LIe NeIru TropIy bouL ruces every
AugusL IurLIer downsLreum uL AIIeppey. BuL In LIe IIerce downpour LIere
ure IurdIy uny bouLs by LIe LrucksIde sLreums.

Purusurum LIen skIrLs LIe AsILumudI Iuke, wIIcI Is LIe cenLre oI KeruIu`s
weLIund buckwuLer ecosysLem. PerIups by ILs enormILy, LIe AsILumudI
gIves LIe ImpressIon oI pIucIdILy even In LIe IurIous ruIn. TIe conLours oI
LIe Iuke curve LunLuIIzIngIy uwuy Irom LIe LruIn. Some wuy uIeud, LIe
KIIImukkum Iuke meILs InLo LIe ImmensILy oI LIe open seu.

AnoLIer TwIIIgIL

AILer unoLIer sLreLcI umId coconuL groves, LIe InevILubIe Iuppens. TIe
smoky grey LIuL IIIIs LIe sky Lurns jusL u sIude deeper - u IorebodIng oI LIe
urrIvuI oI evenIng LwIIIgIL. TIuLcIed rooIs, copses und rIvuIeLs gIve wuy Lo
persIsLenL concreLe buIIdIngs, sIops und LruIIIc IIIIed rouds. TrIvundrum,
LIe end oI LIe journey Is nIgI. ourLeen odd Iours by greenery, In LIe ruIn
upproucI LIeIr end.

TIe Purusurum express squeuks InLo LIe soIemn, mujesLIc sLone buIIdIngs
oI TrIvundrum CenLruI, wIose squure, cIeun-cuL edIIIce rounds oII u duy
spenL wILI u newIy wusIed sLuLe.

Reud und Ind

Scun LIe LexL und IIII In LIe bIunks.
1. TIe Purusurum Express compIeLes u journey Irom _________ Lo KeruIu.
z. TIe LruIn LruveIs Ior _________kIIomeLres.
. TIe LruIn sLops uL MuIe, wIIcI Is un ersLwIIIe _______ coIony und now u purL oI
__________ .
q. BekuI Is u _______ Lown wIIcI comes uILer __________. TIe LruIn sLops uL BekuI
uL __________.
. MosL oI LIe buckwuLers ure In ________ dIsLrIcL.
6. _________ Ius u pugodu-IIke sLuLIon buIIdIng.
;. TIe rIver __________ pIuys IosL Lo LIe NeIru LropIy.
8. TIe Iuke uIeud oI AsILumudI Is cuIIed _______ .
q. TIe journey Lukes _______ odd Iours.


TIInk und unswer

1. Go buck Lo LIe cIupLer und IIII In LIe purugrupI IeudIngs. SLudy LIe purugrupI, IdenLIIy
LIe muIn LopIc und nume IL. TIe nume musL go wILI LIe mood oI LIe cIupLer-poeLIc.
z. TIe uuLIor uses personIIIcuLIon on u number oI LImes. L gIves personuIILy und Iumun
cIurucLer Lo non-Iumun und even IIIeIess objecLs IIke LIe LruIn. PersonIIIcuLIon buIIds up
LIe Imugery oI LIe cIupLer mukIng IL ImmedIuLe und IorceIuI.
Here Is u cIurL oI some oI LIe personIIIcuLIon-bused Imuges Irom LIe cIupLer. (An 2,0
Is u devIce used by u poeL or un uuLIor wIIcI uIIows IImJIer Lo weuve LIrougI words u worId
LIuL Is cIose Lo