Dutch YouTuber Pedro Mota embarked on a 26-hour First AC train journey from Mumbai to Amritsar, expecting five-star luxury but encountering a different reality. While the train’s amenities fell short, the heartwarming hospitality of a local family sharing home-cooked meals made the trip unforgettable.
Travelling frequently provides the opportunity to experience a place beyond its well-known attractions. A 26-hour train excursion from Mumbai to Amritsar gave Dutch YouTuber Pedro Mota a better understanding of India. In a video, the YouTuber chronicled his roughly 1,500-kilometer journey aboard one of India’s first-class luxury sleeper trains.
Pedro shared that before boarding the train’s First AC compartment, he had assumed the experience would be similar to a five-star service. However, he soon realised that the train followed a “pay as you go” system, where passengers are required to pay separately for different services. His expectations took another hit at dinner when the non-vegetarian option turned out to be egg biryani. The YouTuber was surprised by the meal and found the biryani rather bland and ordinary.
Pedro then explained that the true spirit of Indian trains resides not in the coaches but in the people. In the same coach was a cooperative family consisting of fifteen people who were going to Panipat for a wedding. This family made certain that the foreign YouTuber did not experience any feelings of alienation. They brought him dal-rice from home, along with fresh rotis and potato stew, and they fed it to him. Upon tasting it, the YouTuber exclaimed, “This is the flavour of my mother’s cooking, which is nothing in comparison to the taste of train food.”
After waking up the next morning, Pedro went out to find a cup of coffee to begin his day. When he went nearly half a kilometre inside the train, he was expecting to see a pantry car. However, he was surprised to find that the pantry car was more of a mobile kitchen than a place where passengers could relax and eat. It was at the Faridabad station that he was finally successful in his hunt. There, he discovered piping hot samosas and a cup of strong tea.
One of the more unexpected moments of the journey came when Pedro decided to use the shower in the First AC washroom. He was initially greeted by cold water. After some time, however, the water turned lukewarm. While the shower was far from a luxury experience, it offered enough relief to help him feel refreshed after spending 26 hours on the train.
The compartment gradually became less crowded as other passengers disembarked at several locations around Delhi and Haryana. This provided Pedro with additional room upon which he could rest and work while the travel was in progress. It was very enjoyable for him to go at a speed of around 130 kilometres per hour while taking in the ever-changing view outside the window.
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Although the excursion did not provide the five-star luxuries that Pedro had first anticipated, he discovered that the kindness and vivacious spirit of India made the travel to Amritsar, which lasted for a total of 26 hours, an experience that she will never forget.