RE: India :~sleeper train
I think it's all about being familiar with India and travel here, or not. I'm not really, yet. Sunanda is. But most readers won't be as well. I didn't for example know what the RAC meant.
For future rail travel, what I'm figuring out is that it's best done as much as possible online, yes. And also DAYS in advance, as far as you can plan. Those are the two main things as far as I can see.
Regarding RAC tickets, I travel today and there's still a queue. There's no logic IMO in waiting till the last hour and maybe still not getting on. I have no reason to stay here - hence the bus ticket.
Water - hmm. I'm not happy about that. There's a bit of space cadet-ship going on if you hadn't surmised that. In a cafe-restaurant I ignored a glass of water until a friend encouraged me and said, "It's good water." I thought that meant bona fide. I'd just swallowed it when the other said, "He means good-tasting tap water". :eek:But I'm still alive. 😉