'Worried how I'd survive 11 hours': Polish woman's first Indian bus ride goes viral for all good reasons

 

Dominika Patalas-Kalra had low expectations. The Poland-born traveller, who has been living in India for some time, was bracing herself for an 11-hour overnight bus ride to Delhi. What she got instead has since gone viral on Instagram.

What she expected vs what she got

"This was my first time travelling by bus in India and I was worried how I will survive 11 hours journey, but it was really smooth and comfortable," Patalas-Kalra wrote in her caption.

The bus arrived on time, was clean, and had enough space for her to settle in comfortably. She stowed her luggage in an overhead compartment and took her seat, non-sleeper, but that turned out not to matter much.

The gift bag she wasn't expecting

Shortly after departure, passengers were handed a gift bag. "Once I started my trip, I got gift bag with all the necessary things for the trip: wet tissue, dental kit snacks and juice, then I could relax under the blanket and sleep for some time," she wrote.

The evening brought a pit stop and a five-course dinner. "Later on it was time for dinner (5 course meal with delicious food and gulab jamun for dessert!!) In the morning I got another breakfast box, so really I wasn't feeling hungry even for a minute during this trip," she said.

Her verdict on the seats: "Seats were comfortable and clean. And the most important, the bus arrived on time!"

How India responded

The post drew a warm response from Indian social media users, many of whom appreciated the straightforwardly positive account. "Thank you so much. You share positive points and information about incredible India. You must visit again," wrote one user.

Another added: "Thanks for showing the positive side of India. Really appreciate your efforts. India may not be perfect but we are improving day by day, and we have a lot of positive things to show to the world."

One comment, however, cut through the warmth with a sharper observation: "This kind of video will not get engagement. Just title the video I am unsafe in India, then see your reach. Indian brown sepoys and Chinese bots will take care of your million views."