ENS

Mangalore, Mar 31: German national Andreas Klauke, travelling in the Science Express, an exhibition train on science, since its launch in New Delhi on October 30 2007, has planned a travel memoir on his exotic Indian experiences.

Andreas Klauke from Max Planck Society, which has developed multimedia science exhibits in 12 out of the 16-coach train, has been with the 50-member team, co-ordinating science exhibitions in city after city and discovering India on his very first trip.

Impressed by the Science Express model in Germany, it was Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who expressed his desire on a similar initiative in India.

Representatives put their heads together and had decided on mobile exhibition, to inculcate scientific temperament among people. When the train reached Mangalore on Saturday, it was its 41st stop and had covered nearly half of the intended 15,000 kms.

The train will stop at 16 more cities before ending the odyssey in New Delhi in June. Andreas Klauke said that the toughest part in the launch of the Science Express was picking up 35 ideal candidates for the post of science communicators.

The candidates had to know at least three languages and willing to stay away from home for a considerable period. What he liked about India was the myriad colours and cultures. People are warm, friendly and open-minded.

"It is a pleasure to visit a church in India on Sunday," the German says.Klauke recollected how they escaped a catastrophe by a whisker near Vijayawada.

"We had passed through a town and the next day in the morning newspapers we read how an earthquake had ripped the rails apart in the town which had been covered a few minutes ago," he said.

Kaluke, who has taken many pictures of places they covered is planning a memoir, which would be a mix of a book and documentary. The Express will stay in the city until April 1.