We left Siliguru on the day of Holi - where a large proportion of the population throw coloured powder over each other and go around looking like purple/green/blue/yellow ghosts. Even as we did some emails during the day the guy running the internet place was out in the street with some loud music and powder throwing with his mates. As we don't have many clothes we did not encourage any joining in!
We left overnight on the Darjeeling Mail and arrived in Kolkata around 8am - a couple of hours late which suited us fine as we did not fancy turning up at hotels soon after 6am and finding a room so early. As we arrived we saw that roads and platforms were wet - the first sign of rain we have seen since we left England and the overnight rain has had the effect of reducing the humidity quite a bit.
We worried about Kolkata's reputation for grubbiness, poverty etc but in fact our first impressions have been very positive, its a good place to walk about, there are tree lined roads, some fine buildings. Of course the pavements are host to every sort of cooking and eating and quite a lot of simple living. We have visited the Victoria Memorial (the taxi driver had not heard of it and I had to point it out in the book and on the map - this is equivalent to finding a London cabbie who did not know where Buckingham Palace is, its just about the most famout building here!) and we have walked the streets quite a bit, eaten some wonderful cakes and had our meals in the Sudder Street area with all the other travellers. We noted a group of mature French travellers in the restaurant tonight - noting down their expenses just like we do. Well we pensioners need to watch every Rupee!
Brian
We left overnight on the Darjeeling Mail and arrived in Kolkata around 8am - a couple of hours late which suited us fine as we did not fancy turning up at hotels soon after 6am and finding a room so early. As we arrived we saw that roads and platforms were wet - the first sign of rain we have seen since we left England and the overnight rain has had the effect of reducing the humidity quite a bit.
We worried about Kolkata's reputation for grubbiness, poverty etc but in fact our first impressions have been very positive, its a good place to walk about, there are tree lined roads, some fine buildings. Of course the pavements are host to every sort of cooking and eating and quite a lot of simple living. We have visited the Victoria Memorial (the taxi driver had not heard of it and I had to point it out in the book and on the map - this is equivalent to finding a London cabbie who did not know where Buckingham Palace is, its just about the most famout building here!) and we have walked the streets quite a bit, eaten some wonderful cakes and had our meals in the Sudder Street area with all the other travellers. We noted a group of mature French travellers in the restaurant tonight - noting down their expenses just like we do. Well we pensioners need to watch every Rupee!
Brian
1 comment:
You seem to be going on a festival tour of India! We expect some spectacular pictures when you get back. I trust you're spreading your full SD cards about your persons? {wags finger}
A trip on an overnight mail train, eh? Gosh! they seem like a distant memory here in the UK now that everything goes by road. Very exciting for you -- and a lot cooler than daytime travel I should think.
Typical cabbie, though: "Oh yeah, but do you fancy a tour through several miles of backstreets while I pretend to find it?" Hah! He could have been trained in London!
And you're noting down all your expenses along the way? Quite right. Er... have you checked to see if your OAP bus pass works out in urban India?
Have fun! :)
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