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Kolkata, India
22° 34' N 88° 22' E
Apr 11, 2006 12:19
Distance 1616km

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Other entries in Kolkata

Indiansanity

Text written in: English

Sometimes you have preconceived notions about a place and are totally wrong. and sometimes you nail it right on the head. we arrived in Kolkata in the middle of the night (3 am) and found it to be exaclty as we had thought. the airport was small and worn, the taxis outside were from the 1960s, and the streets were filthy and crowded even this late at night. but it was quiet because everyone, even those on the street, was sleeping. as our taxi driver sped and swirved down the pothole laden road, we could see this dimly lit, sprawling city to be the quintissential stereotype of a major indian city. the people sleeping on the streets were lined up like fish chilling on ice in a market. the trash was scattered everywhere and made the streets look like there had just been a massive tickertape parade. when we finally arrived in our hotel's area, we walked past legs dangling out of rolled down car windows and men using their rickshaws as bedrooms. we went to bed for a short nap thinking that in the light of day, this place would continue to amaze and bewilder us beyond our wildest dreams.

when we finally roused ourselves, we checked out, left our packs, and went walking in search of the train station in order to purchase tickets across the country. in davids journal, i believe he misrepresents the amount of time it took for us to finally break down and hire a taxi. i think we were walking for over an hour when we realized our time was limited and we really didnt know where we were going. but the walk was pleasant, though admittedly hot, humid, and sweat inducing. we saw scores of marketplaces selling various items, people bathing in the streets and near gushing sewer drains, and actually a lot of open spaces where men played cricket and couples strolled hand in hand. the taxi took us to the train station where we found another troublesome issue. we didnt know where to purchase our desired tickets. yes, there were plenty of signs in english and with our combined wealth of knowledge and collegiate level education, we were able to find the window that read "ticket window" but each time we finished waiting in the long lines and made it to the front, we were directed to another area with vague points in a general direction. after about 6 different experiences like that, we found the right area and proceeded to wait for over 45 minutes while the staff was on lunch break. when they returned, the madness began and the noise of the room rose until it was like a mini-stock exchange. we eventually purchased our tickets after waiting for a while and shaking hands with this kid who kept staring at us without returning our smiles. we will leave tonight at 730 on a 36 hour train ride to Mumbai so that we can meet up with a high school friend and celebrate Passover with some Indian Jews.

after the amazing train station adventure, we wanted to see some of Kolkata so we took a taxi to a Hindu temple and started to look around. very soon we were spotted by a man who claimed to be a Brahman of the temple. he greeted us warmly and started to lead us around. we proceeded to perform the rituals and learn the history and religious beliefs of those in attendance. this particular temple, located down the street from Mother Teresa's main working station, serves free lunch to thousands of people every day and according to our guide, sees over 100,000 people come thru its gates every day. after the brief tour, we were asked to provide a donation. now this is where im always a little bit uncomforable because i want to help this obviously very needed cause but im not always pleased with the way they ask for help (shoving a book in front of your face showing you how much other people have pledged and then holding out their hand to accept your money). david had given 30 dollars so i did the same. this is no small amount for someone on my budget but at least i know its going to a worthy place and will help feed and clothe people instead of perhaps fostering an addiction or something worse.

after the temple, we rode the newly finished kolkata subway system and walked through a beautiful and spotlessly clean park taht used to be a headquarters for the English imperialists. then through another park populated with cricket games, kite flyers, herds of goats (and their herders), and horses (and a lot of their dung which no one cares to pick up). at the end of the day, my legs were aching and i was ready for a shower and the start of this incredibly long train ride.