Advertisement
Published: January 14th 2007
We made it alive!
Despite all the chaos and traffic we made it to India alive! And we have the bindy dots to prove itIn Bangkok we rushed to catch our flight which was to leave at 8pm, arriving in Calcutta at 10 30. We soon realized that even planes run on "India time" and it was an hour and a half late. Usually no a big deal but we are now arriving in Kolkata (Calcutta) India. A city of 13 million people, with one of the poorest populations in the world. Showing up with no hotel reservations, to a place that baracades all their doors after 10pm 11pm
I've never been nervous to travel anywhere before. This time I was, I joked with Jasmine saying we could turn back. She said she would, I laughed but looking in her eyes there was some truth to it.
The reason we had no reservations is because of a website called couchsurfing.com. It's a site that allows different travellers to meet, and offer their couch (or bed, or floor) in their home for free. It seemed like a cool idea because India is a pretty intense place, especially for a newcomer so why not meet a local.
"Girish Park" the cab driver questioned me. 'there's no hotel in Girish Park" he said with a
Lost in the 50's!
It's like going back in time. From the barber who shaves people the old fashioned way. Black and white television shows, the cabs, magazines and you can still see a movie and get a bag of popcorn for a quarter! concerned look on his face. I said no problem, I have a friend meeting me. Our new friend we met off the internet is named Biplob. The only adress he said was 'Girish Park" We we got out of the cab, refusing to pay an extra nighttime fee, I felt as if we were in the middle of nowhere.
It was cool & dark, rats were crawling over the dozens of people sleeping on the streets. Men wearing what looked like sheets covering their body and rags as turbans, carrying rickshaws (hand held passenger wagons) behind them stopped and stared as us as they walked by. We must have been a stange site to see for the locals. 2 white people with big backpaks standing in the middle of nowhere, a place that rarely if ever sees any tourists.
The buildings around us were aging and in dispair. It gave the atmosphere a creepy feel to it. Yet Jasmine and I agreed that we didn't feel in any danger whatsoever. In the back of my mind I wondered if it were just a false sense of security. Looking at my watch Biplob is supposed to be here by
Prison Busses
The busses look like prisons on wheels on the outside and inside. Behind them is a Mosque. now. People started gathering around us, staring but not saying anything. I decided not to say anything back. They were just curious stares, wondering who we were and why we were there.
All of a sudden a big rusty falling apart bus (read: jail on wheels) tunred the corner. Some one was hitting the side screaming something at us inviting us on. We said no, as all the people who were gathered around us jumped on the bus as it was still moving. A sense of relief came upon me as I realized that we were standing at a bus stop. This is why everyone was around us.
Biplob is now 15 minutes late. I assure myself that he runs on Indian time and there will be no problems. Soon another crowd gathers around us and some on asks if we have a hotel. I gave him a less than friendly reception, thinking he was going to want to sell me something or bring me somewhere. I said we're waiting for a friend. He pulled out a cell phone and asked if I needed it. He was just concerned for our safety. I called Biplob, but just before
Our new friend Biplob!
I don't know what we would've done without him! Here we are in front of the Victoria memorial. It was built for the queen, who never showed up he answered he was right there to meet us.
Biplob was really normal! What I mean by that is we were worried that he might be really foreign, or have really bad english or hard to understand making it akward to stay at his house. Instead he was really cool, and we got along imediatly. He led us through some dark alleyways full of people sleeping on the streets. Unlocked some big giant gates and led us into his house. His house was pretty fair sized, as far as stadards in asia go. He let us use his room to sleep, we were really tired from the time change from Thailand.
Only 4 hours later I woke up to some banging outside and cars honking. It had sounded like Calcutta has come to life. I felt like a child on Christmas morning excited to open his gifts! I woke up Jasmine and then woke up Biplob. I wanted to get going and see whats out there! Biplob had a servant make us some breakfast which consisted of curried vegetables and roti, and sweet rasgulla for desert. He tauight us the Indian way of eating. With our right hand.
Line up to the Kali temple
This went on for at least a kilometer! They don't use any utensils, and never the left hand for that is resevered for cleaning yourself after using the washroom. I feel bad for Jasmine since she is left handed!
Biplob went to the office while we headed straight for downtown. He suggested using the metro (subway) system. Walking outside his house was amazing. So full of culture. The banging that woke me up was the blacksmiths using their old fashions 1940's methods. Rickshaws were carting people around, and there are people cooking up all kinds of goodies (and some yuckies) on the side of the street. Children playing, women wearing bright colourful sari's and men at work. Most without turbans, but some with turbans and dots on their faces. On the streets there were people everywhere, going everywhich direction. It's extremely chaotic!
The metro was our first taste of what India is like and what it's going to be like. After a long line up, we paid 4 rupees (9 cents) and headed for the train. When it arrived it was packed, ultra packed. The only example I can think of is the skytrain in Vancouver during the fireworks before there were police controlling the line
Line up to the Kali temple
The people were really friendly and excitement was in the air. People come from all over in India to witness the goats sacrafice to the gods ups. The fireworks on denman street actually is a good example to show how many people are on the streets at any given time.
As soon as the doors opened from the metro everyone had to literally fight their way off, pushing and shoving. Then the people had to push and shove their way on. This wasn't the polite lineups we're used to in Canada! Or even Vietnam or Thailand. We didn't m,ake it on this train, we took a beating! The next train we were more determined and squeezed on, literally squished up against everyone.
Luckily we got off at the right station. We have a map in our guidebook. It's almost useless. First off They don't have street signs. 2nd theirs no grid system, it looks as if a child scribbled on the map. Streets are filled with yellow 1950's style Ambassador cabs, and the worst looking busses I've seen in my life. There were also as packed as the metro line.
Somehow we figured out how to navigate the streets and went on a little walking tour. Sampling Chai tea from the street vendors and learning to smash the clay pot on the ground
Sadhu's at the Kalighats
They wanted to know all about us and Canada but had a hard time speaking to us due to language barriers when we were finished. Vendors selling 1950's magazines at 1950's prices. Charlie Chaplin playing on all the televisions. We quickly realized that this is a pleasant city to be in. The poverty is all over the place and very visible. It's very sad. Except for a couple areas the buildings are in ruins. But it's not nearly as bad as people on the other side of the world make it out to be. We actually like it here. The people are really friendly!
We stopped by the tourist ghetto called Sudder Street. Like Khao San Road in Bangkok this is where all the cheap places are to stay and eat. After seeing it we were thankful that we have Biplob. In this area their are more beggers and drug dealers than anywhere else in the city. In fact it was the only place I saw begging and drug offerings. I think it gives tourists a really bad first impression. We quickly left there for Park Street aka Mother Teresa Street.
Park Street is the more modern part of the city. It's where you'll find some western style coffee shops and restaraunts. It's where the upperclass Indians tend to
Biplob and us!
At a rock and roll nightclub, surprisly westernized be shopping and dining. It had also been a few hours of walking so it gave us some relief as it felt less foreign.
We had some amazing capaccinos, Starbucks style for about $1.00 each.
We really didn't get much sleep the night before so we took a nap at Biplobs house. It was dark ot and his 1950's style lock with skeloton key. The neigbors stared as us strange white people tryed to open the lock. Finally some children came to help.
Later that night, we met up with Biplob again. To show our thanks we took him out to a restaraunt of his choice. He taught us what to order and how to eat. It's amazing in this country that we have to learn everything again. How to eat, how to use the washroom, how to cross the street. I understand what culture shock means now. We're handling well and having fun, but I can see how others have a hard time coping. Nothing is easy in India!
The next day we headed to the Kali Temple. Biplob being nonreligeous laughed at us telling us it's a pretty extreme place. We were just excited to
Sweet Shops Everywhere!
Calcutta is the sweets capital of the world! Wonderful Gulabjuman, Jalabe and Rasgulan (I have no idea how to spell them) see a hindu temple, since we've been seeing so many buddist ones for the last fews months.
We faught our way on and off the metro, and headed towards the temple. That when we saw the line up. It was at least 1 kilometer long, maybe longer. And there were a few of them. We walked by the colurfully dressed women, the painted faces and long beirds of the men wearing turbans. Rich and poor people.
Someone came up to us with ID from the temple saying he would lead us in past the lineup. We said no but he followed us, asking us to go into the temple. He pointed at some building and asked us to take our shoes off. We said no way. The line up was leading to somehwhere else and there's no way we'd follow someone blindly like that.
our suspicions proved to be true. We found the temple and have no idea where he was trying to lead us. We found someone else who really did skip us past the massive line up. The scene around here was really chaotic. People everywhere. 1000's of people gathering at this temple. All in
Sudder Street
This area is where all the tourist seem to stay at. We're so glad we met Biplob and stayed at his house. This area does not represent all of Calcutta! line to see what we're about to see.
Then at the temple. Some men picked up a goat and chopped its head off! People were in front praying and crying. Including one white woman. Tourists are a rare site in Calcutta so that was strange to see. The goats body was still shaking as a pool of blood ran from its neck. We were warned that this place was pretty intense! After our impromtu guide asked for $20.00 After a bit of negotiating we got him down to $1.00
We spent a while photgraphing the people. Most were all really friendly and curious to know where we were from. I think they thought we came all the way from Canada just to visit the temple and witness the killing of goats. I didn't want to dissapoint them and agreed that was the reason. One of the most common questions anyone asks on the street is who is Jasmine. My wife or sister. Always the question "Are you two married" "Is that your wife" Once I say yes they turn around and treat her with utmost respect. I often wonder what they would say or do if she was "just a friend"
We met up with Biplob after that and saw a few more tourist sites. Including the Victoria Memorial which is a beautiful British Colonial building, and a giant old Christian Church.
Only 2 days we were off to catch our 14 hour train to Varanasi. We said goodbye to Biplob and thought he'd stay home while we hopped in one of the 10000 1950's style cabs outside. He insisted on coming with us. he's difficult like that! He would always pay for the cabs, and food. We didn't want him to as we felt we were staying at his house and it should be the other way around!
Once again I was so glad that he came. No cabs wanted to take us to the train station. The traffic was the craziest I ever seen in my life. Make Vietnam look calm. People, people and more people carting everything you can imagine infront of 1000's of cabs and 100's of busses and spewing thick black smoke from their engine. It was fascinating watching life go by while the cab drove by at 5km per hour. We finally caught one, most wanted 100 ($2.20) ruppees for the1 hour trip that should've costed 30 (80 cents) rupees. We agreed on 60 ($1.60) rupees. Biplob was pretty upset at this. Us on the other hand couldn't be bothered and just wanted to catch the train on time.
Arriving at the train station it was MASSIVE. Ultra confusing, and people....people everywhere. it's awe inspiring how many people are everywhere and anywhere in Cacutta. Biplob found our train for us, made us by some food beforehand and bid us farewell. Without him I don't think we would've made it on this train. I really don't know what we would've done without him! What an amazing fellow. We couldn't thank him enough. He wouldn't accept money for cabfare back home.
The people, the extreme poverty, the pollution, the traffic. All are overwhelming. But overall Calcutta is an amazing city. It takes a certain person to enjoy it. I'd love to go back, and hope I do someday. It's the people that made it such a magical place. Not to mention the 1950's atmosphere of the place 😉
Advertisement
Tot: 0.132s; Tpl: 0.025s; cc: 11; qc: 18; dbt: 0.0886s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Jenn~
non-member comment
Pretty intense
well it seems like a very very intense place.....im really happy you 2 found a friend to make it a little easier......It does sound like an amazing place as well though, but still a little scary for me......If i go there one day.....I will let you two take me,lol......by the way, boooo to the left hand eating Jasmine, Im left handed too!......well be safe and have fun like always guys!....MUAH!