Food, Beer and Cricket

Photos-wise, as you can see I'm in business. The bad news is I can't get to anything I took in November. Whilst they are all still looking good on the camera they are stubbornly refusing to be parted from the memory card. It has become apparent the card has a virus, which I didn't even know was possible, so I've had to buy a replacement. I'd still like to think I'll get the pictures off the old card one day but who knows, I'll look at it again in Australia.


The overnight train journey from Varanasi to Kolkata passed without a hitch and we set about getting where we wanted to, the backpacker area Sudder Street, with the minimum fuss. Once there we sought out the recommended hotels. Completely underwhelmed by the offering we stayed at the Hotel Maria, cheap and rightly so, I think our room was modelled on a prison cell but with less comfort.


After one night we moved to a hotel along the street, another unspectacular room but a drastic improvement. The first full day was spent mostly just wandering, and in the knowledge that the second cricket test match between India and Pakistan was due to start at Eden Gardens the following day our wandering took us in that direction. After a bit of asking around we duly acquired tickets for the opening day.


On match day, following some security threats there was a heavy police presence outside the ground. There had been mention in the paper of 'never before used electronic gadgets' and 'photographic surveillance' but if that wasn't exaggeration then they were incredibly discreet. I'd read that mobile phones and laptops weren't allowed in but could see no mention of cameras. Keen to see if my camera problems were sorted using a different card I took it with me. I was almost let in with it too, if it hadn't been for the underemployed second policeman watching what the first was doing I'd have been home and dry. I was passed up the chain of police command about four levels while they tried to 'help me' but the only solution that would have let me in right then was to hand over the battery, and since the battery cost ten times the price of the ticket I decided against. Instead it was a walk/jog to the hotel and back before taking my seat beside Tom during the fifth over, I'd missed an early wicket but not much else and sat back in the sun to watch India dominate proceedings.


On a recommendation we ended the day with a trip to Tripty's Bar and Restaurant. It was a job to find, up a set of unmarked stairs, once inside it was a proper Empire era drinking establishment, no bells or whistles. We enjoyed some strong beers (Haywards 5000 and Kingfisher Strong) and strolled the hour or so back to the hotel.


This morning I woke up with a big headache. Having not done much sightseeing we decided on a walk, taking in the Victoria Memorial and Maidan parkland. Roughly following a walking tour route we then headed to look at the Hooghly River and Howrah Bridge, but it really wasn't much of a view.


The rest of the day was about food. Lunch was at the Amber Hotel restaurant, a surreal posh dining room with a quite incredible level of overstaffing, even the small toilet had two attendants. It was as if they were having a bash at solving Kolkata's unemployment numbers single-handed. Later, after an aborted attempt to head for a game of bowling we had our evening meal at Bar-B-Q on Park Street. Tom declared his fish dish "the best curry I've ever had" and thinks of the experience as one of the great moments. He's still cheerful about it now, letting out the occasional chuckle.

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