Tag Archives: Kolkata

India Burnout

Posted on by
Reply

India is intense and is burning me out man. If you haven’t been able to tell from my last few posts. It’s an awesome place but I’m looking forward to getting to some beaches or mountains and out of cities. I can actively feel my fuse getting shorter and shorter with daily dealings in India (namely walking down the street). I think I need some nature and some brews to cool my head before I toss the next scamming Brahmin I meet into the freaking Ganges or rampage on the next tout that decides to follow me several blocks constantly repeat “hey man, want this…” “where you from?” or “good cutting” over and over and over and over again.

P.S. Kali Ghat in Kolkata wasn’t worth visiting for me. More annoying “brahmins” (if they’re real or fake I have no idea) trying to scam you, tons more homeless, and as usual everything is really filthy.

Kolkata, I tried to leave you but the gods planned otherwise

Posted on by
Reply

Today Yeye and I woke up early to go catch our flight to Goa for some beach side fun (we are both burned out on hot Indian cities). So we get to the domestic terminal on time, go through baggage security (turns out mouth organs aka harmonicas are a problem…I think it looks like an ammo clip on the scanner), and go to check in. We then get told those dreaded words whenever dealing with any service sector, especially airports. “Sir, there appears to be a problem.”

This is India though and it seems that there is always a problem with everything. For example, “why are the lights not working?” ahh a problem with the power grid. “Why is the water not working?” ahh the water pumps run on the power from the power grid. “Why is does that building look like it’s half built?” ahh problem with the police (corruption).  So like I was saying this is India everything seems to have problems…well except all the street vendors are always saying “no problem” Bullshit! But we will get to that later.

After the check in clerk said “Sir there is a problem” I naturally smiled and asked “what is the problem?” He said, “The system says you have cancelled your ticket.” At which all my mind could say was What the Fuck!?! My hotel booked the ticket for me the night before and I can’t imagine why they would decide to cancel it (they seemed like such a nice hotel). So I began furiously calling the hotel and just kept getting the security guard who does not speak English. After 45 minutes I finally got the manager, who seemed to realize that he had to act fast before I came back and performed a Zangief-style Piledriver on him. Which to his, the travel agent, and the hotel’s credit they pulled through.

To finish off the story, the hotel owners brother and the travel agent hauled ass down to the airport (haul ass in Kolkata means to tempt death by traffic accident) to rectify the situation. Turns out the owner couldn’t come because he is running for government at the moment. They inform me their booking guy was supposed to cancel some other guys flight, but instead hit the button to cancel my flight. So to appease my obvious annoyance at this situation they are buying us lunch, free stay in the hotel, supplying us with a car and tour guide to take us around the city, a possible movie tonight, and a personal drop off at the airport tomorrow morning. Not bad I say. Also, if you know me I’m not an angry person and was being amiable, but this guy out of his own volition decided to shower the love upon us…which has seem to work since I’m no longer pist but actually happy.

So if you’re in Kolkata, Ashreen hotel on Sudder St. seems to have their act together. Even if they did mess our shit up, they managed to pull out all the stops to fix it. I’ll tell you how the tour goes later. I’m hoping we make it in time to the Kali Ghat to see the daily sacrifice of a goat (yeah they actually behead a goat daily there…).

More later…

P.S. a little India joke:
What is the biggest problem in India?
No Problem

Zombie Jesus Day in Kolkata

Posted on by
Reply

First off, happy Zombie Jesus Day or as it’s better known Easter. I wasn’t even aware it was Easter till a Muslim dude from Bangladesh informed me when he over heard me thinking out loud about why all the shops were closed. For some reason that tickled me. I had completely forgotten that Easter was even near and even if I had known it was near I didn’t even know it was Sunday or even more so what the date was. Such is a travelers life…

So after 3.5 hours of perhaps the most harrowing jeep ride I’ve ever taken and a 12 hour train ride I made it from Kolkata to Darjeeling. Btw in the jeep ride yeye was so disturbed by the jeep ride she forced herself to sleep despite the constant stop/go and banging in the jeep. Basically the driver while supposedly watching the road was busy adjusting the radio, talking on his cell phone, leaning out the window and yelling at his friends in the passing jeep (behind us), or just starring at the scenery (i.e. not the rode but down the cliff or even more worrying, up the cliff) while navigating a one lane mountain switchbacks at 60km/h+ downhill. It takes a lot to frighten me but this did it…

Kolkata is a groovy place. Definitely my favorite big Indian city so far. Kolkata has a more cosmopolitan feel to it, especially in the areas of Park street. It may be a result of the old Raj-era architecture (English colonial architecture) or the up and coming middle class in Kolkata. I have to say walking into Oxford’s bookstore on Park Street felt like walking into a Border’s or Barnes and Nobles in the States. Best seller bookshelf, staff recommended bookshelves, hyper air-conditioning, in shop cafe, and even book signings going on. Definitely a weird deja-vu feeling…although not completely unwelcomed (kind of a nice escape to not feel like I was in India for a few moments).

I like Kolkata. It’s an interesting place. Has good food…seafood, interesting buildings (albeit most crumbling), and juxtaposition of the suffering and crushing poverty of India next to the hopeful light of a more prosperous future gives you lots to reflect on. Unlike Delhi which seems to just be in a perpetual downward spiral, Kolkata seems to be trying to move forward…I can’t explain it but it’s just the feeling the city gives you.

Although the poverty here is hard to fathom. At first you when you walk around you just see homeless people on the street. Some eating. Some getting a haircut on the curb. Some sleeping on doorsteps. But then you start noticing people washing clothes or bathing in the water pumps, mothers tending children, fathers scolding their kids, husband and wife quarrellings, or a whole family sitting down and eating on a wooden box under a canopy. Also when you walk under that canopy hanging over the sidewalk you will see images of Shiva or Kali along with clothes that were no doubt washed at the water pump hanging to dry. Then it dawns on you, this is their home your walking through. This family, these kids have probably spent most of their life without a roof or sink, with people walking through their house on the sidewalk. An entire life spent on the streets and passing that life down to their offspring. This was one of those things that forced me to change my perspectives on life and how much different life could be if your luck of where you were born were just a little different. Very humbling.