Stepping down the Airplane ladder, I realized I was taking my first steps on a land I've been dreaming about going for over 7 years. Did I have expectations? Ohh yes! Accompanied by my friend Dixie, my athletic/Mormon/body guard from the Idaho, I felt ready as can be for the coming experience.
First lesson: Patience! In probably the smallest international airport in the world, we waited for our back packs in one of the 3 belts for over 1,5 hours, while imagining the boy's behind probably sipping their chai (milk tea). The way the bags came out on the band was, one bag... 4 min wait, another bag... 3min, etc. Interesting enough, it was an Indian guy who lost the patience game first and started shouting behind the curtains. Chai time was over! A few moments later the bags were piled on top of each other, pumping out on the band.
Following the direction from a friend, we bought a pre-paid taxi to Sudder st., the Khao San of Kolkotta and walk out from the airport. Here, my fantasy world collapsed on me. After many stories of 'first India impressions', I expected a chaos of shouting, begging, bag pulling hoards welcoming us. That was not the case, a few taxi drivers were there and asked us if we wanted a taxi. On the way though, things started to get interesting. Sitting in our yellow cab from the 60:s, I was armed and ready with my Canonsaurus and boy did it go hot. Just getting in to Kolkotta traffic is an experience in it self. An organized chaos of all types of vehicles possibly imagined, pedestrians trying to pass through with their body's intact and I heard more horn honking then any other country's I've been, put together! Everywhere there was so much life, smells, colors and interesting things to see. People in cars next to us, super curiuse, inviting us for football games and this and that. India at last! A unique planet on earth! We checked in to a by Indian standards posh hotel and off, strolling about on Sudder st. I imagine it looking like Khao San Rd. could have looked like... 60 years ago, but with internet and street tea stalls! In India, drinking milk tea by small stalls is a big part of life. If there is people, you are never far away from chai.
Kolkotta is quite a cool place, but unless you get involved doing some volunteer work, a few days is enough. It has quite a busy Indian city life, some curious things and places to see and a meat market that would turn Ronald McDonald vegetarian! It was not only the smell of rooting meat on the wooden cut benches or the dead rats on the dirty floor that makes your stomach turn. But you have hundreds of crows flying around, diving in for unguarded pieces and crapping just everywhere! Hmm.. I was going vegetarian from now on! At night we were wondering around town and got caught in a Jain New Years festival. People in nice clothes, good live musicians and a cart with some deities were parading around in the small neighborhood streets. Me and Dixie danced along as the small street filled up with people. Making a circle a'la old school style one by one people did a special dance appearance. I was reluctantly thrown in and they started shoving money between my lips that i had to give to the musicians. Not very sanitary, but it was a great time and in Rome, do like Romans do!
As my friend said, in the Indian cities, the train stations are like small towns in the city. They are huge and have so much people living there and others coming and going. We took the 17 hours train to Delhi and poor Dixie was very sick all the way. She was not having a good first days in India. In Delhi, we grabbed a good room with air-con to wait until she got better, with the help of our friend nurse Ane from Kolkotta. Delhi you have to say is a interesting capital. Where else do you have melting pot of so many major religions, so much contrasts between new and old, ancient history and modernity, mega rich and poorest of poor, + cows roaming the streets doing whatever they like!? The cows are super safe around here. I saw the golden arches and ignorant as i was, my mouth started to water for a good burger and I ran hypnotically through traffic to the entrance. Waiting stoically until opening time, I found out that there were of course no meat burgers allowed in India! Apart from some chicken, here McD. is totally vegetarian... bummer!
P.S If you want to know more about Kolkotta, check out my friend Bex super interesting blog at
http://www.eyes2open.blogspot.com/First lesson: Patience! In probably the smallest international airport in the world, we waited for our back packs in one of the 3 belts for over 1,5 hours, while imagining the boy's behind probably sipping their chai (milk tea). The way the bags came out on the band was, one bag... 4 min wait, another bag... 3min, etc. Interesting enough, it was an Indian guy who lost the patience game first and started shouting behind the curtains. Chai time was over! A few moments later the bags were piled on top of each other, pumping out on the band.
Following the direction from a friend, we bought a pre-paid taxi to Sudder st., the Khao San of Kolkotta and walk out from the airport. Here, my fantasy world collapsed on me. After many stories of 'first India impressions', I expected a chaos of shouting, begging, bag pulling hoards welcoming us. That was not the case, a few taxi drivers were there and asked us if we wanted a taxi. On the way though, things started to get interesting. Sitting in our yellow cab from the 60:s, I was armed and ready with my Canonsaurus and boy did it go hot. Just getting in to Kolkotta traffic is an experience in it self. An organized chaos of all types of vehicles possibly imagined, pedestrians trying to pass through with their body's intact and I heard more horn honking then any other country's I've been, put together! Everywhere there was so much life, smells, colors and interesting things to see. People in cars next to us, super curiuse, inviting us for football games and this and that. India at last! A unique planet on earth! We checked in to a by Indian standards posh hotel and off, strolling about on Sudder st. I imagine it looking like Khao San Rd. could have looked like... 60 years ago, but with internet and street tea stalls! In India, drinking milk tea by small stalls is a big part of life. If there is people, you are never far away from chai.
Kolkotta is quite a cool place, but unless you get involved doing some volunteer work, a few days is enough. It has quite a busy Indian city life, some curious things and places to see and a meat market that would turn Ronald McDonald vegetarian! It was not only the smell of rooting meat on the wooden cut benches or the dead rats on the dirty floor that makes your stomach turn. But you have hundreds of crows flying around, diving in for unguarded pieces and crapping just everywhere! Hmm.. I was going vegetarian from now on! At night we were wondering around town and got caught in a Jain New Years festival. People in nice clothes, good live musicians and a cart with some deities were parading around in the small neighborhood streets. Me and Dixie danced along as the small street filled up with people. Making a circle a'la old school style one by one people did a special dance appearance. I was reluctantly thrown in and they started shoving money between my lips that i had to give to the musicians. Not very sanitary, but it was a great time and in Rome, do like Romans do!
As my friend said, in the Indian cities, the train stations are like small towns in the city. They are huge and have so much people living there and others coming and going. We took the 17 hours train to Delhi and poor Dixie was very sick all the way. She was not having a good first days in India. In Delhi, we grabbed a good room with air-con to wait until she got better, with the help of our friend nurse Ane from Kolkotta. Delhi you have to say is a interesting capital. Where else do you have melting pot of so many major religions, so much contrasts between new and old, ancient history and modernity, mega rich and poorest of poor, + cows roaming the streets doing whatever they like!? The cows are super safe around here. I saw the golden arches and ignorant as i was, my mouth started to water for a good burger and I ran hypnotically through traffic to the entrance. Waiting stoically until opening time, I found out that there were of course no meat burgers allowed in India! Apart from some chicken, here McD. is totally vegetarian... bummer!
P.S If you want to know more about Kolkotta, check out my friend Bex super interesting blog at
2 comments:
Thanks Cloud - great to read all of this, and I have been smiling my way through most of it! Thanks also for the reference!
Much Peace
bex xxxx
Wuaauuuu , Its great to know your daily life make are more closer, thank you , dont stop writting
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