CalCutting Edge

Sick people can be such good fun.......it's almost a shame when they get well again.

After just under 6 weeks working in and around Bangalore my itchy feet finally got the better of me. I packed up and made my way to Kulkata (Calcutta).
I know I should have kept my carbon foot-print to a minimal and taken the 37hr sleeper train, but as Jennys Grandad once said "Any fool can be uncomfortable" I bottled it and opted for an Internal flight.
I said goodbye to Mahesh but felt bad for I did not get a chance to say goodbye to Semma and Sona, but I plan on going back there sometime. I had such a great time and learnt a great deal and experienced true Indian hospitality.

Two and a half hours later and I arrived in the capital city of West Bengal.

I plan on staying here for a few days before I head north to the Mountain and some altitude sickness on a trek and perhaps some rafting.
I was a little apprehensive for Calcutta has a bad reputation for being a nasty shit hole. The black hole of Calcutta and all that (where 40 of the imprisoned British staff had suffocated overnight when locked in a room in the fort).
Well I was surprised. Calcutta has more of the feel of a capital city. There is less traffic, less pollution, more green spaces, more tourists and some really fantastic places to see.

On my first night I went to a bar called "some place else" where I tasted again the delights of Kingfisher.

In the morning I did my washing (though I think the dirty bucket ended up cleaner) and made my way to a cafe, where I tasted eggs. WOW cheese, onion and mushroom omelet, it was Divine.
Then off to the Indian Museum (similar to the British Museum, but without all the important stuff in it) where I was owe struck by the display of a stuffed family of moon faced Orangutans.

Then a short ride on the Metro...Yes they have an underground, very slick.
I Walked to the Victoria Memorial. Apart from the 10x the price for a foreigner and the best example of Empire architecture, it is a hang out for canoodling couple without the fear of being arrested.

Once I pay my Rs20 for the one hr in this cafe I will go hunt a few more beers, then do more of the tourist thing tomorrow.