Arrived in Kolkata today about noon. As planned, my ride to my lodging was at the airport. Suffice it to say that is where the expected stopped.
Flying into Kolkata was like going back in time 50 years. The little round cabs (I will try to get a picture), the antiquated airport (probably older than any I have been in), and the traffic. I felt like I was a part of a demolition derby at Monroe fairgrounds – without the demolition. Constant horn honking, numerous near misses, and no seatbelts! But I survived, finding the Fairlawn Hotel to be quaint and quirky.
Would I choose to come here again? Maybe not. Did I shorten my visit by a day? Yes. Tomorrow I will fly to the hill country of northern India, more specifically Darjeeling and surrounds.
I will say I had an opportunity to share a few beers this afternoon with some wonderful people. First, a husband and wife from England that live in, and run a travel agency from Jaipur. Visit their site at www.indiabeat.co.uk. The second a lady and her friend from Holland – she has been working on her thesis here in India for the past three months and he has just recently joined her for some travel. Really nice visits on both counts.
A friend of mine had warned I would find Kolkata intense. He was right. I have been told, for reasons unknown to us, that Kolkata is a city in decline. My first, and limited impression, would be in agreement. To date, visiting Beijing and Bangkok, I have seen cities that are expanding and growing in modern ways. In my hour or so drive from the airport – and starting with the terminal itself – I have not seen that here.
Sorry for the lack of photos on today’s post. I haven’t taken any. I will try to remedy that tomorrow before I head back to the airport.
2 responses so far ↓
1 Dennis // May 7, 2008 at 7:19 am
I think you are going to like Darjeeling a lot better. It is a very interesting place to imagine what it was like a century ago when the British were growing tea and living in estates there. make sure to take a circumnavigation walk around the town. From the town, it is pretty much downhill to everywhere else. Cheers!
2 Jim H. // May 11, 2008 at 10:55 am
Dave,
It’s cool following your trip by reading your great reports, Dave…I especially enjoyed reading the Fairlawn Hotel’s website. Having spent 2 years in the Philippines in the military in the early 70’s I am enjoy hearing your impressions of the “exotic” cultures you’re experiencing. My advice: don’t drink the water and eat nothing that isn’t cooked. Incidentally, I still keep my wallet in my front pocket…a habit I picked up overseas. I always figured it was harder to steal there…Jim
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