Calcutta

30^th November - 5^th December

As there were some probable strikes in the region, I had to manage a train and a plane to go to Calcutta. Eventually, the strike was not that bad so I could take a night train from Siliguri to Calcutta.

Siliguri train station was a bit freaky : naked children were hanging out in the dirt, people were living between rails, everything was really dirty, as the trains siphon their toilets in the station, so feeding the dogs.

The journey was good, and I met a nice old Indian who gave me a ride to Sudder street. I had a good time there, meeting several volunteers in Mother Theresa’s House, mostly French. I hanged out also with two young Spanish girls and a young Mexican guy who is running a NGO. Calcutta was a bit different from Darjeeling. It was poorer, and the people are harder to manage : you always get annoyed by someone who’s asking you money. I nearly got a fight with a young Indian who wanted few rupees, just for giving me direction to reach the subway station. I had a walk in a poor district of the city, «　enjoying　» the dirty and trashy roads, and the nice smell.

At New market, I nearly puked as I was crossing the meat market… First, the smell gets you, like rotten death. Then you see the people chopping the meat, as cockroaches crawl beneath, quickly followed by creepy hair missing rats.

I was feeling a bit happy to leave, and I think I’ll need at least 2 weeks to get used to India. It’s just a messy country.

At the airport I had a nice talk with a 52 years old Swiss guy that had been traveling in India for a year. He didn’t even speak English, and did his journey by motor bike and bicycle, loosing 22 kilos.

I finally got back to «　civilization　» : Bangkok and the crowded Khao San Road… Not sure than the wasted New Zealander on their way to a whorehouse that I met yesterday are better than Calcutta’s crippled beggars though…