Wondering about wandering around Kolkata

Kolkata is what I imagined, but oh so much more too. Originally, I didn’t even consider the city as one of my stops, but I am so glad I did, as it has resulted in a love for yet another fascinating city.

The morning after I arrived, I decided to walk north towards the city centre as I wanted to get a feel for Kolkata, as well as see all the preparations for Durga Puja (see my other blog).

Walking along the streets can be hair-raising to say the least. It is how I pictured streets in a large Indian city; chaotic and oh so loud. Constant hooting, which I have learnt very quickly not to take personally. The game of what might hit me, can be quite entertaining… is it a bus, a car, an auto-rickshaw, a motorbike or a bicycle rickshaw? Take your pick, as they are all probably hooting at the same time, as they drive alongside each other.

Also, is it safer to walk some pavements, or just in the street? Well, it really depends on which obstacle you wish to avoid, and which you are willing to take a risk with. A vehicle, a street food vendor, a stray animal, puddles of who knows what, someone spitting on your shoes or someone doing their daily wash at one of the street water pumps?

So there is quite a lot to think about all at once, added to this, the beautiful Pandals on every corner, I kept veering off down side streets and took a rather scenic route north. I was feeling rather parched, hot and tired and realized I had soldiered on for about 9kms. So desperate for something to drink and a place to sit down, (which is actually difficult to find), the only place I could find that had a place to sit inside was an American waffle shop (which goes very much against my “when in Rome” travel philosophy). But I had some water, iced tea and a waffle-ice cream sandwich. I was the only patron and the guy serving seemed really nervous. He was so quick to put the air con on and change the music from Indian songs to the latest American hits…to be honest, the air con was welcoming, but I was quite happy with the Indian music (you know when in India, while eating an American waffle).

Soon after, low and behold, I stumbled upon the massive marble relic of the British Raj. The Victoria Memorial is, in my opinion, the biggest contrast to the streets of Kolkata. Shady manicured gardens around the “Taj-Mahal of Kolkata” was exceptionally inviting in the heat. So I forked out my 20 Rupees and entered the grounds. It was actually really lovely to take in the gardens, with only distant hooter. So I found some shade and had a much needed afternoon nap on the grass. Waking up after an hour to a rather large number of stares by locals enjoying the gardens.

I was pretty tired and sweaty after my 13kms walking North, and being that it was 5pm, I didn’t want to be wandering the streets of Kolkata alone in the dark. So for 10 Rupees, I took the Metro 5 stops back down to South Kolkata… Now that was an experience, a bit like coming home after work on the London Underground in peak hour. Hot and stuffy, although a few more smiles shared in India. Despite being squashed like a sardine, I had a giggle to myself that I was much happier being squashed in Kolkata peak hour than in London…why? Well, the people of West Bengal, I have discovered, are on average shorter than the various people working in London. So for a shorty like me it was absolutely acceptable to have my bum against someone else’s, and another person’s bum against my belly, rather than my face in some City Banker’s armpit!

And I, for once, could actually reach the hand rail above my head. Although holding myself up from the inertia of the train was really not necessary since I was so firmly snug standing between all the Kolkata commuters.

To put into words the experiences of wandering around Kolkata this week is rather tricky, so much to take in all at once. I haven’t even mentioned much about the Ghats along the Hooghly River, nor Eden Gardens Cricket stadium, nor maneuvering through a bus depot that I somehow found myself in. The Pandals of Durga Puja and my wonderful experience of staying at Bodhi Tree require a separate blog altogether. I guess some experiences just cannot be captured in a photo, video or even in writing. Some are just smells, sounds, sights, panic and laughter that are to be treasured in the mind and heart.