I'm In Heaven

Heaven = airconditioning, TV, soft bed, and clean bathroom

After the grossness of Hotel Maria in Kolkata and getting Delhi Belly there and having to spend way too much time in that disgusting place, I am now in the most beautiful place on earth. And it's pretty swank by western standards as well, all this for $15/night.

I totally princessed out for this part of the journey, flying from Kolkata to Jaipur in 2 hours instead of a train ride of about 32. This hotel was listed under budget, still costs more than anywhere else I've stayed but what a difference it makes to a traveler's psyche, especially one who lay in state for most of yesterday because she dared to eat the chowmein at the street stand. I knew as soon as I did it that my illness-free run was over and the runs were beginning. It's always a weight-loss opportunity though, so no complaints.

Still love Kolkata and found even more things to like about it. There's no way I can accurately describe the feeling of the city, but for all the people and traffic and beggars and size, it's remarkably laid-back and easy going. The people seem happier there - maybe I'm just imagining that - but it might have something to do with all the wonderful green space. I walked to the Victoria Memorial through a field inhabited by herds of goats, cricket players, horses, trees and green grass everywhere. It's one of the largest city parks in the world.

The highlight had to have been my sunset walk over the Howrah Bridge, the largest cantilever bridge in the world. Packed packed packed with pedestrians on either side sandwiching in about 8 lanes of solid traffic. As I walked over the river, I noticed ferries running back and forth between the banks, so I made my way down to a stand and got a ticket to who knows where. It happened to be close enough to the giant park again, so I was able to stroll leisurely back to my dungeon.

James and I found a great Swiss patisserie, "Flurys", and had the most amazing almond macaroon and rumball. Top notch bakery and still cheap by anybody's standards. But I ended up eating most of my meals at the Blue Sky cafe where the waiter flirted with everybody and gave great service. That is until I tried the street stand and then there was to be no more eating for about 36 hours afterwards.

The difference between outside the airport and inside was night and day. I grabbed a cab to the airport and asked my cabbie tons of questions on the drive over. He rents his cab, has no home, sleeps in the backseat when no one else is parked in there. All the cabbies in the neighbourhood I was in were like this, poor, skinny, and rotten teeth from chewing paan all day. Then I get to the airport where the middle class people are. They queue up, they have nice clothes and all their teeth, and a large percentage of them are overweight. The airport was one of the more efficient ones I've been in, but maybe it was just the sheer luxury of it all. And the best part, I didn't have to wrestle anyone for my seat.

Tomorrow the luxury ends when I have to take a local bus to Bikaner, a 7 1/2 hour ride without a/c in the desert. Speaking of desert, a sand storm has swept in tonight and during the ride back from the Monkey Temple (yes that's monkey temple #2, 2000 monkeys milling about waiting for peanuts to be thrown at them) a brown haze descended on the city. Reminds me of when I was living in Damascus and I'm glad I don't have to clean up after it.

That's it from Jaipur and probably it til I get back to Delhi for my last day there. Bring on the rats...