Kolkata - First Impressions

We arrived this morning at the Sealdah train station just after 7am and the first thing we saw leaving the station - hundreds of yellow ambassador taxis. Even that early in the morning the city is moving; taxis, human rickshaws, beggars, fruit & vegetables sellers, and everything else.

We left Darjeeling at about 3pm yesterday for another hair-raising trip back down the mountain this time. Views were spectacular and we could feel the temperature rising as we descended. We stopped for about 15 minutes when we reached the plains and the most beautiful scents were coming out of the bamboo forest. We had one slight traffic delay when the driver pulled over so we could look at the wild elephant in the forest. Then all of a sudden all the jeeps behind us started backing up super fast, and we did the same. Apparently the elephant was about to cross the road (no joke intended) and no one likes to be in the way in case it charges. Two minutes later it was all clear and when we started moving again we could see it moving off on the other side of the road. I think I might have a better understanding now of why the German tourists get all excited about black bears on the sides of the highways.

Ten hour train ride was uneventful if it rocked a little. This morning I started talking to the gentleman on the bunk across from me and he turned out to be the director of the Darjeeling zoo, or "joo" as they say here since there is no sound for "z". At first I was wondering what he meant by "Did you visit the joo in Darjeeling?" Ummmmm, yes? Then Yes! when I figured out it was an honest question and not a semitic one.

Checked into the hotel, more like a prison block actually, complete with bars on the windows. But it has a shower and you can't ask for much more for $5/night. After I showered I went for a longish walk to the Victoria Memorial which was well worth the price of admission, 15 times the local price for foreign nationals. And as it was hot hot hot and sunny sunny, my farmer's tan is now gone and replaced with a purse strap across my back tan. Tomorrow I'm off to the Kali temple since it sounds rather grotesque and interesting, and apparently they sacrifice goats in the morning so we may just try to catch that. Don't know what else I'll do but there is tons to see and I think I love this city so there won't be any boredom for the next three days.