Calcutta: The Enigma Continues

There is no way, that I could find words sufficient enough to describe the enigma that is India. That being said, I will try anyway.

We arrived in Kolkata (aka Calcutta) Monday morning via train. The 14 hour train ride from Darjeeling to Kolkata was truly a once in a lifetime experience. I can't say I will ever try to relive such an experience again. We rode 3rd class, AC. When the train pulls up in the station and opens it doors, the crowds rush. There is no rhyme or reason or personal space, you just have to shove your way into your seat. At first, I thought I was going to die. Vendors and street kids come and go, selling and begging down the aisles until the next station, where they get off. My saving grace was that at night, train staff locks down the train, and we all get our own bunk so sleep on -- complete with clean sheets. Or so I hope. I did see one of the first cockroaches of my life crawling on the train walls. Yummmm.

So after 14 or so hours you arrive at the train station, only to step out into more chaos. In India, cows just like, lie in the middle of the street (more so in rural areas I guess, but also in the city). People just swerve to avoid them, because after all, they believe a god lives inside of them. The train stations have chickens, dogs, goats, you name it. And everyone crowds around you hoping to sell you something. Thankfully, my travelmates met some nice locals on the train, and one of them guided us through the throngs to a legit taxi.

I like Kolkata better than New Delhi. New Delhi just gives me a bad vibe. Kolkata is full of color and chaos. I have never seen so many people in my entire life. I also almost die every time I cross the street -- the traffic here takes no prisoners. When we first arrived here and checked into our hotel, we headed straight for a Pizza Hut. There was no messing around. Pizza Hut was a pretty normal experience, it was exciting.

What wasn't a normal experience was our dinner. We ate at a South India restaurant, that had really good food (Dosas=yum). The strange thing was, however, that our waiter was barefoot. Like, he just didn't want to put on shoes that day. It was a relatively nice restaurant. Things got even stranger when he cleared out table. He grabbed an empty water bottle, as waiters usually do when you're done. Instead of taking it to the kitchen though, like normal, he just put it in a plant pot next to our table. What? A plant pot? Just another normal day in Kolkata.. Everything here definitely keeps you on your toes.