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Could there be a city with a worse reputation than Calcutta? Just tell people you are going there and watch their faces. First, there's the business about the Black Hole.
India 2002 - Part One: Calcutta
Dougburnett2003-11-24 11:45:36
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and whined to himself, "Why didn't they tell me about this?" He then turned to me and said, "I'm sorry, but we will have to stop at the office and try to sort this out."
For the first 10 or 15 minutes the road from the airport was fairly calm and orderly, but soon we were mired in impossibly chaotic traffic, surrounded my honking cars and buses, dodging slow-moving rickshaws and cows. We drove on for another 15 minutes through this thick morass and then the driver finally pulled over.
We got out onto a crowded, dark street and walked a few blocks to the SITA office. It was located on the second floor of a dingy, mildewed building. We entered through the side entrance and rode a rickety elevator up one floor. Only a few lights were on in the large office making it seem gloomy.
Despite the office being closed, we found several men sitting around. My little companion immediately started shouting at them. Not the commanding, "I have something for you to do" type of shout, but more "Oh poor me, I have a problem" kind. The men largely ignored him as he paced back and forth.
He also repeatedly suggested that I sit down and relax. In fact, he was the one that needed to chill out. I was actually enjoying the little drama and was amusing myself by nosing around the office checking out their computers and office equipment.
In the end - after much pacing and shouting - a fax was sent to Delhi and my credit card was accepted. Then we walked back downstairs to the waiting car and took a short ride to my hotel.
I was staying at the Fairlawn, which is on Sudder Street, near the center of the city. The Lonely Planet Guide calls this "the center of budget accommodations", but really there are as many upscale hotels as there are budget places. My hotel was located in a quiet courtyard just off the street. Inside there was a small garden bar
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See photographs from:
India Gallery
