Home » India » India 2002 - Part One: Calcutta

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

Dougburnett
2003-11-24 11:45:36

Displayed times (last time: )

I’m sure my words were lost on the attendant, but not my tone. I was quickly given another slip - my third. This time I had a winner. I found my car, got in and we were off. I still don't understand what all the shuffling was about, but I quickly forgot it as I was dropped at my hotel.

The Sishmo was a large modern place I had chosen mostly for its location: it was located between the market area and the old city - two places I wanted to visit. After filling out the usual set of forms I was escorted to my room by two people: the bellboy carried my bag and the desk clerk had my key. After showing me the room's amenities - how to control the a/c and TV - they refused a tip. I was actually surprised.

My experience is that everybody in India who helps you - the bellboy who brings a towel, the guy who returns your laundry, the man who holds the door, even the guard - simply everybody expects at least 10 Rupees. It's not much money, only about $0.20 US, but during my first trip it drove me crazy, all these extended hands. This time I relaxed and just made sure I had a shirt pocket full of 10 Rupee notes. I made a lot of people happy and found it was easier on me too.

After washing my face I head out to see the market. As I left the hotel I was surrounded by taxi drivers all wanting to know where I was headed and what my plans were for tomorrow. This happened every time I left the hotel. They were all very polite but also quite persistent. It looked like there were more taxi drivers than tourists at the hotel - the hotel seemed to be full of businessmen. In fact, I never saw another western tourist anywhere in Bhubaneswar. If you like to get away from the tourist crowd, Bhubaneswar is the place for you.

Anyway, I walked passed the taxi drivers: I wanted to stretch my legs and wasn't ready to commit tomorrow yet. The street I walked down was typical of India. It was full of honking trucks, buses and cars and crowded with tinkling bicycle rickshaws. A steady stream of people carrying, pushing or pulling something shared the shoulder with wandering cows. Rickshaw drivers smiled at me as they patted the seats inviting me to ride. Vendors stared, smiled or waved as I walked passed.

The first market I came upon was just west of my hotel. It was a ramshackle collection of stalls selling every thing from live chickens to fresh produce; from dry goods to aluminum cooking pots - all the necessities of India life. It was a very interesting place to walk around.

Farther down and across the busy street there was another area called "Market Building." The name would imply a single building, but in fact, there were many one and two story shops lining a wide, paved street with cars and rickshaws parked in the middle. It reminded me of some main street in an old time midwestern US town - except, of course, for all the wandering cows.

These shops sold much of the same merchandise as the market across the street, there was also several state-run tourist shops with souvenirs. You could also get your film developed, talk to a pharmacist or buy a wedding dress in the Market Building.

After several hours I took a bicycle rickshaw back to the hotel, got a cold beer and sat by the vacant swimming pool. I recapped the day in my journal and then went to bed.

Copyright Doug Burnett

All rights reserved.

http://www.traveldoug.com