Kolkata

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  Kolkata (Calcutta), India
Sunday, March 2, 2008

Before leaving Kolkata today I have all day to kill so I went sight seeing. First up I went to the produce market cos as you know Im right into produce. It was pretty much what you see all over the place with the usual foul smells. The 'beef' and 'mutton' market next door was heaps more interesting. They were hacking into the carcasses of buffalo and goats with axes and cutting them into various pieces. Some guys had the great job of washing out the guts and various organs cos they dont waste any of it.
After I left there I came across Manooch, my new mate, and his dad fishing. The place where they were fishing looked like a sewer and there were people doing their washing and bathing just up a bit but Manooch was catching some quite big fish.
I had lunch at KFC. Yes Indian KFC. The one in Kolkata is staffed by all deaf people. I remember reading about it a while ago, it is a world first and they might try it in other Indian cities. When you walk in they all wave at you They slap a menu on the counter and you point. They point to tell you what you get and then point to the register for the price

fish market

. They all seem to love it and were practicing there high fives.
Im never shaving again. I went out onto the street today and got a shave. The first shave I have had in a week and it only cost me 10Rp  ($1 = 36Rp). I cant even buy a blade for that price at home.
I ran into one of the Polish girls, Edith, so we walked for a while. She was going to Queen Victoria Museum and we also went to St Pauls church. As we walked I ran into a couple of kids I had been talking to, including Manooch, and they all said HI. Edith thought it a bit of a spin out that I knew the locals. Just happened to be the few I had recently met.
The touts wouldnt play with me anymore so I decided to go to the train station early. I was about 5 hr early, which is a bit too early but it was Ok watching all the goings on. You can learn a lot at a railway station. One thing I learnt very quickly was if you want to go somewhere you have to push. Dont wory if they are old ladys or anything just shove your way through.The train was a usual sleeper where you cant sleep cos everything is too loud and someone is walking along the corridor every 5 min selling "coffee chai coffee chai".
At Varanassi the guy in the tourist center said an auto rickshaw would cost me 65Rp to my hotel, or close cos they cant go near the ghats cos the lanes are too narrow. So the first auto driver says 80Rp I say 65 and we agree. When we get to auto he gives me the old old line "your hotel is full I will take you to a better one" I said "no my hotel or nothing" This went back and forth a few times then I got out and go another auto and said 50Rp

fish

. he agreed so I saved 15Rp. When I got to my hotel it was full, so were the next 4 I tried. It seems Varanassi is full cos there is some festival happening in a few days. I eventually found the most expensive room in Varanassi, at 1000Rp per night, but it is a bit of luxury. A hot shower and a soft bed. Bloody luxury. They are going to give me a cheaper room tomorrow, if they can find one suitable. I dont want much, bathroom, window and closer to ground floor. I m at Shanti Guest house.


Ashlea, Aprille & Llew You all have my itinery and I am early cos of the trouble in Darjeeling and missed Kalimpong. I will stick to that itinery, dates will be different, and keep going cos I might be able to make it up to the Pakistan border when I go to Rishikesh. I have taken on the Maoists in Nepal, the Gorkha's in Darjeeling I may as well have a go at the Taliban in Pakistan. Hahaha.

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butcher	Eagles in main street	Manooch fishing	Queen Vic
St Pauls	St Pauls	St Pauls

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