Fintan and a Local in Sudder StreetWe never really intended on visiting Calcutta during CRAZYJOURNEY but this was the main port on the East coast of India and the Hummer’s shipping destination from Bangkok. After seeing the inefficiencies of Calcutta’s streets and how difficult it is to do anything, we expected a long and arduous process to release the Hummer and hit the road again. This began on the Monday morning with a trip to the local shipping agent who informed us that the ship would be delayed for at least 2 days, an omen of what lay ahead!
While waiting for the Hummer's arrival we got our bearings in this manic city and rapidly realised that there wasn't actually that much to do. The former imperialist HQ of Calcutta, Victoria Memorial, was the sole highlight in this city which is incredibly run-down and polluted. To escape this urban jungle, Dave, Paul and Jamie decided on a round of golf at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club which is the oldest golf club outside the UK and the second oldest in the world.
Rhys at the Victoria Memorial, Calcutta
All scared of the notorious Delhi belly, we were quite cautious eating in Calcutta and resorted to the Lonely Planet's recommendations for food. We became morning regulars at Flurry's Cafe, the only western type cafe we could find in the city. However, the zoo that was Calcutta's Sudder Street area began to really get to us with people constantly trying to scam you or sell you things even after you refuse on every corner.
After bad news from the shipping agent about further delays, the lads decided that enough was enough with Calcutta and booked the next flight to Delhi, while Dave and Fintan stayed behind to sort out the inevitable mess thrown at us by Indian bureaucracy of clearing a foreign vehicle from customs in Calcutta Port.
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