Kolkata, which was once Calcutta, is India's former capital. It is where the flag of India was first raised by Mahatma Gandhi in 1947. Whilst you don't come to India for its cities, Kolkata is vastly more attractive than Delhi as it's noticeably greener, lusher, less polluted, and more colourful. Six years ago I met a guy named Prawin in the Maldives; it was his first overseas journey and it inspired him to become a travel videographer. He got married recently, and we caught up at his home last night for dinner. Last night I stayed at a backpacker hostel in a colourful section of Kolkata, but it was noisy and some of the locals like to smoke inside. Hostels can be rather hit and miss regarding noise; most of them are quiet and the guests are respectful if you ask them to quiet down but in some of them it can be difficult to have a peaceful snooze. In Adelaide a few months ago I stayed at a hostel and everyone was out on the balcony talking loudly and playing music, and the staff did nothing when I said something. Another time, in Oregon, these two guys just kept entering and leaving the room whilst I was sleeping. The next morning they said that his friend dropped his phone in water and they were trying to dry it out...and it had to come at the expense of keeping everyone else awake. I spoke with management about the noise and smoking this morning and they said they'd do something about it. They did make a really good breakfast and allowed me to store my bag whilst I explored Kolkata. Instead of taking the metro, I took an Uber all the way to the Victoria Memorial.
Queen Victoria was the Empress of India from 1876 to 1901, and the monument is the largest to any monarch anywhere in the world. Since I had nearly run out of Indian rupees I settled for a much cheaper ticket to walk around the grounds rather than go inside. It is surely impressive and well-detailed. I was then surprised there is a planetarium here in Kolkata. In Year 7 (7th grade) I had an instructor named Roger Keen. He was a teacher, lawyer, and astronomer who held the keys to Griffith Observatory. A true Renaissance Man, Mr. Keen passed away several years ago but he would have found it interesting that I visited a planetarium in India. Since I'm leaving for Europe in a few days I made sure to buy anything I needed in India where its cheap: charging cords, clothes, etc. Prawin and I would meet one final time this evening whilst he flew his drone from his rooftop.
I wondered if I would have difficulties bringing Juliett (my drone) into India but Prawin was flying his without any drama. From Prawin's home I took an Uber to Kolkata International Airport for my final moments in India.
My first trip to India has drawn to a close. For a few days during this journey I just wanted to get the hell out as fast as possible! However, this will not be my only trip to India. This is a deeply fascinating country that will touch you in a way like no other, regardless of how many countries you've been to. India is a place to travel for several months, not two weeks. Getting stuck in Delhi and finding out that I have to wait regarding my dental treatment cost me precious days. With the train arriving several hours late from Amritsar, it ended up costing me time that I could have spent exploring Ladakh or Varanasi. All at once, India is loud, polluted, colourful, grimy, smelly, enchanting, fascinating, and captivating. It is surely an overload on all five senses but I will happily pay the price again to see the Taj, ride the rails, drink masala tea, and explore again this amazing country!
