A short summary where I was and where I am at the moment…
Started in Delhi and went to the top of North-India - Kashmir. Then Jammu, Amritsar, Chamba and Daramsala. Then one day Delhi. After that Varanasi and Kolkata. Now I am staying in Darjeeling.
Next stop is Kathmandu, then Delhi - Agra - Delhi - Vienna.
Currently I am having about 4.500 km behind me.
After three days in Kolkata I am leaving this evening at 7 PM with the nightsleeper-bus to Shiliguri in the north of West-Bengal. From there I am going to Darjeeling and staying one or two nights.
I visited a lot in Kolkata: City, BBD, Mother Theresa, Chinatown, New Market…
Yesterday evening I was watching a Bollywood-Movie at the New Market. It was quite funny and after that I had some French Fries at KFC. Bad, bad, bad decision, as I was on the toilet the whole morning and then decided to take antibiotics as its really bad…
Looking forward for a good bus this night!!!
Yesterday evening I had a dinner at the Mocambo-Restaurant. I think, it was one of the better restaurants due to the prizes and the audience. I had a Kingfisher-Beer (640 ml), Chicken Oriental and a Brownie with Vanilla Ice. Everything was OK and very good. I payed 450 Rs (these are 8 EUR - most expensive dinner here in India ever, it is up to the prize of a room/night).
It was very interested, that the guests in this restaurant - although they are all from India - spoke only english. Very strange and quite a broken english. I verified this, as I talked with the man next to me. He is a doctor, living in Kolkata…
OK… This day I visited the BBD Bagh Part of the city - “Dalhousie Square“. Went there by taxi and walked around… Very interesting, very british. Many british buildings - you could mean, you are somewhere in the UK.
The gap is very high… The differences… between poor and rich. Best restaurants, top mobile-phones and computers and during watching new cars on the street you have to take care, that you do not hurt people crawling or sleeping on the pavement, street or floor.
Children and woman are begging. “Giving money to beggars is a crime”, I am often hearing from locals.
The hotel, I am staying… Sunflower Guest House… The building is very old and there is an elevator in it. Very very old one and operated manually day and night by a person. Does not look very secure… :)
@Albert: You are right… They are selling teaching books on the street… All kinds… TOEFL-test, German, all computer languages…
Some guys are asking me - what are your plans in India and where do you want to go there.
My plans in India are exploring the country and getting in contact with another culture.
I am planning three different routes. I do not have a lot of time - there are 3 weeks left. It’s OK and I know, that even within three weeks it is possible to see and visit a lot. I have got some plans and possibilities, but will decide on the fly, where to go and what’s the best.
What I am planning is to start in New Delhi. Go to Agra and Jaipur. I will go there by bus and train. The weather in India is very hot at the moment and it is short before the raining-season (is starting in June).
Route 1: If it is not too hot, public transport is OK and it is possible to travel “fast”, I will choose Route 1 and go further into the south: Ahmedabad, Bombay, Goa.
Route 2: If public transport is OK and the weather is too hot, I will check the East: Kolkata or Darjeeling with a wonderful view to the Himalaya.
Route 3 I am going to choose, if I decide to focus on nature and the north and if I notice, that a big tour is getting too exhausted.
Lets see…
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