Ideally, I wanted to spend Christmas and New Year in one place and to give me enough time in Bangladesh I need to cut out the journey between Varanasi and Kolkata. I had booked a ticket with the help of Vibhuti. However, the ticket was not confirmed. Something we do not have an issue with within Europe. You buy a ticket and you have a space on the train. I also had the issue of booking the bike on the train—something which cannot be done until a few hours before. Combined with the fact I might not have a confirmed ticket until then either, I had started to worry!
I then found out about the requirement to ‘pack’ the bike. This means you cover the seat and handlebar with some fabric! Personally, this is not packing a bike! They also wanted to place my bike on a train leaving before I left, which I did not want to do until I had a confirmed ticket. My bike might end up in Kolkata with me in Varanasi! After going through all the paperwork and discussion my ticket did not get confirmed.
My stress levels were rising again, plus I had not done any exercise for a couple of weeks in Varanasi. I said ‘fuck it’ and set off cycling. It was dark at 17:00 and I didn’t stop until 23:00. I only covered about 60km but my stress level had dropped and I camped behind a warehouse and out of view of the main road.
Indian buses, never again
The next day, after calming down and I could now think clearly, I opted for a bus and the nearest station was 50km away. A quick cycle and a chance to read for a while, the bus was not until 17:00 and would go through the night arriving at 07:30. In the end it was a horrible journey and it would take me over a day to recover from it.
The bus did not arrive at the location stated. Luckily, I was in discussion with the attendant on the bus and we were able to work out where to meet. It was running about 3.5 hours late and was then further delayed by another 5 hours; we had to change buses at 05:00 and eventually arrived at 15:30. On top of this we didn’t stop anywhere to get a proper meal. After 19.5 hours on the bus, very tired and in need of a filling meal I wanted to collapse. Putting the bike together and riding off towards my accommodation I found a KFC and devoured everything I could.
After two weeks in a dorm with others, I had opted for a couple of nights in a room with only me! It was needed to recover. I then moved into a dorm.
Kolkata
Re-energised, I had a little wander around Kolkata. The first thing I noticed was Kolkata has a road system which actually works and people obey. The city is more developed and more relaxed than other Indian cities I have visited. I also noticed they had a bar which brews its own beer. I had to investigate. The beer was good but the prices were the same as back home in Leeds, ~£6 for 500ml. Possibly more expensive!
My eyes were now on stalks after the surprising cost, I opted for the cheaper food options by the side of the roads. Almost all deep-fried but tasty and cheap. I didn’t explore Kolkata as much as I would usually but used the time to catch up on the admin and blog. This leaves me in a better position when exploring Bangladesh, which would be the next adventure.
Whilst in Kolkata I also got to meet Vibhuti again, we grabbed a dinner with some local Bengali food and a drink in the bars here. I don’t think they approved of me walking into the bar with shorts and cycling shoes on! Not something I have had to think about since leaving Europe.
On the road to Bangladesh
It was only 80km to Bangladesh and in theory, I should have arrived around 12:00, in reality, the road was busy and difficult and I arrived at 13:30. At least it was asphalt, but the buses and coaches made your life very difficult. They don’t slow down and will pass within centimetres of you. I was almost knocked off when I was overtaking another cycle.
Once at the border, I had to pass through Indian immigration, which for once was very efficient and I only had to have my passport scanned once! But they needed convincing that I could get a visa on arrival for Bangladesh. Then came Bangladesh immigration. Initially, he only wanted to give me 15 days and that would make my schedule very tight and I would have to give something up. However, he relented and I got the full 30 days for 51 USD. Plus, I had to promise not to cycle. He was worried that the roads were too small!
By when all this was over it was getting late at 16:00 and I still had to sort out a mobile contract. I opted to stay at the border in a cheap hotel and start the Bangladesh adventure the next day.
The blogs for that adventure would have to wait until after New Year’s. I am going to take a break from the blog for Christmas and New Year. See you in the New Year.