Holiday in India & Bhutan (4): journey to Shiliguri
There is an early start and then there is an EARLY start. On Saturday, my plan was an alarm at 3 am, bags out at 3.45 am, gather in hotel reception at 4 am, and bus to leave for the railway station at 4.15 am. That was the plan. The phone in my hotel room rang at 4 am. I had forgotten to set my alarm! So, no shaving, no showering, no coffee (!). In 15 minutes flat, I was dressed, packed and down in reception, feeling both confused and embarrassed.
We arrived at Howrah Junction in good time to face a fascinating scenario: a huge railway station with thousands of people, literally hundreds asleep on the floors, baggage of every size and description, and announcements of all sorts barring forth.
Compared to my last experience of an intercity train in India (2003), this was a revelation: on the Vande Bharat Express, we were in an air-conditioned carriage with Executive Class seats, Indian and Western style toilets, food and drink (although our guide advised us to stick to the hotel-provided breakfast pack), and even WiFi (if you had an Indian mobile to receive a passcode).
We left Kolkata promptly at 5.55 am, travelled north, and reached New Jalpaiguri (NJP) at 1.35 pm (just 10 minutes late in a journey of seven and a half hours). The views were scenic but repetitive: mostly one green field after another after another, originally rice and then tea. As the journey progressed, we left behind grey sky and the sun came out in a blue and clouded sky.
NJP was like a scene from a Bollywood movie: an undulating sea of colourfully-dressed people jostling for position. Coolies took our suitcases out to the car park, two on each head. We were followed by little children begging, touching us and then their mouths. A set of hired cars took the group members from New Jalpaiguri to the town of Siliguri where we checked into the Lemon Tree Hotel.
We arrived over an hour later than scheduled (3.10 pm) so, after a very early and very basic breakfast, we had a very late, but satisfying, lunch. The rest of the day was free and Jenny and I walked to a local shopping centre where there was a Marks & Spencer and a Starbucks – the reach of global brands.