What a dump
The night train was great- no dead people, no one staring and we took a packed dinner of cuzza, dal and chapati and scoffed it on our bed!!!So when we pull into Calcutta, Kolkotta, Kolkata,Kalkotta, (whatever...the locals don't even know what they're going to wake up to call the city each day) we're full of the joys of life, the station doesn't seem too bad, an average number of beggars missing an average number of limbs, the taxi wallahs seem average in their abuse and the street kids amazingly not quite as annoying as we've so far seen!!! Not bad we think.
We want to stay in an area off the main traveller zone called Chowringee so we jump into a cab and head out. The city looks pretty nice, lots of gardens etc but when we get to our area theres only one way to describe it- what a shit hole!!! We look through the LP and select a few guest houses, recommended places to stay may i add.....well i don't know who they are recommended for but my guess would be sewer rats, cockroaches or fleas cause these places are disgusting, you wouldn't want your worst enemy in them and I tell you we spent hours going through them, every one mentioned in chowringee area and Sudder street and they were all holes!!! Advice for anyine travelling to Calcutta with the Lonely Planet - tear these two pages out and chuck them, they're worthless!! We finally found a place in BBD Bagh area which is great- The Broadway HOtel, huge rooms, lovely bathroom and it's clean. The staff are so helpful it's great, stay here. Now we're off out to explore before getting out of the city and heading down south to the beach, after Calcutta neither of us want to see anymore cities.
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You can eat in the restaurant or have room srevice and it's really tasty. The hotel is 24 hours so you can stay later than in most other guest houses- ideal for the night train.
