Leaving Kolkata

So with my ticket in my hot hand to Berhampore which is a town near Murshidad. I set off to catch the 9pm train. Unfortuantely, I didn't check the ferry times and missed the last ferry across the Hooghley. Time 8pm. No problem I thought I'll just catch a taxi to the Howrah train station. Big problem: massive gridlock like i've never seen. Buses, motorcyles, taxis, trucks, pedestrians, cyclists all in one big noisey, smokey heaving mass of metal. Eeeck! I managed to communicate in broken hindi and sign lanuage that i had a train to catch at 9. To his credit the driver got me to the station at 8:57. But Howrah is no ordinary station. There is over 20 platforms between a new building and a old building which both look old and worn out to me. Well, no surpriseI missed my train but hey managed to negotiate the infamous indian ticket counter queues and get a refund! Great system - u can stuff up and miss your train and they give u a refund. One of the many highs of india.

I rebooked my ticket for the next morning and stayed in this hotel that could have passed for the Adams family's place just near the train station. Quite an experience (sleepless).

Ok so all is good and i'm on the train the next morning enjoying the passing scenery of indian rural village life - rice paddies, cows ploughing the fields, mud brick houses. Then after talking to a friendly local I realise im on the train to Berhampur not Berhampore! Berhampur is 600ks south east of Kolkata and i want to be heading north! For a minute i panicked then realised i can get out in a couple of stops and go to bishnpur which is a chilled little town with these amazing 16th centruary terra-cotta temples. So plan B then.

In Hindsight, I was so glad that i missed my original overnight train as i would have woken up 600ks in the wrong direction! Lesson learnt. Kinda funny though..