Well the journey was fairly painful. I met up with my passport & visa fine[1], but the gate should have opened at 2100, and was late, due to late arriving plane. We finally started boarding at 2230 - the original departure time. The lights were only on intermittently and at 2315 they said that we couldn't leave because the mechanical problem wasn't fixed yet and we were now into the Heathrow no-fly time, the airport was closed. The plane was err... marginally hotter than Kolkata is now - well into the 30s.
After another half hour or so ( I suspect while they rounded up security), we were allowed back into the departure lounge but no further. The lounge had vending machines with coke and water, but pretty expensive - and no toilets. The younger male passengers all got a bit wound up and started a mini-riot at the entrance. Eventually peace reigned and we were allowed out in small groups for the loo. The original hotel plan wasn't possible because Heathrow hotels do'nt have spare capacity for a whole jumboload at short notice.
Eventually they got special dispensation for us to fly during the night, and we left at 0200 - just half an hour before we would have had to give up and get a new crew. So we finally landed around 4pm local time. It took an hour or so to get luggage, another hour or so into town ...
Thanks for the free lift, Sharon!
The first hotel I asked at (the Park) cost 12000 rupees / night - I initially translated as 200 quid, its actually nearer 160, but still more than I've ever paid in the UK, never mind in India. The next - recommended by the Park reception - was the Kenilworth, which was full. They pointed me at the Astor
http://www.astorkolkata.com/Frontend/index.asp
It's not as shiny as it looks ! However, it's fine and clean and mosquito free. I think they must have had a major DEET blitz in the city because I've seen hardly any insect life, even the (only) refuse pile I've seen (and it was being shovelled into a truck) didn't have any flies swarming.
It's warm and humid - uncomfortable but not unbearable, should be fine once I've acclimatised a bit. Am jetlagged... any incoherencies are entirely mine.
Have not yet dared expose my camera, so no pics. But I did serendipitously walk past the British High Commission in Kolkata - it's near the hotel - and register.
[1] The visa organisation was a faff and after the agency sat on it for what felt like 6 weeks (in spite of chasers from me) they ended up having to courier it to Heathrow at my expense. Next time I think I'd visit the embassy myself.
11 Oct 2007
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