Well before dawn on the 9th, about 2:30 in the morning, I was awakened in my hotel room in Guwahati by heavy rain, thunder, and lightning. More rain fell after I woke up for good after dawn and it was still sprinkling as I walked to the train station. My 9:45 train, coming from the east, was delayed until 11. More rain fell while I waited, but no rain fell during the train trip.
The train crossed the Brahmaputra on the bridge west of Guwahati that I had seen from the hilltop above the Kamakhya temple the afternoon before. The train continued a short distance to the north before turning west through the green countryside under a cloudy sky, though there was some sun in the afternoon. Much of the countryside was flooded. There seemed to be water everywhere. The monsoon, which starts in late May or early June, hits the south of India and the northeast of India before other regions. The temperature was only in the 80's, but the air was very humid. The fast train made few stops and reached New Cooch Behar station about 4.
I took a 15 minute tempo ride into Cooch Behar and was deposited near the huge palace, behind an impressive gate and fences enclosing not only the palace but also wide lawns and ponds, in the center of town. I found a hotel and looked around town. I walked back to the palace and watched the sun set behind it. I walked to a government building with a statue of a former maharaja in front. Across the street a bunch of kids, most wearing yellow swim caps, were being taught to swim in a tank. Nearby a man was making a bombastic speech over a loudspeaker to a small crowd. Incredible honking of horns resounded through the city streets, seemingly even more than usual in India.
During the night I was awakened about 1 by heavy rain, thunder, and lightning. The lightning was very close. I got up about 7 and soon after it rained heavily again, a long downpour with more thunder and lightning. Quite an impressive performance. I watched the third game of the NBA finals in my hotel room. The rain finally stopped, though the sky remained very cloudy and the air very humid.
About 10:30, after breakfast, I walked to the palace. I first wandered through the extensive grounds, with big, wet lawns, ponds, and lots of flowers. The two story, red and white, Italianate palace is certainly impressive. The Maharaja of Cooch Behar, whose princely state was located just north of what is now the northwestern part of Bangladesh, completed this domed palace in 1887. After a 1897 earthquake the ruined third floor was removed. The palace is huge, about 400 feet long along the front by about 300 feet wide along the sides. I walked all the way around it and then entered it just as it started to rain again. Soon, it was raining fairly hard, but eventually it stopped. The sky stayed very cloudy.
The palace is now a museum, with interesting exhibits on the people of north Bengal. (Cooch Behar is just west of the Assam-West Bengal state border.) Other rooms have portraits of maharajas and maharanis, paintings, and maps. The billiard room is full of old furnishings. The durbar room, under the dome, has the Cooch Behar state seal on the floor in pietra dura. On the walls are interesting photos, including photos of tiger and rhino hunts. I spent about three hours wandering around the palace and grounds.
From the palace I walked back to my hotel to get my backpack and then took a tempo to the train station. My train arrived about 2:30, but then waited an hour before getting going again. The carriages were crowded, and I didn't have a reserved seat, but some friendly guys let me wedge in on their seat, six of us on one bench. When the train finally got going again at 3:30, it headed west under a cloudy sky through very green countryside, with tea gardens to be seen. Again, there was lots of flooding. The rivers we passed were all very full, including the wide Teesta, which flows down from Sikkim, just to the north, to join the Brahmaputra in Bangladesh (though the Indians use most of the water before it reaches Bangladesh, at least in the dry season). Along the route I saw rice being grown, some green, some already yellow. At 6 the train reached my destination, New Jalpaiguri, and I took a rickshaw to a nearby hotel.
The next morning at 8 I left on a train for Calcutta, 350 miles south. I had traveled this train route only two years before, after spending time in Darjeeling and Sikkim, but at night. This time I had a window seat in a chair car on the Kanchanjunga Express, named after the mountain, the world's third highest, on the Sikkim-Nepal border. The train, starting in Guwahati, left New Jalpaiguri only ten minutes late, with a light rain falling. The rain soon stopped, but the sky was cloudy all day.
We passed tea estates at first and then somewhat monotonous flat agricultural land, very wet country, with lots of ponds and puddles. It took the train almost four minutes to cross the swollen Ganges over the Farraka Barrage, with water rushing in torrents through most of the gates of the barrage. The countryside was much drier south of the Ganges, with no puddles and a few ponds. The monsoon was already in full force in north West Bengal, but not in the south. Nearing Calcutta the countryside was wet again. No rain fell, though there was much lightning to the south in a leaden sky. I saw about 20 streaks of lightning from the train, an impressive display.
The sky was dark by 6:30 and soon after the train crossed the Hooghly over a long bridge. The train had been on time, but once in Calcutta it moved very slowly. For a whole half hour it didn't move at all. Rain began to fall. The train slowly crept to the station, finally arriving at 8:30, an hour late. I was in a carriage at the back of the train, about 25 carriages from the locomotive, and had a long walk to the huge main hall of the station and the exit. A massive crowd filled the station. A light rain fell. I read in the newspaper the next day that the rain had begun falling in Calcutta that day about 5, breaking a long heat spell.
I couldn't get an auto rickshaw at the station. Rain was still falling and there was massive confusion as train passengers tried to get transport from the station. I read the next day in the newspaper that there had been a one day taxi strike, making all transport hard to find. I tried finding the right bus to take me near the hotel where I usually stay in Calcutta, but gave up and started walking. The rain stopped, but water continued to drip on Calcutta's often precarious sidewalks. I reached the hotel at 9:45, but it was full, as I expected. I tried several more and all were full. Finally, I found a hotel with a room, but for 2500 rupees, almost $40. At least it was air conditioned. I checked in about 10:15 and went to a good restaurant where I usually eat in Calcutta for a late dinner. I got to bed shortly before midnight.
Despite the expensive hotel, the television in my room didn't carry the Warriors' game the next morning. I spent the morning in my air conditioned room, except for a short foray for breakfast, and then moved to the friendly hotel where I usually stay, where the rooms are 600 rupees, less than $10, a night. The day was sunny, hot, and humid, but cooler than the weather Calcutta had had for several days during the heat wave broken by the storm.
I read the newspapers in my hotel and then walked to the air conditioned Oxford Bookstore, an excellent bookstore. Afterwards I walked around the area, passing the grand old Indian Museum and many dilapidated old colonial buildings. I got a haircut. It seemed a little strange seeing so many foreign tourists, after having seen so few in the northeast. The night was hot, my hotel room cooled by a fan.
The next morning was sunny at first. I read the newspapers and had breakfast and decided to take a walk downtown. I always enjoy walking through downtown Calcutta, with its busy streets and sidewalks and a multitude of glorious colonial buildings, most now in a state of disrepair. I started walking about 11 under a cloudy sky. Rain soon began to fall, but only for about 20 minutes. Thereafter, it was cloudy and humid. I made my way to the center and stopped in at St. Andrew's Church. I walked past the Writers Building and the Post Office.
The sky darkened as I got to St. John's Church about 2. A heavy downpour, with thunder, lasted for about 15 minutes, with light rain thereafter. I sat under the overhang at the entrance to the church and enjoyed the cool air during the storm. When the heavy rain stopped I wandered around the big church and its grounds and then started back to my hotel under an umbrella, getting there about 4:30. I walked in the rain to the Oxford Bookstore and bought about $40 worth of books on India. The rain continued until about nightfall. The high temperature that day was about 95 degrees, but highs had been about 104 degrees before the rain broke the heat spell. My hotel room felt much cooler that night.
The train crossed the Brahmaputra on the bridge west of Guwahati that I had seen from the hilltop above the Kamakhya temple the afternoon before. The train continued a short distance to the north before turning west through the green countryside under a cloudy sky, though there was some sun in the afternoon. Much of the countryside was flooded. There seemed to be water everywhere. The monsoon, which starts in late May or early June, hits the south of India and the northeast of India before other regions. The temperature was only in the 80's, but the air was very humid. The fast train made few stops and reached New Cooch Behar station about 4.
I took a 15 minute tempo ride into Cooch Behar and was deposited near the huge palace, behind an impressive gate and fences enclosing not only the palace but also wide lawns and ponds, in the center of town. I found a hotel and looked around town. I walked back to the palace and watched the sun set behind it. I walked to a government building with a statue of a former maharaja in front. Across the street a bunch of kids, most wearing yellow swim caps, were being taught to swim in a tank. Nearby a man was making a bombastic speech over a loudspeaker to a small crowd. Incredible honking of horns resounded through the city streets, seemingly even more than usual in India.
During the night I was awakened about 1 by heavy rain, thunder, and lightning. The lightning was very close. I got up about 7 and soon after it rained heavily again, a long downpour with more thunder and lightning. Quite an impressive performance. I watched the third game of the NBA finals in my hotel room. The rain finally stopped, though the sky remained very cloudy and the air very humid.
About 10:30, after breakfast, I walked to the palace. I first wandered through the extensive grounds, with big, wet lawns, ponds, and lots of flowers. The two story, red and white, Italianate palace is certainly impressive. The Maharaja of Cooch Behar, whose princely state was located just north of what is now the northwestern part of Bangladesh, completed this domed palace in 1887. After a 1897 earthquake the ruined third floor was removed. The palace is huge, about 400 feet long along the front by about 300 feet wide along the sides. I walked all the way around it and then entered it just as it started to rain again. Soon, it was raining fairly hard, but eventually it stopped. The sky stayed very cloudy.
The palace is now a museum, with interesting exhibits on the people of north Bengal. (Cooch Behar is just west of the Assam-West Bengal state border.) Other rooms have portraits of maharajas and maharanis, paintings, and maps. The billiard room is full of old furnishings. The durbar room, under the dome, has the Cooch Behar state seal on the floor in pietra dura. On the walls are interesting photos, including photos of tiger and rhino hunts. I spent about three hours wandering around the palace and grounds.
From the palace I walked back to my hotel to get my backpack and then took a tempo to the train station. My train arrived about 2:30, but then waited an hour before getting going again. The carriages were crowded, and I didn't have a reserved seat, but some friendly guys let me wedge in on their seat, six of us on one bench. When the train finally got going again at 3:30, it headed west under a cloudy sky through very green countryside, with tea gardens to be seen. Again, there was lots of flooding. The rivers we passed were all very full, including the wide Teesta, which flows down from Sikkim, just to the north, to join the Brahmaputra in Bangladesh (though the Indians use most of the water before it reaches Bangladesh, at least in the dry season). Along the route I saw rice being grown, some green, some already yellow. At 6 the train reached my destination, New Jalpaiguri, and I took a rickshaw to a nearby hotel.
The next morning at 8 I left on a train for Calcutta, 350 miles south. I had traveled this train route only two years before, after spending time in Darjeeling and Sikkim, but at night. This time I had a window seat in a chair car on the Kanchanjunga Express, named after the mountain, the world's third highest, on the Sikkim-Nepal border. The train, starting in Guwahati, left New Jalpaiguri only ten minutes late, with a light rain falling. The rain soon stopped, but the sky was cloudy all day.
We passed tea estates at first and then somewhat monotonous flat agricultural land, very wet country, with lots of ponds and puddles. It took the train almost four minutes to cross the swollen Ganges over the Farraka Barrage, with water rushing in torrents through most of the gates of the barrage. The countryside was much drier south of the Ganges, with no puddles and a few ponds. The monsoon was already in full force in north West Bengal, but not in the south. Nearing Calcutta the countryside was wet again. No rain fell, though there was much lightning to the south in a leaden sky. I saw about 20 streaks of lightning from the train, an impressive display.
The sky was dark by 6:30 and soon after the train crossed the Hooghly over a long bridge. The train had been on time, but once in Calcutta it moved very slowly. For a whole half hour it didn't move at all. Rain began to fall. The train slowly crept to the station, finally arriving at 8:30, an hour late. I was in a carriage at the back of the train, about 25 carriages from the locomotive, and had a long walk to the huge main hall of the station and the exit. A massive crowd filled the station. A light rain fell. I read in the newspaper the next day that the rain had begun falling in Calcutta that day about 5, breaking a long heat spell.
I couldn't get an auto rickshaw at the station. Rain was still falling and there was massive confusion as train passengers tried to get transport from the station. I read the next day in the newspaper that there had been a one day taxi strike, making all transport hard to find. I tried finding the right bus to take me near the hotel where I usually stay in Calcutta, but gave up and started walking. The rain stopped, but water continued to drip on Calcutta's often precarious sidewalks. I reached the hotel at 9:45, but it was full, as I expected. I tried several more and all were full. Finally, I found a hotel with a room, but for 2500 rupees, almost $40. At least it was air conditioned. I checked in about 10:15 and went to a good restaurant where I usually eat in Calcutta for a late dinner. I got to bed shortly before midnight.
Despite the expensive hotel, the television in my room didn't carry the Warriors' game the next morning. I spent the morning in my air conditioned room, except for a short foray for breakfast, and then moved to the friendly hotel where I usually stay, where the rooms are 600 rupees, less than $10, a night. The day was sunny, hot, and humid, but cooler than the weather Calcutta had had for several days during the heat wave broken by the storm.
I read the newspapers in my hotel and then walked to the air conditioned Oxford Bookstore, an excellent bookstore. Afterwards I walked around the area, passing the grand old Indian Museum and many dilapidated old colonial buildings. I got a haircut. It seemed a little strange seeing so many foreign tourists, after having seen so few in the northeast. The night was hot, my hotel room cooled by a fan.
The next morning was sunny at first. I read the newspapers and had breakfast and decided to take a walk downtown. I always enjoy walking through downtown Calcutta, with its busy streets and sidewalks and a multitude of glorious colonial buildings, most now in a state of disrepair. I started walking about 11 under a cloudy sky. Rain soon began to fall, but only for about 20 minutes. Thereafter, it was cloudy and humid. I made my way to the center and stopped in at St. Andrew's Church. I walked past the Writers Building and the Post Office.
The sky darkened as I got to St. John's Church about 2. A heavy downpour, with thunder, lasted for about 15 minutes, with light rain thereafter. I sat under the overhang at the entrance to the church and enjoyed the cool air during the storm. When the heavy rain stopped I wandered around the big church and its grounds and then started back to my hotel under an umbrella, getting there about 4:30. I walked in the rain to the Oxford Bookstore and bought about $40 worth of books on India. The rain continued until about nightfall. The high temperature that day was about 95 degrees, but highs had been about 104 degrees before the rain broke the heat spell. My hotel room felt much cooler that night.
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