20th June:

Arrived in Kolkata! 

It was a great journey.  28 hours but not boring; sleeping, talking, reading, killer-sudokuing, occasionally eating!  Very smooth and quiet train.  3AC is air-conditioned, 3 tier x 2 plus 2 more berths across the corridor.  There was plenty of room and our luggage fitted under the seats.

Strangely, our main fellow passengers were an Airforce accountant accompanying his sister in law and her little boy back to their home town.
The first time I was in India many moons ago, I travelled with my first child, then about 15 or 16 months old and first husband, from Bangaluru to Agra via Chennai, (then Madras) and we sat protected by an army officer and his wife and baby, from being overcrowded by many who wandered through the carriage.  This Airforce person laughed about that since he would be about the age of that baby grown up.  Just a coincidence. 

The loos were squat type but clean and running water the whole way.  Generally our area of the train was very clean and every couple of hours someone came through sweeping for rubbish and another following with a wet mop.

When we got to Kolkaata there had been a very heavy downpour, (with mighty thunder), which cooled the place thankfully.  It seems it was the first rain of the monsoon season a great time to travel!!

We were a bit confused about taxis and ubers.  My phone wouldn't let me download the app because  daughter in law gave it to me and the phone is still registered with apple with her as owner.  So we lined up in the taxi queue and eventually paid and got a ticket with a car rego on it.  The taxi promptly pulled up and in we got.  Well!!!!!!!

The first part of the ride was without any road markings and it was "he who moves quickest and blows the horn loudest" who made the most headway.  Seemed to be one of the poorer area of this city of 20,000,000.  Went through some markets and past a park and finally made it to Park Street, which was not in fact where our accommodation was.  We went into the Park Hotel and there, there was a very switched on receptionist, (a couple in fact) who managed to get through to our . host and she then directed us to the homestay apartment.  It was quite close and it is quite lovely.  There are 2 guest rooms both with ensuite and everything you could possibly need.  We get breakfast either in our room or at the host's table.  A lovely Indian family in a very central place.  Park Street is the main street of the city.

So we wandered round for a while, getting our phones checked by a voda phone person so that now we have 2 functioning phones, and generally orientating ourselves.

Had a great night's sleep on very firm mattress, just had the fan on and slept the whole night.

Some photos before catching the train, the Corimandal Express and after getting off. love to all. xoxo

 3AC Carriage. 
The 2AC carriage has 4 bunks to the right, whereas we had 6 bunks.  There is a most expensive carriage with just 2 bunks and none on the left and it has doors, lockable!  There is also the sleeper class which is not Air conditioned (AC) and has windows that open (with bars on them)-much cheaper.

 One of the huge rivers we crossed.  Not sure if this was the Krishna river or the one after.

 Our charming friend Raj, who shared his his device with me, chattering away in Hindi about each "movie" which were all in Indian accented English.

 Arrival at Kolkata.

 People settle in for the ight or whatever to wait for their trains.

When we arrived at Central station , Chenai , there was an area which was named for the "Differently Abled, which we thought was more appropriate than Disabled.  Craig has the pic.