Back from the sunderbans

Republic day greetings from a rather soggy Kolkata - back where we started and having a rest day before train to BHubaneshwar, Orissa to see the temples.
Came down from Darjeeling by jeep - quicker than toy train but still several hours on horrendous roads, via misty Mirik lake. Renewed our acquaintance with station rice plates (thalis) and sleeper class travel, then successful transfer to sunderban Tiger Camp bus with a couple of Germans and a dozen middle class Indians with loads of camera equipment. Afraid we didn't see one of the 287 man-eating tigers, but chugged round mangroves and saw wild boar, deer and two lovely river dolphins. Also treated to film explaining why Sunderban tigers like human flesh (at least 5 theories) and folk dances and interminable theatre production (an extra), but this is what we came for, I suppose...

M&P

Darjeeling

No pix, I'm afraid, because the cybercafe we're using won't allow them. But we're now in Darjeeling in the rather misty Himalayas - mountain views but only sporadically. We're staying at a very Raj style hotel called the Windamere (sic) , which serves aft ernoon tea, has coal fires and hot water bottles! Very welcome after a night on the sleeper from Kolkata, hours wait for the Toy train which takes you very slowly up to Darjeeling and in practice fell off the track half way up. No great problem though - they just got lifting equipment, put it back on and set off again and we got here eventually.

We spent today looking round Bu ddhist monasteries, which are likely to be in short supply later on our trip and generally feeling nostalgic about Nepal, which this a rea resembles - to the extent that the strongest political party round here (and the noisiest) is the Gurkha Liberation front. However, what really turns the Darjeelingites on is the Voice of India competition (a sort of sub-teenage Indian Pop Idol) in which they're rooting for the local girl, Prakriti Giri " dragon of the hills", who's about 10 years old.

about to go

Almost past the point of no-return and feeling slightly nervous about setting off again after 30+ years to 'do' the bits of India we missed last time. Visas and jabs acquired and flights arranged We have used an agent for the first bit - going to the Sunderban Tiger Reserve - the Rough Guide described a really complicated route involving several trains and ferries as well as permit requirements and other bureaucratic complications, which we weren't sure we were up to on arrival. Potential problem of groups (we are travelling round in a 'shared boat') being too noisy and frightening off the wild-life but we'll see how we get on and maybe try and get to the southern Indian reserves more independently. We've also booked the toytrain up to Darjeeling and a hotel described in the Rough Guide as living on its past glories - but hopefully with views of the Himalayas - we'll let you know.

So off at crack of dawn on Wednesday from London City airport via Frankfurt to Kolkata. Will try and do justice to this blog that Craig's set up for us.

Penny and Malcolm