Kolkata Chaos: Numbers, Heat, and Maybe Ghosts
okay, so kolkata. where do i even begin? i landed here with just a vague feeling and these two strings of numbers scrawled on a napkin - 1268257 and 1356676559. no idea what they mean, but figured they were some kind of cryptic welcome. and the weather? crazy. i just checked and it's… a thick blanket of humidity, clinging to you like a second skin. there right now, hope you like that kind of thing. the temp is 26.99c, feels like 26.58c, and the humidity’s a solid 34%. honestly, my hair is doing things it shouldn’t be doing.
i'm staying in a little guesthouse in *Park Street. it’s… an experience. think charmingly dilapidated meets surprisingly clean. the neighbors are a mix of everything - families, students, street vendors who offer you suspiciously delicious snacks. if you get bored, Calcutta's backstreets are just a short walk away. i heard that the best street food is found down by Burra Sahib Lane, but someone else warned me to watch my water. standard, right?
my days are a blur of dodging auto-rickshaws, inhaling spices, and trying to decipher the local dialect. i went to Victoria Memorial yesterday - absolutely stunning, but packed like sardines. i’m trying to embrace the chaos, but my brain is constantly short-circuiting. i actually spent an hour just watching a street vendor make phuchka - the tiny, hollow spheres filled with flavored water and potatoes. it was mesmerizing.
i’m trying to photograph everything, but it’s hard to capture the energy of the place. it’s not pretty in a postcard sort of way; it's raw and real. i feel like i should be documenting the unseen, capturing the feeling behind the noise.
someone told me that the old city is full of hidden courtyards and crumbling mansions, each with its own story. i'm planning on exploring Kumartuli, the potters' quarter, tomorrow. allegedly, they create the idols for the Durga Puja festival. i'm really hoping to catch some of the creation process.
reviews i’ve heard? oh boy. someone told me that you absolutely have* to bargain hard for everything, and don’t be afraid to walk away. another suggested avoiding the local trains during peak hours - seemingly a universal piece of advice.
the pressure here is 1015, the humidity is a beast, and the air smells like a million things - incense, exhaust fumes, something sweet and decaying. it’s overwhelming, but strangely… exhilarating. it’s a sensory overload in the best (and sometimes worst) way. and the humidity continues to be a thing. it’s like breathing soup.
i’m trying to find a good place for some late-night coffee - desperately need caffeine. anyone know of a decent cafe near Park Street? i'm open to recommendations. i was thinking of checking out this place on Yelp: [Yelp link to Kolkata cafe]. i’ve also heard good things about these travel guides: [TripAdvisor link to Kolkata travel guide] and [Lonely Planet link to Kolkata].
i’m still not sure what those numbers 1268257 and 1356676559 mean. maybe they're coordinates? a phone number? a secret code? honestly, i’m starting to think they're just random. this trip is already a little bit surreal.
oh, and the ground level is 1014. just putting that out there.
i'm going to wander around some more and try to absorb the madness. wish me luck. and maybe send coffee. lots of coffee.
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