The one where 'A friend gets drunk and disappears for a hour at Someplace Else'

30th September 2009. Kolkata's hot stickiness is almost over. I board the Kamrup Express this evening for Darjeeling. I like the city - the buildings at Dalhousie Square, the friendliness of the people and the fact that I can bargain at the markets with a smile :) But I ABHOR the humidity - its worse than Bombay and that is saying something...

I have had a very pleasant day. Went shopping - a fact that gives my heart succour. Went to 'Old' New Market which is actually called a fancy English name!


Shooped for silver to my heart's content. Recommend Chumbalama - a Tibetan shop here. Decently priced silver. I went slightly beserk and even bought myself a 'lizard' pendant! And that cost me like 300 bucks!!

Shopping finished, I wandered around Dalhousie Square and there were enough architecturally significant monuments there to keep my trigger happy fingers..well happy :)




Headed back homewards to give myself a little rest before a night out drinking at 'Someplace Else'. At the Park, this place is legendary. I had heard so many tales about the place - it was a must do on my list. But before that, we went to a place called 'Beyond the Blue' opposite New Market. Ambience top class as it affords a view of the city's nightlights but that is it. Nothing more to say really. They screwed everything in terms of the order that they could possibly screw!

'Someplace Else' lived upto its expectations and more. It totally rocked. Drinks were reasonable except the place as big as my living room. But I wouldn't crib about that too much. Now comes the highlight for the day. Friend with us got drunk and sort of disappeared. No other way to put it really. We looked everywhere for him. We went even to the hotel's reception and like in the movies asked, 'Can you use your cameras to check where he is?' Hhhahhahaahhaa...We finally found him - thank the Lord! He had gone and dozed off in the far corner inside the pub of all the places!

Dispersing, I found myself in a taxi speeding homewards at 12.30 pm. I didn't get the unsafe feeling that I normally get when I would leave the hotel at Delhi at 5 pm. Knocked myself out for the night and fell asleep almost immediately...