Last stop: Kolkata

Little did I know as I sat there at 4 am that my train would be 3 hours late. So much for going straight to sleep. I finally got on at 8:15 only to find someone in my bed. I bluntly informed him he was in my seat and headed up to my upper bunk. I got myself comfy and fell asleep. A couple of hours later I was awaken to make my lunch order so I got up to wait for my rice biryani. I realized then that I was sitting with some of the most disgusting men in India. First of all they were smoking which isn't allowed on Indian trains. Secondly, they were chewing tobacco and subsequently making gutteral throat clearing noises (known to me as hucking a loogi (sp?)) And spitting out the window, constantly. Thirdly, they were filthy. One guys feet were caked with mud and dry skin that left dirt behind wherever he lay. Gross.

My day on the train was spent mostly sleeping or watching movies or reading my book on my upper bunk. It was miserably hot though so I came down a few times for "fresh" air. I started to feel sick late afternoon and at the same time discovered my train was running 5 hours late. Awesome! I finally threw up and promptly fell asleep before arriving in Kolkata. Five hours late, tired, hot and sick I found my way to the tuk tuk drivers I'd been informed weren't there before finding one who gave me a decent price. He claimed to know the way but didn't which worked out because he passed the original place I'd wanted to stay. I got out there and found my way to my cubicle room which is just what it sounds like. A dorm room with privacy, sort of. The walls don't go to the ceiling so you can still hear others but there's walls. After a terrible sleep with many jaunts to the toilet I was up and getting ready for the airport.

Kolkata has to have one of the worst airports I've been to. I arrived early and waited till the 3 hours they'd emailed me to be there for. When the time was up I searched for the Air Asia counter but there wasn't one. Turns out they were using Air India counters but with no signage. I started to check in only to find out I had to have my bag checked by x-ray. I went over and did that and took it back. Once in immigration I was asked if I'd filled out the form. Which form? I filled that out and went through security where I received a tag on my bag showing it had been checked. How else is my bag getting through security? The gate for my flight wasn't announced until takeoff time. When we finally started boarding we needed to show our bag to another security guard standing inside the gate. I had bought a water and put it in a reusable shopping bag which she ripped off my shoulder because it had no tag. I informed her, not too nicely either, that I'd bought a water. I couldn't wait to get out! Only the flight didn't get any better. Passengers were talking on the phone during takeoff and moving seats. I sat with a barf bag in my lap and ran to the bathroom as soon as the seatbelt sign went off. When I returned an Indian man had taken one of the seats in my empty row and several times spoke loudly to a passing friend as I was sleeping. I was not too polite to him about that.

But, after a short 2 hours, we arrived in Bangkok......time for a new adventure!