Smart has the plans. Stupid has the stories (Part 1)

May 20, 2010 • Photography & Travel

On May 21st 2009 I embarked on what was to be my longest continuous travel in India – 36 hours from door to door. The journey was from Chennai to Darjeeling. The most challenging part of this journey was the public bus ride from Kolkata to Darjeeling. I recently saw a sign in a store window in Manhattan that said “Smart has the plans. Stupid has the stories”. Well, here’s my story in a series of photos. A poor attempt to convey my 36-hour grueling journey.

From one of southern India’s busiest cities, Chennai, I flew north to Kolkata (Calcutta) home to over 15 million people, Formula 1 bus drivers and the last battalion of rickshaw drivers. Temperature in Kolkata 42C (107.6F).

One of Kolkata's many roadside restaurants - ever full.

I had about 6-hours before my bus left for Darjeeling so I decided to explore this bustling city by foot. One of Kolkata’s many roadside restaurants – ever full.

Bus ride from Kolkata to Darjeeling, India

That evening I boarded a bus bound for Siliguri, the jumping off point for most of north eastern India, Nepal and Bhutan. A 12-hour journey. The bus was far from I was told it would be by the ticket seller, now long gone enjoying a great dinner courtesy of my trust. The “luxury” was far from luxury. The bus was very old, the seats ripped and stained, and the shock absorbers – well, they simply did not exist. Every pimple and dimple on the road was clearly felt.

Roadside stop on the way to Darjeeling, West Bengal, India

We stop at a road side restaurant at midnight for the driver’s late night meal.

One of those little stores in India that has all the basics you need – a nano Walmart.

Another bus casualty courtesy of the wild driving Indian bus drivers are famed for.

I was sold a sleeper bunk onboard a “luxury” bus. For some it was luxury. For me, I barely squeezed my tall frame into this boucing tin can.

tire change, bus in india, kolkata, public bus

At 3am we stop for the gratuitous tire change. Who knows where.

We watch as the onboard tire changer works his magic. Darjeeling seems a world away.

train speeding by at night in india, time delayed photo

A train whizzes by. (for the camera enthusiasts: F3.5, 6 secs, hand held)

Bus changing tire on way to Siliguri, india

8am and we are no where close to Siliguri. Another tire change. This little girl watches on.

She doesn’t seem to happy with this.

Siliguri town on the way to Darjeeling, india

The road massage finally ended and we arrived in Siliguri 17.5 hours later. My longest bus ride in India so far. From here, Siliguri, one has to hire a jeep to begin to make his way up the mountains to Darjeeling.

After seeing how people got around here I had less to complain about my journey.

There is always room for another person.

To be continued…

Joyous Children

March 13, 2020 • Photography & Travel

Today I thought I’d share some images that I photographed of smiling and laughing children during my many travels to India. These pictures remind me of my favorite quote from my guru, Gurudeva Subramuniyaswami: “Life is meant to be lived joyously.” Whether you are going through a challenging time...

The Colored Sand Makers of Tamil Nadu

January 25, 2018 • Photography & Travel

It’s been a long time since I’ve done one of my photography posts. As many of you know I am passionate about photography. During a recent trip to South India in December last year I drove past a small village in Tamil Nadu, South India, where it looked like the main industry here was making…

My Visit to Seoul

November 15, 2017 • Photography & Travel

I recently posted about giving a keynote at the 2017 World Knowledge Forum in Seoul, South Korea. Once that event concluded, I spent a couple extra days exploring this wonderful city. I’m particularly drawn to historical sites and spent most of my time exploring a few of the main palaces wi...

A Day in the Floating City

July 19, 2017 • Photography & Travel

I hope to share with you, once or twice a month, one of my passions — photography. I believe it’s so important to make time in life for what you love and who you love. I love photography and always do my best to integrate it into my travels around the world. I’m currently in&hel...

"*" indicates required fields

Smart has the plans. Stupid has the stories (Part 1)

Joyous Children

The Colored Sand Makers of Tamil Nadu

My Visit to Seoul

A Day in the Floating City

Subscribe

Search

Topics

INFORMATION

ABOUT

CONNECT