Friday 11th March - The Party's Over

A lie in this morning followed by a relaxed breakfast. Today is the last day of the D@L tour so most people are busy packing and checking out. We go for a stroll around the local market and find an off licence where beers are less than £1 each. Even at 10 a.m. it is very humid as the sun tries and fails to burn off the haze. When we get back to the hotel a man appears to lock the mini-bar and informs us that we are checking out today. Down to reception who say that they have no record that we are staying a further two nights. Our guide sorts it out and we don't have to do a panic flit.
We climb onto the coach, most of the party with their luggage, and take a short drive down to one of the jetties on the Hooghly River. We are taking a cruise on a rather odd double decker barge but at least it looks quite smart and has paint on it unlike the general passenger ferries. Today's paper has a front page story about how most of the Hooghly ferries are operating on forged safety certificates, as well as one about scarily high numbers of Indian airline pilots reporting for duty while drunk. We sit on the top deck at the front as we take a leisurely sail up river passing verious refuse yards, water treatment facilities and derelict warehouses. There are also more interesting sights such as Howrah Station, various fishermen, holy statues on some of the funeral ghats and a rather splendid Kali temple (which possibly gave Kolkota it's name).
The inevitable curry buffet lunch is served although we are warned off the salad as its provenance is considered unreliable. The rest is very tasty and we tuck in, having retired to the a/c lounge to get out of the heat. For a modest price they supply cold Kingfishers. Perfection. By this time the boat has turned and is heading back downstream and we soon get the call to assemble on the aft deck for a group photo with the Hooghly Bridge as a background. Photographing this 1940's piece of engineering is strictly prohibited so I hope we are out of the country before it is published.
Back at the jetty everybody said goodbyes, then we squeezed into a taxi with our guide Chompa, and Ray who was also staying on in Kolkata. As we got back to the hotel a tremendous thunderstorm broke, putting all the lights out a couple of times. R slept while D tortured himself by watching Bangladesh v England on the box.
Eventually hunger prevailed and we walked down the street to the chaotic restaurant from yesterday lunchtime. We were greeted as long lost friends and seated in front of the big screen showing the England game. Everybody wanted to talk cricket and for a while England looked like they might get back into the game but they did manage to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.