As usual we got up later than we had planned and so the Crocodile Farm idea was shelved. We quickly packed and got ready and checked out. We had to get to Namkhana in time to get across the river before they went on their lunch break. So we were out of the hotel by 10.30am. Check out time was 11.00am anyway. After that it was a bit of “swift” driving but all the time enjoying the great country side and before we knew it, we were at Namkhana. We reached the jetty at about 11.20am and saw the ferry just leaving for the other side with a full load. The ferry did look a bit different. We were the first car to reach there and so I decided to get onto the jetty and watch the entire round trip that the ferry made. So as it reached the other side and docked in place so that the vehicles could disembark, we were shocked to see the number of vehicles that got off the ferry. We counted 4 trucks and more than half a dozen cars get off. This was the bigger Ferry. They had two, so the one that brought us this side was the small one and now on our return journey we were going to get a ride on the big one.
So as we waited and watched in anticipation, we were carefully following the loading on the other side now. It got off to a bumpy start as a Honda city just couldn’t seem to get over the gangway and onto the boat without the bottom hitting. Finally with some makeshift arrangements it got on and then so did the rest of the vehicles. Buses and trucks seemed to make it with ease. The last vehicle to get on was a cart carry sugarcane or hay and seemed to have trouble too. By this time, I was getting nervous. The closer we got to 12 noon the more likely we weren’t going to make it across and our effort of getting here would be wasted. There was already a line of about 5 more vehicles behind us now. Finally the ferry pulled out of the jetty on the other side and made its way towards us. I went right up to the edge to watch how it manoeuvred and hooked up to the jetty. It was an interesting sight and finally as the vehicles started coming off the ferry I decided to head back to the car and get ready to make our return trip. Finally all the vehicles did come off and as I drove up onto the jetty I noticed that the ferry was moving away and parallel to the jetty. I just died. Were they retiring for lunch? None of the cars behind me had followed me on. Oh my god, this couldn’t be happening, there were still a couple of minutes left and all sorts of words began leaving my mouth cursing how lazy and blah blah blah the people of the state were and how Bengal would never progress with this kind of attitude and only then did I notice that it was turning around to face the other way so that we could drive on to the ferry from the loading side; One side for loading and the other for unloading. Though I felt like a fool when I saw that man waving his hand and beckoning me onto the ferry, I was even more relived that we got to cross before the break. Phew! If not, it would have meant a 2 hour wait in the hot sun in the middle of nowhere!
I was directed to the extreme right and soon had two more cars parallel parked beside me. It was a big one. I got off and paid the fee for the return trip which was only Rs.160. Then both of us decided to climb up the ladder onto the viewing deck, something we hadn’t done when we were coming. We made the journey up on the viewing deck and only came down as we approached the other jetty. As we did I noticed a fairly large vessel unlike the boats around. It was a small ship with the Indian and Bangladesh flags hoisted and sailing downstream. The ship was M.V. Hazera Begum (its not such a famous ship, just that I could read the name. so no need to look it up) and it crossed behind us just as we were ready to drive off the ferry.
We were back on the road to Diamond Harbour and though we did get confused at certain T-points, we made good speed still amazed by the greenery. Kakdwip wasn’t that crowded and we didn’t waste much time negotiating through its main roundabout. At the pace we had maintained we soon realised that we were near Diamond Harbour and decided to stop there for lunch.
So I pulled up outside Hotel Sagarika and as we alighted from the car I noticed a ship, a fairly large one cutting through the waves coming downstream towards us. I quickly got my camera out and captured some shots of the fully loaded container vessel as it came right in front of us moving downriver. The huge white letters SHREYAS across the side of this blue ship. That done I was satisfied that in one day I managed to catch two ships sailing right before my eyes, so we headed into the hotel and up to the first floor. That’s where the bar is located. This time we weren’t alone, there were a couple of other tables occupied making the most of the long weekend. We ordered beer and lunch. Daal-bhaat-aloo bhaja-maach-chingri is the best thing to order here and we knew from experience having come here just a few weeks ago, so we did just that. So finally we were done with lunch and got back on the road on our final leg of 45 kms to Kolkata.
Unbelievably the drive back was smooth, fast and quite uneventful. No bus drivers speeding towards us, no traffic jams and not too many people on the road. So we made it back to Kolkata in about an hour.
We were glad that we made it back in time so that we had enough time to unwind for the back to work Monday morning ahead of us. We made a pit stop at my in-laws place and chilled out for a while telling them all about our adventures.
Another Destination canned and we were already talking about a new destination for our next trip.
So as we waited and watched in anticipation, we were carefully following the loading on the other side now. It got off to a bumpy start as a Honda city just couldn’t seem to get over the gangway and onto the boat without the bottom hitting. Finally with some makeshift arrangements it got on and then so did the rest of the vehicles. Buses and trucks seemed to make it with ease. The last vehicle to get on was a cart carry sugarcane or hay and seemed to have trouble too. By this time, I was getting nervous. The closer we got to 12 noon the more likely we weren’t going to make it across and our effort of getting here would be wasted. There was already a line of about 5 more vehicles behind us now. Finally the ferry pulled out of the jetty on the other side and made its way towards us. I went right up to the edge to watch how it manoeuvred and hooked up to the jetty. It was an interesting sight and finally as the vehicles started coming off the ferry I decided to head back to the car and get ready to make our return trip. Finally all the vehicles did come off and as I drove up onto the jetty I noticed that the ferry was moving away and parallel to the jetty. I just died. Were they retiring for lunch? None of the cars behind me had followed me on. Oh my god, this couldn’t be happening, there were still a couple of minutes left and all sorts of words began leaving my mouth cursing how lazy and blah blah blah the people of the state were and how Bengal would never progress with this kind of attitude and only then did I notice that it was turning around to face the other way so that we could drive on to the ferry from the loading side; One side for loading and the other for unloading. Though I felt like a fool when I saw that man waving his hand and beckoning me onto the ferry, I was even more relived that we got to cross before the break. Phew! If not, it would have meant a 2 hour wait in the hot sun in the middle of nowhere!
I was directed to the extreme right and soon had two more cars parallel parked beside me. It was a big one. I got off and paid the fee for the return trip which was only Rs.160. Then both of us decided to climb up the ladder onto the viewing deck, something we hadn’t done when we were coming. We made the journey up on the viewing deck and only came down as we approached the other jetty. As we did I noticed a fairly large vessel unlike the boats around. It was a small ship with the Indian and Bangladesh flags hoisted and sailing downstream. The ship was M.V. Hazera Begum (its not such a famous ship, just that I could read the name. so no need to look it up) and it crossed behind us just as we were ready to drive off the ferry.
We were back on the road to Diamond Harbour and though we did get confused at certain T-points, we made good speed still amazed by the greenery. Kakdwip wasn’t that crowded and we didn’t waste much time negotiating through its main roundabout. At the pace we had maintained we soon realised that we were near Diamond Harbour and decided to stop there for lunch.
So I pulled up outside Hotel Sagarika and as we alighted from the car I noticed a ship, a fairly large one cutting through the waves coming downstream towards us. I quickly got my camera out and captured some shots of the fully loaded container vessel as it came right in front of us moving downriver. The huge white letters SHREYAS across the side of this blue ship. That done I was satisfied that in one day I managed to catch two ships sailing right before my eyes, so we headed into the hotel and up to the first floor. That’s where the bar is located. This time we weren’t alone, there were a couple of other tables occupied making the most of the long weekend. We ordered beer and lunch. Daal-bhaat-aloo bhaja-maach-chingri is the best thing to order here and we knew from experience having come here just a few weeks ago, so we did just that. So finally we were done with lunch and got back on the road on our final leg of 45 kms to Kolkata.
Unbelievably the drive back was smooth, fast and quite uneventful. No bus drivers speeding towards us, no traffic jams and not too many people on the road. So we made it back to Kolkata in about an hour.
We were glad that we made it back in time so that we had enough time to unwind for the back to work Monday morning ahead of us. We made a pit stop at my in-laws place and chilled out for a while telling them all about our adventures.
Another Destination canned and we were already talking about a new destination for our next trip.
No comments:
Post a Comment