There is a saying that, ‘A man who goes alone can start today, but those who travels with another must wait till that other person is ready.” Back in 2015, I was tired of the excuses made by my buddies while travelling, to make some changes in itineraries or last minute cancelations. So I took the command on my hand. I set off my own sail to Kolkata, the city of joy.
On the contrary to what you may have heard, Solo travel need not to be scary. In fact you may end up loving it. This will give you the power of decision and the ability of living on your own. It’ll pull you out of your comfort zone and will put a lot of hurdles to overcome it.
The Journey
My plan for Kolkata was instant. I had 6,000 rupees on hand and I just came out of college life. I was not sure where to go and how to reach the destination. I prepared my backpack and took my cash and went to the street. Next thing, I was searching for cabs and on the next moment, I was already at the railway station. The first place that flashed on the announcement board was Kolkata. At the same moment, I decided to go there.
Finally I took the tickets and the same day evening I was on board and ready to leave for Kolkata.
The Accommodation
Once I landed in the Howrah railway station, I went to an area called Tollygunge. Okay! I forgot to say that I had never ever been to a Hostel. Because most of my friends don’t like to stay there. But as this time I was there on my own, I wanted to taste the odd. So I went directly there to a hostel. This was my first time in a hostel. I was amazed by the bunk bed. It took me to my past, where in the hostel we used to sleep on this kind of bed. The art work on the wall and the architect of the house made me become awestruck. It was a 4-bed shared room. On the same day evening, I met with another 3 roommates. Surprisingly all of them are from different corners of the world. They didn’t seem to be strangers to each other. We introduced each other and then planned for the next day trip together as well. To all wanna-be solo travelers, I’ll recommend to stay in a hostel to experience the unique feelings of joy and to get the homely feelings.
The Culinary
India is a country with very diverse food options available. There are people who eat to live and then there are people who live to eat! Food is not just a source of energy for them, it's a mode to attain ultimate satisfaction. Food ties the whole world together.
Kolkata is one of the best places for foodie people. It’s the ultimate paradise for street food lovers. Starting from Phuchka to Biryani, anything where you’ll lay your hand, your stomach and mind both will get satisfied.
Follow Rudra Prakash Pattanaik on Instagram (@travel.nerd.in).
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