Insomniac...
Oct. 12th, 2004 01:30 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
randomness...so I'm doing research on obscure topics. The web is not being particularly informative.
I'm trying to find trip reports of people who have made border crossings from India to Bangladesh. There are a number of overland border checkpoints, including the most commonly used one, from Bangaon, West Bengal to Benapole, Khulna Division. That one's no problem; there's even a direct bus from Kolkata to Dhaka--12 hours each way for $26 round-trip, wheee--although detailed information on the bus depots on either end (Karunamoyee International, in Salt Lake on the Kolkata end; Kamlapur on the Dhaka end) is extremely hard to find. I'm assuming the Kamlapur bus depot is near the railway station of the same name, but this might turn out to be a very bad assumption.
The problems come when you're looking for information on a crossing like Haldibari, West Bengal to Chilahati, Rajshahi Division. This would be an interesting way to get to Darjeeling, but includes a 4km walk on a dirt road along the disused railway line that used to connect the two towns before Partition. Fine if I manage to pack light enough, i.e., my day pack only; not so fine if not.
I also looked into information on the Agartala (Tripura State) / Akhaura (Chittagong Division) crossing, but that looks less useful even though there's a new through bus service, because once I get to Agartala I'm stuck in Tripura and the only way out--through Assam and Meghalaya--takes me through an area (Northern Tripura) that is apparently dangerous because of rebel activity.
A few people have posted, including two pages in Czech, two in Dutch, and one in Swedish. I can't read any of these pages, and they're languages for which Google doesn't offer a machine translation.
At least the Wagah to Attari crossing between Indian and Pakistani Punjab is easy. Apparently the border ceremonies are really worth seeing. Both sides put on quite a show every afternoon.
Lonely Planet has just enough information to let me know the crossings exist--which was the starting point for this research--but only a few comments on getting to and from them. The Rough Guide India seems to be under the impression no one ever crosses into Bangladesh by land, and the Let's Go India and Nepal does little more than list the crossings.
I could fly straight into and out of Dhaka, but what's the point? You don't actually get to see the places you're travelling through. Also, I have some second thoughts about flying Biman Bangladesh.
(Do I actually think I'm going to get any information by posting here? No, this is more a description of what I do when I can't sleep.)
I'm trying to find trip reports of people who have made border crossings from India to Bangladesh. There are a number of overland border checkpoints, including the most commonly used one, from Bangaon, West Bengal to Benapole, Khulna Division. That one's no problem; there's even a direct bus from Kolkata to Dhaka--12 hours each way for $26 round-trip, wheee--although detailed information on the bus depots on either end (Karunamoyee International, in Salt Lake on the Kolkata end; Kamlapur on the Dhaka end) is extremely hard to find. I'm assuming the Kamlapur bus depot is near the railway station of the same name, but this might turn out to be a very bad assumption.
The problems come when you're looking for information on a crossing like Haldibari, West Bengal to Chilahati, Rajshahi Division. This would be an interesting way to get to Darjeeling, but includes a 4km walk on a dirt road along the disused railway line that used to connect the two towns before Partition. Fine if I manage to pack light enough, i.e., my day pack only; not so fine if not.
I also looked into information on the Agartala (Tripura State) / Akhaura (Chittagong Division) crossing, but that looks less useful even though there's a new through bus service, because once I get to Agartala I'm stuck in Tripura and the only way out--through Assam and Meghalaya--takes me through an area (Northern Tripura) that is apparently dangerous because of rebel activity.
A few people have posted, including two pages in Czech, two in Dutch, and one in Swedish. I can't read any of these pages, and they're languages for which Google doesn't offer a machine translation.
At least the Wagah to Attari crossing between Indian and Pakistani Punjab is easy. Apparently the border ceremonies are really worth seeing. Both sides put on quite a show every afternoon.
Lonely Planet has just enough information to let me know the crossings exist--which was the starting point for this research--but only a few comments on getting to and from them. The Rough Guide India seems to be under the impression no one ever crosses into Bangladesh by land, and the Let's Go India and Nepal does little more than list the crossings.
I could fly straight into and out of Dhaka, but what's the point? You don't actually get to see the places you're travelling through. Also, I have some second thoughts about flying Biman Bangladesh.
(Do I actually think I'm going to get any information by posting here? No, this is more a description of what I do when I can't sleep.)
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-12 04:23 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-12 05:20 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-12 05:22 am (UTC)Thanks for offering to translate, though!
If you're curious, it's at
http://user.tninet.se/~dwu495f/dagbok2.html
(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-12 05:30 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-12 05:45 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-12 09:01 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-12 09:12 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-12 01:00 pm (UTC)If
Thanks for offering, though!
(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-12 01:03 pm (UTC)Okay..Okay...I couldn't resist...
Date: 2004-10-12 01:33 pm (UTC)Re: Okay..Okay...I couldn't resist...
Date: 2004-10-12 01:40 pm (UTC)I get your comment, read
Subject: Re: Okay..Okay...I couldn't resist...
And I think...ut-oh...
Then I read it and I think, you know, I was wondering who would go for that pun first... :)
*snicker*
(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-12 01:51 pm (UTC)In case it's helpful, tidbits from my last visit: a) Kolkata is pretty easy to get around; b) Darjeeling is very, very hilly, so unless you're very fit, avoid long walks in full back; c) multiple sources indicate Biman Bangladesh is an perfectly ok airline by 3rd world standards.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-12 02:33 pm (UTC)That's funny!
a) Kolkata is pretty easy to get around; b) Darjeeling is very, very hilly, so unless you're very fit, avoid long walks in full back; c) multiple sources indicate Biman Bangladesh is an perfectly ok airline by 3rd world standards.
Yah, one of my fraternity siblings just went to Darjeeling--family trip back to the homeland--and she wants to meet me somewhere in India for a trip w/o the parents.
If Biman Bangladesh is as good as Lao Aviation, that's good enough.
Thanks for the tidbits! Maybe we'll cross paths at some point.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-12 04:56 pm (UTC)If you want, I can try to get my mother to find out information--she's mainly part of a Calcutta crowd, but some of them must be familiar with Bangladesh.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-12 07:14 pm (UTC)Oh, the trip is all about options, really, so I'm not closing the door on anything. The plan is to fly in to Kerala (maybe Cochin, maybe Trivandrum) with a Sri Lankan friend, then go to a conference in Bangalore with him, then possibly meet up with an Indian-Thai friend later on. Nothing is even molded in jello from there. I might not even get to Bangladesh. (Research as a way to deal with insomnia; I'm for it. :) )
Traveling in India is challenging in so many different ways that altogether it can be quite exhausting, especially for a lone woman with no Hindi (not sure if this describes you).
Alas, no, I'm neither female, nor going alone. But I have heard this from various friends.
Hmm. We met, long, long ago. At least, I think we've met.
Gee. I hope I'm not mistaken about that. My preferred userid of Randomness was taken, so I chose my abbreviated id instead. Don't know if that helps identify me.
If you want, I can try to get my mother to find out information--she's mainly part of a Calcutta crowd, but some of them must be familiar with Bangladesh.
That would be excellent! Thanks very much in advance for any information you might be able to forward!
(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-12 07:20 pm (UTC)Hmm. We met, long, long ago. At least, I think we've met.
Hey, in these circumstances don't say alas ;)
Ah no--I've heard there's a fellow perv in DC called Syzygy, but I'm not that person. (I won't be offended if you defriend me ;)