Travelogue: Sunderbans - A Trip Ruined
Sunderbans, the largest coastal mangrove forest of its kind in the world, was a trip I had looked forward to, but never expected it to be so disappointing and tiring. While I travel with my family to release some steam, this wasn't one of them. There isn't anything awe-inspiring or marvelous to write about it. What I WILL write, is about how this trip turned out to be so awful and disastrous.
The decision to undertake the trip was decided in haste the day before we left, i.e. on 29th December, 2017. We had come to know of it from an acquaintance in our locality, and the trip was cheaper than the packages mentioned on-line, like really cheap. The minimum package I had found would’ve set us back by 8000 rupees or so - this trip would be costing us only 4300. What we didn’t know was what was kept in store for us.
We set out early on 30th with the acquaintance, and reached Howrah station to meet up with other families that were to go with us. The travel agency which arranged the tour, SS Tours and Travels, is run by one Sujoy Sarkar (yes, I’ve noticed SS is an acronym for his name, not Gestapo). We were supposed to leave by 8:30 am for Godkhali, a harbour in Sunderbans, from where we could reach our hotel by a motor boat. We were stalled for almost 2 hours for a family arriving from NJP (New Jalpaiguri Station), but ultimately couldn’t make it because their train was late by 1 h 30 min. After advising them to take a taxi to Godkhali, 106 km from Kolkata, we finally started our journey at 10 am in minivans(there were two of those). We were given some breakfast midway at around 12:30 pm. It was cold, but I was too hungry by then to notice that. The driver didn’t know the route properly, so that was a problem too. Enduring traffic snarls and hunger, we finally reached Godkhali at 2:30 pm.
In the bus, this Sujoy guy was continuously talking to someone who was already at the hotel, instructing him about preparing our meals and everything, while also not failing to mention the word “fish” and “prawn”(of course deliberately). The real fun began when we were on our boats. It was already past lunch time, and the boat was moving real slow. While other boats passing by were already serving lunch to their passengers, we could only look on and grumble. By 5 pm, we had reached our intended location, famished. There was no proper dock, only brick pillars placed in the mud to act as steps. It was a risky walk to the hotel, crossing muddy grounds, being careful lest we slip. We were allotted rooms - small cottages with 4 or 6 beds. We freshened up, only to get to hear that lunch wasn’t ready. The fish and dal and other things were prepared, but the rice wasn’t ready yet. Moreover, the cook had only arrived at 3 pm and started cooking!
A huge uproar ensued. People were shouting obscenities and expletives towards the cook - one even suggested that the food already made be thrown away, and a fresh batch of food be made! Anyway, me and my dad had our lunch with whatever was made, and everyone followed. As revenge, we all had two pieces of fish each, as it was really tasty. Sujoy hadn’t come with us, so that he could pick up the family arriving from NJP. When he arrived, I really thought he wasn’t getting out alive. He remained calm though, like a conman practiced in his art. He asked us to compromise and bear with him as things had gotten out of hand a bit.
Throughout the trip, we had to compromise for everything. The next day, we were supposed to go to various tiger reserves by boat, watch crocodiles bask in the sun on river banks and everything else that a trip to the Sunderbans would have. We got nothing of it. Instead, we were taken to an animal rehabilitation centre, and a recovery centre, where we got to see a recuperating tiger roaming around in its cage, much like in a zoo. The boat only stuck to wide rivers, wading through the middle, making it impossible to spot any fauna on the banks. It was very boring and annoying, traveling in a boat for over 5 hours with no respite, or animals to watch, or anything to enjoy. I really wished that I could come back home then. At night, we had a farce of a tribal dance to watch, and a bonfire. It was very stressful, to say the least.
Sujoy didn’t fail to disappoint us even on the last day, on 1st January, 2018. There was no boat to take us back to Godkhali, and under pressure, he had hired a wooden boat that usually carries bricks, stones and supplies to places. The boat, with 40 men, women and children on board, got really crowded and overloaded. We were fortunate that the boat didn’t capsize. Quite a start to a new year. I really wish I hadn’t gone on this trip, and got those two days back.
Some glimpses of the trip:
Although this trip was a disaster, I’d like to go back to Sunderbans, and have a proper trip, with some proper hotel, under a proper package.