Getting out of Kolkata was fairly hectic, but we were clipped in and rolling shortly after 5.30am so the traffic hadn’t picked up too much yet. It took a good 10-15 miles to really get out of town, but we found a pretty nice route that followed the river for a couple of hours. It was green, quiet, and fairly shaded. We passed a ton of hand made brick “factories” along this section. It looked like very difficult work, especially while baking in the hot sun.

Our first main milestone of the day was the Noopur ferry terminal… it was about 40 miles from Kolkata. Of course we had no idea what we’d find when we got there and we were hoping to not have to wait hours for the next ferry, but we lucked out as we were able to jump on a boat immediately when we arrived and it departed shortly thereafter. It was only about 20 minute crossing.

We took a little snack break on the other side and I experienced what Fran had warned me of… the moment you stop, people start gathering around. We had some nuts and some crunchy lentil snacks, and topped it off with some fresh coconut water (and the meat)… super refreshing!

The final 30 miles of the day were along a main road, but it wasn’t crazy busy, the surface was smooth, and there was a decent sized shoulder. It was getting pretty hot so we did stop once or twice for some cold (well, cool) drinks. We were definitely ready to be done for the day.

We arrived in Contai around 2.30 or so and started hotel hunting. It’s not a very big town and there aren’t a ton of options, but we had a look at 3 or 4. We ended up at one that is pretty decent. Aircon, 2 beds, a fan, and an ensuite bathroom for $12/night. 

We had a little wander around town, grabbed dinner and some stuff for breakfast, and are back at the hotel (6pm). The normal evening routing includes sending some updates like this, looking at maps, and in bed/asleep by 9!