Spikey In Calcutta

Our next stop of our incredible journey was Calcutta to visit friends who we met in Goa. Sanjay and Noelle. They were so hospitible that we could stay in their appartement. Unfortunately Noelle had to leave for a wedding in Bombay so we didn't see her much. Sanjay gave us a full tour of Calcutta and what a great city. Very clean compared to all the cities we've been to.
Sanjay's appartement is in the middle of a muslim district. When we drove through there to go for dinner in Chinatown, we passed many hundreds of goats. The next day would be Muslim-hallal-slaughter-a-goat-day. Poor little beeeheeee goats.. Not having a good, or any, future to look forward to. So we had a lovely dinner in china town. Lovely food, few drinks, and back to the appartement for a few. Duncan and Sanjay went back out to town for a boysnight out, I went to bed, very tired of travelling..

At 4 o'clock I woke up from a slamming door, some "ssshhhh" of the boys. Dunc came into the bedroom and woke me up. He said;"Ellen, I've got a surprise for you, you'll be very proud of me..!". I turned around, half opened my eyes and a drunken Duncan and Sanjay stood in the bedroom. As my eyes focused, I saw that Duncan was holding a black and white goat in his arms. "We rescued him from the muslims, we bought a goat..! I call him Spikey..!"

So Spikey slept next to Sanjay who wasn't very pleasently surprised when the goat had pooped all over the balcony, beehheee'd very loud but oh how cute he was... The masterplan was to liberate him in a beautiful park so he could find a girl-goat and live happily ever after .

Every one of us got strangely attached to Spikey, he was just like a dog. He travelled in the back of the car, he walked on a lead, beeheee'd when ever he couldn't see us. That late afternoon we took him to a park. Beautiful park but the gate was closed. Spikey couldn't get in.. And the gate was too high to drop him over it. Now what?! Sanjay picked Spikey's lead up again and walked though Calcutta. Spikey trodded with happy hoofs next to him and both looked very natural.

We found a beautiful leafy tree in a non-muslim part of town and decided to tie him on there. someone would find him and take care of him. So we did. We walked around the corner and we heard a heartbreaking BEEEHHEEEEE. But when we looked around the corner we saw that he was eating. Both Sanjay and Duncan had tears in their eyes and wondered if they did the right thing. As they were contemplating to go back to get him, Spikey trodded around the corner. He had eaten through the lead to follow us... Now we all fell definately in love with him but couldn't keep him. We put Spikey back in the car and drove till we found another park. This park had a low fence and Duncan dropped him over the fence after we all gave Spikey a big cuddle. Spikey looked at us with a funny look in his eyes, turned around to eat something and we ran to the car to jump in and drive away and not look back. We all hope and pray that he is alright.. WE LOVE YOU SPIKEY..!

After that adventure we went to a home party of a few friends of Sanjay. A very special experience. Such nice people, everyone is so hospitable. Everytime Sanjay was speaking Bengali to someone all I could understand was "Beeehhheeee.." in the middle of his sentances. Spikey was talk of the party.

I made lots of girl-friends. They tought me a bit of Indian dancing after a few rum-cokes.

I am not very good at it... Very nice party..!

That night we drove to Sanjay's family home, also with a friend of Sanjay in the car, Kunal. We drove past the park where we dropped Spikey but didn't see him. 'A yellow submarine' by the beatles will never be the same anymore. We sang our lungs out just to get the thought of poor Spikey out of our heads..

The next day, Sanj and his uncle named Mamma had organised a fishing trip. We arrived at the house of 'John and Joe' at mid-day where the first Vodka-cokes were poored. Behind the house was a little pond where we cought no fish at all. But it was very nice and relaxing.

John, Joe and their wives were very hospitable and we got lots of Indian snacks, a great lunch and more and more vodka. For us it is very special to be invited in their houses, we wouldn't have experienced it without Sanjay and Mamma.

Mamma invited us for dinner at his house. The most beautiful curry in India. In a very colourful house. We have got a new Mamma and Mom..!

So this was a very nice, lovely, privileged but exhausting experience. Many many thanks to you Sanjay, I know you'll have tears in your eyes and a cold space in your bed reading about Spikey.

Let's all say a prayer for Spikey..

Lots of love from incredible India

Duncan and Ellen