The road surface took it's toll. A part of the tent, mounted on the lid of the trailer, decided that it had suffered enough vibration for one lifetime, and snapped. Kolkata was therefore to be a place of repair.

Arriving in town on the Sunday afternoon, a recce was planned to find a metal-bashing shop for the Monday morning. Now, fate comes in many shapes and sizes, and can play its hand at the most convenient of times. Like now. Bike lowered from the roof and just about to set off around the town, a guy came along who changed the entire subsequent week.

Sushanta popped his head around the back door of the truck, and even though this repetitive occurrence was beginning to be met with a response typical to that of an over tired and hungry bear, something immediately clicked. Based in Kolkata, this guy was a like-minded traveller, with most of India having seen the rubber of his jeep's tyres at some stage. He knew a good repair shop, knew the location of the Bangladesh Embassy (for the visa application), and had a great family and like-minded friends. A couple of evenings together, including my last in India, which was spent at their house with his family and friends, sampling the best Indian cuisine imaginable in the midst of perfect company, cemented what was already a perfect fitting jigsaw of friendship. A perfect night, and a perfect way to finish my stay in India.

Who would have thought that within minutes of the wheels stopping after what had been the most frustrating part of the journey to date, events would change as they did? Sometimes, bread does land jam-side up.

The West Indies were in Kolkata, knocking cricket balls around the Eden Gardens pitch. Following the repair work on the tent, and a modification, it was time to find a ticket and go to see what all the fuss was about.

The action on the pitch would have glazed a glass eye. Fortunately however, the party atmosphere of the Indian crowd kept me awake. Cricket here is a religion, centred around joy.

Delhi doesn't feature high on my list of places to buy a timeshare apartment. Kolkata on the other hand does. The people don’t see you as a walking wallet, and the history of the place mixes harmoniously with current day life. Kolkata may appear to be raw and rough around the edges, but it has one thing Delhi doesn't: a soul. Suffice it to say, my intended two day stay was extrapolated into a week. Until my visa expired.