Jul 19, 2007 - Kolkata- Home Alone!

As I sat down to write this I noticed an interesting juxtapostion.As I sat down to write this I noticed an interesting juxtapostion....

Jun 13, 2007 - Farewell India ...

After all, what's a little sewer water between friends? We arrived in Kolkata amidst a similar downpour, sheets of rain battering the streets as our taxi shuttled us from the train station to our hotel on Sutter street. ... On our first day in Kolkata, we walk a few kilometres north through crowded streets filled with hawkers selling clothes, cheap toys, watches, bangles . ... It is the first of many similarly helpful encounters here, making Kolkata one of the friendliest cities we've visited in India. ... Over half of Kolkata's population of 16 million people live on the street. ... How was I going to get this home?!?! I'm even more concerned after carrying the heavy case through busy Kolkata streets, around honking cars, through the subway, and back to our hotel -- I was exhausted. ...

May 29, 2007 - Kolkata

After a bit of a long haul I arrived in Chennai where I had to wait for about twelve hours before the plane went to Kolkutta, that place where the previous name was exactly the same but a different spelling!.After a bit of a long haul I arrived in Chennai where I had to wait for about twelve hours before the plane went to Kolkutta, that place where the previous name was exactly the same but a different spelling!....

Apr 10, 2007 - Barefoot in Calcutta Act I

We flew on Jet Airways to Calcutta (or Kolkata as it's now called). ... Jet Airways was pretty good - better than a lot of domestic American flights I've been on! The best part was the personal entertainment screens (all airlines need these!).We flew on Jet Airways to Calcutta (or Kolkata as it's now called). ... Jet Airways was pretty good - better than a lot of domestic American flights I've been on! The best part was the personal entertainment screens (all airlines need these!)....

Jan 20, 2007 - Kolkata, India

We trudged through the much more noticeably clean train station, found a taxi, and proceeded to our much desired hotel room. Like every other city we had visited in India, Kolkata's streets were overflowing with humanity, machinery, livestock, and filth. ... Kolkata was Mother Theresa's mission field, and so out of curiosity more than devotion, we look a taxi to "Mother House" - the convent where she had lived and died. ... The gray, multi-storied building was immaculate, and we were greeted warmly and ushered into a small courtyard with other visitors and pilgrims.We trudged through the much more noticeably clean train station, found a taxi, and proceeded to our much desired hotel room. Like every other city we had visited in India, Kolkata's streets were overflowing with humanity, machinery, livestock, and filth. ... Kolkata was Mother Theresa's mission field, and so out of curiosity more than devotion, we look a taxi to "Mother House" - the convent where she had lived and died. ... The gray, multi-storied building was immaculate, and we were greeted warmly and ushered into a small courtyard with other visitors and pilgrims....

Dec 27, 2006 - Kolkata

First Impressions of India: (First hour) 1.First Impressions of India: (First hour) 1....

Dec 22, 2006 - Calcutta

Calcutta was a quick stop.Calcutta was a quick stop....

Dec 5, 2006 - Kolkata - Day 1

Our train left NJP (the connection from Darjeeling to Kolkata) at 8pm-ish. ... We were sitting with a salesman for Colgate on his way to Kolkata and onward to Dehli. ... Not soon after, I was lucky to see an incredible temple (I later realized that it was the Dakshineswar Kali temple in northern Kolkata). ... We arrived at the Sealdah (one of the two train stations in Kolkata) at about 6am. ... Our arrival in Kolkata was well timed with a state-wind transit strike. ...

Nov 28, 2006 - Kolkatta

So we braced ourselves getting off the train knowing we were back in crazy land again and sure enough we got bombarded with taxi drivers as soon as we got off the platform.So we braced ourselves getting off the train knowing we were back in crazy land again and sure enough we got bombarded with taxi drivers as soon as we got off the platform....

Nov 18, 2006 - Kolkata (Calcutta), India

Calcutta's great maelstrom of 14 million people makes for crowds and extreme poverty, therefore many are torn between goodwill and necessity.Calcutta's great maelstrom of 14 million people makes for crowds and extreme poverty, therefore many are torn between goodwill and necessity....

Nov 16, 2006 - Kolkata -> New Jalpaiguri

We landed in Dum Dum, Kolkata's International Airport, around 1am to find a city stuck in a 1960s time warp. ... After realising that Kolkata wasn't growing on either of us we decided to organise our train tickets out on the next available train. ... Sitting at the ticket office at 2:30, we were offered a 5:30 train, which we couldn't say yes to quick enough.We landed in Dum Dum, Kolkata's International Airport, around 1am to find a city stuck in a 1960s time warp. ... After realising that Kolkata wasn't growing on either of us we decided to organise our train tickets out on the next available train. ... Sitting at the ticket office at 2:30, we were offered a 5:30 train, which we couldn't say yes to quick enough....

Sep 16, 2006 - Kolkata (Calcutta), India

We weren't really sure what to expect in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta)! Having heard so many different opinions from other travelers, it was obvious that we would just have to make up our own minds! We had mentally prepared ourselves for images of severe poverty and human suffering and while these images are undoubtedly there, we were happy to discover that there is a lot more to Kolkata than what makes the western press. ... Not only that but we found some great restaurants with different types of cuisine especially on Park Street where we treated ourselves when the 'Delhi Belly' got too much to handle! However, our first night in Kolkata wasn't exactly what we had in mind! Having been delayed by 6 hours in Yangon airport, we arrived into the hustle and bustle of the city at about 11pm without a hotel booking! With our taxi driver getting more and more annoyed by the minute, we went from hotel to hotel trying to find one that was both open and had a vacancy. ... having worked up a sweat in the heat and humidity of Kolkata, we decided that we would be better off staying that way rather than risking a shower! As for sleep, that wasn't going to happen either! Even with earplugs, we could still hear the industrial sized wind tunnel fan competing to be heard over the 5 male receptionists watching TV at full blast down the end of the corridor! Next morning (after a quick check to see if the bed bugs had bitten!), we set off early to find a better alternative. ... We regretted afterwards that we didn't get to visit the Home, however we had heard that emotionally it's a very hard place to be and after the day we'd had, we probably couldn't have handled it! One of the big highlights of Kolkata was witnessing the Durga amd Kali Pujas at the Hooghly ghats. ... As a tributory to the holy Ganges, the Hooghly Ghats play and important part in the religious lives of Kolkata Hindus. ...