India I: Kolkata

Returned to Chittagong a few days ago, after a fun and exciting two-week trip through India. I'll post as many pictures as I have the patience to upload! We took an overnight bus to India. It cost about $20, and I guess for that low price it is acceptable to lie about the duration of the ride. We were told it was 14 hours-- long enough-- but it was 21 hours later that we actually arrived in Kolkata! Crossing the border at Benapole, we walked through a 10-meter long no-man's-land between the two countries. Coincidentally, I just learned today that this is where West Bengal and Bangladesh celebrate together on Mother Language Day! There were no computer systems or anything at this crossing (causing a minor tiff upon our re-entry at the airport two weeks later), and the border officials didn't seem quite sure about what to do with our American passports. But eventually, we got through, hopped on another bus and arrived in Kolkata.

Waiting in Customs

Leaving Bangladesh!

A note on the name-- Calcutta is the British spelling/pronunciation, but now it's back to Kolkata. Just like Mumbai used to be called Bombay. Chittagong, actually, is the British name as well. Locals call it Chottogram.

Preparing to visit Kolkata, I definitely had a mental picture of ubiquitous poverty and suffering, no doubt brought on by Mother Theresa and popularized tales of her missionary work there. While I hope what she did was valuable, it's unfortunate that her legacy leaves the world with such misconceptions about Kolkata. We heard that lots of locals feel quite ambivalent about her work there, for this reason, and I would not be surprised if that is true. Today's Kolkata is quite different-- it's a charming city with a lot of character, supposedly the "intellectual headquarters" of India. There is certainly a large range of wealth and poverty, like that found in any major urban area in the world, but it's nothing like the images our minds are conditioned to conjure up when hearing "Calcutta".

A little money definitely goes a long way when it comes to lodging in India. Our first night, for $3, we got a damp room in a noisy building where I didn't see another woman the entire time. After that, we upgraded to $5 hostels, which were significantly more comfortable and populated with lots of eccentric tourists (of both genders).

Night #1: Toilet flushing is accompanied by waterworks show

We went to the India Museum. Getting there was really amusing-- the taxi driver didn't know where it was, so he stopped some older men on the road to ask for directions. They started yelling, clearly dismayed that this driver did not where to find the museum for his own country. In true South-Asian fashion, about a dozen men gathered, all shouting directions and chastising the driver. One thing I really liked about tourist sites in India: they charge drastically different entry fees for foreigners and nationals. This museum was $5 for me, about 20 rupees for an Indian. Yes, I have to pay more, but I think it's fair. And what fun are tourist sites if the only other people there are tourists, too?

The museum is in a beautiful old mansion, and is one of the oldest museums in the world:

Elephant skeleton!Relatives. Plus an arm-man.
Whoa

I always find these in my room. They stick to everything. I never knew what they were. Couldn't figure it out, and found them a little creepy. Thanks to the India Museum for solving the puzzle!
Remnant stamp of colonialism:
Millions of cricket games in the park! How do you even remember which game you're in?!?

I think Kolkata is one of the last places where there are still foot-powered rickshaws everywhere:

I really like how people paint and decorate trucks in South Asia:

Slumdog Millionaire posters

Victoria Memorial

Kolkata's taxis

Merry-Go-Round :)

Worship
After finding Mother Therea's Mission (closed on Sundays), we wandered down the road to a pretty church:
The caretaker saw and was quite eager to give us a look:
Tagore's House/Birthplace. An oasis of calm in the middle of the city.
Even I felt like writing poetry.
Street Scene

Ran into some of students, also visiting Kolkata on vacation!

Local food (YUM):

And local drink:

Of all the cities in India, Kolkata was definitely my favorite. The city had a lot of character, and the people were the friendliest we encountered.

Next, on a train and off to Varanasi!

Kolkata train station: