Kolkata "The Glasgow of India"

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Sitting in a Venician style coffee house sampling fresh brioche and muffins we couldn't be further from 'The Black Hole' if we tried. Despite its image, Kolkata or Calcutta as the locals insist we call it, is more Mumbai than Delhi and is blessed with pehaps the most stunning of the Raj architecture to be found in India. Actually a local journalist likened most of its Victorian buildings to those in the centre of Glasgow - you can kind of see his point, except for the palm trees obviously.

If possible, however, this is also a city of more extremes than the rest of India. Fantastic restaurants, coffee shops and high rises that wouldn't be out of place in any European city and yet this city suffers the most abject povety we have ever witnessed. Begging on the street is common place in India, but in Calcutta lines form around the corner. Children are taught to chase the white people and hungry eyes peer through every window. In a city that claims to be a socialist vision for the future of India we're devasted by where the money seems to go. Brand new developments spring up out of the city with government money while nothing is provided for the tens of thousands of homeless people (perhaps even hundreds of thousands). It seems that in the race to be seen as a world player India has forgotten its population is not 1.2 million. I might be overly critical, but this is only because India is currently unwilling to show this face to potential investors and its tacit ignorance of the problem is not helping the people that so desperately need it. We spend our time reading and listening to news that paints such a different picture to the one which we're faced with daily and perhaps if they were to confront their problems rather than accept the rampant corruption and blame the victims things could begin to change. For now we're going to help in the only way we know how - buying sweets from every street vendor we can find. Hard job, but one step at a time.

Leaving this melting pot of contrast we hot footed it, and at 32 degrees that's beginning to feel like the right choice of words, to the Sunderbans National Park. The world's largest Mangrove forrest and home to the world's largest population of wild Royal Bengal tigers (they're also the world's biggest tigers - India loves records) in what is becoming an even more desperate attempt to spot one of these magnificent, yet elusive beasts.

We failed.

The Sunderbans, however, is a beautiful if somewhat eerily tranquil escape from the mania of Calcutta - although it does lack the restaurant choice. Seeing the mangroves emerge from the sea and point their roots straight up towards the lazy fishermen is a world away from the crumbling ruins of India's second biggest city. I could write more but pictures better describe this truely unique natural resource.

Unfortunately, Nics camera still isn't performing and well my pictures need to be developed, so the attached are a selection of the much requested 'us standing in front of things' bunch - enjoy.

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Photos

Shmunkie (the giant) and Rajasthani boy
So many kids desperately wanted to be in a photo we've got hundreds like this.

Nic rowing on Pokhara lake - Nepal
Well kind of. Most of the time nic put a paddle in the water we went round in circles hence paddle across lap

Nic feeling all spiritual
Spinning the prayer wheels around the Swamamamambathath stupa in Kathmandu - very peaceful.