Calcutta or Kolkata?

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Hello all,

Just thought i would drop a note to let you know how we are getting on. First of all i think we threw ourselves right in the deep end coming to Calcutta first but at least things can now only get easier now.

First impressions were of the huge difference between here and the western world. I thought i had prepared myself for it but evidently i had not, no two things seem to be the same and everything is different. This is not a negative thing though, rather a true eye opener.

Once i got my head round the enormous crowds, traffic, hundreds of homeless, smells and a general sense of complete alienation, i managed to look at things more in wonder. At first it depresses you, the amount of begging and poverty, next to the richness of the wealthy, the huge difference in the class systems is very much seen everywhere, but slowly i am starting to get used to it and accept that i cannot help everyone.

As for the sights of Calcutta there are a small number ranging from the sensory overload that was the mullik ghat flower market to the towering victoria memorial and mother teresas house where she lived in calcutta.

The food is truly different. you think a curry is a curry isn't it? but not so these curries go completely against my conception of what a curry is but still very tasty despite their simplicity. the big food here is the kati roll, not too dissimilar from a magic roll only nicer with curried chicken as the best, made with onions and chilli inside a pancake/bread roll.

the accomodation has been very nice as we succumbed to a bit of luxury to ease ourselves in paying 850 rupees or just over 10 pounds a night, complete with tv and ensuite bathroom with shower but now we have moved to a much grottier 200 rupees or around 2 pounds 50 a night.

Today we went to the kali temple. the holiest place in calcutta were we were made to take off our shoes (paranoid they would be stolen) given flowers and incense and taken round by the brahman to pay our respects to kali and shiva, shown where the goats and buffalos are sacrificed ( a tiny goat stood tethered in a corner) and made to pay an obligatory offering before getting ash on our heads and a coloured bit of string wrapped round our wrists. Definitely a bit of a tourist sam but amazing nonetheless.

Tomorrow we head to Bodghaya which should be a world away from all this hustle and bustle on a train leaving at 20.30 and arriving at 05.30 so that should be interesting.

Anyway hunger calls so i shall leave you and hope to update you further soon

Ali

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