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Published: December 2nd 2010
Top bunks in sleeper class
Pretty happy to get off after 13 hours in that position.Greeting from Calcutta!
Things have warmed up from our chilly week in the hills and so have the noise, dust and pollution levels. Calcutta is a sprawling city with a centre that has a very significant colonial influence. Wide avenues, big parks and big while buildings with domes and columns straight out of central London give the city a very different feel to Delhi. The major benefit to us of the city having previously been the capital of British India is its pavements, it makes walking along far more relaxing when you are not being buzzed by trams, buses, taxis and motorbikes.
We've been wondering around the city for the past couple of days getting the feel for the place as well as visiting some of the tourist landmarks like the impressive Victoria memorial (see photo) which is beautiful even if a monument to a dead English queen 5000 miles away in East India feels a little strange.
Another benefit to us is that most people speak Bengai as a first language and then have good Hindi and English as a second/third which mean conversations are easier and we've been able to have some interesting and sometime depressing conversations with people
about the state of the country.
Overall it's a nice city to be in with plenty to see and warm, friendly people considering there are more than 14 million Kolkatans jostling for space. Having said that it's probably the place you can the disparity in wealth more obviously than anywhere we've been. Business people in Barista (the Indian Costa) drinking cappuccinos, working on laptops with two smart phones on the table while the other side of the window a mother lies on cardboard with two filthy children scraping a miserable existence.
We are both very well, getting well and truly accustomed to India with its traffic fumes, sleepless claustrophobic night trains, public urination, blaring horns and endless spitting. The one thing that never lets us down is the food which has been amazing, today's highlight was a 40 pence Paneer roll which is a paratha bread fried with egg on one side then a curry of paneers onions is added along with fresh onion, pepper, chilli and then tomato sauce and mustard. It's all wrapped up in newspaper and if I could get one every day i'd be in trouble as the paper is transparent with grease by the end
- boooootiful.
Hope everyone at home is OK, and enjoying the snow which has even made the papers here.
Love to all, C&A - will blog again as we move South into Orissa. x
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The Townends
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Keep them coming
Greetings from a chilly North Yorkshire. Plenty of snow to liven up life at the moment and Rose keeps shouting NO as she can't say S's yet! Looks like you're having a great time. We are both very jealous of your travels, reminds us of our trip. Would love to tuck into some of your street food, must be absolutely fantastic. Can also smell it from the pictures. 1 month down, 5 to go. We have put a map up on the wall in the "cold" kitchen so that we can track your progress. Loving the beard Chris. Missing you both and keep safe. Gonna tuck into some warming corned beef hash now! All our love, Mark, Kate, Rose, Ruby and nut. XXXXXXXXXX