CALCUTTA
Certain city names have an exotic ring and after hearing the name it becomes etched in your mind. Calcutta has been etched in my mind so deep for so long that it was the only place to start my three week journey through India. I’ve always been fascinated (but don’t condone) the British Imperial period and thought it must have been one of the most exciting periods in history as the British spread across the globe in search of tea. I like seeing the remnants left behind as they serve as living museums.
Calcutta was essentially an English created city and when I arrived it was like stepping back in time to a prior era. There were old school London style cabs. The dirt and pollution created a fog that made it seem as though you were viewing everything as an old time photograph - one of the benefits of pollution. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending upon your perspective) for the Bengalis modernity has yet to reach Calcutta. Mumbai’s a modern metropolis, Delhi has the feel of a major capital and historical charm, Calcutta has burned out buildings.
I went for a morning walk and immediately found myself participating in the Calcutta Marathon / Fun Run. I joined a group and walked through the Maiden, Calcutta’s approximation of Central Park, to the finish line.
Calcutta was essentially an English created city and when I arrived it was like stepping back in time to a prior era. There were old school London style cabs. The dirt and pollution created a fog that made it seem as though you were viewing everything as an old time photograph - one of the benefits of pollution. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending upon your perspective) for the Bengalis modernity has yet to reach Calcutta. Mumbai’s a modern metropolis, Delhi has the feel of a major capital and historical charm, Calcutta has burned out buildings.
I went for a morning walk and immediately found myself participating in the Calcutta Marathon / Fun Run. I joined a group and walked through the Maiden, Calcutta’s approximation of Central Park, to the finish line.
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From there I backtracked to Victoria Memorial, one of the last major constructive initiatives of the British in Calcutta before the Raj Capital was formally conferred upon Delhi. Inside the memorial were several Thomas Daniels landscape paintings showing what India looked like when the British arrived in the 1700s. There was also a thorough history of Bengal.
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I continued to backtrack through the Maiden where there were 100s of cricket games taking place. Cricket balls were flying in every possible direction. Some games looked like organized intramurals while other games had less than four people. In a far corner, the Indian Military has practicing marching - I hope for India’s sake these were new recruits because the high leg kicks were causing balancing issues. I imagine a catastrophe would occur if a cricket ball went lose in the marching field and the army cadets started flailing their limbs in all directions to maintain balance.
If you look closely at the photo to the bottom right, you can spot a "wild" animal. I swear you could move to India and have a working farm up and running in less than a week simply by rounding up loose animals that roam their cities.
If you look closely at the photo to the bottom right, you can spot a "wild" animal. I swear you could move to India and have a working farm up and running in less than a week simply by rounding up loose animals that roam their cities.
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I spent the rest of the day around Park Street soaking up the Calcutta vibe. It was a Sunday so most of the stores were closed and I was able to divert full attention to the street life. I saw a guy with two chained monkeys, two guys with gold and red face paint, and a ten year old girl performing balancing acts on a tightrope. Calcutta is also the only city in India that still allows human rickshaws - a tip of the cap to the city’s romantic past. Nothing seemed out of place or out of the ordinary.
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The next day I went around the hotel to New Market and picked up a dried Mango candy-like treat. New Market is an indoor/outdoor market with a buzz of activity. I then returned to Park Street and spent some time in Oxford Books and Flurys, two local institutions. It was January 10 but the Christmas decorations were still up - a wonder why they put up Christmas decorations at all. I had kebabs at Peter Cat for dinner and a Kingfisher at Fairlawn, a backpacker bar / restaurant.
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A couple more shots of Park Street. The photo on the right is a night shot of Sudder Street - the street has several backpacker hotels.
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The next morning I walked over the Armenian Ghats. There wasn’t much activity but a market further up was rocking. I had breakfast at Blue Sky Cafe then went to grab a coffee at Au Ban Pain. Continuing the Park Street Christmas theme the restaurant had carols playing over their loudspeaker. I drank a coffee at Cafe Coffee Day, the Indian Starbucks, with over 1,000 locations throughout India.
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The travel experience with India, and a city like Calcutta in particular, is that you don't need an agenda. You don't need destinations. You can simply walk around neighborhoods, down major streets, and your travel appetite will be satisfied.
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A few more photos from walking around the city.
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For additional Calcutta photos see FLICKR ALBUM.