We stepped off the plane in Kolkata (Calcutta), India near midnight on Saturday, having taken two 8 hour + flights and waiting out a 5 hour layover in Frankfurt, Germany. After passing through immigration we were soon hurtling through the night in a tiny, rickety yellow cab. On either side rose a few large hotels and half-finished mid-rises. The streets were mostly dark, although a few others sped by in cars or mopeds. A pack of stray dogs crossed the street. Rather than stopping, or even pausing, at red lights, our cab driver laid on the horn and sailed right through. I smelled burning rubber and hoped it wasn't our car; I smelled something else, something like a zoo, and then we passed by a father and son herding a pack of goats along the road. In the plane I'd imagined I'd be ready to fall right into bed when we reached the hotel, but instead I was wired, trying to absorb all we'd seen so far.
Kolkata was hot and humid the next day. We walked along Chowringee Road, past tiny food stands, electronics shops, and families living and cooking in tiny lean-to's with tarp roofs, the sounds of incessant car horns as an accompanying soundtrack. Our destination was the monument pictured at top, the gorgeous Victoria Memorial, built by the British as an intended bit of competition to the Taj Mahal. Not exactly the Taj, but pretty impressive. There were lots of Indian families out for a leisurely Sunday of sight-seeing at the Memorial, the gardens, and the nearby and amazingly well-preserved St. Paul's Cathedral.
In Kolkata there are loads of examples of crumbling colonial-era architecture; the above just happened to be near our hotel. Most of it appears to still be in use.
After a day and a half, we headed back to the airport to catch a one hour flight to Kathmandu, Nepal. In the 12 years since Matt was last there, much has changed, most noticeably the traffic. The entire trip from the airport to the city was a chaotic jam of motorcycles, taxi vans, bicycles, rickshaws, and even a UN vehicle. There are no lanes to speak of, just narrow streets and plenty of near-misses. There was a problem with the hotel we booked (long story that I'll get into some other time...) so we rose early this morning and sought out another. We were really, really blessed to find a great place with a peaceful garden (pictured above). It's like an oasis from the craziness that is the Thamel district of Kathmandu.
The weather has been fantastic, a welcome change from the humidity of India. We took full advantage of it to check out Durbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage Site composed of Hindu Temples, and to explore the far less tourist-ed area south of Durbar Square.
We're still getting our bearings, and I, especially, am trying not to be overwhelmed by culture shock. Certain moments, such as when Matt and I sat over coffee in a lovely garden restaurant terrace, it hits me that in the midst of everything, we're on vacation.
