Hotel Heera Kolkata (Calcutta)

Comparatively to the other big cities we have visited in India Kolkata was onto a winner, on the journey from Nepal we had worked ourselves into a frenzy of excitement about the things we could do within and around the city when we arrived in the 24 hours before we would have to catch a flight to Bangkok. Unfortunately by ...

... back to the guesthouse and I went to the internet cafe one last time to jot down some addresses and phone numbers I was going to be needing in Thailand. After all was settled I went back and began packing away my belongings. I was such a pro at packing that it only took me 15 minutes to get all travel-ready. I had been thinking of heading over to the airport around 10:30 and left earlier instead. The weather was bad and I didn't know if the taxi driver was going to need to make ...

... then the driver attempted to put his legs out either side to 'move it along' so that we wouldn't notice that the engine had stopped. This happened numerous times on the kilometre home. The driver did have a cup of weed tea on the dashboard which might explain his behaviour. MORE PICTURES WILL FOLLOW - LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING MANY MORE WONDERFUL TUKS IN SOUTH-EAST ASIA!

... glory of India's traditions. One dance is a long one, created by Rabindrinath Tagore, featuring Krishna and Arjuna (of the great Hindu mystical epic the Bhagavad Gita). Another celebrates the local wildlife, including the Bengal Tiger. It was the Tiger who stole the show for the evening. His showmanship was unmatched as he spontaneously lunged at different sections of the crowd and at me. At the end of the dance, he stalked over to Baba, and rather than lunge in feigned attack, he ...

... we have never had before. Fish is a must for Bengalis and I (Andrew) have enjoyed many great fish curries. We have many many hours of practice ahead for this unbelievable music that we will be performing so we will leave you there and be back to update you in a week or so. We hope all of you are doing well in these first few weeks of 2009. Fir Milange (Hindi for until we see you next). Andrew, Jonathan, & Justin.

... streets. Go to the Forum Shopping Centre (it doesn't open on a Monday) and visit a number of clothes shops explaining that i just want to look. This is impossible. Look to them means buy and there a shirts strewn all over the counter by the time i leave. Some of these shops i will not return to and i have lied to them. Shame on me. I spot a roadside shaving man (boy actually, couldn't have been older than 14) and having not shaved for 10 days (didn't pack the gear) decide it ...

... my experience last year...so on Friday morning I was off to Calcutta to spend 3 days helping Tanya and working with the wonderful kids I met last year. Upon arrival, Tanya picked me up in a car she had arranged (she arrived into Calcutta several days earlier) and we were off to visit the Parivaar group which has been helping street children in West Bengal for many years. The drive to Parivaar was long and we ...

... brought himself to tears explaining that it was too far, too hot, and too difficult for our delicate foreign bodies. It's a good thing Tim was such an optimist, the hotel man also explained that there was a hundred percent chance of us having a road accident, and that was in fact a genuine concern. The entire way through Bangladesh, right up to the Indian border, as crowds of hundreds gathered around us, the educated man or two pushed his way ...

... such a photo of a plane from this perspective, and to see if the attempts I'd made to fix camera number III were successful. I took the photo rather quickly as i was distracted by some yelling behind me. Some official in uniform stammering out ″no photo″. I carried on across the tarmac thinking how lucky i am that i think before i speak, otherwise that airport official would have worn a string of words that went something like this; ‶Don't you tell me not ...

... and dinner is announced with a gong. There were a few flouncy middle-aged women there who were presided over by the Indian Maitre d' who had a face so incapable of expression he seemed like a zombie. Soon after we arrived we were made to feel pretty unwelcome. My request for an alcoholic drink was met with an explanationless 'no' and soon after we had received our soft drinks we were told to hurry up and drink them and then leave (along with a Spanish couple at another table). My feelings as ...