KOLKATA

We ventured back to the hotel via park street. Observing the selection of nice restaurants we decided we would return later for dinner. Walking back we received some more stares (most friendly), a few hellos, and were beckoned by shopkeepers into their stores. Some bold children beggars persistently followed along side of us before getting the message that we would not give them money. Perhaps the most aggressive of all hagglers are the rickshaw drivers. Everywhere we turn they are bothering us to ride with them. As we walked, it was interesting to observe that Kolkata is not a city set up for tourists. It's refreshing after being in Kathmandu. The stores, stalls and restaurants here all cater to locals.

In route to dinner we got to were able to slow down in the reprieve of night air. Though still very hot, the heat was more tolerable. We were stopped by three Indian men to answer a few questions while being filmed for a short segment for their YouTube Channel. On park street we found the most crowded restaurant and figured it must be good. Surprisingly though it looked like crowds of people were waiting we scored a table for two. I think we were the only foreign tourists there. The restaurant was Indian and Chinese- Northern India definitely has a Chinese influence.

Paan

On the way back from dinner we observed an intricate process of several street vendors preparing paan. It was almost like an art form the way they mixed the multiple ingredients- areca nut and tobacco inside the betel leaf. They fold the leaf into a triangle to be chewed. Chewing on paan is supposed to be refreshing and is often consumed after a meal. It’s a bit of a nasty habit as people who do it frequently have red stained teeth. When people choice to spit the betel leaf instead of swallowing it, they make red stains on the ground. It can also lead mouth cancer.

Early Morning Kolkata

The following morning we were out early and again able to see the city waking up. We noticed many people showering in the streets as they lathered up and rinsed in faucets above the sewers. The smells of the city are unavoidable- for better or for worse. Some smells are welcomed like the sweet smell of chai or hot street food cooking, but of the variety of smells most are gross- think urine and garbage. In our sandaled feet we had to be cautious of where our feet landed, to be mindful that we didn’t step in a pile of trash or questionable stagnant puddles of “water.”

Old China Town

We headed in the direction of Old China Town but couldn't manage to find it. Instead we walked through a bizarre which actually may be all the remains of China Town. At only 8 in the morning the heat was already intense. In the bizarre we observed many men getting haircuts outside, a lot of sick looking stray dogs, some men wearing a piece of fabric wrapped around their waists, and a goat being slaughtered above a sewer grate. These water sources above the sewer really are used for everything from showering to washing dishes to slaughtering animals.

Paneer Tikka Dinner

After the science center it was a short walk to the five-star hotel where we had dinner reservations. We were amazed by the splendor of the hotel. It was surrounded by a moat. Inside there were several restaurants. When we reached Peshwari we were greeted with great hospitality by the host. He led us to our table. We shared a tandoori salad with paneer (cheese) and a meat platter of lamb and chicken cooked in different styles.

To start the meal, we were served a flaky bread and raw onions which seems to be a staple at the beginning of dinner here. The friendly host insisted that we try their ‘dal’ that is cooked for 24 hours. We couldn’t say no. He brought us a sizeable free sample telling us we couldn’t leave without trying their famous specialty. The meal was great and the service, fantastic. It was so interesting to see the extreme differences between the area of the city where we are staying.