Leaving Calcutta

We just returned to our hotel room at the Broadway Hotel after another exhausting day of roaming around Calcutta on the hottest day we've experienced thus far in India. There are so many things about this city to make one so tired - the ENDLESS honking, the quick maneuvering around people, being pushed and shoved, and the always dangerous act of crossing the street.

I thought I've experienced chaotic cities - Cairo, Mombasa, Hong Kong - but nothing quite compares to the frenetic chaos of Calcutta.

One can do everything right on the streets and sidewalks of Calcutta - get shaved, pee, bathe, drink tea, eat (and eat and eat and eat...), brush your teeth, do laundry, pray, cook, get a haircut... everything.

It's been nice to spend these leisure days in Calcutta. At first Scott and I were dreading any extra time in this crazy city but it's worked out well. We've done laundry, we've spent time at the cyber cafe, we've gotten to know a tiny fraction of a great city, and I wouldn't have necessarily called it great two days ago. But people here are friendly, the food is cheap and plentiful, we have friends Muk and Madhu here, there are beautiful buildings and just a millions things to look at if you're lucky enough to find a place to sit for a while.

Tomorrow we leave for Vijayawada to visit another friend. It's our official descent into South India.