A Couple of days as Gulliver!

Julie and I have spent a few days in Kolkata already before the rest of the rally arrives. This time has been spent visiting some of Kolkata’s markets and walking the streets soaking up the local atmosphere.

The first day after we woke from an early morning arrival we headed out just to walk the streets and look around and be part of the hustle and bustle that is market life in this city. Just before we decided to head back to the quite sanctuary of the hotel we stumbled upon one of the main fruit markets for Kolkata where fruit and veg’s from as far away as Washington USA and China was being unpacked sold and also auctioned.

We have found returning to the hotel most calming as it insulates us from the endless sound of car and bike horns as every vehicle is always vying for a better spot in the traffic and to let cyclist and pedestrians that someone is approaching.

Early the next morning we visited the Flower market under the Howrah Bridge that crosses the Hooghly River, which is a main delta river of the River Ganges. This market is the distribution point for the flowers that come in to Kolkata every night. We travelled to the market by taxi and it was noticeablely funny how using the car horn has become part of driving as our driver was driving down a quite street with no other car or person insight about every 10 second or so he would give the horn a toot toot. Julie and I looked at each other and wondered if he even new he was doing it?

The rest of that day was spent visiting the Indian Museum. What a wonderful and interesting collections of things from both India and around the world. This museum was a time warp of some sort because of the rows and rows of display cases and how things where shown was straight from the 60’s and still the same in most halls.

Now back to the title of todays Post. Now most of you know that I’m a fairly big specimen of the human race, well in the back streets and at the museum the locals especially the kids look at me like I should have been in one of the glass display cases. I have felt like Gulliver in the land of little people.

Today started with a visit to Mother Teresa’s house and tomb then we embarked on a walk around the East Park St Cemetery, which dates back to the 1770’s. This place really showed how fragile life was in those times with the numbers of young people, and mothers and children buried together I think the oldest person we saw was in their mid sixties but teens, 20’s and 30’s was the norm not the exception.

The afternoon was spent at a different shopping area to walk the streets and alleys in search of clothing that Julie was requiring. This led us to meeting a retired local gentleman that had studied and worked overseas during his life. He took us back to his house for a chat and a cuppa, which was just a fabulous couple of hours. The day finished with a taxi ride back to the sanctuary, and taxi rides when the traffic is heavy all seems to have a bit of carnival ride in them.

Till my next time Bye from Kolkata.