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Could there be a city with a worse reputation than Calcutta? Just tell people you are going there and watch their faces. First, there's the business about the Black Hole.
India 2002 - Part One: Calcutta
Dougburnett2003-11-24 11:45:36
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remain, for the most part fully dressed and wash under their clothes - all with great dignity I might add. I guess the skill comes from so many people living so closely for so long.
Further along I found an area where men were exercising with huge weights, some doing gymnastics and others running around a small course. The oddest thing I saw was a man taking a sand bath. In a large shed he was rolling and rubbing in the sand. He looked ever so much like an old golden retriever I used to have that loved to roll in the grass - no disrespect intended. Also there were men walking on each other - one man would lay face down and another would walk the length of his body in very small steps. I guess it was some kind of massage, but it looked like these giant men would have crushed a fellow my size.
Next, I decided to walk across the Howrah Bridge. I had read that it was the busiest bridge in the world. The wide roadway was full of trucks and cars and their movement caused the bridge to shutter and vibrate every so slightly. In the pedestrian lane men strolled arm-in-arm - not an unusual sight in India - and porters shuffled along with huge loads on their heads. I had a great view up and down the wide, gray Hooghly River, which is a branch of the holy Ganges.
On the far side I walked around a little watching pedestrians, vendors and more bathers before heading on. Back on the Calcutta side I was still feeling energetic and decided to walk back toward the hotel. First, I walked through an area of old, rundown warehouses where vendors were cooking food and men were repairing bikes. Then I passed through an area of newer buildings, but few people. Here I decided to get a taxi back to the hotel.
I was impressed with Calcutta. The people we lively and friendly, the streets crowded with interesting things to see and, because it's not a major tourist center, the touts and beggars were
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See photographs from:
India Gallery
