Calcutta India...

First, before leaving Varanasi we sat at the train station for ever. We didn't know what to do with our bags and it was hot, very hot, so we went to the train station several hours early with the intent to just read and chill. I forgot all about the staring by the men and realized how hard it was to just be a foreign female sitting on my bag in the train station. In India, it is not rude to stare for prolonged periods of time but I am very uncomfortable with it. Ethan helped a lot though. If I stare back at someone, they don't even blink, but if he stares at them, the person gets really uncomfortable and look away or even walk away. These college ages kids came up to me at one point and asked me if they could ask a question and I was very stand-offish at first, but then I realized that these guys were rural school children that really wanted to practice English. They had come for a day trip to Varanasi (3hours by train) to pick up their school books for college. They asked probing questions and were very interested in knowing things like my qualifications and whether I was in a 'love' or 'arranged' relationship. If it got too personal, Ethan jumped in to explain that it was rude to discuss personal info in our culture. We couldn't find their town on the Lonely Planet map, but they did make me sign their school book (autograph) and talk to his brother on the cell phone. It definately made the time pass.

On the train, once in our seats (sleeper, no A/C), we were swarmed with vendors, beggars, and occassionally person using our bench until the next stop. In our six person area, we were a Thai monk, Israeli guy, wife and child of the Indian man in the next bunk, and Ethan and I. But since the woman and child were hanging with the hubbie, we got people sitting in their spots and our space on a regular basis. With a constant eye on our bags, we were wondering if we would ever get rest on this train. We finally put our beds down and laid out on our spots, put in the ear plugs, and slept to the th-thump of the tracks. We were woken by 4AM to men screaming for chai and coffee which we wanted but not at 4AM! By 6AM, there were shopping vendors selling gadgets and belts, a singing beggar, children collecting water bottles, and plenty more food vendors.


We arrived in Calcutta to a huge train station and shared a taxi with the monk and the Israeli to Sutter St. (sorry, that sounds like the opening line of a joke). We found a decent guest house, dropped our bags and I had another of my moments. I was sad for all the beggars and homeless people living on the street with the contrast of rich Indian coming to shop till they drop all around it. It is part of Hindu culture to give alms, but it amazed me the reliance on the begging and why isn't something bigger being done?

In Calcutta, I finished my third application and we wandered around the parks and down to the river. Once out of the touristy areas, the beggars were less but the touts were still there and we got hassled a bit for things by people that you would have thought just wanted to help or be friendly. I did find a new hobby while in Calcutta...I picked up a tube of henna ink and I henna-ed everyone in our guest house. I love to doodle and this stuff is great. I think it would be a great hit in Samoa...especially because it only lasts a few weeks instead of permanantly like tattooing. We walked around to shop, but it is really difficult to browse as there is always someone trying to move you, listening to you, and you can't stop or you will be attacked. Maybe tomorrow we can do some shopping. As for today, there is a citywide strike and nothing is open. In fact, they advise that tourists stay off the street. We draw enough attention as it is. So, with nothing else to do, we will go read our books, hang out at the guest house with the other home-bound travelers, and catch the 10PM train to Darjeeling. More to come....



Sara practicing henna on a two willing victims.... Not bad, huh?