Much Has Happened

It is tempting to glamorize India. However, after living here for 11 days in five different cities and traveling well over 1,000 miles it becomes very difficult to do so. As all know, it is true that India has experienced phenomenal growth rates in recent years and there are loud buzz words constantly reiterated in regard to India such "IT services, Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), and a rapidly growing highly educated population." All of these facts are clear indications of a bright and prosperous India.

However, upon visiting, observing, and experiencing India it is also true that there is a long way to go. In Kolkata, we were staying in the oldest part of the city which is located by the Ganges. This was the place where the East India Company of England built one of the first trade settlements in 1690. Naturally, much has developed since. Now, 317 years later, the five story stone buildings appear a bit dilapidated as most of the paint has been shed from the walls. The sidewalks are cracked and mud is exposed. The exhaust from motor vehicles is black and is impossible to avoid breathing when driving or walking. There is trash strewn about just about everywhere. When the day is gets hot the trash heats up and lets of pockets of stench. There are people everywhere either on foot, on bicycles, on rickshaws, and in cars. Many times I have seen men peeing on walls by the sidewalk of a very busy street. Additionally, it is not peak tourism season as it is can get very hot and is always humid. It is also the season of rain, which did not help the aesthetics of Kolkata. Although, this is not the most fun to write about I feel it is necessary to illustrate what is really going in this part of the Kolkata that we first visited. There may be better parts of Kolkata as we did not get to explore it enough to evaluate the entire city. I will explore the city more extensively when I arrive at the beginning of August.


*Pictures will come once the camera difficulties are resolved.