SUNDERBANS (DAY 3)

Had to make an early start today for the trip to the Sunderbans. We set off by minibus to the small village of Sonakhali and then it was a 3 hour boat ride to the Tiger Camp where I would be staying. The boat journey was excellent with tea and coffee served as we cruised our way along the delta. I already felt a million miles from the chaos of Kolkata. Our guide, Mr. Raptan had been leading tours for the past 20 years and gave us a brief introduction to the Sunderbans. The reserve is actually split between India and Bangladesh with 40% lying on the Indian side. After almost 3 hours relaxing on the river we finally arrived at our camp which will be home for the next 2 nights.

The camp is set on the riverfront and everything run in a very eco-friendly manner, from the use of solar panels to the sustainable use of water and raw materials. The camp has a range of accommodation ranging from tents and huts to fully equipped AC cottages. I had opted for the non-AC hut which was fine for this time of year.

After a lavish buffet lunch we set off for our first cruise amongst the mysterious mangroves. We were all on the lookout for one thing – the infamous man-eating tigers of the Sunderbans. Tigers have been known to swim across the river and venture into villages killing and eating many humans every year. Fisherman and honey-collectors who venture deeper into the mangroves have come up with a simple yet effective way of warding away this predator. Tigers are not known to attack from the front (such cowards!), so people wear masks on the back of their heads in the hope they won't be attacked. Apparently it works... to some extent!

The river and the mangroves seemed endless and we caught occasional glimpses of fisherman hurling nets into the water, scooping up plenty of fish. The weather was fantastic albeit a little humid. We cruised along spotting numerous kingfishers and other birds, as well as the odd monitor lizard but no tiger sighting. The encouraging news was that tiger numbers have steadily increased in the region totalling some 270. Although we knew the chances of spotting one in an area of 2500 sq kn were going to be remote.

After we got back to the camp, some locals performed folk dance and music after which we proceeded to the outdoor dining area. I like this buffet style of dining, and naturally ate to bursting point... my favourite were the delicious kofteh, these were balls made of raw banana which were fried and cooked in mustard-based gravy.

Afterwards I got chatting to the manager and staff who were all extremely friendly, before retiring to the comfort of my hut... tomorrow is an early start.

-Rahul

KOLKATA (DAY 2)

After omelette and toast in the garden, I set off with my guide for the day to 'Imperial Kolkata', the main area where the British had built most of its grandiose buildings. I had heard from many travellers that out of the major Indian cities, Kolkata had the most character and I was starting to see why. Kolkata had been the former capital of British India, and as a result a lot of the architecture resembled that of 19th and early 20th century Britain. This is perhaps the only city in India which has a functioning but creaking tram system and parts of the skyline of Old Kolkata are dotted with colonial reminders.

When people think of Kolkata, the first image that often comes to mind is poverty. Needless to say this does exist, but it is unfortunately commonplace in all Indian cities. Perhaps the main reason for this notion amongst Westerners is the media coverage of Mother Teresa's selfless work providing care for the poorest of India's poor. I was eager to see her 'Missionary of Charity' to learn a bit more about her and the work she started in Kolkata. Originally from Skopje (formerly part of Albania, but now Macedonia), she lived in absolute simplicity which was apparent from the set up of the missionary. One of the rooms has a very informative gallery of her life and her tomb lies in the centre of the room, which is visited by other nuns and the general public who pay respect on a daily basis. The missionary is run by volunteers from around the world who continue her good work. Despite her immense popularity for the noble work she carried out, there are those who also criticise her for the often negative connotations of Kolkata and there are others who go further and accuse her of religious imperialism. Personally, I wouldn't go so far as the latter, but I can understand how the media's portrayal of her has led to an unfairly one-sided perception of this city.

From there I headed on to the imperial part of Kolkata. The roads are afloat with a sea of funky yellow Ambassador cabs, introduced by the British and still produced in India! No visit to Kolkata is complete without a visit to the Victoria Memorial, and it really is something truly breathtaking. The Lonely Planet is spot-on when it describes it as a cross between the US Capitol building and the Taj Mahal. As the name suggests, it was built as a memorial to Queen Victoria, despite her never visiting these shores. From the outside it is a majestic white structure surrounded by tropical greenery, and inside there is a very impressive gallery of Kolkata depicting the transitions this city has gone through, before, during and after British colonial rule. Bengal used to be one state before the British divided it into two states, West and East Bengal. At the time of Paritition in 1947, East Bengal became East Pakistan and in 1971, Bangladesh. Kolkata was the original settling post of the British, under the auspices of the East India Company and it was from here that Indian raw materials were taken out of India and expensive British imports flooded India. Since West Bengal had been at the forefront of colonial rule, it was no surprise that there was a lot of political agitation in Kolkata, and in 1911, the British felt this was too much and shifted the capital inland to more stable Delhi.

OK, history lesson over! Moving on from the Memorial, I visited St John's Church, the High Court (from outside) and then the somewhat bizarre Marble Palace. The building is very grand and contains the prized collection of a wealthy Indian businessman, which consists of an eclectic mix of art, chandeliers, furniture and massive mirrors. We then went on to the backstreets of Kumartuli which is where grand statues of Hindu deities are made – some are used for local puja festivals and many are also exported. It was amazing to see how these were made, first from straw, then covered and detailed in clay, and then left to set before finally being painted.

Later in the evening, I met up with Randeep at a bar in the Broadway Hotel, and he was joined by 2 Aussies and a British guy by the name of John who was also staying at our guesthouse. The 2 Australians had actually been living in Kolkata for the past 12 years and had started walking tours showing the hidden side of this city. Immediately I thought this would be ideal for our tours as well and Randeep spoke highly of his experience on the walk. After a few beers and a good chat, John and I pencilled in Nov 5 for our walking trip. Before that though, I am off to the Sunderbans tomorrow, the world's largest mangrove forest. It should be an amazing contrast to the frenzy of Kolkata. I can't wait!
- Rahul

KOLKATA (DAY 1)

I flew into Kolkata with IndiGo, another of India's fledgling budget airlines, and was incredibly impressed by the whole flight experience – definitely something the likes of Ryanair and EasyJet could learn from in the UK, who seem more obsessed with cramming as many people into their aircrafts as possible. Anyway, the journey from the airport to the guesthouse was a pleasant one despite the traffic jams that typify any city. It was the last day of the 'Kali Puja' festival and as I entered the city I could see lots of pandals, lavish temporary temples, honouring Kali Maa, the Hindu goddess of destruction. These are then taken down to the Hoogly River (also part of the Ganges) by devotees and then immersed into the river. Unfortunately, since I arrived quite late I was unable to witness this.

I arrived at the superb guesthouse that we plan to use for our tours, with each room having a particular theme. I was staying in the Rural India room which had been done up fantastically well. The roof was thatched with straw and the interior walls done in clay with figures painted on the walls, complete with flatscreen TV! It was very compact but very tastefully done. I ventured into the garden area where there were a few tables and met another guest by the name of Randeep, who was also from the UK (Doncaster to be exact – Kevin Keegan's hometown!). Amazingly, he had been staying here for 3 months and was doing training/ internship at the Kolkata Stock Exchange. He had also travelled a lot within India and he told me some of the highlights to look out for in Kolkata. I was due to be picked up in the morning by the guide for city sight-seeing and based on what Randeep had told me, tomorrow should be an exciting day!
- Rahul