sights (no sounds)

There is a reason that most of my photos up until now have been taken inside or at least inside the gates of our guesthouse/complex. I am honestly too overloaded when we are out and about even to think about photos and besides, I don't have enough hands to hold onto the children and the camera.

Taxi rides are an adventure all of their own, and I have yet to cross a street by myself with the kids. These photos don't really adequately capture the roar of the city (or the traffic), but here's a small sampling anyhow of the varieties of architecture, shelter and modes of transport within Kolkata limits.

he loves cab rides!

aw, mom. not another cab ride!

One of my favorite things about going around town is the city-wide devotion to Mother Teresa. The signs of her legacy are everywhere; nuns visiting the homeless on the sidewalks in their signature blue and white, and the homes and shelters for the poor sick and dying. Images of her pop up everywhere. Murals, statues and shrines, and not just Catholic ones, but Hindu and Muslim memorials, as well. It is as if the entire city is proud she was theirs.

(Premdan, one of the MoC homes) (look in the bottom right of this next shot to see a bust of M. Teresa)
As "Calcutta," the city was the capital under British rule and I hope to capture more of the distinctive architecture in the future. It is really quite lovely although much of it is not holding up to the toll of weather and time. I wish I could capture the sounds and smells, too, but that will be impossible. There is a culture of honking here that defies logic and trucks around the city even add "Blow horn" to their bumpers to encourage the more timid drivers. It is...impressive.