Varanasi is an ancient city and perhaps the holiest city in India for Hindus. It is located at a confluence of the sacred Ganges and several other rivers. All Hindus wish to die in Varanasi to have a chance to end the cycle of reincarnation. If they aren’t lucky enough Continue Reading
A Kiwi Connection to the Oberoi Grand
Due to the length of our trip we are, by necessity, budget travelers. We arrange for periodic episodes of luxury from time to time to keep our spirits up, and to see how the other half lives in some of the places we’re visiting. We tend to do this when Continue Reading
The Meter Man
One of the challenges with traveling in India is getting the taxi drivers to use their meters. Like in most major cities of the world, meters are installed in all taxis to fairly calculate the fare, including factors like distance, wait time, time of day, etc. The rates are set Continue Reading
Durga Puja
We spent most of last night wandering the streets of Calcutta. We had no idea where we were or exactly where we were going. It was amazing. We’re here during a major Indian festival called ‘Durga Puja’. It is celebrated in many places in India, but nowhere with the fervor Continue Reading
Oh Calcutta
Leaving the South of India we returned to the North, catching a flight from Chennai to Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal state. Kolkata was previously known as Calcutta. Diane was a bit apprehensive about coming to Calcutta. It is India’s second largest city with over 15 million people. In Continue Reading