So my Dad and I arrived at the airport just before midnight here in Kolkata, and got to our hotel room at about 1:30am. The cab ride was very interesting, lots of honking. I was mostly numb, and exhausted from flying for 2 days, but as I looked out the window at the darkened streets of Kolkata, I couldn't help but feeling a little hurt and very sad. I couldn't believe that this was where I was born! The feelings are clear, but I'm not really sure why I feel that way. More on that later, hopefully. In the dark, the city looked very grim and unpromising to tourists like us.
But then there was our first day in the city...

First day in India today was very...stimulating. Lots of noises to be heard, and lots of smells to be smelled. Oh yeah...and very HOT! On the cab ride to our first stop, The Queen Victoria Memorial, I marveled at how busy the streets were in the daytime as oppose to the nighttime, and also at how colorful the buildings were. There were street walls splattered with vibrant advertisements, most of which I could not understand because they were written in Bengali. We got lost and wandered South for quite a ways while looking for a restaurant. We hadn't had anything to eat, and it was 11:00 by the time we were able to find our restaurant and have lunch. Quite an adventure indeed!

By the time we got back to our hotel room, I had decided unofficially of course that we would not be going back out there for dinner. Although, my stomach may prove me wrong!