My first full day in India has been superb, Kolkata is an immense city and so full of life. If it differs from my perception of the place, then maybe it's a little easier to just be an obvious foreigner. Kolkata is a great place to just leave your guide book and get lost in its narrow streets which I did. I also visited the Victoria Memorial building, a stunning reminder of the British Raj. Set in beautiful gardens the 4Rs entrance fee means its a great place to escape the chaos that lies beyond. On the steps leading to the main entrance, Kerry and I were in high demand. It was time for any Indian and his wife, kids and mate to have a photo with the white couple, we had to make a sharp exit as a queue was forming. The Victoria Memorial itself is a stunner and reminded me alot of the Cunnard Building (with bells on) at Liverpools Pier Head.
After a power cut ruled out the English presentation at the planetarium the rest of the day was dedicated to eating. Its not hard to find food in this city, every street corner and sometimes whole streets are swamped with mobile kitchens cooking tonnes and tonnes of various curries to feed the millions. For tea, I chose a more upmarket venue, meaning it had tables and chairs and the owner was delighted to have and recommended a few dishes, including a paneer(cheese) butter masala and a lentil curry called Chola Bhotura
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