Why I'm Loving India

I stepped off the train in Kolkata after 10:00 pm on Sunday, January 18th and already I knew - I was going to like India.

First and foremost, there were women. Like, out on the street. After dark. Wearing pants and short sleeves. Walking together or - can you believe - by themselves. Freedom! Freeeeeeeedom! I felt like running down the street singing. So very, very cool.

Second, there was Sasha - I'm going to call him Alex because Sasha makes me laugh. We met going through immigration at the border. He's from Germany and had been visiting family in Dhaka. Another traveler! My entire stay in Bangladesh I had seen one. One! And that includes my time at the train station. We shared a cab to Sudder Street where I discovered reason for my liking number three,

A dorm room! A room where men and women sleep - in the same room. A place where one can meet people, share travel experiences, get useful information from people who have been where you plan to go... I didn't even much care that it almost exactly resembled Annie's orphanage. For $1.50 a night, one can overlook aesthetics. Awesome.

OK, so at this point I'm pretty ecstatic - but it only gets better. The next morning, I took a ride on the Metro. I love efficient, coherent systems of public transportation. For less than 10 cents I rode downtown and stepped up and out to find reason for my liking number five,

Neoclassical Imperial Colossal Architecture. Just hanging out. Grandness in all its terracottad, imbedded Corinthian columned, domed glory functioning in such humble employments as post offices, FedExs, and fruit vendors. Interesting - and a little disheartening - but cool to look at, have nearly unrestricted access to, and wander faceup amongst for hours. So I did.

My day concluded just as blissfully. Dinner at a restaurant on Sudder Street with Beth - fellow traveler met in the dorm - and Alex. Paneer Butter Masala, Roti, and Orange Lassis, all for a grand total of under $2.00, accompanied with laughter filled conversation about travel mishaps and hopes. Alex wants to make it all the way back to Germany overland. Good luck in Pakistan was all I could offer. For him - a man who's father is a Muslim - it will be different. Infinitely easier. For me - I plan to continue enjoying India.