...we have still been getting confused by the Indian nod mistaking it for a head shake, despite a lot of practice; fortunately finding out someone means yes when you thought it was no is usually a good kind of surprise
...we found it interesting most Indian airlines not only ban smoking but also alcohol on board
...while getting off the plane Kama took a hit on the head from crutches falling out of an overhead compartment
...we noticed stylish yellow taxis and driving more aggressive than anywhere else so far in Calcutta (cabbie mouthing off at someone..)
...we booked our air tickets to Ladakh (Himalaya region) grinding our teeth at the extortionate prices (peak season there!)
...we found that one of India's largest multiplex theater chains is called "Amoeba". I wonder what kinds of food they serve there...
...we jaywalked in Calcutta (is there any other way to walk there?) - wow! Delhi and Bombay, you can kiss our dirty sandals!
...we got stuck in a real pedestrian traffic jam in downtown Calcutta and failed to find the Chinatown, mainly because it's not there anymore
...we found that the Calcuttan metro is nowhere near as clean, shiny and fast as the one in Delhi, but it got us there nonetheless
...we walked around the town until we nearly dropped and tasted the amazing local kathi kebab rolls
...we bought train tickets to Varanasi (only non A/C left...) after joining the daily 3.5 million crowd to cross the Howrah Bridge (the world's busiest bridge) to get to the train station
...we thought Calcutta must be the most Indian of all Indian cities in every possible sense - definitely not good as the point of first contact with the country but it grows on you
...we learnt that besides cricket Indians were fascinated by a very particular sport called kabaddi, not unlike wrestling
...we battled more Indian English pronunciation: lesson no. 2 "fahsoofoloh" = first floor
...we realized Indians had made their own contribution to what is already an extensive list of different names for the same thing: fizzy drink, soft drink, soda, soda pop, coke etc. They call things like Pepsi, Fanta or 7Up "aerated drinks"
...we strolled around Calcutta some more, saw many flags and parade preparations for the National Holiday on Aug 15 but because of a simple misunderstanding missed the actual parade. Oh well, next year will work too.
...full of hope and good spirits boarded the night, non A/C train to Varanasi (having properly locked our bags first, as the guidebook says trains into and out of Varanasi generally teem with thieves