I don't generally look forward to spending time in big cities, and I had been forewarned that I shouldn't spend much time in Kolkata. But I'm not sure those people were really throwing themselves into this country. My ten-hour train journey pulled into Sealdah station at 7-0AM, and from the minute I stepped onto the platform and found myself in a sea of criss-crossing porters carrying suitcases and baskets piled high on their heads with their wares bathed in the morning light, I knew I was going to like this vibrant city.

Outside the station a sea of yellow Austin Ambassador taxis was waiting; alongside them the walking rickshaw-wallahs. This is the only city left that still has these "tana" rickshaws. They are generally a sign of poverty, as most of these people live on the streets, but the high wheels of their vehicles are the only ones that can get through the flooded streets during the monsoons.

I haven't given myself much time to explore Kolkata (I will use it's modern name, as the pronunciation is pretty much the same). But I have managed to cram a lot into the two days:

• Victoria Monument. An incredibly impressive building on which construction started in 1901, and was not finished until 20 years after Queen Victoria's death, at which point the British Empire was already crumbling.

• Dalhousie Square. Huge British colonial buildings of which the General Post Office is the most impressive. It was built on the site of Fort William which was demolished after the Black Hole of Calcutta fiasco (although there are plenty historians who dispute whether that story is fact or myth).

• Jain temples. In this religion they believe in mot harming a single living creature, so conservative followers brush the path in front of them to avoid treading on insects.

• Wandering through the fish, fruit, veg and flower markets.

• Watching the bathers on the ghats, and visiting the place where clay effigies are made. These are often seen being dipped into or partially submerged in the rivers.

I can't go much further into my tales of India without mentioning food. I love Indian food, and have been looking forward to trying all the different dishes from different areas. Whilst Uttar Pradesh didn't seem to have much to offer, West Bengal has been much more interesting. Bengali food is not particularly spicy, but they love their fish here, as there are so many rivers (and of course the sea) to stock up from. I don't recognize many of the fish varieties on the menu, but I have not been disappointed so far. The fish curries are very good, and the fish fried in ginger and mustard seeds are a local speciality. West Bengal is also famous for it's sweets and desserts, which mostly come in small portions from bakeries and sweet shops. I have tried a few, but they are a bit too sweet and sickly for my taste.

I spent a couple of hours this afternoon lounging on the grass at the Maidan, reading my book as the sun went down over the trees, which it does at about 4 o'clock because India only has one time zone, so it comes up early and goes down early over here in the East. Every city and large town has a Maidan (pronounced moy-dan), which is a large open space which is used for all kinds of events, parades and sports. Here they play a lot of cricket on it.

But right now I'm off to try some more of that Bengali food before I move to my next state - south to Orissa.