Hey Everybody!

We’ve been working hard over the last couple of weeks to add a photo section to Curry Caravan–so hard, in fact, that it may have contributed to a directory failure on our external hard drive.  But, it was worth it (and all of the data was recovered, so we still have all the originals!)

You can check out the pictures via this link:

http://www.currycaravan.com/photo

These were pared down from approximately 5,000 images, and they represent our favorites so far.  The project itself is still in its test phase, but we hope you enjoy them nonetheless!

Sincerely,

Brendan & Megan

This is a huge thank you to the Mitras, who took us in like their own children (very white, very naive children….) and made our transition both smooth and joyful. They did everything–from cooking us dinner to arguing with the Vodafone rep–with a grace and generosity that we would be hard-pressed to repay in ten lifetimes. And to top it off, we now the plot of every Bengali soap opera (special thanks to Shila!).

Bappa, Shila, Munu, Brendan, Megan

(Megan)

Creepy baby posters, Calcutta, November 2009

After a week and a half of living in the most densely packed urban environment in the world, Megan and I were in dire need of a pastoral getaway. We packed up our things and took a trip out to the Sunderbans in the southeastern corner of West Bengal.

Megan took this photo

The Sunderbans Wildlife Preserve serves as the Ganges river delta and is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. The network of waterways and islands provides a home to a diverse array of plant and animal life, including tropical mangrove forests, the white-breasted kingfisher, egrets, crocodiles, wild boar, monkeys, giant lizards, and dolphins. However, the region’s Royal Bengal tiger population garners most of the attention. There aren’t too many left—just 1,800 worldwide, and three hundred of those live in the Sunderbans—so it’s hard to spot one, particularly since they’re solitary animals and wary of strangers.

The Sunderban tigers are notorious for being the only ones of their kind that will regularly hunt and kill human beings. Biologists haven’t reached a consensual explanation for this behavior, but the most convincing argument we heard is that it may have something to do with the tidal patterns of the region. Tigers typically mark their territory through their sense of smell, but since the borders between land and water in the Sunderbans are constantly shifting, smells are an impermanent part of life here. Thus, the tiger feels constantly intruded upon, and whether it makes them feel threatened or just crabby, they do not shy away from attacking people who live in the surrounding villages.

Dinosaur!

Since the animals are proficient swimmers and have ample covering to stalk their prey, it’s a very dangerous environment. Locals have taken to wearing Janus-styled masks, out of the belief that a tiger will never attack its victims from the front. Even so, violent encounters tend to be alarmingly frequent for locals, and seem to have become an accepted part of life. Supposedly, the wives of day-laborers will wear their widow garments with regularity, and access to the forests is restricted, since there’s a good chance you won’t come back if you venture too far within.

Alien!

We didn’t catch a glimpse of any tigers, though our guides supposedly saw one sun-bathing for a brief moment. We did see some of those crazy giant lizards, which can get you with their poisonous tails, along with some awesome monkeys (check out the video below!) and weird sand-creatures. The fresh air and placid surroundings allowed us to refill our tanks, and though we were sad to leave our wildlife companions, it is comforting to be back in the throes of civilization, out of the tiger’s bloodlusting purveyance.

And the video

(Brendan)

Lake Town, the bustling Calcuttan neighborhood where we’re staying, has been exceptionally lively over the last week.  West Bengal held its state government elections on Saturday, pitting the long-ruling Communist party against the TMC.  Don’t ask me what that acronym stands for—I’m not entirely sure, though I think that ‘C’ stands for Congress.  The TMC is sort of like India’s right-wing equivalent, though it’s not a direct correlation to the way things work in the U.S. (just as the Communist party here isn’t really “communist” or even “leftist” in the way we consider those ideologies).

In the US, campaigners bring their hostile attack ads to voters through television.  They may do that here too, but we have experienced the debate mostly on the ground level.  Campaign signs and billboards adorn every street corner, and both parties have slung flags over virtually all the telephone polls.  We have even spotted some gruesome attack ads that depict mutilated human faces and dead bodies, with (presumably) an accompanying accusation from one party to another.  Organizers drive down the streets with megaphones and loudspeakers, shouting political fodder in a painfully loud, rapid-fire Bengalese.

Graffiti also seems to be a common method of getting the word out. Megan has a fondness for the TMC’s nationalistic and aesthetically pleasing flowers.  Wherever else they may have fallen short, Communists with a big C have always been very adept at branding.  The hammer and sickle never ceases to be intimidating and powerful, even after so many humiliating mutations.

The results aren’t in as of today, but the outcome is expected to favor the TMC.  After decades of neglect and corruption, it seems as though Calcuttans are fed up with the Commies, and plan to vote for the opposition in overwhelming numbers.  Most people don’t seem especially optimistic that things will get better, but change is overdue, even if it ends up being largely symbolic.  Vladimir Ilyich is churning around in his glass sarcophagus! (Brendan)