12/22 Do crows talk in Kolkatta? Only if you haven’t slept in a day in a half

Early am, I was very entertained by Mitali’s little kitten, Booku, who kept peeing on all of Siddarth's things while totally ignoring mine. No harm.  Everything got all washed up;) Tea and toast with Mitali, her husband, Raj, and Siddarth and I’m off in a taxi to find a hotel.  I have a few ideas and look forward to wandering around.  Seems to be washing hour as lots of men in blue checkered sarongs wash at water pumps on the sidewalks. After two hours of walking up and down the same street and looking at overpriced, dirty, or booked hotels, the excitement has turned into bleary eyed sleep deprivation.  There are no street signs and if there is an address, there is usually and old English name and a new Bengali name.  People are helpful but even hand gestures are different so sometimes I go straight when I should have gone left.  Skinny Santa Claus' are everywhere.  I try to stay focused and calm but when the crows start talking I get a bit nervous;)  Thank God I finally find Sudder Street - the backpacker hotel area and eventually find Hotel Ashreen.   I have to wait an hour to see if there is a room.   I find a a little café, Blue Sky Café, and have toast and tea.  I return with good news and am taken up to a wonderful little corner room with two windows with a view of old colonial buildings, banana trees and partially built office buildings.  I really like Calcutta so far.  It feels like an Indian Paris.  The curtains and molding of my room give it and me some much needed charm.  I watch a little tv and am out.  I make myself wake up and have dinner at Blue and Beyond (Blue is everywhere;)), a great restaurant on the ninth floor rooftop of Hotel Lindsey.  I felt quite at home.  I have realized that if I can get a view of the city whether it be from a bridge, a rooftop, a hill, whatever, it helps me to understand it more.  It helps me to feel more comfortable. So I go back to bed and notice gratefully that the crows have stopped talking;)