Due to my we-have-not-seen-enough-of-India-yet panic, we decided to take a trip to Calcutta (now known as Kolkata- like Bombay is now Mumbai) for the 4-day Thanksgiving weekend.
I will be honest- it was EXHAUSTING. Traveling with children in India is NOT what we thought it was cracked up to be.
But, we're glad we went. We saw some fascinating sites, and learned a lot about the "real" India. We actually amazed ourselves several times throughout the weekend that we were doing what we were doing. Walking through slums, visiting temples where animal sacrifices were being performed, hopping in and out of ancient taxi cabs, dragging our kids along.
Both kids were great sports. Catherine walked and walked and walked and rarely complained. Ryan rode in the Baby Bjorn like a champ- strollers are impossible. Both kids were stared at, touched, and given more attention than we felt comfortable receiving. The Indians love children and babies, and you can imagine the looks our two little white kids got- one with dirty-blond hair, the other with blue eyes!
Calcutta is India's second-largest city, and the former capital of British India. The architecture is unlike anything we've seen (most of it collapsing and ruined, but think old colonial), the food was good and the sweets/baked goods were delicious! The people were friendly, the streets crowded, dirty and ear-piercingly loud, the shopping ridiculously cheap.
In hindsight, it was a great experience.
Next trip: Dubai.
You are so smart to take advantage of travel while you are there. I would have been scared to travel with the kids, too. Kuddos to you!!!
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