In short words: imagine a beautiful city with many Victorian buildings left in decay for 50 years. Then add few million savage refugees and you get the picture of how Calcutta looks like today.

In order not to make a mistake we checked in a hotel on Sudder street, an important tourist area. Although the room was more expensive than what we paid in Bangkok or Hanoi, the hotel was a ruin. It was worse than in the Max Payne video game. Shattered windows, walls falling apart, damaged furniture. The first picture is from the room adjacent to our room.

Leave the hotel and go for a walk. Ignore the pimps, beggars and homeless hanging out on the street. Remember we are still in the tourist area, on the same street with the Indian musem, a major landmark of the city, minutes away from the administrative buildings. Enjoy the view of people peeing and shitting on the street, spitting and throwing waste in the same place where they eat and sleep. Pigs and crows digging in the trash complete the landscape. No need to look for the slums. Slums are everywhere in Calcutta.

Can’t walk and hold your breath at the same time? Not a problem: A Mad Max style tram or bus, with shattered windows replaced by prison bars will take you for a magic journey through this piggery called Calcutta.

On the funny side: I found this article while researching about another major landmark, the Howrah bridge. Indians spat so much on this bridge that their saliva caused structural damage through corrosion. I believe this problem is unique in the world!!!