On our way back to the Park Hotel -- a lovely place to stay in the upper price range -- we crossed Calcutta's most famous bridge by taxi. Stopping is not allowed on the bridge unless you're with Leela, who convinced the taxi driver that stopping made great sense. So he did, I hopped out, took one handheld shot and jumped back in. I've already mentioned that the best photos are often unexpected. This is one of those shots. Although I didn't take any pictures in the Calcutta train station because I couldn't find a good vantage point, you really should visit. The phrase "teeming masses" will finally mean something to you. There are people everywhere -- waiting, resting, walking, running, eating, sleeping, selling, getting on and off trains. As we ventured down one of the platforms to take a closer look at one of the trains, I prepared myself to be pummeled as we walked through the crowd streaming toward us. We weren't even touched. Like a school of fish, people parted before us and closed around us, leaving us intact and pleasantly surprised.

Calcutta taxis are great, both in size and style. Some are new, more are ancient, most have their hood-mounted meters covered to allow for bargaining and all are windows on one of the most fascinating cities in the world. This shot was taken from the backseat of one of our taxis. The "blow horn" directive is a reminder to cars behind to blow their horns on narrow roads when they want to overtake.

     
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