Take me to the place I dream of...

Before reading this post, play this song alongside it - it is as close to India as some of you may come! Plus, it ties into what I will talk about...

What little kid is going to want to put his rubbish in this?

I mean, how much does this make you scared to fall asleep?

I think it is so pretty how the rain has marked these fences.

Ta da! Victoria Memorial!

Shes's a beaut'.

Hahahaha this is Justin and Reggie (our un-invited, but persistent tour guide, looking for a way to get a cold drink).

So beautiful! You can see Anna in the foreground... just.

Look everyone - a real cloud! In Kolkata!!

The view from inside the museum, from the second-floor balcony.

A pretty grand entrance, I must say.

I love this photo. What I don't love is that it reminds me of the man/boy standing a few feet to the side of me, blatantly with his cell-phone in my face taking a photo of me. This happened a lot this day... and we even had to pose with a few Indian families, because they were excited to have a photo with white people for some reason. I wonder who those photos will be shown to...

I am amazed at how detailed this is!

Queen Vic, perched upon her throne.

Ah! We were definitely there are the right time of day!

So... breathtaking...

Hungry hungry hippo...

On Sunday, Justin, Anna and I went to Victoria Memorial Gardens and Museum - so beautiful, and definitely a place I will hold dear to my heart as a place I felt peace here in Kolkata.

We spent a good few hours in the afternoon here, wandering around, taking photos, having stalkerish photos taken of us, marveling at the beauty of the building and its contents... such a nice way to end the week (or start, depends how you look at it). To finish off, we grabbed a cold Sprite/Fanta, and sat in the garden watching teeny-tiny and huge bats flying around. For once I didn't feel so stared at - it was so peaceful sitting there, sipping at our drinks, listening to the music playing through speakers throughout the garden, and watching the evening erase the light from the sky... To me the music was the most amazing part, it made something inside of me stir - it was enchanting, and I immediately began to day dream of a time when Kolkata was a thriving and regal city; I pretty much felt like I was in a scene from Aladdin (a child's dream come true!). This is where the song at the start of this post comes in...

This image is a photograph of the scene they have set up inside the memorial - the people are all life-size figurines, with real objects etc - it made me feel like I had stepped into the time of India I so wish I could have seen.

It was a magical day for me.

x