15 experiences in Amsterdam which are must try and absolutely free!

Even the locals may find a thing or two from the list!

You are in Amsterdam and you realise "damn, the city is expensive". I know. Can't agree more! From having the most expensive public transport system in Europe to eating out that makes your wallet lighter by many many euros, most of my student days were spent by not spending. 🤣 But there are a few free things to do in Amsterdam which I absolutely love and I am more than happy to share it with the world. 

Disclaimer: These experiences are free considering you have a cycle/bike to reach the places. And if you ever need FREE wifi get into one of the supermarkets (Albert Heijn/Dirk/Lidl)

1. Mezrab - it's the house of stories and the perfect place to spend a cold Friday evening (which is the weather on most days in Amsterdam). If you like listening to stories, esp multi-cultural ones, meeting new people, and a nice bike ride along the IJ river, give Mezrab a try. I was addicted to it!

2. On your way back from Mezrab and towards Centraal Station, there is this empty space between buildings which has lights on the floor. It almost makes you feel like you are walking on and between stars.

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3. As you keep approaching Centraal station, on the right is Bimhuis. Overlooking the IJ river it provides some stunning views of the gorgeous Amsterdam's sunset (that is when the sun is out 😜). If it is a warm (or rainy or cold) Tuesday in June, chances are that they are having a free jazz/symphony concert up there which goes on until midnight. If music is your thing, go here! 

4. Oh they also have swings by the waterfront, which are absolutely free, unlike the swings on the Adam's tower. Go swing away to your heart's content!

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5. This stretch from Mezrab to Centraal station is my absolute favourite - be it to catch the sunset or bask in the golden hour or to see the twinkling reflection of lights on the IJ river. Yess! The views are absolutely free and very very different from the Amsterdam that you see on the internet. No tourist trap here at all!

6. Walk further down and when you reach behind the Centraal Station, you see a few ferry stations. Hop on to them and take a ride to Amsterdam Noord. The ferries are absolutely free and function 24x7! So, rest assured you can return back to this point after that ferry ride. 

7. Also, check out the OBA (library) nearby. While there are many OBAs in Amsterdam, the one near Centraal is probably the biggest. And what a sight it is! The interiors are amazing and if books don't interest you, I would still recommend you head to the 7th floor for the spectacular view of Amsterdam from there. And as the blog title mentions - it's free!

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8. If heights dizzy you, then head to Artis (the zoo). While it has a ticketed entry, the flamingoes are visible from a section of Artis that has free entry. Carry a book and sit there for hours while the pink flamingoes give you a visual treat and company. 

9. Amsterdam has a fair share of parks and more than a fair share of canals. Take a picnic mat, some cushions, take a book (or not), some fine wine (you will have to pay for this though!), glasses and cheese and make a picnic of it. Sit in a park by the canal and enjoy a hearty conversation. This is THE thing to do in summer. Also, check out the terrace of the Nemo museum or the vast Museumplein where you can bask in the sun (if and when it is out) in the green lung space between Rjks museum and Concertgebouw.

10. Party like no one is watching on Kings day in April, or dress up in rainbow colours to watch the gay canal parade. I bet you have never seen anything like either! Soak in the spirit and party without parting with your euros. On Kings Day there are some places where you can dance to Dutch music without paying a cent. De Oranjerie is one such place. If you are one whose idea of partying is to sip some amazing but expensive cocktails in peace then try the nearby Vesper. 

11. Attend the annual Prinsengracht festival held in the 2nd half of August. Tickets are hard to come by and so are the perfect viewpoints. But you can stand all along Prisengracht for free. The standing is all worth it - for there is nothing like staying back until the end of the concert and seeing the true blue Amsterdammers swaying to what could be the city anthem. 

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12. If history interests you, head to the city hall where you can find the visual history in the form of maps of the growing Amsterdam city. Also, you have probably heard that the city is below sea level. See the level of sea for yourself within tubes at the city hall and feel blessed to not be wading in water there. 😉

13. Go to any of the cheese stores doting the city and try their samples - absolutely free! Hehehe.. my personal favourite is the one in the red light district as they have quite a variety for free sampling. 

14. The city has so many statues and art work around. Some with reason, some without. Some by known artists, some by anonymous groups. You don't have to get into a museum to see these artworks. You can do it for free as long as you have a keen eye!

NDSM

       

       Street art by Frankey

Anonymous sculptor's work

15. Go to the water fountain opposite the arch at Haarlemerplein and feel free to play with water. Or sit by the fountain and look at ppl playing with water - that is absolutely free too!  

Bonus content: Follow these two Instagram accounts. They are hilarious and an accurate representation of life and cultural differences that you may face in the Netherlands.

1. Let's double Dutch

2. Driplist

Outdated post of the Inauguration Day at KIT, Amsterdam - Sep 2022

A year ago I started my journey at KIT, Amsterdam. What a journey it has been! I was elected as one of the class representatives and hence had the honour to deliver a speech on behalf of the class on the Inaugural Day. The script of the speech is below..

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Good evening everyone - faculty members and students of the MIH and MPH batch. It gives me great joy to represent the supremely talented and knowledgeable batch of MPH 2022-23. I thank you for this opportunity. 

It also feels very surreal to be in this room with so many who think alike, with so many who chose to prioritise public health at this juncture in life and with so many of us from different parts of the world - our synergistic thoughts and aspirations towards a better public health has led us all to find each other in this reading room. 

This is the age of internet. There is an overload of information. We are privileged enough to have access to textbooks and study material. Yet, we have all come here at KIT to learn beyond what we may learn when we turn the pages of a book or click the mouse - we come here to learn from the rich practical experiences of our faculty members. We come here with open minds to absorb all that we can. 

The awe inspiring Reading Room

Here, in front of me, I can see students from over 18 countries, and if I may say a humongous human library of atleast 18 public health systems. Now, if I have to apply what ever little epidemiology I learnt in the first week, that's a lot of people years of public health experience. We have nurses, doctors, dentists, public health experts and many more amongst us. This peer to peer learning is what many of my batchmates are keen on gaining in this year. And we believe our faculty members will help us comprehend and assimilate knowledge from this human library at the end of which we will be able to articulate our thoughts, ideas and experiences better than what we do now.

Last weekend I was at a house party. Amazing food I tell you. We had a Dutch dish, a Filipino dish, oh and that pickle from Zimbabwe... brilliant! Okay, let me not get distracted by food. But on that dinner table there was also many cultural experiences shared, which interestingly the others on the table could not relate much to. I dare say that was a preview of how different we are from each other, and how different are the problems that we face and how much more different the solutions will have to be. 

Here, in this journey of a year, and I say this on behalf of all my batchmates, we hope to understand how we contextualise health interventions to work best for our health systems back home. We hope to learn how to use specific tools, methods, and techniques to scale these health interventions for making a difference in our chosen area of public health. When we go back or wherever our paths may lead us to, we would look forward to applying our knowledge gained here at KIT in implementing interventions that create an impact, a tangible impact. 

My fellow class representative, Veronica Martinez who represents the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Track, aptly says and I quote "hope this coming year is filled with wonderful cultural exchanges of ideas and sharing of experiences that will help us grow more as individuals and also in our focus areas of public health. I expect that the MPH program will afford the opportunity for us to develop our talents and use our newly found skills to continue transforming our respective communities and have a positive impact on those we serve. May this journey be filled with insight, knowledge, and joyful memories that will leave an indelible impression on all our lives.” Thank you Veronica!

Well, back home, we have a child, parent, partner, grandparent and a health system waiting for us, cheering for us. And we just want to make them all proud. 

Thank you. 

And so began our journey.....

Graduation Day @ KIT, Amsterdam, Sep 2023

On September 1st, 2023 I graduated with a distinction in Master of Public Health from KIT, Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam. It was a wonderful culmination of the year long journey of ups and downs, but a year of great learnings. 

On the occasion my friend and fellow MPH batch mate, Craig Dube from Zimbabwe, and I gave a speech on behalf of the class. We got some rare compliments for the direct and so I thought I should leave it in print somewhere. Now you know what this blog piece is about :) I also have some pictures from the graduation day at the end of this blog. Enjoy!

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Lakshmi (LK): Good evening everyone - esteemed guests, faculty members, students of the MIH and MPH batch, family, and friends. It's an absolute honour and privilege to represent the 59th batch of MPH students at KIT for the second time in a year. 

I remember, when we started off an year ago in the reading room, I was in awe of the impressive setting. And now, to be here in this magnificent marble hall with all of you and an year full of rich experiences, I dare say, life is not the same, we are not the same. It feels surreal! We, the batch of 49 students came with dreams in our eyes and hope and excitement in our hearts. Today we are richer with knowledge and experiences, for sure, but more importantly, HUMBLED! Humbled, for we now know the depth and breadth of knowledge is far and vast, and the way it can impact lives is beyond imagination!

Craig and I delivering the speech at the magnificent marble hall

Craig Dube (CD): Yes. what a year it has been! We huddled together in groups to build a health system for a new country in two days, we wrote proposals that we believed would change the world, well maybe they will. We even had the health ministers who refused to pass our programme budgets without enough rationale! We learnt to read numbers as sentences and new words breached into our vocabulary to become a permanent part of it. DALY’s & QALY’s Blue boxes and gender equality became part of our everyday stories. But it was not all work and no joy. We had parties and danced nights away to songs which became our anthems. We shared food, learnt about each other's ways and cultures and realised we may have come appearing different but our ambitions desire to do good for our communities, connected us. We definitely had fun but then, we had some trying times too..

LK: "One day this terrible war will be over. The time will come when we will be humans again" Anne Frank wrote this in her diary in April 1944. Seventy nine years later in April 2023, the war in Sudan broke out affecting so many around the world including our Sudaneese friends in the class. From not being able to easily contact their families to hearing the bombarding in the background when on calls with them, to losing homes and family members to the crimes of war, and the uncertainties around them, our friends from Sudan have faced challenges that we cannot even fathom. In fact, challenge is a small word. I take this opportunity on behalf of the class to say this - Dear friends, We saw what you went through. We stand by you, professionally and personally, and we will do the best we can to support you. And I know it is easier said than done, but YES ... YES, THIS TOO SHALL PASS! <momentary pause>

This year also has been hard for many of our friends who faced a personal loss - loss of a parent, a sibling, a child, a family member -  to an enemy of mankind other than war - diseases. It wasn't easy at all. It was especially hard as our friends were away, here in a faraway country when their loved ones back home departed from the mortal world. Let's take a moment here to pray for their souls. [Pause] During these trying times, our facilitators provided us with great support. Thank you! We very much appreciate it. 

Despite all this, our spirits were held high, thanks to the support from so many quarters... We also travelled far and wide.. 

CD: Really? Remember how many people turned up at Sportsday in the Hague or that one gathering in Vondelpaark??. 

LK: ah! But then we all went to Geneva too. When was the last time you went on an inter-country school excursion like that?

CD: True true. And most of us still have our WhatsApp profile pictures set at the World Health Organization. We even went on a weekend Island trip to watch seals and enjoy the winter sun and maybe learnt a thing or two  about health systems in the same breath ...

LK: ha ha ha it was fun! But I think the best journey was that of the journey within. Don't you think so?

CD: I absolutely agree. As a cohort, we deeply appreciate the professionalism and commitment to service that our facilitators here present, those that could not be here and the diverse guest lecturers, exhibited throughout the course. We thank the custodians of this Sustainable development goals house for accommodating us the privilege to learn within its confines. It was indeed a long journey and by no means was it a walk in the park but we gather here today to celebrate the ups and downs of that journey. 

Even though some of us could not make it till the finish line at the same time, I understand that this cohort will remain a supportive community we can reach in to and walk the rest of the journey together. May the kindness, tolerance and empathy we exhibited to each other, be extended to the people we love, to the voices we represent and the callings we serve. To the MPH class of 2023, i leave these words by the late Paul Farmer to you “The idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that’s wrong with the world”So friends, Let us  continue our pursuit to challenge the MSE inequalities.

LK. Indeed. We did learn many things this year through the MPH course and look at the irony that life presents, these things happened back home in real - diseases and conflicts claimed lives and livelihoods. This only tells us that a lot of work remains to be done. That we have a lot of work to do. Earlier in this academic year, I had mentioned that this class is a walking-talking human library of over 30, three zero different health systems. But now i feel we are a collective force that has the immense strength and capability to transcend beyond our country borders ...to talk, share, innovate ... and change the face of global health! 

My friends, THE REAL WORK STARTS NOW ... AND HERE!!

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The promised pictures :)   

     

     Proud post-graduate - for the 2nd time

Also, distinction holder!!
With my academic advisor (and unofficial therapist), Elaine. 

Batch of 2022-2023

And here is the start of a new journey..

An Affair with Amsterdam - A starter Kit (see the pun??)

I have been putting this off for a loong loong time! And I realized, if not now, then never!

So here it goes!

First of all, welcome to Amsterdam! When I first googled about the city, all I saw was bridges and canals and I thought, how monotonous! But wait, give yourself time and allow yourself to open and soon, you will fall head over heels in love with the city. Before that, lets first address the needs.

1. Go for your BSN registration on day 1. The Dutch municipality offices don’t work on weekends and after 5 pm and rightfully so! Everything here works on an appointment basis. So, don’t turn up at a place and then be disappointed when the visit is not fruitful. It may take up to 3 weeks or even longer to get your BSN number. And until then you cannot open a local bank account or set up payment mechanism for renting a washing machine (I rented from wasgoed for a year) or get a subscription for phone or travel.

2. I hope you know cycling, and if not, I hope you can learn riding it pretty quick. Because apart from saving you a lot of money on travelling (expenses can go up to 100 euros a month without the cycle!!), it also helps you fall in love with the city a little bit more :) The Dutch refer to the cycle as bike, or fietse. My go-to fietse man is Safah. You can find him here on all days except Monday. Most establishments in Amsterdam are closed on Mondays. Not KIT though. :P

3. If you have given up on cycling, worry not cause the public transport system is good too! You can use your credit/debit card to buy tickets on the trams in the initial days (don’t bother getting a blue or the anonymous OV chip card). But as soon as you get your BSN number, apply for the personalized yellow OV chip card. This is helpful to get subscriptions on travel. You can later shift to the mobile app so that you don’t have to worry about carrying the card, but as of now the discounts and subscriptions are only valid if you have the yellow OV chip card. You will have to top up these cards at supermarkets or online until you can link your OV chip card to your bank account. Most importantly you need to ‘pick up’ the top up! I know, its super weird. Even more weird is that you can’t top up the cards inside the trams (not yet at least!)

4. If you love travelling like I do, get the NS flex for 5.60 euros and travel to other cities of Netherlands on 40% discount on weekends. This is a great deal! Trust me when I say there is more to the Netherlands than Amsterdam. Always remember, there is the Kingdom of Netherlands and Republic of Amsterdam, and they are vastly different from each other :P Also, download the following apps - GVB app, OV, NS, and Flixbus. Thank me later :)

5. Register yourself with a GP. Cannot stress enough how important this is, cause when you need one, you cannot just walk into one. You may be a doctor who knows what you need when you are unwell and so may think you don’t need a GP. That is a mistake! You will need a GP’s prescription for antibiotics, as you will not get them over the counter. Most GPs will be full, so get to searching the nearest one that will take you in. I used Centraal Doctors. 

6. The popular banks are ABN AMRO and ING. Whatever bank you choose, download the Tikkie app. You will need it when you hang out with friends for a broodje (bread) or beertje (beer).

7. Wondering which mobile network to use? Whatever you choose to do, do NOT buy the sim cards at the airport. Everything at the airport is expensive. If you know that you are going to be in the Netherlands for at least two years, you get better and cheaper mobile plans. You can simply walk into any Tabak stores and get a sim card without furnishing details or even paying for it!

8. Now let’s sort out the house supplies. If you are reading this while still in your hometown, I would highly recommend getting supplies which will last for at least 2 months. By then, the conversion of euros to your currency is less traumatic :P In case you could not get stuff from home, worry not. Here are your options. 

a. Dappermarket – You get ‘home brands’ of toiletries and household stuff here. It is also a great place for clothes if Primark is not your type. 

b. Action – the cheapest place to buy stationery, cycle fittings, house décor and everything else. If you want a bucket and mug (measuring jar doubles up as one!), go here.

c. Lidl, Dirk, and Voomer – these supermarkets are lifesaving, I mean money saving! You will need Google translator for shopping at the supermarkets. But don't worry, the access to their wifi is free too!

d. Albert Heijn is there in every neighborhood. Although on the pricier side, their options are different (maybe even classier). Remember to get their ‘bonus’ card! 

e. Kruidvat almost always has offers – the ‘buy one, get one free’ kinds. Make good use of it early on.

Eventually you will figure out where the eggs are cheaper or on what days of the week there are discounts or which rack usually keeps the discounted items. The magical words to know are actie, gratis, and korting.

9. Food is expensive in Amsterdam. Eating out is even more expensive. If you are like me who enjoyed eating out often back home, you will have to find alternatives. 

a. Supermarket food is cheap! The days you don’t feel like cooking, and you will have many such days, get that frozen pizza and throw yourself a party. Way cheaper than pizzas at a restaurant. It’s not for nothing that I called the supermarkets lifesaving!

b. Be Dutch during lunch! The Dutch eat bread and cheese for lunch. Not only is this less expensive than your country food, but it is also time efficient and is light on your tummy. You don’t want to doze off in the class after a heavy lunch, do you?

c. Work at a restaurant! As a student you are allowed to work for 16 hours a week. And the benefits of working at a restaurant is that you get free food! But hey, the course is hectic and requires your undivided attention until June. This recommendation is NOT for everyone.

d. Whenever KIT hosts a party at Tropen café and you come across their vegan bitterballen, help yourself to at least two of them. They are not bitter, and so lekker!

10. Shopping is an art in Amsterdam. So, try the markets first!

a. Albert Cuyp market – for street food to clothes

b. Waterlooplein market – They have great jackets for sure!

c. Noodermarket – this farmers market on Saturdays is a delight! Also, the cheese here is cheaper than Albert Heijn’s.

d. Dappermarket is a must visit. If you don’t find things here, chances of you finding it elsewhere is slimmer.

e. Vintage/second-hand stores - Not the branded ones near tourist areas, but the ones like Rataplan and the likes.

f. Also, download the vintage app. It’s a steal!

g. IJ hallen is where you go if you want everything for a bargain under one roof!

h. Zeeman is a good place to buy essentials, including raincoats, which you will soon realize is the most important accessory ever.

11. Talking about raincoats, the weather needs an introduction here. It rains on 270 days of the year here. But that should not stop you from stepping out. As the Dutch say, you are not made of sugar! Get that raincoat, don’t bother buying rainproof shoes, and get the Buienradar app. That is easily the most accessed app during my time in Amsterdam. Check the weather every time you step out and you are ‘rain ready’! Also, every time you step out carry a jacket and a raincoat (an umbrella is useful only when you are not riding a bike), irrespective of whether it is winter or summer. Remember, there is nothing called bad weather, only bad clothing! Despite all this, it is okay to complain about the weather. You are just on your way to becoming Dutch! :)

12. That brings me to culture. By the time you get to summer, you will figure out how to gezellig at one of the parks (Westerpark is my fav!) or have a barbeque party or just chill by one of the canals while sipping wine and biting off some good cheese. But until then, you could try the following:

a. Go to the Amsterdam cheese store and sample all their cheese for free. This will let you know which cheese to pack for lunch and what cheese to have in summer along with wine :P

b. Buy the museum card. I didn’t and I regret it so much! You could do one museum a week and still not be done with all the museums in the Netherlands.

c. Go to Mezrab on Fridays. I did that almost every Friday since being introduced to this amazing place of stories.

d. When the weather is great, go cycling - especially to the tulip fields in April.

e. Take the free ferry and go see Amsterdam Noord. It’s got an altogether different vibe!

That covers your weekends. You should really be studying on the rest of the days!

13. You have two main vacations during the term, and you will get to enjoy it if you have fared well in your exams. The vacation holidays are in December and in April. Plan ahead for cheap tickets and explore Europe as much as possible. I visited at least 10 countries during my one year of stay here. But hey, first focus on your studies.

14. If you want to enjoy the wonderful European summer, make sure your thesis is not stressing out. You see, June, July and August are the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of the year in this part of the world. So, start working on your thesis at the earliest. 

15. You may be looking forward to some of the festivals. My top three are:

a. Kings Day. Google will tell you more about it. But get something orange for this day in April.

b. Gay parade. You would have never seen anything on these lines in your life ever. Get something in rainbow colors if you want to go see this canal parade in early August.

c. But the best festival is the Prinsengracht’s musical concert on the canal in mid-August. Do me a favor and stay back for the last performance. If you have fallen in love with Amsterdam like I have, this will be your most memorable moment in this city that would have by then become your home. 

16. Most importantly, make memories. Things can get hard. But hey, you will survive. Reach out, make friends, seek professional help if required, go bask in the sun whenever it is out, organize potlucks, dance together, sit by the canal, go boating in summer, get lost on your cycle, enjoy the flowers, and admire how the same patch has different flowers in every month. Do all this and more. This is going to be a magical year!

My lifeline!

Proost!

P.S: You can see my one year journey of life in Amsterdam on Instagram.  

Bonus content: Follow these two Instagram accounts. They are hilarious and an accurate representation of life and cultural differences you may have in the Netherlands. 

1. Let's double Dutch

2. Driplist

It's all about food in the city of joy....after all, food is joy, and joy is food!

After the Sikkim snowstorm story, we almost immediately decided that the next trip has to be to a forest. I was done with snow, at least for now. So, we decided on visiting the Sunderbans, what with the imminent fear that the river islands will soon get eroded! We opted for the 3 days, 2 night tour offered by Backpackers Tour de Sunderbans, and were to fly in and out of West Bengal via Calcutta/Kolkata in the last week of December.

Thankfully, both of us had seen most of the city's historic and religious monuments on previous visits. So, this turned to be a food tour of what Kolkata had to offer. The researcher that I am, did quite some research regarding the food in Kolkata. However, I could do no justice to all recommendations for the time that was very limited (just 3 days!). But to be honest to my commitment towards a food tour, my itinerary revolved around where to eat and what to eat. Below is the itinerary that we followed.

21st December: Land in Kolkata, and check-in.
1. Brunch: Peter cat, Park street (chelo kabab)
2. Nahoums, New Market (minced pie, lemon tart, almond tart, coconut ball, fruit cake, marzipan)
3. J.Johnson corner shop (semi-soft and smoked Bandel cheese)
4. JN Barua, Bow Barracks (channa poda)
5. Balaram Mullick, Park Street (channa poda, baked rasagulla, kheer kodum, mango dahi, gur bhara sandesh)
6. Dinner: Mocambo, Park street (Chicken ala Kiev and Fish Diane)

22nd to 24th December: Sunderbans tour

24th December: Reach Kolkata, and check-in
Lunch: Kasturi, New Market area (mutton kosha, and poshto)
Dinner: Pa Pa Ya, Park Street (mulled wine and dimsum)

25th December

Durga idols at Kumartuli

1. Nahoums, New Market (Cheese Samosa, fish Patrice, chicken pie)
2. Nabin Chandra Das sweets, near Kumartuli (gur rasagulla and regular rasagulla, rasagulla wrapped with malpua)
3. Kumartuli to see durga idols being made
4. Lunch: Arsalan (mutton biryani)
5. Visit to a friend's place
6. Local train from Shobha Bazaar to BBD Bagh to see Howrah from land.
7. Dinner: Mitra Cafe, Shobha Bazzar (fish kabiraji, diamond fry, prawn cutlet)
8. Cocktails: Moulin Rouge, Park Street

26th December
1. Breakfast: Flurrys, Park Street (all day breakfast)
2. Victoria memorial
3. Papdi chat, jalmuri outside the memorial
4. Lunch (part 1): Mocambo, Park Street (deviled crab, baked Alaska)
5. Lunch (part 2): Bhoj company, New Market area (betuki paturi, sukhto)
6. Sweets: Mishti doi, jamun, baked sandesh at Biswa Bangla, Airport

Pending for our next visit to Kolkata:
1. Coffee house, College Street
2. Street food: Puchka, ghugni
3. Shyam Bazaar. Golbarir Kosha Mangsho
4. Shiraz/aminia: Chicken/mutton biryani and phirni
5. Mocambo's pepper deviled crab
6. Bow Barracks: Street home food (cutlet, vindaloo) during new year
7. Saldhana bakery (walnut cake)

While I fulfilled so many of my wishes which were on my bucket list since years (Moulin Rouge, Fish Kabiraji, Flurry's, Mocambo...), I have few favourites elaborated below that I will repeat whenever I go to the city again, and needless to say, they are highly recommended too!

Checking off Flurry's from the bucket list

1. Place: Mocambo, Park Street
What I loved: Chicken ala Kiev. This dish is insane. I am in a dilemma if I should reveal the surprise or not. Do me a favour, just go order it!
Other favourites (not mine, but of other Kolkata dwellers): Deviled crab (cheesier), Baked Alaska (it's all in the presentation).
What to remember: This place does not take table bookings and often involves long waiting periods. So, opt for a time that has less takers.

2. Place: Nahoum and Sons, New Market
What I loved: I really can't pick a favourite. Given a chance, I would have my breakfast of pies and cakes here everyday. I had the cheese samosa, mince pie, chicken pie, almond tart, marzipans among others (Just typing that made me hungry!). Just go there and pick what attracts you.
What to remember: Go early. I had to endure a long queue for almost half an hour a couple of days before Christmas, only to find most items sold out!

The loong pre-Christmas queue at Nahoum's

They all were yummmm!

3. Place: J Johnson (corner shop), New market
What I loved: The semi-soft, smoked Bandel cheese. If you like the smoked flavour in your dishes, this is a must have. All of Rs.8 for the size of a peda, this is quite a buy.
What to remember: After you fall for the cheese in the first bite and want to take it home, buy the dry one. The dry ones stay for a year, and when needed, has to be just soaked overnight.

4. Place: Balaram Mullick, sweet store.

You cannot stop at just one!

Disclaimer: I don't like sweets. So, while I maybe choosy here, feel free to indulge yourselves.
What I loved: Baked rasagulla! And Kheer Khadum (pronounced khodum), which is basically dry rasagulla coated with dry shredded kheer.
Other favourites: Jal bhara sandesh (pronounced Jol bhora sondesh), which is molten jaggery within sandesh; Chenna poda (roasted cheese); gur rasagulla (jaggery rasagulla)...
What to remember: There are many outlets throughout the city. Also, pick one of whatever sweet entices you at the store before deciding what to indulge in.

5. Place: Mitra Cafe, Shobha Bazaar

Fish Kabiraji

What I loved: Fish Kabiraji. The origin of the name is 'fish coverage' as it is fish fillet covered with egg. Introduced by the then resident Britishers, the dish stayed to eventually become 'kabiraji' from 'coverage'. Everyone here orders just this one dish!!
Other favourites: Diamond fry which is a crisp fish fillet served with mustard sauce.
What to remember: The place opens at 5 pm, and apparently sell out by 8 pm. Also, the place does not have more than 5 tables cramped up in a tiny space. Indian Coffee House in College Street also dishes out great fish kabirajis.

6. Street food - anywhere!

Jalmuri

What I loved:
      A. Rolls at Hot Kathi Roll near Park Hotel, and Kusum rolls, midway on Park Street. I had them in my previous visit and unfortunately couldn't squeeze time for the rolls this visit.
      B. Jalmuri. This is the Bengali cousin of bhel puri, only more spicier and with a generous dose of mustard.

I missed out on trying the puchka, ghugni, chowmein,.. Seems like I will have to plan a visit again soon.

7. Authentic Bengali food, multiple places.

Disclaimer: I am not a Bengali and hence, I may not be able to distinguish authentic cuisines from non-authentic ones. So, Bengalis, spare me on this one.
What I loved: Sukhto and Betuki Paturi, Bhoj Company, New Market. I had had my lunch and was full when I ordered these dishes. Yet, the mustard flavoured dishes completely won me over.
Other favourites: Poshto, mutton kosha
What to remember: These dishes are rich in mustard flavour. So, tread slowly if you are new to the flavour. 

Where to stay?

Vintage love!

If you are a traveler like me who spends less time in the room and more outside, I totally recommend Sunflower Guest House, close to Park Street, (just across Mocambo) for budget stay. I stayed here even on my first visit, and will stay here on my future visits too.

What I loved: The vintage look of the entire place and the lift of course. The proximity to both Park Street and New Market is such a bonus for the price!

What to remember: Book the AC rooms as they are larger. The rooms are basic and clean, but not luxurious.

Sunderbans tour

We went with Backpackers Tour de Sunderbans, and I think it is easily one of the best choices I made on this trip.
What I loved: From the word go, these guys are well organised with tastefully done office and eco-village.
What to remember: Although basic, the food and stay are good. The weather was on the colder side when we visited and hence, warm clothes will be useful. There are more chances of you not spotting the tiger. Don't let that disappoint you. Look around if you are a bird watcher; or simply relax on the boat with a book.

Sunset at the eco-village

So, go ahead and plan your next trip to Kolkata. There is a lot of information on places to visit available on the net. This blog post will help you with what to eat, esp if you are a non-vegetarian. 

I will have to stop blogging now, because my smoked Bandel cheese is calling out to me. 🙂

Varanasi Diaries

We traveled to Uttar Pradesh in April 2017. Yes, yes, very hot. But, beautiful!

The itinerary was as follows -
Lucknow for the Nawabi architecture and food (2 days)
Allahabad for the prayag and well, food!! (1 day)
Varanasi for the experience (2.5 days)
Sarnath (half a day)

However, Varanasi stole the limelight and hence this blog post is dedicated to the oldest city of the country.
Diary entry 1 - Boat rides and the ghats

I saw the ghats of Varanasi first in the fading light of the day and was mesmerised by it. The boat ride from Assi ghat to Manikarnika ghat was enchanting, except for the mosquito like insects. At the Dasashwamedh ghat there were boats aplenty, thus our boat got the farthest 'river space' to witness the famed Ganga aarti which was the agenda of this first boat ride.

We took our next boat ride along the same route next morning. The view from the boat ride gives the bigger picture - of the picturesque ghats and life associated with the ghats. The ghats are of myriad types - some colourful, some monochrome, some palatial, some simple, but all of them majestic. The people and their habits contribute to the changing hues of life every ten steps are so. Actually, there is no demarcation between the ghats - the changes are dynamic.



The ghats offers you a peek into its life. From boxing classes to young kids head diving into the water for their swimming lessons, from the classical music morning - Subah-e-Banaras to the Ghat Sandhya where dances are performed every evening to enthral the transient crowd, from the localites who obtain their morning dose of meditation to the people who have travelled far and wide to wash off their 'sins', from those sleeping peacefully on the ghats to those who arrive 'sleeping' to attain salvation, the ghats offer a view of almost every spectrum of life one can imagine.

Dasashwamedh ghat is believed to be the most spiritual of ghats and people throng to witness the Ganga aarti here. In the day time, numerous large umbrellas provide the shelter and address for the pandits who are much sought by the visitors for various kinds of appointment for/with their forefathers. It is probably the most occupied ghat.

Kedar ghat, also called Vijayanagaram ghat looks a lot like a temple in south India. So, it is no surprise that you see a lot of south Indians here. Apparently, just behind this ghat you can pamper yourself with authentic south Indian dishes.

Assi ghat is where the Subah-e-Banaras, a morning musical programme happens, along with the morning aarti. In the evening, Ghat Sandhya attempts to bring together the spiritual and the cultural aspects.

Kathak by the Ganges as part of 'Ghat-Sandhya' - an evening celebrating the confluence of art, culture and spirituality. 

As you walk you find Rajput era styled ghats, numerous shiv lings which are bathed in the Ganga water by the devout, a ghat covered with white sheets just washed by the washer-men in raincoats, many tourists taking photographs of the interesting graffiti, men painfully cleaning the river beds and pulling out any piece of plastic that catches their eye, saffron and black robed men with matted hair - some in in yogic postures, some meditating, some seemingly transfixed on something distant, some giving 'interviews' to the curious onlookers; men preparing their nets for fishing, some insisting on taking you on a boat ride, some smoking (it's Shiva's place after all), some massaging, some selling piping hot tea in earthen cups... Well,... I could go on and on. Like I said, life exists on the banks of this river. People live off her and by her. And what about the death, you ask? Mother Ganga has provision for that too.

Ghats of Varanasi

It is said that at Manikarnika ghat, also known as the burning ghat, the fire has never been put off as the ghat sees around 150 pyres each day! Life thrives along the ghats at Varanasi. And so, it completes the spectrum when you see the departed, brought from far and wide to one of the oldest ghats in Varanasi, dipped in Ganga, water poured into the mouth, and finally cremated on the banks. This is because the ghat is considered sacred and is believed that people cremated here receive moksha or liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth. Some people considered death as 'unholy', so it is surprising that this is situated very close to the Kashi Vishwanath temple. One needs to witness the action in this place to feel the weird calming experience of appreciating the ritual, and the livelihoods created out of it. Okay! This alone requires an entire blog post! Also, it is one of the 51 Shaktipeeths, as Mata Sati's ear-ring fell here, and thus the name.

The burning ghat. Source: Wikipedia 

Situated very close to the Kashi Vishwanath temple, Kachori galli is a narrow lane and a landmark on its own, which serves as an all time diner. A localite told us that there is also a custom where people, after cremating the departed at the Manikarnika ghat, make it a point to have kachoris in one of the many shops dotting this lane. Weird I thought! But, maybe that is to signify that 'Life Goes On'.

It is at Varanasi that it occurs to you that the Ganges is not just a river, but an emotion. She has stayed longer than anyone of us and witnessed not just eras, but the rise and fall of civilisations. While both the dead and the alive come seeking to the patient mother for salvation, the others live by her, and off her - truly a mother!


Diary entry 2 - Ganga aarti

On her many ghats, aarti is performed to Mother Ganga in the evening just after sunset. Hugely watched from the Dasashwamedh ghat, it does make for an event to be witnessed. The devotees and others flock the ghats to watch it from either the ghat or from a boat on the river. Mini stages erected on the ghat serve as stage for the pandits to perform the ritual facing the river with the crowd sitting behind and beside.

Young male pandits dressed in yellow/ orange shiny kurta, white dhoti, and other paraphernalia perform the ritual which lasts over an hour. Starting with the blowing of the conch, the pandits wave their hands during the aarti in various patterns which looks choreographed and staged mainly because they nervously look at each other as to what 'step' comes next and also to appear synchronized.
During the ritual, many items are used- a snake shaped aarti with flames that are tended to through out the aarti, a towering aarti with multiple lamps, incense aarti, peacock feathers' fan, and so on. The background score of chants and recorded bhajans provides rhythm for the aarti.

The much talked about, much anticipated Ganga aarti. The energy and enthusiasm is infectious

The crowd plays its part by clapping along which actually makes the whole atmosphere feel electric, and the energy is palpable. Marigold flower petals are thrown in the air occasionally. Some of the petals are distributed to the crowd who are requested to offer it to the river in the front after which, prasad is distributed.

The large flames against the dark sky makes it a spectacular event, but not really spiritual. Infact, the shayan aarti (aarti to put the Lord to sleep) inside the Kashi Vishwanath temple was more electrifying and provided that 'oneness' feeling.

It is interesting that people are allowed to witness the aarti with their footwear on. There are no qualms of what your religion is. It is open for all and when there are less rules, there is more acceptance. That is what Varanasi taught me.

To witness the Ganga aarti, reach well before dusk to secure the best place and witness it on any of the ghats. But for the best experience, watch it at the Dasashwamedh ghat. You can also watch it from the river on a boat and this gives a different perspective. Best, do both. First evening watch the performance from the ghat, next evening take the boat ride.