Chapter photos from Crocodile Love, my new travel memoir
byThese photographs from our trip through Pakistan, India, Ghana, The Gambia serve as the chapter openers to CROCODILE LOVE: Travel tales from an Extended Honeymoon.
Birpara: Village Life and Volunteer Project
Leaving Birpara: The Toy Train Not Taken
byThe reason the Dalgaoan-Birpara Railway Station does not appear on my map of the town is because, until my final week, I had not…
The Moldy Backpack Blues…
byFrom my freshly trimmed mustache To the bottom of my walkin’ shoes… Tranquilo Traveler Rule #1: When your backpack has been sitting in the…
Viswakarma: God of Broadband, DSL, and Ethernet
byThe mustachioed, elephant-riding, dainty-looking deity on the right is Viswakarma: God of Technology, Machines, Iron-work, Masonry, Carpentry, and all Trades and Handicraft. His Puja…
Durga Puja Part 2: Oh Boya—It’s Bijoya!
bySorry, I couldn’t resist. It’s just that I’ve been listening to “Shubho Bijoya!” all day, as Birparians wish each other a happy final phase…
Our Other Roommate: Shelob the Shaggy
byThe first time we met Shelob, we murdered several thousand of her children—freshly hatched spiderlings which were seething over one corner of our bathroom….
Durga Puja: Praying to the Demon Slayer
byFiercest of all Goddesses, consort of Shiva the Destroyer & Source of the Universe, Durga is the most revered deity in all of West…
The Man Who Sells Me My Toilet Paper
byNote the tee-shirt-resting-on-the-belly method of keeping cool, an extremely popular practice in both Nicaragua and West Virginia.
Map: Birpara Town, Jalpaiguri District, North Bengal
byWhen I showed my map of Birpara to Tay, and asked her if I’d missed anything, I was startled when she immediately declared “Yes! 
Bengali Birthday Bash: Bulbulda Will Arrange
byVikash “Bulbul†Roy, is much more than the owner of the vehicle we rent. He is our Godfather, our band manager, our bodyguard, and…