The Peerless Inn - Kolkata Kolkata (Calcutta)

Calcutta has been lit up by fairy lights and bombarded with traffic for the biggest festival in West Bengal! There were lots of pandals (temporary temples) built all over the city, some that look like proper buildings and all for only four days! During this time everyone goes pandal hopping, it was fun to see the different pandals and see ...

... around 12, relaxing & having lunch, then going to the childrens ward at 2 and then spending time with the hospitals permanent residents from 4 til 5. In the evening we play carrom and UNO with the staff. Carrom is an indian game in which you have to flick a striker & get discs into nets on the corners of the board. I was rubbish & they all laughed at me, so I've been practicing in order to beat some of the indians at their own game. I'm learning a lot and it ...

... colonial capital). We're far removed from reality within the hotel walls- however, beyond the gate life is just as hectic and colorful as anywhere else I've seen in India. The internet service at the hotel is prohibitively expensive ($24 per hour), so I'm at a very inexpensive but poorly equipped internet cafe down the street- this means no pictures until I can figure out ...

... the goat that has been sacrificed earlier in the day (the meat is then cooked up to feed the poor). We also visited the Victoria memorial, a huge marble building built for Queen Victoria (although only finished about 20 years after she died). Otherwise we just wandered a lot - soaking up the atmosphere of the old markets and new shopping streets. And of course we ate some lovely food, including some delicious fish and a rich meaty stew - Bengali specialties recommended by Rumi.

... Indian drivers sure do have lightening fast reactions! Our tuk tuk driver seriously thought he was on a race track when travelling back from mass on Sunday morning! We managed to fit through gaps between cars/coaches/motorbike/people/cows I would never have thought possible!! Today I'm taking it easy with two other members of the group as I've had the lovely old Delhi belly for about a week but now on some antibiotics and ...

... the part when I told them that Australia would kick India in the cricket !!! There was one place I really wanted to visit, and being a cricket fan, I had to go. Eden Gardens is huge in the cricket world, and I found a gate open. There was also a game playing, so I sat back and enjoyed it. Actually, the stadium is quite ****, but it still is special in its own way !!! Once back on the streets, we walked ...

... Nath Choudhuri - a 75 year old retired professor. I was lucky enough to have a chance meeting and lunch with him where we had a very interesting exchange. During his presentation he told three things that I had told him over lunch. Once was the story of Arun Gandhi and his grandfather (Mahatma Gandhi), the second about Micro Franchising and the third about Social Business. Tuesday late afternoon I attended a lecture entitled "Biodiversity - underlying threads of ...

Here I am at the end of my time in India...and I can honestly say I am ready to move on to Thailand. Three weeks in India has been long enough. Kolkata is an interesting city though because it is much more modern than the rest of India. Wanted to see Mother Teresa's burial place, but unfortunately it is closed on Thursdays (random) and I leave early tomorrow for Thailand.

... aren't allowed to check in more than 2 hours prior to departure. I dropped my bag and slept on the floor until a line grew- weaving around the entrance, along the wall, and past my feet. The Air Deccan flights have no assigned seats. Passengers are shuttled to the foot of the plane where it's every man for himself. A scheme came to mind. Be the last on the first bus and score a window seat at the front of the plane. Just as I contemplated the logistics a line magically ...