Kolkata (Calcutta),
India
Saturday, February 9, 2008
One more overnight train brought us to Calcutta - where it is still raining but at least it is getting warmer! We arrived around lunchtime so we only had an afternoon here before moving on to the next place. We visited Mother Theresa's house and tomb and there was a fascinating exhibition about her life and work which I didn't really know much about. Isabella and I decided to go and visit one of the homes for the dying and destitute just to see what they do there and whether Isabella might want to volunteer. We managed to get on a local bus with a little help from a high school boy, then we sat on the wrong side of the bus - we sat where there were spaces, but that was the mens side so we had to move! I had prepared for some bad sights at the house, but it wasn't nearly as distressing as I had imagined. There were about 100 men and women there who were being fed and watered, and gernerally looked after, tt was very clean, clean washing hanging, lots of volunteers millying around looking very busy - I am not sure that I could volunteer doing that though??
This the final part of the north india trip - half the group head south tomorrow to meet a new 5 people and a new leader.......
