MONDAY

Last day in Kolkata…. Woke up with just a low-grade fever… but seem to be doing better.  Many on our team are not feeling well and we were told that once you get sick in India it is really difficult to get healthy again, especially considering how germy everything is and the extreme pollution.

Our last day we were more tourists than anything else…. We visited Queen Victoria’s memorial which was actually built while she was alive, but she never stepped foot on the property.  This monument was very British and so magnificent it actually seemed out of place in the heart of Kolkata.  Everything was clean… there was no garbage or litter, and there were flowers and the shrubbery was even green, not coated in city dulling grime.  It was surprising to realize that we had been longing to see the color of nature as we’ve grown accustomed to the color of gray and brown.

Plus, there was a bit of wind last night so much of the smog had been blown away... it was an incredible sunny day.  Today may have been the first day that I was able to take a deep breath without coughing… it was so refreshing! We also visited the most magnificent chapel I have seen.  I simply sat in one of the chairs in the midst of the sanctuary and marveled at the beauty.  Then we did a tad bit of shopping! J

This was a positive way to end our trip as it showed us that there is another side to Kolkata other than the extreme poverty that we witness everywhere you go.  I am sad that we only have a few hours left here, in a place where I have grown to love the people and the culture!  This has been a trip/experience of a lifetime, but I am ready to come home… I am ready for a real shower, to breathe clean air, and most importantly…. To eat a grilled cheese sandwich (my favorite food of all time).  Just no more Curry. J

Next on our agenda is dinner out then head straight for the airport!  We estimate that from the door of the volunteer center to Frankfurt, Germany, to the door of our homes it will be 30 hours of travel.  It is 7pm here on Monday and it is weird to think that we will be home tomorrow late morning…. its just going to be a REALLY LONG night!

Drinking Chai as the Indians do.

Standing in front of a tributary of the Gangees River on the most beautiful day of our trip!