29. Boston

After over 24 hours since boarding in Mumbai (and this isn't including the flight from kolkata to Mumbai ) I have made it to Boston finally ! Yay!! Grabbed an hour of sleep on this past 9 hour flight from London so this king size bed with all the pillows will be good tonight .
In the past month I have been on 16 different flights . Sixteen !! That is nuts . I have been patted down so many times now that I just see someone with a uniform on and I raise my arms and assume the position.
Looking forward to getting to my car tomorrow and heading across that border, seeing that Canadian flag flying high. It always fills me with a sense of national pride to get back to the border after a trip abroad and see that maple leaf. As much as this trip was amazing and so rewarding there is nothing like getting back home again. I am afraid I may be bringing a bug back with me but that will all work itself out . Pun intended.
So this will be the end of the blog for now. Thank you to all of you who have been following it and rooting me on with all the kind comments . It really meant  a lot to me. Sorry I had to stop adding pictures but such is the limits of technology. Just realized today that there were two days during the trek that I wrote in a notebook and never copied it over to the blog. Will look it over when i get home and if there is anything interesting maybe i will write them up.
Until the next big trip (and that will be a while) thanks for reading and see most of you soon!!

28. Calcutta and onwards

In a taxi cab,  back to the airport again. The traffic, as always, horrendous. The cabby is hawking and spitting out the window on a regular basis . When i first got in the cab we barely made it around the corner when he asked me for 2 rupees . I figured there must be a toll to pay on a bridge or something so rooted around and found him 5 rupees . He stops the cab, jumps out and says "cigarettes " and uses my money to buy himself some smokes on the street. Wonderful. Not only am I inundated with the smog of the city but now I have his chain smoking fumes coming back at me.
I have continuously wondered at the fact that you do not see more accidents in these big cities in India. For the most part , I have to say that the drivers are very skilled at their weaving in and out and there seemingly known system of honking and blowing horns that appears to let other drivers know their thoughts  and directions because there is no other rhyme or reason that I can see and this is my fifth time in the country. Mom, you think that you do some swift intakes of breath and palm slapping of the dash when Dad is driving . I think the only blessing you would have here is that you would likely faint in the first few moments and then be oblivious. This cabby is not the best driver i have been with. Be glad to be at the airport again and out of the haze of his hand rolled smoke .
Pedestrians NEVER have the right of way in India . Not in Nepal either although did not seem to be quite as bad there. While in Nepal our guide told us that if a driver hits a cow and kills it he will spend years in jail. If he kills a pedestrian, he receives 15 days . Seriously . I have seen poor women standing in the middle of the street with babies in their arms and these drivers are not stopping . Really didn't want to know what the penalty was here.
At the Calcutta airport now. The cabby charged me over double what it cost to get from airport to hotel yesterday and then, when checking in luggage they wouldn't let me carry on what i did yesterday , made me check it and then told me i was 20 kgs over my allowed amount and had to pay 115 dollars for extra baggage fee. This is not turning out to be a good day and it won't be over for another 36 hours.

27. Calcutta

Oh Calcutta. How you have not changed.
Will first start at beginning of the day. Awake early to get ready for the trip to the airport. Tried to pay my hotel bill in Aizawl and found that it had already been paid for me by the church. I tried to argue the point but that was a waste of breath. I cannot even explain the kindness and goodness of these people. There are no words that are good enough to describe. Rev Chalhnuna brought me more of the local oranges that he knows i love and Zuali, Rev Zalianthanga's daughter brought me several different kinds of chocolate to eat along my journey.
We reached the airport and although I tried VERY hard not to cry of course I did. Again I was the only white face on  the plane which can be quite funny. I hadn't realized that we had to fly to Manipur state first to drop off and pick up so the flight was longer than i expected.
And then Calcutta. Hardly words to describe it either. The noise. The smog. The abject poverty. The heat. You are idling in traffic and all that you can smell through the non air-conditioned cab (these vehicles are circa 1950, I kid you not) is urine. Then you move a few feet and you might smell sweet incense burning. The man in the car next to you is staring, full faced staring, because you are white and a foreigner while his finger is up his nostril, up to the second  knuckle, digging as if his life depended on it .
I thought , once again, that i had picked a hotel close to the airport but it took almost an hour to get here. I know there are slightly better areas in Calcutta but we certainly did not pass through any of them getting here. I was really starting to doubt my Expedia pick of hotel as sometimes the pictures and ads can be deceiving, but finally we arrived and it is quite good. Very noisy outside but clean inside and has a good shower, which are my requirements for the night . Could not work the hot water in Aizawl and so washed my hair in cold water and did the bucket bath thing . Was fine.
Hoping to have a good rest tonight and hoping they will let me have a late checkout as my flight from here doesn't leave until 7 pm-ish tomorrow evening and the thought of sitting in the domestic airport for hours on end is not bearable at this moment.

26. Last day in Aizawl

Another great day spent in this beautiful place. Didn't sleep as well last night and was awake early . Laid awake a long time thinking about all the wonderful people here. Had breakfast and then met with Thangtei and Rev Chalhnuna at the church. Went to the market with them both and was able to pick up a couple of things to give them. We had coffee together and then went to Lawma's wifes family and was given more shawls . Heidi and Peter, I am lugging some things home for you!
I literally had to buy another duffle bag to bring home all the gifts I have been given . The people here are so giving . Much too generous .
I rested and packed a little in the afternoon and then was invited for dinner at Rev Zalianthanga's, where his daughter prepared a delicious meal. I think that Thangtei also helped  to prepare the meal. Rice, fish , curry chicken , salad ....everything was so tasty and i was so full after I could barely move. We had a great time together and I am so blessed to have such great friends.
Trying desperately to stuff everything in the suitcases and bags I have. Will be heading to the local airport, Lengpui, at 0930 tomorrow. Then on to Kolkata for tomorrow night - slightly unplanned but nevertheless I will be there. I expect by the time I get there I will likely just settle in to the hotel for the night. Unless things have changed greatly, Kolkata (Calcutta) is not a city that I really want to do a lot of sight seeing by myself .

25. Aizawl

Had a great day in aizawl today. Started off the day with meeting a couple of the girls at the church and then went on to the market. I was able to pick up a few things including a new shawl for myself to wear at church tonight . The days are warm but the evening can be quite cool . We did some sight seeing after that including going to the local museum. The Mizo people used to be tribal headhunters before they became Christian, so it was very interesting seeing the history of this place.
I was invited for dinner at the new church so went back to the hotel to get ready for it and then headed to the new church. For those of you who don't know, it was the dream of the church here to build a new church, and Peter, the doctor that I have done the medical clinics with in previous years, and I , committed to sending them money every three months until they were able to do so. They finally finished the building last March and wanted us to come for the dedication service, but neither Peter or I could come at that time.
When I finally saw it today for the first time, surprise !! I cried ! What a beautiful, beautiful building . I had seen pictures before but to see it there before me was amazing. Took lots of pictures that I will post when I get home.
Dinner was delicious . They felt they had to buy me special chicken from the hotel I am staying in but the food they had was just as delicious or more. We had rice, a long green gourd with spikes on it boiled (Heidi we saw these in the market ), boiled pork with greens, and some really delicious bamboo shoot. It had peanuts mixed with it and that might have been my favourite thing of all.
After we rested at Thangtei's house and then on to the church. They had a wonderful service and presented me with more gifts . I am going to need a new suitcase to bring things home! They presented both myself and Peter with plaques thanking us. I got up to speak and managed to mangle my way through reading a Psalm in their language. Then somehow I also got talked into singing with one of the girls ( thankfully in English). Many pictures were taken after.
Have one more day in Aizawl then leave the next day to go to Kolkata. Will spend the night there and then on to Mumbai where I will take the 0300 flight back to Boston via London.
I am hoping that the black beetle that I picked out of my bed when I returned this evening has no friends and I will be able to sleep and not think of him too much.....

24. Aizawl and the beautiful hills

After endless security checks and rummaging through my carry ons in Kolkata (this has actually happened in every airport in India with every security check - do I have a shifty look about me?) I arrived in Aizawl ! I love flying in to Aizawl. We fly over the hills and you got a glimpse of the city. And when I got off the plane it was a comfortable 24c and all I could smell was flowers in the air. No smoke . No smog. Again, I was the only white face on the plane and in the crowd . Shortly after I got in the airport I saw Rev Chalhnuna walking towards me. Such a kind and gentle man. I almost cried. I had to be pulled off to the side right away to register myself as arriving in the state and then we were able to leave the airport . Thangtei, a special friend from here, was also waiting for me and was so good to see her. One of the church leaders drove his vehicle and the other two down to meet me. Off we went through the endless switchbacks climbing up to Aizawl. Rev Chalhnuna told me they had had an unusually long monsoon season this year. This was evident by several areas along the road where great landslides had covered the roads . They were still working at fixing them months later .
As in every time of arrival to Aizawl the first order of business was to go the local police station and register "the foreigner " into the books . One of the things they always ask and record every time I arrive is my fathers name. So,Dad, your name has once again been duly recorded in their big book.
Was then taken to my hotel where more church members were waiting for me. They gathered some extra chairs and we all crammed in and had a cup of coffee together. I was getting pretty tired by this point, having been up since before 3 am and it was then twelve hours later. I was given the programs for church the next two nights and was told that time was made in both services for me to "have a speech". Great. I am such a great public speaker . Not.
I told them I had no good clothes with me to wear to church and Rev Chalhnuna assured me he would borrow a "skirt", which, here, is a long piece of beautiful cloth that you wrap around. They all left for about an hour and half while I got myself settled and had a bit of dinner in my room. Then Rev Chalhnuna came back with another church member and my skirt, I quickly got changed and off we went. When we reached the church Rev Zalianthanga daughter pulled me off to the side and asked if I would like help putting the skirt on right. Not only did I have it tucked wrong but inside out. Sigh.

The service was lovely and the singing, as always, amazing. The Mizo people have a great gift of song and they share it willingly . I am always given a hymnal so I can sing along and I certainly try although stumble greatly on many of the words and usually have no idea what I am saying . I managed to bumble my way through a few words in a speech and they presented me with another beautiful traditional skirt. There is so much work put into these. Stunning. I will wear it tonight .
Slept fairly well although this cold just does not seem to want to let go. Will meet with some church members this morning and then go to visit the new church and some other "sight seeing ". Really looking forward to seeing the new church . They are planning a dinner there for me tonight before the service. Will try to update later .

23. Mumbai to Aizawl

I am standing in the middle of the Kolkata domestic airport. Up at 3 am and have made the first leg of the journey from Mumbai to Kolkata. It's funny how the memories of previous trips here all come rushing back, just standing in this chaotic, noisy building . Already I see people who are obviously from the North East of India. They are easy to pick out - their  gentle smiles and beautiful features .
Left the hotel in Mumbai to the awful realisation that I made a huge mistake in booking my flights back from Aizawl. Somehow I have a flight on Wed from Aizawl to Kolkata but booked my flight from Kolkata to Mumbai for Thursday. I can't imagine how I have done this, but there it is on paper . I am hoping that I will be able to fix this once I reach Aizawl. Maybe tomorrow .
I had decided in Mumbai that the hotel fee was too much to have them drive me to the airport and planned on taking a metered cab. However, when I got to the lobby this morning at 0345 the wonderful man at the desk told me he did not want me to take a metered cab, "Maybe it's safe . Maybe not so much this time of night". Then he offered one of his staff to drive me in the hotel vehicle and "you pay what you like ". You can find kind generous people no matter where you are in the world.
Flew from Goa yesterday. Sat beside a very lovely talkative man from Libya. He had been in ill health and was recovering in India and could not say enough good things about it. He remarked on the "calmness and coolness" of most Indian people and I have to say I agree for the most part. He marvelled at the fact that there are 365 days in the year, however, because of all the different religions in the country, there were 367 different holidays /festivals . He also said that he would need to come back again as "India is so large, it is like a continent. Like Africa . You cannot see it all and experience it all in one trip ". Again , I had to agree .
The funniest thing happened as I stood here. A young gentleman who once acted as my interpreter in our last medical clinic approached me. He recognized me in the crowd ( the blonde hair in the sea of black and brown hair likely helped )and I recognized him right away. Nice to see a friendly face .
Will try to post this when I can although I am unsure of what internet services will be available in the next few days.
Ps. Squatting over a squat toilet with a heavy backpack on your back, because the floor is too disgusting for you to set things down on, pulling you backwards whilst toileting is another feat I can add to my list.