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.
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.
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