Day 32 - Calcutta

Last day with the group today (sob). Lat night the restaurant was wonderful - the service was extremely good (waiters like flies buzzing around) and the food was divine! The cafe is above West Side shop (can't remember what it was called - but it was on the 5th floor) - if you are ever in Calcutta just go there. Nightclub was fun - overzealous security guard fending off keen lads, which was funny, but the music was a groovy mix of normal clubbing tunes and hindi songs (these Indian lads really aren't shy about having a good boogie!) I sloped off with a few other people at about 1, but Nella and Julie didn't leave until 8.00am - now that is dedication.

We all met up this morning. Last brekkie at flurys (mmm, triple chocolate torte, mmm) - drank 2 pots of filter coffee in quick succession because I knew it would be the last decent brew for a while!

I caught a taxi with Anna, Julie and Lisa to Mother Teresa's motherhouse. It was a nice, quiet place and the sisters were sweethearts. We also had a look at the childrens home were they take care of orphaned and disabled children - it was a really nice to see somewhere where at least some of the overwhelming multitude of poor are cared for. The kids all looked happy and healthy, a stark contrast from the ragged street kids everywhere that tug at your clothing for rupees.

Afterward we still had a few hours before meeting for dinner. Lisa and I decided to visit one of Calcutta's modern art galleries. Unfortunately the main gallery was closed (it is sunday) - and the alternative is hard to find. Most of the taxi drivers here speak no english, and often very little hindi (all Bengali) so getting anywhere is a challenge. Our driver dropped us off at Kali Ghat, the site of the original temple for the ancient city, and a loong way from the gallery. We went with the flow and visited the temple instead.

Kali is a scary goddess who chops off people's heads and has a long, pointed tongue. At her temple, the oldest in the city, they hold regular ceremonies and sacrifice goats (eeech). We were the ooonly westeners there. We left our flip flops in the quagmire outside the temple and wormed our way through tens of devotees. At the main shrine we make an offering (10 rupees - they said 50 each, but we laughed, thinking they were joking, turns out that it was the usual minimum donation - oops). The guys dragged us over the offering bowl, smeared our heads with orange kumkum, then handed us flowers to throw on the shrine and a sugary, gooey dough ball soaked in rose water to eat. Afterward we wondered back through the bustling markets, feeling adventurous, and caught a taxi back to the hotel.

Last meal with the guys at Peter Cat restaurant, then we all said goodbye. Eric, Nella and Murray are going up to Darjeeling; Lisa, Julie, Anna and I to Goa tomorrow; everyone else back home. A strange feeling to leave the people I have spent so much time with the last month. Still, I shall see most of them again in my travels! We leave early tomorrow, so this is the last night in Calcutta - I am sad to go, I really like it here.