Blogs from West Bengal, India, Asia - page 75

Hope you are all well. I was very sick on Wednesday after I sent my last mail on Tuesday night. I think it was Over Dehydration from the heat on Tuesday and also from going Non stop since I got here. I never felt so sick in ages. Didn't eat a thing all day and was aching all over .. and I couldn't even talk (Not like me!!). Went to meet the Principle of the schools that day and to do work in 2 schools - I could barely stand. Fab schools though... considering they are in the slums!! I am AMAZED at their dedication to study, despite the fact that these are a first generation to go to school.. Was in bed by 8.30pm and Gobnait had to get me Electrolytes and Loads of water ... read more

About 4 months have passed since I traveled to India. But I can't forget about it. And I want to tell my experiences to anyone. So I'll write this passage. I'm 17 year-old, japanese high school student. My dream is that all children who live in all over the world never suffer from hanger, conflicts, poverty, and diseases. So I wanted to see and recognise the fact in this world. And 19th Mar 2005, I landed in Kolkata, India. In this night, I visited my host-family's house and was welcomed so gently. In this house, there are too many people. Most of these people speaked Bengali and few speake English and Japanese. But all people who lived there were extremely friendly. Next day, I visited Mother's house where I wanted to visit in this trip. ... read more

My adventures brought me to the chilly northern parts of India—in Darjeeling (West Bengal) and the eastern parts of Sikkim. Darjeeling is known for its tea, and while driving up the hills we passed loads of tea plantations. There is definitely a strong English influence, as it was the summer retreat for the British officials in the early 19th century. It’s also known for its beautiful views of Mt. Khangchendzonga in Sikkim (8598 m), which is the third highest peak. The drive up was literally 4 hours of “bend after bend” but the view around one of those curves made it completely worth it. The base of the Mt. Khangchendzonga was almost the color of the sky so that the snow covered peaks looked like they were coming down from the heavens!! Though Darjeeling is in ... read more

After the roasting hot temperatures we were used to in the plains of India, Darjeeling was cold. Not only that but everyone in town had a cold! We also picked up colds and coughs, which lasted for about two weeks. Darjeeling has a beautiful setting, surrounded by mountains and forests. We arrived during the festival of Durga Puja, which is a local holiday and we struggled to find a room for the night. We ended up in the government run tourist lodge. We had a cavernous room which was dull and stunk of mustiness, although it was clean. The meals were inclusive and there was no choice. The food was quite good though, and we were given a Western-style breakfast. The next day we checked out and found a very cheap and clean room at Andy's ... read more

From the first moment you get onto the streets on Kolkata you are thrown into a world that is as far away from life at home as you can possibly imagine. The smell, fumes and poverty hits you harder than the heat (which is pretty hot). I think we maybe hoped that experiencing these things would get easier, but unfortunately it wore us down until we broke and bought two flights to Nepal! This is not to say that we would want to forget the experience. Some of the architecture is amazing and although a large percentage of the people live in poverty previously beyond our comprehension, you can always find a smiling face or friends sharing a joke. They just get on with their lives regardless. I feel almost as we didn't give the place ... read more