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Published: December 27th 2005
The Howrah Bridge
Howrah Bridge seen from Millenium Park in Calcutta (Kolkata).Namaste/Nomoskar!
Where to start with this entry? It has been an overwhelming last few days, and I am not sure where to start. Probably best to begin from when I last left you!
After a reasonable dinner (but crappy service from the hotel resteraunt staff!), I had a wonderful sleep in my hotel (my room is an inner one, not facing the street), and woke late, around 9am. I had breakfast in resteraunt, as the buffet was complimentary. It was ok, but only the orange juice was very good. I sat with two charming older ladies, one british and one mexican american.
From the hotel I headed out to BBD Bagh, a famous Kokata square. I was confused, as I was expecting a large open area, and instead found the "square" to be a simple area of older buildings. The architecture was interesting, but more interesting were the people - vendors and business people, eating, smoking, buying and selling.
I had some shopping to do myself, so I bought a large duffel bag. This requires some extra explanation, so here we go:
I've sponsored a young lady here in India for almost three years now. A
Staff at the Center
The staff of the center in Canning, south of Calcutta. small monthly contribution is put to great use for her, her village and her family. Medical needs, education, and some other small things are done to help. I guess Fatemah (thats her name) was one of the big reasons I choose India to visit this winter. I had so many questions - is she real?! was one of them. So, half way around the world, here I am!
My shopping was for the school in the village that I visited on Friday the 23. I had wanted to bring presents for Fatemah, but the project staff discouraged this, as the other villagers would be jealous and upset, and wouldn't understand why nothing was given to them. So I elected to spend my money on school supplies, and filled my jumbo duffel (think hockey bag!) with crayons, posters, books, pens, maps, a world globe and solar calculators. Later that night with the help of a friend named Paul I was able to add several cricket bats, wickets, a small blackboard, chalk, lego and some music equipment. The project co-ordinators felt that bringing school supplies would encourage more children to attend school more frequently.
Bag in tow, I did manage
Driving south
View out the Jeep window to visit a few more areas, including a Ghat ( a river access area, steps really, for bathing, cleaning, etc) and a park called Millenium Park. From there, along the bank of the Howrah River, I had a great view of the huge bridge. The bridge is unique, both because of its huge size and because it was built without support legs going into the river (officials were concerned about silt building up around any legs).
So, excited, I went to bed late and woke early. Subhashish Gosh, the co-ordinator, picked me up at 7am to begin the drive southeast, towards the Sunderbans, the town of Canning, and the river delta. It took almost an hour to leave the city limits of Calcutta, and we took a short break at a sweet shop. Continuing on through areas farmed with rice padis and some livestock, the morning was pleasant and sunny. The roads were rough, washed away a little even in some areas. Thankfully we were in a Toyota Qualis Jeep type of vehicle, and so it was pretty comfortable.
We stopped around 9 at in a small town called Canning where the project compound was located. I was
Still Driving South
Now we have left the city, and entered a very rural area. The other jeep has more staff from the Center. greeted like a celebrity by the dozen or so staff, and given a tour of the facility. The building has two floors, and an unfinished roof. Small offices, a large multi purpose room, kitchens and conference rooms are all neatly arranged. The staff do an amazing amount of work there, taking care of 1700 children in 25+ villages. From record keeping to healthcare to project implementation!
After tea and some small snacks we left, this time with a few of the other staff in a second vehicle, and continued south. Passing through towns I saw rusted busses loading people until there was standing room only, and then putting more people onto the roof! Subhashish pointed out other schools that the project assisted.
India is so densely populated, that it is impossible to find an area where there are no people. That might not be true in the mountainous areas, but it has been everywhere I've seen, and it was true here. Everyone seemed to be working industriusly - even children who looked to be only 5 years old were carrrying budles of straw larger then themselves!
We passed pools of water, filled with plants, and in some
Transportation!
How many people can you count?! pools lotus-like flowers bloomed in brilliant fuchia and delicate baby blue. Trees and walls were often bedecked with dung patties - noticable in the center are hand prints. They are stuck to the surfaces until dried and then sold as fuel for cooking.
At the next town we left the jeep and crossed the river in a boat with a curved bow and stern, like an ancient river boat. The motor choked and chugged as it started, letting out a deep cloud of blue smoke. The 30 foot boat easily had more than 50 people on it, but seemed steady enough! It was only five minutes to the other side. There, amidst tiny alleyways we hired two rickshaws and piled in - 6 people in my rickshaw (now I really feel like an Indian!).
The rickshaws navigated through the colourful streets easily. This was definitely not a tourist area - in fact, I doubt tourists come this way except rarely. Outside the bustle of the city, the road was only as wide as the rickshaw, and made of dust coloured bricks. In some areas the bricks were gone, and we went through large potholes.
We didn't go
Drying Padi
Padi is dried before processing to extract the rice. This is often done on the road side! far before stopping. Another school and a small compund was located there, and the ladies showed me around. Padi had been harvested, boiled and was now being dried on mats in the sun. After, it would be shucked for the rice inside, and sold by the ladies. The project supports this kind of sustainable, small enterprise as a way for impoverished people to support themselves.
Lunch was served in a dark multipurpose room beside a large handloom and a manual spinning wheel. It was delicous! Eggplant fried in mustard oil, potatoes, vegetables, fish and rice made a filling meal.
Back in the rickshaws, we continued down the brickroad (which I started thinking of as the yellow brick road - think "wizard of oz" sort of road!!). 40 minutes later the rickshaws stopped, and we got out - goats blocked the path, and the bricks were broken, so it was easier to walk - it turned out we were very close anyways!
As we came around some trees, I could see hundreds of people lined up beside a path, a sign saying "Welcome!" and children with flowers. It took me a minute to realize that this was for
Ferry Crossing
Yup, thats a FERRY! me! I found out later that it is very rare for a sponsor to visit their sponsored child here - I was only the second, and the first to this village!
Two girls dipped flowers in water and pressed them to my forhead, and younger girls passed me flowers and welcomed me. In a small voice, one girl said something I didn't understand, but as she repeated it, I understood who was speaking to me! It was Fatemah! She looked pretty nervous, and doesn't seem like one to smile (she never is smiling in the pictures I get), plus it was pretty daunting with the large crowd.
Swept forward by people closing in behind, we moved into a low, semi covered area where about 100 children were seated. Adults and more children swarmed around, pressing against the lattice-work on one side and standing on the other. At one end of the room was a small table and some chairs, and the visiting group and myself were seated there. Almost immediately, we were standing again, and I was introduced to a multitude of people - the village teacher, a local music teacher, a health care worker, and a translator
(whose name I even remembered from the letters I've recieved!!).
Once everyone was seated, a small speech was made in English and Bengali, that I had come as a friend from Canada, and would now like the candle of friendship.
You have to understand that I didn't expect any of this - and I was overwhelmed and shaking a little as I lit the candle. What followed was a very impressive display - dancing, singing and acting, in both Bengali and English. There was tranditional dances, and english Christmas carols, and the story of Mary and Joseph was acted out in Bengali by teenage girls with beards painted on their faces. It was amazing! Some students even showed off their new skills on the violin, accompanied by their teacher.
The children were adorable, speaking some memorized words in English. The young ones sometimes forgot, but a kind adult was there to prompt them. It was charming!
The display lasted about 45 minutes, and I was then asked if I wanted to do anything. Not speaking much Bengali, I decided to try out my pictures on the crowd. So I showed them the pictures of Canada I
had brought - Orcas, polar bears, Canadian Geese, beavers, Niagara Falls, mountains and lakes. When possible, I used gestures or acting to show what I meant (roared for the bear, etc!) and Subhashish translated a little also. The pictures were passed around, and everyone seemed to enjoy it. I gave them to Fatemah to keep at the end.
THen I showed them the things I had brought for the school, and I think that the cricket equipment was the most popular! Finished, we headed down the narrow gravel lane to the hut of Fatemah's family. There I met her parents, Zahurul and Chayatan Mollah, her brothers Samsul, Saidul and Azizul and her sisters Muslima and Karima. Fatemah is one of the middle children, age-wise. The children had huge smiles, and so did the parents.
The hut has mud walls and a straw roof. The roof comes down low to the ground, and you stoop to go inside. I'd estimate that the circumference is about 30 feet. Inside the floors were covered by mats, it was possible to enter a small inner room with mud walls. I was told that the family sleeps in the room. Niches were carved
in the walls, and items were neatly tucked away. The entire home was very tidy.
Outside, I was fed coconut sweets and drank green coconut water. I met aunts and uncles and chatted. Fatemah gave me four plastic red roses and showed me some of the things that I had sent her - letters and maps and pictures.
I tried out my tiny amount of Bengali, saying "tome ami bondu" - literally "you me friend". Other than that, all I know is yes and no (ha and na) and how are you (Tommu kammu natchu) and fine (pali). I think I was understood anyways!
Walking back along the path as the sun lowered, Fatemah held me hand, and her mother the other. With a toddler in her arms, she was very beautiful - the toddler even reached out and grabbed my hand!
I was given more flowers, and the whole village (it seemed - hundreds anyways) followed us towards the rickshaw. At one point I was stopped and earing were put in my ears by Fatemah and her teacher - who also grabbed my hand, as we walked down the path amongst goats, children and villagers. One villager spoke a few words of English, called me sister, and asked me to visit again.
I didn't want to leave, but it wouldn't be a good idea to travel the yellow brick road at night in the rickshaw, so we had to leave. So I said my goodbyes and waved until we were out of sight.
It was a thoughtful trip on the way back, quiet for me, but noisy because of the rickshaw and the ladies chatting beside me. We stopped for a moment at one of the peoples homes, where I tried a tamarind - a sour green fruit that grows on trees and looks like a large pea-pod.
The sun was very low as we crossed the river again and waited for a while as the rest of the group joined us. We walked through a fish market, where fish from tiny to large where weighed and sold. The live ones, flapping away in separate baskets, are more expensive that the dead ones (ha ha - expired ones!! I'm so funny).
WARNING! Graphic description of Eileen getting sick coming soon!!
Back in the jeep, I started feeling ill as that night darkened. With a 4 hour drive ahead, I was a little worried, but thought I was just tired. An hour later, I had to ask Subhashish to have the driver pull over - I was pretty violently ill. I felt better after that though, and a few sips of water seemed to make me feel better.
The problem is that the road was so bumpy. A few hours later, on the outskirts of Calcutta, I was sick again - this time in the middle of a traffic jam. I had to just open the door and be sick in the middle of the road. Finally, out the window of the jeep as we moved down the road towards the hotel. My stomach felt swollen and my throat ached. Yuck!
At the hotel, room service was only just then cleaning my room (it was 8pm) I was really needing to lie down, but they didn't understand enough english, and so I had to return to the lobby while they finished.
The rest of the night was pretty terrible. I threw up so much, I had to call a doctor, who prescribed some medicine (which I took and immediately threw up). I also ended up with some other medical "issues" - lets just say that the toilet was well used all night, and I ran out of toilet paper. I was so thirsty, but even sips of water were thrown up within a few minutes.
By my noon checkout time, I still felt crappy, but luckily I didn't throw up anymore, and leaving my luggage at the desk I went for a bit of a walk. I had train tickets to pick up, and wanted to check my email. Enroute, I ran into a young couple who were being cheated by a travel agency, and spent some time showing them how to use the Indian Railway website to get the info that they needed.
Subhashish had travelled over to the hotel in a cab, and we went to the Maidan and Victoria Memorial. Victoria Memorial is a huge building that reminds me a little of the Victoria parlaiment buildings. Inside was a jumble of paintings, weapons and misc objects. It was interesting, but would have been better if the collection was organized and labelled.
After a walk around the gardens, we returned to my hotel and said goodbye - I rested for a bit and then did some shopping in New Market. I was too fatigued to find anything good though, and I ended up with just a small backpack so that I could tuck things away as I buy them. Now, as I near the end off my trip, I'll start picking up more souvenirs and gifts.
Picking up my luggage from the hotel around 5:30, I met a nice French lady, Annie, who was researching psyiotherapy in India for a journal. We shared a cab to Howrah station together, and chatted while we waited for the train to Varanasi!
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Kim
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ack
Love your adventures. Need more pictures of you!