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Published: February 18th 2009
Thanks for all of your messages they are really nice to read.
We hope all is well back in snowy England.
We arrived in Kolkatta last week and are still here!!! Longest time we have spent in one place so far.
The train was hilarious, it is always a scramble to get on and with big back packs its even worse, on this occasion we managed to get to the correct carriage by ourselves (miracle!) but was stopped in our tracks by a large group of passengers arguing over their bunks, which actually belonged to us!! The aisle is SO narrow you just squeeze through the best you can but its a two way aisle! sometimes I had to push Helen through because her backpack was getting stuck between the bunk beds!! In the end we realised which were ours and which were theirs and we eventually settled after the commotion (even a Buddhist monk with the biggest case you've ever seen was quite frustrated by the chaos) We were just two innocent British girls stuck in the middle of them with not a clue what they were saying!!!
It has all the characteristics of an Indian city yet it is jam packed with yellow taxis and shops like Adidas and Levis and has MC Donald's and KFC!! quite strange.
On Monday we signed up to an organisation developed by mother Teresa, we have done two days so far volunteering in an orphanage for disabled children. Its going well and enjoying it the kids are wicked and well funny too!! we are doing it until next Tuesday.
The hostel where we are staying is ugly and the room is a bit like a cell but strangely enough its been by far our best hostel there is loads going on and we have met many weird and wonderful people here.
The first person who we befriended is a psychic from Florida, then a Greenpeace activist from Canada and a man that is travelling the world with a giant stuffed Lion! Quite a mix! But all cool people!
We visited a planetarium here it was OK but very old fashioned and was commentated by an indian lady who was like the worst and most scary teacher from your childhood nightmares! (shouting at people to be quite and even kicked out a man and his kid for being noisy - we sat in silence!) so she made it worth going seen as the place was actually crap!
It is such a big city that there is LOADS of walking involved which is fine but after a few hours in flip flops our feet look dirtier than the beggars!! We took a photo because we thought it was so gross.
Next week we will be catching a 36 hour train to Kerala on the south coast, at last we will hit the beach!
So we are off now to watch the greenpeace activist have his nose pierced by his American mate (with no ice!) Ouch!
Speak Soon. Love you Miss you
Laura and Helen x x x
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Auntie Sue & Mum
non-member comment
Hi
Hiya, pleased to read the latest travel blog, you both sound as if you are having the time of your lives. Helens mailing arrived safe and sound and still intact today. Your mum was amazed to see it all sown up, that was different, took her nearly an hour to get into it. No snow here now, its all gone. In fact its just like spring, snowdrops everywhere (what a bummer, l absolutely detest them). When we gonna see some more photos. Pop into McDonalds sometime, me and your mum want to know if they do the free toy with the happy meal over there. And is the menu still the same or do they have curry burgers. Well anyway you both take care and we look forward to seeing some more pics and hearing of your next train journey. The sea will seem like a total luxury when you get there. Lot of love Auntie Sue and Mum xxx