As the Crow flies

Back to Blighty

2007-03-01T02:18:00.000-08:00

Ok so I didn't manage to post a last blog from India and this one comes to you from my living room at Davey drive back in Brighton. The Crow has landed.
The last few days away were a mixture of just spending time with my mum and dad, thinking about coming home, waiting to meet Hannah again, trying to reflect on my time away. It suddenly all went pretty fast and sitting here now I have all sorts of other thoughts about the days and weeks ahead jostling for space in my brain.
Returning to Kolkata after having been in Cambodia for 3 weeks just made me have even more respect for my parents living there, doing what they are doing. It really isn't an easy place to live. The noise, busyness and pollution really do assault you and even though as a city it has a really good feel and is friendlier than some of the others we visited in India, I just know if I had to choose a place from my travels to live it probably wouldn't be there. On Saturday evening there was a CNN documentary report on the sex trade operating through Kolkata- with a particular focus on trafficking of under age girls. It was a very confrontational piece of investigative journalism exposing the hypocrisy of the sex workers trade union, who are adamant there are no under age girls in Kolkatas red light districts, through to the corruption of the police force who are ineffectual and underhand. It confirmed or alluded to much that mum and dad and their colleagues face on a daily basis. The most shocking thing that they have discovered recently is that under age girls who are 'rescued' by the police or other agencies are then put under the care of the government in government houses. In reality once in these houses the girls then become the sex slaves of the police and other officials, suffering greater abuses without the care of a madam, or the financial benefits which they could expect working in the red light districts. It is an ongoing challenge for my parents project and other NGOs to find ways to educate or make people aware of the injustices and abuses that women are suffering in this industry, particularly when the common mindset is that most of them have brought it on themselves in some way or are choosing to live like that.
I am certainly very grateful that I have had the opportunity to visit my parents over in India, to see first hand what it is they are doing. However many photos you see or descriptions you are given it is often hard to empathise or appreciate exactly what it is someone is trying to tell you until you have seen it for yourself. Now when they email or phone I will have a much greater sense of what they are talking about and the difficulties they often endure.
I have felt like from time to time during writing this blog I may have jumped up on my soap-box and had a bit of a rant- I hope it hasn't come across like that, more that it has just expressed some of the tensions of travelling. At the end of the trip reflecting on it all there is a funny tension. Just packing up a bag and heading off for 10 weeks to see a bit of the world is an enormous luxury in many ways. The number of conversations that I had, helplessly trying to explain to someone how or why it is that I have enough money to do this, even though I'd been saving for years, illustrates the crazy inequalities of our world. But I did love being able to do it- To see all those new things to experience so much beauty, to spend time with people that I love, to know that all of that will be stored up and will inspire me, and will no doubt change me in some small ways that I may not even notice. I guess it's a tension that I've been happy to live with. I'm glad that I've been able to pull a few of you along on the ride with me, and that it has brought some virtual sunshine to the grey days of winter.

So it is that I'm back here and my journey from Heathrow back to Brighton welcomed me home with the very best sort of winter weather; driving rain clouds with blue breaking through. The beautiful shapes of bare winter Oak and Beech trees against a shining sky, the back drop of the Sussex countryside, the Downs looming on the horizon, even a rainbow.........
Ok ok I know I've been away and you're all fed up of the miserable weather, but when you've not had it, and it's so familiar, and you've got used to seeing the beauty in things well I just know I had the biggest grin on my face all the way home.

Goodbye Bodge

2007-02-25T20:18:00.000-08:00

My final journey in Cambodia was 5 hours of south-east Asian sunshine slow roasting a boat load of tourists travelling the Tonle Sap from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh. Tim explained to me later that The Tonle Sap is an extraordinary stretch of water. Part river, part lake (or inland freshwater sea) it is the only water way in the world that changes its direction of flow for half of each year. In the dry season it flows from the north to the south of the country but come monsoon, when its neighbour the Mekong river rises, it changes direction acting as an overflow for the Mekong and flows south to north. Riding on the roof of the boat speeding down the river and out into open water we passed small fishing boats and floating villiages. The Tonle Sap is in many ways the backbone of Cambodia from the fishing industry to the tributaries that irrigate half the countries rice paddies it is a source of life. In contrast the following few days had me discovering and engaging more with Cambodias darker side and the reality that for the Khmer people their lives carry with them the taint of death. The atrocities and genocide committed by Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge has left legacy that affects every family in the country. Most adults you speak to will have lost a mother, father, sister, brother or other relation during that era. Visiting Tuol Sleng genocide museum formerly the S-21 prison is a deeply affecting experience. In many ways I don't have words to express or reflect, because none really do justice. To walk through rooms that have known such inexpressible torture, suffering and death is to walk through the shadows of the very darkest depths of depravity to which humans can sink. And yet at the same time as it seeming completely incomprehensible or unthinkable there is the small knowledge that the capcity for such violence resides within all of us. The questions of How? and Why? hollowed by the knowledge that as a species we do this again and again, we do not learn from history. Thinking I would never let this happen, begs the question do I ever try to stop it? Or how often am I complicit in perpetrating or upholding regimes that inflict similar violence by not objecting or opposing them, or simply by not paying attention because it is not on my doorstep.
Part of me wants to end there with the questions and the challenges. In truth maybe it will be these thoughts as well as the reflections on the poverty and corruption in India that will be the most significant things I carry back to the UK. But I will also return with many memories of happy times with friends and all the beauty I have seen. I guess we're stuck having to constantly live with such tensions or paradox.
I leave Cambodia with the images of sunlight diffused through banana leaves and palms, the fresh bright pink of Bourgenvilla flowers against blue blue skies, red earth and red dust, slow brown rivers, the gentle smiles of Khmers, the towering ruins of temples, another beautiful sunrise, the noise of Gekkos and Crickets filling the night,the warm breeze in my face as I cycle, the embraces of friends. I can choose to dwell on these, whilst not forgetting the other.

Temple Time

2007-02-20T02:26:00.002-08:00

Today lovely people, I spent the day Temple-ing, as is only right and correct when in Cambodia.
I came up to Siem Reap yesterday, my journey reminiscent of many of those Indian bus rides with Hannah only the road was alot worse and I had to entertain myself. I caught sunset at the Temples last night and returned for sunrise this morning. I guess we so rarely bother to get up for sunrise that it is always quite exciting in and of itself. I know in winter we might be up before dawn but it's not like we're paying attention to it. Still having the outline of Ankor wat temple gradually pick it's way out against a lightening sky was amazing. This sunrise was alot warmer than my new year one but no less stunning in a different way. It was exciting to be there on my own whilst at the same time a shame that I had no one to share the excitment with, except for the 200 odd strangers!- again quite different to new year. Once the sun was up, I spent the next couple of hours exploring Ankor Wat before breakfast, enjoying the softness of the early light and the relative quiet of long light shadowed corridoors boardered with pillars. Then hallways, courtyards, steps and heights. There were people about but not too many as it was still early. After breakfast I moved on to Ankor Thom and the grand many faced temple of Bayon. I reckon a lot of you will have seen pictures somewhere of this temple where every tower has huge stone faces on each side looking out into the forest. There were alot more people at this one so that I had to queue to get up stairways and push through crowds, it did not detract too much and I still managed to find the odd quiet corner. It is quite nice being on your own and just following your nose, not having to wait for a gang of people to move on, or worry about losing anyone. There are several other temples and complexs around Bayon which I scrambled up over and around, but I then headed further into the Forest to Preah Kahn, and Ta Prohm. Both these temples have been swallowed to a certain extent by the Jungle. In fairness, now as major tourist attraction, this is slightly more managed than it once was but that doesn't detract from the forgotten feel of temples being overrun by trees. Preah Kahn also has some stunning buildings in it's complex- big vaults and coloumns as well as narrow doorways and low corridoors. It is also not on the main main tour route and consequently was much quieter again, affording me an hour or so of happy solitary adventuring. There is no escaping just how cool Ta Prohm is with its snaking tree roots gripping the crumbling walls, and mighty trunks soaring up to the sky, the whole temple feels like it is being slowly ingested back into the living forest. The whole day was aided in its smooth running by my very chirpy moto driver, I had a friendly face and a wave to look for after each Temple.
Tomorrow I'm getting on the boat to Phnom Penh, and I'm beginning to feel time slipping away very fast as the end of my travels looms only a week away. It will be good to have a few more days with the Lawrences, and have them show me round Phnom Penh which they are very familiar with. They are planning to take me to all their favourite haunts, and we will be celebrating Tim's birthday. Then it's back to Kolkata for a few days before home.

Bicycle rides and butterflies

2007-02-14T01:34:00.000-08:00

Well I am having trouble here in Battambang getting stuff posted I just spent half an hour writing a blog only to lose it when I treid to publish it. Feeling slightly frustrated but all I can do is start again. So I arrived in Cambodia via Bangkok a week ago and it would seem my arrival coincided with the onset of the hot season. I know that many of you reading this may well have had snow in this last week and believe me I have more than once thought longingly of cooler climes as I wilt in temperatures climbing up into the mid 30's and higher. However a week in and I guess I must be aclimatising. The main reason for me coming to Cambodia was to visit my good friends Tim and Catherine Lawrence and their two boys Forrest(3) and Eden (1). It is great being here with them and being part of family life for a bit. The first thing we did when I arrived was hire a bicycle as this is their main form of transport. They have bike seats and a trailer for the boys so are ready to go, on or off road! They live in a wooden house in Wat Kor village on the outskirts of Battambang. Out along the slow brown river and over the railway line then off on a dirt track through the banana and coconut palms. In the Garden there are mango, papaya and other friut trees and they are growing aubergines in the vegetable patch. They don't have running water inside the house, just large ceramic pots of water that are fed off stand pipes in the garden, this means that washing of any description happens outside along with a lot of other liveing, eating and playing. It's fair to say that this first year of living over here has held many challenges for them, culturally, emotionally, relationally and with many of the simple day to day basics we take for granted like the much maligned NHS. It has certainly been very difficult at times but they have learnt alot and I guess become stronger together through it. They are both chatting away in Khmer, not fluently but nearing comprehensively from where I'm looking! It has been great playing with Forrest and getting to know Eden who is a climbing adventuring explorer if ever there was one. We have been out into the dusty ochre brown rice paddies, for cycle rides beneath the palms and in the sun, speant a day at the towns new outdoor pool, and met a selection of kittens, puppies, and baby chicks. Today it seems a load of butterflies crawled out into the sunshine, and as we ran around the grounds of the local buddist temple with the boys, blue, yellow and black butterflies fluttered past. I am enjoying joining in the slow pace and rhthym of Cambodian life with the Lawrences. They have always been an inspiration and encouragement to me and when the boys are in bed we pick up where we left off in sharing ideas, exploring our faith and just being together. I have missed them in Brighton so it is very good to be with them here. Check out the link to their blog to get more of a feel of life out here.

Onwards alone

2007-02-05T08:36:00.000-08:00

I'm writing from my mum and dad's back in Kolkata, having parted company with the lovely Miss Bywaters in Delhi 2 nights ago. The journey from Agra; our last one together, was certainly the most entertaining yet. I don't think the old man who had the misfortune of offering to take us to the bus station on his cycle rickshaw knew quite how much we were carrying in our rucksacks. When it transpired the bus station was up a hill the poor old fellow seemed to be struggling quite a bit, and started hailing buses that were passing us in the opposite direction. This resulted in a random bus pulling over and us jumping on, with old man assuring us of a safe trip to Delhi. He wasn't exactly wrong, our driver was slightly lunatic, employing a driving style of: keep your hand on the horn and drive really fast then break suddenly if people don't move out the way, I had to fashion ear plugs out of toilet roll in order to cope. He then stopped the bus about 25km outside of the city centre and told us that was as far as he went. Following the local herd we wandered up the road a bit and found some more buses which took us into town, then grabbed an autorickshaw for the last stretch. Local travel at its best, and all that with no Hindi.

We didn't really explore Delhi extensively just took it pretty easy, found really good and really cheap places to eat, wandered the main bazaar of Paharganj, and checked out some books and music in Kahn market in a smarter part of town. That trip at least afforded us a glimpse of life on the other side again. Away from the constant crush of traffic, cows, and hawkers we mingled briefly with the Indian middle classes. It's not something we've seen much of in the last month.
I then took the overnight train back here on staurday night and leave for Bankok/Cambodia early tomorrow morning. I was happily fostered for the length of the train trip back here by a compartment of very friendly people; a young couple and their 5 year old daughter, another couple and an older lady. A good start to travelling alone after a slightly emotional (on my part) goodbye to Hannah, never was any good at the stiff upper lip thing- more like the slightly quivering chin thing! She is now into the 2nd day and night of her train trip down to Kerela but text news is its going well.
As for me the day or so here has been full of story sharing with ma and pa, and preparing for the next bit. I guess the journeys over the next couple of days will give me a little more reflection time about this last month, before I have a whole new set of stories to tell from a new country. I will miss Hannah, it has been a great month with her, after 10 months without her. When I think that we've been together 24 hours a day for pretty much the whole month its great to realise that we really do know each other very well, enough to be honest, talk together, be silent together, share excitments, inspire each other, recognise our differences, accomadate each others needs and not argue at all. That is pretty cool. I am blessed to know her and to have had the oppotunity of this time with her. I am sure that as we both reflect and when we see each other again in a few weeks we will have more to share and this time will only become more precious. It is rare to have such rich times with friends in the crazy schedules of our lives, so I am very Thankful to have had the oppotunity.
And the next few weeks, well they won't really see me alone as I'll be with the lawrences before I know it and that in itself holds all sorts of delights.

The Taj

2007-02-01T20:59:00.000-08:00

I'll let the pictures do the talking, we only went to Agra for one thing. We went, we saw, we photographed. In shameless tourist fashion and with great enjoyment we were snap happy at the Taj Mahal. It is as amazing as they say, you shouldn't miss it out, we didn't.

Desolate Beauty

2007-01-30T22:54:00.000-08:00

After a very enjoyable couple of days back in Udaipur, on a tip from mum and dad we headed to Bundi. We decided we really didn't fancy going back to Jaipur and could get a train from Bundi to Agra which was our next planned destination.
What a treat, thanks mum and dad for pointing us that way. A bit off the beaten track Bundi turned out to be very beautiful in a slightly crumbling desolate sort of way. It is less frequented but still well geared up for those who make it there with good hostels and hotels. It's a town nestling between hills with a small lake, and a dramatic palace and fort on the hill. We were only there for one day but headed up to the palace which was practically deserted in the morning. Wandering through the impressive elephant gate, then around once grand courtyards and up small stairways reeking of pidgeon poo it had the air of somewhere once vibrant now forgotten with many stories to tell. On the upper levels there were small painted rooms, which despite neglect retained many of their intricacies. We didn't have a guide relaying all the many stories that were depicted around the walls and ceilings, prefering to wander quietly at our own pace. From the palace we headed further up the hill in blazing sunshine to the desolate fort which occupies the length of the ridge. A series of tumble-down buildings, arches, gateways,and wells. Kids would be happy for hours and hours finding secret stairways, conquering ramparts and being able to see for miles. All of this with the added thrill of possibly aggresive monkies- the only real occupants of the fort. We were warned, by a friendly frenchman who had angered the monkies in some way, that it may be wise to arm ourselves with pointy sticks, this we did, and proceeded with some caution. But it seems that we caught them in siesta time and they left us alone prefering to pick fleas of each other rather than chase us.
You'd think that would be enough adventuring for one day, but having returned from the hill slightly de-hydrated, after lunch in a lovely garden by the lakeside, we wandered into town where it turned out there was a big muslim festival in full swing. Amazing glittering floats were parading down the streets to the rhythm of drums. Crowds lining the streets and a carnival atmosphere. As with all such events there was also the slightly more fanatical edge present with adolescent men waving a variety of swords, spears, large bludgens, and inserting knives under their skin. A couple we met later had also seen them slashing their bare chests with razors splaying blood across the crowds of onlookers, glad we missed that one. As it was there was a point where we were clearly in the wrong place at the wrong time, surrounded by a slightly frenzied crowd of men, some of whom turned their attentions towards the 2 white girls stupid enough to be stuck in their midst. Needless to say we exited the scene at the next available turning only slightly worse for wear and a little wiser perhaps.
Still quite an incredible day in Bundi, very glad we made the detour. I'm writing now from Agra, where we arrived on the overnight train early this morning. We head to the Taj Mahal this afternoon and then on to Delhi tomorrow.

Jaipur back to Udiapur

2007-01-26T21:47:00.000-08:00

Mmmmh city life, not sure about that. It woud seem that Hannah and me are small town girls at heart, or at least small city girls. Jaipur is a big city and we just never managed to get a handle on it. We've got too used to being able to walk everywhere, and even though we still did walk in Jaipur, it was so much noisier, dirty, and full of traffic in an unpleasently frenetic way that it wasn't so much fun. We had heard that the Bazaar's in Jaipur are amazing, but having trawled there lengths concluded that actually we'd seen much nicer ones elsewhere. Maybe if you know what your looking for, or if your buying precious/semi precious stones this is the place. But when you want to just amble around taking in the sights its not so good. Also it's known as the pink city, but in truth its more terracotta coloured and then only in parts, not like the consistant blues of Jodhpur. Still I'm painting it in a harsh light, which is really just saying I guess neither of us liked it that much.
We saw some beautiful stones in various jewellers and some incredible jewellery too, displaying a intricate and advanced craftsmanship that left me pretty impressed. I enjoyed some of the more obscure parts of the Bazaar- the tool and hardwear sections, with little shops stacked floor to ceiling with nuts bolts and nails, the party sections with stalls catering for all your party needs from paper plates to big sticks wrapped in shiny tinsel stuff -there purpose can only be guessed at. Kite shops and firework shops, spice and grain stands with huge sacks of grains and one section where the smell of spice and bayleaves and herbs wafted around us as we walked. Flower stands covered in roses, marigolds and others making a whole street of colour, reds, oranges, pinks, yellows, whites. All these places surrounded by roads where cycles, cycle-rickshaws, auto-rickshaws, moterbikes, taxi's, trucks, buses, donkies, horses, and cows vie for space. A bit mad, and much more negotiable in some form of transport than on foot. The number of times I attempted to cross a road to become stranded in the middle with all of that hurtling towards me was a few more then I would've liked.
It all felt a bit stressful, and that coupled with the incredibly hard beds that felt like you were just lying on a block of wood and at twice the price of Pushkar meant we changed our planned 4 or 5 day stay and left after 2. I think that to get a grip on a big city like that you either need to hire a driver, or know someone who can show you round. In size Kolkata is probably similar, but didn't seem half as stressful- the differance of having time and people who know the place and accompany you, and having somewhere that feels like home at Mum and Dads must have made more difference than I gave it credit for.
So we decided perhaps slightly madly to come back to Udaipur. But it has definately been the right decision. We are both very happy to be back here, and the 10 hour bus journey took us through different towns and villages along the way, the journeys never seem a drag because there is always so much to see. Driving back into the centre of Udaipur it felt really nice to be coming back somewhere familiar, there is something good about returning to somewhere you know you're happy in. We have learnt that the local buses are better than private ones, more regular and cheaper, and we've learnt that you can often get much nicer accomadtion if you ignore the lonely planet reccomendations and just follow your nose. The lonely planet seems to make for inflated prices and slipping standards. So we're back in warmer climes, with the lakeside views and we're loving it.

Two days in Pushkar

2007-01-22T07:51:00.000-08:00

Another juddering bus journey bought us to Pushkar two days ago. It's a strange little place really, a holy pilgrimage town for the Hindu's, set around a small holy lake which you can't really get to unless you're going to say prayers. It's not a big town and sits in a basin surrounded on all sides by hills. We have clambered up a couple of them which have temples at the top of them and afford an ariel view of the town. the main street circles around the lake and is a bit like Camden market, alot of very 'ethnic' hippy clothes and stuff. The traveller crowd matches that vibe in a fairly druggy monged out way, and as such isn't the most appealing place we've visited.
Still it seems it's wedding season in Pushkar so we have been treated to numerous bridal processions throughout the day led by bands of musians usually a dodgy keyboard player being amplified and then a bunch of trumpeters and horn players and some drums. The woman all look absolutely stunning in all their most colourful sari's and stacks of jewellery. The actual bride and a couple of friends appear to have to carry some sort of pot on their head as they parade through the streets- no doubt this has some significance but I couldn't begin to guess. They parade round the streets for considerable amounts of time it seems we've constantly come across the same party in different parts of the town throughout the day. I conclude that however knackering a British wedding may be this is a whole different ball game. Wandering the streets all day with a big pot balanced on your head and this only one day out of 10 or more days of celebrating. We met a couple from Worthing on our way here and they have come back to Pushkar to attend one of these weddings, invited by the owner of our hotel who was out dancing all last night as part of the celebrations. Like I said it's an energetic affair.
Other highlights here have been an entertaining dinner in a garden restaurant with abortive attempts to light a small fire next to our table in a bid to keep warm, reggae throbbing in the background. A scamper up the big hill next to the town and the views of the desert and hills from the top. Encounters with cows and monkies, and ongoing continuing joy every time I see a camel which is pretty often here. I've stuck more photos on the photo link from the last few places, will add more soon.

Lakeside lounging

2007-01-19T08:01:00.000-08:00

Udaipur is stated to be the most romantic city in Rajasthan and I'd have to say if you wanted a honeymoon destination in India this would have to be up there. Set around a lake the old town is a cluster of steep lanes and boutique shops, cafes, restaurants, and beautiful views. Surrounded on all sides by an arid hill country it makes for impressive sunsets across the lake and hills. It is probably the most laid back town we have been in so far, yes there are still rickshaws, mopeds, moterbikes, and cyclists vieing for space on the roads but get off the main streets and all is much quieter. Finding ourselves in the backstreets we wandered through various quaters of the town, from bookbinders, through jewellers, potters, tailors and painters, A veritable hive of creative industry. We have enjoyed alot of lounging in cushioned alcoves with views over the lakes in various locations around the town. I'm getting into this easy life, but do catch myself quite often and find it all a bit mad, I think I'm realising I'm quite a task or project orientated person, so just kicking back and taking in life as it goes on around me for an extended period of time, enjoying the new sights, and experiences sometimes feels a little too self indulgent. Still like I said I'm getting into it! We went trekking in the country today on horseback. It was amazingly tranquil and peaceful, ambling along through the hills, cacti, palms, stopping in small villages calling out greetings to an endless stream of children who lined our route. Seeing something more of rural life. Our guide was lovely, a patient and thoughtful man who admirably put up with a couple of novice riders plodding along for several hours! Attired as we were in flip flops, and without riding hats its probably just as well we didn't try anything more adventurous. This evening we just watched James Bonds Octopussy which was filmed here, and honestly if you fancy some pure action packed implausible comedy, watch an old Bond film.

Beautiful Blue

2007-01-16T06:49:00.000-08:00

Jodhpur is beautiful, I'm always loving the blue, so being in city where there's a blue building round every corner I couldn't be much happier. It's a pretty special blue too, that is warm and just changes into all these different subtle shades depending on the time of day and what the skies doing. Hey it even makes the pidgeons look good- They sort of reflect the sky and the buildings and it just makes them look much prettier than they normally would! Then there's the odd bright green parrot flying over and the huge kites wheeling round the fort in the evening. Then there's the people arrayed in all manner of beautiful bright colours and all incredibly friendly with it. We've wandered through spice, grain and fabric markets and soaked up all the colour and beauty around us. We hired bikes yesterday and cycled up to the palace across the city, good fun and not as dangerous as I had feared, it seems there is a pretty comprehensive system of giving way and nothing is travelling that fast so even if your brakes are a bit ropey you can muddle through. We did manage to get comprehensively lost a couple of times but asked directions and managed to find our way home again. The fort is stunning, some of the most beautiful and intricate architecture I've ever seen, and once we fought our way through the bollywood film set at the entrance it was incredibly tranquil with stunning views across the city.
We move on to Udaipur in southern Rajasthan tomorrow more news from there.

Giant Banyans and little children

2007-01-12T03:57:00.000-08:00

This last week I've been mostly just hanging out in Kolkata, working with mum and dad at Freeset, and waiting for Hannah to arrive. On Sunday Sara, Fiona, Katie and myself went to the botanical gardens for a picnic with a bunch of other people our age who are working over here and know mum and dad. We provided much entertainment playing frisbee and even more when an over throw landed it in the river. The recovery of the frisbee proved to be an enjoyable challenge taken on by a policeman who promptly collared some young lad to wade into the river to try and fish it out. The gardens are home to Asia's largest Banyan tree which has a canopy over 70 metres wide and still growing. This one tree is actually like a small wood, with mad ariel roots which drop down at right angles to the branches and back into the ground. Very cool.

Other than that I've spent a couple of days at the project and worked in the nursery, or worked upstairs with the ladies making bags. Since Christmas the nature of the nursery has changed and rather than just having pre-school aged children, there are now 4 young babies as well. This is proving to be quite a challenge in terms of accomadation, liasing with the mothers, addressing matters of primary health care and basic hygiene, whilst still trying to keep all the older kids occupied. My mum is beginning to tear her hair out! Life upstairs at the project is a little calmer, and certainly more focused, just a matter of attempting to follow instructions when you have no common language. Much mime is employed.

The last couple of days have pretty much been non-stop conversation with the lovely Miss Bywaters, inadvertantly resulting in a few late nights. But hey it has been 10 months since I've seen the girl. It's great to have her here and to be heading off with her later tonight. We have booked all manner of trains to get across this country starting with the 2 nights and a day long trek to Jodhpur the 'Blue city' in Rajasthan. You'll hear from me again when we're there.

The Dawning of 2007

2007-01-05T02:06:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone, hope you all had a good one. It's been great to hear about some of them. I got back from Darjeeling a couple of days ago where we had an absolutely fantastic time. From the fully Indian experience of the overnight sleeper train up there to the sunrise on new years day it couldn't have been much better. It was pretty cold up there though. I think we all put on about 4 layers of clothes and didn't remove them for the next 5 days apart from the brief hour and a half hot water window each evening at our hotel (to not change your clothes or wash for 5 days would just be a little too fetid.) It's a bit like a different country up there, probably much more like Nepal than India, a lot of the people living there are Nepalase or Tibetan. It is much more chilled out, quieter, and incredibly beautiful. At about 6500 feet above sea level everywhere you look there are stunning views. Darjeeling clinging to the sides of the hills and dropping down into tea plantations. Us Crow's couldn't be much happier than being half way up a mountain as many of you will know, and I think mum and dad particularly enjoyed the break from Kolkata life; the clean air, the walks in the hills and the backdrop, when it was clear enough, of the Himalayas. We stayed at a very friendly if slightly basic Hotel, ate fantastic home cooked Nepalese food at a little open fronted cafe called Sonam's kitchen and also enjoyed her fantastic masala tea. Walked to monasteries, conversed with monkeys, and shopped in the street markets.

For new year itself we headed to a little bar called Joey's and enjoyed some beers with a bunch of other westerners, then hiked back up the particularly steep hill to our hotel under a clear starlit sky at about 2 in the morning. We got up again at 4 to head up Tiger Hill for sunrise. At about 8000 feet its the local high point and we joined a huge crowd of people to watch the dawn of 2007. As the sky grew gradually lighter to our right, on our left the faint outlines of the Himalayas, and Khangchendzonga particularly, began to appear glowing dark orange against a still navy sky. Daylight increased and the outline sharpened. Then a shout from the waiting crowd went up as a red sun climbed from its cloud bed, at the same time the mountains were illuminated pink and orange in the early light of the new year. Absolutely stunning and awe inspiring.It was and will remain the most memorable new year I've had for a long time.

We were all rather sad to leave and come back to the City, particularly as it meant the end of the trip for my younger sister Hannah who has now gone home. Arriving back in Kolkata on the train just before getting in to the station we passed the aftermath of a large slum fire. Crowds of people stood around the smoking wasteland that had been their homes. They will not be re-housed. A sharp reminder and jolt back to the reality of life in this country.

Hannah Bywaters arrives here on Tuesday which I am totally looking forward to and getting a bit impatient about! We'll head off west together some time next week. I've put a link up to the right if you want to see some more photos.

Kolkata contrasts

2006-12-27T05:22:00.000-08:00

It's fair to say that this is a city full of unbelievable contrasts. In the time that we've been here it would seem that we swing quite frequently between the extremes this city has to offer. I realise already that some of the experiences we've had are not your usual run of the mill backpacker ones. Just being with mum and dad who have lived and worked here for nearly 2 years now means that we have quickly ventured into parts of the city I imagine many people never discover and maybe wouldn't want too. I am thinking particularly of our christmas eve evening, where we accompainied mum and dad delivering presents to all the children from the nursery at the Freeset project. All of their mothers work for the project which means that they either no longer work as prostitutes of have been prevented from following their mothers into the trade. Most of them still live in the brothel houses of the red light district, and so it was we found ourselves making our way down these dimly lit lanes into some of the most impoverished housing I have ever seen. If you can imagine stepping through narrow doorways into damp inner courtyards which serve as communal bathrooms too, then around the four sides are little rooms not much bigger than the one large double bed which fills them, then narrow dripping stairs leading up 3 levels to balconies above, where more rooms lead off, and as you look up ceilings are just canopies of greying fabric. If you can imagine that you're getting some idea of where we were. Outside in the narrow lanes women sit on stools waiting for custom and there were not that many smiles, or 'hellos' to be heard. But the families we visited, who know mum and dad, were so cheerful and welcoming, each wanting us to stay for drinks or just stop and talk for a while. It is a million miles from what any of us know or how any of us live. I think that all 4 of us who were experiencing this for the first time found it shocking and emotional and uncomfortable, and I think mum and dad who see this so regularly had perhaps forgotten a little what sort of impact it would have. I think it I will be carrying thoughts and pictures in my head from that evening for a long time.
In complete contrast on christmas day we went to the 5 star hyatt hotel for lunch. Having prepared myself for the fully Indian experience turns out we got roast turkey with all the trimmings after all. It was fantastic food and probably the poshest place I've ever been, and we had an amazing time. Mum and dad have explained more than once that they sometimes have to pretend they live in 2 parallel universe as its the only way they can justify the two sorts of existence there is in this city. I have a much greater appreciation now of what they mean.

Old Kolkata

2006-12-22T04:39:00.000-08:00

The 4 of us (Sara, Hannah, and Becky + Katy, Sara's friend) arrived safe and sound last night to be met by a very excited mum and dad, who have been looking forward to this pretty much since they returned here from the UK in september. We promptly piled into one cab to drive the 30 mins to Kolkata old town where mum and dad live. Me and dad shared the front seat with the driver and the rest were squashed in the back, a trick we tried again today in an auto- rickshaw. Driving across the city in the middle of the night, there were only a few dogs and the odd person to be seen, but come daytime the roads are a cacophony of car, bus, and truck, and Tuk-tuk horns, the shouts of rickshaw pullers and the bustle of people. We have just been for a wander round the local area this afternoon. Taking in the chai stands, barbers and shoe shiners on the edge of the streets. Wirey armed rickshaw pullers, Cycle trailers loaded 10 feet high, stands loaded with marigolds and other flowers, kids playing cricket. We headed down to the river about 20mins walk away; the Hooghly a tributary of the Ganges. On route we were passed by funeral trucks, and paused to see a dead elderly lady being lifted from one of these on her flower strewn bier. We also crossed the railway which is lined on either side by innumerable slum dwellings. The river where the cremated dead are commitited to holy waters is banked with the detritus of puja idols. These are created for holy festivals from bamboo and papier-mache often quite large and intricate. Once the festival is over they too are carried down to the river and dumped into its murky flow. Despite the evident filth of this river, people who live by it use it to wash themselves and their clothes, use it to cook and drink and believe it has healing properties. There is much evident poverty the minute you step outside the front gate, and this isn't anywhere near as bad as it gets. So our first afternoon has thrown us into India in all its reality. It seems amazing that mum and dad are just living here everyday and getting on with it all, but it is vibrant and colourful and exciting to be here. Great to be eased in with people who know their way around and can speak enough Bengali to get by. I'm loving it already.

Crow's are go

2006-12-20T12:52:00.000-08:00

Well I'm writing this sitting at my sisters house in Slough, we're heading off to Heathrow at 6am tomorrow but I thought I'd get this blog up and running. It looks like we may be facing some long delays tomorrow due to fog, Heathrow's a bit of a mess but it seems that it's only short haul flights being cancelled, so hopefully we'll be on our way. Was quite nervous leaving Brighton earlier but as soon as I met up with Sara at Paddington that changed to excitment. Not entirely sure what to expect but happy enough to be heading into the unknown. Very much looking forward to seeing Mum and Dad and in a couple of weeks Hannah B. Sad That my Brother Tim isn't joining us but spoke to him this morning and he is in the midst of organising a big regional football tournament out in Uganda, and thats keeping him pretty occupied. Reckon 2 months will fly by, but I'm sure I'll be missing you all the same. Have a fantastic Christmas all of you and I'll send more news soon. Not sure if I've completely worked out how to do everything to make this thing work, we'll see...