Friday March 14, 2008 DAY 1 INDIA Kolkata

Journal entry... " Woke up this morning to a smell I remember as a kid. The smell of a fire burning somewhere, like a bonfire or leaves burning. I looked at the clock, 6:15am. We had only gone to bed three hours ago, but my excitement overwhelmed me. I am in India! I am in India! I am in India! I walked to the open window in our room and looked down to the waking life below. Puppies and their parents playing in the street. Men washing their bodies. A man selling tea on the curb (that was the fire smell) A priest blessing the tea guy's area. A glimpse up at me from a stranger below... in his face I saw curiosity. Who is that girl? Children walking slug-like to the school up the road. Attached to the house across the street...a tree growing out of the bricks. It's awesome power over-taking the old mortar. I am in India!"

If you don't know this already, I traveled India with one of my most amazing girlfriends, while Steven was trekking in Nepal. When we arrived to Kolkata at 1:00 am, our new Indian family was waiting with the cutest sign, Mrs. Sara Cliff welcome to Kokata! Soooo cute! We stayed with the family of another wonderful girlfriend of mine from L.A. Grandma, Dadu, Sweater Dita, Nabin, Karuna, Bishna Nath, Arubinda, all people you will learn about along our Indian journey.

You will NEVER go hungry when staying with an Indian family in India. NEVER! Every moment we turned around there was another super yummy something they stuffed into our mouths. (not literally but, you get the point) Every bite had a new flavour. One meal consisted of four main components; fish, dal, rice, bitters-the rest was just icing on one giant euphoria sending wedding cake. My opinion... the best food in the world... Indian! They even have a spice for your tea.

Tea! Black tea, milk tea, Darjeeling tea, Assam tea... it's everywhere and if you don't drink it... well you're dumb. Morning ritual was to wake up early, cold shower, dress, head downstairs to the kitchen where there was fruit, about 8 pieces of toast, a couple boiled eggs and then TEA! Always tea! My love affair with tea will live on forever!

First day consisted of:
Changing money to Rupees
Visiting an area in Kolkata where you will find all their deities being sculpted!
Seeing the magnificent Ganges River
A couple tea breaks
Visited the house of Rama Krishna's deciple
Visited the temple Birla Mandir AMAZING!
Visited another smaller temple and were part of a Puja (a blessing of their god)
Then headed back to our new home...

The horns on the cars were too much to handle sometimes. It was almost like they were talking to each other. Traffic anywhere else in the world is easy cheesy compared to the "no rules" driving that went on there. Seriously.

Again, eating... a late dinner and then off to bed! Day 1 India was full and exciting and I was falling in love...