A day off to rest up and do a bit of sightseeing. We have completed 5 days of distributions with hundreds of lovely children now enjoying all the bedkit items.
Today we enjoyed a bit of a sleep in ourselves before getting into the van to explore Kolkata from a tourist’s eyes. First up was the wholesale flower market where the fragrance of roses, jasmine, marigold and chrysanthemum filled the air.
Then our superb driver, Bilup, took us to the colonial part of the city, weaving effortlessly along the crowded streets. The Victoria Monument features an imposing statue of the former queen in front of a huge marble structure that she commissioned to rival the splendour of the Taj Mahal. Gardens surround the building which she apparently never visited. We enjoyed the quiet of the spaces and even got a bit of a soaking from the rotating sprinklers. Fun!
A tour of the national museum was the last stop. With the help of a guide, we saw art from the 16th century, fossils that were more than one million years old and the skeleton of an Irish Deer that looked like North American moose. One area had really interesting models of agriculture including rice, cotton, silk, jute, match making and indigo. Lots more to learn on another visit.
Now back at the hotel and a relaxing dinner, we are ready for bed to rest and prepare for tomorrow’s distribution where another 620 children will receive the donors’ gifts.
Team Kolkata 2019
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