Greetings from the great north.

I don't know how I let this happen but it's almost been two weeks since my last post on here and for that I am very very sorry. A lot has happened with us here in India so this will probably be a pretty long post, feel free to read it in sections.

We recently finished up our "last" days volunteering in Kolkata. On Monday we said our goodbyes to the Sisters at Motherhouse and I said my goodbyes to the Sisters and patients and Kalighat, however I decided that when I return to Kolkata in a week I'm going to continue to work at Daya Dan for a few days to see the Christmas Play that we've been working on so hard with the kids. We got to see the first official dress rehearsal and I got to hear Benoi play the drums, which I have been working with him on everyday for the past two months. It was incredible. Truly, truly incredible.
It was very hard to leave as Sister Olinda and Sister Anelia have become one part mother-figure and one part spiritual guide to me in the past few months. A few of the patients that were there when I left have been there since I arrived. I left a few familiar faces and many that had arrived that morning. The klepto, the professor, and the O.G.'s are just a few of the patients that I have grown to know and love without even being able to talk to them for the most part. It's strange but I'm going to miss laying out laundry on the roof and squatting to wash dishes for hours on end.
We left monday evening for a small town in the northern hills of West Bengal called Darjeeling. A cozy remnant of pre-partition India nestled in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains. Remember when I said that India was hot? That I had to lay on top of all my sheets while I slept at night and make sure that no body part was touching another so I wouldn't sweat out all the liquids in my body? Those days seem long gone. It would have been foolish of me to pack winter clothes for Kolkata but now I seem to be regretting that decision. The high throughout the day is about 36 degrees Farenheit and at night it drops to about 20, with no heat! BRRRRRRRRRRRR! It doesn't snow here but it easily could.
We took a night train from Kolkata's Sealdah Station to Siliguri, a small city at the base of the hills, from Siliguri our group of ten people took a 5 hour jeep ride along a precarious one lane road that winds and snakes it's way up the hills past villages and ramshackle homes that dot and line the road. We pass children bundled up and mothers cooking chipatis over tandoori stoves. Rubbing their hands together to keep warm. We see signs that warn not to drive recklessly on this mountain road that is falling apart that read, "Drive slow or DIE" and "A slow ride means no suicide". Warning signs in half-english that were more entertaining than cautious, but definitely got their point across as our driver sped around blind corners passing slower jeeps and buses. Scary to say the least.
We arrived in Darjeeling shivering and rummaging through our bags to get as many layers on as we could, then we started the hike straight up winding roads to our hotel. Hotel Aliment is very nice compared to Hotel Maria, carpeted floors and beds with thick blankets and a couple hundred rupies cheaper. It's quite a hike to get there, or anywhere for that matter, as the whole city is built on the side of a steep sloping hill. Between the rows of backwinding roads are miles and miles of tea plantations that supply over 10% of the worlds tea. We spent the evening in the hotel's rooftop restaraunt drinking hot cocoa and warming our tired frigid bones. The next day we wandered around from shop to shop buying scarves and gloves and hats, all those things that remind us of winter at home,. Later in the day we took a pony ride down to the lower part of the town to the Happy Valley Tea Estate where we sampled a selection of delicious local teas and were able to purchase some for about 1/8 of the price we would pay in the states. Beautiful.
The next morning we woke up at about 3:30 and took a hour jeep ride to the top of tiger hill to watch the sunrise. It was absolutely incredible. The sun came out of the middle of the sky, because the horizon is so high, and broke through the clouds illuminating the Anapurna mountain range on the other side it was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen and despite the cold we were able to tough it out with a few glasses of chai. I decided to take a little bit of a trek and walk the 15km back to city along the winding roads and I am so glad I did. Walking down the hill was an amazing experience, I was truly alone for the first time in three months. It was quite, peaceful, and around every corner was a new beautiful view. The road going up to Tiger hill ends in the small village of Ghoom and I spent time dwadling around taking photos and saying hello to babies. I visited a few of the Buddhist monastaries in the area and had a wonderful discussion with a monk comparing the similarities and differences between Buddhism and Christianity and exploring ideals. It was great.
For the most part Darjeeling has been pure relaxation, breathing in the mountain air and admiring the scenery, visiting the zoo, and talking with the locals at the Buddhist monastary or in the doorways of shops. It's a far stretch and a much needed break from the hustle and bustle, not to mention pollution, of Kolkata. While I think I might always consider Kolkata my Indian home it was definitely a smart choice to leave for a while, my lungs feel fresh and my boogers are no longer black. I haven't been hassled by a single shop owner and the mountain food has been nothing short of delicious. It's hard to believe that I'm still in India. Everything about Darjeeling is such a stark contrast to Kolkata from the people, to the streets, to the scenery. Both are beautiful in their own ways and I know that both will hold a special place in my heart for a long time to come.
We leave Darjeeling tomorrow afternoon and will start the journey back to Kalkota. After five days in Kolkata finishing up the christmas program we catch a flight to Bangkok for three days. At the end of those three days we take a flight across the Pacific Ocean to San Francisco and then I go my own way back to the beautiful Northwest. I'll save all my feelings for the next post or two because it's going to be a doozie to say the least.

Brrrrrrrrrr...
heath