Well, we made it! What seemed like an extraodinary number of hours (7 + 4), with the time difference, translated to us arriving in Kolkata only 7 hours after we flew from Sydney.
We enjoyed the hospitality of Singapore Airlines. The flight from Singapore to Kolkata was not heavily booked so the Pilgims took advantage of the spare seats and most got to know each other better.
Brother James (BJ) had arranged for the local police to meet us at Kolkata airport and we were given an escort (complete with flashing red light!) all the way to the Peerless Inn, our accomodation until the 24th when we fly to Delhi.
The bus trip from the airport was in the dark, and certainly not through the most beautiful part of the city (we hope!) and the main impression so far is that there is a lot of smoke and smog haze. It's winter here - 16 degrees when we landed - so there are a lot of open air fires burning for warmth, as well as the usual pollution from traffic.
We have been asked by BJ to visit a new organisation that might need our services and will do so in the morning. One of the potential problems that we experience is that a troup our size (75) can swamp the existing service opportunities and it is simply not possible to know in advance the numbers of volunteers who may be required to assist the Sisters of Mercy or the other organisations. We'll soon have a better idea of how we'll all be placed.
So, cases have been placed in our rooms. We've had supper and are ready for bed.
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