Kolkota

After two beautiful days in Bangkok, I find myself in India, Calcutta, for the first time. What a crazy place. Saw the Buddhist temple in monsoon level rains in Bangkok. Now, in Kolkota. My first indian experience, fifteen minutes in the Mother Teresa House, cut short by sullen nuns, and then into the Kali Ghat, which is a famous temple to the goddess of time in death worshipped here in Bengali. My first impression of India, this is what happened. Was handed a basket of flowers, and lined up behind barefoot hindus, barefoot myself, shoes entrsted to someone else. A kindly old woman cut in frot of me, and we bowed to eachother. A pushy man decided it was his job to make sure I got into the temple and made eye contact with the godess. The temple was a mosh pit in front of an unimpressive altar. My self appointed guide brutally pushed the old woman aside, forced me ahead of a girl from our group--marrissa--who I think wasn't as important to him because she was a she. I thought a fight was going to break out at first, then realized that this is how it worked. Found myself in front of the goddess kali herself, who I didn't notice at all, and a man demanding 100 rupees, who I did. Hadn't changed money yet, handed him a dollar. Consternation! blasphemy! Sacrifice him to the goats! So I handed another. OK, OK, was given a sandalwood dot on my forhead, and pushed out of the way. A man demanded another dollar, did not give. was the only one to see the goddess from the group. Much determined begging, while I stood in front of the sacrafice altar, three kids devoted half an hour to pestering me after I gave in and gave one of them a pencil. Watched men kill three goats in a row, a sacrafice to the goddess, heads lopped of brisquely at an unadorned altar, blood flowing into he street. Serisouly, though, am very impressed by Indians in general, I love their energy and each one of them is caught up in the present moment, thrilled to be alive, mindful and energetic.I have much to learn from them. I am thrilled to be here, the promised land, and thrilled to be alive. Tonight, a twelve plus hour train ride to Banaras. sorry about the spelling.