... after the trip

Well, I am home again now after a great adventure, but as you will have noted, no postings along the way. I did get wifi access but the post I tried to send had trouble sending and has obviously got lost in the ether. It wasn't sent and is not in the draft box either, so just as well I kept a diary.

All up is was a wonderful adventure - a bit hard to describe in one word, it was beautiful and ugly, exciting and scary and a real learning experience. There is too much for one post, so I will break it up into places or themes. (I took about 1800 photos, but they can do with some culling)

 In Changi  airport, Singapore - thought it was art work on the tree, but it turned out to be a cut off branch

Sign of the times - finding a spot to connect to the internet among the the beautiful floral decorations


First to Kolkata - though despite the official change of name, many of the locals still say Calcutta.
Unexpected but logical  given the East India Company influence on the history of the city this is St John's (Anglican) Church, Kolkata

Marble pulpit

 part of the floor

 It looked pretty much like any English church or cathedral, with brass and marble memorial plaques all around. This is the room and furniture where the East India Company men met

 

Our guide gave us a very good run down of the city's history. Many of the early setrtlers are buried in the grounds, and there is a monument to the 'Black hole of Calcutta'  when the last 124 East india Company sympathisers were locked up overnight, and found dead next morning (the facts of this story have been disputed).
And outside, a squirrel who refused  to stand with his tail up for me!

and here, a few of the old buildings showing the western influence

  more later...