Our last morning in Kolkata

We had a few hours before our flight home on Monday, so we drove through town to see where Mother Teresa's Mother House. On the drive there we saw people washing in the streets, beggars, and nuns in the traditional Missionaries of Charity blue and white dress. We stood on the street for a few minutes and watch a game of marbles between a young boy and man.

Walking down the small alley way to the entry of the Mother House was an amazing feeling - knowing that Mother Teresa had walked that same alley way so many times.

We were able to see Mother Teresa's tomb, a small museum of Mother's life and her very small bedroom. Very thing was very understated - just like her life.

From Mother Teresa's we drove to the River Ganges. The Hindus consider this a holy river - most Westerners would call it a river full of pollution. The city's sewer system runs into the river, garbage, dead cows and even the ashes of dead bodies. Hindus come to the river to dip and wash in it - the river of life. The river is 3,000 times over the acceptable rate bacteria.

So sad to watch the people make their way into this river of death.

As mad rush back to the hotel, good-byes to some of the team who were headed in other directions and for Jerry, Tom and I a 4-hour wait at the Kolkata airport - which isn't all that large. Our flight went from Kolkata, to Delhi (5 hour wait) to Amsterdam (4 hour wait) to Seattle (1 hour) and finally home to Bellingham.

Many people have asked: "Would you go again?" My answer is: "Yes." This was a fast and yet worthwhile trip in many ways. 13 flights in 9 days was pretty tough. The pollution, the noise and traffic was overwhelming. But the smiles and bright eyes of all those children was more than worth it!