Kolkata Diaries - Day 9 (Guest Blog)

Its almost the end of the trip for our volunteer, and its 'Back to Basics' for Steve, read more:-

It had to happen! This morning I woke up to a very poorly stomach. I don’t want to go into to much detail but my room had to be fumigated! It could be washing my face in the river or downing that delicious sugar Kane drink.

I felt awful all day but managed to get up and join the group. We met up with Professor Aroni Chakraborty Dept of Physics Biswa Bharati University West Bengal. He resembled Doc from Back to the future, he has made an entire operating theatre out of every day items!

He invited us back to his home. Picture this he lived outside tent while it was being built. He has no electricity - lives completely in candle light with his wife and a garden full of chickens, cats and goats. I have never met someone as content and happy with life. Through meeting him Animal People Alliance will provide training for his team - they just bought a anesthetiser but they need to learn how it works.

As I write this we are packing to leave the extraordinary area of Shantiniketan back to Kolkota for a final day. I loved the people I met here, life is tough demanding and relentless what with the heat, the animals, the lack of basic things like air con, fridges.

I will remember this place and the wonderful experiences we all had forever!