Santineketan

The 3240 district governor drove me from Durgapur to Santineketan. He's the one in the blazer, and my host dad is in the yellow shirt. I never figured out who the other dude was.

On the way to Santineketan:

Indian traffic is terrifying.

With the Rotary Club of Santineketan presidency.

Every time you visit someone, they give you tea. I'm meeting a ton of people on this tour, so I'm drinking a crazy amount of tea.
I took a walk around the President's house's grounds after the drive (and the tea):

I made it in time to Santineketan to see the tail end of their Health camp there. Only a couple of patients were left.

My room in Santineketan:

More rotary meetings....

I visited several heritage sites while in Santineketan. I realized recently that I didn't actually HAVE to remember where it was I went, as long as I  took pictures of the signs.

The best thing about lunch was the giant swing

This fellow zeroed in on the chicken and stayed with us until all the food was gone.

Outdoor markets are my favorite thing, like, ever.

Amir Kutar museum

Factory:

I really, really liked riding on the moped.
Pictures on the way back:

Dance program:

That's Ma Durga. She has 10 arms and kills demon in her spare time.

there was a wedding going on near my host's house, but my tour guide thought is was another culture program so we decided to check it out.

We walked in the bride getting ready: embarrassment, thy name is Megan.

I got a picture o the alter, though!

My hosts in Santineketan ran a fabric/ embroidery business.

I really liked this blanket, but it was $200 and I didn't have room in my suitcase...

I bought this scarf, though. It's my new favorite thing.

Rickshaw ride!

Beggars hang around the train stations (and temples) and IT BREAKS MY HEART.

Tea- drinking gang of Northeast India. Tell the Sharks and Jets to watch out.

This is the Indian equivalent of throwing away paper cups after one use. Except these are clay and therefore biodegradable, and are tons of fun to watch shatter after you throw them off the side of a train.

Train station. Santineketan to Kolkata by train, Kolkata to Guwahati by plane (which there are no pictures of, sorry).

 

 The girl in the below photo and the two guys in the next ones were my lovely chaperones. The man you seeing started serenading me (awkward) about 5 seconds after the photo was taken.

I was received by the President of the Guwahati Rotary Club and his wife.