Hi All,rnrnWe are pleased to inform our readers of the India2011 diary that the group arrived back into London Heathrow to be greated by family and friends just before 7am this morning after a journey in which we left Kolkata at 6pm yesterday evening (12.30pm GMT).rnrnOn behalf of all the group we would like to thank our readers and those who have commented for their continued interest in the diary. The statistics of those reading our diary and the comments left for us have really motivated us throughout our trip.rnrnWe look forward to sharing our experiences of the trip and of Udayan with our friends, family, and in assemblies at St Joan’s and many other primary schools.rnrnrnThe India2011 Grouprnrn

So now we finally conclude our amazing two and half weeks in India. We have had a fantastic time and each and every one of us will be coming back with hundreds of memories which we can’t wait to tell all of you. From the beautiful Golden Temple in Amritsar to the very special times we shared with children at Udayan and Asha Bhavan. Today in Kolkata we were treated not only to a lie in, but then a very relaxed day to take in as much as possible of this breathtaking place, not to mention a spot of last minute shopping in the local markets. Now we are waiting to leave for our flights home and are very much looking forward to seeing all of our loved ones.rnrnFinally we would like to make special thanks to everyone, from teachers to parents and friends, who have helped to make this trip possible and have supported us over the last year or so. We would also like to express our appreciation to everybody who has followed our progress on the blog and left us so many messages which we have thoroughly enjoyed reading every night. rnrnWe would like to place particular thanks to Caroline and Kathryn for giving us the opportunity to come on the trip that we have all found so rewarding and experience the wonders of India, you both have ensured the success of the trip and have been wonderful travelling companions too. Weldon, we salute you! Secondly, thank you to Chris who has not only ensured we can communicate with you all via this blog but has been a caring figure who we have all enjoyed getting to know. Finally our thanks go to Beverley and Myra for their support and company on the trip we hope they have enjoyed our company as much as we have enjoyed theirs.rnrnThis concludes St Joan of Arc’s 4th trip to Udayan, we hope you have enjoyed following us and with that we say; good night and god bless from India. :)rnrn

rnrnrnrnrnrnOur last three days have been spent at Udayan and we have had the most amazing time! We have played football, cricket, hopscotch and hand games with the children. They have taught us some Bengali and Hindi while we have concentrated on reaffirming Beverley’s spoken English programme by talking to the children and assisting in their different classes. rnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnWe were blown away by how self sufficient Udayan actually is. They grow their own vegetables, bananas, mangoes, papayas and keep farm animals. The rest of the food that they provide for the children is sourced locally. We are all aware of how much food is produced by the fantastic team in the kitchen who looked after us for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We were amazed by how much all the children, even in the younger ones, eat and the fact that they ate more than our human hoover, Joe!rnrnThe staff were extremely welcoming and were very happy to explain all aspects of Udayan to us, from aspects of their day to day life, to their own business schedules at Udayan. We must extend our thanks to the staff for making us feel at home and to the children for truly making us feel part of their family. Despite coming from backgrounds surrounded by such poverty they are friendly, happy and grateful for all that is provided to them which is emphasised by how much they treasure the little they do have. rnrnrnrnOn our first day there the boys also participated in a football match of epic proportions; including many goals (no one actually knows the final score) and much bonding between the two groups. The girls also spent time with the girls at Udayan being taught phrases of Bengali which the girls persisted in testing us on for the duration of our stay. rnrnrnrnYesterday evening began with a variety of performances from us and the children of Udayan with Jamie performing a solo, Millie and Dominic performing a duet, Sabina and Shaunagh doing a Irish dance, the group performing the ‘Pizza Hut Song’ with Joe concluding the show with his own solo. The children of Udayan stunned us all with their fantastic performances which ranged from gymnastics, traditional Indian dance to Beverley and the younger years reciting the English book ‘The Blue Balloon’ accompanied with actions. After the musical celebrations we headed to the medical block for our surprise dinner where a study room had been transformed, beautifully decorated with lights, pictures and flowers by Swapan and helpers and the meal was provided courtesy of the generous Father James and his wife Lallita. rnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnToday was our last day with the children which we spent observing and participating in lessons and was filled with emotional goodbyes. Our time at Udayan has been life changing and unforgettable and we will cherish the children’s faces, love and caring nature for many years to come. We all hope to return again in the near future to continue the service that we all found so rewarding. From all the children at Udayan we would like to thank everyone who has donated money to Udayan, no matter how small, each penny you give can change their lives for the better just as meeting them has changed ours. rnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrn

After our 7 o’clock start we were greeted by Robert, one of the house brothers at Udayan, and went on the coach to Udayan where the march was beginning. We arrived to find the children lined up full of anticipation and a readiness to carry out the march to raise the awareness of leprosy as part of the National Anti-Leprosy Week. We started the crusade with Kathryn and Caroline waving flags to encourage the children and lift spirits. As we marched through Barrackpore streets many of the locals came out to support the cause and they appeared interested in the leaflets handed out by the children. Sadly we couldn’t stay with the protest as long as we would have liked as we had a coach awaiting to ferry us back to the hotel ready to begin our tour of Kolkata. As we made our exit we got to look back at the long line of children following us through the town, and we could see all of them were very happy. We left Beverley with the rally as she is staying at Udayan to make preparations for us so our time there is put to best use.rnrnrnrn rnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnAfter a quick bite to eat, we met our tour guide Sujoy who took us on a tour around some of the sights Kolkata has to offer. We made our way towards the northern part of the city to visit the house of renowned novelist, painter, songwriter poet and philosopher, Rabindranath Tagore. On the way we were stuck in the unusually busy Saturday traffic but this allowed Sujoy to tell us more about Tagore and his accomplishments such as writing the Indian and Bangladeshi national anthems as well as being the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. We then piled back into the mini van and continued to the Queen Victoria Memorial Hall to tour the galleries of art, historical artefacts and the blooming gardens. The British architecture was evident as features such as its dome bore resemblance to St. Paul’s cathedral and many landmark sites in the U.K as well as its white marble reminding us of our recent visit to the Taj.rnrnrnrnTomorrow we’re off to the Missionaries of Charity Motherhouse for early morning Mass and to visit Mother Teresa’s tomb. We’ll be coming back for breakfast before heading off to Udayan at 9am where we’ll be spending a few days with the children.rnrnWe look forward to filling you in on our time at Udayan tomorrow, technology permitting!rnrnrn

Today we travelled to the Asha Bhavan Centre, a home, school and rehabilitation centre for children with disabilities about 45km outside Calcutta. It is yet another of Dominique Lapierre’s great ventures to help the suffering of those in poverty. The visit started with the children greeting us with garlands of flowers and we were invited to have some tea before the tour of the centre. We briefly met some of the children whilst they were enjoying lessons and saw physiotherapists helping to increase children’s mobility and independence.rnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnThere’s an impressive and very creative new school building currently under construction which will be fully adapted to the needs of the children and linked to the existing building by an aerial walkway. It’s circular with a ramp spiralling gently round the interior, eliminating the need for stairs. The curved classrooms will allow teachers and therapists a good view of all the children and maximum use of available space. Only the fourth floor, which will be used for staff resources, administration and training will be accessed by low tread stairs. It really is an amazing project, worthy of a ‘Grand Designs’ TV programme to itself. It should be completed by the autumn. rnrnrnrnrnrnAfter this we were all shown a video depicting all the work that the Asha Bhavan Centre does, not only on site but in the local communities. This was a real eye-opener for all of us. rnrnAfter some delicious lunch the children danced and sang for us, which was absolutely fantastic; Joe sang a couple of songs and Shaunagh performed some Irish dancing for the children. After that the boys all played a game of football during which the girls played with the children as they watched the game. The children thoroughly enjoyed our company. After the game we had some tea before we sadly had to leave the children and the wonderful staff that are all so warm and welcoming, they are clearly committed to Asha Bhavan and its philosophy of helping children with disabilities to gain greater independence and confidence. At the end of the day we all left with a strong attachment to Asha Bhavan and we all hope it won’t be long before we will be able to come again. rnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnWatch Joe’s performance here:rnrnrnrnTomorrow we are taking to the streets to assist Udayan’s 2 mile march to help raise awareness of the plight of leprosy sufferers. After the march we’ll have a city tour of the sights of Calcutta which should provide us with plenty to tell you about tomorrow.rnrnrnrnrnrnFinally we would like to wish all those from schools in the UK who are about to start half-term, have a lovely week off and we look forward to reading more of your comments. We would also like to thank St John’s Primary School, Rickmansworth, for their continued moral support throughout our very spiritual and life-changing journey. We hope many of you will continue to keep up to date whilst away from school!rn

After a 7.30 start, a lie in for us, we finally made our way towards Udayan, the pinnacle of the trip for all of us. The busy Calcutta traffic meant it took us about an hour and a half to get to get there. It was lovely to be greeted by Shanti, Lachmi, Asha and Tumpa: four of the 7 class XI girls whose studies we are helping to support through fundraising at St. Joan’s. Fortunately, they had a day off school today and gave us sweet smelling garlands of yellow marigolds to wear around our necks as a celebration of our arrival. We were also handed a calendar and the recent issue of Dawn (the Udayan newsletter). We were taken on a tour of the school; we saw the children in their classes, visited their dormitories and their sports hall. We were also shown clothes and accessories embroidered by some of the girls in a new training project. rnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnrnOnce we had visited the school Dominic and Joe performed ‘Horse with No Name’ by America for the children before they had their lunch which the assembly seemed to really enjoy. We then had delicious fish curry, made by Sanjay the assistant cook, before we left for the Missionaries of Charity Brothers’ Leprosy Hospital at Tittagarh. One of the Brothers showed us the different wards where many of the patients were being treated and the workshop where the prosthetic limbs were made, which we all found a very touching experience. This was further enhanced by the greeting we received from many patients. In the textile workshops the brothers give paid work to many able bodied leprosy sufferers who sat spinning yarn, which is also dyed there, or skilfully weaving fabric to be made into saris. Indeed, we saw them making the blue edged white cotton cloth favoured by Mother Teresa and still worn today by The Missionaries of Charity Sisters. Outside we saw the vegetable gardens and a small farm unit where pigs and goats are kept to increase the sustainability of the community. rnrnOnce back in Kolkata, we went to the local market to purchase our Indian dress for the celebration of our final meal and show at Udayan on Monday. We were met by a frenzied state of hard selling which resulted in each of us coming out with a smile on their face, pleased with their purchase. We have all eaten and are now off to rest ourselves for another busy day tomorrow, thank you to all readers for your continued support.rn

We apologise for the lack of entry yesterday, unfortunately we ran out of time prior to preparing for our journey to Kolkata. Yesterday morning was spent with the Jesu Ashram fraternity of the Little Sisters of Jesus, founded by Little Sister Magdeleine 58 years ago. Little Sisters Maryananda and Mary spoke about how the Blessed Charles de Foucauld and Little Sister Madeleine founded the religious order by working among the poor in the community. They have spread all over the world now. After having a delicious cup of chai and Indian sweets we went up to their terrace which overlooks the Ganges. We were all blown away by the view and felt a sense of calm and serenity.rnrnrnrnWe then walked along the Ghats as far as the burning ghat. This is where cremations take place. Hindus cremate their dead and if they can afford to bring the body to the Ganges it can be burnt there and the ashes scattered on the water; others simply bring the ashes of their cremated relatives, indeed we saw some ashes being scattered on the river. It was a moving experience for us.rnrnLater we took the sleeper train all the way to Kolkata which is 1200km away. There must have been a cow on the line as the train was 4 hours late! Contrary to expectations we all slept pretty well, and managed to pass the rest of the time talking with other passengers and playing cards. We finally arrived in Kolkata at 1pm and were thrown into the madness of Kolkata traffic and the heat on our taxi ride, crossing the massive iron construction that is Howrah Bridge over the River Hooghly. Our hotel, The Fairlawn, well known to Caroline, Kathryn and Chris was very welcoming and we were all relieved to be there.rnrnIn the early evening Bivash Saniel, Hon. Secretary of Udayan, came to visit us at the hotel where we chatted about our itinerary and our time at Udayan. It was great to see him again.rnrnTomorrow we will visit Udayan and the leprosy hospital at Tittagarrh. We look forward to updating you tomorrow.rnrnBig hugs and kisses to everyone. rnrnxxxxxrn

The tenth day of the trip was spent in Varanasi. Today the itinerary included visiting the Jesu Ashram fraternity of the Little Sisters of Jesus, founded by Little Sister Magdeleine 58 years ago.rnrnUnfortunately due to it being a hectic day the team were unable to post a full entry on the website.rnrnThis evening they will be boarding the overnight train to Kolkata, their final destination where they will be visiting Udayan amongst other charities related to the City of Joy Aid.rnrnA full entry from the team relating to today will be posted tomorrow upon arrival in Kolkata.rnrnThanks for your continued interest in the group’s progress.rnrn

rnrnThe start of the day could not have been more perfect. It was another early start, but it was well worth it to see the sunrise over the Ganges. When we arrived there were many people setting up their market stalls. Down by the steps of the river people were having their morning wash in the river. We stepped into our boat and the sun was slowly rising, it was a magnificent sight to behold.rnrnrnrnrnrnWe returned to our hotel for brunch and at about 10 o’clock we set off to Sarnath, the birthplace of Buddhism. First we visited a relatively new Buddhist temple that was built in the 1930’s, we learnt the story about how Prince Siddartha grew up, how he found enlightenment and eventually founded the religion itself through beautiful frescos painted on the walls inside the temple. Just a few metres away was a bodi tree descended from the one under which Prince Siddartha reached enlightenment and gave his first sermon to his five disciples. We then visited an archaeological site dating back to the 6th century BC, uncovered by English archaeologists. We saw the remains of a number of stupas: large cylindrical constructions originally built to contain a small amount of the Buddha’s ashes and to act as a focal point and place of worship for Buddhists. We learnt of Buddha’s first teaching regarding finding the middle ground between self indulgence and self deprivation. rnrnrnrnIt was a very peaceful place with many visiting Buddhists from south-eastern Asian countries meditating and chanting around the main stupa. We also learnt that the original stupa would have been 61 metres in height; so 13 metres higher than Humayan’s tomb, yet considerably older. The Moghul invasion had brought Islam to India and Buddhism had declined as a result. Today there are fewer Buddhists in India than Christians. We also visited the neighbouring museum that contained both Buddhist and Hindu carvings, inscriptions and statues from the site, including a beautiful carved representation of the Buddha which was our guide’s favourite.rnrnrnrnrnrnWe concluded the day by returning to our hotel to enjoy a relaxing afternoon by the pool and this evening we are going to celebrate Dominic’s 19th birthday, WOOO! rnrnrnrnrnrnrn

Today was greeted with another early start but this time it was to make our way to Varanasi. We spent five very bumpy hours on our now familiar coach. After a brief stop at a service station between Agra and Delhi we stocked up on numerous tins of Pringles, Chips Ahoy and Ritz biscuits to help ease the suffering of our rushed departure, having only consumed doughnuts, pancakes and eggy bread first thing.rnrnAlong the way we saw an elephant, many cows casually roaming on the road, the Baby Taj, rural dwellings, padi fields, dung cakes stacked neatly to dry for use as fuel; the God Shiva, children playing cricket and people having their morning wash.rnrnWe arrived at Delhi Airport and were greeted by our main guide: ‘the man with the smile of a thousand children’. We checked in to find that our total baggage was 36kgs over our total 220kgs allowance! Our flight left with no delays and we experienced a rather poor landing as we touched down at Varanasi to a golden sunset on a somewhat short runway! We call it Indian style due to its similarities with the eccentric driving here.rnrnAfter collecting our cases, which were all still intact, we went to our new residence, Hotel Clarks. The hotel is of fine quality and we enjoyed a lovely meal in the restaurant listening to the musicians playing a tabla and an Indian flute, while the soft drone of a sitar was played in the background. Millie then knocked over her rather large bottle of Royal Challenge saturating the table cloth as an entourage of Japanese travellers looked on with bemused expressions and disgruntled murmurs! :)rnrnrnrnrnrnTomorrow will start with a lie in compared to most days, as we leave for the River Ganges at 6am. It’s also a rather special day as it’s Dominic’s nineteenth birthday which we intend to celebrate in the evening.rn