This is my travel log while in India: May 10 -- June 7, 2011

May 11, 2011, Frankfurt Airport.
I left Millis 3 hours berfore the fight and almost missed it!  After the toll on Mass-pike where is connects to 128, there was a stale traffic.  Beata managed to make a U-turn after the toll, then we drove toward Natick and made another (illigal) U-turn where the state police is.  Then back toward Boston but this time we took 128 South then Rt. 16 all the way to Storrow Drive and we made it 1 hour before the flight.  Then I was in the long, long line to the security check but half-way through, about 35 minutes before the flight, I asked the security about my flight and they let me go with priority.  Schnatz!  I made it and now I am in Frankfurt waiting for my flight to India.  2 more hours to kill.  Even here, in Frankfurt, took me more than one hour to go through security after arriving at the terminal for India. 
Advise: if you fly internationally make sure that you be at the airport at least 2 hrs before your flight.  And when planning connecting flights in Europe, you need at least two hours overlap.  One hour may not be enough, especially when you arrive in the monring hours as these are rush hours!

May 15, 2011, Kolkata - Sri Chaitanya Gaudiya Math
I arrived in Kolkata just before midnight on Wed., May 11 and got to the temple arounf 1am on Thu., May 12.  The flight was good as the airplane wasn't full.  I hat space to stretch during the 8.5 hrs flight.  On Thursday morning I got to see my Spiritual Master (or Gurudev), His Divine Grace Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Mahraja who just turned 90 in April.  Here we talk in His room:



Each of our temples have presiding deities.  Here, in Kolkata, the deities names are:  Sri Sri Radha Nayanath Gauranga.



And here is the entire altar:



It is really hot and humid.  I still have a jet leg and need to take afternoon naps - this is also weather related.  From noon until about 5pm it is a frying pan outside. 
And here is my room:



Please remember that this is not a hotel.  It is an ashram where we practice simplicity and austerity.  We have fantastice food called "prasadam" that is cooked daily and of course, all is very vegetable and spicy.  Some soups are so spicy hot that they could be really used as a paint remover... :)

And here is a view across the street:  Is it freedom or poverty? or both?  What do you think?



Hereare laborers who sleep on the street.  It is perfectly safe at night and very quite, too.  These are just poor people who do any type of work they can.  Many come from villiges surrounding Kolkata.  These are simple people who try to find jobs and make some little money.  Nobody bothers them here, not even dogs :)

So, what's next for me?  Well, I am planning on staying in Kolkata until Tue or Wed next week then go to Mayapur, north from here.  Depending on weather conditions I may stay 5-7 days there.  Then we'll see :)