The caste system still prevails among the middle class. Again, witnessed in Sunderbans. Two Bengali men were part of the five people in the group and ex-Marine and I both cringed listening to them order waiters and other help around like they were dirt. Demanding, expecting (all in English) and we never heard so much as a "please" or "thank you" from either of them. They even insisted the staff bring their meals to the cottage instead of joining everyone in the communal dining room and each member of the staff was referred to as "boy", as in "the boy will get it"..."boy, bring me water"....

It is heartbreaking watching the very thin (almost skeletal) hardworking people toiling in the fields, building roads, sweeping dirt from the front of their minute houses in an attempt to keep them clean. Washing clothes, bathing from pumps along the street (or in filthy ponds), erect and dignified despite grinding poverty. Thankfully, we saw Government dug wells in almost every village and along the roads. India is humbling and it definitely takes a go with the flow mentality to survive it.

We rely on Tomas at Footloose Tours to arrange our India travel. He knows where to go, what to do and the best local tour operators. Tomas tailors relatively inexpensive trips for the two of us and independent travel gives tremendous freedom to change whatever you don't feel like doing and, conversely, linger if there is something of great interest. Stop for photos, change rail to air, you name it and it's done.

Thanks for listening...