Day 20, Aug. 30


I had a longer sleep than usual due to the fact I was scheduled to say the second Mass at the Cathedral. The first one was in Nepali, the local language. This is an 1 hour and 45 minute Mass with a lot of chanting. Darjeeling is very British, however, in its manner and style. It is also a military town. Just 5 kilometers, the road is closed for military operations. There seems to be infiltration of soldiers or arms going on. It’s not a joke. But, there is no tension.
Mass was quite nice with seminarians leading the Music. Guitars, bongos and a synthesizer were enough to lead the relatively small congregation. The people gather include tourists from France and a newly married local couple who just got back rom their honeymoon in Thailand. They stayed on an island I spent a day on two years ago.
After the Mass I was invited to tea at the Loreto Sisters cnent which is attachd to the Cathedral. The newly weds were there and she told me of a project Love & Care might be interested in. Then I went to the rectory for a final meal and some help getting a vehicle to take m down to the railway station 65 km. awy. It cost me 1200 rups to come up. The price going down came to 180 rupees. That was paying for two seats to he the front seat of the SUV to myself. The SUV only went to Siliguri. So I had to sspend another 150 rps to go the rest of the trip.
The train was on time. I found my car easily. And the first person I saw in the train was the Muslim who helped me on the trip to Darjeeling.