We were met at the airport by Sathya and Tharan, two members of the Indian FS team. We would have been horribly lost otherwise. They had arranged a taxi from Kolkata airport to the University in Kharagpur, a 7 hour round trip. Somehow that’s only 1300 Rupees, equivalent to about £20!

The journey was a pretty terrifying experience. It appears that the horn is a direct replacement for checking your mirrors and indicating. It’s simply a case of forcing your way though. Motorbikes are used to transport just about anything, from boats to haybales. Cars were driving on the wrong side of the highway as well as tyre change in the fast lane. All very hilarious!

Half way through the journey we stopped for a bite to eat. Trusting Sathya’s judgement, we let him order for us. The food, best described as a massive samosa with curry sauce was far better than the standard British curry house! Having bought a dubious looking bottle of water (clearly filled from the tap), we opted for the soft drinks. 4 meals and 6 drinks cost us the equivalent of £4.

On arrival at the University we were shown to our Halls of residence. Coincidentally today was also their annual Halls party with lights, a stage and dancefloor all being set up. With midday temperature now reaching 35°C, we were glad to find the rooms have aircon.

After settling in we were left to explore the campus for a few hours. We visited a couple of local cafes and wondered around the department buildings and gardens. All very picturesque. Clearly the University doesn’t have many British visitors. Everyone stared and most people laughed. We’re still trying to work out what the laughing was about?!

In the evening Ganesh and Siddartha picked us up and took us for a meal nearby. After exploring the local market and with much discussion over our respective car designs, we arranged to meet tomorrow at 9:30am.

On returning to our halls, the party was in full flow. After being invited down, we joined in the festivities. The dancing was pretty epic with everyone having a great time (without a drop of alcohol in sight). With our lack of sleep finally catching up with us, we retired to bed around midnight ready for day 2.