Catching up....Goa...Mumbai....

Life in Goa was very relaxing...we had a very easy "schedule" of sleeping in, eating a late breakfast and checking out various local beaches. During the season Goa is apparently a huge party scene- however, we are definitely in the off-season and to be honest being in Goa during the "season" sounds terrible from the description of it. Apparently it is very crowded and everything is packed....it was packed enough for Ang and I. We did meet a few great travellers- it is always nice to hear other people's stories. One guy spent 2 weeks wandering around the jungles of Borneo- our travel stories of India pale in comparison to the nonsense that he dealt with. Plus, any story told in an Australian accent is always hilarious.

Goa beaches were not the the most beautiful beaches we have ever visited- but a portion of it was all of the haggling on the beach. At one point, we had six girls surrounding us and I asked Ang under my breath "How much longer?"....she assured me that it would be 5-10 minutes. No joke....2 hours later- they were still sitting there. Eventually they break us down and we buy something.

We were supposed to take a train to Mumbai today- it was going to be a 13 hour overnight train. However, we checked this morning and we were on the waiting list. Generally, if you are in the top 10 people on the waiting list you will get a seat- but since it was an overnight train we weren't sure we would get on. And after looking at plane tickets and realizing it was $20 more to fly- we flew to Mumbai this afternoon. It was a 45 minutes flight and much more relaxing than a 13 hour train.

We were SO lucky today and Kalpana's cousin picked us up and took us to their family home. We are going to stay here for 2 nights- with the entire family! It is often a tradition in India to live with your parents- grandparents....so, we are currently staying with a family of 8 ish. (The ish- is because I haven't quite figured out everyone who is living here). They are AMAZING hosts and we have already been stuffed to the gills with food!

Tomorrow we explore Mumbai- we are trying to get in a Bollywood Film as "extras".....so, watch out!

What is more shocking?

Last night Ang and I were sitting at a restaurant with a band playing classic- American tunes. At one point, a couple takes their beagle (yes, you read right) out onto the dance floor- holding it like a baby. As the tune of "Manic Monday" flew through the air...Ang looked at me and said:

A: What is more shocking? That there is a dog on the dance floor in India dancing to "Manic Monday" or that that dog has a collar on?

My answer was obviously that the dog had a collar on. Out of all of the street dogs and others we have seen in India...not one has had a collar or leash. Surprising that a dog on the dance floor doesn't shock us anymore.

We are in North Goa for a few days- a breath of fresh air! We really like the place we are staying and had a wonderful experience yesterday of having lunch with Kalpana's family! They picked us up from the train station and took us to their lovely home. And then they started to feed us...

For some reason Ang and I both had the same idea that we would "out-eat" her Aunt's scooping of food. We both thought that we would eat quickly- and then have seconds before the first food hit our stomach's. Kalpana had warned us that there would be mass amounts of food...so, we thought we were prepared. Nobody can be prepared for how quickly your plate gets filled back up at an Indian household.....it was unbelievable! The minute I would finish one thing...something else would be plopped on my plate. I would then finish that and there was more of it. We both estimate that we ate a total of 4 cups of rice...plus many other delicious dishes!  After a delicious meal- she even sent us on the road with a few other goodies for later!

It was a great experience to see how a real Indian family lives. They had a beautiful home that was broken into four apartments for the four out of five boys in the family (one brother lives somewhere else). Each of the brothers and his wife and family live in one of the apartments. Up until the parents passed away- they also lived there. I really like how they all take care of each other..it was touching and sweet. All of the wives came to meet us at one point, showed us their home...and made sure we liked the food...it was a wonderful experience.

Afterwards they dropped us at the bus stop- and we made it to North Goa last night. We are staying at a place called Baga..if you care to find it on the map.

The BEST and MOST exciting news to be posted so far.....

This is the most exciting news I've had to post yet....

The Herron Family will be adding a member to our family at the end of March....and I will be an Aunt!!

Gabe and Kristin are expecting a baby....we are all really excited!

Life in Hampi.....

We have been in Hampi for several days now. We didn't expect to stay this long, however, there is not a train on Fridays-although the website says there is one. We have a rule in India (1 of 10 developed in the last month)....that you must ask 5 people the same question...and the majority answer wins. If you only ask 3 people- you are at a very high risk of translation issues and/or potential scams. Four out of five people said there was no train today....so, here we are.

Hampi has been good- we found a volunteer opportunity on our first day here and have been volunteering at a program called "The Children's Trust". It is a program put together for 30 kids that would otherwise be begging on the street. This program pays for their school, supplies and three meals a day. The kids go before school for breakfast, at lunchtime and then after school to do their homework. It has been an eye opening experience- and although we leave everyday in need of a shower (kids hanging ALL over you)....the kids are adorable and their teacher extremely loving! We have been volunteering after school and helping the kids with their English....although neither of us have a clue what we are doing! We read to them- help them with homework and after we get them settled for dinner we leave.

Last night was particularly special for me- and my favorite moment in India this far. At the end of our volunteer time-  I noticed one of the girls hiding a decent size cut on her ankle under her dress . She seemed embarrassed...but the cut also looked infected. She let me take a look at it and it was gross! Long story short- I ran back to our hotel and got my first aid kit (supplied by the Herron Family cupboard)...and headed back to school. Although Ang and I have a ton of supplies for this trip- the first aid kit has been used more than anything. The girl had already left by the time I got back to school, but when her friends saw what I had brought they immediately started ushering Ang and I to her home.  There was not even a moment of hesitation for Ang or me....in fact, we didn't even give each other the glance of "are you okay?"....we just started walking. We wove through the small town with 4 girls leading us to her home. Winding around stray dogs and the typical cow to a place we wouldn't otherwise walk to. On the way, we met up with her mother and the girls explained in Hindi why we were coming to her home. The mom was welcoming and seemed appreciative. When we got there the little girl who was hurt was  SO cute and immediately invited us in. We could see into the house- clean, simple and smaller than any of our bedrooms. Since I figured I would need some natural light to clean up her cut- we put a chair outside. I cleaned up her leg- yes, my first aid kit includes gloves....and then one of the other girls presented her cut...so, I cleaned up that too. Ang was a great medical assistant! It was a very inspiring moment for me- for many reasons- but also another moment of pure gratitude.

Today we went to a pharmacy in the next town and got some supplies for the schools first aid kit. We are hoping to do a little presentation on keeping wounds clean today during our volunteer time. After bringing the first aid supplies back- we both learned a huge lesson on allocation and distribution. The Trust seems to have a lot of supplies....but the teacher, who speaks limited English, doesn't know how to distribute or allocate them. They have medicine of diarrhea, headaches and dehydration....but they are not used. For example, someone from Greece sent them a large box of med supplies...but if nobody teaches what they are for- they can go to waste. Hopefully, we were able to provide simple enough supplies for the first aid kit that they will get used. It reminded both of us how simple it is for supplies to be sent to impoverished countries- but with no education they are useless.

Hampi has been a good stop for both of us. Tomorrow morning we take the train (5 people confirmed) back to Goa to explore North Goa....before leaving for Mumbai (Slum Dog Millionaire) next week!!

General India....

I've recently been asked some general question about India...so, thought I would do a quick post about our daily life!

What do we eat? (most important right?!): We are primarily eating Indian Food...surprise. Eating vegetarian has been really easy and preferred, after seeing chickens stacked on top of each other in the street in the smallest cages I've ever seent- eww. We generally eat rice- some type of vegetarian dish and a bread- either naan or chapati. The food is similar to what you would get in an Indian restaurant in the states. We both like it, but it does get old after 2 meals a day. If we do have an opportunity to have Western food- we often take it. For breakfast, I've been eating beans and toast (thank you Britain) and Ang will have muesli. The muesli comes with curd (not milk)- which makes my stomach turn to type.  In general, our meals cost about $5 USD for the two of us.

Where do we sleep?  We have been sleeping in hotels or hostels- they have not been great. Generally we get a hot shower- although not always. There is not a separate room for the shower, so similar to Asia- we shower over the toilet and the entire room gets wet. Oh India. On average, we have been paying $16 USD per night for our rooms. There isn't always an option to get something nicer- but we do 'splurge' once in a while. The largest splurge was $30 USD/night.

Where do we get laundry done? We have only done laundry twice- gross? Maybe. But, since the laundry is dried outside- if the weather doesn't stay dry- we can't get our clothes washed. Wherever we are staying generally does our laundry and returns it in the evening.

Transportation? We take rickshaws around the cities we are in. If we are going for a longer distance, we may take a taxi. Every ride is a negotiation on price- often getting the price cut in half.

What questions do we get ask 100 times a day? What is your good name (first name)? Where are you coming from? How long are you here? Do you like India?  How many in your family? Do you want to buy...(fill in blank)?

Internet? The Internet has been better than expected- we get to e-mail every other day if needed. The cost is about 30 ruppees per hour. This is about sixty cents.

Hopefully that explains some of the basics!!

A few pictures....

I know I am a complete slacker on the pictures...but if you were working with a "Tech-Com" (computer brand) from 1995- you may not be very keen on uploading photos! I had to actually request a computer with a CD drive. Hilarious. I also am not sure why the size of the pictures are different sometimes....and that question would for sure get lost in translation if I tried to ask.

This is a picture of the streets during minimal traffic. Most of the time I could reach out and touch another car. The yellow things are the rickshaws that I refer to in my blogs- those are what Ang and I travel in the most often. For a good laugh...please picture Ang and I in the rickshaw with both of our backpacks..it is a sight to see.

A street corner in a small town- this is often the view from our bus window.

"m not sure I can even explain this photo--but this is Ang taking a picture from her bus window into the rear view mirror of the drivers seat of a bus. And yes...that is a monkey which at a stop was hanging on the mirror. I was spazzing out that the monkey was going to come inside- I'm sure muttering something about rabies...while Ang snapped photos.

On a normal day Ang and I are stopped about 5 times a day to get our picture taken. It is strange enough for us in the first place- but generally once you say yes, you then have a group of people around you snapping photos (paparazzi style).  Just today I was talking to someone on the street and a guy came up and put his camera 1 foot from my face and snapped a photo. 

This is a picture while one of us is being photographed. It can be families that stop us- single people or kids....often after they then ask us to take a photo of them and request to see it in our camera. At some point, we generally have to stop having people taking photos so we can move on. It is honestly a hilarious phenomenon. I always wanted to be famous...but.....

Beautiful Munnar! One of my top favorite places in India so far!



Streets of India.

This is me (light blue shirt) trying to buy a bottle of wine. First, women don't buy alcohol. Second, in certain places nobody (men or women) admit to drinking. So....apparently, if you buy alcohol behind a screen- then nobody sees you?

Here is another example of a photo shoot.....

Annoying four year olds...and Goa....

We arrived in Goa two days ago--it had just finished pouring down rain when we arrived around 6 p.m. It has rained most of the day today- but was great weather yesterday. The daytime train to Goa from Mangalore was MUCH better than the nighttime train. As always, everything seems better in the daylight and the cockroaches sleep! We were still in 2nd class A/C- but this time with an Indian family. They were offering us food- including birthday cake for to celebrate the dad's birthday- before we left the first train station! That is exactly what someone told us would happen on the train if you were sat with and Indian family.

Their four year old daughter eventually drove us crazy...to the point where I had to pretend to wear my headphones and ignore her. Most four year olds are manageable- but she was constantly touching our faces, closing the curtains, closing our books- it was actually quite comical. Ang and I both put our "mom faces" on at one point and told her to stop. Her parents didn't seem very interested in entertaining her. I immediately thought of how wonderful my mom was on road trips- entertaining us, making up games....you name it. At one point, Ang and I had even moved seats and she was still following us (I can't believe we are avoiding a 4 year old on a train)....and after telling her 'no' about something several times- Ang walked her right back to her parents and said "I'm sorry, we are trying to read and she keeps poking our faces and slapping our books." I guess that is a nice way of describing annoying. She delivered the message in a serious, loving tone as I giggled and pretended to read.

We stayed for two nights in Palolem- it is South of Goa- try to find it on a map....just for a challenge of the day. It is just a tiny beach town and was really relaxing. But enough foreigners travel there that we even had fajitas last night....AND a mozzarella, tomato, basil salad which was our first fresh veggies of the trip! The stomach seems fine today:)

We met up with some girls from Holland and have been hanging out with them ever since. We are actually all reading the same book and Ang and I had just decided to have our own book club- when we ran into them at a restaurant and they had just decided to do the same thing! Our book club grew by 100% in 5 minutes!

Tonight we are having dinner and discussing the book. It is a very moving story called "Shantaram"- by Gregory David Roberts- which is all about life in Bombay and India. It is easy to relate to and he even does a great job of describing the guilt I have been feeling while travelling. I will try to quote some of the cool parts later- since he says it much more eloquently that I did!

We moved up the beach about 15 km today- to another small town- which is probably not even featured on a map. I will try to get pictures up soon- the slow internet makes me unmotivated to try.

First tears specifically about India...

It was bound to happen at some point- the first tears flow specifically about India. Right after writing my last blog I was definitely at a cracking point (you could probably tell). I think that Ang and I both start to feel the reality of traveling for three months right around week three of a long trip. She reminded me of a terrible night in Vietnam that was also around the 3 week mark of our trip to South East Asia.

Regardless, we sat down to have lunch and I burst into tears. As I started to talk it out with Ang- besides just general frustration, I am realizing that I am having some guilt about how much poverty there is here and how little we can do about it. I figured that this would happen- the feeling of being helpless amongst all of the poverty and I am still at loss for any major action steps to take. On the flip side, I also feel the most grateful I ever have in my entire life. I feel lucky to have been born in such an amazing country, for my family, friends and that at the end of this trip....I get to come home.

In addition, when you are walking on the streets of India people are constantly asking  you if you want a ride, directions or to buy something. We had just walked around town and were "hounded" for most of the walk. I was also feeling sad about how I was during these interactions with people. I felt like I was being disrespectful or rude- even though having a conversation with each person would be out of the question. We would never be able to move from one corner. However, most people want to know where you are from? How long are you travelling? What is your name? Simple questions- but I found myself almost ignoring people to get to where we wanted to go.

So, the guilt - coupled with the over-stimulation of India- led to lots of tears. And for some reason, the tears were somewhat uncontrollable. Our waiter came to take our order and said to me "Ma'am, why do you weep?" I was not only surprised that he was asking- but also I didn't know what to say. He followed up with "anything you need, any help you need, I can help." As the tears kept flowing, I mustered up the explanation that I missed my family. It was the only thing I could logically come up with at that point. The waiter then says "I understand. I miss my family too. No mother. No father. No brother or sister. Only me. But anything I can do to help?" I was amazed as his offer, his perception and with limited English his ability to communicate such care for someone he didn't know. Ang and I were both very touched by this interaction and both in tears by the time he walked away.  Here I am having all of these emotions about his home country and he is opening himself to a complete stranger. Life sometimes really knows what you need in the moment.

While in Mysore we were lucky enough to meet up with Kalpana's (Ang's friend from college) cousin. She was MORE than gracious in arranging a car for us for the day- while we ran around Mysore and tried to figure out my broken camera. The driver also took us to the Mysore Palace which is a spectacular palace in the middle of the city. It was used by rulers up until 1942 and has been kept in good shape. In the evening, we went to Kalpana's cousin's resort for dinner- which was SO beautiful! Not only great food but great company! We had dinner with Akshaya (Kalpana's cousin) and the general manager of the hotel- who was a wealth of knowledge. We were able to ask him all of the questions about India that you REALLY want to ask someone- but you are not sure if you are going to offend them. Examples include:

Q: What is an average salary of a waiter?
A. 4,000 Rupees/month ($80 USD)

Q: Who owns the cows that roam the streets?
A: Nobody- they are street cows.

Q: Why are there SO many people working in restaurants? (Just this morning- Ang and I were the only two in the restaurant and there were 8 staff)
A: Because you pay a monthly salary- not an hourly salary. So, even if you don't have work- you have them at work in case you need them.

We also asked him questions about the political parties in India and all of the corruption around the government. It was very interesting!  It was a great night and we were both grateful to Kalpina for the introduction!

We spent yesterday in Mysore- roaming around- seeing temples and sites and even seeing the worst English movie ever (Resident Evil). We took our first overnight train last night from Mysore to Mangalore. It wasn't my favorite experience ever. When we first got on the train- Ang and I were not in the same compartment. She was with 3 men and I was off on my own. I'm really glad that she spoke up and said she wasn't comfortable with the situation. At first the train conductor said there was nothing he could do- but soon he woke up the guy sleeping next to Ang's bed (who didn't seem mad)- and I took that bed- so we were at least next to each other. The only part that made the whole trip terrible were the 2 cockroaches we saw in the guys bed below us. EWWWW!!! I knew the trains were not clean...but cockroaches?!! Cockroaches- coupled with the guy below us snoring like a bear- allowed for 2 hours of sleep.

The trains are interesting in India. There are classes to the trains,1st class A/C being the best. In 1st class A/C there are two people in the berth and it locks with A/C. In 2nd class A/C (that we were in last night)- is 4 bunk beds with curtains down the hallway. From there there is 3rd class A/C (maybe more cockroaches?) down to bench seating. In a few hours we are taking a train to Goa which is 5 hours. I believe we will be in  Goa for 8 days- lots of beach time and reading!

India makes me manic...

I might need to vent just a little bit in this blog....India is making me absolutely manic. I have 100 emotions a day ranging from "I love this place" (yes, I've said it once or twice) to "Get me home right now!"....yesterday was a perfect example of this manic behavior.

We spent two days in Munnar- beautiful tea country. We stayed at a farm stay (not sure why they call it that except that it is on a plantation of something)- and the place was decent. I'm not sure if I am 'vented' about this yet- but the beds in India are often really damp. To the point where you don't notice it until you roll over and then you feel damp. It is disgusting to say the least. Ang has even put three layers of stuff down before (towels, sarong etc) and still soaked through. It just makes for a bad night of sleep...obviously. Okay...so, besides the bed being damp...the place was fine.

We lucked out getting a taxi to Munnar from Kochi- so the transportation piece was a breeze. He took us right to our hotel and we had a relaxing evening- met an Australian couple and just hung out. The next day we went into the town of Munnar to try to organize how we were going to get to Mysore and see some of the sites. We figured out right away it was going to be a pain. Plus, while we were in town it started raining- which always makes everything worse.

At one point, we were trying to get a taxi back to our hotel and we walked to a taxi stand to do so (imagine that?!)....I started negotiating with the guys out front (all of which were cab drivers) and Ang went inside the stand (also 8 taxi drivers in the stand) and all of them pointed to a guy sitting at a desk- who called several numbers on a call down list. Yes, we are both thinking at this time- why can't any of these 8 guys standing in the taxi stand take us? Or any of the guys I'm talking to? Essentially, the guy at the desk- calls one of the guys I'm talking to outside and the guy starts his car and pulls forward. Not joking. Oh India.

The rain continued through the night- but was actually really a cool experience in our hotel that was in the forest. It rained the hardest I can remember- and we just sat on the porch, watched and read. Our bus was set to leave at 7 a.m.- so a richshaw driver picked us up at 6 a.m. After a few scenic picture stops and slow driving by our driver- at 7:05 we had officially missed our bus. This wasn't a direct bus to Mysore- but only had one stop over in Coimbatore (spelled completely incorrect). The next bus out left at 8 a.m. but had an additional stop.

Obviously we didn't have a choice- so we got on the 8 a.m. bus. This is where manic sets in. I LOVED the bus ride...the scenery was amazing, shocking and beautiful- I was in love with the people all of which constantly help us out and make sure we are taken care of-and I actually said to Ang "This is my favorite day in India." She reminded me of this comment on our 3rd bus- when I was about to crack, it was raining again and we had just experienced the worst bathroom in the entire country (in my opinion).

By the time we got to the hotel- we had both wished were were home at certain points- and laughed about how much we loved it at certain parts. Today is better- we are exploring Mysore and planning our next move to Goa. I'm sure India will continue to make me manic...which I've heard it part of the draw- you love certain parts so much that the chaos is worth it.

Ew bugs.....

As you know, I'm the one constantly panicked about getting bit by bugs. But poor Ang in the last few days has really had her fair share of attacks. Two days ago we were walking down the street when a man sheepishly picked a caterpillar off Ang's back....she immediately started itching and even had to go and change her shirt. Although even changing her shirt didn't seem to stop the itching and she still has the outline of the caterpillar on her back (in red marks). The caterpillar bite has also morphed into more bumps all over her back.  In addition, last night at dinner- while I got bit by nothing- she ended up with two huge bites on her knees and then her neck started breaking out even further.

The good news is...we have a resident nurse (me)....and a GREAT first aid kid--so with a Benadryl and some anti-itch cream she seems to be pulling it together.

Catching up....

I know that I said I would get back to our experience at the ashram--which was better than expected. Let's be honest...it wasn't clean or fancy or extremely zen....BUT....we did have some cool experiences there. Amma, who is the guru, is only in the ashram for a few months out of the year and happened to be there while we were there....we got to hear her teach on the beach and then did receive one of her famous hugs- since she has hugged over 30 million people!! We also got to spend about 1.5 hours singing with her followers....which really meant Ang and I people-watching since the music was not in English.  She has done some pretty amazing things in the world- donating lots of money- building schools- helping with hunger all over the world including the US- and although I was not 'moved' by my hug from Amma....there are many people who are and it was fun to hear their stories and ask why they are living there.

When you get in line to hug her you are shoved around- ask what language you speak- ask to wipe off your face- and moved into the line. A woman told me I couldn't hold my bag- and took it off my shoulder- then pushed me toward my hug with Amma. She nuzzled my head into our armpit and said a prayer- handed us a small candy sachtel and we were off.

When we arrived we got checked in and were sent to our room- on our way to our room- we saw the a hive of buzzing bees working away near our window. Look at that hive!! Yikes!!

There were many of these beehives on the 14 story building we stayed in!

As mentioned, Ang did have to carry her own mattress to the room in the Ashram- and then (God bless her!) she slept on the floor! I owe her big time- because at least I had a bed.

Being a trooper on the floor.

The entire Ashram experience was good- and I'm glad we did it. Although later that day we met two American girls who told us that there was a transportation/everything strike the next day and we would be stuck in the Ashram....that is when pure panic set in.

Neither of us liked it well enough to stay another day...so, we immediately tried to figure out ways to leave. No taxis were running- and the train station was 15 km away. We were told that if someone were to drive a tourist- other drivers would throw bricks at them- and break windows. However, somehow we were convinced by the American girls the next morning to do a 'shared auto' that essentially is a taxi without signs on it.

We made it to the train station- where the trains were running. When we got off the train- we were met by 20 rickshaw drivers saying they couldn't drive us anywhere. My question being...then why in the heck are you standing at the train station?!! But what we have found in India is that if you stand around enough or ask enough people- you can eventually get what you need/want. So we stood there. And eventually a rickshaw driver said he would take us to our hotel- go figure. At the end of our ride he said "see-worth the risk"....I guess so, but I spent most of the time with my backpack poised in shield like position to block any bricks that may have come flying.

Here is a picture of some of the protesters during the strike.

Here we are crossing the train station with our new friends.

After we got to our hotel- we found out that most restaurants are also closed due to the strike. Okay...not most, all of them. The owner of our restaurant said that he knew of a restaurant that is always open. We met up with a few people from our hotel and decided to walk for 40 minutes to the restaurant- what else were we going to do? Ang and I had resorted to eating our highly coveted Cliff Bars....but decided to go along for the adventure. When we got there the restaurant was closed!

But as mentioned earlier...wait around enough and you will get what you want/need. Our new Israeli friend said he would be practicing "Passive Resistance" similar to Gandhi and immediately took off his shoes and sat down. Ang and I stared at him and laughed....and he told us we were not committed enough. Yep...you are right- I'm not committed to sitting outside a closed restaurant until they open! However, commitment is the key in India. He sat and we waited for 5 minutes....soon about 15 Indians were shuffling around and a woman invited us into the restaurant...and we had a delicious dinner! Ang and I were both shocked at the outcome...I guess Gandhi knew what he was doing!

Here is the official "Sit in".

Here we are enjoying some music- later in the evening with the few people staying in our hotel.

After the strike was over and we had spent one night in Allepey- we headed off for a night on a house boat in the backwaters of India. It was a nice relaxing evening with not much to report- the waters were calm- it didn't rain much and we played a fun game with our Indian hosts.

Here is a picture of the houseboats we stayed on- it was a very neat experience and we even got to see the Indian Rowing Team during their morning practice!!

We are now in Kochi- as reported earlier (home of the massage). This is the first time since Chennai we have stayed somewhere for 3 nights! We spent the day seeing all of the sites...a Dutch Palace, museum, churches....and getting our picture taken by a bunch of young kids as I helped the local fishermen pull in their nets. Well...they asked me to...what was I supposed to do?!!

We are leaving Kochi tomorrow for Munnar- the tea fields- which is supposedly beautiful!

Mental blogging.....

One of the funny things that happens when you have a blog is you find yourself blogging at times when you are not actually at the computer. I just blogged through and entire 50 minute massage....blogged and tried not to laugh.

Everyone has told us that we MUST get ayurvedic massages while we were in Kerala- and since we like following the crowd- Ang found a place that seemed 'fine' today. Of course we did no research- which is often time why we find ourselves in ridiculous situations.

We walked in and I immediately figured out that there was only one woman massage "therapist." The "therapist" took Ang into another room- and told me to wait on this weird little bench outside. I finally decided that I didn't really want to wait to get massaged by the same lady (they had said we could go at the same time) and since the door wasn't even really shut on Ang's massage room- I knocked and walked in. Much to my surprise- Ang was sitting cross legged- only in underwear and the woman had tied some ridiculous head band around her head. I tried not to laugh- and then told the woman I would get a massage another day. Due to the limited English...I was soon explaining my story to the man downstairs who ASSURED me she would be with me in a few minutes, while Ang got a different treatment she had signed up for. So....I bit the bullet and headed back to my weird little bench to wait.

Soon she directed me to a room with a mat on the floor and said "everything".....I'm sure my blank stare told her that "everything" was not enough direction for me...and she was soon motioning for me to remove all my clothes. Now....I'm not necessarily the MOST modest, but I do try to make a habit out of not getting completely nude in front of strangers. Even in the states, while getting a massage (in which you are also covered by a sheet) I wear underwear.  Regardless....I soon was following directions and nude on the mat...also sitting cross legged- wondering when my weird headband would be tied around my head. Also wondering WHY did Ang get to wear underwear? The whole time I'm blogging about the situation in my head.....

I found out later that the headband was for Ang's other procedure that she had signed up for. Now the woman could probably care less about me being naked...but it is ALL I can think about. She starts massaging me with a cooking-type oil and the entire time I'm trying not to laugh. I can't stop picturing Ang in the headband...I can't believe I'm in this situation....and since I'm laughing I look like a Class A pervert during the entire massage. She did in fact massage my entire body....for 40 minutes....and about a gallon of oil, most of which is still caked onto my body. It wasn't the most relaxing experience....but poor Ang just walked into the computer lab and said she needed to process through the entire experience- so it must have been a doozy for her too.

Here's to a little more research next time.....

Finally some pictures.....

Oh my goodness!! Trying to get pictures uploaded has not only taken me most of the afternoon....and you will see the token 10 pictures loaded below....but now my camera (which is already giving me fits has decided to run out of batteries!!).

I am having to have active thoughts today about feeling lucky about travelling.- I KNOW I am lucky- and even when sitting on the other side of the world- life can be frustrating. Not surprisingly- some of the stress is caused by our stupid rental house- WHY did I ever think being a landlord was a good idea? Yuck!! And then the camera not working.....and then.....okay, life is short....I'm done complaining and lucky.  I will do another blog about what we have been up to- but want to make sure these pictures get up before the electricity (which goes out or is low most afternoons) decides to do one or the other.

Our first meal we ate on Thai Airways from Bangkok to Delhi, India.

Ang and I boarding the plane to New Delhi, India.

At one point we were in this store and I turned around to see a bindhi on Ang's head...she claimed it happened so fast she was shocked too! Soon..I was bindhi'ed as well.

With the boys from the field hockey team on the bus. We thought the man in the front was the coach- since he jumped in the photo- turned out he wasn't. Classic.

The sunrise over the Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean- pictures don't do justice.

What my socks looked like when I got them back from laundry- they are at least 2 sizes larger than my foot. Apparently it is rude to turn your underwear into the laundry....but we found that out AFTER the poor woman had sorted through 2 weeks of dirty underwear.

Passage to India...duh.

The coast of Kerala. Kerala is one of many states in India. It is the only communist state, has a population that is 90-something percent literate and has the lowest infant mortality rate of all of India....interesting huh?

At our cooking class.....we had to be barefoot (which you all know makes my skin crawl)....and the potatoes and onions had been on the floor. Can you say "mice city?"

Ang and I at the cooking class with our finish product! If we had our druthers....there would be no-tomato-turned-flower or garnishes.....but the real-chef insisted.

Cooking, dogs and gurus...

Just a quick update on our progress up the coast of India. We spent two nights in Varkala- a beach town. We actually both preferred Kovalam a bit more- but Varkala was nice too. We stayed in a decent (India decent) place for $7 USD per night- that tends to really help our budget. As you can imagine, I'm a complete spaz about bugs...and always sleep better the 2nd night KNOWING that I will not be getting bed bugs. We haven't stayed in any place that would warrant bed bugs yet....but I believe someone (Jessica!) told me a horrendous story before I left the states about bed bugs...and now my mind wanders! Surprise Surprise!

The beach in Varkala was very dangerous...so I only went up to my knees- and I'm sure polluted also. Although everyone had warned us of Indian men trolling the beach- it was actually fine and just very hot! We have completely lucked out on weather- and we are hoping to miss the monsoon season completely! Knock on wood.

The first night in Varkala we met a few people and stayed out decently late. The entire town runs along these cliffs- and our hotel was at the very end. By the time we were heading home all of the shop lights were off. THANKFULLY we had a flashlight (thank you mom)....and so we felt safe walking home. However, about halfway through our walk- a dog ran up to us and grabbed at a bag Ang was holding (that contained two sundresses)....we squealed of course and hoped he would go away. But he didn't. He kept "playing/barking/nipping" at Ang's bag to the point where she throws the bag on the sidewalk. This dog is a complete street dog and we are both petrified of getting rabies. After throwing the bad towards the dog- Ang realizes that she doesn't really want to give up the two sundresses she has just purchased and starts looking for an opportune time to grab the bag back--I think I'm convincing her to leave them...but I'm SO worried that the dog is going to grab my flashlight that I'm panicked too! We are also yelling at the dog in English....and I'm sure that its first language is not English. Needless to say- Ang eventually grabs the bag and puts in in front of her where the dog can't see (probably a bad choice) and we make our way home as the dog runs off. My heart has not beat that fast in a while...

We also took a cooking glass while in Varkala....although it was mostly a demonstration...we cooked a five course meal that was delicious! Just you guys wait until I get home...it should only take about 6 hours to prepare this exact same meal! We made (not spelled correctly) vegetable pakora, okra marsala, korma, coconut chutney and chapati (bread). It was really fun...of course we got to giggling a few times and always have to lie about what we are laughing at. We can't say to the teacher..."oh, actually we are giggling because you just sneezed, wiped it on your shirt and kept cooking".....instead Ang does that shaking silent laugh and I generally have to make up some stupid story.

Today we took our first train in India! It is dirty, which was expected, but fine overall. Where else can you get a 7-up and samosas served to you? We actually didn't eat the samosas--but I'm sure will before all is said and done. We also booked our first overnight train for the night of the 16th. The trains in India fill up very fast- so we are having to do some planning unlike some of our other trips. Our first overnight train will be from Mysore to Mangalore to Goa on the 16th- it will be more than 19 hours of travel.

We are staying in an ashram tonight- It is the Amma ashram-which is the home of the only female guru in India. It is interesting....to say the least....but don't worry, we just met a woman from Sweet Home, Oregon- so we should be fine. (what the?!!). We walked into our room- and there is only one twin bed. I, of course, freaked out....and we later find out that we may have to put a mattress on the floor. Okay...we do have to put a mattress on the floor- and Ang has said she will take one for the team and sleep there. I told her I owe her a HUGEfavor....once we are back in the states. It isn't clean- and I can tell you why. They offer you cleaning supplies and before you leave- you are supposed to clean. Now, how good of a job would you do if you were staying here one night? THAT is why it is not clean. Yikes!!

BUT the cool news is that we get to meet Amma tonight! She happens to be in India right now- although she travels most of the year--she is a hugging guru- so tonight we will get to see her and get a hug! I think that part is pretty cool.

Staying at the ashram is 150 rupees- which is $3. This includes a meal- I can only imagine what that meal will be like. I can feel my karma on the universe depleting as a write this.

More on the ashram later--we need to go find the mattress that Ang will be sleeping on. We have a feeling that we will have to haul the mattress to the 14th floor- on the elevator, which should at least cause some good material.

Oh India!

VERY busy day of errands....

Yesterday Ang and I had two 'errands' to run- I needed to exchange my book (not to brag- but I've already finished one book!! And I never read at home!)....and we needed to go to the ATM. At 10 p.m.- I reminded Ang that we had still not made it to the ATM- and had only accomplished 50% of our goals for the day! And....for our safety and your comfort in our safe choices- we decided NOT to go to the ATM at 10 p.m.

We did however, meet two Irish guys who are med students doing their residency here and fun to hang out with....so an afternoon ice cream turned into a late dinner--and we enjoyed the day on several patios on the beach. The two Irish guys had really great stories about being in India- including one of them almost being deported for returning to the UK for his sisters wedding. (In his defense- he did believe he had permission to do so).

Then we met up with a guy from New Zealand....maybe 23 years old, awkwardly quiet with the BEST one-liners I've possibly ever heard. At one point I was asking him about this travels- he has been travelling for 7 months in India- and he randomly mentions that he hopes to buy a camel in Northern India. He proceeds to go on about his research on this camel and what he will do with it after (donate it to a family in need) etc. etc. Ang and I were both SO on board with him accomplishing this....we have promised to check in every once in a while to see if the camel purchase has occurred. How many times in your life can you sit at dinner and have someone tell you that they hope to purchase a camel in the next few months?!!

I had my first ice in a soda yesterday....and haven't gotten sick yet! Knock on wood! And I have also been awake since the sun came up....and I'm not exactly sure why. Today we are travelling to Varkala- up the beach a bit (north).

The last few days....

So, against our initial thoughts and drive to be comfortable, we took the overnight bus from Pondicherry to Madurai (further South- Mr. Yost:)). As I mentioned my concerns were that Ang would fall directly asleep and I would be wide awake. Not far from the truth. The bus wasn't AS bad as expected- but honestly, India just continually amazes me. I have taken to saying "that is one way to do it"- whenever we see something that nearly shocks my socks off. The bus was no different. The seats had numbers above them- however, they had also been renumbered at least 4 times with a pen- crossing off the previous 'seat numbers' and renumbering them. Ang and I tried to figure out why this would have happened 4 times....how do you have to renumber the seats 4 times?...is it done when someone doesn't like their seat number? or a new driver starts driving the bus? Just another interesting, chaotic fact about India.

The bus ride was fine- I was up a lot listening to my Ipod and watching a country that NEVER sleeps. There were people up the entire night on the side of the roads, some resting, some selling stuff, some warding off the wild pigs that were in the garbage. There was also a man snoring SO loudly on the bus- that I could not believe we were not on candid camera. They could have popped out at any moment and I would not have been shocked. I even made Ang try to move him several times...which only led to him stopping for less than one second and restarting the droan of ridiculousness. Picture the loudest fog-horn-filled-with-liquid you can....and that was the music of the evening.

On the bus ride.... I definitely was sad about the poverty and had too much time to think about everything going on around me. It is heart-breaking....and then when you know nothing different- you can also be happy- which is amazing! The people here are so great! I will keep saying that over and over....because the smiles, the questions, the requests for pictures of us (or sometimes the request that we take a picture of only them- "one photo ma'am").....is beyond heartwarming.....I have now had moments of loving traveling again...if not yet India.

We arrived at Madurai at 5:30 a.m. Took an auto-rickshaw to our hotel and were told we couldn't check in- surprise, surprise. So, we headed to the temple in Madurai, which is the main point of attraction. The temple was beautiful- and again (surprise!) there were lots of people there worshipping. We milled around the temple and at one point- a man was telling us that these 9 statues were the planets being worshipped. So, following in the Indians footsteps we bought 9 candles and could tell that we needed to walk around the statues with the candles...you know.....when in Rome. As Ang started to walk around the statues all of a sudden the Indians (who were also walking around the statues) were right on her tail...and I quickly could tell she was walking too slow. So...I did what any best friends would do and fell back behind the Indians...watched as Ang realized she was going to slow...and watched her panic stricken trying to move quickly being "chased" by the Indian men, while holding 9 candles on a plate...I just giggled the whole time as they eventually lapped her. I know, I know...not the holiest temple experience.

Since we had been up most of the night and then been at the temple for a few hours- we headed to our hotel, checked in and then slept for some of the morning. Besides the temple, there wasn't much to do in Madurai- so we walked around and as usual were eventually shuttled into a shop to "look, just look"....and soon we were knee deep in being sold carpets. The guy selling to us (and no we didn't buy carpets...yet) was Muslim and it is Ramadan right now- so he was fasting until the sun went down. Not surprisingly, we were still there when the sun went down and had the very cool opportunity of breaking the fast with the other Muslim men in the store. We sat on the floor with them, and Ang shared some of their food. I wasn't feeling great that day- so didn't partake. But the conversation was cool- and a very unique experience!

The next day we headed on another bus- this time during the day to Kanyakumari the most southern tip of India to watch the sunrise over the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and the Indian ocean....the point where they all converge. The bus ride was long...but seemed shorter because we were on the bus with a 11-15 year old boys Field Hockey team that were SO much fun! With limited English, we had so much fun communicating with them....they ask a million questions (how much do you make? how much is that necklace you have on? what do you do for work? is this your first time here?) They were also VERY interested in any gadgets we had...our Ipods, camera and even water bottle (from Costco- no less). They were chatty the whole time and wanted us to take lots of pictures of them!

Arriving in Kanyakumari in the late afternoon- we knew we were just there to watch the sunrise so had dinner and walked around a bit. The sunrise in the morning was beautiful and many people were on the beaches to watch it. This is a place of pilgrimage for many Indians to worship the God of the shoreline. This is also an area that was hit badly by the 2004 Tsunami.

Yesterday we hired our first driver to take us to where we are now...a little oasis...Kovalam, India. We are now on the West coast of the Southern tip. It is AMAZING here and much needed after a rough week in the south. The first part of the trip we have done has not much of a 'travellers trail', which makes it harder for us as tourists. Since Ang and I both like the semi-easy way out- we prefer a place that has some tourist activity.

And Kovalam is it! We really like the place we are staying- minus how wet everything feels all the time- including the sheets)....and we like sitting at the beachy restaurants and enjoying the breeze. We are staying here for at least one more night and even met some travellers.

All in all, we seem to be getting used to some of the chaos of India....and enjoying our time!