Hi everyone,
We are now back in Europe. Our last week or so in India flew by! We thoroughly enjoyed the scenery of the south. Kerala, Goa and Karnataka are beautiful states. we did a little bit of beach (spend two day swimming and staying in a bamboo hut), enjoyed a backwater tour (three Indian families traveling together adopted me, fed me snacks, and taught me new card games). we had an excellent meal with a cousin of a friend of Peters (did you get that?). We stayed one night in Kochi, and enjoyed the back small streets, combination European and Indian feel, and brightly colored architecture (yellows, blues, oranges all next to each other and often on the same building). Unfortunately the bus ride from Kochi to Mysore.. ranks as my most unpleasant experiences. I guess I got food poisoning on top of my cold.. and spend half of the 12 hour bus ride hanging out the window. The first 1 1/2 hour I spent decorating the side of the bus, and trying! to avoid vomiting on the food of the street vendors. The rest of the trip I alternated between fever, being tossed around in the bumpy ride, and mad dashes to the bathroom when we stopped.. I can not recommend bus station bathrooms. The scenery was stunning and Peter thoroughly enjoyed the sites - the mountains, open plains with outcroppings of rock, bullock carts piled high with straw, elephants (one walking along the road snacking on the grass he was carrying), the road site construction (lots of ditch digging), women carrying piles of sticks on their head, flocks of sheep in fields and herds of cows in the road. He was great about being supportive and distracting me.
Mysore was beautiful! After a quick visit to the hospital - It turns out I had more than food poisoning.. bronchitis and infection too. So armed with anti-biotic s and steroid inhaler we saw a little bit of the town. The palace was stunning, the streets clean, the traffic organized by traffic cops in intersections, the vegetable and fruit market colorful and the weather temperate. I also admit I spent one night watching American TV (forgive me I was sick!). We arrived in Bangalor late the night before we left. Due to most hotels being full, we stayed in a luxurious suite, the only room available. In many ways it was a good way to end our trip. We didn't need to worry about cleanliness, safety and they coordinated our travel to the airport. We also had a great buffet in their restaurant... sampling various meals and desserts... the summary culinary experience of our trip.
Our flight back to Europe went smoothly. Although the amenities and snacking opportunities in Indian airports pale in comparison to Train travel. We were also surprised by the degree of security, much more thorough than other airports. We had our hand luggage checked several times. We also had excellent plane food on both the Jet air flight and swiss air flight.
We are still processing our travels, and somehow.. it feels as if I have only had a sample starter platter of India... I definitely want to go back. Except I would make it the only country I would visit. Now part of me is glad to bundle up, hear Christmas music, see Christmas lights, sleep in the same bed, have a wider range of clothes to wear, and not worry if the food is safe. Peter and I have more than made up for our Cheese, chocolate, and bread deficit since our return. We also made Biriyani and Raita for Peter's parent's today.. hopefully this is the start of continuing to have good food from our travels.
I also spoke with both my parents and it was great to hear their voices. They are clearly excited and relieved we are on the same continent. Christmas day we spend with everyone in his family (his two sisters, his brother and their respective families) in Zurich where his brother lives. Somewhere around the second week of January we will move on to Nederland and diving full force into the job seach. Meanwhile, I am enjoying not having to coordinate trains, buses, hotels, and restaurants. My body is enjoying being in one place.
Hope this message find all of you well... and Happy holidays!
Love Patricia and Peter