HOME! Happy and Sad!

So we are home, after we bookended our trip with delays and cancellations due to snow. The southeast is preparing for a snow storm and the grocery store was insane! I had to drive my cart through the aisles like I was on the streets of Mumbai! After trying to get a full nights sleep and realizing we are all still on some weird time zone, and waking up at various times in the middle of the night, we are both thrilled to be back home and sad that the trip is over.

Jason is up with me this morning and I queried him to see what he will miss about India and what he is happy about to be back home. Here is what he said:

Things I will miss about India:

• apple juice - India has the best apple juice (probably because its about 150% sugar)


• hashbrowns - India makes the best hash browns


• uncles and family - It was great spending so much time with the family and my kids are really missing everyone


• monkeys - they are hilarious,and aggressive and my kids were both scared and fascinated with them at the same time.


• Offering lower prices for everything


• Watching Aunt Elizabeth bargain (she was hilarious and great at this, she is a lawyer after all, so the arguing was definitely her forte)


• Seeing pop pop talk in Hindi/Gujarati to everyone. I think the kids were fascinated when we landed in Delhi and my dad broke out in Hindi fluently!

Reasons why I am happy to be back home:

• My hot shower and warm bed


• milk - the milk in India tasted nasty (the kids have already gone through a 1/2 gallon!)


• internet - the kids did NOT like having to wait to get to wi-fi access hubs to download new apps for their iTouches


• Toothpaste - the kids 'watermelon-flavored' toothpaste was confiscated by indian security and they had to use our regular 'minty toothpaste' on the whole trip, which they hated!


• Water - brushing our teeth with water from the sink, and not having to keep their moths closed while taking a shower!

How awesome is it that he had these great observations! I agree with everything he said, except I would add COFFEE to the list of reasons why I am happy to be back home!

Going home...sort of

So we left for the airport in Delhi 9pm India time, took a flight to Amsterdam, and then a flight to newark. After 30+ hours of travelling, we got through immigration and customs to find our flight to Raleigh was cancelled. AAARGH! We got a hotel room and are in Newark until noon Saturday. Of course we are all screwed up time-wise so we are all awake at 3am in the hotel!

The good news is we all got BURGERS last night for dinner! Oh they were so good.

Its funny, my kids keep asking when we will be back in america... like New Jersey doesnt count!

So, we will attempt to get home today, oh please let us get home, we need a few days of normalcy so badly before school and work starts again!

Truly this has been the most amazing trip that none of us will forget this for a long time - partly because Travis took over 7000 pictures and videos! Also all of our suitcases smell like India so we will have a reminder for a while as those will have to air out!

Indian DISCO

OUr cousin Sanjou took usto an Indian Disco. It was great fun and there was fantastic peopple watching! We were exhausted! I will post more commentary later about the disco!

Elephanta

This morning, we mobilized, took our immodium and headed to the India gate to do some sightseeing and catch a private, "very decorated" boat to Elephanta Island. Last night we arranged to have a private boat take us to the Island so we didnt have to deal with getting on a boat with all other tourists, and so we would be able to go on our own timescale.

We decided to take a taxi to the India Gate so the kids didn't have to walk. When we asked the bellman to hail 3 taxis for us, they all looked at us in disbelief and claimed our destination was in walking distance. We insisted and got in the taxis anyway. Literally 2 blocks later, the taxis stopped. the funny thing was that the taxi holding my father, the only Indian Speaking person in the group, was nowhere to be found. Apparently that taxi took him for a much longer ride. While we waited for dad's taxi, the price continually increased. Finally the last taxi arrived and we settled up and then went to go find our boat. that was yet another adventure. we couldn't find our boat, so Dad left us in the middle of the area while we huddled together to protect the kids from creepers (people who want to touch them) and hussled our boat. We finally found our boat, and boarded.

India Gate

Taj Palace

View of our boat from the harbour

All of us on our boat

Sammy and Jason enjoying the ride

View of Taj Palace and India gate from the boat as we pulled away

Sammy asked me twice, "Mommy will this boat fall apart?"

Dock at Elephanta

The caves at Elephanta - sammy was so exhausted after climbing up all the stairs, she couldn't even stand up for the picture

The monkeys at Elephanta are aggressive. This one stole my wipes!

Random cow with travis and David

On the boat ride home

Bhutas do Bombay

Because my father is from Mumbai, we have the distinction of seeing Mumbai as locals would, as we have spent many time in non-tourist areas,and my kids have seen a Mumbai that they never would see if they weren't here with my Dad. We continue to have many adventures and lots of laughs.

This is us outside the hotel waiting for our cars in the morning

First stop we headed to Suresh's house - my Father's friend from kindergarten. His grandson was at the house and my kids instantly made friends with him as they sat in the swing in the living room together

Dad, Asha, Suresh, and Mom

Travis and David sharing camera stories

Then we went to a local place for idli and dosa. The place was called Cafe Mysore, and we paid double price to sit in the airconditioned section! this was Travis and Elizabeth's first adventure into real local Gujarati food... and they loved it!

Jason even enjoyed some Thumbs Up - India's version of coke, but with no carbonation and a little curry!

Travis eating dosa which he claims, "Its just like hush puppies!"

Outside the restaurant

The other constant throughout this trip has been the Bhuta Immodium exchange. Courtesy of the food, water, and lack of sleep, and time change, all of us have become dependent on Immodium on this trip. In the mornings before we leave we all check our personal supply and start bargaining and exchanging to ensure we have enough to get through the day. In a country where bathrooms are scarce and also extremely dirty, or just holes in the ground, Immodium has become crack to the Bhutas. Today I probably would have sold my first born for some.