Postcards from Tasma

It was so nice to stay in Bangalore for a few days and catch up with Australian friends; Bruce, Gail and their daughters Arabella and Jasmine. Lucinda and Audrey shout out a huge “thanks”. They had the best time playing. It was a real treat to hang out with Sandhya again too. This friendship is now in it’s 30th year and has spanned 3 continents.

Burgers in Bangers mate.

As a post script: On the first day back at school, Audrey’s teacher asked the class to think of everything they did on their holidays and choose two things to draw about. Audrey ran out of fingers counting what she had done (riding elephants, camels, rickshaws, tiger safaris, snorkelling…) – yet she chose to draw “Mum meeting up with her friend Sandhya”.

Fe and Alan joined us in Allepey Kerala and with the assistance of a rickshaw driver Fe, Ethan and I rode down to the docks and chose a houseboat to take us around the Keralan backwaters for a day and a night. Our main requirement was a nice airy deck to lounge around on, drink beer, read and play guitar. (Thanks Alan for some of these pics *)

Celebrated New Year in Pune. Fe and Alan came to visit for a couple of days. And, of course, we let off some more fireworks and wore silly head gear. But before any of that Lucinda decided to fulfil her Christmas present and have her ears’ pierced.

I’ve saved the best pic for last…

These really are just a few of the enormous number of resourceful ways that India’s 1.2 billion population move themselves and goods from a to b. Few snaps from the road.

Don’t be goin’ to Goa at Christmas… the place is packed, teaming with tourists. Unless… you go up a river somewhere. We found a beautiful restored old Goan house up a river, on an island, in a village, at the end of the lane. Tranquillity.

We celebrated Christmas day with an enormous buffet breakfast, then hanging out on the beach in Goa, including a banana boat ride for the whole family (thankfully there are no photos of this experience). Ethan invested some of his Christmas money in great beach experiences, including jet skiing on his own for the first time, and para-sailing, naturally.

The kids were gutted that we wouldn’t be sharing Christmas with all our wonderful extended family in Australia, so we went out of our way… to Goa in fact… to give them a great Indian Christmas.

The Christmas Eve buffet stretched all the way back to Pune and included every possible cuisine and some very creative decorating.

The kids woke up to their Christmas stockings (smuggled from home) and lots of cards and presents from family, plus the ones that Lucinda made.

Christmas night we wrote our wishes onto a paper balloon and watched it float over the Arabian Sea.

Merry Christmas x

When I asked each of the kids the highlight of their 12 days travelling around Rajasthan, Delhi and Agra. Camel rides, elephant rides, safaris and the Taj Mahal all rated a mention… but the best thing of all? Being invited to dinner at our driver Prakash’s home.

Prakash, his wife and 3 children, plus his parents and his brother’s family live in a three room home in old Jaipur. His family have a farm 30kms away and Prakash’s three boys all go to school in Jaipur, an opportunity Prakash didn’t have out in the village.

We arrived with a box of sweets in hand and went up to the roof. Great view of the mountains and old city. After papadams and drinks Ethan and I were taken downstairs to dress up in traditional Rajasthani clothes. Ethan borrowed a son’s kurta and turban. The pants were too large, so they wrapped a dhoti elegantly around his legs. Prakash’s mother, wife and niece dressed me in a wedding sari. Including heavy gem encrusted necklaces and bangles and a tikka. Ethan and I then posed on the family’s bed for pictures, before changing back and going up onto the roof for a delicious vegetarian dinner.

Prakash’s grandfather lived to 105 years of age and only ever rode a camel. We sincerely wish Prakash and his family a long and prosperous life and thank them for opening their home and hearts to us – a gift we couldn’t have anticipated.