Nicholas Thorpe – Page 7 – Postcards from Tasma

Many faces of Ethan in India

It’s true India has many faces. Also true that Ethan has as well. This is just a sample of the range of (mostly) selfies of Ethan in India.

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.

Up on top of the Nandi hills. There used to be more hills around Bangalore, but they've been successively mined to the ground and converted into high rise towers. — Up on top of the Nandi hills. There used to be more hills around Bangalore, but they’ve been successively mined to the ground and converted into high rise towers.

Burgers in Bangers mate.

Sandhya and the girls. I swear Sandhya hasn't changed in 30 years! — Sandhya and the girls. I swear Sandhya hasn’t changed in 30 years!

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”.

Cochin Tea House

Houseboat in Kerala

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 *)

I LOVE that the houseboat just pulled up at the front lawn of our resort and on we stepped. — I LOVE that the houseboat arrived in the morning at the front lawn of our resort to pick us up.

School boat (in lieu of school bus) — Pilgrims on a boat

There are a lot of churches on the backwaters.

Stopped at a small store, where Ethan and Lucinda got to hold the pet.

Happy New Year.. and ears.

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.

Small gold wire ear rings that were pushed through her ear lobes. Afterwards Nick had to carry an hysterical Lucinda through the gold jewellery store, pass the ladies with their horrified looks, and outside to calm down.

On the plus side, having your ears pierced means shopping for ear rings with Christmas money. Something Lucinda has shown a real talent for. — Having your ears pierced means shopping for ear rings with Christmas money. Something Lucinda has shown a real talent for.

New Year's Day brunch with Fe and Alan. — New Year’s Day brunch with Fe and Alan.

I’ve saved the best pic for last…

New year... new man! — New year… new man!

Just a taste of some of the transport options in India

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.

The little donkey can take loads through the narrow lanes of Rajasthan

No doubt there are whole books devoted to decorated Indian trucks

A well looked after camel will give 20 years of service.

For a seriously heavy load opt for a pachyderm

Cycle rickshaw ride through the Delhi spice market and lanes

School girls going home — School kids going home

These vehicles, called Jugaad (meaning thrown together or hack), have to be seen to be believed. Seat a wooden box, wheels from 4 different vehicles, engine a water pump. — These vehicles have to be seen to be believed. Seat a wooden box, wheels from 4 different vehicles, engine a water pump.

This contraption sputters between the villages of Rajasthan.

If decorations could power a vehicle - then these things would fly. — If decorations could power a vehicle – then these things would fly.

Just too good

Okay, so sometimes I'm more into the tours and monuments than the kids are! — Okay, so sometimes I’m more into the tours and monuments than the kids are!

Up a river somewhere

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.

Calvim house - all ours for a couple of days — Calvim house – all ours for a couple of days

The village had many abandoned houses and this odd back lane bar.

Audrey jumped off just after this photo and opted to ride with Nick and I. Despite the worry on Lucinda's face, we had a gorgeous ride through the Goan countryside. — Audrey jumped off just after this photo and opted to ride with Nick and I. Despite the worry on Lucinda’s face, we had a gorgeous ride through the Goan countryside.

With two motorbikes we took the family of five to a local waterpark.

This pic is taken BEFORE Ethan and I took the electric boat into the weed infested shallows and while arguing over the wisdom of this we managed to break the steering and had to be rescued by fellow boaters.

Christmas = beach

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.

That's Ethan up there. — That’s Ethan up there.

Lucinda aka 'Charlie's angel' — Lucinda aka ‘Charlie’s angel’

A Goan Christmas

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.