Start and Finish

Khusi

Khusi in hindi means happiness and could not be a more appropriate name for 1 year old baby Khusi. She is the cutest and happiest baby I have ever met. She only ever fusses when she is provoked and teased by the neighbor boy. Every time I saw her she light up with a great big smile. One of her party tricks is that if you blow her a kiss then she'll blow one back to you. So whenever I see her I get a smile, a kiss and usually a cuddle and some playtime. It was definitely mentioned a few times that they should be watchful because we wanted to take Khusi back to Canada.

Morning in the desert

The middle of the day can be crazy hot but the evenings and mornings are a beautiful temperature. In the last few weeks Amelia and I started waking up early to take advantage of this morning bliss. Some mornings we would run along the highway which winds between large golden dunes. Other mornings we would run along little side roads that went through the desert crops and past small houses on the outskirts of town. Sometimes the heat would begin early so our run would be slowed to a walk. One warmer morning we climbed to the top of a dune and were awestruck by the stunning vista of the desert that surrounded us. The view was complemented by a family of antelope bounding up the dunes and disappearing into the rolling sand dunes.


Goodbyes

The sun is setting over the desert and my heart feels like it is bursting with love, joy and sadness. We just had the most heartfelt send off from Sambhali. It is a moment I want to remember forever. We walked hand-in-hand with the afternoon girls to the bus stop.  The afternoon girls have had many volunteers come and go but their goodbyes were still heartfelt. Each girl is so unique and I wish the best for each of them. At the bus stop  we were joined by the morning boys. The looks on the faces of Jeetu, Jhoba Ram, and Anil was a mix of genuine sadness and appreciation. They have only been coming to Sambhali for a month but they love it. These boys spend the rest of their day at the hot bus stop  selling water and snacks to bus passengers. They are role models to the younger boys and girls, they are keen to learn and they sing the prayers and rhymes with incredible heart. I hope they will continue coming to Sambhali. Earlier in the day I had had a particularly hard time saying good-bye to the regular morning girls. Pintu's eyes filled with tears. I think if she had stayed around much longer she would have convinced me to stay. She is so confident and is able to communicate so much with her very broken English. Goodie too, amazes me with her communication. Goodie is so smart and I hope she will become educated. She has the confidence and leadership skills to make a change in her world. Goodie's confidence and intelligence is rivaled by her kindness. This morning told me to close my eyes and open my hands. She gifted me a little ring. Another hard goodbye was Jitu and Cowerie. They are the most regular in my morning English class and have worked their way into my heart. Cowerie has an unforgettable smile that is filled with warmth.  I love seeing her smile. Jitu is smart and incredibly caring towards the younger kids. She can be quite reserved, especially around Mool Singh, but I cherish the many moments when she came out of her shell and laughed, danced and played. It is amazing how many inside jokes you can have despite a massive language barrier. 

My last night in Setrawa was so special. I went for dinner at Amelia's house. Pushpa made a feast, including several special dishes. I had my last play with Kushi and enjoyed the antics of Amelia's family. When I returned home I spent the evening with Usha, her mom, and Moti. The evening was going along as normal until suddenly the power cut out. Without the fan it is too hot to stay inside so we moved up to the roof. On the roof Usha and I enjoyed the stars and the cool air. It was so nice that Usha quickly decided we should spend the night on the roof. We went downstairs and threw all the pillows and blankets up through the large hole in the ceiling. We spread out all the mats on the roof and fell asleep under the starry desert sky.  In the morning I enjoyed a wonderful final breakfast with my family. We all sat on the floor around the stove enjoying my one of my favorite spicy Indian breakfasts. Then I asked if I could take a picture of the family. Moti and Usha's mom quickly retreated to the side room. Costelli changed her sari and put on a new Bindi dot. Moti had to fix his his hair and change his shirt. Finally they were ready and I snapped a couple family shots. Soon after breakfast I said my goodbyes and received lots of warm hugs from my family and neighbors. I may never see any of them again but I will be forever grateful for their generosity and acceptance. It was an incredible experience to be welcomed into their lives. 

A wish come true

Our flight to the south we went Dehli-Mumbai-Trividadum. However when we went to check in for our connecting flight in Mumbai we were informed that it no longer existed. The airline had stopped flying to that destination. Amelia and I could barely exchange worried glances before the woman at the counter came up with a solution. She said, "this is what we will do: you will fly on another airline, we've upgraded you to first class and here is a valet to take you to the other terminal because your flight leaves in 45 minutes". It was the first time either of us had flown 1st class and we enjoyed all the leg room and luxeries.

A new pace of life

When left the airport in Trividadum I think I had the biggest culture shock of the trip. Could this really be the same country that we just spend the past two months in? Everything was different. Even the air smelt and felt different. Kerala is a jungle oasis, filled with palm trees, flowers and dense, lush jungle. The people are darker skinned and the brilliant colors of northern saris don't seem to exist in the south. The men wear lungis (essentially a towel/sarong) instead of dress pants. The markets are filled with fruits and all sorts of new tasty snacks I am keen to try. Our Hindi is useless in the south but the local people's English is excellent. We bused to a small beach town, Varkala. All the hotels and restaurants perched on a cliff overlooking the sea. There are several sets of steep stairs that lead to the beach where big waves crash. Amelia and I were jumping with joy when we saw the ocean. Within minutes of finding a room we were in the sea. The next days became a blur of bodysurfing, boggy boarding, eating amazing keralan food and hanging out with travelers. The monsoon is supposed to start in a couple weeks so the tourist season is essentially over. This meant a normally overly crowded beach destination only had a smattering of tourists. It was interesting to see the town starting to close up. One night we joined a group of people for their favorite dinner spot. We walked off the main boardwalk, down some dark winding paths and arrived at "Mamma's" house. We sat down and she laid out big banana leaves. Then she brought out rice and two dishes. They looked delicious. Then she brought out more and more dishes until there was about 15 different dishes to try.  It was an amazing feast of curries and new vegetable dishes. I didn't eat until late the next day and Amelia didn't eat for 3 days (although that was also due to a stomach bug).

An ideal Jen and Amelia day

Our day begun with a windy bus ride through the Kerala jungle. We arrived in Kollam and within an hour we were sailing on a massive house boat through the backwaters. Initially the canals were wide but as we progressed they got narrower and narrower. The banks were lined with palm trees, banana plants and many other types of tropical vegetation. When we arrived at a very narrow canal we boarded an ancient canoe. A local man guided us through the inner network of canals. It was amazing. Every moment was incredibly picturesque and completely peaceful. We stopped in a few places. One stop we observed boats being made. It was fascinating. They sew palm tree planks together to make all the canoes and even the house boats. At another stop we saw some villagers processing coconuts to make coconut oil. We sampled some delicious coconut. As we moved through the canals we saw a variety of homes and people. We passed through several fish and prawn farms which triggered our marine biology thoughts. When our canoe exited the narrow canals the sun was low in the sky which made the lighting beautiful. Indian music was mysteriously coming from the jungle. Combined the sights and sounds made me feel like I was in a beautiful movie scene. We climbed aboard our houseboat and began to sail into the sunset. I mused to Amelia about how wonderful a sunset swim would be right now. Seconds later the boat stopped and the captain said we could swim. We jumped into the surprisingly warm water and watched the sunset over the palm trees. Now I am lying under the stars, listening to the far away Indian music and smelling a wonderful seafood dinner being prepared.