And the Rest...

So as most of you may realize I am back in the States at this point in time but since I am a completionist I am going to tell you the rest of the story. : )

Day 24
I spent most of this day posting to my blog sitting up at TISS.
I got up late and traveled by bus with Seena to TISS and wonderful internet was had. After Hena got off we went to Elephanta Island to view the Elephanta Caves. This is a network of four caves carved out of the mountains dedicated to the god Shiva. Let me tell you, I should have taken a picture of the stairs you have to climb to get there! They are steep, uneven, and LOOOONG. I wondered why there were liters offered for RS. 300 up and down- by the time I got to the top- I knew why. However, it really wasn't so bad if you paced yourself and didn't get caught by the shop keepers that lined the staircase. : ) There were three shrines all dedicated to Shiva, however each was dedicated to one of his three main forms. All three pictured here...
Did I mention there are monkeys everywhere here? They are so cute!!!!

After the ferry took us back we went to Which Latte again and split tuna and turkey sandwiches that were yummy!!
Late lunch consumed we headed home and I bought roses for my hostesses and host as a thank you for letting me stay in their home and feeding me. : )
Dinner was yummy as always. Prepared by Auntie and the girls Seena and Aeeda.







Day 25
Hena decided to skip her internship since she wanted to spend time with me.
Breakfast was exceptionally yummy as we had leftover curry from the night before and fried planteens to wrap in these rice bread things with sugar- yuuum!

After breakfast we went to see the Haji Ali Mosque. The place is said to be where the man Ali who was on Haj- trip to Mecca- when his ship wrecked. His body was in washed to shore all the way back in India and a mosque was built where he was found and interred. While there we paid Rs. 5 for the wish strings. These strings are tied to a screen within the mosque and while you tie it you ask for your deepest desire to be filled and then cut the end off and keep it with you.

Next we got juice at the Haji Ali Juice Center- wonderful mango milkshake and mango creme pudding like stuff were what we had, yum. : )

We walked up the street and visited the temple dedicated to the goddess of wealth. I couldn't take pictures here but it was similar to many other Hindu temples in construction and shape. There was a lot more gold around and an internal monitoring system to make sure no one was taking pictures.... sigh. What was different about this one is that at this one we offered pink lotus and Rs. in the official worship service of the day. We showed up just in time to get in line and didn't know it. LoL : ) So Hena and I should be financially blessed hypothetically speaking. : )
After that we went to Bandra and walked around and did some shopping for Hena and I bought a few presents. Also Hena got me to try Pani Puree (spelling may be wrong)- which was ok until Hena accidentally shoved one against the back of my mouth and it burst in my mouth and I gasped in the hot sauce- OW!!!! We got this stuff covered in yogurt to help calm our mouths down because pani puree is hot even for Hena- so imagine me eating three of the things- she had five... *shurdder*

After Bandra we headed to TISS for Hena to meet with her professor and then we headed back to the flat after I bought some last minute gifts (made me late for the taxi pick-up).
Hena went with me to the airport and dropped me off- crying and hugging ensued.
I got my ticket, went through customs, boarded the plane and took off for the States.

The sun didn't rise for me until Sunday morning here over Atlanta- it was pretty so I too a picture... :)

So here I am- safe and sound...

Day 23

So you know how everything has pretty much been wonderful so far- well I had a bad day today! Any male figures that have violent tendencies might want to just skip today's narrative...

So I get up early so I can go on the bus tour Uncle has booked me. Hena goes with me and it looks like I'm going to miss the bus because she's taking so long getting ready...
Well we get there and the bus isn't there... we had to wait 30 min before it did, but it got there.
When I went to my seat- someone was in it... and refused to move because he is newly wed to his wife who's sitting next to him.... so the mother-in-law in the row ahead of them offers me the seat beside her... so instead of causing a scene- I deal and sit on the aisle despite it meaning I won't be able to take pictures....
Well Uncle shows up on his way to work to check on me and since the bus is still there it works : ) ...
So the first thing he notices is I am sitting on the aisle... this is not acceptable... so much yelling I cannot understand ensues and ends sometime after I am in my assigned seat and the couple has been relocated to the first row. All of this I can deal with.
Then I go to open my bottle of water and it spills all over my jeans leg- I can deal with this... it's only water, it'll dry and keep that part of my leg cool... I am chill.
I fall asleep while the bus is picking other people up from one stop and making it's way into Mumbai from Navi Mumbai. I woke up long before our first stop which was the Gateway to/of India so no biggie. Well it turns out the tour is in Hindi... I don't speak Hindi... ... ...
So I chase down the tour guide and he *briefly* (maybe 1/32 of what he told everyone else) explains where we are and when I need to be back at the bus. Ok... I am ok...
So I go get a quick picture of the inscription I now know is at the arch of the Gateway and pictures of the Taj Mahal ( I think I misspelled this) Hotel and Tower.
While I am getting these four pictures I suddenly notice that a lot of men are watching me... I can deal with this... I am cool... I freeze glared this one guy who was about to take my picture and his friend politely asks if I'll have one picture taken with his niece or something...
I actually thought he was one of the many photographers and street vendors and told him to bug off until I actually listened to what he was saying. So, somewhat mollified I agree to the picture. Cute kid, nice, well behaved. Well one because two, which because three, which because a picture with another male friend at which point I tried to walk away and got boxed in... I am cool... I can deal...
So rather than cause a scene I agree to that picture, and the friend after that, and the friend after that- at which point my patience is more than gone and I shoulder my way out and walk away.
My temper is then sharply pricked my some douche bag who makes a kissy noise at me and I glare at an pop my knuckles and he scampers away.
So I go to the bus, fending off the street salesmen along the way, and freeze staring another kissey noise guy.
So I've decided that getting my temper in check is worth the fine for smoking in public and light up. I didn't get caught or fined but I Stopped halfway through because these two guys on bikes whistled at me then circled the block to do it again and rather than take out what is becoming quite a but of frustration I put the cigarette out and climb in the bus.
This calms me down somewhat. I am only annoyed by the fact that there is no breeze.

Time finally rolls around and the other passengers return and we leave for the next stop- only the itinerary given to me is wrong and I am confused that the tour guide is again only speaking in Hindi... I deal. Get him to explain- and all he does is tell me we are at the Prince of Wales Museum- if I want to get in it will not be the Rs. 15 everyone else is paying it will be Rs. 300. So I snapped and said I'd walk around instead since that wasn't fair. He said fine be back here at such and such time to get back on the bus since it is leaving. At which point in time it is gone and my water was on the bus... It's cool- I can deal...

So I walked around the Artist's Circle which I couldn't take pictures of... oh well.
Also I was approached by two or three men who wanted to talk to me and I gave them *very* succinct responses until hey caught the hint and left. Evidently one wanted me to consider his son who works in Russia - fat chance.
One of the sets of girls on the bus with a kid spoke with me briefly to ask if they could take a picture of and with me, and I consented since they were so cute about asking.
After that a "fine artist" asked if he could draw my face in 10 min. for free because I was so beautiful... when I told him I was waiting on my tour bus which was due back in a few min he left. : )
The bus got back and I got on with everyone else- relief.

So we drove around Mumbai and I have no idea what anything we saw was until the gentleman who popped up (with kid btw) in the seat next to me. Shortly he quit explaining when the woman behind us said something to him. *sigh*
The things he did explain were that we were going to be able to see the Stock Exchange tower soon. Then that we were going to see the clock tower of the University of Mumbai. Then that we were passing the Government building and that about 150,000 people commute to that area everyday to go to work... on like a six block area... craziness! Next we passed the _ Building on our way to Marine Drive.
This is where my day gets even worse. The conductor goes into a LONG spill in Hindi and starts collecting money from people and ignores me. We eventually pull over and I wait in my seat hoping he'll come explain and the girl behind me says "you come for lunch?" so I get off the bus (with my water this time) after everyone else because they won't let me up. Have I mentioned that there is the huge group of guys in the back who keep staring at me and talking and pointing? Well there is.

So when I get off the bus the entire group has already crossed this six lane (eight lanes of traffic in the six lanes) road and left me. *sigh* So I cross and head the direction they had gone. I am about to give up when I catch a glimpse of a saree I recognize from the bus so I head that way. I look around confused because we are at an aquarium... I thought we were getting lunch...
So I see the conductor and tell him that I really don't get what's going on and I wish he'd have explained it to me before he took off. Well he says something really fast in a thick accent I can barely understand about needing to pay for tickets to these things and for me it will all cost Rs. 150 when you include his guide services. So hearing guide services I think- oh this is good! give him the money and head the direction he leads.
Well his guide service consisted of getting me in the door after which he promptly disappeared. *grr* I walk around bemoaning in my head that these creatures are being kept in such dark tanks with dirty, dirty water and all these people are tapping on the glass. *sigh* Did I mention this place is really small- I'm out of there in 10 min tops the place is so small- I even read all the information on the little plaques.
So I'm standing around looking for the missing conductor for a while when he suddenly pops up and says "you be back here at such and such time until then follow these people" who I know do not speak English because I have asked almost everyone at that point if they speak English... *grr*
So I go and wind up in a restaurant upstairs where there is no English menu, no English speaking waiter or anything... I can deal...
A man who speaks English pops out from somewhere in the back and he tells me to sit, sit and I bring you food. I follow him trying to get him to tell me something, anything about the food he is grabbing from the kitchen but to no avail. So I sit in front of a plate of unknown food and eventually work up the nerve to try it based on the fact that my time is running out- I have 20 min or so to eat. The food was sub-par the food I have had anywhere else and made my stomach ache.... I'm ok I can deal... I leave more than half the food on the plate ask for my bill- pay- and leave.
So I am five min early to meet the conductor and while I wait I realize the guys from the back of the bus are taking pictures of me. I asked them what they were doing in an aggravated voice and they laughed at me. So I told them to quit taking pictures of me and they laughed again... *GrrR*
So I call Hena and explain everything to her and she says to find a guard or policeman to get them to stop since the conductor is nowhere to be found. I ask the guard who yells at them and they stop for maybe a min.... and are right back at it. So I ask the conductor who has shown back up to tell them to stop and he yells at them and they don't stop...
I am almost crying mad at this point because they have not physically violated me so I cannot justify physically harming them... *bleeped cursing*
So I call Hena again and she says to call Uncle... so with trepidation I call Uncle and explain that I want to catch a taxi to VT and go home to Vashi the tour just isn't working out. He says go ahead and get Hena to meet you somewhere since she is done for the day. Since Hena had told me to call her back it was fine by me.
During all this the guys have been following me as I try to get out of their line of sight which is pissing me off even more...
So I go talk to the conductor and tell him I want the rest of my money back I'm quitting the tour which he agrees to. Only he wants to keep extra Rs. for the guide service. At this point the guys have clustered around me and I am to the point where I just want to LEAVE so I let him only give me back Rs. 130 and I start walking down Marine Dr. toward town.
Unfortunately there are no taxis in sight for me to catch- and also no shade... *sigh*
So eventually a taxi pulls over, I tell him VT, ask if I can smoke and he says NO. Oh well....
So I get to VT and the meter says 2.30 which means the fare should be around Rs. 30- but this dick head is demanding Rs. 100! @#$%#@$@#$@# Since no one around me responds to the fact that I am speaking loudly and questioning the fare I give in and pay him. Later Hena told me I should have just yelled "Police" or written down his tag number and reported him... oh well- I am simply scared of somehow winding up being the one to "blame"...
So I wait in an amazingly long Q (line) to buy my ticket since I am out of coupons,get my ticket and miss the last train for half an hour- only I didn't know it was for half an hour since the board said there would be one in 10 min....
I make the next train but there is n o English map in this Ladies car- a somewhat archaic and sexist thing- but after my day I appreciated it- so I ask the girl across from me what the station is before Vashi, where I need to get to. She tells me but I have no clue how to spell it and rather than ask again I simply repeat it over and over in my head trying to figure out how to spell it. Evidently this showed on my face because she told me "I'm getting off at Vashi so don't worry just follow me." This provides INTENSE relief that here is the type of person I ahve run into before today- nice and helpful. So on the way I buy bindis from a vendor on the train to say I bought something on the train : )
I got to Vashi just fine... out of the station no problem....
I goet to the auto line and ask the first driver to take me to sector 14 and says no- go ask them motioning to the next line... so I ask the lead driver of that line... and he refuses as well... then a guy outside the line system says he'll take me so I get in and go.
Slightly odd note- I didn't even blink when the guy ran two red lights.... lol
At the only intersection where you have to wait more than a min the beggars swamped the edges of the auto. The driver pulled up to try and dissuade them but it didn't work. When all that was left was a little boy who'd noticed a chocolate bar thing Autie had sent with me when he asked for it I gave it to him- he tore into it before he'd even taken a step- dude. A little girl noticed his chocolate and asked for one so I gave here the second, and last, one which she quickly devoured. Neither seemed to care that the chocolate and caramel were completely melted but I guess they are begging for a reason... at which point the oddly shaped man who hops on all fours because his limbs are VERY malformed asked for one and I was like I don't have one, I don't have one, I don't have any money, I don't have any money.... and he didn't go away- however when he reached for me the driver hit his arm and yelled at him so he left.
After that the ride was uneventful... I did a barely adequate job of giving him directions and I got back in one piece!

So after all this the first thing Hena does when I walk in is give me this huge hug and appologize.. I was like it's fine! They can't bother me now. :) So I washed up after Auntie was kind enough to make me chai (two cups) despite the fact she was trying to get out of the house which I did not know until Hena said something later. *sigh*

After chai we went to the mall to buy me some Indian clothes finally. But on the way we stopped to let Hena get her eyebrows threaded- equivalent to waxed- which was very interesting. For the sake of giving an accurate report I had it done also. Personally, I like waxing better. It hurts less- waaay less... but I didn't cry so I won a bet with Hena who said I'd cry.... silly girl.


I enjoyed my dinner of McDonald's and Subway- we split everything. :)
For the record- McDonald's here is WAAAAY better than McDonald's back home!

After this we shopped- well I shopped, Hena tried on clothes and talked on the phone.... lol.. but it meant I got to meet Meera verbally since she won't be in Mumbai while I am. I love the clothes I got. I got two outfits *giggle* and a pair of shoes ... Hena tried, how she tried, to make it more but I did not succumb.

So we caught an auto home and on the way we saw a wedding crowd outside a building and got home to another meal cooked by Auntie with paratas ordered just for me- you have no idea how happy this made me. :)

After that it was the general nighttime ritual until I mentioned I had pictures of my folks and there was instant demand to see them by all. So I showed them pictures and the girls think Drew is "just too cute." *giggle*

Day 22

I set out on my own into Mumbai today :D (kinda)

I got up and had breakfast of leftovers from the night before.

First uncle escorted me to have money exchanged- and insisted I'd be robbed so he kept part of the money. LoL.
Next he booked me a bus tour of the city as a gift for the next day (Wed).
Then uncle escorted me to the train station via share auto (rickshaw with multiple unrelated parties headed to the same place- or places close to one another). He made sure I punched the right number of coupons, and was on the right train (unnecessary but appreciated :) ).

I stood in the door with the English map at the top and amazingly almost always had a little bubble of space, and was never almost pushed out the door. Hena had told me repeatedly that I would have no personal space and not to stand near the door because they will push you out. Well I guess the train just wasn't busy enough when I was on it for these to occur- nice!

I got off the train at the Victoria Terminus. Let me tell you- Times Square would get a run for it's money on crowd size by this place! Since I was unsure which side and direction I needed to go first I just followed the crowd to the nearest exit and picked a direction to look for a cafe to buy water and sit and look at the Lonely Plant guide.

I found one, bought water, and looked at the book. Once I had determined the direction I needed to go I set off again. However the problem of maps not looking like the streets deterred me for a bit.
I ran into a group of girls who spoke English and asked them for clarification of the map and it turned out they were visiting Bombay also! So they pointed me to the bus stand since taxis, even though they use meters here, would be likely to try to rip me off since I am a foreigner.
So I walked to the bus stand and caught a bus all by myself! Woot!
The bus let me off at the Gateway of India which was built to welcome the King and Queen of England when they came to visit one time.
At this point I got a call from Hena in which I thought she said she'd be heading to meet me in 30 min. wait for her at the Gateway. So I waited...
This is a video I made while waiting...

There was a beggar girl and boy who came up at the same time soon. While the boy was distracting me by poking my backpack the girl tied a string of jasmine around my wrist and asked for a gift. I told them I was waiting on my friend who had my money and so they sat down to wait with me! The girl told me how their mother had sent them to Bombay alone to work for five months and then the man would send them home. I asked Hena about this later and she said it's probably true except the man will never send them home. They will beg on the streets, more than likely end up in brothels when they are just a little older, and then more than likely be dead soon after entering the brothels. Human trafficking is much more common than anyone wants to admit she said. And while I felt for them I was not going to give them money which they probably would not use for food like they said- they'd give it to "the man." Also, they were becoming much more strident in their demands for money, pulling at my clothes and arms - which no matter how young you are is not going to be ok with me. So I tore the bracelet carefully so she could tie it again and picked up my bag and left. I couldn't decide if I was relieved or wanted to cry.
So I sat under the Gateway and soon another young beggar was poking at my arm and bag. A gentleman nearby shooed him off and I fended off the many street salesmen. However when I realized there were a number of men standing around looking at me I picked up my bag and walked in the direction of a restaurant that looked promising in the book. Well I got a bit lost and when I found the restaurant took one look at the menu, thanked the waitress, and left- it was more than Rs. 300 for the cheapest appetizer.... so I wandered around for a while.
I went to check the Gateway for Hena because at this point it's been an hour and a half so I'm slightly worried.
She's not there so I wander around looking for some shade to sit in and cool down since Mumbai is uncharacteristically hot for the season (even according to the natives!).
I sit under a statue in the middle of a dry fountain drinking water, fending off another beggar child, and I get a call from Hena- meet me at Cafe Leopold, grab a taxi to get there, it's in the book if you need the address. Woot!
Well the taxi driver has never heard of this place. And there is no Cafe Leopold in the book for the area of Mumbai I'm in.... so I furiously flip through pages until I find a bar called Leopold's Cafe and Bar in the Greater Mumbai section... at which point the taxi driver says, "You just walk. Too near me drive."
WHAAAAT!?!
So I figure out where it is and walk there- it was on the sectional map- just under the other name :)
While I'm on the way there I run into two lost Australian girls who are visiting and once they have made use of my map we parted ways.
So I get there- fend off the street salesmen- and wait for Hena.
When Hena shows up she mentions this hole-in-the-wall restaurant down the row that has AC. AC!!!
So we had lunch at Which Latte in an room with wooonderfuly cold AC. While I was washing my hands and face I realized I'm sun burnt again- alas- but not badly.
Hena and I got two different sandwiches and split them. Roast beef on rye, and chicken on some yummy bread that I missed the name of. When we realized we were still hungry half way through we ordered curley fries. : )
and for dessert she got a chocolate mousse thingy and I got apple crumble- both of which were very good.

After lunch we headed back to the Gateway of India since Hena had never seen it. From there we roughly followed the walking tour of Mumbai in the Lonely Planet guide to the _ _ Synagogue. Coincidentally I almost got run over taking this picture... don't worry the SUV was going pretty slowly so they missed- I just got yelled and honked at- LoL. Every time I go into a synagogue I think of Mrs. Linda's family. So I paid the outrageous fee to take pictures of the inside which I will show them when I get home. : )

From there we got lost looking for Bull St. which is equivalent to our Wall St. We eventually found it and then from there we set off to find the St. Thomas' Cathedral which no one seemed to know where was...
While we were wandering lost another Australian woman- this one here for work- helped us on our way to the Cathedral for which we thanked her profusely.

Once in the Cathedral I was amazed by how many people are buried within the walls and floor of the church. We saw the memorial of all the soldiers form WWI that never made it back to India. And we saw the chairs King George and Queen Mary sat in for Mass when they came to visit India (reason the Gateway was built btw). Also was the pew that Mother Teressa (Saint Teressa now) sat in when she attended Mass there as well. Coincidentally this cathedral is also known as the Church of North India in contrast to the Church of South India I saw before with Muchu and Hena.

From the Cathedral we followed the scary looking exodus toward the Queen's Necklace/Marine Dr./lagoon although most people were going to a train station in that direction.
This is a video of the view... :)


After we sat there for a while we walked to Mocha an all in one restaurant and got a snack to hold us over 'til dinner of potato wedges we got to dip in melted cheddar and cottage cheese. Oh it sounds odd- but sooo good.

After that we walked to the Victoria Terminus, punched our tickets, and went home to another supper prepared by the amazing Auntie.

Day 21 pt. 2

So soon after I finished my post Hena had me take a picture of her class and instructor. This is them- I'll have to wait to tell you all their names since I am hopeless at spelling (and remembering names...).

So Hena and I left The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) to go to Le Cafe. An overly expensive restaurant but the food was good - plus I could get internet!!!
I had watermelon juice and she had peach tea. She got an appetizer of BBQ baby corn (too hot for me to eat!) I got mac and cheese with chicken chunks baked in and Hena got a delicious sandwich of some sort- I think it was chicken...
While and after we ate we watched an episode of Bones :) and had desert of tiramassou and chocolate yumminess of some sort.
After that we caught the train and an auto back to her uncle's flat. Auntie had yet another meal of deliciousness waiting and we enjoyed playing with the fruit (dessert).

Day 21 pt.1

So I overslept because I realized that I had no chance to get on the computer to talk to people this morning because Hena and I didn't sleep in the room with the internet connection : (
I woke up 30 min before we had to leave, sooo I quickly packed my computer and day trip stuff because we were headed for the college where her internship starts today. I had scrambled eggs for breakfast- nothing special.
So we bussed to the college and Hena spent 30 min trying to find the people she was supposed to meet with at 9:30am.
Since we couldn't find them she figured she'd missed the call because her phone still wasn't working or the email because of limited access.
Hena got in touch with her instructor to find out the orientation was delayed thanks to another nice professor she stopped on the street. :)
So we went to see if I could get an IP address assigned so I could do all the stuff I've done today but the office was closed. So we went to a Vodaphone self service desk and got no help. So we went to see if the Vodaphone store across the street was open- which they wern't. However the guy who owned the store next door DID help Hena and her phone was working immediately! YAY!
So we walked back to campus and got me an IP address assigned, walked back to her building and I plopped myself down to upload pictures!
I took a break for lunch - which was fare I've already had so I assumed a picture would be needless- don't shoot me if I'm wrong- LoL.
After lunch the orientation meeting started at 2pm and I plopped back in the same spot to upload more pictures.
And now I am finally here writing this
ALL the other days have pictures now so ENJOY!!!!!
Also I have been meeting random classmates, office workers, and instructors through out the day around the college that know Hena. : )
The joy of being on display! LoL.
So yeah- here I am done for now since for some reason Skype won't work on this connection : (- I think I'll watch Bones now...
Peace, out.

Day 20 pt.2

So yesterday this was what they were cooking for lunch : )
After we ate Hena and I took off to town to see if she could get her phone fixed. She paid her late fee and we expected her phone to work in 2 hours.

After we did that we headed to the mall to see when Quantum of Solace was showing. I wanted to take a picture of the roof of the mall because it was cool, however since Bombay has been the most popular spot for bombs in the past there is REALLY tight security at the mall- so no pictures.

Quantum of Solace was showing in about an hour from when we arrived so we bought tickets (EXPENSIVE) and perused through the mall. This mall is like an arcade, bowling alley, bumper car lot, grocery store, pool hall, cinema, and mall all rolled into one with an added dash of three fine dining restaurants.
So I spent a ridiculous amount of money on myself for books at this quaint little shop in the mall- two of which are Indian. One I think my mom could use for her class since it is the classical Indian "fairy tales." However, Hena said it may not be age appropriate except for high school students so my may be a bad one.

So Quantum of Solace was "AWESOME" to quote Hena. She wants DESPERATELY to have Daniel Craig's children- many children. LoL. The movie was very good and I sincerely enjoyed it.

We got home just in time for dinner. ; ) Lucky us!
After that I read some and then went to bed.

So now ya know how this day ended...

Day 19 - 20 pt.1

Hena and I are safely in Bombay!

Day 19
We woke up around 9:30am had a wonderful breakfast of Indian noodles with coconut milk and sugar (YUM) or with chicken curry both of which were very good. After that Hena and I finished packing and I posted as much as I could before we left.
Mumtaz needed to go grocery shopping for herself and for the things she was sending with Hena and me to Bombay. Also she was selecting salwar material for Hena's cousin Aeeda and Aeeda's sister-in-law Seena.
So we boarded the train with our six bags, kicked the guy out of my seat who was sitting there, and left for Bombay.
Did I mention she made us a HUGE package of fried planteens- I love this woman.

Day 20 pt.1
The ride was rather uneventful we wound up being 10 min early into the train station where Abdullah, Hena's uncle, was picking us up in a taxi.
On the way to the flat he had the driver stop at a road stand so I could try neera. I forgot to take a picture. -_-() It's a clear liquid that comes from a coconut and they ferment to make toddy.
So we got to the flat and I realize that her uncle lives on the fourth floor and there is no elevator! Bwaaah!!!! Thankfully Bahadur, the watchman carried the large bags up and Irfan, another of Hena's cousins, carried up one and Hena and I got two each, I think- more than six because we had grocery bags too.
So I got a blissfully hot bath, cleaned under my finger nails, and am now borrowing a computer to post this. The way the internet works in this flat is the company had to bind the computer to an ISP remotely or something... and since only two computers are allowed on the network at one time (they already have two) and it's Sunday- I will have to wait to upload more pictures- Alas and much mourning. So yeah, I think Hena's aunt, Eeyah (full name- Rehaniyah), is cooking and it smells good- so I'm gonna go eat.

Inclusion from day 18- We ate banana dumplings in the taxi on the way to Mahe- yummy!
And before we boarded the train I had a chicken burger combo from a restaurant in the only air conditioned mall in Calicut.

Pictures

I posted pictures for days 8-10... unfortunately that is all I had time to do since the taxi to take us away will be here in 25 min and I still need to take a bath... blasted 256k connection...
Enjoy the pictures and look for CORRECTIONS to the info and time line.
<3

Day 16 pt.2- 18

Deep announcer voice, "And now we pick up where our heroines left off last time on Fort Cochin..."

After I last wrote (not so shortly : ) ) Hena and I went to Kashi Art Cafe for lunch. Unfortunately we missed the lunch special because we were too late. The place is really popular and they only make so much of the special so you better get there early, ah well. We met with Anamika, a friend of Hena's who had just moved to the island, for lunch- he dad's in the military so she moves a lot.The food we had was still wonderful: mushroom soup with toast, tomato cheese sandwiches, watermelon slices, and desert of lemon and chocolate cake slices. Yum.

After lunch we went to Jew Town to see the synagogue, which I couldn't take pictures of, even the outside! : (

So the three of us decided to walk back to town- only a mile or so- and on the way we passed this place that Hena had been to the opening show of back in January when she was showing another friend around India called Greenix. I was hesitant to see the show since it was Rs. 350 for each of us- however one of the performers said, "If you do not enjoy the show I will return the money for your ticket personally." So given that this performer was willing to give up his own personal cash if I didn't like the show was some pretty good confidence on his part, so we went to see the show. The show consisted of the traditional dance/performance arts of Kerala (sounds like Cat-a-la in American): Mohiniyattan, Theyyam, Kathakali, Kalaripayattu. Also in Greenix was a cultural museum with instruments, costume examples, prop examples, an antique boat, and live demonstrations of handloom weaving, pottery wheel, coir (coconut hair rope) making, and coconut palm basket weaving (which we missed because we saw the last show of the day). However to make up for it the performer who'd offered our money back showed us the exhibit that is under construction now which is a scale model of Kerala including topography and landmarks!
Anamika in a coconut frond hat from the weaving demo. -->

After we toured the museum and perused through the shops without buying anything : ) the three of us walked back to the Salt & Pepper Cafe for dinner. Anamika's dad showed up before we ate and she had to go home, : (, but Hena and I had dinners of Greek salads and chicken kebabs. We also too pictures with the sea hawk Krishna that is a permanent resident of Salt & Pepper . The owner raised her by hand after he found her as a chick with part of her wing missing, so she doesn't fly away.

After that we stopped by a store for essentials (soap) and then went back to the homestay for the night. We also saw this odd package label. Just look closely at the larger view.... I guarantee it will either make you laugh or scratch you head or both ...


Day 17
Hena and I over slept- again. We were going to go on the 8:30am backwater canoe tour... so we said we'd go on the 2:30pm one....

We got breakfast at Kashi Art Cafe- have I mentioned Hena goes to Cochi to eat there? It was also delicious- tomato and cheese omelet, with watermelon and toast- we also split a slice of lemon cake for dessert. (The reason the picture has pineapple is because I ate my food and forgot to take a picture- but the cook let me photograph one on the kitchen counter about to be served. :) )

After breakfast we went to take pictures of the first Christian church built in India- St.Francis Church. This is where Vasco de Gama was buried for 14 years until his remains were taken to Lisbon.

After that we went to see the Dutch Palace which also prohibited photography. >:( However inside was mostly history of the area and would not have photographed well. Half of the place was closed due to renovations so Hena and I could only see 8 of the many frescoes that remain intact since before the Dutch "rebuilt" the place when they took over.

I bought a couple presents at a stall near there and then we went to lunch at- guess, go on.... gueeeess- Kashi Art Cafe, duh! LoL! We got the lunch special this time which was veggie stew (mm mm mmmm!) with potato chips and chicken salad, tomato, cucumber sandwiches. All of it was god- I was not complaining about eating there again- mm mm mmmmm. We also split chocolate and orange cake slices again...

So by this time we have missed the 2:30 pm canoe tour and I am ready to head to Calicut so I made an executive decision for us to move along and Hena complied with only token resistance.

So we caught the ferry, then an auto, then a bus, then another bus.

What you have to understand about the last bus is that the driver was new. He didn't know where to go and he FLEW. I have never been so close to God as I was on that bus ride. Hena got a huge kick out of how freaked out I was and took pictures- the traitor- even video.... grrrr....
Luckily we survived and made it in time for a yummy meal made by Hena's mom, Mumtaz.
Also thankfully Muchu had already arrived with our luggage so we could wash up and put on clean clothes!!! I almost wept with joy. : )
I don't think the video is very funny but Hena thinks it needs to be in my blog so here it is....


Day 18
So now it is day 18 and Muchu, Hena, and I did Calicut today.
First we had an excellent breakfast prepared by Mumtaz of potato curry, velappam, and a veggie dish with carrots in it.

A taxi picked us up at the house and took us to see the outside of the Kuttichira Mosque since women are not allowed in, period. The building is over 600 years old after being rebuilt when the Portuguese burned it down.

Next we saw the Church of South India where I got mobbed by a bunch of school kids and Muchu was worried at first but realized I was ok. This was the third time this has happened now so I'm getting used to it a little. : ) We had to wait on the security guard to open the church so we could see the inside. This was the first church to have a stained glass window- I think- and it is still in place today. When we were about to leave Hena's uncle, Issac, met us at the church for some reason and it was nice to meet him. :)

Next we headed to the Mananchira Square and I noticed the Library and since it was pretty I took a picture of it. : )
The square was a large green area in the middle of town and while I might have stayed longer I was attracting a bit much male attention despite my wearing a head scarf today. Calicut is the center of the Muslim community of Kerala so it was kind of necessary.

After that we headed home for lunch prepared by the ever impressive Mumtaz.

Then Mumtaz, Hena, and I went two hours to Mahe to meet Hena's aunt and cousins at here father's ancestral home/estate. Niloufer, the aunt, and Shahabaz, oldest boy, Nabeel- didn't meet- second son, Jasim, third son, and Marwa, youngest and a girl. Shahabaz was very shy and kept away most of the time, Marwa was playing on her cellphone a lot- but she smiled at me whenever she looked up, and Jasim and I played spin the tops for a long time.
Niloufer made chai and Indian sweets which I devoured with much gusto- they laughed at how many I ate and said my stomach would hurt- BAH, I'm fine! I'm in looove with fried planteens. Around 7 pm we headed home since the current shedding kicked in for Niloufer's district and all the lights went out (happens once a week to keep power costs down-I think- they go out for a couple hours- I think).

We picked up dinner of shawarmas, broasted chicken, and butter nans on the way and ate once home.

So here I am at 2am writing this promising once again to upload pictures tomorrow- I will really do my best! Hena and I depart for Bombay tomorrow on the 4pm train- I think...

Until I write again!!!

OMG- Mumtaz just gave me a silk saree- I think I'm gonna cry! Bwaaaah!!!! I'm so happy!!!