I'm back from Southern India and had a very good trip with some of the highlights being (in no particular order (except the first actually)):
- finally getting to do some backpacking in India with Miss Toni-the-Pony
- seeing tea plantations in Ooty, Tamilnadu and drinking hot milky cups of chocolate tea and marsala tea
- trekking through leech territory in Periyar National park and making it out alive with no bites
- taking a rickshaw ride around the french quarter of Pondicherry and then having the shakes from the strongest coffee of my life
- Kashi Cafe in Fort Chochin - the coolest cafe which has a set menu each day and several cake options
- finding a primo swimming pool and cold Gin & Tonics after trekking down from Ooty
- eating some darn decent biryanis
- seeing the PONY needle factory
- buying a bronze Ganesh for our new house entrance
- going back to Jewtown and getting the kitch Hindu cows for my wall
- washing an elephant's back
Ok there's actually too many to recall and I'm not one for a long post so will follow this with a few photos for further evidence of lovely Southern India. Sorry but I can't turn the pictures round so kindly wiggle your head from side to side: On the road in the Nilgiri tea plantations; Hindu & Catholic sit side by side in Jewtown, Fort Chocin - a result of the Portugese occupation; the giant Hindu Bull deity; sunrise in the Kerala backwaters; being fools in the Madras palace 68,000 lightbulb-ed grounds; gorgeous basi-reliefs & sculpture at every turn.
So other news - we have moved into a new house out in infamous West Auckland. I'm completely house made now and can't sit still in it. I keep wondering around exclaiming how much (*space, light, sun, storage) repeat*. I'm sure everyone will get very sick of me soon. One of the best things is we have space for a STUDY and I now can spread all my knitty-sewie-crafty things out and never have to put them away. It feels so good having that space, I'm dying to get creative in it but house stuff keeps me away. It's funny how much I'm delighting in the kind of things I hated as my parents made us do for chores - mowing lawns, cleaning windows, gardening, trips to the dump etc - I guess you find the motivation when you have financially invested in something! The 2 photos are the back yard and front area - theres a load of work to do and I'm very excited about it!!!!
Jeepers - I haven't even written about my knitting or skydiving exploits!!
