Back at Grandma's House...

We are back in Madras (Chennai) at my grandmother's house after a 5 day drip in the mountains of western Tamil Nadu state (the same state that Madras is in). It is funny how her house can feel so much like home, and how you can long for it when you are gone.

But, we had a very nice trip, we left Christmas night on the night train, and traveled all night to Mysore. Indian trains are an experience (as are most things in india). You can see the tracks through the toilet hole, and you sleep on bunks that are stacked 3 high. Everyone and their brother takes the train in India, so getting to the train, and finding the right car and bed, and getting settled in is pure chaos... never mind the fact that you are trying to keep track of 10 people.

I don't know what we would do it we didn't have my dad to translate and talk to the drivers and people etc. After two hours in the van we ended up at the wrong resort (not sure whose fault that was) and after another 5 hours (because we had gone the wrong way) we finally arrived at the proper resort. Although, it is only 60 or 70 miles, because of the pure chaos that is travel in India, you can never travel more than 20-30 miles in an hour. During our time there, we went on 2 safari's and saw everything from elephants and leopards (15 feet from the road) to wild boar, peacocks & monkey's. Sadly, we were not able to ride on an elephant, thanks to the animal rights activists... however the soft top jeeps that were at least 20 years old were great fun.

We spent our 4th anniversary in Ooty, my favorite spot that I remember from my last trip. We drive up a mountain pass (they measure the distance by the hairpin turns - 36 turns). It is a one lane road filled with everything from busses and vans to motocycles with 2 adults and their two children to people walking. After creeping behind a bus for nearly a mile, the entire bus cheered as we passed them. The hills are covered in tea plants. They are harvested by women who carry a huge basket on their backs. These women are paid 60 rupees per day (about $1.50), and if they pick more than 25 kilos, they get 1 rupee (2 cents) per extra kilo. We toured a tea factory, and made the owners extremely happy when we bought 50+ bags of tea between all ten of us. :)

We then stopped in Coimbatore, where we have a bunch of family, and where my grandma will be moving early next year. We had a great time, and I had my first bucket bath (my grandma has water heaters and showers but our friend did not). Other than taking about an hour to heat a gallon of water, it wasn't bad.

We are now in our last stretch here in Chennai before heading home on the 5th. I will miss the food and my grandmother, and all the interesting sights, however I am looking forward to not being a spectical. I am SOOOO sick of everyone staring. In the US it is rude to stare, but in India, whether it is rude or not... everyone outright stares. Sometimes, I just stare back to make them feel uncomfortable, and some will finally avert their eyes, but some will just keep doing it! There is a chance I could pass for an Indian, but when you are traveling in a party of 10, with 4 very white americans there is no chance. I am also looking forward to calmer traffic, toilet paper, soap in all bathrooms, my bed, toilet paper and slightly cooler weather.

If it is not too much I am hoping to give you a day-by-day tour of our trip with pictures when I get back. I can't wait to show you all of my pictures!!! I have taken over 1500 pictures.

Happy New Year!!! It is 4:30pm on the 31st here so it will be New Year here 10 1/2 hours ahead of you! (if you live on the east coast). If I don't talk to you before, I will talk to you when we get back on the 7th!

Blessings,
Leah

P.S. This post was sponsored by my wonderful great-uncle who came to visit and brought his computer that has an India-wide wireless card!!