coming home.

What we didn't manage to blog was our change of plan. We ended up canceling the 27 hour train in favour of a night in Trivandrum, further south. And then a car back to cochi, and a flight back to mumbai today. What we didn't know was there is a general strike today, so we've been in a car with a tourist sign on it through demos etc. We're now at the airport in cochi but the flight is delayed. We need to get to mumbai by 12 or we miss the flight! J

christmas lunch

Despite efforts to find turkey and boiled sprouts. We settled for curry on christmas day, whilst on a house boat in alappally. J

picture for mum

The scene as i just spoke to mum on christmas eve jeremy

Happy Christmas

Sorry it's been a little quiet, have have internet problems (or lack of) a quick catch up, will post other stuff later.
Having explored Kochi, we moved on last Tuesday to the rain forest noth of Kochi, beautiful, breathtaking views of an 80' waterfall from the picture window in the bedroom, unfortunatly lots of other thinks about the hotel left lot to be desired, it looked like 'tracy island' with it's 1970s deco, but the pool was green with algee (J thinks this was meant) and cold, however the food was good, if a little comical in method of delivery, we made or last trip to Aripalam, did our family duties, and left having taken lots of photos & video.
Leaving the rain forest (where it didn't rain once) we set out for Alleppey, otherwise known as the ' Venice of India'
We have been make very welcome here as 'Motty's' home stay, although it's Chrismas back home, it's full on Temple festival time here, music dancing, street fairs with hawkers etc
well into the early hours, and then starting again around 4 am.
Agenda for the next few days includes a rice boat trip on the back water (canals) and canoes.
We're off to see the elephants tonight on parade at the temples.
Today is message for Maz & haircut for J
We wish you all a very Indian Chrismas
J& Maz on Motty's PC

We made it to aripalam today. The grave looks fantastic. We now have lots of new friends and we can return tuesday and pay the builder etc

Thursday 17th Dec

Thursday 17th Dec
Following a realy good deep sleap, after the so called "sleeper"
train, woke just before breakfast finnished. We embarked on (so
called) 1/2 hour walk Jew town to see the synagogue & tourist shopping
area, early on in our adventure we found empourium where maz purchased
new hat & matching handbag. We now look like audrey hepburn!
1 hour later having been through both rice & spice market we arrived
at the closed synagogue (lunch between 1 &3) tharted our 1st attempt
we decamped back to the hotel via tut tut ( picture to follow) for
swim & lunch.
More anon,
J& maz, sitting outside garden room & old harbour hotel, with a glass
of Indian wine & some duty free Jameson.

Sent from my iPod

Cochi 17dec

Cochi 17dec
The old hourbour inn is fantastic, and very welcome after our train
trip. Our new guide Dillep & his driver sabastian, (this is not as
grand as it sounds) meet us at the station & drive us go the hotel
where we both want to have a layer of skin removed to be clean, but a
shower, swim & date with a western style loo sorts us out.
We arranged with Dillep a car to take us to Aripalam on Friday,
tomorrow! we had not origionaly thought we would get there until next
week, as our next hotel is closer, but he said it's possible, it wil
be some 4 hrs, but it will be worth it. If the tomb is not finished,
it buys us the time to get the work done or do the work ourselves! I'm
hoping the second option is not the one as the heat is incredible,
great weather for pools & beer, not so good for working in.
Jeremy

Monday 14th Dec

Monday 14th Dec
Our last eve at the Taj pure luxury have enjoyed being so spoilt and
pampered and for J a way to ease into India before we go a bit more
native although he is doing quite well with the waiting thing, it took
longer in the bank today to change some travelers cheques than it
would to get aproval
on a new mortgage back home !!!

As we embark on 27 hrs of train journey tommrow a few basic provisions
required. We take to the streets in search of water and fruit both are
found without difficulty and so very cheap a fig for 10p . We start
the stroll back along the marine drive when J runs into the road arms
waving o, I follow in persuit thinking he's decided there's aproblem
and we need to make a hasty retreat no such thing he's flaged down
horse drawn cariage that take tourist around in the eve, brightly lit
gaudly painted fit for a barbie wedding. Thankfuly it's not a
problem just J making a spontanious gesture we process down marine
drive back to the taj for dinner and drinks pool side .
Bye bye Mumbia see you in a couple of weeks ! Marina

Sent from my iPod

Monday 14th

Monday 14th

I had a great birthday thankyou all 4 the txt and e-maills
The food here at the taj is fantastic taste is sublime and looks
amazing ! Today as part of the city tour we went to the hanging
gardens of Bombay ( not Babalyon) some rather sad topiay but I gather
the garden is being restored bedind the gaden wall is the high alters
were the Parsie's leave thre dead to be eaten by the birds quite a
good Eco solution
Ghandis house was very moving his letter to Hitler in 1939 in a few
lines spoke profound words on the futility of war and the ego of
leaders who embark on such ! Our first few days in India we have been
sheltered from the reality of the poverty as we were driven around
today it was all to real ,I had seen this before in 97 when I was
touring with the RSC and it was hard then to do as advised by the
British council to not give to street beggers but donate to charities
that help with feeding and education programs , still I wanted a weep
at the sight of the small girl similar in age to my niece's begging
on the busy road . My love of India grows by the day despite the
paradox .
Manina

Sent from my iPod

Tuesday on the train with J

Tuesday on the train with J
We're on, we've wet wiped and we've shared bread with our sleeping
partners. The gave us home made chapati with home made mango chutney.
We have shop bought donuts to offer them later, I can't wait to see
their faces when we offer them some! It probably confirm for them that
we are American. Lunch was served & everyone is now in various states
of slumber for the afternoon nap.(to sleep per chance?)
They call it a sleeper, I didn't do much sleeping, but that possibly
had mostly to do with the vermin, the following morning I even flicked
a roach of the train gard, he passed the event of with a shrug &
informed me that the train was full of them! Jeremy.

Sent from my iPod

Monday 14th dec, better known as mum's birthday!

Monday 14th dec, better known as mum's birthday!
Today we had a city tour organised by the very appoligetic ( no spell
check on this thing) Ganesh, we took in all the usual sites, i.e
temples & markets but by far the most interesting & supprising to find
was Gandhi's house, followed by the laundery, a very large open area
offering washing of anything & everything on an industial scale but by
hand. We've bought some pastries for the train into kerela tomorrow,
our 27 hr train trip starts by being picked up at 9 am tomorrow.
Happy birthday mum.
Jeremy.

Sent from my iPod

Sunday 13th dec,

Sunday 13th dec,
We went to elephant island, we had arranged this through our guide
for Mumbai, Garnesh, We had agreed an 8:45 meeting but by 9:30 and a
few calls later, still nobody to take us so we took our lives in our
hands, braved the gates of India (which is like being a japnese torist
in trafalgar square with a "mug me" hat on) and got a boat to the
island.
The travel guide book story is nice. When we bought the boat tickets
for the face value of r140 each, we bought a guide for r100, (£1.32)
however on the boat we were shown that the book was rubbish & had
fuzzy pictures and no writing, in fact a photo copy, but the boat man
would take our book, and sell us one at a discount of r260 this had
all the text! Well bugger me when we got to the island there was a
better one, In colour! Probably the only origional that they have been
photo copying for years.
3 things about elephant island.
1) there are no elephants
2) the tour guides are cheaper than in mumbai, & live on the island,
therefore it feels better to give the money over.
3) the guide books are more colourfull.
Jeremy.

Sent from my iPod

on the train from my phone

Having had a few spare hours on the train, and being the only one awake i send this. When the indians wake up i have some cards so i can make a few rupees.Jeremy Dunn

I'm by the pool

Sunday 4:30
maz is in the spa & I'm by the pool that's it realy. I've just set up email blog so some dates may be a little wrong but who cares, i' m by the pool
did I mention my ice cold beer?
I find you need them around the pool!

Mumbai 3.30am 12th dec

Mumbai 3.30am 12th dec
Maz is now 50!
We finaly get through the airport to be met by a sea of people waiting
for everyone luckly maz spotted our guide Ganaesh with his Mr & Ms
Dunn sign. he seamed to have 2 helpers but we later found them to be
unofficial help that cost me my 1st $
Ganesh was fab getting us away and having already checked our room
before we got there!
On arrival we were greated by birthday cake as I had let it slip on an
email

Jeremy
Sent from my iPod

After just a few hours sleep & we're on our way

After just a few hours sleep we were on our way. Through the foggy mists
and ice, given its is December you would of thought that Birmingham
airport would have checked out the deicer trucks were operational
sadly not ! 1 pointless hour later we took off for Frankfurt we have
made our connecting flight but many did not. Further delays due to
runway closed due to cross winds we will land 2.30 am local time.
J's engrossed in a tricky sudoku I am getting to grips with this new i
pod touch and i love it.
All the tired and crying babies have given up
Marina

Sent from my new iPod

12 Hours till the off

Guess who's been left to set up the blog while Marina has a few "jobs" to do.

It's about 4pm, tomorrow morning at 4am, Clive, (RSC Clive) is taking us to Birmingham airport, so we can sit there for 2 hours to get a flight to Frankfurt, 13:30 we are on a fight to Mumbai, which means we will be in India in time for "Friday Night is curry night" perfect.
As we arrive it will be Maz's Birthday.
We are staying at the Taj (lightning never strikes twice) Mahal Mumbai for 4 days.
We then board a 2 day train into Kerala staying at the Cochin Old Harbour Hotel.
It's at this point when we will get a car to Aripalam to visit the family church and tomb of the Montaut family.
On the 21st we move to a Rainforest hotel, that's the other side of Aripalam, if things haven't gone to plan in Aripalam, and the builder has a new vespa, it's from here that we will need to buy some tools and do the work ourselves !
On the 23rd we're off to Allapaly, due south (and hotter) of Cochin, we will stay there with some one called Motty.
we need then only to get back to Mumbai for 3:25 on the 30th of December to catch our flight home.
We have drink at Caro & Michelle's for new year, so we do hope to be back !

Now to put my toothpaste in a clear plastic bag !

Posted by J (But I don't know how to change that bit)