Yes - finally updating the blog, due to family visits we have seriously neglected this thing. Where to begin...we are currently traveling with Maggi ( thane's mom) and having a fabulous time, more on that later. First I'll try to remember all the highlights of my own mothers visit, which shouldn't be hard. She treated us to a completely new side of this country - excellent service and luxury. The pre planned trip was a bright idea on her part as we were able to move comfortably and efficiently through the southern part of the country covering many miles - with no hour long searches for guesthouses upon arrival. Don't get me wrong, I love that part of traveling India, it was simply refreshing to have a two week break including clean sheets, clean food and the company of my mother. Our first night we spent in Cochi - the capital of Kerala - in one of the nicest hotels both Thane and I have ever been in. We strategically arrived as early as possible, ordered room service, took a shower and put on the complimentary robes. Thane and I were basically in shock and couldn't get over the contrast to this experience from all the others we had had thus far. We sent an outfit to get ironed and were promtly called by a confused laundry man asking if the stained garmets were only to be ironed or if we wanted them washed. In that my mom was due to arrive in less than 2 hours we made it clear that they were only to be ironed - hilarious.

We met my mom in the lobby with excited hugs and smiles - all of us releived that she had safely arrived. We chatten enthusiastically for a while and met later for a drink before eating the fine dishes of thai cuisine. I'm sure I've raved about the food plenty of times on this trip - but the dining experience in some of the places we stayed was beyond suberb - blending asian technique and spices in ways that I've never tasted before - yumm hmmmmm. We spent three nights in Cochi - touring the city by boat and van, watching the traditional dances of Kerala, seeing the chinese fishing nets being pulled up at dusk, shopping for rugs and all the beautiful handicrafts of India, enjoying the pool and eachothers company.

We left Cochi and boarded one of the many house boats carrying tourists to explore the infamous backwaters of Kerala. Lounging on the upper deck of ourprivate boat sipping coconut milk, we observed the daily rituals of the inhabitants. Rice patties spanned as far as the eye could see - the square patches of vivid green next to squares of muddy earth being prepared for planting. The feeling of movement on water is simply one of my favirotes, calming with the brackish wind in the air.

From the house boat we were met by our darling driver who was with us the entire two weeks. I knew he was the perfect fit for us when I heard his broken english and willingess to please - of course his sense of humor matched up and we shared many laughs. I was dreading the typical male indian who thinks he knows everything and has little to no concept of personal space or humility. Though Kumar - the driver - did not exhibit any of these characteristics we didn't have to wait long to meet our guide Sabariraj who was the epitomy of what I dreaded a guide would be - ramblin on for entirely too long about topics that didn't exactly captivate me, interuppted frequently and had obviously been babied by the parents he still lived with - eeks louise! So we walked barefoot on the stone floors of many temples, were awed by the structure, ritual and fine carvings - and truly saw the highlights of southern India's religious architecture and customes.

My mother and I first discovered and continued to seek out the token elephant of the temples. The enormous animals are trained to take the rupees into their trunk and place the cash into the laps of their owners. The decorated beast proceeds to raise its trunk into the air and with magnificent precision and grace, gently lower the tip of the trunk onto of the head before them. My mother stood bravely under the elephant and waited with tensed neck muslces for the sensation of being blessed by an elephant to wash over her. I stood by her side, refusing to be blessed as I was a bit squemish of the hairy extremity. It was a memorable moment to say the least. We had many moments like these throughout the two week trip and it is difficult to sum it all up in one blog. I promise (more myself than anyone) that I will elaborate on the jam packed experience in a few days.

I am thinking of so many people over this holiday season and hope that everyone enjoys the time they have with family and friends. I just want to say how disappointed we are that Bryan, Thane's brother, will not be able to share Christmas with us as his Indian airline totally screwed up his his flights. We are back in Mamalapuram - a funky little beach town south of Chennai and looking forward to a very relaxed time.