Chapter 15: March travel madness! .... Kerala & Agra

Postcard from the Taj Mahal
Postcard from Kerala

What a crazy month it has been! As soon as all the little cousins had returned to their various cold countries we impetously took off and started travelling through India.

We spent the first week of March in Cochin, Kerala. They call Kerala "Gods own country" - and it was indeed beautiful. In keeping with our intent of expanding the childrens (and our) travel experiences, we took the train. Yes, the train! It was a 14 hr long trip each way on the sleeper. Passed through beautiful countryside - green and harvest fields, coconut groves, beaches and lake beds. The company each way was interesting too (to say the least!) Cochin was a treat - we walked around, saw the chinese fishing net, did a one day houseboat tour of the backwaters. It was all really lovely and lazy and relaxing!

And then this past week I took my Mum and my Aunt Lydia with me to visit the "Golden Triangle" Delhi, Agra & Jaipur. After a very fun but exhausting 5 day trip we are all back safe with tons of the traditional photos! I am really priviledged to have their company - learned so much from both of them about their various childhoods etc! But the kids, you ask, where were they? Bernard stayed home with them - and they are all still safe, healthy and well fed! They had numerous offers of dinner and board and lodging from all the cousins, aunts and uncles!

We believe we have successfully found all the 32 ancestors and more. Some of it is anecdotal, so we are after the actual certificates. Seeing your grand parents signatures on the church marriage registry gives you quite a kick, not to say what it does for your parents! Some churches generously allowed us to take digital shots so we are able to share it with other members of the family. Bernard has made a number of new friends with various cousins and tomorrow we will be going to his village church for mass and to see if we can meet people in the village who might have known his father and grandfather.

But now, we have to be internet bound again, planning and booking for New Zealand, Australia and Africa. In 10 short days we will be leaving Goa. The kids are already very upset - and if we did not have tickets in hand we too might not be so willing to move ahead!

I hope to get to a high speed internet site next week to download tons of photos, so get ready for a feast!

Till next time ....