Visitors (still)

My brother left right after our trip to Kerala, but mum and dad stayed for Simon's birthday. My baby boy turned 13.

Hip Hip Hooray!

He invited his whole class (10 kids) to come to his pool party on Sunday. Two cancelled, one boy showed up and all the others claimed they had been ill when they saw Simon in school on Monday....
Even though it wasn't really a party, they still had fun (and lots of crisps, candy and pizza to share).

Lounging by the pool

Yesterday mum and I had another mani-/pedicure and I went to the dentist to get my tooth fixed. I feared I would need a crown, but luckily it was still fixable. Let's hope it will last...

Today we went to Chickpet market, an area with lots of fabric shops. It is a part of Bangalore that feels like the real India. It is busy with people, cows, auto rickshaws, and cars. It is noisy and dusty, but above all very colourful.

Kerala: Kumarakom

After our day on the houseboat we went to Kumarakom, on the other side of the lake. On the way I was keeping my fingers crossed the resort would be as nice as it looked in the photographs on their website. It was!

We had 'Meandering Pool Villas'. The villas all had direct access to the pool by steps from the patio. The pool was like the backwaters, like a long meandering river, more than 200 meters long!

One of our villas

The pool (actually only a small part of it)

All the buildings were made with authentic, over 200 year old, beams and wood carvings from an estate. There were intricate carvings and lovely details everywhere.

Some of the details

The staff was very friendly, the food was great and the atmosphere was perfect to relax.

Best holiday photo ever of my brother Jos
(guess who took it ;-) )

Kerala: on a houseboat

The state of Kerala is known for all it's waterways or backwaters. The state is very green and the humidity is high (while we were day we had days with 35C and 88% humidity).
A very popular way to travel on the backwaters is by houseboat. Most people stay on the boat over night, but we opted for a daytrip, and what a grand day it was!

This was our boat for the day

The boat has a lounge area at the front, with comfortable chairs and cushions, two bedrooms with en suite bathrooms and a kitchen. There were 3 staff on board, a captain, a second captain and a cook. The only thing we had to do is sit back and relax.

We were not the only ones, it seems there are over 1000 houseboats on the Kerala backwaters.

Not everybody had a big boat

There was a lot to see along the 'way', most of the village life goes on in and around the water.

Kerala: Kochi/Cochin

We arrived back home yesterday, after 6 days in Kerala. Unfortunately my brother had to leave the same night again, but my parents are staying one more week.

The first 2 days of our Diwali holiday we spent in Kochi/Cochin, in the old fort. We stayed in The Old Lighthouse Hotel, an old English mansion.
The fort was build by the Dutch and was later taken over by the Portuguese and the Brits.



The first part was named after my home town: Groningen



VOC

I like the combination of these signs (the bottom one is a sign from the Kerala board of tourism)

The Chinese fishing nets. Adriaan and the boys had a try and caught 1 catfish.

We went to see a Kathakali dance and saw how the actors apply their make up.

Colourful

Visitors 4

Yesterday a (mild) gastro visited our house and kept 4 out of 8 running back and forth to the bathroom. Last night no 5 joined the fun. Today they are all feeling better, but 2 out of the last 3 are 'down' now. It seems to be a one day thing, so we should all be well when we travel to Kerala this Friday (keeping my fingers crossed).

Dad and Jos came to Anu with me yesterday and had a tour through the slum.

Today Dad and I stay home, close to the facilities. Mum and Jos are out to visit a Shiva temple and the city market.

Visitors 3

After a long day away on Saturday, we had a lazy Sunday with lunch at Tasty Tangles in UBCity.

Just when I got the towels out and the shampoo at the ready....

On Monday we continued living "the good life of the expat wife", and went to the Leela Palace for manicures, pedicures, shaves and facials.

Manicure and pedicure for the ladies

Shaving and massage for the men

Lunch to finish a relaxed morning

Visitors 2

We have been out and about a lot the last few days, to see the highlights of Bangalore and some a bit further out of town.

On Friday we walked around the neighbourhood, went to the shops and had coffee at the Marriott hotel.

At the vegetable shop

This scaffolding was not the most safe and secure one I have ever seen....

Mum is feeling a lot better and is much more mobile

On Saturday we left early in the morning, to go to a Jain temple. It was a long drive, but we stopped for coffee on the way and we stopped at several places in little villages.

It is a long climb to the temple: 614 steps!!!

At the top, in the main temple

Mum & Dad had to be in the picture with this family

A good place to rest