Day 26: Sunrise in the Gulf

Aug 24

We dragged our tired Canadian bodies out of bed at 4am this morning. Zab’s father drove us to the beach and watched as the hazy golden sun rose over the beautiful Persian Gulf. There is something special about watching the sunrise in a different country. We spent time sitting in silence, wading in the warm salty water, and taking pictures. I will remember this moment for a long time. We then drove back to Ahmadi to go to a Prayer Meeting at 6am. Five of us were there, and we prayed together until 7:00. Then we came back home, had breakfast and went back to bed until 9:00.

Zab’s mother cooked a remarkable meal for us with some fish caught in the Arabian Sea. Hamour is the name, and tasty is its game. This is Zab’s favorite fish.

We packed our things and then were surprised by Zab’s friends coming to visit us again. They brought us to the pool hall to play another game. We had a great time until the power went out and we were left playing pool in the dark. =) They refunded our money and we left to go walk the malls. We talked over some amazing coffees and then went back to one of their homes to look at pictures. I was glad to spend this time with Zab’s friends. They were fun to be around; I wish we would have been able to spend more time with them.

This evening we went to a Bible Study group with Zab’s parents. The songs, Bible readings, the message, and the prayers were all in Malayalam. It felt like I was back in India. It was good to be with them for this time, although it went from 9:00-11:30 and I was very tired from an extremely long day. At the end, they asked Zab and me to share a little about our lives. We got to share our testimonies and a little of what God is doing in our lives. They fed us our last Indian meal for the trip. It was delicious, but very late. It is very hard to get used to eating large meals so close to bed time.

We came home and are now packing and getting all our last minute things in order. We will leave the house at 9am and our flight leaves at 12:30pm. I cannot believe that our trip is already over! The camera is packed away in our luggage as it will not be allowed in our carry on baggage this time, so there will be no more images until we are back in Canada. I hope we do not meet anyone famous!

It is midnight, so I must go get some sleep! It will be a very long journey. Wish us luck through all the airport drama. We will let you know how it all went when we are back in beautiful Alberta.

Day 25: Kuwait Fun: Eating and Shopping.

Aug 23

I woke up early and went for a run this morning. I have really been enjoying the fact that I can go running again. I do not think it is doing much for the buffet belly however, we are being fed so much here that I am putting it on again as fast as I can get rid of it! Oh well, I don’t get access to this food at home, so I need to eat it while I can! I am also really enjoying eating with my hands. Zab taught me how to eat the proper way with your hands, and I really enjoy it. It is fighting against years of programming that eating with your hands is not appropriate. Mom, you did a good job, but I have gone back to my nature roots and have become a big fan of eating with my hands. It feels like there is something missing when I set the table and there is no cutlery. Anyone who we ate with in India would wonder if I wanted a fork or spoon, they were surprised that I would eat with my hands. I encourage you all to try it now and then, it is so freeing. They key is 'scooping' with your finger tips and then 'pushing' the food into your mouth with your thumb. Yes, the ol' scoop and push! Oh, and make sure you wash your hands before and after the meal! We started packing a lot of our stuff back into our bags just to make sure we had enough room. Later in the morning, Zab walked 2km to a fitness center he has access to, but unfortunately, it was a woman’s session, so he walked back home in the 42 degree heat. The heat really takes a lot out of you when you are outside that long. He was pretty wiped.

In the afternoon we went to visit Zab’s parent’s friends, Vijoy and Nirmala, who helped us with our trip through India. They did an amazing job, even with our time and money restraints. If anyone wants to go on a tour through India (or the Indian subcontinent), please check them out! Tourways International in Kuwait. Oh, and off season is the perfect time to go! You get treated like royalty and it is cheap!

We then went to an amazing shopping center called Marina Mall; it was the most expensive and high class mall I have ever been to. There were men all over to make sure we did not look at their woman too long, or take pictures of anything in the mall. So I do not have any pictures to show how amazing it was. I could be making this all up. =) All the stores were the top European or North American stores. There is a huge underground car parkade, a boat marina, and vegetation growing all throughout the massive mall. Needless to say, we didn’t buy anything.

We then went to another higher end shopping area. In Kuwait, the main things to do for entertainment are eating and shopping. This new shopping area we went to was like a high end strip mall where you walk outside and can go into each shop along the way. Walking outside made us really tired. Today it was 50 degrees! It felt very hot. We came home to cool down before heading to Fahaheel to go for supper at one of Zab’s favorite eating establishments. Caesars is a very beautiful palace like restaurant that is on the top of a 5 story building that overlooks the busy streets below, and the ocean on the horizon. We had butter chicken! It was one of the best I have ever had. (Zab’s mother made one for us in Edmonton last year and I don’t think it could be beaten.) The food and the atmosphere were amazing. If you are ever in Kuwait, I would highly suggest it. We walked through a lower end Bazaar to look around, and then walked through a new mall that they are making in Fahaheel. It was amazing! Yet again, we were not allowed to take pictures. The whole roof was like a tent, or the sails of a ship. There were only a few stores open, and they were still working on construction. There is a lot of money in this country! We came home and went to bed at 11:30.

Day 24: Swimming in the Persian Gulf

Aug 22

I woke up at 6am and went for a run. Zab’s foot was still hurting and we didn’t think it would be good for him to risk further injury. I had a good 6km run and then found my way home thanks to my trusty GPS watch. In the evening we went to the coast and went swimming in the Persian Gulf! It was very warm and relaxing, but I found it extremely salty! The sun was going down and it made for a really memorable time. After we dried off, we walked around the city some more, enjoying the busy night life of Kuwait. We went out to eat at the first restaurant we ate at here in Ahmadi. After another late meal, we went to sleep. Wow, I think that is the shortest post yet!

Day 23: Razor blades, eggs, and old friends

Aug 21

view pictures at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/runlowellrun/

The hot sun rose over the Kuwait desert to bring us one more day closer to being done our amazing journey. I can’t believe it has been 23 days already! Zab and I were prepared for today as we hadn’t shaved in the past few days. We went to a local barber for a real genuine shave. This was the first time that I have had a professional shave. I was a little nervous with that sharp blade moving close to my jugular and not knowing what Zab had said to the barber in a language I did not understand. Haha I am happy to report that I came out unscathed. Not, however, with the hair on my chinny chin chin. Baby face Lowell is back.

After this hairy adventure, we walked to Zab’s old school. He gave me the grand tour and told me stories of his school years. They were doing renovations on it and Zab was surprised by how much it had changed.

One of the reasons I came to Kuwait was because Zab told me how they had fried an egg on the car hood when he was young. I had to try this. Zab’s father had the vehicle at work today, so we set out a frying pan for a few hours in the 49 degree heat and then got cracking. After 10 minutes of very little frying action, Zab’s mother brought out a metal plate that she thought would work better. We snatched another egg and Zab set up a small mirror to direct more light at the egg.

Zab went inside after about 20 minutes of minimal frying action. He is hoping that we can get access to a black car and fry one on the hood. Apparently it can get to be over 80 degrees inside a car here. From the time we came out to start our little experiment until the time I finally came into the house, with less than stellar results, almost one hour had passed. I think I did more frying myself than our eggs did. =) All the egg watching made me hungry, and we needed to get rid of the egg somehow, so Zab’s mother fried them quickly and I enjoyed them thoroughly.

In the evening, Zab and I went for a walk to his old church that he went to until he was 12. It had been fixed since it had been damaged in the war. It was here that Zab saw Prince Charles and Lady Dianna present a wreath in remembrance for those killed in the Kuwait Liberation.

We continued our walk to the fancy running/walking path. The mist and lights were on. It was very “cool.” =) It was nice to have the mist in the 40 degree dry heat of this evening.

We walked to the house of an old school friend of Zab’s and then a second friend came and drove us to a pool hall. It was a really fun thing to do in Kuwait. Thanks for paying for us Guys! You rock. We all were pretty bad and so it made for a lot of laughs. We then went for our first taste of familiar western food; Pizza Hut. Ironically, the ‘Hot and Spicy Pizza’ we had was hotter than most of the food we ate in India! I think they poured a whole container of chilies on the pizza. I don’t look forward to tomorrow!

They drove us home and talked about the old days and what their classmates were doing now. I had a good evening and I think it was a little odd for Zab to be back with these friends after so much has changed in all of their lives. That was it for the evening.

Day 22: It ‘Was’…home – Zab

Aug 20

Kuwait hasn’t been a place where “best” memories of my life were by any means, but it was where family and church had its seeds planted. I had a difficult time here, from the war through to my education, but I identify it, as it fashioned a lot for who I am. Its one of those bitter sweet places for me. From forsaken geographical sands to the relentless heat from the white sky, it isn’t much to look at or write poems about. So in essence what impacts one are the events and social conflicts that cast the most impressions. Family is great to come to, for someone living on their own most of the time the one visit with them can spoil you with home cooked meals and chats. However there are oft several challenges when one comes back to their family. There is the element where it’s not black and white but a million shades of grey. Topics that are better left unsaid than worked through or argued through despite the abundant love shared.

Yesterday evening after the run earlier my foot was giving me a few problems; it seemed to me like I either tore a ligament of strained it. So, this morning I decided to ignore that and went for a run with triathlon trained Lowell. About 250 meters into what I thought was the chariots of fire with the music of motivation in the background...my foot yelled at me. I looked at the sorry extremities of my right side frustrated that it could almost dictate this will to run. I stopped. Walk?..Eww Walking to me is almost a shameful exercise that looks like a discounted way to burn calories and looks hilarious on someone going fast; well I tried and settled on stopping and just stretching etc. The darn foot made its point. I went home and slept.

Lowell and my visit to Kuwait in all likeliness is going to be the last, as my parents are leaving within the next year. Visiting places with significance to a personal history was on my itinerary in Kuwait. This evening my mom and dad took me to the apartment building where we resided (88-96) that had an immense history. My objective was to be able to convince the present renters for a visit into the apartment, to reflect and look out the windows whose gun shatter was once feared.

Why here?.. It was here; where certain events that few know about, happened at the back alleyway of the building on a dark evening. It was here; where we saw a ship being torpedoed in 1988(Iraq-Iran) standing by the window overlooking the Persian Gulf. It was here; where we ducked with pillows around our ears when the bombs fell in 1990.

We parked the jeep on the ground from across the building and made our way to it. The surrounding smells and sights were nostalgic. Though the environs have developed, it still seemed like it was stuck in the past. My dad went over and talked to the Arab watchman and he remembered my dad. He was here all these years. I was filling Lowell in about so much as we were walking around, I think I was talking ahead of what I was thinking. We then made our way to the apartment on the 3^rd floor and I was with hope we could swing a trip into it, and that the people in it would believe that we just wanted to visit. A middle-aged woman opened the door with her little daughter holding on to her dress. We explained and I walked in and there was a rush of thoughts and emotions that hit me as we walked in. I noticed much of the details cracking and faded. I remembered in visualization, sitting on the couch as the soldiers walked into the apartment in a group checking as they piled their guns on beside me. I walked over to the window and explained to Lowell how things were etc. We thanked them after looking around a few minutes and went downstairs.
Downstairs I walked with Lowell around to the back of the building where we took some pictures. It was a little hard for me there.
Overall it was very good for me to come here. I am thankful on how I have been blessed. Its peculiar, but what is just a building can have significance. It’s like when someone visits a place of times past and they imagine that history in their head, whether it is a medieval dungeon or… in this case a place once called home.

Day 21: Run, sleep, swim.

Aug 19

view pictures at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/runlowellrun/

Zab and I decided to get active again now that we are in a safer and more familar place. We woke up at 6:00am so that we would not pass out on the road in the desert heat. Right before we were going to go, Zab’s Sister Zeeba and her husband Arun called from New Mexico USA. They had not talked to Zab or his Mother for awhile because of the traveling we had been doing. It was fun to be able to talk to them. They think that we should professionally travel and blog our journeys. Maybe we can contact Pepto Bismol and they can sponsor our adventures!

Zab’s father dropped us off on his way to work at a running/walking path that surrounds a park and cricket pond. There were signs with the distance in meters, there were lit arches for running at night, and there was a mist that would spray out to cool you down as you ran. Unfortunately this was not turned on until late afternoon. We ran around the 1700 meter path 3 times, stretched, and then walked home. We were very sweaty, as it was about 36 degrees during the run. We drank a lot of water before, during, and after, so we were not dehydrated.

We ate breakfast and then we got our laundry out for Zab’s mother. Did I mention that she is an amazing woman?

For the rest of the afternoon Zab slept. I took some pictures. =) I spend the afternoon sending emails and doing some work on the blog and I talked with Zab’s mother.

In the evening, a friend of Zab’s father came and drove is to Kuwait in his speedy little Mazda 6 sports car. Zab and I had heard that we could get really nice cell phones here for cheap. Apparently the Kuwaitis buy the latest and greatest, and then when a new one came out a few months later, they get a new one. We were going to see if we could get some of the used phones for really cheap. We couldn’t. It turns out that they just bring them back and they put the used phone back on the shelves and sell them in the box for the price of new. They have some amazing phones here though, it is a pity.

We then went to the famous Kuwait Towers that had been rebuilt since they had been bombed in the Gulf War. We rode up to the top ball (see the picture) and looked out over the city. It was very beautiful. Kuwait City is actually a really nice place. The towers were amazing. They were used as water towers and as a landmark along the Gulf coast.

We went with Zab’s father to his company’s outdoor pool where he has started swimming regularly. The water was very warm, like a giant hot tub. We went there to help Zab learn to swim. He did awesome. A few more times to the pool and I think he will be able to do a triathlon! It felt great to get back in the pool again. I have not swam since my triathlon on July 9th, and I felt rusty and out of practice. The water was a little too hot for me to go too long though. The pool was really beautiful and I had a really good time.

We came home and ate a first-rate (thanks MS Word thesaurus) supper and then went to bed at 10:30.

Day 20: How Lowell met Zab.

Aug 18

The weekend in Kuwait is on Thursday and Friday, not Saturday and Sunday. Church is held on Friday and Saturday becomes the start of the work week. Seeing as today is a Friday, it was the day for us to go to church. I was looking forward to going to Zab’s old church because he had told me a lot about it through the years. The church is amazing. There is a large compound that was started as an American Hospital. Now it is home to the National Evangelical Church of Kuwait. Within the walls there are many buildings where there can be 5 or so services going on all at the same time on Friday mornings. We walked by services being held in many different languages. There are different denominations and styles of worship all happening on these grounds. Zab attended a church on this compound when he lived here called “The Lighthouse Church.” This church alone has 9 services on a weekend, 6 on Friday and 3 on Sunday. The church in Kuwait is huge. God is doing an amazing work here in this Muslim country. There is hope for people, and there is the message of God’s love and healing to all.

So you may or may not be wondering how Zab and Lowell met. And you may or may not care. I, however, am going to tell you, because it is relevant to our visit at the church, and without us meeting, there would be no Zab and Lowell’s blog, and what would you do with all your time now spent on reading these long posts?

David Peacock is a Pastor at The Lighthouse Church who is originally from Canada. One of his sons, Jordon Peacock, went to SABC (Southern Alberta Bible Camp). When Zab moved to Canada and was looking for Universities to go to and Jordon suggested the University of Lethbridge. Zab decided to go there, the second day he was there, he met Bette Greidanus (my girlfriend’s mother) and she got him involved with Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship (which I was the Activities coordinator at that time). We met in the club; we became friends and then roommates. Zab has been to my house for many of the major holidays including Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter. He saw my hood and became a part of the family, so he wanted to bring me to India and Kuwait to see his hood and where he grew up. So that is the short version of why I am in Kuwait and why it matters that we met Pastor David Peacock.

When the Peacock’s saw Zab there was a lot of hugging and then they told him how much he had changed and how they did not even recognize him. It was fun to see this reunion. I started talking with the other son, Tyler Peacock. He asked me where I was from and when I told him Carstairs Alberta, he told me that a really good friend of his from college lives there. Turns out Tyler went to Rocky Mountain Bible College in Calgary Alberta with my Pastor’s son, Mike Duncalfe. What a small world. Sorry if that little ‘Christian Connection’ story was boring. It always amazes me how we have connections all over the globe.

The service was really good and because it was an all English service, I could understand it all. We talked and visited awhile after church before walking back to our air conditioned vehicle. It was over 40 degrees out and I was loving it. I think I might pass out if I had to be out for an extended period of time though. =) We drove along the Arabian Gulf Road in Kuwait, all along the Gulf Coast. It was beautiful. We saw the famous Kuwaiti Towers, beautiful mosques, and insanely large palaces. We spent the afternoon resting and then went out for the evening to a city called Fahaheel to enjoy the night life. We went to a bunch of shops with Zab’s parents. The streets and stores were very busy and the heat was amazing. The sun was down and the breeze was blowing. If felt like I was standing in front of a furnace that was blowing hot, dry air out at me. This is amazing evening weather. It was around 37 degrees.

We ordered Turkish food and brought it home with us to eat. We had chicken, beef, and mutton Kebabs, with thick pita style Turkish bread. There were two really good sauces to put with it. They were toum, a creamy garlic sauce, and moutabel, which is made from eggplant. This was the first time since we arrived in Kuwait that I had not eaten Indian food. I enjoyed the Turkish eating, but I still think I prefer the Indian.

We finished eating around 11pm and then Zab and I stayed up talking and watching television. In Kuwait they get so many channels! We were flipping through the Christian ones and watched some of the ‘prosperity preachers.’ It made me slightly angry to see the message of wealth, power, and fame that these men were preaching. This is not the Gospel of Jesus. He told us to feed the sick, help the needy, and give to those who do not have. Jesus told us to preach love and salvation to the world, and to live as He did. The message we were hearing was that you needed to pray for yourself, that you will become rich, and you must send money to a preacher with a bad haircut and flashy clothes and in turn, God will make you rich. Ick. It leaves a bad feeling in my stomach. This is the message that is being proclaimed over the television to millions of people? No wonder Christianity has such a bad reputation in so much of the world. (This is just how I feel, and my own opinion. You may choose to disagree with my views...)

On that depressing note, we went to bed at midnight.

Day 19 B: Kuwait is Hot.

Aug 17

Zab’s father met us as we walked through the arrivals door. He was so happy to see his wife and son, and maybe a little happy to see a strange white guy who was with them. We walked out of the airport and instantly were engulfed in heat. The digital thermometer in front of us said 40 degrees! And it was only 10:00am. Wow. This is going to be fun! The highs for this week are supposed to be around 47 degrees and the lows are around 32. It is more humid than usual right now, so I am told it feels a little hotter. It feels hot to me whatever the case, and I like it!

We drove out under the cloudless white skies and traveled through the airport grounds. It did not look like we were in the desert. It was green and lush and there were trees everywhere that looked to me a lot like palm trees. I was informed quickly by my tour guides that these where date trees. Mmm, I love dates. Everything here needs to be irrigated and it is watered very often. We drove out onto the main highway. What a beautiful road. It is a 10 lane divided highway with beautiful date trees, well trimmed shrubs, and flowers planted along the side. These areas also need to be watered daily to survive the desert heat. I was surprised to see that there is even green grass along most of the road. People go very fast on the roads in Kuwait and we saw a few cars that had been totaled and were laying upside down in the ditch. It is a form of warning to others when they leave them along the side for awhile. We drove to Ahmadi where Zab’s parents live, and where Zab lived for his high school years after coming back from India after the war.

Zab’s parents live in a different house than before. It is a beautiful 3 bedroom home which is beautifully decorated. It feels very warm and homey. I like it a lot. This is Zab’s first time seeing his parent’s new home, and he was very excited for them.

The house is air-conditioned by a main line that feeds cold air to all the buildings in the area. Here in Kuwait they are able to leave their lights on, their water running, use large amounts of gas in their cars, and talk on the phone lots because they are all free or very cheap. There is so much money in Kuwait that most people have shiny new vehicles (a lot of SUV’s), new amazing cell phones and technology, and new clothes. It is so much different than India! I should clarify though. Most of the money goes to Kuwaitis. There are thousands of expatriates who live and work here who have a lot less.

We toured their wonderful home, had a stupendous meal that was prepared by Zab’s father, and then we rested and relaxed for the afternoon. Here it is too hot to do anything during 1-4 o’clock. They even close the shops during this part of the day.

In the evening we drove through the city and saw Zab’s old school and the old house that they used to live in. Then we went to a store and I bought new batteries for my camera so I could finally take pictures again. (Those crazy security guards, I hope they are enjoying my batteries that they took!) We went to a near-by city and walked around a beautiful mall right beside the Persian Gulf. It was immaculate and very impressive. Everything looked very expensive. We walked through a meat and fish market. I have never seen so many different shapes and sizes of fish. It was really neat. Something smelled a little fishy about that place though. =)

We walked along a sea wall as the sun was going down, and then Zab and I walked through the soft warm sand. We waded into the water a little ways. Now in Alberta if I were to do this at our beaches in the dark, it would be cold. I would get used to it, but my feet would most likely go numb. The water here though was warm! It was so nice; I cannot wait until we go swimming in it. We sat and looked at the lights and the coast for a long time as the tiny waves slowly lapped on the sandy shore. The lights were beautiful! They even had lights shining up from the bottom of every date tree along the shore.

The four of us drove to a large supermarket to buy food. It was fun to see what they have in a different part of the world. A lot of the brands and items are the same as in Canada, but there are a lot of really different items also. I was amazed at the variety of countries that the fruits and vegetables came from. Almost everything has to be imported. We saw items from Holland, Africa, India, New Zealand, China, and many many more countries. We went to a nice restaurant for supper that is subsidized for employees of the company that Zab’s father works for. The food was very tasty and well priced. We came home and went to bed at 10:00. It had been a very long day!

Day 19 A: Airports are no fun anymore.

Aug 17

We awoke this morning in our shady little sleeping quarters at 2:00am. We walked back to Josan Uncle’s place in a zombie state and packed our things and headed out to the airport. Let the gong show begin.

We waited in a long line for more than an hour just waiting for the check-in counter to open. It was here that they told us we would not be allowed to take any hand luggage on the plane. (If only we would have listened!) We had called Kuwait Airways yesterday and they said that we were allowed 5kg of hand luggage and electronics were ok, but no liquid items were allowed. After arguing with them, they let us take hand luggage like the many other people who were going through. I think they were just trying to get less people to have carry-on luggage.

Then we waited in line for immigration.

Then we waited in line for security check. There was a lot of standing and waiting for it being 4:00am.

They frisked us thoroughly and then check our bags. They went into every pocket, zipper, and crease of the carry-ons. They pulled everything out. We watched as they took away handfuls of items from different people. Medication, makeup, food, any liquids… pretty much anything they felt like. We had been very careful about not packing anything questionable. And yes, I remembered to pack Pepto in the large bag. He surely would have been taken away, and I think there may have been some anger released and I may not have been able to leave India, so it is a good thing I had remembered.

They took all my batteries! I had just bought 2 packs of new batteries and had them in that bag. I didn’t know they would be a problem, but he took them all! Then he made me open my camera and flashlight and give him the batteries from them. It was 14 batteries in total. Potlickers. Zab had his new bottle of advil taken, and his mother had all of her prescription medication taken away except 1 or 2 pills. They didn’t think she needed so many. After sending Zab from place to place to get his ticket stamped and re-stamped, and re-stamped, we finally made it out of security and into the waiting area by the gate. As we sat and waited for a few more hours, we watched the security guards after the flow of travelers through the security check stopped. They were looking at the massive pile of goods they just took from all of us, and they were pointing at them and then bending over and reaching in. It looked to us like they were claiming items and then taking them! This may not have been what was happening, but it did annoy me to think that someone just got my brand new batteries and I had to go buy more.

Nearly 2 hours of waiting at the gate and they finally called us to board, but here we found ourselves in YET ANOTHER LINE! To our amazement the Kuwait Airways security was conducting another security check right before going through the aerobridge and entering the airplane. They made us pull out all the items in our bags again. This time the man pulled out my cliff bar and asked me what it was. I tried to explain that it was an energy bar that athletes and active people eat when they need a quick meal. It was peanut butter flavor, and it looks and tastes really good. Zab and Julie have both tried them, and love them. He took it away from me! I was not happy, so I asked him if I could eat it if they were going to take it from me, and he didn’t answer. The guard beside him laughed and said that I better eat it. I think my security guard just wanted to have it for himself. I had 5 more in my bag in a different pouch that he would have seen and didn’t take. Oh well, I was a little hungry then anyways and it tasted good.

We were finally seated on the plane and we took off. It was well over 2 hours late. We slept and read for the 3 hour flight.

Once we landed in Kuwait Airport, we needed to get visitor’s visas. They charged us 12 KD (Kuwaiti Dinar) but when we looked after, there was only proof that we paid 6KD. This may not seem like a lot, but 1KD is 5CAD. So those 6KD were a lot of money. We think we might have been scammed, but maybe we are just being suspicious of people in authority after our experiences in India and in the airport this morning.

We got out bags and walked out into the meeting area to look for Zab’s father.

Day 18: Rain Rain, Go Away!

Aug 16 (and amusing early morning of the 17th story at end of post)

pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/runlowellrun/



What happens when you plan a trip to Bombay India during the monsoon season? You get wet! And that is just what happened to us. We have been fortunate this trip with great weather for being here at this time of year. During the night, however, it started raining and it didn’t stop all day. There were really heavy times, and then there were times where the rain teased us and almost stopped before coming down again in force. Because of all the rain, the laughing club was canceled. Snap. I was really wanting to go and watch. Oh, who am I kidding, I wanted to go laugh! Two days our hopes of communal laugher were crushed. I guess we need to laugh it off! Haha.

On the plus side to all the rain and the cancellation of the laughing club, Zab and I were able to sleep in until 8:30; just in time for breakfast. We just spent the morning and afternoon relaxing, talking, and packing. This has been the longest that we have not done something, or gone somewhere. It was nice. I was able to read my book for quite awhile. The book is actually Julie’s and it is called “Blink.” I am really enjoying it. It is about human interaction and how we react and interact with our world on a conscious and subconscious level. That is a very poor synopsis of the book, but it would take much too long for me to explain it. I am really enjoying it anyways.

At 4 o’clock, two taxis came to take Zab, his mother, his grandfather, myself, and our 8 pieces of luggage to his uncle’s (Josan’s) house. We said our goodbyes to Ammy down in the flooded courtyard, and then were off. When we arrived, we went shopping for some last minute items in a wonderful area of Bombay called Powai. It was still raining and we walked through giant puddles / small lakes.

In the evening Josan Uncle had a prayer meeting in their home. The pastor spoke in Malayalam mostly. His cell phone kept ringing as he was preaching. He would talk louder and faster to cover up the musical ringtone. I could not understand what he was saying, and so I had only the distraction of the ringing to occupy my mind. It happened about 6 times until another member of the group reached out his hand and the pastor gave him the phone and they turned it off. Oh cell phones… thanks for influencing all parts of the world.

We had a wonderful evening of singing, prayer, and then a time at the end to talk. I met a lot of really nice people. Then we were fed another fantastic meal. I am running out of verbs to use to describe this food. This was my last meal in India, so I ate a lot! I am really going to need to get back into running when I get back to get rid of all the ‘India’ I am gaining!

Zab and I slept in the next apartment where there was a ‘guest house.’ There was another group of people or a family who was staying there. In Zab’s words, “the place was a little shady.” It was not very clean and we didn’t know if the sheets and covers we were using had been washed. It felt like a hostel of sorts, so we can add this to the list of experiences. I think it was here that I received my first and last mosquito bites of the whole trip. We kept our money belts close and then went to bed at 10:30pm and our alarms were set for 2:00am so we could go to the airport.

--- In the early hours of the 17th ---

I sleep talk. There, I said it. It is not something I am proud of, but it is a part of who I am. During the night, I had a dream that we were late for the airport but I could not find my sandals. So naturally, when you cannot find something and are in a hurry, you look for it, frantically. In a dream, this is a very rational and natural thing to do. What Zab saw however, was Lowell sit up and start feeling all around the bed and floor. Zab asked me what I was doing and I responded, “Sandals! I can’t find my sandals.” Then a very confused Zab asked, “Why are you looking for your sandals?” To this question I did what any awake and perfectly sane person would do, I flopped back into my bed and said in a very decided tone, “Ice-cream! I want ice-cream!”

At this point I came to my senses and realized what was going on, and I tried to explain my late night episode away by saying in a logical and rational voice, “I was just looking for my sandals,” and then I went to sleep. Zab had caught me. It was payback for when I caught him sleep talking a week ago in a very similar fashion. Yes, we seem to have weird sleeping patterns. It causes great laugher in the mornings!

Day 17: Auto Rickshaw on Independence Day

Aug 15

Zab and I woke up at 6:00am this morning so that we could join Pappa for his morning exercises. Every morning except for Sundays, Zab’s grandpa goes to a laughing club. They get together and do light stretching, and then the laughing begins. A leader starts them off with a series of “Ha Ha Ha Ho Ho Ho’s” and then they let loose. It is good for the body and mind. We walked with him this morning to their usual location, but there wasn’t anyone there. Today is Independence Day and so people must have other things going on. This was a sad moment. I was really looking forward to experiencing older Indian men in a laughing club. We will have to go tomorrow.

We came home and had showers instead. This was my first traditional shower where you fill a big bucket up with warm water and then take a smaller bucket and pour it over yourself. It was actually really nice. The whole bathroom is tile and it becomes the shower. The toilet and the whole floor get wet and I felt bad, but I knew this was the way it was done.

On August 15, 1947, India declared independence from England. This morning we watched the ceremonies take place in Delhi and then we went down to the courtyard of the apartment to watch the flag raising and the singing of the national anthem by those who live there. I met a lot of the family friends and I have become accustom to being introduced as “Zab’s friend.” Almost all of those I met asked how I liked India, and I had to tell the truth. “I love it,’ was my response, and they responded with a pleasant laugh and a smile of approval. It was neat to be in India during the celebration of its independence.

At noon we headed out to see Zab’s father’s sister (Leela). I had expressed interest in riding in an auto-rickshaw, so this became the time to show me this truly Indian experience. Autos are 3 wheeled carts with a single seat in the front for the driver, and a larger seat in the back for passengers. Zab, his mother, and I filled this seat up quite tightly; it helped to keep us from falling out. It was a very fun ride and a great experience to have a ride in one of India’s defining forms of transportation. We zipped in and out of traffic through the crowded streets. The air pollution was horrible. It was hard to breathe at times, and so we used Zab’s mother’s shawl as a filter. The noise from the traffic and constant honking was very loud and I think I lost some of my hearing on that drive. On the 45 minutes ride, we drove passed many open sewer systems and then through a section of the world largest slum.

We spent a lovely afternoon with friends and family. They fed us an amazing meal. I am not going to want to leave India and all of its amazing food!

After another long auto ride back to our place, Zab and I watched an old classic film called “The Guns of Navarone.” It is one of Zab’s favorite movies and it was playing on television for the holiday.

For prayer time this evening we sang a few songs in Malayalam. Ok, ok, I just sat there and listened! Then Pappa recited a Psalm to us. It reminded me a lot of my grandfather and how he memorizes scripture and recites it to us. I love it. He then prayed in Malayalam. It was really neat to be able to just be with them and reflect on the fact that God is not bound by language. He listens to all of us, in what ever language we speak.

After another amazing meal thanks to Zab’s Mother and Ammy, we relaxed and then went to bed.

new pictures available:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/runlowellrun/

Day 16: Bombay or Mumbai? That is the question.

Aug 14

Bombay is the name that the Portuguese gave this city when they founded it. The state government has changed the name to Mumbai, but in the hearts of those who live here, it is still Bombay. It is one of the worlds leading financial centers and is making its mark all over the globe. The city has approximately 16 million people and is the home of Bollywood and also the world’s largest slum. The divide between rich and poor is so apparent, and the poverty is really sad. Bombay is a beautiful city that was built up on 7 islands separated by rivers and set against the ocean.

Zab’s mother woke us up just after 7:00 because she needed to do our laundry! We are spoiled. We gladly accepted her offer though because we were getting low on fresh clothes. I had been able to wash some things in a hotel about a week ago, but these were going to actually be washed! How wonderful. Mother’s are terrific! (I miss you too mom *smirk*)

She also prepared us an amazing breakfast before we went out to see the city. We hired a driver for the day. The traffic was very slow because it was a Monday and tomorrow is India’s Independence Day. Zab’s mother brought us to see the Gateway of India which is a British building made to commemorate the visit of King George. It over looks the ocean on one side and the Taj Hotel on the other side. It is a beautiful location and there were quite a few tourists there.

It was now time to shop! We spent most of the afternoon looking in stores at things much too expensive to buy or at things on the street that were too cheap to bring home. It was a fun day interacting with the people and the culture of Bombay. At one store there was a large chair made entirely out of Silver. It was carved and engraved and on the end of the arm rests there were carved leopard heads. The padded fabric on the seat and seatback were leopard print. I regret not taking a picture of it because it doesn’t sound like much, but it was one of the craziest chairs I have seen.

We ate really late at almost 3pm; we were very hungry and the food tasted very good. We picked Zab’s uncle up after he had worked the night shift and went looking for luggage. We need more room because of the extra things we have purchased and also because we will not be allowed to have very much with us in the carry on baggage.

After some more quick shopping, we drove home for tea time and then we spent the evening relaxing. Before we had another really good meal, we had a prayer and devotion time with Zab, his mother, and his grandparents. After supper we watched a TV show that was not in English. It was fun to try and see how much I could figure out by the acting. I noticed a strange difference in TV here. It seems as though the actors are filmed first and then the sound is cut and they record all new voices in a sound studio. There is no environmental noise, and the lips and mouth are off at times. It is like a dubbed movie, but it is the same language they are speaking. I think they do this to make the sound quality better or else because they cannot get the sound of cars and horns to be quiet enough. Very strange effect.

We then went to sleep with the windows open and the fan going. It is humid here but it is only around 30 degrees. Only? I do not notice it as being hot. I think I might come home and always be cold. Who knows.

Day 15: Thanks a lot terrorists.

Aug 13

We decided to wake up early so that we could go to the fitness center in the hotel. We needed something to battle the ever growing case of buffet belly we had been developing. This was my first run since leaving on this great adventure. Only one resort had a fitness center, and with time and safety being an issue, I have neglected my running. I have missed it. The run was really good even though it was on a treadmill. The humidity and warmth made it a lot more tiring and made me sweat a whole lot more.

We ate quickly after our showers and then checked out of yet another hotel. We went to a really old Jewish Synagogue. Because of all the issues in Israel, the security here was very tight and we were not able to bring in our cameras or any liquids. What has the world come to? No water in a building because you could blow it up? The building was very beautiful. Small, but beautiful.

We then went to a Dutch Palace which was a building that was made by the Portuguese and later fixed by the Dutch. It is now a Hindu Museum filled with idols, paintings, stories, and various other artifacts from a really long time ago. I knew very little about Hinduism and so I was able to learn a lot. The building and the surrounding grounds had not been kept up much at all. I think they need the Dutch to come again and fix it up.

Our driver took us down to the beach where we looked at the Chinese fishing nets. They are large nets that get lowered into the water using a large lever system with wooden polls and rocks. It was very neat to see, but hard to explain. We walked through the fish market and were harassed. Everyone wanted to sell us fish and/or cook it for us.

After this fishy experience, we were taken to an old government building. Inside was a high class tourist shopping plaza. They had all sorts of furniture, hand made carpets, fabrics, jewelry, instruments, various do das, and shawls. The pashmina shawl is a very famous item that comes from India. It is the best quality wool, and comes from the chin or belly of the sheep in the Himalayan mountains. These shawls are soft and beautiful, but very expensive. Zab bartered with a man for a long time and was able to get the price down a long ways. It was still too expensive though and we did not buy anything. It is just fun to see what you can get them down to. Cheap entertainment. There were a lot of tourists there. I wonder if Will Smith had been to this store?

We still had more time before we needed to be at the airport, so we drove down the main shopping street looking for somewhere to have coffee. Zab spotted a great place. They served us some amazing specialty coffee’s and played really good western (North American, not country) music. It felt like we were out for coffee on Whyte Ave in Edmonton.

Zab and I did not think that all the drama in London would affect our flights within India, but we were wrong. They scanned our bags and made us remove all our liquids. (again… what do they have against water?) So we quickly removed the liquid items we could remember and put them into our other bags. The security guard got pretty intimate during the body screening process. I had not had a man that close to me since my massage a week ago. They still found items in our bags that we had forgotten. They took my mosquito repellant (it is okay though because I had more in the other bag). They seemed satisfied with taking that from me and Zab’s hand sanitizer, and they let us go. Later I realized that Pepto was still in the bag. He is a suspicious character and I am sure they would have taken him away from us. Close call. That was the tightest security I have ever been through, and so we are a little worried about the international flights we will be taking soon, especially the one through London.

The flight landed an hour late and they did not give us anything to eat or drink on the flight. We had planned ahead and bought cashews at the airport, but we had to buy a water because they took ours away in security (how convenient).

Zab’s uncle picked us up from the airport and we took a small, old taxi through the crazy streets of Bombay to his Ammy (Grandma) and Pappa’s (Grandpa) place. His mother was there to greet us at the door. It was such a neat experience to be there when Zab saw his grandparents for the first time in 6 years. Ammy didn’t even recognize Zab!

Ammy and Pappa live in a lovely, yet humble apartment. They are so friendly and welcoming, and it is wonderful that they speak good English also.

We stayed up for quite awhile talking. It was good to hear stories about Zab from those who knew him when he was young. Anyone for some little Zab stories? *smirk*

It was way past bed time, so we went off to our beds for a wonderful sleep. This was the first night we would be without air conditioning.

Day 14: Noise

Aug 12

So we woke up this morning and went for our last breakfast in the hills of Munnar then we drove down the crazy roads back towards the coast. Along the side of the road, we would look out and all you could see was white. It was like we were driving along the side/top of the world. There is an image of it on the flickr site. It is hard to explain, but it was really neat.

After the long and winding road where we slept and listened to sermons by Rob Bell, we arrived in Cochin. It was still raining, but the temperatures were much warmer.

Our new lodging was Rivira Suites Hotel. It is a fairly nice hotel. Nothing like the resorts we have been staying in though.

We went shopping on the main strip called MG Road. We bought some nice shirts and then finally found a USB Card reader and a lens cover for Zab's camera. We were both very happy about this.

We came back in the dark. We had headaches from all the noise and air pollution we had experienced along the road.

We ate yet another buffet and then have spent the last few hours updating the blog and the images on flicker. Make sure you check out all the new images at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/runlowellrun/

Time for sleep! We leave for Bombay tomorrow.

Memoirs from “Gods own country”- Zab

pictures can be seen at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/runlowellrun/

“My name is Elisabeth..do you want to buy??” she asked with a sincere smile that showcases a partial row of broken damaged teeth. I tried and avoided the old lady but then her eyes caught me. Her eyes were like my own more so for the reason that I knew that she was part of my history. I was standing there awkwardly looking at the ocean and its rough waves, contemplating what I was really doing …” I cant swim..Let alone in 10 foot waves”. I tried to avoid the thoughts that flooded my mind. The beach in Kovalam, Kerala was mostly empty and the countless vendors scanned the beaches for the sight of a well-dressed person of that of a fair skinned tourist. This to suppl y their daily bread in the off season of tourists. I felt an outsider with this weird empathy that had more in common than just the logic of the situation. Though I am Canadian I am from Kerala. I haven’t really spent a lot of time here but it is the roots. This time here I have for the first time seen beauty and lushness of variety of this state. Kerala is known as Gods own country, I never really understood it until the majority of our trip was done. I mean it’s so lush here, for instance we stopped at one point on the road and within 4 meters we found coffee plant’s, coconut trees, a banana tree and a pepper tree and papaya. Kerala, though a part of India sets itself apart form the stereotype of India, and I believe that deep down inside so do the Keralites.

When thoughts about my Kerala trip were unfolding, I was in Munar, a hill station and tea plantation. The place where we were staying at was on top of a mountain. The clouds were constantly either below us with us. At times the rain clouds woud collide with us in a mist that would pour a monsoon shower. It was a good place to contemplate. The people of Kerala are now one of the most hardworking that I have seen. The first place in Kerala, Kovalam , which I like to refer to as Hawaii, was filled with a fishing population. The majority of the people there was in some way into the fishing industry. As we drove to our hotel we passed a village that had caught the Tsunami of 04. It was in a way surreal to see the place. Our second stop was taking a houseboat through the backwaters in Kerala. We watched the locals in between jungles go about their daily duties in the paddy fields, a very simple life of a humble farmer. The backwaters in Alleppy were like Venice. The next place that we went to was the section of Kerala in which the main occupation was working in the rubber industry. The roads were all surrounded by rubber trees. And the place after was Munnar, which was tea plantations all over in the valleys and mountains …everyone was working hard at just the bare minimum through the rain and chill of the mountain air.

I feel arrogant at times about how my attitude is towards many things in life. I look back at my people for receiving the knowledge of humility in whatever they do. This trip to Kerala has shown me too much about my culture to write down here. As someone who has grown in other cultures more, it gives me great pride to see the past where I have come from. Sometimes I get lost within the “present culture” that I lose sight of Gods variety in his creation and his simplicity in a human. Christianity has a very strong influence in Kerala and although it is a very different tradition to that of North America it gives me great comfort to know that the God that I thank before meals is the same one that takes care of his people in this very different place through much different circumstances.

Through a lot of our journeys in the jungles and the villages Lowell and I listened to my favorite preacher (Rob Bell). He spoke about oppression and about the views of the apathetic bourgeoisies of extreme poverty. And being where we were we felt like we were in the message and that he was giving a commentary as we were on a tour. I have learned much, from the oppression existing that we subconsciously choose to ignore value of a life to the very sweet Elisabeth trying to make it by on about a dollar a day on that beach and hundreds like her. Kerala is beautiful and am proud of the heritage and strength that it provides me with. This is just a rant that I wanted to put down about my experience of Kerala before we departed for our next destination..Bombay. God Bless.

Flickr images

There seem to be issues with the pictures on flickr. they are out of order and not all of them are there. I am on really slow internet right now, and so I can not load the new images up, or organize the ones that are there now. Ihope it is not too confusing that they are out of order. This is happening because of having two cameras i think. We will get this figured out soon.

Tomorrow night we hopefully will be able to load the images from the last 4-5 days.

We hope you are enjoying the stories and the images.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/runlowellrun/

Day 13: Dam fun in Munnar

Aug 11

We woke up at 7:30 and went for breakfast. We have escaped the dreaded ‘Delhi Belly’ but we are getting the ‘Buffet Belly.’ Neither Zab and I have gotten sick yet for all those wondering. We have been spared from the runs so far. We are very thankful for this.

We then went to use the internet. We had not been able to check our emails or post the blogs for awhile. I was very curious to see if there was any news about my sister. Her due date was the 5th and so I have been waiting to anxiously to hear if I am a new uncle or not. Janelle finally had her baby! I did a blog post right after I found out. I am so happy that everything went well. I am sad that I am not there to see her, but thanks to technology, I am able to see pictures.

I posted the two blogs I wrote last night and then we headed off for the day at 9:30. We drove through the beautiful tea gardens down to Mattupetty Dam. We walked along it. It was pretty neat. The plan had been for us to take speed boats around the lake, but we both decided we did not want to spend the money. We have been on boats before, and today it was raining and cold. It was a beautiful area to walk around anyways. It actually reminded us a lot of the foothills in Canada. We drove along the lake until we got to a place called Echo Point. Why is it called this you may or may not have asked. When we went to the bottom of the path along side the lake, we heard people yelling across it, and then an amazingly loud and clear echo could be heard. Zab and I had a lot of fun yelling things at each other. It was fun. Along the lake there were vendors selling things, so I bought some local tea and homemade chocolate. Then we had a fresh cut pineapple. I am never going to get sick of these. I think I have pineapple every day.

We drove down into Munnar and went to a spice shop. Here we were able to buy some local spices. Mmmm, Indian pepper!

We drove back to the Resort and just layed around and relaxed for the afternoon. We went to the restaurant for tea time and ordered some more mint tea and the best Samosa I have ever had.

I then came to the computer to get caught up on the blog. I can’t believe that I am actually caught up on the posts. I hope you are all enjoying hearing about our trip. Sorry that the posts are so long. This is serving as a journal for Zab and I, and I also know that there are a few people who want to hear a detailed version of the trip. For all the rest of you, this is a good time to practice your skim reading techniques.

The computer here is on slow dial-up, and the power keeps cutting out, so we are not able to upload our images onto the flickr site. There are a lot of pictures coming as soon as we can upload them. Sorry to keep you in suspense. There are some great pictures I wish I could share with you all right now.

I am now going to get Zab so we can eat supper and then have a relaxing evening before bed. It will be another long day of driving tomorrow.

Day 12: Elephant Rides and near death experiences

Aug 10

We got up at 6:45 to go see the famous rock that the men here kept telling us about. We were laughing a lot about it, because when we were being taken around the resort yesterday, the man kept telling us about their rock and how we need to go visit “the rock.” So that was the plan. We had one of our servants… I mean one of the staff, lead us on a 10 minute hike to this special attraction. It was a big rock! They told me it was 2 hectares in size. It was all one rock. We walked from one side to the other in about 10 minutes. The view was amazing. The clouds were all under us through the hills.

We walked back and had our own breakfast served to us inside a bamboo hut that was out over a cliff. Zab was scared that he would fall through. He said they do not have building codes here. I loved it. It was raw and beautiful.

We had a crazy ride down the hills in the pouring rain. The jeep did well through the creeks and rocks we had to get across. We stopped at a beautiful waterfall. I almost slipped and fell down it, but the guide grabbed my arm and held me from falling. What a kind man! Haha. It was here that zab lost the cover to his camera lens. We looked for a long time, but we could not find it. This worried zab a lot. We do not want it to get damaged. We will have to go and get one in a city if we can. I got a leech on my leg. I didn’t notice it till we got to the bottom of the hills, so it must have had a good dinner. I flicked it off. It is all good, another experience!

We then went to an Elephant Training Centre. Here they had 3 elephants tied to trees. One of them was just a small 3 year old. It was super cute. It knew some tricks: shake a trunk, salute, and run your head. We then got rides on another elephant. It wasn’t very comfy, and I felt like I was going to fall off. It would not be my favorite mode of transportation, but it was fun and hey, now I can say that I rode an elephant in India. Very cool. Oh, and the third elephant there was 50 years old and had, as we were told, killed 2 people! I am glad we did not ride that one!

We drove 5 hours NE towards Munnar. The trip was only 180km, so you can calculate how slow we were going. The roads were very windy, and it was raining and foggy the whole way. People who get car sick would not have done well on this trip. (Julie Renee would have been so sick! This was one of the few times I was glad that you were not on the trip with me.) We had many close calls. I loved it!
We passed rubber, pineapple, coconut, papaya, banana, and orange trees. At one point we stopped to relieve ourselves, and along the side of the road there was coffee trees, and on the other side there was pepper trees! I love this place. I ate some green pepper from the tree. It was wonderful.

As we drove through the hills of Munnar, we saw fields and fields of Tea plants. The sides of the hills were covered in these plants. As far as the eye could see there were Tea plants. It is really neat to see. It was still raining, foggy, and cold. The temperature was around 10 degrees we think. We did not pack for cooler weather, so we are hoping this doesn’t last too long. I thought India was supposed to be hot! Haha I think we somehow have been transported to Peru.

Benny our driver has been sick with a cold for the last few days. I think it is because of the air conditioning in the car for us. We had another driver come with us to Munnar, and then we dropped him off and he took the bus 6 hours back to his home. Benny was a great driver, and he spoke English. Our new driver does not. This is sad.

We arrived at Sienna Village Resort in the hills above Munnar. At check-in we were given some amazing fresh mint tea. It was some of the best tea I have ever had in my life. And it was hot, on a cold rainy day in Peru, this is just what a guy needs. Our new place reminds me of an Italian villa. It has a really tall ceiling over the sitting room, and there is a half level over looking it with a table and chairs. Underneath this is the bedroom and bathroom. We have a queen sized bed to share. Snuggle up Zab! We have another patio that we think would have a nice view, but all we see is fog and rain.

We had another amazing buffet. I am really going to miss this food. We went to the computer to do some blogs, but the dial-up internet was not working, so I just typed some up, and then went to bed at around 10.

Day 11: Look like adults, act like children.

Aug 09

We woke up at 6:45 and headed to reception where we got into a boat that drove down the canal, out into the lake, and dropped us off on an island. This island is a bird sanctuary, and we had our own guide take us through the island and show us all the birds. He was VERY into birds. He told us all we ever wanted to know about birds. It was very interesting actually. He even did a lot of the bird calls to which the birds would answer. We saw hundreds of birds, dragon flies, and bats! The worlds largest bats live here. They were hanging from the trees, and even flying around.

As we were walking back to the boat, there were vines hanging down from the trees. Zab jokes about me swinging on them, and so I pulled a little on it to pretend, and water from the rain on the leaves fell. It was really neat, so u pulled really hard on it, and a lot of water fell. We thought this was very fun. The boat driver said something to the guide. Later zab told me what he had said. “They look like adults, but they act like children.” Oops. Oh well, we are tourists.

After a great breakfast and a long chat, we checked out and were taken by boat to the parking area. Here we were met by Benny. We drove 4 hours to Konni hills. It was here that we experienced our first rain of the trip. It started to pour down. Because of the rain, Benny didn’t think that we could make it up the hills to our next resort. So we waited in a gas station for someone to pick us up. A man came in a jeep and we headed up the hills. It seemed like a mountain road. It was a small single lane path going along steep cliffs. Everything was green and lush. It was amazing. Zab and I have been saying that this whole area reminds us of Peru. It is raining, and green, and hilly. I have never been to Peru, but from the pictures, this seems close. All along the side of the roads were little villages and insane amounts of rubber trees. There were tapping the rubber trees just like they do for maple trees back home. They collect a white ooze that back in Canada we like to call “rubber.” *smirk*

We got to the very top of the hill without sliding off, and we saw our resort. Contour Hills Jungle Resort. It was crazy. It was a resort on the top of the tallest hill in the area. The place was amazing, and I was in awe to think how they built it. We were told that most everything was carried up piece by piece by hundreds of workers. It was here that we found out that we would be the ONLY guests while we were there. No one else, just Zab and I for the whole resort. It was not a huge place, but still, this was crazy. We found out that it had only been open for 1 and a half years, and they only opened it for the new season the day before. There were a few guests the previous day, and we were the first international travelers for the new season. The staff were a little over zealous however. They watched us where ever we went, and kept telling us that if we needed anything, we could just tell them, or call them. They offered us drinks. We had fresh squeezed passion fruit juice and then some South Indian coffee. We were staying in a small cabin with a full working bathroom, satellite TV, and an amazing view out our patio down the valleys and hills.

Supper was made for just us. It was wonderful. They asked us when we wanted to eat, and what we wanted to eat. They did an amazing job. We sat in their dining hall, which was an open air room on the side of the hill. The night sounds of water and crickets made for an amazing ambiance. It was very romantic. Again, they just watched us as we ate and immediately came when we were finished or had any questions. This was a very surreal experience. I felt extremely important to have them all serve just us so diligently.
We went to bed at 9:30 after reading and watching a bit of television.

IT'S A GIRL!

My sister Janelle just had her baby! WOW. I am an uncle again.
Here is what I know so far:

Katelyn Hay was born at 3:04 am on Thursday, August 10. She was 9 lbs, 6 oz and 21 1/2 inches at birth.

She is strong and healthy and has lots of dark hair.

OHHH, I can't wait to go home and hold her! Congrats Dave and Janelle.

To see pictures and hear from Dave and Janelle, you can check out their webpage at:
http://www.myfamilywebsite.ca/Default.aspx?alias=www.myfamilywebsite.ca/hay

CLICK PHOTOS ON THE TOP LEFT TO SEE KATELYN AND THE PROUD PARENTS.

Day 10: Personal boat cruise and exotic sunsets.

Aug 08

We woke up again at 6:30, packed, and then went for our last breakfast at the Travencore Heritage Resort. Did we say how amazing it was? Wow. We drove 3 hours North to a city called Alleppey. Benny dropped us off for a backwater boat cruise. We thought we would be with other guests, but we were wrong. Zab and I had the whole boat to ourselves, including the cook, the captain, and another man to serve us. It was a house boat that had it’s own kitchen, bedroom with a bathroom, and a dining area. It was the smaller ‘honeymoon’ style lake cruise boat. It was 25 meters in longth. We saw 3 bedroom versions that were 100 meters long.

After traveling for a few hours down the canals and past the rice patties, we stopped for an amazing diner that had been made on board just for us. There were fish that had been freshly caught in that lake. The lake is called Vembanad Lake and it is the largest lake in Kelala (as we were told many times).

After a total of 5 hours on the lake, we arrived at our next destination, Coconut Lagoon Resort. The boat pulled up to the side, we walked off and then were escorted to reception. It was beautiful. There were coconut trees everywhere as well as little canals that went all throughout the resort. It reminded us of Venice. Again, there were maze like walkways to get from place to place and they had fun little bridges over all the water.

Again we were welcomed with fresh coconuts to drink from. These are actually quite good. We had a little 2 level cabin to sleep in. On the main floor was the sitting and eating area, and on top floor were the beds. Out a door in the back was the bathroom. There was an L shaped room over the shower, toilet, and sink, but the rest of it was open to the sky and there were trees and plants growing. In the bathroom. It was very different. The resort is nice, but we were expecting more from a 5 star resort after coming from the last one and it only being a 4 star.

I went swimming in the pool and watched the sun set while Zab took pictures. It was a beautiful evening with one of the nicest sunsets I have ever seen. We watched a traditional dance/drama before supper. The characters are dressed very elaborately and have a lot of make up on. The story is told mostly with their facial and exaggerated body movements. Fur supper we had another buffet. The food was amazing and there was even more selection than the last place. It was good, but Zab and I decided that we needed to stop eating so much. There is so much good food to try, but we have to hold back or we will come home a few sizes bigger.

We went to the computers and tried to work on the blog. The computer was slow and the internet was expensive. We were able to upload more pictures and check our email. We then went to bed at around 11pm.

Day 9: Massage, cotton mill, beach

Aug 07

I woke up 6:30 to work on the blog. It is hard to keep up on the posts when there is not email at places, or we do not have time. I actually lost my USB cord. I think that it is in London still. Without this I am unable to upload my pictures. So I will have to buy another one soon.

We ate a wonderful spicy buffet breakfast and then went to see some cotton industries where they were actually making cloths. It was neat to see them working. After seeing them get made, we went to the store and bout some lungie. These are the traditional clothes worn by the men. They are like a sarong, just a piece of fabric wrapped around the waist and then tucked up to the height of shorts. They are very colorful. I also bought a traditional shirt for the people of Kerala. It is very lights cotton with long sleeves.

We went to a small resort type thingy where they give Ayruvedic massages. These are very popular in India. It seems to be their form of healing. They offered many different variations, but we decided on the 1.5 hour rejuvenating massage. It seemed to be a good deal at only $20 CAD. =) They used a lot of strong smelling oils. First I got an amazing head massage, followed by the face, then I laid on the floor and he gave me a massage with his feet. He worked on the back and then the front, using a lot of oil and a rope hanging from the ceiling for balance. Then I went on a table where he used his hands again to give me a full body massage. It was so amazing. I fell asleep at multiple times.

I had a little bit of an embarrassing moment with my masseuse before the massage. He asked me my name and I told him, then he said something that sounded like a command. It was in the local language and I didn’t understand him so I asked him to repeat it, and after hearing it again I told him I did not understand what he was saying. He kept repeating it. I was confused, he seemed confused and frustrated. And then I realized he was saying his name! oops.

Oh and for those who have vivid imaginations, skip to the next paragraph. Haha I wanted to try to the true experience and so when I was told to take all my clothes off, I did. So I got the true FULL body massage. It was quite lovely. Those of you who are Zab’s friends will be relived to know that he did not go sans clothing. You are safe.

This was an amazing experience and I am glad that I was able to have it. Zab liked it also, it was his first ever massage! Unfortunately his masseuse had calloused feet and so there was a bit of exfoliation action for his foot massage. Poor guy.

After a quick shower to get off some of the oil we had been lathered in, we headed off to Kovalam beach. This is the nicest beach in Kerala we have been told. It was amazing. The waves were huge and there were not many people there. We walked the length of the beach and went body surfing in an area where there were half a dozen boggy boarders. The sand was black in most places. When we were leaving we were over taken by nice ladies trying to see us fruit. I bought some bananas, a mango, and a pineapple.

Zab asked if we could go to the lighthouse we could see from the beach. We went and were able to go to the top. It had an amazing view of the beaches, the surrounding area, and all the fishing boats out on the ocean. We were also able to work off some of the buffet food on the way up and down.

Zab and I dressed in our lungie for supper. It was really fun to dress up like the people of the area. We however did not know how to wear them, so we looked really silly. A nice waiter took me aside and put it on my correctly. I still don’t know what he did, but it felt much better.

I borrowed a USB cord from another guest and uploaded pictures for the blog. By the time I was done, after waiting for another guest to finish with the computer, it was about 1am. The garden path down to the elevator is like a maze in the daylight, and I thought I could find my way back by myself with my trusty flashlight, but I wondered around for 15 minutes before I went back to the lobby and asked to be directed down. A very nice man on night shift walked me down. Then I went to sleep, finally.

Day 8: Fresh Princes of Kerela.

(zab's rant)
Well today was our last day in delhi and we have surrvived without getting the infamous "delhi Belly". We got up this morning had breakfast and headed over to the airport. We are taking a flight over to Trivandrum..the southern most city in India. This Peninsula city is very tropical and sets itself apart from the rest of India. The people here friendly and the weather is AMAZING. We met our driver at the airport and Lucky for us yet again I spoke in broken Malayalam. He drove us through windey village streets and past many little shops into our hotel. The route we took would make us not expect what we came to. This was THE MOST AMAZING resort on the beach. It was made with very traditional Kerela style. We were greated with 2 coconuts to drink and then a tour of this exqusite place. The hotel is on top a cliff that overlooks the sea..BUT..as he was showing us there was an elevator that brings us from the top to the bottom of the cliff where our room is. We over look the pool and the beach. The beach had huge 7 ft waves and was really really nice in the golden sunset that endured its reflection in the water. During our camera happy moments on the beach we ran into Donna at first sight a silluette of a foreigner but then a Canadian and a friend...whom we later dined with. And as with our plan our buffet meals included a full course Kerela styled meal and was SUPER. Lowell and I both enjoyed it. We were eger to get back to our rooms after super "I feel like a movie star...like Will Smith " ...Lowell said with reaction to the quality of our room and Service. Our Driver, we found out, sleeps in the car while we are in this hotel..."been doing it for 8 years" he says. Oh well. What an AMAZING time in my home State.....

(lowell's rant)
This aint no Hawaii! Wow. Anyone wanting an amazing holiday for a very cheap price, come to Kerela! I however am not allowed to tell you the location of this hotel! If I ever come back I do not want the rest of the world knowing about it! My only problem with it right now however, is that the waves are too big and I can't go swimming in the ocean. We have been too busy anyways. Oh ya, this is the off season, so we have almost the whole place to ourselves. The hotel staff are really friendly and kind. I have never stayed in a place this nice. Thank you to zab, his mother and father, and their friends for making this all possible. Every part of this trip has been amazing so far, and I have so much more to see. I look farward to experiencing ALL that India is and has to offer.

Time to go to sleep in paradise!

Day 7: Romance and Crazy Monkey Men

(lowell's rant)

We woke up at 5:40am refreshed from our longest sleep yet. We quickly went up to level 5 and gorged ourselves with a spicy deep fried breakfast. We met Thapas at 6:30am and drove out of New Delhi towards Agra. We were driving on a main highway. It was a 4 lane divided highway. I will not try and express to you how crazy it was! At one check stop we had to go through, there was a man dressed in all white and holding a cane. There was a monkey tied to this cane. I thought this was a neat sight, so I took a picture. Oops. He walked up to the window. We locked our doors. Thapas was not in the car at this time. This man then started to knock on the window. He wanted in? Nope, he actually wanted money for the photo I just took of him. I pretended that I deleted it and told him to leave. He didn’t. We ignored him. He finally went away and I still have the picture. You can see it on the flickr site. I hope to put it on here if we have some time.

For a rest stop we went to a resort and had some spiced Chai tea. It was lovely. The tea cost 60 Rupees. The man gave me change back when I gave him a 500. As I was thinking how much to leave as a tip, Zab told me, “give him 100.” So I did. I thought it was a little much, but zab knew what he was talking about I thought. Well, when we talked about that later, zab said he meant, give him 100 in total. 40 R tip. That makes more sense. Lucky waiter! =)

We went to the washroom and a man followed us around. Turned on the taps for us, and then handed us paper towels. We tipped him also. Tricky fellows!

We then arrived in Agra at the parking area for the Taj Mahal. We caught a little bus to the gates. Here we had to pay. Zab went in as an Indian for 20R and I had to pay 750R as a foreigner. As zab tried to get through security though, they stopped him and told him that he was not Indian! They said he did not look Indian and they wanted to see proof. Zab argued with them in Hindi for awhile, but finally went back and paid the rest! Haha It was a fun time.

We then walked through the first gate, then through an archway and saw one of the 7 wonders of the world. The Taj Mahal. I will spare you with the story of this remarkable building because you already know it. And if you do not,. Google it. I will just say that it is romantic. Well, as much as spending all your life savings and children’s inheritance on a massive monument to your dead wife can be. I really killed the romance didn’t I? sorry. It is a nice white building though! It is something that needs to be seen in real life to get the full effect. They made us wear little white shoe covers out of respect and so they don’t have to remove the black smudges from the foreigner’s shoes. =)

Next on the itinerary was the Agra Fort. This was a huge fort like structure that used to be the capital of India! It was a very cool place. And it has a great view of the Taj Mahal. Which is good because it is where the man who built it was imprisoned by his son because he was going to make another Taj Mahal across the river for himself when he died. It was going to be black. His son didn’t like this. He wanted the money. (or he didn’t like black) So he had his dad imprisoned and the building was never finished.

As we were leaving Agra, we saw many children in the streets. Once small girl with big eyes and no shirt came to the car asking for food. We gave her our last banana. She was very happy. It mad us sad. Not that she was happy, but that she was on the street begging for food. There is so much poverty and pain.

We drove into Delhi and went straight to the home of Nalini Aunty and Babu Uncle. Good friends of Zab and his family. They fed us supper. It was amazing. It was Kerala food. We talked a long time with them. A lot about missions and family. She was trying to recruit me for the India IVCF. I can’t seem to get away from it! Her brother will be speaking at Urbana this year. (ICVF’s mission conference) They took us to the ‘nice’ shopping area of Delhi. Most of the major European and North American companies make clothing in India, so they sell it here also. It was the end of summer clearance sale. So there were sales of up to 80% off Indian prices for high quality items. It is too bad we got there right as they were all closing. It saved us money though. I know many of you would have loved this street! Especially Julie Renee! =)

We went home at 10:00 and were sleeping by 11:30.

(pictures on flickr site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/runlowellrun/ )

Day 6: Its all true, (and then some!)

(lowell's rant)

WOW. So today our adventure began for real. And I must say that everything I had been told about the food, the people, the driving, the smells, and the whole experience was true. Everything takes on a whole new dimension however when you experience it yourself. The driving I knew would be crazy because others had told me it would be, and I had seen pictures and movies. This however was my life and it was me in the car in the crazy streets. It was my life on the line and so it seemed word. I seem to have jumped ahead of myself. rewind.

After a long day of flying, we landed in Delhi at 5:00am local time. We were tired and slightly out of it, as per usual it seems, as we went through customs and bag collection. We walked out into the main arrivals area and we were greeted by a kind man who was holding a sign that read "Mr. Lowell Taylor and Zabu Kurian." (That was us) He was a small man from Nepal. His name was Thapas and he was dressed in all white. Thapas had been waiting for us for over an hour by the time we finally waddled out. He did not speak English so he was unable to laugh at all my funny jokes. hmmm, come to think of it, maybe he could understand it and they were just not funny.... Oh no, Couldn't be the case. *smirk* either way, Zab and Thapas spoke in Hindi and I sat in the car and watched beautiful India go past before my tired eyes.

We drove about 30 min from the airport before turning down a very shady looking road. We then turned off this little shady road onto an even more shady alley way. Then we stopped. This was to be our home for 2 days. We were worried. When we walked into the hotel however, it was nice. It was a 3 star hotel. Indian ratings. =) Not that you care, but the name of this fine establishment was "Clarks International." We were too early to check in so we went for breakfast on the 5th floor. (not so important either. Feel free to skim. I have a tendency to over factualize {not a word} my posts I think.) We looked down from the patio and saw people sleeping on all the roofs and along the alley way and roads. We were not feeling very secure about our location.

Breakfast was a buffet consisting of mostly deep fried spicy food! it was good. Defiantly not my regular mini wheats and all bran! There were two German girls eating also. We found out that they were on their way to an orphanage to volunteer their time and get hours towards their social work degrees. They did not have a ticket and were just hoping to get one for a good price by showing up at the airport! We hope it all worked out for them. After breakfast we checked into our room. It was good. It had 2 single beds, a tv, a bathroom, and a fridge. Oh, ya, No squaty potty! bo ya! I am lucking out on this trip. There have only been a few.

Zab and I decided to go get a SIM card for his cell phone so we could make calls. We got dressed in our shorts, put our back packs on and walked into the street. Bad news. We were instantly surrounded by beggars, vendors, and auto rickshaw drivers. Oh ya, there were cute little boys there also trying to get our money. Our best efforts to keep them away were working-ish, but there were getting to be more and more. So after we bought two big jugs of mineral water, we retreated back into the hotel to wait for Thapas! He came and drove us away! What a man! From then on we wore pants and no backpacks. We were trying to fit in. This did not work too great. Oh well. It was a good thought.

He brought us to a cell phone place and helped zab get it all figure out. We have a working cell phone with us at all times. Yeah! This adds to the feelings of security, even though we are with a driver or at the hotel most of the time where we have access to phones.

Thapas drove a small white car (brand name: Indigo) with air conditioning! This little detail matters in India! It is so nice. We would get out of the car and feel the heat engulf us. The temperature is good. Low to Mid 30's with high humidity.

We then drove through the crazy, wild, entertaining streets to: India Gate, the Parliament Buildings, Raj Ghat, and Rhastrapati Bhavan. They were cool buildings. Old and um... Indian.

We then went to Kashmere Cottage Industries. It was a beautiful shop with Kashmere and Pashmena shawls, rugs, jewelry and so much more. Will Smith and his wife had been there 5 months before. We saw pictures. The things there were beautiful and expensive.

We then were dropped off at a nice little India restaurant where we ordered some food. go figure. It was wonderful. We had Kebab, Nan, Rita, and Chai tea. It was fantastic! I love Indian food. Let’s hope it loves me!

We went to an underground bizarre. Here we practiced bartering. We were not good at the beginning, but it got much better near the end. We bought a few cheap shirts and I got a pair of ‘authentic’ fake camel sandals. =)

We had a good time there. We got a lot of attention as we walked through. I was amazed at what all the sold there. Everything! Even ipods! We tried bartering for one, but he was hard and didn’t sell me an iPod for $10. Oh well.

We then went back to the hotel at around 5. We were tired so we decided to have a nap.
We got up from our nap at 9:30, and then went to bed again at 9:45. We were very tired. We slept until 5:40. Near 12 hours of sleep!

(sorry, no time to post images here. We have updated pictures on the flickr acount through. Please use the link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/runlowellrun/)