Around the world in 89 days.

We left Chicago on February 15th and literally went around the globe to get back!  Pretty cool.

Just what does it feel like to be home?  SO GOOD. So fresh and so clean, clean.  Jefferson's parents picked us up from the airport and took us straight to Chipoodles - they know us so well. It tasted just how I remembered and dreamed it would. NOM NOM NOM.

Jefferson is back in the kitchen and has already made me a vat of beans and I found and reactivated my flip phone - so we are ready to start our first week back at work on Monday. 

The trip was fantastic - and although it may be a while before I feel safe NOT carrying toilet paper in my pocket, it is very nice to be home.  Until next time, I shall leave you with a compilation of Jefferson's greatest poses throughout the trip...

London calling!

 

Collection of ship figureheads - and Jefferson (Cutty Sark Museum).

After heading down a very windy road from the hill station in India, we spent a final day/night in Delhi preparing to escape the heat of India for good - and then off we went to London!

We stayed in Ruth and Sarah Wild's swanky new flat in Greenwich and had our very own room and bathroom.  'Twas the cleanest bathroom I have seen in a long while and I loved it.  We're in talks about visitation rights now.  

Greenwich is ADORABLE and has cool things to do and see like the Cutty Sark (cargo ship that used to carry tea and such) - and, of course, Greenwich is famous for being the home of the Prime Meridian - the center of all timezones (Greenwich Meantime - GMT).  We got to have some beers at a micro brewery of the same name - and the London Lager was my favorite.

We also had Mexican food and cheese and bar food and fish and chips and we may have gained back all of the weight we lost after three months in Southeast Asia - but cheese is WORTH IT.  Although they have Chipoodles in London, we passed on trekking downtown to have it - I can wait three more days, right?  Right??

The largest ship in a bottle in ze world - AH!

That cow is watching you.

The Cutty Sark!

Video Time - AH!

Two nogs in one day - I KNOW.  Hold your applause.  Until the end, then go nuts.  Videos for youuuuuuuuuuu: 

1. Elephant feet - for some reason I find them ADORABLE when they walk and squish - and at the end is my involuntary (but this time voluntary) noise that I make when I find something super cute. -- Cambodia

 

2. Fish Foot Bath! Sooooo gross (and tickly) - just listen to my terrified giggles. -- Cambodia

3. Beautiful Halong Bay -- Vietnam

4. Snorkeling - the little fish were so cute - some other fish were scarier (but only because I am a pansy). -- Maldives

5. First hunt!  A tired Karen hunts mosquitoes with her brand new Racket of Justice - at breakfast - possibly still asleep. -- Thailand

6. Typical traffic jam - this is every street in every town we've been to.  Well, this one is in Vietnam, but you know what I mean.

Jaipur and Delhi and Kasauli, oh my!

Jefferson and the funky hotel art.

We nogged (non-blogged) about the hot hot hot bus ride, but let's go back in time a bit and talk about our visits to both Jaipur and Delhi.

The Pink (orange) city.

First, Jaipur - they call it the pink city, I call it more of an orange-y colored city. It is also hot as all get out, but it's a dry heat and having just come from
the equally hot but also humid South, this was a ridiculously nice change.  We also got to stay in a really cute and funky hotel with tons of art and sculptures everywhere you look - and we shopped a whole bunch (sad for Jefferson).  Our bargaining technique (to say half what you are willing to pay, then work your way up to what you are willing to pay, then walk away slowly until they agree) is working out well.  Stick to your guns, people, it works! And by "we" I of course mean Jefferson bargaining - for I am a pansy and stay out of it after pointing to what I want.  There are cows everywhere and I have crossed many a road to stay well away from their swishing tails - you never know what's on those tails.

They let you just park your cows anywhere.

Then we went on that fantastically gross bus ride (where I was accidentally spit on by it going out one window and back into mine - woo!) to Delhi - where we stayed with family friends that Jefferson has known for over 20 years.  Love them - they are so nice and great and said we looked pathetically exhausted and need to stop travelling and relax. Ha. This is mostly because I got attacked by a sinus cold and bad allergies and Jefferson got Dehli-belly - so we were both not doing so great while there.  Still, we mustered up some strength and went out shopping again (yus!) and saw a really amazing tomb (the precursor to the Taj Mahal - and just as amazing in my opinion).  I have also become quite the wanna-be-ornathologist and am really amazed at all the different types of birds here (even the jerk that pooped on me in Mumbai).

Humayun's Tomb!

After just a few days visiting them, we packed it up and were sent off to our first hill station in Kasauli (ka-soul-eeee).  It's soooo pleasant here - the temperatures are cool and we're doing a whole lot of nothing (which we should have done more of during this long stay but oh well!).  Here are a ton of pics from these last few towns.  We have just a few days left before our flight to London and then home - so we'll see you soon, clean-running-water.  How I've missed you. 

Huge birds everywhere!

AH! A TOMB!

But it's a dry heat...

108 degrees fahrenheit outside; six hour non-ac bus ride from Jaipur to Delhi. It's hot. Convection oven hot - the breeze doesn't cool you, it only bakes you faster.

We're half way there. They said there would be bathroom breaks every 90 minutes, but Jefferson asked 90 minutes in at a stop and the driver just motioned "wait". Another 90 minutes later he asked at another stop (a traffic jam really), and they said "ten minutes. Hotel. Hotel." Two minutes later the bus hadn't moved so they beckoned him forward and directed him to the side of the road.

Fortunately, I didn't have to go that badly. Just another benefit of the dry heat...

We has opulence.

Tea at the Taj Palace Hotel!

What was going to be our last day in Mumbai turned into our penultimate day as well as quite swanky.  First, we woke up early (ugh), then met up with one of my brother's friends from Notre Dame!  He and his family live here and took us to lunch at the Cricket Club of India down-town. This is one of those places with rules like no slip on shoes and men cannot wear shorts - so Jefferson zipped on the bottom half of his pants and we were good to go! It was neat to see folks playing cricket just outside the restaurant and the food was delicious - but Dhiraj and his wife were shocked to see how little we ate.  Per them, Americans that visit usually eat a ton of food - and to be honest, Jefferson and I are usually pretty healthy eaters - but the heat and the 2.5 months travelling has shrunk our tummy's a bit.

The best part was when they took us to that same cafe we had trouble finding the other day - Theobroma. Here, Dhiraj, master-of-desserts, advised me to not just try the regular brownie again, but instead to order the "chocolate overload" brownie. This man is not to be argued with - that was most definitely the right decision.  Suparna (Dhiraj's wife), then took me shopping - so they are definitely my favorite couple in all of India right now. They had dinner plans so we parted ways, but not before they pointed us to "the best Mexican food in Mumbai".  So, of course, that's where we had dinner.

What to do to kill time before said dinner? How's about tea/coffee at the fancy Taj Palace Hotel in Mumbai?  Last time we were in India (2008), we were at the Taj Mahal (the real thing - different city) when this lovely hotel was bombed during a terrorist attack. Since then they have renovated, upped security and reopened and it's a very posh hotel to sip tea at.  I approve of their ambiance, but most especially I approve and appreciate their bathrooms - so clean and nice. 

It's time to say goodbye to John the cockroach (who I sometimes call Bob) and his twin Andy at our hotel and be off!  Next we are headed to the hot, hot town of Jaipur for a few days, then on to Delhi a bit early to say hi to some of Jefferson's family friends.  We will be home and at work exactly three weeks from today - AH!  Toodaloo!

A different kind of cheese "burger".

Pasta face!

I was pooped on today.

Do you know how much shampoo I just used? I may never feel clean again and I would like the opportunity to return the favor to whatever bird used the top of my head as a bullseye. Alas, I didn't keep a sample to track him down with a DNA test so revenge will not be mine. Grrrrr. Anywho, it will be a while before I am comfortable walking under trees again.

Besides that, Mumbai has been interesting. We got to jump off a moving train because people didn't get out of our way at our stop - FUN!  We spent over an hour walking around in search of a specific cafe and asked a bunch of folks if they knew it but no luck, so we went and got beers at an Irish pub with strong air conditioning. Close enough.

Jefferson hanging out the moving train like a local!

We did stumble across a Starbucks so Jefferson is getting a coffee fix finally and I am having a chai - nom! (masala chai is everywhere but chai lattes are rare indeed). Then a few hours later we found that darn cafe finally and for the second time in Mumbai I have had a ridiculously delicious chocolate brownie. Seriously good.  Heated up brownies too - double nom! I will be getting another tomorrow. Gotta have goals.

Rainbow cake that looks AMAZING.

 

A Call to Arms!

Caution! Men with purses!

We are just over two months into our trip and that means it's just over two months since I had me some Chipoodles. I implore you - go forth to your nearest Chipoodles location and take a picture of yourself enjoying it's glorious fare, then send me said picture (via email or google voice number).  NOM NOM NOM.

Ok, so back to the regular scheduled update: We're still in India (land of constant upper lip sweat) and have been to the touristy beach towns of Varkala (we liked it so much we stayed for six days) and Kovalam.  Jefferson was in Kovalam 20 years ago and was interested to see how much it has changed - and boy has it.  Things like side-walks are now to be had - very interesting and very touristy - but no where near as nice and quaint as Varkala was - so just two nights here will suffice.  The locals are nice but a bit pushy about selling their wares - except the nice man offering me hashish, marijuana or opium - he couldn't have been more pleasant even though he got my same "Oh no thank you!" response.

Pretty Varkala!

In Varkala we saw two doppelgänger - I swear it!  First, was at our favorite happy hour bar (where they play the same set of good music every night) - and the Indian man working there was a dead ringer for Keenan Ivory Wayans (I think the oldest of the Wayans brothers).  You may remember him from the film, "Low Down Dirty Shame".  Or you  may not.  Anyway - they were twinsies for sure.  Next up was Thor's nearly-as-attractive doppelgänger - who sat next to us two days in a row at our usual café.  I tried to take a sly picture of him behind Jefferson (see below) but it didn't come out that great. 

Thor's doppelgänger! (behind Jefferson)

Our last night it rained like crazy and the power went out (as it did quite often) over dinner - which was really fun since there were candles and we were under cover.  My only true complaint so far is that we're getting a bit too much sun.  I normally have a complexion a goth would kill for, but we can't help but get some sun in this hot, hot heat.  it's like a farmers tan but not tan, exactly. Super attractive.  Hopefully I'll get back to my powdery pale self once we're home.

Next we are off to Mumbai (formerly Bombay - where Slumdog Millionaire took place).  We shall report back soon!

How to use a bathroom in India. Very helpful.

Those French know how to breakfast.

The Backwaters

Welcome to the Backwaters!

So...the Backwaters of Kerala may be a bit too "roughing it" for me. I'm not Troop Beverly Hills, but I'm no Girl Scout any more (unless they are like the Marines and you're in it for life). We are on a house boat for the night and by day we made our slow way through scenic waters with a great breeze and a nice lunch (more Indian food I didn't hate!). But then dusk started in and with it came snakes and lizards and spiders and power outages and a plethora of freaking mosquitos. All within ten feet our less of me and I do not like nature touching me. But I did get to "shower" out of a bucket! Plus dinner was good! That snake didn't seem interested in coming aboard! That dog that Jefferson said might have rabies didn't bite us! Things are great!

Yummy lunch!

A boat just like our boat!

Oh no, is that dusk?

Jefferson wasn't too thrilled with the experience either, so we have moved on to the beach town of Varkala. Think cliffs and beach more than white sands. We like it lots and will probably stay for a few days drinking tea and coffee at each cliffside restaurant we find. 

Mosquito bite count: (including the two on my face since I slept with the rest of me covered) 12.

Of all seven countries so far, this is the worst Mexican food yet!

Morning tea in a cliff-side café (can you see the ocean?).

A better view of the cliffs and beach.

Oh India...

Chinese pose in front of Chinese fish nets.

We are in the southern state of Kerela, India for the next few weeks going where the wind may take us. What can I say about India? For starters, Jefferson was right about two things. One, it is an assault on all of your senses. Two, he did not think I understood what Kerela would be like when I kept saying it would be beautiful and tropical. It definitely has the exact same good and bad as the other parts of India I have seen (i.e. Beautiful colors, great smells, horrible smells, poverty, etc.). But sometimes I don't want to breathe in through my nose but I am also afraid to keep my mouth open. It IS tropical and I have high hopes for more beauty as we travel more through Kerela (we have only been in Kochi so far).

I am super happy to say I have liked some of the food! Two whole dishes so far. And I don't just think its because I was starving. Masala Dosa and Chana Bathura (even though this one has chick peas).

Cool graffiti in Fort Kochi.

Now, the last time we were here, we were both asked to be in lots of pictures and were stared at a ton.  I'm getting my fair share of that here in the south but nowhere NEAR as much as Jefferson. This guy is like a celebrity! One pair of dudes even pulled over to ask if he would be in their advertisement. He politely declined, so I guess there goes his modeling career. 

Yesterday we took a ferry over to Fort Kochi island (land of many goats) and somehow walked by the fort twice but never actually saw it. We may be the best tourists ever. We did, however, catch a Kathakali show - which is translated story-play - and is expressive dancing and acting using facial expressions but no words. I really enjoyed it and it was cool to see them apply the elaborate makeup before the show began.

Goats enforcing "Post no bills" rule.

Kathakali make-up application!

We are off to our next destination today to continue sweating from every last pore on our bodies,  practice eating one handed, head waggling and counting staches. The mustache is alive and well in India. Woo!

AFT.

Just...wow.

This place is everything that Pinterest led me to believe it would be.  Staying at a classy resort sure does help too - and the water and the sky are just beautiful here.  We got the all inclusive package and I did my best the last few days to eat and drink everything in site.  Everything.  Here are some highlights and then a ton of pictures of how awesome this place is:

• Our first night was our anniversary and it was Mexican food night at the buffet!  How perfect for us!
• There are cute surprises all over the island like hidden drinks and snacks and things - some pics of those are below.
• Our turn-down service did lots of cute towel formations on our bed each night - including a nice happy anniversary.  Everyone here is paid to be super nice and they are doing a great job of it.
• We got to watch sharks being fed (little black tip reef ones) and I got a good video of it - so we'll post that whenever we finally post all our videos.
• THEY HAVE A PHOTO BOOTH. YUS.
• Day: https://www.flickr.com/photos/83273966@N05/13754756313/
• 'N Night: https://www.flickr.com/photos/83273966@N05/13760639953/
• I got to have high tea - including a tiered tray of little sandwiches and snacks - I love that.
• Our sea plane to and from the resort was piloted by a dude not wearing shoes - hilarious.
• The water is so pretty that even I wanted to swim in it!  We snorkeled one day and once I got over my fear of fish touching me, I really enjoyed it.
• Crabs are disgusting  and terrifying, in my opinion (Jefferson thinks they are cute). The way they walk makes me shudder.
• There is a phenomenon where Chinese couples wear matching outfits and we have seen that in abundance here - and I'm convinced we need to get a matching outfit now.
• Infinity pools are really cool.
• Just everything!  Our overwater bungalow was everything I hoped it would be - I just loved it!

Sea plane ride!

View of coral reefs from sea plane.

Day one - carlsberg label champagne on our porch.

Sea plane to and from resort.

Our first night sunset on ze beach!

View from our bungalow (facing in towards the island).

Karen at high tea.

Yes I am.

We just worked out - can't you tell?

Man...grove.

The view from our overwater bungalow porch. LOVES.

Liberachi on the beach at dinner.

All four of them.

Official footwear of Trans Maldivian Airlines.

Jefferson on a rope swing!