..and we're back!

After two weeks exploring Thailand, Kat and I returned to India last week.  Mumbai airport welcomed us "home" with a whiff of fresh dirty air as soon as we got off the plane.  Or were we even off the plane yet?  Anyhow, nothing has changed - everything is same same.  You might have gotten used to my interesting blogs, but sorry to break the news to you, we don't have another trip planned (yet) so you are stuck reading about Kochi again.  There will some exciting things happening in the next few days (and month).  What you may ask??  Birthdays!  And there's always room to celebrate the fact that we've been here (almost - okay, I'm rounding way up) 3 months already. ...Only 3, 4, 5 or 6 months to go!  When will it end?  Nobody knows!

His Birthday cards and presents - cheesecake, Jim Beam and 7Up.  

 

Last Thursday, the 28th, was Jason's Birthday so we celebrated by going to dinner in the Bubble Cafe located a few floors below us in the hotel.  I had planned to go somewhere else for dinner since we eat at the hotel most of the time, but the hotel staff was so excited to help celebrate that I couldn't let them down.  They insisted on baking a cake for him at dinner and I told them we'd be down by 715pm or so.  In typical Indian fashion, we don't show up until closer to 8pm.  They had a dozen yellow roses and a chocolate cake for him - and to top it off.....  the band sung "Happy Birthday Mr. Peckenpaugh"!  Even the cake said Mr. Peckenpaugh, haha.  The cake was actually delicious and the cheesecake (pictured above from a random bakery) wasn't so great.  We both took a bite and threw it out.

So many of the staff came up to wish him a happy birthday you would have thought he was famous.  One of the managers (we've met a lot) even wished him a happy birthday and gave him his business card....for the third time.  No joke. 

I  knew I bought that vase in Thailand for some reason...

Since Jason wanted his birthday celebration to last all weekend, we took a trip to the beach for the day.  Cherai Beach is about an hour away and listed on many sites of a "must see" while in Kerala.  Quoting the website "Kerala is God's own country - Welcome to his permanent address".  Click here for info on it - the picture at the top has to be fake....well part of it.  You can tell by the beach chair, but who am I to judge?  It's about what we expected for India.  Dirty water with some trash in it and lots of Indians standing along side the shore afraid to get in, I suppose.  I don't think many (if any) know how to swim.  Some of the guys stripped down to their boxer briefs and got in while the ladies would walk in the water pretty far out in just their saris.  It's no Thailand beach, but I guess it'll have to do for now.  

That picture doesn't do it justice as it got much more crowded later in the day and I didn't take any pictures then.  I got irritated when someone was trying to take a picture of me, so it was only fair that I don't take any either.  Although it was entertaining people watching.  Jason even made a nice little chair for himself:

And in case anyone would need lifeguard assistance:

And I think that about wraps up the last week or so of my life.  Nothing has changed except that we did go see Avatar in 3D last night.  We were impressed because it was in English and 3D.......and the best part yet.... it was only $3/person.