Allie and I are back in Delhi following a much-needed week of vacation exploring the backwaters and chilling on the coast of Kerala. For both of us, it was the farthest south we'd ever traveled in India. You really can't go much farther. After months enduring the heat, pollution, traffic, and crowds up north, the natural beauty and perfect weather of Kerala in late September calmed our nervous systems and rejuvenated us for the home stretch. Multiple ayurvedic massages didn't hurt either... For three years running, we've made a habit of traveling the weekend after Allie's birthday. I dare say this was the most memorable birthday trip yet.
Sunrise on the backwaters. We woke up at 5:15 am for a three-hour kayak journey and stopped off at the fish auction for milk coffee and banana fry, a Kerala specialty.
Vijeesh, our host on Munroe Island. He navigated this large wooden canoe, containing six passengers, through some of the narrowest canals I've ever seen with nothing more than a long bamboo pole and an intimate knowledge of the landscape. Vijeesh is my age and has been leading trips on the backwaters for over twenty years.
A lesson in punting. Harder than it looks.
Allie after the first of two massages in Varkala.
The second was better, but she seems to be doing ok here.
Sunset chai
Yours truly on Varkala Beach
And just like that, the end of this India chapter is clearly within view. Allie flies the night of October 23rd and I'll follow one week later. Projects of this nature rarely reach a tidy conclusion. Research is ongoing--it doesn't end when the clock runs out. Relationships endure well beyond the date of physical departure. The quest continues, regardless of where I unpack my drums. But the period of my Fulbright grant is finite, and it is drawing to a close. We are in the midst of preparing a thirty-minute drum and dance program for Delhi Fulbrighters to be held the evening of October 21. Our remaining lessons and daily practice will be geared towards that performance, which provides a punctuation mark amidst an otherwise arbitrary ending. I think it's safe to say we're both starting to feel the wear and tear of all this time away from home. Although much uncertainty looms, we're excited to spend time with our loved ones stateside before long. The blogging will likely thin out even more this month with all the running around to lessons, shows, and archives; the final this and the final that; and the inevitable procession of goodbyes to friends and teachers. I'll check in when I can, and we'll be sure to share clips of our performance when we have them.
See you on the other side.
