happy birthday birthday boy

Thanks to being disconnected and unattached we managed to have jon a surprise birthday and were only alerted to the fact it was his birthday after he received a very enthusiastic "happy new year" from the hotel owner as we departed for our 7 hour kerala backwater cruise it was only after spending the next two hours perplexed and bemused by his parting words that we  thought to ask the date and found out then....
we then celebrating by enjoying a 7 hour cruise hand powered , very slow though relaxing and felt like very rich tourists as the wind came up and they were struggling to push along the 2o something ft barge with two bamboo poles and had to bring out another man to help gets us into calmer waters.

we then ended up going out to dinner with the people on the tours... could you believe we are old fogies now but had a enjoyable night jonsie even got to have a few beers... it was however our most expensive meal here yet costing 1100 rupees jon said lucky it was his birthday...... but we have now made some nice friends and will be able to travell to ireland, france, mexico and collumbia and have places and locals to show us around also... we are apparently expecting some more tourist buddies when we get home!!! not that we have a house to share.

we got a motorbike yesterday and went for a drive packed onto a car/truck/motorbike/tuktuk ferry for 5 ruppees and went to the other side and found an awesome beach to go swimming at toally desserted cause were still at the end of the monsoon season and no tourist... it was however very nice to go for a swim and shallow and warm so the boys loved it too.

weve watched the chinese fishing nets in action and ate fresh fish and prawns which we chose and then they cook for us..

now we are feeling better we are enjoying ourselves again and are now off today to head further south to either varkala or ??????? looking forward to heading north which i always thought i would enjoy as stories sound amazing especially siikh? and eastwards which id say we'll do after nepal....


will post photos when we can a lot of the internet places say no downloading photos or otherwise it is riddiculously slow and times out but will do a mass upload soon..


love you all and having a ball...now




 WE ARE FINE WE ARE SAFE WE ARE LOVING IT.

LOVE THE BOYS AND BANKSIA

onwards and upwards

we then took a train to bengalore(didn't stay as trying to avoid cities) and then onto mysore where we got sick again this time king i think a residual from hampi though it was just temperature and lethargy with king...

saw the museum and art gallery, the mysore palace which was awesome and then got sick as above and king and i spent the rest of our time in the hotel with jon and xav coming and going with supplies and recouperated.

at this point i just wanted to come home was sick and just wanted my mum to look after me...and the boys... but nevermind we mad eit through and area ll better now and loving it again.

we then caught a bus to calicut and a train to cochi...we hired a tuk tuk today hwho showed us all thr touristy attractions for 100 ruppees approx 3 $ so now we'll just relax and hang out here for a few days.. we're nearly down the very south so once we hit the bottom we'll start heading up along the east coast.

we're going on a cruise on the boats tomorrow on the kerrala backwaters.... and staying at a really nice place the best we've had in india with our first hot shower since being here...hooray...

today is Krishna's birthday and apparently this was one of his birthplaces... im not sure how many times he was born? but we were here for the celbrations saw all the kids dressed up and the procession as we were follwing we soon became part of the parade and people gave us peacock feathers and celbratory crowns for the kids as we made our way along.

we are here we are fine and we are safe AND ... we are no longer sick and loving it.


LOVE THE BOYS AND BANKSIA

HELLO, KING OF HAMPI

WELL....WE LOVED HAMPI IT WAS A TIME OF MANY UPS AND DOWNS THOUGH!!

we ended up staying there for 7 nights/ 8 days travelling around on motorbike everywhere.
it was a mystical place and highly recommend it to anyone... we were however very templed-out in the end as wherever you go ,every corner you turn there is another temple.

however the irrigation centuries old and still used on crops today were awesome we took every off road turn we could and took in all the sights and sounds... stunning.

jonsie upgraded to a faster bigger model of engine but alas his driving skills could not keep up with his enlarged head as we soon found ourselves stalling often, revving out and lurching in all directions... jon has since come to the conlcusion the smaller scooters with automatic gears are much "better suited in the local terrain" ( not mentioning his driving skills...)


we fed cows and elephants LAKSHMI the local temple elephant got blessed a few times ie hit on the head by her for money, sat with her in the water while her carers washed her.....although we tried not encouraging the monkeys xavie had one sit on his lap... the animal wisperer......one snuck into our room and stole our fruit, accidently came across the waterfalls and took in the view as the sun went down.... enjoyed independace day with the locals and cooled down in the river with the local washer women ( much to everyone's amusement)

made plenty of friends after staying so long king was known by the locals as the "king of hampi" xavie sat with the local shopkeeper and played shop, we met Ganesh a local boy 13 years old and hung out with him whenevr he finished school.

it's great being in india people seem to enjoy the more simpler things i found jon around dusk late evening with not much light sitting one day very close to ganesh and his cricket match between him and his friend in a very narrow street sitting in what appeared to be his line of bat when i was about to get angry at jon telling him i dont think it's the best place to sit jon quickly stoppped me and told to to sit down and that he didnt think it would be a problem as i sat next to him with king and xav in the game i watched with fear and thought to myself how irrisponsible it was to sit so close as i watched thought and thought some of the balls should be hitting us for sure i realised there was infact no ball and that these two teenage boys and xav were having an imaginary game of cricket with shouts of joy calling the scores and victory dances all inclusive... i thought how awesome that was and how you wouldn't catch teenage boys at home doing that or they'd be dacked.

 having relaxed as we passed the dreaded 2 week goal for "if you dont get sick then ....you won't"  then things took a turn for the worse....


xavo got sick from something not sure what as everyone else didnt get it.... vomiting diarrhoea temp of 39...unbelievable.... what a scare... he also started hallucinating after only having gotten symptoms a few hours prior....arghhh what a hellish night....i nursed him through the night and the next day while i stayed with xav jon with king went into the doctors and returned with something the doctor recommended... they were antibiotics and xavie was looking good by the late evening and much improved the next day....


having passed that hurdle....jon then got sick and king then me ( though nowhere near as bad as xavo.....going on almost a week everyones well except me i now after feling vommity....though not vomiting have a cold...which now king has....and im sure next jon and xav...... but nevermind at least now we are all eating and feeling better.


that's india though...highs and lows.... so thankyou Hampi... we will take away memory of Lakshmi, monkeys, temples, cooling rivers, soaring temperatures, poo stained sleeping bags and viral infections.......ha

it was awesome though.... and would recommend it to anyone..

we are now FINE, WE ARE SAFE AND WE ARE NOW WELL.....THANKGOD


LOVE THE BOYS AND BANKSIA

ps jon would also like to mention that during a visit to a temple with the monkeys and cows wandering free... i was rammed by a cow....who had obviously gotten sick of waiting for everyone to get out of it's way and just wanted to get out of there...it is not as interesting as it sounds though and i am fine as is king who was on my shoulders.

FRESH AIR AND STUNNINGNESS IN HAMPI

GREETINGS FROM HAMPI.

WE TOOK THE 10HR JOURNEY VIA TRAIN TO HAMPI YESTERDAY OH MY GOD... TWO BOYS ON A TRAIN FOR THAT LONG ALMOST....UNMANAGEABLE...I'VE BEEN SICK (UNINDIA RELATED) AND JON HAD THEM MOST OF THE TIME BY THE END THOUGH HE WAS ABOUT TO THROW THEM OUT THE OPEN DOOR OF THE TRAIN... I HOWEVER SLEPT MOST OF THE WAY AND HAD QUITE A PLEASANT JOURNEY!!!

ANYWAY WE CAME TO HAMPI ON THE ADVISE OF A FRIEND AND WOW IS IT AWESOME THE ACTUAL TOURISTY SIGHTS CAN BE SEEN IN A DAY OR TWO BUT TODAY WE WENT DOWN AND HUNG OUT WITH THE WASHING WOMEN AND MEN BATHING AND BEING JON, BANKSIA AND THE BOYS WE TOO JUMPED IN... MIND YOU THE ONLY TOURISTS.


WE'VE ONLY JUST GOTTEN OUT AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR WATCHING THE WOMEN WASH THEIR SARIS AND THE MEN HOLD ONTO EACH OTHER FROM THE BANK AND QUICKLY JUMP IN AND OUT. WE WATCHED THE TEMPLE ELEPHANT THIS MORNING HAVING IT'S MORNING BATH AND SHOWER (LITERALLY SHOWER) PEOPLE WITH BLESSINGS... WE HOWEVER JUST HUNG BACK AND WATCHED I FINALLY DEICDED TO USE THE KIDS AS AN EXCUSE AND PUT THEM IN THE WATER AND SLOWLY EDGED CLOSER TO THE ELEPHANT LYING TOTALLY SUBMERGED UNDER WATER GETTING A WASH BY HER CARETAKER... SLOWLY SLOWLY...WE EDGED CLOSER..SLOWLY, SLOWLY... UNTIL FINALLY WE GOT TO PAT HER AND THEN WATCH HER STEAL THE BOYS BANANAS MUCH TO KINGY'S DISGUST... HE HAS TAKEN TO HOLDING... NOT EATING... BUT HOLDING A BANANA IN EACH FAT LITTLE FIST.

WE WALKED UP THROUGH SOME OF THE AMAZING TEMPLES AND ENDED UP FINDING SOME CHEEKY MONKEYS AND FEEDING THEM OUR BANANAS... LATER ON OUR WALK WE CAME ACROSS SOME MORE AND THOUGH BANANALESS ONE JUMPED UP ONTO XAVO'S LAP..HE DIDNT PAT IT AS WE'VE WARNED HIM ABOUT CHEEKY MONKEY BITES BUT IT SAT THEIR CONTENT ON HIS LAP NONETHELESS.


I THINK WE WILL BE HANGING OUT HERE FOR A WEEK I COULD QUITE HAPPILY SEE MYSSELF JOINING THE WASHER WOMEN CLEANING OUR CLOTHES AND HALF SUBMERGED KEEPING MYSELF CLEAN AND COOL, THE KIDS SLIDING DOWN THE EDGE OF THE ROCKS INTO THE WATER, WATCHING JON CONVERSE WITH THE MEN IN THE SHADE OF AN ANCIENT TREE WATCHING THE WIDE RUNNING RIVER AND HANGING OUT WITH PEOPLE WHO DON'T NECCESSARILY HAVE MUCH BUT WANT FOR NOTHING. WHAT AN EXISTANCE PLEASE ANYONE COMING TO INDIA COME HERE IT IS AMAZING...


XAVIE EVEN SAID THIS MORNING HE LOVES INDIA AND WOULD LOVE TO LIVE HERE ALTHOUGH WHEN PRESSED NOT NECCESSARILY FOREVER.


XAVIE THINKS HES THE ANIMAL WISPERER AND HAS ALL ANIMALS ALL SHAPES AND SIZES COMING TO HIM FOR PATS, CHICKENS, DOGS, CATS, MONKEYS, COWS, AND ELEPHANTS....WHAT A LIFE AND KING DOESN'T KNOW WHERE HE IS BUT IS IN HEAVEN..

WE SHARE A DOUBLE BED BETWEEN FOUR.... WITH FLY NET AND ALL...... AND ARE HAPPY.


WILL KEEP YOU POSTED

LOVE THE BOYS AND BANKSIA

happy birthday to tasmagoo

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR TASSIE
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU.


TASSIE SORRY DID NOT WISH YOU HAPPY BIRTHDAY SOONER ARE TOTALY IN HOLIDAY MODE AND DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TIME OF DAY IT IS LET ALONE DAY.


SO HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY I LOVE YOU.

HOPE YOU HAD AN AWESOME DAY AND TRY AND ORGANISE A COUSINS NIGHT IN YOUR HONOR IM SURE THEY'D ALL LOVE IT.

HIPPIES GONE WILD IN GOA

HI ALL AND GREETINGS FROM GOA.

WE ENDED UP STAYING A COUPLE MORE DAYS IN MUMBAI BUT MOVED CLOSER TO THE WATER ( WITH WATERVIEWS AND CHEAPER) AND STAYED FOR TWO MORE NIGHTS THOUGH ON THE TOP LEVEL MAKING US GET FIT QUICK.

I AM VERY SURPRISED I THINK WE HAVE COME AT A GOOD TIME (NOT PEAK SEASON) AS THERE ARENT THAT MANY PEOPLE AROUND I MEAN ITS NOT OVERWHELMING THAT I WAS EXPECTING.

WE TOOK A 10 HOUR JOURNEY BY BUS AT NIGHT ON THE SLEEPER CABIN WHICH LEFT AT 8PM AND GOT INTO GOA AROUND 10 IN MORNING WE SLEPT... WELL THE BOYS SLEPT ALL THE WAY JON AND I HAD A BIT OF A ROUGH NIGHT. WITH THE BUMPING AND SPEED WOBBLES.
ANYWAY WE MADE IT AND TOOK OUR FIRST RIDE IN A RICKSHAW( XAVIE DROVE) OUT TO GOA BEACHES AHRUNDA? AND HIRED A SCOOTER AND HAVE BEEN RIDING AROUND EVER SINCE. ALL FOUR OF US ON ONE BIKE ITS LOTS OF FUN AND NOT TOO DANGEROUS. XAVIE IS IN CHARGE OF THE BEEPING AND BEEPS WHENEVER TAKING OVER OR IN SAYING THANKS TO THE PERSON WHO HAS JUST BEEPED US AND THANKED US.
WE ARE ACUALY STAYING IN A MASSIVE RESORT (WE ARE THE ONLY ONES) AND IT HAS A POOL SO THE BOYS ARE LOVING IT.
WE ARE AT THE END OF THE MONSOON SEASON AND SO ONLY RAINS ONCE BUT IS A MASSIVE DOWN POUR OVER IN ABOUT 10MINUTES.
WE ARE FEELING LIKE LOCALS NOW AS WE ARE ABLE TO PREDICT WHEN THE DOWNPOUR IS ABOUT TO HIT AS A FEW DROPS COME WE HAVE ALSO NOTICED THE DOGS AND LOCAL COWS ARE ALSO PSYCHIC WHEN THE RAIN IS ABOUT TO POUR AS THEY QUICKLYSCATTER MAKING THEIR WAY UNDER THE SHELTER/ INTO THE SHOPS TO GET OUT OF THE RAIN.

WE ARE HAVING A GREAT RELAXING TIME AND ARE ACTUALLY RELAXING INTO THE SWING OF THINGS AND (I) AM REALIZING MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT OUT TO GET US....EVERY ONE LOVES THE BOYS ESPECIALLY THE MEN AROUND OUR AGE KINGY HAD THE MAN  (SOOOKY)WORKING AT THE HOTEL SWINGING HIM IN THE POOL AFTER JON HAD GOTTEN TIRED OF IT.

I WOULD LOVE TO BE GETTING ABIT OF SUN ON MY SKIN BUT DUE TO MY MODESTY HAVE TO SWIM IN A MASSIVE KAFTAN STYLE THING( MAKE FREESTYLE NOT SO FREE.
TODAY WE HUNG OUT DOWN AT THE BEACH AND HAD A PERSON SELLING JEWELRY COME UP TO ME SAYING HOW BEAUTIFUL OUR CHILDREN ARE AND HOW LUCKY TO HAVE TWO SUCH HANDSOME "BOYS"

THE GIRL THEN POINTS TO JON ABOUT 5 MS AWAY AND SAID WHO WAS THAT... I SAID MY HUSBAND.... SHE THEN WENT ON TO SAY...."THAT..???... HE LOOKS TO RANK TO BE MARRIED" WHAT I SAY "RANK" TO WHICH SHE SAYS "YES YES RANK....YOU KNOW LITTLE TOO LITTLE TO BE MARRIED.." THEN ADDING INSULT TO INJURY GOES ON TO SAY   "WELL? YOUR CHOICE?!!!!" QUESTIONING AND NOT UNDERSTANDING WHY I HAD CHOSEN HIM....

NEEDLESS TO SAY JON WAS CUT WHEN I TOLD HIM... HOWEVER HE DID WANT ME TO TELL THIS STORY TO YOU ALL SO I THINK HIS GOTTEN OVER IT ALTHOUGH HE SAYS HE IS GOING TO START TAKING THE PROTEIN SHAKES THEY ADVERTISE FOR "MATCHSTICK BODIES" OVER HERE.

WE ARE HAVING A GREAT TIME AND BECAUSE WE DONT HAVE TO TIME LIMIT WE ARE TAKING OUR TIME AND ACTUALLY RELAXING THE BOYS GET A MIDDAY SLEEP AND ME TOO SOMETIMES WE ARE NOW GETTING TO SWIM IN A P OOL TO OURSELVES AND SCOOT AROUND WITH THE WIND IN OUR GOLDEN HAIRS.


WE WILL BE HEADING TO HAMPI WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS FOR SIGHT SEEING AND RUINS APPARENTLY 8 HOURS BY TRAIN.

WE ARE HAVING AGREAT TIME AND THE BOYS AN EVEN BETTER TIME. SORRY MY STORIES HAVE GOTTEN A LITTLE LAX I THINK HOLIDAY MODE HAS KICKED IN... SO FAR A WEEK IN I THINK AND NO SIGN OF SICKNESS.. TOUCH WOOD.

LOVE YOU

THE BOYS AND BANKSIA

we are living gods

the arrival