As it turned out, I was able to extend my trip home over the holidays from one week to three weeks, which was nice. 
We bounced around the country, starting in Washington DC (Matt's parents), then Chicago (Karen's family), and I made a some extra stops in Denver and Seattle. Then it was back to Illinois, where Karen remained, for a couple days before flying back to Asia. It was nice being home and catching up with so many people. Thanks to everyone for their time and company, along with the cheer and generosities of the holidays. We were able to relax and regroup in preparation for the remainder of our time in India. Here are the latest versions of the Singleton and Wojcik family photos.Shocking India
A few days after returning to Mumbai from the holidays, my parents arrived for a 2.5 week immersion in much of the good and bad that India has to offer. I had tried to warn them that India is a pretty shocking place, but words and pictures cannot really prepare someone for the variety of sights, smells and experiences actually encountered here. In the end, I am confident my parents had a good trip (see them in this first photo on a chilly morning in Agra at the Taj Mahal). Not everything was clean, organized or pleasant, but but being here is interesting and provides much perspective. Of course, we showed them around Mumbai, but fortunately they were also able to get out and see some other parts of the country; the highlights are provided below.Mumbai
This first picture shows Karen and Mom sort of blending into the mix at a fabric market in South Mumbai (and some strangely intense Indian guy with a white shawl on the left). We went around and saw the typical sights, including the Taj Hotel and Gateway to India in Colaba (the places the terrorist attacks took place) as they were and remain essentialy and nice places to see in the city. We made a stop at the Hanging Gardens (a large park atop an underground water storage tank on Malabar Hill). 
The gardens are nice and are visible in the picture, but we were also able to see something I've somewhat sheepishly been wanting to see, also relevant to this picture. It is called a Tower of Silence and we didn't actually see it, but that is fine because you are not supposed to. My friend Nathan's father Gil, who lived in Mumbai for many years as a child, told me the Tower of Silence used to scare the something out of him. There is a community in India called the Parsi, which are decendents from Persia (Iran) that are as entrenched in modern India as much as the typical Indians you might think of. Parsis follow the Zoroastrian religion and a Tower of Silence is something like their cemetary. When a Parsi passes on, they place the body, which is considered dangerously unclean, on the Tower to be exposed to the sun and birds of prey. If you click the picture with the clock tower, you can see birds circling in the distance in the center of the image. These are vultures over the Tower of Silence, which in Mumbai is located on a hill shrouded by thick trees.
The gardens are nice and are visible in the picture, but we were also able to see something I've somewhat sheepishly been wanting to see, also relevant to this picture. It is called a Tower of Silence and we didn't actually see it, but that is fine because you are not supposed to. My friend Nathan's father Gil, who lived in Mumbai for many years as a child, told me the Tower of Silence used to scare the something out of him. There is a community in India called the Parsi, which are decendents from Persia (Iran) that are as entrenched in modern India as much as the typical Indians you might think of. Parsis follow the Zoroastrian religion and a Tower of Silence is something like their cemetary. When a Parsi passes on, they place the body, which is considered dangerously unclean, on the Tower to be exposed to the sun and birds of prey. If you click the picture with the clock tower, you can see birds circling in the distance in the center of the image. These are vultures over the Tower of Silence, which in Mumbai is located on a hill shrouded by thick trees.Afternoon at the Thakkars
We were fortunate enough to be invited once again to our driver's house for an afternoon and lunch. Beena made a great, home-cooked Indian meal (see picture) and we hung out for a few hours. Kite flying, like in the Kite Runner, is a very popular activity here among children. Many people fly small kites at one time and the goal is to cut the strings of other kites. 
Those kids that have already had their kites cut then run around collecting downed kites. The kite festival had just passed at the time of our visit, so my parents' gift of a big, US-style kite was especially timely; hopefully it doesn't fall victim to kite fighting anytime soon. The kids were spoiled that day with sweets and treats from America, as were we with generous hospitality and sincerity from the Thakkar family. The second picture has all of us, left to right: Sanjay, Swayam, Beena, Karan, Lynn, Julie, Matt and Karen. Delhi & Agra
A few short days after their arrival, we shipped Mom and Dad, along with Sanjay, up to Delhi for a three day blast of India on their own. You can barely see Mom amidst a bunch of crazed Delhi school kids, who were excited to see foreigners and try out the English they are required to learn in school. 
Mom and Dad handled it well and made their way around Delhi itself and to somewhat nearby Agra, home of the Taj Mahal. Sanjay went as the familiar Indian host, but the sights were as new to him as they were to Mom and Dad. The local expertise came from the same driver we used on our trip to the North, Ramesh. This made for 
what I consider to be a fairly comical foursome cruising the tourist sites (see three of the four in the second picture in front of Agra Fort: Ramesh, Dad and Sanjay). Mom and Dad had not yet adjusted to the time zone change or India and were being led by a guy who had never been where they were and a driver that didn't speak English. In addition, neither Mom and Dad nor their Indian hosts, were particularly familiar with the cultural tendencies and preferences of the others. 
In this I am alluding to the perceived differences between drivers and more wealthy people in the lower-class Indian psyche. I think spending three days with my parents, who would be as kind and generous with their guides as they would with anyone else, must have been quite an experience for Sanjay and Ramesh. The other good thing about the trip, was that it gave Sanjay his first plane journey and a chance to see the Taj Mahal and other important Indian sights. The final picture in this section is of a chance elephant ride my parents were able to take on the side of the highway between Delhi and Agra.The Keralan Backwaters
After a short recovery at the home base (our apartment) in Mumbai, we were all off to Southern India, to a state called Kerala. I'm not sure of the source, but the local tourism board for Kerala actually refers to the state as "God's Own Country", which has some merit. We headed straight for The Backwaters, a set of quiet inland waterways (fresh water) along the southwest coast of India, somewhat like the Everglades in Florida. 
We chartered a two-bedroom houseboat with a three-man crew, which was nice. Our vessel, the Sulthan, looked like most of the boats on the water - handmade, woven roof with interesting lines, and a few worn, yet homey touches to make it comfortable. We cruised slowly through the narrow channels, enjoying the sun and scenery, and the Keralan food that was a part of the package. 
Along the way, virtually every child that saw us from the banks would enthusiastically wave and call out to us. After some time, the captain of the boat told us the kids were asking for "just one pen", as apparently pens are hard to come by in Kerala. Had we known, we could have brought a box of Bic rollers. The picture with the yellow boat has a couple boys doing just this. I did also hear one kid asking for my camera. Strange, but entertaining, and a little sad. 
We spent the night on the boat, and pulled into a different port the next morning. The Backwaters were quite different from the India we normally know in Mumbai - quiet, calm, natural, and pretty. Here are the four of us on the back of the boat, tanned and prepared for a few days on the cliffs of Southern India over the Arabian Sea.Varkala
I picked Varkala as it is a small beach town, outside the major cities, that has not yet been overbuilt with large resorts and hotels. We stayed at a quaint, four-room boutique hotel, managed by what may be the first flamboyantly gay guy I've met in India. Or he is just an eccentric guy. The Indian government recently determined that homosexuality is a disease - clearly a conservative view. Maybe that is why this guy hangs out in laid-back southern India. Varkala has cliffs and a couple beaches. 
The beach is pictured above. I'd say it was nicer than Goa's beaches, but nothing like the pristine paradise of the average tropical daydream. We rented two-wheelers (a small motorcycle for Mom and Dad and a scooter for Karen and I), which always instantly increases the fun factor of any warm vacation. Once Dad figured out the opposite gearing and malfunctioning transmission of his hog, as well as driving on the wrong side of the road in the standard road chaos of India, he couldn't keep the smile off his face.
I picked Varkala as it is a small beach town, outside the major cities, that has not yet been overbuilt with large resorts and hotels. We stayed at a quaint, four-room boutique hotel, managed by what may be the first flamboyantly gay guy I've met in India. Or he is just an eccentric guy. The Indian government recently determined that homosexuality is a disease - clearly a conservative view. Maybe that is why this guy hangs out in laid-back southern India. Varkala has cliffs and a couple beaches. 
The beach is pictured above. I'd say it was nicer than Goa's beaches, but nothing like the pristine paradise of the average tropical daydream. We rented two-wheelers (a small motorcycle for Mom and Dad and a scooter for Karen and I), which always instantly increases the fun factor of any warm vacation. Once Dad figured out the opposite gearing and malfunctioning transmission of his hog, as well as driving on the wrong side of the road in the standard road chaos of India, he couldn't keep the smile off his face.
We took a short daytrip to an unfortunate elephant 'center'. While it fulfilled the objective of riding an elephant and getting pictures of the same, it was a depressing experience. The place was basic, dirty and the animals were not in the best condition. I think we all felt guilty for being patrons. 
Nonetheless, the pictures and a video of Mom and Dad's ride are provided below (video at the bottom). The feeding part was fun; they can eat a whole bunch of bananas at one time, as well as a complete pineapple (including the bushy and pointy green part at the top). 
There were three elephants there, two adults and a young one. All of them appeared to be chained up most of the time. Our experience was with a 30-year old elephant named Aruba. 
After the elephant trip, we all experienced our first (and most likely only) Indian massage. This was a crazy experience that left us feeling more violated than relaxed. The story is much better told in person, but to give a sense for the experience, it involved a dim and dirty room, no clothing other than something like a doctor's mask, a massage bed, tons of oil, and two people of the same gender as you. 
Upon the conclusion of our simultantous one-hour sessions (in different rooms), we left the place as quickly as possible and returned to the hotel to shower off the awkwardness and leftover oil. This experience, and the fact it was our last night of the Kerala trip, warranted a stop at the local "Wine Shop". You can see me above, in line with the locals, grabbing a few Kingfisher beers for the evening. We enjoyed them on the patio off the courtyard adjacent to Mom and Dad's room at the hotel, where we had breakfast each day. This more or less concluded our time in Kerala. Mom and Dad had a couple more days in Mumbai and then they suffered through the monumental 24-hour journey back to Washington DC, via Frankfurt, Germany.We had a good time; everything went essentially as planned. They may be our final visitors here in India, as it looks like we'll be moving on sooner than later. Unfortunately, it is still unclear when and to where we will be heading next. We will find out soon, after which the adventure will continue. Thanks for reading, and thanks to Mom and Dad for making the long trek to such an uncertain place. As they say in India, "All the best."
