Home Sweet Home

Baroda, India

Just a quick note to let you guys know i've arrived safely in India. got into bombay yesterday and was lucky enough to get to spend the day visiting with my family on my dad's side... haven't seen my uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews in 11 years....2 of which were born after my last visit! The best bit I think was just sitting and talking with Muta Papa (old father), my dad's oldest brother... my dad looks just like him and even their mannerisms, right down to how they tell stories are exactly the same.

Had to leave them to go to Gujurat to Baroda, the city i was born in to visit my family on my mom's side. I'll be back in Bombay after new years to spend more time with the other side of the family.

Took my first Indian train, and of course just like you would imagine it was crazy trying to board the train. Trains are the one things Indians do on time. I mean down to the second. There were about 7 people in front of me trying to board the train along with their coolies (baggage carriers) trying to get all their suitcases on the train. The signal goes up and the train starts to slowly move.. My cousin Devas bhai looks at me and says 'dawd, agard ni gaadi ma ja' - basically RUN! Get in on in the next car!

So there i was with my daypack and a shopping bag running and stepping up into the train - just like in the movies :)

I decided to leave most of my clothes and stuff in bombay since i was only going to be travelling around for 8 weeks, there is no need for a 65 litre pack. So now here in Gujarat i've got 1 week to extend my indian visa, do a little indian shopping, visit some family, go to the Sri Lanka vs India Cricket Match on Sunday (so excited, my first cricket match) and then early next week i'm off to Rajasthan