namaste from india! bridget and i have made it safely here (as of yesterday morning) after a full 24hrs of travel. needless to say we were quite exhausted and thoroughly enjoyed any nap we could snag in that first day. we headed directly from the airport to a town called allepey which is known for its canal system and houseboats which we ended up sharing with two other couples who were also looking for boats. two and three bedroom boats were much more common than one bedroom boats, plus we were excited to meet fellow travelers and share tales and hear suggestions. the other couples were from australia and new york and were really great fun. it was a perfect start to our vacation because there really is nothing to do on the houseboat but relax and enjoy the scenery (and nap, which i did gratefully)!
but today we arrived at our hotel along the beach to which we have been "ooo-ing" and "ah-ing" continuously, along with proclamations of "bridge, we have MADE IT!" haha... we feel quite spoiled but are totally loving it. today was another taxing day of, well, nothing but relaxing on the beach, swimming in the AHmazing indian ocean, and petting and feeding an elephant at the beach. no big deal. (actually, we could have ridden the elephant if we wanted, but bridget and i were too saddened by his chains and his moans to make him suffer for our thrills.) and now i'm writing in this beautiful little thatched-roof hut while the rain is slashing the roof.
we head out tomorrow to goa, another highly regarded beach destination along the west coast here and are hopeful to meet up with another friend (and another friend of a friend) to celebrate NYE. we're getting all our relaxation in before we hit the hectic cities, temples, mosques, etc etc. it's gonna be a whirlwind but we're looking forward to all of it. not to mention we're just loving each other's company! ok gotta go shower and get ready for dinner! there's live music tonight so we're excited!