Part II Grandma and Grandpa come to India

Second half of the trip:  after a brief recovery from Kerala, I started my job as an Embassy RN at the medical unit while Grandma/pa stayed home with Desmond (and our new housekeeper).  On the way to work, our driver told us about a better job he accepted while we were away on holiday.  The new job pays him much better, pays for meals and lots of overtime, doesn’t require work on Saturdays, and gives him a “prestige” job that gives him long-term stability.  Basically, we couldn’t match it as we only have 1.5 yrs left.  So I started my first day in tears convinced I was making the wrong decision BUT everything has worked out and I really enjoy the job.  Grandma and Grandpa were able to spend some real quality time with Desmond. 

Midweek, we left Desmond at home with our new housekeeper and headed to Old Delhi, a must see.  Upon arriving, our driver, Haris, negotiated a price for a tour Old Delhi on a bike taxi.  First stop:  Red Fort.  I have never been to the Red Fort, and it is much bigger than I expected.  We could have had spent a day there.  One hour later our taxi brought us through the streets of Old Delhi, where we were supposed to stop at Jama Masjid, a mosque, but it was closed for an hour for prayer.  Instead we went to Karim’s, a very famous restaurant in Old Delhi.  I think they were a bit nervous given the appearance and “localness”, but they left impressed and full.  I was proud of their sense of adventure. 

The next day Haris took us to Agra so that they could see the famous Taj Mahal.  Again we decided to leave Desmond at home.  These day trips are very busy and he would rather run around then be confined to a carrier.  We had a great trip, and it only took about 3 hrs to get there.  We stopped once to take a “chai break” before arriving at Akbar’s tomb.  There we hired a tour guide for the day, and he did a great job explaining all of the history of Akbar’s tomb, Taj Mahal, and Agra Fort.  I think my parents were very impressed with the Taj; Grandma kept saying she couldn’t believe she was actually there.  We stayed at each place for about one hour and then had lunch in a very nice restaurant.  As Marcus and I always do with new restaurants, we ordered the veg options to be on the safe side.  All of the food we ordered was amazing!  After lunch, we did a little shopping and then headed home.  The ride home took a little longer and I think we were all tired but had an amazing day. 

Saturday rolled around and little Desmond turned ONE!!!  I cannot believe our little boy officially a toddler.  We had an amazing day!  Desmond had a little Monkey themed party with all of his little friends.  It was really hot that day but it cooled off enough for the party.  Desmond enjoyed playing in the water table with his girlfriend Erica (she has a few boyfriends though being the only 1 y/o girl at the embassy).  He also enjoyed pulling monkey piñata strings with Marshall and Joshua and his other friends.  Finally, he ate (tasted) his first birthday cake:  one shaped like a smiling monkey!  We were so happy to have our friends with us and even happier to have Grandma/pa there to celebrate, especially as they were there at his birth.

Additionally, Grandma and Grandpa took Desmond to Lodi Gardens and the playground one day with our driver.  And they when to Qutub Minar all by themselves on the last day, what an adventure! They were very happy that they went to all three places.

Sadly, the three weeks came to end.  We tried to convince them to stay longer but they needed to return home (I think they were ready for a salad!).  They were adventurous and tried everything we put in front of them. We had amazing time with them and we hope that they return next year =)



Desmond and Haris on the slide at the playground




Old Delhi




Old Delhi




Taking a rest in the bike taxi




Akbar's tomb




The Taj




Taj Mahal




Corny I know, but I love these pictures!




Happy Birthday Desmond!!! Excellent cake!




I made Monkey Cupcakes... a lot of fun



Yummm cake!!!!



Monkey Pinata! Pulling the strings instead of a bat...



Grandma and Grandpa Suarez come to India

Grandma and Grandpa made their way to India from NJ, surviving the long 15 hr plane ride.  We were very lucky to have them with us for 3 weeks.  Hopefully I can capture all the important events. 

The first week was one of adjustment, and (surprisingly) it was raining.  We tooled around Delhi, went to the Embassy/compound, visited a museum, and played with Desmond, who was thrilled to have all of the attention.  Three days after their arrival we all boarded a plane to Kerala in South India for a family vacation.  First we stayed in Cochin at the Old Harbour Hotel.  What a beautiful hotel!  Right near the water, we were able to watch all the fishermen work the Chinese fishing nets and do some fun shopping.  In the evening, Marcus and I were able to have a nice dinner while Desmond was upstairs sleeping. 

From Cochin we headed to the backwaters and stayed on a houseboat for one night.  We were able to get a quick glimpse of life in Kerala:  the women doing laundry in the water, the kids bathing, the people fishing, etc.  We were able to see some great birds and rice fields.  Desmond probably did not have the best time because he was not able to run around but I think the rest of us enjoyed the trip.  All of the meals were delicious and there was enough food to feed an army.  We even ate our lunch off of bananas leaves!  So far the vacation had been great.  However the next day we hit a few minor bumps.

The quick version:  a man ran into our taxi door as it was opening on his motorcycle and was flung clear into the water (no one was hurt), holding us up for 2+ hours.  When we got to the resort we were told we did not have a reservation and when they did find it we were quoted a higher price then we agreed to (which we worked out) and the pool was not functioning (it was 96 degrees out!).  Our rooms were next to each other and my parents left the door open so we could come in with Desmond, but instead a stranger came into the room and climbed into bed with them…Grandma ran out calling for me and Grandpa was slowly waking up.  I called security but they did not understand me, so I got Marcus to go in (Desmond is napping).   Marcus goes out and another man comes running around the corner and slips- we think everyone is drunk but not the case.  It turns out to be the father of the stranger in bed with Grandpa, and while running around the corner, he slipped on some water after hearing all of the commotion.  It turns out that the stranger was his special needs son.  In the end, everything was fine but Grandpa thought we hired someone for some special “Indian relaxation therapy” (he had only heard of Ayurvedic massage) and was very confused. 

The rest of the stay was relaxing and amazing, the resort made up for their errors in the beginning by upgrading us villas with outdoor showers and private pools!!   They were extremely accommodating in every aspect and would recommend staying there to anyone who plans on being in Kerala.

Sadly, our vacation had to come to an end and we headed back to Delhi.  This really concludes the first half of their trip and we all had a great time.  I will post the second half of the trip soon, the adventure continued….



Desmond ganking Daddys breakfast




Right outside our hotel in Keral, Chinese fishing nets at sunset





Lunch on the houseboat in the backwaters on banana leaves



Desmond taking a snooze with Grandpa



Desmond and Grandpa walking up and down the boat



Desmond hanging with Grandma in the morning

At the resort, he likes that coconut drink



Daddy taking cooking lessons at the resort - curry




yumm dinner!




Our private pool at the resort!!




Family playtime




Our "room" or villa