the weston parade has arrived...

Quick note: Photos from Jaisalmer and other previous trips included in earlier entry...
(Jake, thanks for catching this amazing sign at the airport! And no, Chennai is not like New Jersey...) yes... they're here... Lynn and Gerry have been in India for the past 8 days, and it has been quite a trip. My travels have taken yet another strange and exciting turn, this time to the rain and luxury. Seriously, it has not stopped raining since they arrived, which has given us all lessons in flexibility and trying to see the silver lining... At least we have lots of time to sit and relate to each other! No, but really, I was ready for some serious family time, and I still can't really believe that my parents flew halfway around the world to see me here. It's not easy to travel in India, and I give them both a lot of credit for what they've been doing so far (though they might not know it, since I give them a bit of guff and have yelled at them a few times...) but once again, I realize that travelling takes many many forms, and I need to remember that I have had 4 months to adjust to this country... It's easy to forget what it was like in the first few days, feeling absolutely overwhelmed by anything and everything, and just trying to walk in a straight line seemed like a difficult thing to do. So yes, adjusting from the backpacker to the tourist life has been interesting for me (though I'm not complaining about the amazing food and swanky hotels at all!).. I just need to remember that there was a time when I wanted to feed all of the dogs ladoos (sweets) and water like my mother did at the airport and when the sight of beggers and women in sarees on cell phones and motorcycles seemed almost unreal. My parents are definitely taking it all in, and then some...

We spent a few days in Pondicherry at an eco-beach resort, but since it rained the whole time, we spent a lot of time eating, relaxing, and reading, amidst two failed attempts to sightsee in Pondicherry and see Jake in Auroville. Now we're in Hyderabad, a city known as "Cyberabad" as the second IT city next to Bangalore, and it's pouring (again, even though it's not near monsoon season!), but we're having a really good time with Scott Leeder, a friend of my brother's from high school, who has been in India for the past 6 months working in development with rural cotton farmers. Since it's literally rained since we've arrived we've been enjoying time with Scott, eating lots of delicious food and buffets, getting fancy drinks (oh man they have shiraz here, and it's good!) at the lounge in the hotel, and trying to go sightseeing in the pouring rain. All in all, we're still in the thick of it, but here are some photos from today's adventures...!

This is me at the palace in the city with lots of tiny passageways and beautiful views...

Mom, dad, and our driver at the palace trying to figure out where the camera is!

Dad in the rain at the palace... He likes to take photos with people in them ("they're only meaningful if someone is in them!") so Scott gave him a break from being behind the camera...

Me, mom, and Scott at the palace...