Homesick

Well so much has happened since Agra. We went on to a small village called Orccha where we did almost nothing but relax and it was perfect. Then we went to Khurajuro where there are Jain temples, these are the same temples carved with the Karma Sutra. Very beautiful statuary work there and we stayed in a beautiful hotel. I also spent a good couple hours buying jewelry from a very nice jewlery designer, we sat and had tea together while we bargained and then he showed me his very innovative designs and his diamond collection while they sized the jewelry I bought. By the end I felt like we were family :D Then onto the holiest city in India Varanasi, this is where you go to be cremated and put into the river Ganges. It was beautiful but also disturbing....if you are under 3 years of age, a pregnant woman, a leper or have been bit by a cobra you can't be cremated first...sadly this means the river is disgusting. Then it was back to dehli to say good bye to my tour group and my roommate merriette and I went on to join our second tour. We arrived in Kochi I got off the plane and promptly wanted to run away. HOT HOT HOT and HUMID HUMID HUMID my two least favorite things in the world. Our transfer from the airport went a little awry but eventually we were picked up and delivered to our hotel. We started meeting our group that evening and this group seems to be good too. The next day we went sightseeing for the morning and then took it easy in the afternoon. Supper was eaten on the banks of the ocean at a beautiful restraunt after a fabulous folk dance demonstration. The next morning we were supposed to drive 7 hours into the hill country. However I awoke horribly ill with what is mildly called travellers diharea....I knew I couldn't get on a bus for 7 hours so I remained behind while the group went on. Today I am feeling better slowly adding bland food to my water diet and getting on a sleeper train to rejoin the group. I'm a little nervous about travelling alone but thankfully on our last tour we took a night train so I have an idea about what to expect. I've also been horribly homesick while dealing with this stomach upset and being on my own hasn't helped. Why is it you travel half way around the world only to discover that what you want most is home?

I'm asking for some prayers to help me feel better both emotionally and physically. Also I got news my sister is back in the hospital and it sucks to be so far away and unable to be there helping her through her own struggles. So pray for her as well since that's all the aid I can offer her. Still haven't had a chance to upload pictures, India has lots of internet access but not much upload capacity so it may be London before you get to see some of my pictures.

Thankfully I've only missed two days of touring with the group and will be reunited with my fabulous roommate Merriette again. We've been together 2 and a bit weeks now and I've enjoyed every minute of it. She even left me with medication to help me feel better.

Fun story this morning I went to use my washroom and I don't know who was more scared me or the cockroach on my bathroom floor. I quickly retreated to formulate a cockroach control plan....this was a three step process

1. put on shoes with heavy soles
2. find bug spray
3. proceed to stomp into the bathroom madly spraying bug spray

in the meantime the cockroach had retreated probably down the shower drain and I know have a bathroom that still hours later smells like bug spray. Thankfully this is the first cockroach I've seen all trip and hopefully the last but at least I now have a plan.