Where in the World is Sudie?

[The Niesens (sans Rachel) with our friend the elephant]

I am quite the lucky YAV . . . On December 30th my entire family arrived in Kerala (that includes my dad, mom, brother, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, and sister). They were only here for one week (which felt entirely too short in the end), so we packed our time with a trip to Munnar, one night cruising Kerala’s backwaters and Vembanad Lake via houseboat, a visit to Fort Cochin, an afternoon with the elephants, and some time spent at my site. It was wonderful to introduce them to this place and these people; while I do my best to share my experience with them through blog posts and (attempted) weekly phone conversations, there is nothing like allowing them to experience India for themselves. As I struggle to explain this year once I return home, it will be a comfort to know that some of the most important people in my life were able to participate in it, even for a short time.

These photographs capture some of the highlights . . .

[Dad, Kate, and Me in Munnar with some random Malayalees . . . I've found that it is quite popular to take pictures with the white people. Just for the record: the only thing going through my head at this moment was 'venda!!!']

[Rachel in the paddy fields, with the houseboat in the background]

[The Niesen ladies on the elephant . . . ]

[ . . . and the Niesen men.]

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