Last week I was in India. It came as payback because I am a very understanding wife who allows her husband to spend stupid amounts of money on surfing trips to the Maldives. On his own. Leaving me with the children. At home.
So one week before Christmas I cashed in our skyward miles and flew to the Kerala city of Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum to the thick tongued), and decamped at the Kempinski in Kovolam, taking two of my lovely female friends with me, and leaving all stresses, children and husband behind. Did I miss them? Is it bad to say that for 6 days I didn't?
One morning while sauntering down the hill from the Ayurvedic spa and my daily yoga session I was shocked to find an elephant standing outside my room. Eleven feet high with a gold headdress and a look of mild annoyance.
She was soon joined by dozens of bedazzling men and women in silk and gold, and a band of smooth-skinned youths with percussion equipment. Within moments there was Bollywood at full tilt on my doorstep, and like most nosy westerners, I tagged along.
The band beat the drums with abandon, and skanked with tiny cymbals. Then the star of the show arrived and mounted Elly. He started to do a couple of gentle screw-in-the-lightbulb moves, and in moments all the men sprang into action. They whooped and jiggled until the sweat poured off them, all the time moving towards the main street. When they got there they blocked traffic with pure arrogance and danced over the white lines for twenty minutes waiting for more of a crowd to gather.
I had a little idea where they might be headed, so I snuck ahead into the beach restaurant, and sure enough I found it set for a wedding in white and pink. The wedding party soon arrived, and a few minutes after the groom dismounted the elephant and placed his handsome bottom on a silk cushion.
The bride arrived on a palanquin born by some strapping bare-chested locals, and I no longer felt worried for that gorgeous groom. She is one breathtaking woman.
And this makes it my third wedding for 2010 - one western, one Arabic and one Indian. I loved them all, but the Indian was definitely the most visually spectacular.
I have written more about my Indian adventure on my other blog: dubai-ified. Please pop over and say hello.
Photos submitted for Photo Friday (Gathering), and Moody Monday (Festive)
So one week before Christmas I cashed in our skyward miles and flew to the Kerala city of Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum to the thick tongued), and decamped at the Kempinski in Kovolam, taking two of my lovely female friends with me, and leaving all stresses, children and husband behind. Did I miss them? Is it bad to say that for 6 days I didn't?
One morning while sauntering down the hill from the Ayurvedic spa and my daily yoga session I was shocked to find an elephant standing outside my room. Eleven feet high with a gold headdress and a look of mild annoyance.
She was soon joined by dozens of bedazzling men and women in silk and gold, and a band of smooth-skinned youths with percussion equipment. Within moments there was Bollywood at full tilt on my doorstep, and like most nosy westerners, I tagged along.
The band beat the drums with abandon, and skanked with tiny cymbals. Then the star of the show arrived and mounted Elly. He started to do a couple of gentle screw-in-the-lightbulb moves, and in moments all the men sprang into action. They whooped and jiggled until the sweat poured off them, all the time moving towards the main street. When they got there they blocked traffic with pure arrogance and danced over the white lines for twenty minutes waiting for more of a crowd to gather.
The bride arrived on a palanquin born by some strapping bare-chested locals, and I no longer felt worried for that gorgeous groom. She is one breathtaking woman.
And this makes it my third wedding for 2010 - one western, one Arabic and one Indian. I loved them all, but the Indian was definitely the most visually spectacular.
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Photos submitted for Photo Friday (Gathering), and Moody Monday (Festive)