Mumbai and Ajanta/Ellora Caves

Gateway of India

Little refreshment road side stop for some Thumbs Up Cola

Ellora bus ride. The people crowded out the bus monkeys.

Ajanta "caves"

Blondie and the continual paparazzi - she can pout like the best of them

We started our Indian adventure with my parents, uncle, our children and ourselves piled into an Inova, unencumbered by seatbelts and carseats, free to move about the car as we were free to move and honk about Mumbai traffic, unencumbered by lane markers and the sense of "space entitlement" that we usually impose on ourselves and those driving by. Through the trip, the girls would press their faces to the glass (or jump on the seats) as we would pass rickshaws, colorfully painted lorries, motorbikes with entire families perched on top, elephants, horses, camels, pigs, and the colorful scenes of India. Even the thumb sucker didn't get dissentery, so we must have done something wrong, like avoid too much street food, but overall, I think we will have to call the adventure a success thanks to Dan's planning, some good fortune, and dodging most of the bad luck. Even if Sela and Skye won't remember this when they are old and in elementary school, Sela may never where muted tones again after staring in amazement at all the "bootiful dresses" of all the Indian "princesses" and Skye has toned the biceps in her right arm after raising a salute to everything that even resembled an elephant with an accompanying "Uuunggh" trumpeting sound. My parents have added a few Hindu dieties to their list, Dave has seemingly added a new foreign antigen to his lungs, and Dan and I have always wanted to dance by a bamboo bonfire while burning sparklers with an energetic Santa and a good bass beat thumping in our ears for Christmas. Something for everyone in this diverse country. So, here's to rice and sweet lime soda......