After all the travel, the main point of coming to the UK at Christmas time was to relax and relax we did. Most of our time was spent in Winchester with Kate’s brother and sister-in-law (Nigel and Janet) eating, drinking, wandering in the town and country and just generally doing not much. We did have visas to sort out, and though that was a hassle, most of that was waiting time. To fill in the waiting time we made a few trips to London where we caught a show (actually a great children’s puppet show that Kate’s brother was in), saw all the Christmas crowds and decorations and I saw the Tower of London with my friend Tanya. We also visited Kate’s cousin and aunt in South London which was fun and, again, very relaxing.
But the main excitement was actually the weather. I had been looking forward to seeing the snow and Kate was full of stories about England winters being all drizzle, grey cloud, and early nights and no snow. But in the end there was snow everywhere for almost our entire stay. The first fall happened on our very first day and I was more than a little excited, it being a little over 20 years since I had last seen it. But a few weeks later it bucketed down (admittedly causing massive transport problems for those that had to work) again so we headed out and built snowmen and threw it around and just generally enjoyed it. Great fun and a great way to bring out the inner child in anyone.
Speaking of inner child, another enjoyable part of our time in England was joining Nigel and a very pregnant Janet on shopping trips to purchase all kinds of baby related things. It seemed like a possibility that the baby would come while we were there, but despite a particularly close call it wasn’t to be.
We perhaps relaxed and soaked up the western way of life too much as when it came to don the backpacks in India again we found it particularly hard going. Starting in Delhi probably didn’t help, but the transition was tough, but one we have thankfully overcome – and onwards and upwards we go. Our plan from here is to spend a few weeks in Rajasthan after seeing Delhi and Agra (Taj Mahal was amazing) and then head south via Goa to the state of Kerala before flying out. The destination is up in the air but more than likely Kate will be volunteering in Sumatra from March 1 helping orangutans and I will be heading to Melbourne early (the volunteer dates clash with the all important concert in Melbourne). If Kate doesn’t get accepted (application in progress) then I think a beach somewhere warm for a few weeks will be the backup plan. Then comes a whirlwind tour of Australia – it’s amazing how little of our own country we have seen, so what better time to rectify that.
Photos of our snow playing below. India updates will follow in a week or so, if we get wifi that is.
