Henry's Favorite Beach

 

I'm making another attempt to get our photos in some semblance of order and came across this one.  I don't recall the specific name of this beach in Kerala but Henry claims this is his favorite beach.  The location was nearly empty of people, which was a first for us during our time there.  Henry and Darren were playing in the water when a another father and son came by.  I don't remember the gentleman or his son's names but the kids played together in the water, running along the beach and catching crabs and turtles.  Darren stayed nearby to make sure they were safe, and the kid's dad went across the street to our hotel and had the staff bring a small table with very sweet tea for all of us.  We chatted for a bit and it was a lovely experience.  

India post #2: Otherwise known as I Finally Get Around to Editing our Photos

Marina Beach - Chennai

I'm finally (about damn time!) getting around to editing our photos from India.

Story 1

We arrived in India really late - or early if that's how you feel about 2:30 in the morning. I had arranged for a ride through the hotel and our driver was on time, but there was a communication breakdown about payment and before I knew it, he pulled to the side of the road, motioned for Darren to follow, and Hen and I were left in the car. 

I watched from the backseat as Darren and our driver rounded the corner into a very sketchy looking alley. And then they were gone. 

The keys were in the ignition, the car was running, and Hen and I were strapped in the back. Darren and the driver were no longer visible and I had no idea what they were doing. They certainly weren't at a bank with an ATM so what else could be going on? The mind wanders at 3am in the morning after traveling for umpteen hours, so I told Hen that in the event someone hopped in and tried to drive off, we'd undo our seatbelts and jump out the side door. 

And then Darren and the driver came back around the corner, got in the car, and we were on our way. The driver had taken Darr to a place - some random place where a guy exchanges currency at all hours of the day - and Darren now had Indian rupees. It all turned out to be unnecessary, though, because our the ride was billed by our hotel and we didn't even need the cash on hand. 

This was our welcome to India.