I've arrived!

Namaskarum (Greetings) from Kerala, on day 5 of my Indian adventure.

It was a long old journey, about 30 hours door to door. Having set off at 9 am last Thursday, I touched down, bleary eyed, in Bangalore just before 5 am to the usual military presence and a choice of sitting for six hours on a sweaty plastic chair in the very small departure lounge or decamping with my luggage (handbag, laptop case, 50 kg of clothes, materials, suncream and mosquito repellent) to the great unknown beyond the airport doors. Tricky, but I thought I'd take my chances.

What I'd forgotten (not being one for early rising) was that the mozzies are out and active at dawn as well as dusk, so the repellent stayed in the suitcase while they made a meal of my knees and ankles. Meanwhile, I arranged myself with my legs on the main luggage and the strap of my laptop case securely arranged under my bottom, handbag clutched firmly to my side, and travel alarm set for noon, for the remote possibility that I might fall asleep. (I didn't)

13 hours, one plane ride and a long car journey later, I arrived at the apartment in Mavelikkara that will be home for the next three months.