I had to rush to take this pic as it was darn hot and the chocolate on the cake was already starting to melt. I think the temperature during the last week of April exceeded 40 degrees every day. Happy-happy bday.
Apologies for not posting for a little while. We’ve been on holiday and deliberately disconnected. Before we deluge you with all the posts from our trips to Kerala & Goa (and more to come), a few photos from a local wedding we were invited to.
Although our apartment car-park was the scene of dancing, cooking and feasting for almost 48 hours beforehand, the day itself begins with a loud dancing procession through the streets, with rolling sound-system on the back of a truck, and trumpeters and drummers doing their best to deafen the revelers.
The hoard reaches the wedding hall early in the afternoon, and, with women and men on each side of the hall, the ceremony begins, to much throwing of rice.
Most importantly, for Jex at least, the afternoon finishes with a banquet of sweets and bread. Heaven.
All the photos from the day are here. Now crank up your heating to 40 degrees and imagine you’re there in person!
We’re glad it’s not just us.
Even this morning’s Nashik Times bemoans the fact that it’s hotter than it ought to be. “The mercury is pushing 40°” as they scientifically explain. The lows this year are the same as the highs in previous years, and with at least 2-3 months to go until the relief of the monsoon, it could be a trial of stamina.
We’re so far managing without air-conditioning in our apartment. We have ceiling fans that helpfully circulate the warm air - but at least keep it ventilated.
The trick is to open the windows as soon as the outside air temperature drops below that inside (which is about 10pm) and then close them when it rises again (about 8am) - whilst trying to avoid having to listen to the wailing stray dogs and horn-tooting drivers in between. We’re becoming expert at this hysteresis.
But we’re holding up fine so far. The heat doesn’t seem to affect the kids at all. (Athletically running around caves after having climbed up a sun-parched mountain, above, for example).
Suffering most seems to be James’ computer. Apple clearly never test their equipment outside of pleasant air-conditioned offices. We need to have a huge desk fan pointed at the back of it to keep him productive, and even then its rubber feet have melted to the desk.
Ah! The joys of the Indian Summer.
The girls are slowly going native.
Evie’s gaining her Hindi teacher’s accent, Jayne’s wearing salwar kameez to work.
And now, matching hers’n'hers henna.
But this is no rebelliousness. In fact Evie is pleased now that she finally has hands like the rest of the girls in her class.
Now, if they could just do it in pink…
A couple of Saturdays ago we managed to grab the last of the harvests - in this case it was the die-hard Cabernet Sauvignon.
As both J and E were keen to find out what Mummy does exactly at Sula Vineyards besides drinking wine all day, I took them on a bite-sized tour. It started off with some grape crushing, a lot of tank fermenting, a bit of barrel ageing and sparkling wine production and finally the area they got very excited about - the bottling room.
They were captivated and I’m a proud Mum. Maybe Sula should consider “The Sula Summer Camp” (age 4 - 94) by way of diversification…
These caves are a strenuous hike up one of the many steep mountains around Nashik. Be warned - if you ever plan on visiting us Jex and Evie have already put these amazing series of architecturally excavated caves at the top of the list of things to show you.
Fortunately, there’s a very inviting waterpark at the bottom. Phew.
Our ‘Real Mango’ Cornflakes reveal something interesting about Indian culture. Whereas in the US or Europe, such marketing would be about your health, physical well-being, and probably an outdoors lifestyle, the spin here is very different.
After all, who wouldn’t want to eat a breakfast cereal that helps you think smarter and improve your mental abilities? Boost adults’ performance at work and their children’s at school?
Certainly not a society that considers educational success above all else as India’s does!
I recently ordered some camera equipment (from an Indian supplier on the excellent ebay.in, as it happens).
India is a superpower in the ascendency, a hotbed of entrepreneurial ambition, and fuelled by a knowledge-based economy.
It is also a country where they hand-stitch the post.
(Turns out to have been a good call though… this little quilted pack kept the contents in perfect condition on what must have been an arduous cross-country journey)
So Jex rather threw down the gauntlet with his superb photography debut. But as well as being his camera wallah on the walk through the old town, I managed to grab a few snaps too.
We are beginning to think of most of Nashik as a clean, modern city (although I don’t recall that being my first impression when we arrived). The old town is a different place altogether.
But the old town is a slice of medieval chaos - smells, colours, animals, foods, goods, people and vehicles all intensely blended together.
The fruit markets at the top of the hill are a photographer’s delight, although we passed on the finger food this time.
As you descend towards the river, the buildings get older and the road narrower. It’s still frantic, but step off the road into a side street, and it’s easy to find quiet, colourful patches of light.
Look harder and you’ll find intricate, wooden-carved houses - my chance to try some Ansel Adams techniques.
Eventually we reach the bottom of the hill and emerge out onto the edge of the Godavari river. It hosts the 12-yearly Kumbh Mela so provides wide open stretches of worship-worthy river bank, peppered with various shrines.
Crossing the river and looking back, you can see the old town tumbling down the south bank of the river. We find a cluster of rickshaw drivers cleaning (the underside of) their steeds.
Tuk-tuk-tuk up the hill again, and we’re back into the modern India of cash machines and coffee shops.
The boys go for a walk through the Old Town in Nashik. All photos brought to you by this week’s guest photographer, Jex.
So enjoy a brilliant glimpse of a frantic Indian market town from a 5 year old’s perspective…
There are many more like these on Flickr. Equipment? One blue Vtech Kidizoom.
