Our time in Kerala was particularly enlightening in this respect because it illustrated for us the diversity of the country as a whole. Here the lush tropical feel differed significantly from the dusty, dry agricultural plateaus of the North.
When Kevin Hartt and Jeannine Colaco announced their engagement and plans to be married in Goa in mid-October 2010, we initially thought we wouldn't attend, however much the notion of participating in an Indian wedding appealed. Then, after attending a presentation on a family visit to India at Plymouth Church last Spring, we decided we really did want to return, if only to expose ourselves to more Indian culture and history.After all, no visitor to the United States could ever claim New York City, New Orleans, San Francisco and Las Vegas with a side trip to Yosemite or Yellowstone alone truly encompassed all that America had to offer. Why should we expect a single "highlight tour" visit to India would do the same?
Once we decided to go back, we briefly entertained the notion that we could put together an independent tour of our own devising. That idea ran up against reality fairly quickly: we realized we had no idea where else we should go or what we should see beyond all the places we had already visited!
Fortunately Overseas Adventure Travel came through with a newly devised itinerary, "Soul of India", which provided just what we wanted on a tour of the South, one highlighting aspects of Indian life and culture only hinted at on our earlier tour.
Even better, four other couples we have known for ages - Diane and Dave Hartt, Peggy and David Sloan, Bobbie and Chuck Price, Gail and Ramsey Coates - will be at the wedding as well. All of them will be traveling before or after the festivities, too, which means we'll all have lots of stories to share once we're back in Shaker Heights!
And now, some ten days before we leave, everything (we hope) is in place - we are all ready to go, and our anticipation of what lies ahead is clearly on the rise!
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