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That last line in the last post was all part of our plot to keep our parents clueless about our surprise arrival today! And clueless they were. Shocked, confused, and overjoyed. Brian, Kate, and Aria picked us up from the airport to take us home. It's a good and long-awaited day.

The travels have left us relishing memories and experiences. We are satisfied and ready to be home. So, thus ends the blog. Thanks for reading and keeping in touch.

Much love,

Andrew and Kristin

Trains

We woke up at 5 and took a shared jeep 3 hours to the train station.
It took about an hour for the jeep to fill and then we were off on the
beautiful drive down the mountain. Women waded through seas of green
as they furiously picked tea leaves. Everything looks so magically
beautiful with the striking contrast of green and sudden bursts of
bright colors flowing from women's saris. Even while breaking rocks
with sledge hammers (which is often seen on the road side) women wear
the saris and jewelry.

The train from Darjeeling to New Delhi would have been our longest
train experience yet, so we decided to pay a little more money and
travel on the express train. The Rajdhani Express makes less stops
and serves meals, tea, and snacks for free.

It was our nicest Indian train experience. The food was an Indian
version of airplane food, but it was filling and good. Plus free
water bottles! No steady procession of salemen and people asking for
food or money. Overall it was quieter and clean. The route took us
through rural areas with fields of rice and swollen tributaries. The
remoteness and hardships of rural Indian life is apparent even from a
window of a passing train. Terraced rice fields, banana tree
plantations, and green ponds reflecting clouds lined in water lilies.
Muscular buffalos. People farming and squatting. Always the beautiful
sari colors. The landscapes were rich in beauty.

We have a brief Delhi interlude before heading down south.

Last Day in Darjeeling

During the day it is usually foggy, making it a treat to glimpse the
mountains surrounding Darjeeling. But, we woke up early one morning
and the higher clouds were leaving the peaks in clear view. The
rising sun was a fiery orange throwing soft pinks against the
iridescent white of the Himalayas. This lasts some brief moments, but
it is breathtaking.

We've been going on little walks around the city often in the late
mornings after it warms up. One steep and long trail took us to a
gompa or a Buddist temple. The temple is perched on the edge of the
mountain surrounded by tall green trees and flower bushes. The
shifting fog added to the mystery. The temple is brightly painted as
if by set of 6 magic markers. Prayer wheels and sun-bleached and wind-
torn prayer flags surrounded the temple.

On our way back we tried a delicious new snack: chips made of smashed
chickpeas coated in salt, chili powder, and lime. It's soooo good!
We are surprised we can still find new foods and snacks and be so
impressed. Then we sat and watched a monkey family. They are so
entertaining to watch while jumping and hanging from everything. It's
wild how similar their faces and fingers are to ours. Maybe that is
why they never cease to capture our attention.

We found a place that sells "real coffee" as advertised. It's been a
familiar comfort and a regular stop in our days.

We've leave on an overnight train back to Delhi tomorrow.