Pop pop V

(Dec 29 5:30 p.m.)
The only thing we did today was to leave Kochi at 9 a.m. and drive
to Coimbatore (about five and a half hours). It was scary. The
drivers have no sense of danger and when they decide to pass, they
simply move into the right lane. There were a couple of close shaves.
Our driver was no better than the rest of them. Even though we were
in no hurry at all, he was driving as if we were being rushed to a
hospital. Chandran, in particular, feels that he was putting other
drivers at risk by driving off auto rickshaws and motor bikes off the
road and playing chicken with oncoming traffic. There is no point in
telling him not to drive so fast because it is in his nature to drive
like that. The reason Indians are so religious and have so much faith
in God is because it is only God's will that they do not meet bad
accidents on the road.
Thanks for the pictures of the snow on the deck and Noah and Hannah.
My Indian bank account is working as smoothly as in the U. S. I
went to a branch just a block away from here and withdrew $1000 with
no hitch at all! All establishments accept rupees from me without any
question.
A funny incident: Yesterday, when we were on the boat in the
backwaters of Kerala and stopped for lunch. We were taken to this
little building and sat down at our tables. A guy brought banana
leaves and put one in front of each of us. Nicky asked Sara what it
was and she said it was a banana leaf. And Nicky began worrying that
he was supposed to eat it and started fussing. He was quite relieved
that he didn't have to do that.