in the indian jungle, still.

We are in the Indian jungle still, only a different Indian jungle from before. We have spent so much time in Indian jungles lately that the other night, when Germany kicked the goal and the boys at Our Home set off celebratory fireworks, I woke up at 3am and thought 'oh yeah, that's just the crackers to scare away elephants'. True jungle girl.

So yes. We are back at Our Home (this was our visit last year) and back spending time with some amazing children. And learning how to do some new things- like build an outside shower (see below). I would have shown you a picture of the finished thing but as I may have mentioned, jungle internet is about as fast as it is a jelly bean. After 45 minutes of waiting for the picture to load I decided that you will have to use your imaginations...so imagine this brilliant bamboo floor enclosed in bamboo mat walls and no roof, banana plants on a terrace behind (a terrace we de-rocked last year!) and a view of the many greens of the jungle in front. Our shower. It is especially good when nobody walks past unexpectedly while you are bathing, the wall being just that little bit low. 

Right now I am sitting, gazing at that sea of green and listening to the rustle of bamboo. It is rest time, the children are dozing or finding ways to entertain themselves and it is so peaceful I can hardly comprehend the busyness with which you are met in Kalpetta (nearest town and baaaad place). How can it be, when here all we hear is the jungle, occasionally pierced with the yells of the boys playing soccer or the call to prayer echoing around us? It is though, and here are some pictures to prove it...

Kalpetta, where truck drivers have no foresight and movie posters are too good to be true. And in case that wasn't enough, the other day when we were battling its mean streets, we found a plastic birthday candle shaped like a lotus flower that plays 'Happy Birthday" when lit. No, I'm not joking, and yes, we did buy it. And then we went back to the jungle, where building sites look like this:

and the sky looks like this:

We love the jungle. Later I am going to make juggling balls out of balloons and rice with the boys and teach the girls to origami cranes (after I have practiced myself, so they will all be so impressed with what a paper wizard I am). And then I'm going to learn how to make egg puffs, the best boiled egg and pastry combination that ever there was. Perhaps I'll even pass on the recipe.

p.s. in case you want to check it out and don't already know, this is what Our Home is all about. And a very big thankyou to everyone who supported us on our weekend fundraiser this week. You are all brilliant.