Utorda Beach, Goa

We cannot leave the country at the moment as baby Duuk has no papers, and when he does get them he can leave but not come back. We had also missed the big easter exodus from Bangalore so decided to get away for a few days before I had to get back to work and we picked Utorda Beach in Goa. Nice family friendly resort, good food, nice weather, endless pools and a great wide clean beach.

With 3 kids and a driver our luggage does no longer fit in the car so we had to buy a new roof rack too....no we did not drive to Goa, just to the Airport. Goa is a 50 min flight only from Bangalore.

For baby Duuk it was his first holiday, or adventure as we call them. But he was very well prepped by big brother Rick on how these things work and so he behaved as if he had done it all a million times before, our beach boy.

Everybody was ready for some relaxing:

 in their own way

 just swimming, sleeping and lounging.

We decided that the baby was ready for the pool and he loved it and Rick & Kaat loved having him in the water.

Duuk was so relaxed being swayed back and forth in the water that he would fall asleep!

Kaat & Rick spend 80% of the time in the water.

 Rick ventured out quite far alone with the floaties. Kaat was brave but only with dad or mom around. We where commandeered into the water frequently.

 Getting ready for the water took some time - 3 kids with swim clothes, sun screen etc and then our own and dividing who would look after who.

 The beach was big, clean and safe but as the sea was quite rough and hence not appealing to the kids for long or at all as they could not do anything alone we did not spend too much time in the salt water.

 It was pretty, hot & hazy.

 Our biggest adventure was Mr Rick putting his hat down a pool drain. He was in tears when it did not come back out. He had wanted to see how far it could go. This was right around siesta time so there was hardly anyone else near the pool except personnel. There was a bit of trial and discussion as to where that drain pipe was going, in which process we found a yellow little car. I said to Rick his hat had turned into a car after which he asked me to turn it back into a hat. When the maintenance crew showed up with shovels and 1 man in swim shorts and started digging a hole in the plants of to the left on the picture we got a little worried. Fortunately the guy in swim trunks only needed to stick his arm into the tank to retrieve the hat. Rick's reaction whilst holding the yellow car and looking at that and the retrieved hat: "You found another one!"

We managed to all just get a little pink, including Duuk, but nothing to serious or painful.

 And we even managed to have elaborate dinners and sample the multicultural-Indian-Portuguese-Goan cuisine with the help of our most favorite and flexible sitter - the iPad

 and the other kids present who where all also in for running around endlessly.

So we saw nothing but the resort for 4 days. Next time we will do the forts, the spice plantations, the elephant rides, lunch at the beach shacks, fishing etc etc.

Bangalore Palace

The build of the Bangalore palace was started in 1862 - and was intended for 'just' a school principal. In 1873 though it was bought by the British state who was responsible for the upkeep of the loyal prince and hence needed a house for him to stay at. So since 1874 the house is in the hands of the Royal Family of Mysore (Hindus). Building works where not completed till 1944 so it is a reasonably modern building that looks somewhat like Windsor Castle. 

Inside the museum appears to be mainly focussed at celebrating the grand life of the Maharajas of Mysore with loads of statues, pictures, trophies etc etc. Entrance prices are steep at INR 400 or 500 for foreigners and just INR 100 for Indian nationals and with a camera fee of INR 650 per camera. Despite those charges and the venue being used for concerts and horse races (the gardens and land around the palace) it is still in a somewhat dilapidated state.

The giant Elephant head, a hunting trophy, is impressive but also cracked in quite a few places.

The grand room is nice with chandeliers in many different colors but also only 1 of the few rooms with furniture in it to look at or even open.

The grand staircase

Baby Duuk soaking up the culture in his hometown (pictures are from Monday April 22nd so he is already bigger again!) showing us one of his first laughs or grins. The museum offers an audio tour which is very fancy but maybe a little too detailed.

The whole place is covered in hunting pictures & trophies.

and the outbuildings hint at how nice the place must have been some years back but are now deserted, overgrown and not open to visitors.

The carriages look quite nice from far off but also are in bad shape with the 1 or 2 best ones (not pictures) used for tourist horse drawn carriage trips over the grounds.

To pay the bills the place is also used to shoot movies and filming was in progress in the courtyard of the family quarters, there where the maharaja spend his time with the ladies from the Zenana, the day we where there.

Duuk tried for a long time to stay awake and take it all in but fell asleep in the end whilst we dutifully tried to follow the audio tour.

 The use of teh palace grounds for horses and horse racing is of all times as the old Jockey chair to weigh and measure them shows.

 Not very impressive compared to most of the gorgeous buildings the royals in India have built over the centuries but in our backyard and interesting enough to make for a fun few hours.

From Big Rick to Dodda Rick

Our big boy Rick out of all of us took the most time to adjust to living in Bangalore. But we believe that after 4.5 - 5 months here he has settled in. We put a stop to the diapers, which he used as a power struggle with us. At school he was potty trained even during nap time, and so now he was more settled we had him out of a diaper in no time only costing us 2 small toy bribes. Now, 6 or 7 weeks later he has only had 2 accidents. At school he is also happy and he is making friends again, asking endless questions and smiling lots and telling us his endless stories 90% of the time. Any drama we are now left with is down to the growing pains & challenges. 2 months shy of his 4th birthday he is our big boy (dodda in the local dialect), but to most others he is still small. He is still perfect and the creation we are most proud off - after all he is and will always be our first!

Rick has a very vivid imagination and so sometimes I help him by building some things he can use in his enacted stories for which he is usually very very grateful.

 Re-enacting tv stories or books is also favorite past time - here with papa the cans are robot batteries and walkie talkies.

 Everyone who will listen (or not) gets a story, including baby Duuk.

Some of them go on,...

and on,...

and on - happily for 20 min or more, uninterrupted.

 Rick is also super curious, has an amazing memory and ability to process information and loves treasures of all kind - here a squid bone.

Rick also loves loves loves the water - and the subject of 'his family' which is mentioned frequently and any time we do anything with 'my whole family' such needs to be pointed out by Rick with a big satisfied grin.

Adventures, like swimming after dark, or planting mini coconuts in our roof garden are also very much welcomed by Rick and will be remembered easily for weeks if not months.

By now Rick also understand how parties in India function and within seconds Rick will have parked his shoes in the boxes near the bouncy castle, found the popcorn machine and identified the food choices and what he wants to eat. He can find us back, at ever changing tables, in any of the major hotels from the play area. He also knows the order of events and hence often has prime location by the time the cake is presented always willing to help blow out the candle and determin a suitable piece of the cake for him and Kaat with the cake cutter.

Ajja Opakees

Opa Kees & Elena came to visit 2.5 weeks ago. If you say it very fast Opakees almost sounds like an Indian name. Ajja is Opa in Kanada, the local dialect, and is also easy. So Ajja Opakees is our normal Opa Kees, visiting in Bangalore. Apart from all the touristy things we did Ajja was also very busy being Opa as you can tell from this impression of the 6 days:

Opening and trying out all the presents.

Posing with grand child # 5. Ajja declared he had found a perfect way to get him asleep and offered teaching on the method after making it work once - proudly -;)

 Playing games with Rick

and Kaat (who wears that dress every other day - when it is not being washed effectively - which is why you see it in ALL the blog pictures)

Helping babysitting at the Shell family party by helping Kaat with her iJumping and taking Rick to the big boys room at the hotel (not pictured) - Yes Opa that happens if you only define you don't want to change diapers; You are on duty the week they are out if it.

and being the pillow for Duuk to sleep on (Elena)

 and otherwise being bossed around by both Rick & Kaat

and with a grandson being born in India - you have to adapt.

Meet Ajja Opakees!

Koningin Kaatje in India - 27 months

Our Queen (Koningin) Kaatje is doing just fabulous in India. 

She is happy, very very assertive, chatting loads and getting better at it every day, full on in princess phase whilst still getting super dirty on every opportunity, sweet, caring and also often demanding and very persistant. She is popular at school and with all 4-6 yr old boys. She is happy 95% of the time, still a milk monster, energetic and focussed on Kaat (I, I, I) but also wants to hold the baby or happily brings Rick his share of whatever. Our girl loves the pool, although she cannot swim yet and she is somewhat married to the iPad (if we let her). Kaat is either on or off, and once she decides she is ready to sleep she is gone in 2 seconds...no matter where. 

Here a short impression of our little queen in her current phase: