south asia.

The trip was very long.  But it’s over.  It’s good to be on solid ground, and to have a bed to stretch out in at night.

First impressions of our new city?

It’s nIcer than Addis.  Maybe more like Nairobi.  Or parts of Barbados.

I love the green.  Big, shady green trees.  Lots of palms. Green plants and bright, tropical flowers on balconies … hibiscus, bougainvillea, croton.

It’s noisy.  And crowded.  And smelly.  You hear about the noise and the people and the smells, but nothing can really prepare you for it.  There are cows everywhere, meandering through streets, nosing through trash on the sidewalks.  You ride in the car and stare out the window, wide-eyed.  There is way more to take in than there is time for the senses to catch up.

I think our kids are in shock.  Judah, especially.  He cannot get over the noise.  Every car horn or dog bark he hears … “Mommy, what’s that?”

They are tired and pale and clingy.  They look like how I feel (and how I look too, I’m sure).

The jet lag is a weight of exhaustion and shaky limbs and lurching stomach.

We are staying with our friends, Richey and Keli, who you may remember from our month in New York.  Our friends, Cartee and Colleen, live nearby.  The warmth of their welcome is like a blanket wrapped around tired shoulders.  We are anxious to get into our own apartment soon, but the hospitality and good cooking and extra hands of our friends are a comfort in these overwhelming first days.  I don’t know what we’d do without them.