On May 24th Roshini and I left for the South, travelling to Delhi by overnight train, and then the next day around mid-day we took the flight to Cochin. Appu and Usha picked us up at the airport and we stayed in that evening.
The next day, the first thing we did was to go to an eye hospital to consult an ophthalmologist about Roshini's recurrent dry eyes problems and the related irritations. At last Roshini is satisfied with the diagnosis and advice, because the doc happens to be a fellow-sufferer. She has accepted that there's nothing to be done except to keep the eye lubricated with the eye-drops that he too was using.
We celebrated this achievement by lunching at Itty's a quaint joint built with bamboo, and followed it with ice cream at the parlour below known as "The 3rd Place" (as these two were part of a cluster of three eating joints). The main meal and the ice cream were both really good.
Late in the afternoon we visited Joe’s family but found only Aswathy, Lisa, Tia and Aswathy’s father at home, as James had gone off to see the floating book exhibition that Operation Mobilisation had brought to Cochin. Anyway, we had a good visit and big spread of a high tea. Here we are with Aswathy and Tia.
After that visit we went straight to Mamalassery, the home of D’Chechy and family. I had gone there some 20 years before. Here’s a picture of Priscilla and Chackon’s daughter Hannah, whom I had last seen when she was just a baby in 2004, and of Gia, Shwetha and Kitchu’s daughter, whom I had never seen before.
Hannah
Roshini with Gia
It was a fantastic treat to see Shana, whom I had last seen in 2002, while she was carrying Eric.
On Saturday, 28th, we went on a long road trip to visit old aunts in Trivandrum. Since it was a long drive, we halted with Roshini’s cousin Raichayan in Thumpon
While I did not manage to catch my aunts Hitse Ammachy and Amini Kochamma in their homes, Roshini was able to meet her aunt Molly Kochamma.
We stayed the night at Roshini's cousin Aniyanchayan and Sallyko's beachfront home at Kovalam, though they were away in the US of A. I wished I didn't have to go on to the hospital but just stay at their house and get my massages.
On the 30th morning we set out for Chingoli, where the Ayurvedic Hospital, I was to get treatment at, is located
En route we stopped at NISH (National Institute of Speech & Hearing), as it is here
that Roshini and her siblings and cousins have all contributed donations to memorialise their parents.
We had an upstairs room. Our typical morning rituals were: Roshini drinking tea and looking out on the road
Susheela who brought us our food and tea for our visitors
Breakfast was usually the best meal, because I could have something sweet.
Roshini’s Chachen (uncle/mother's only brother) and Amai (aunt) and
my cousin Georchayan and Mollykochamma visited us at the hospital. Both the couples did this when I was at this hospital back in 2003 too.
Roshini's cousin Biju and his wife Suja also visited us, but some how we lost the pix taken with them.
On the day we left Chingoli, we got some pix of the church and its artifacts. The flag pole at the entrance is made of copper.
Traditional lamp
The hearse is pulled by mourners.
During the excavations and renovations the most ancient well in the region was discovered on the premises of the church. 
The next day, the first thing we did was to go to an eye hospital to consult an ophthalmologist about Roshini's recurrent dry eyes problems and the related irritations. At last Roshini is satisfied with the diagnosis and advice, because the doc happens to be a fellow-sufferer. She has accepted that there's nothing to be done except to keep the eye lubricated with the eye-drops that he too was using.
We celebrated this achievement by lunching at Itty's a quaint joint built with bamboo, and followed it with ice cream at the parlour below known as "The 3rd Place" (as these two were part of a cluster of three eating joints). The main meal and the ice cream were both really good.
After that visit we went straight to Mamalassery, the home of D’Chechy and family. I had gone there some 20 years before. Here’s a picture of Priscilla and Chackon’s daughter Hannah, whom I had last seen when she was just a baby in 2004, and of Gia, Shwetha and Kitchu’s daughter, whom I had never seen before. 
Roshini with Gia Gia with yours truly
Thampichayan, Roshini, Shwetha, Priscilla, Shana, Usha, Evan, Viju and Hannah
Viju, Eric, T'chayan's great nephew, Dinchechy, Nisha, Shana
It was a fantastic treat to see Shana, whom I had last seen in 2002, while she was carrying Eric.
While I did not manage to catch my aunts Hitse Ammachy and Amini Kochamma in their homes, Roshini was able to meet her aunt Molly Kochamma. 
On the 30th morning we set out for Chingoli, where the Ayurvedic Hospital, I was to get treatment at, is located
En route we stopped at NISH (National Institute of Speech & Hearing), as it is here
that Roshini and her siblings and cousins have all contributed donations to memorialise their parents.
It was late afternoon by the time we checked in at the Sri Rama Krishna Hospital in Chingoli. I was admitted there for a total of 19 days of Ayurvedic treatment for cervical spondylitis, lower back pain, osteoarthritis and pain in the ankles and soles.
We had an upstairs room. Our typical morning rituals were: Roshini drinking tea and looking out on the road
Doing morning devotions
Breakfast was usually the best meal, because I could have something sweet.
Roshini’s Chachen (uncle/mother's only brother) and Amai (aunt) and
my cousin Georchayan and Mollykochamma visited us at the hospital. Both the couples did this when I was at this hospital back in 2003 too.Roshini's cousin Biju and his wife Suja also visited us, but some how we lost the pix taken with them.
On her occasional walks, Roshini discovered an ancient Syrian Orthodox Church dating back to AD 829, which was rebuilt in 1581 and renovated in 2007.
On the day we left Chingoli, we got some pix of the church and its artifacts. The flag pole at the entrance is made of copper.
Traditional lamp
The hearse is pulled by mourners.
We left Chingoli by taxi on the morning of June 18th and reached our niece Nisha's flat in Cochin by lunch time to be welcomed by Dinchechy, Thampichayan and Nisha.
The best surprise was to discover my cousin Renu was back in the country. She came to see us with her daughter Ankita.
Another visitor was Roshini’s college mate Usha Menon. It was good to see her again after many years.
On June 20 when we got to the airport, we bumped into Liz Thomas who used to teach at the Aligarh Muslim U. We checked in together so that she was the one who shared the row with us on the flight from Cochin to Delhi.
We left Nisha's home at 8.30 in the morning and flying from Cochin to Delhi via Bombay, and taking a second flight to Lucknow, took all of 12+ hours. It was raining heavily, but thankfully Rev J T Raja was there to pick us up.
