It is funny, going through the thoughts we had on our re-entry into the ease of the Western World. Some time has passed, and we find that the miracle we had heard and read about has happened: In spite of all our protestations to the contrary, especially while we were there, we all long for India, for Asia, for the exotic. We are among the addicted. (We ran into several addicted travelers--on their third or ninth or 13th trip to India-- who all spoke about this phenomenon.)

Looking back at everything we wrote about India and Amsterdam we all feel a little silly. It wasn't all diarrhea, empty ATM's, crazy monkeys, and terrorizing touts, or miracles of cleanliness and sanity in little Dutch shoes. But looking at what we wrote, it sure seems that way. But that was then and this is now, and the farther away we get from it all, the more we can think about it.

On our houseboat Samantha writes e-mails to old friends back in Alaska, half a world away.

The truth is we can't wait to go back to India! It's one thing to be there, when you're full of mixed emotions about loving it and hating it and just trying to deal with each day as it comes. It wipes you out and makes you angry and tired, but in the end you're stronger from it all. And it's exhilarating!

Although no trip is ever the same, we know a little bit about what is out there now, what to expect (mostly the unexpected) and we are more sure of our strengths and have a new found optimism. It has taught us where we'd like to go back to, what kind of places we will seek next time (oh we DO hope there is a next time). Of the places we'd like to visit, the exotic, the difficult, the different sings to us.

We suppose that the ideal journey would ricochet back and forth between the two cultures, but that is hardly practical. As George says, two weeks in Amsterdam and we'd be ready to go on to the hard travel again. (That figure is more likely proportional to the amount of time spent elsewhere, but. . . ).

So please forgive all our babbling and whining about how tough it was and how clean Amsterdam was. It was at the time . . . but a week's worth of giardia treatment and cheese therapy later, and it all looks so much different.

Of all the gifts our journey has given us, our time in India was the best. It changed us the most, it gave us new eyes. . .