The advantage of meeting all those relatives was that I could ask them a lot of questions about our ancestors. And finally, I have put three family trees together – two for my paternal grandparents’ and maternal grandparents’ side and one for Sharmila’s maternal grandparents’ side. One goes 5 generations up (from our generation), one goes 4 generations up and one goes 3 generations up. The one I have not been able to put together is Sharmila’s paternal grandparents’ side.

Yet.

I think I have made the most of my parents’ absence this trip!! I wanted to get this put together for posterity before deaths take away all the sources of information from me.

The goal was to visit as many relatives as I could since I did not have to be with my parents any more. Let’s see who all I met this time:

Sharmila’s and my immediate family members: 13
First cousins: 10
First cousins, once removed: 9
First cousins, twice removed: 2

I am marking this a “Mission Accomplished”

Arrived in Delhi for my onward flight with about 8 hours to spare. Was enough time to meet yet another first cousin, first cousin once removed and a first cousin twice removed. In fact saw the twice removed fellow for the first time in my life!

It is pretty evident that some things have not changed for me… the curiosity about two wheels, the disdain for hair on the head, the comfort with shorts… These two pictures are separated by over 55 years!!