Mangalore, India pictures

A pedi-cab like ours

Hmmm!

Mangalore advertising

Fresco in St. Aloysius church

sign outside the church

View from 3 wheeled cab

Luxor, Egypt pictures

Road to the Temple at Luxor

Colonnade at the Luxor Temple

The size
of the temple is incredible

Statue of one of the Kings and Queen

Another view of colonnade

b

Yep! This is still the mode of travel in the country

Two story homes along ride to Luxor 

Me playing with band at Luxor Sheraton

Queen Hatsheput's Temple

This statue is near entrance to the Valley of the Kings

Entrance to Temple

Cairo, Egypt pictures and Suez Canal

Pyramids

Camel rides - they hold tourists hostage for more money to let them off

Back of pyramid with entrance and excavation tents

Sunset as we entered the MED

The sphinx

Camels on the desert

Mosque at Port Said

Jack at pyramid with the original smooth top

Viet Nam pictures

Janet in the pedicab

Cart full of melons

Produce market

Boats at rest on the river

Bonsai garden at Buddhist Temple

Emperor's Palace

Typical narrow and long Vietnamese house

Palace grounds, Hue

Incense for sale

Marketplace lanterns

Making the conical hats

Jack in the pedi-cab

Rice field with water buffalo

2010 Hong Kong to Athens -Cairo, Egypt

2010 Hong Kong to Athens – Cairo

We arose at 4:00 AM to dress, eat, meet and leave by 5 AM. We were a few minutes late leaving because they hadn’t unlocked the gates at Port Said. We walked out to the busses which were again going by caravan with guards. We did find out that since the German tourists were killed in 1997 the government decided to send guards with every tour bus. I was relieved to know it was not just that we were Americans but was done to help protect   the almighty tourist income.

With our 3 ½ hr bus ride we were expected to get to the pyramids around 8:30. Well, traffic jams intervened as well as stoppage of all traffic on the outer ring for a cavalcade for an “important visitor”. We saw the “important person” at the pyramids with bodyguards in their dark suits. We certainly did not recognize him. Maybe it was a rock or movie star. Anyway, we finally arrived at 9:40 AM. The bus we had was air conditioned and comfortable with a bathroom. That was good since there are no restrooms at the pyramids. The bad thing was after a couple hours the light in the bus bathroom went out and was never able to be fixed. I can’t describe how much fun it is to use the restroom in a moving, rocking, turning bus when you can’t see a thing. Excitement reigned.

The pyramids are impressive. They are now fenced off. Arriving so late we did not have an opportunity to go into the tomb. The camel rides are still there. The city of Cairo is so much bigger and more developed than when I was there 15 years ago. Development of middle class surrounding cities, which we would call suburban sprawl, is taking over the desert. The cities have apartments, small homes, and even upscale villas which sell for @ $200,000 American dollars equivalent. Based on the square footage they would be $500,000-$1,000,000 here. It appears that they finish all the building before anyone moves in. That may be because no property taxes are owed on property until it is finished. So no one finishes their individually built houses. They are left unpainted or not quite finished.

Although the traffic in Cairo is still exciting,  it actually seemed a little more controlled than 15 years ago. The traffic lights are still “decoration” unless the police are there. Lanes are very fluid but now they at least start out in the lanes before driving between them. Last time, no lanes were maintained at all.

After the pyramids it was on to the Sphinx. Well there is now an outside amphitheater in front of the Sphinx so the long view is gone. Progress sometimes does not seem like progress to me. Then to a hotel for lunch. Again, it is cautious eating.

We had to skip a shopping stop (awww) then wound through the city which has developed lots of 5 star hotels and upscale shopping to the Cairo Museum. That is a great museum. They have all the smaller statues from all over the country as well as all the stuff from the tomb of King Tut. When I say small statues it just means the statues that were small enough to be moved. They are still in most instances Pharaoh sized which is definitely bigger than life-sized. And of course we saw copies of some King Tut stuff because some of it is on tour. But the gold beds, chariots, all gold everyday things are pretty incredible. And the kid died at 17. Can you imagine what the tombs of Ramses and the other great pharaohs contained before they were robbed? No wonder there were such active grave robbers. By the way, no cameras are allowed in the museum so there are no pictures. We were only in the museum for 1 ½ hours so it was a race to just see a few of the highlights with the guide then 20 minutes on our own.

Back to the bus for the 3 1/2 hour ride home. At least we missed the traffic jam. At the end of the day I realized how lucky I was to have had my first trip to Egypt with just three other friends and our own driver and guide. The cities of Cairo and Luxor (Thebes in historical writings) have grown so much in size and population that the monuments are being swallowed up by people and development. The countryside is dominated by the small 5 acre farms maintained by oxen and handwork. Our guide told about an American tourist who was a farmer. When our guide asked how many acres he farmed he thought the American was joking when he told him he had 200 acres and three of them (brother, son, and himself) did the work. Then he showed him the machinery they used to accomplish it. Our guide went and told his farmer cousin he was a loser. The guide also went to Russia to study the Russian language and was amazed at the green landscape and forests. He felt like he was in a wonderland. That also made me think about the wonderful country we live in that has such a varied landscape. We have the opportunity to see forests, deserts, mountains, plains, lakes, waterfalls, rivers to creeks, beaches and oceans; all the things mentioned in “God Bless America”.  I hope when our country is 5000 yrs old, like Egypt, that Americans will still be enjoying these wonders.

After our long day. the staff of the ship lines up to greet us as we return to board the ship, accompanied by the band playing. It is a welcoming touch. Out last day was packing day but I still had time for bridge. The flight home was  long and uneventful. The flight from JFK was late boarding then we spent one hour and 45 minutes on the tarmac waiting to take off. We arrived in Ft Lauderdale at 12:30 AM which was more than 24 hours since we had arisen. But we are home. The laundry is done, the lawn mowed and groceries bought. It was a wonderful trip. And this is

THE END

2010 Hong Kong to Athens -Luxor Egypt

2010 Hong Kong to Athens

Luxor

Sunday, May 09, 2010

Today was the day of our trek to Luxor. And it was a trek Our port on the Red Sea is not close to Luxor which is on the Nile. We got up at 6:30 am for our 8 am departure. All the busses went together in a convoy, each with an armed guard on board. That is real reassuring! When I was here 15 years ago there were armed guards in public places but now there are manned checkpoints all along this new highway. Everyone has to go through and they are one way. It is like driving around the cones in Driver’s Ed but these are gates. Our line of busses didn’t have to wait too long but at one point I counted 28 buses, cars, trucks, and carts waiting to get through coming the opposite way. These check points have raised guardhouses with rifles pointed out the windows so I guess they mean business. Anyway, it was a 3 ½ hr bus ride one way.

We arrived in Luxor in time for lunch. We ate at the Sheraton Hotel which was the same hotel we stayed at last time. After lunch it was on to the Valley of the Kings on the other side of the Nile. Now there is a nice paved road, a visitor center (unairconditioned) and a tram that takes you about 200 yds up the hill to near the first tomb. The tomb entrances have been improved and there is now two way walking traffic in and out of them. They have added acrylic panels in front of the walls so you can’t touch. The guide are no longer allowed in the tombs so you have to get the info outside before you enter. It was 45 degrees Celsius today. For those who don’t have their calculators on hand- that is 120.2 F. What a day!

We stopped for some photo ops at Queen Hatshepsut’s Tomb and the Colossae then back to Luxor for the temple. At least at the temple the huge statues, columns, and walls create a little shade. After an hour there it was back on the bus for our 3 hr plus ride back to the ship. We finished lunch at 1:45 and got back to the ship at 8:45. I was hungry! We ordered room service and sat on the balcony as we left Safaga, Egypt. Jack was under impressed with the tombs but was impressed with the temple. There were so many people at the tombs you really didn’t have any time to contemplate the age and complexity of the hieroglyphics. And we were so hot you couldn’t concentrate. The interesting thing was I was hardly sweating at 120degrees but my face and skin was red. When you licked your lips they tasted salty but we weren’t drenched in sweat. Do any of my scientific friends have a reason for this? Maybe it’s so dry the moisture just evaporates at that point.

May 11, 2010

Yesterday we were in Sharm El Sheik which is a resort town on the Red Sea in Egypt. There was a trip to Mt. Sinai offered but it was another 3+ hours on the bus for an hour there and we just couldn’t do it. Plus it meant getting up at 5 AM to leave at 6:45 AM- NOT! That means at some point I would like to come back and fly to Mt Sinai. Maybe if the stock market goes up I could bring some grandkids in the cooler weather.

Today we are in transit through the Suez Canal. We had a fun white robe breakfast where we were invited to wear our jammies and Oceania white bathrobes in the Terrace dining room and on deck this morning. I wore mine but Jack did not.

Back to the canal. There are no locks. The day is cooler so I am sitting on the balcony as we pass the anchored ships. We are in a northbound convoy going the required 8 knots. The canal is one way with several lakes used for anchor areas. There are two southbound convoys a day and one northbound convoy. We are now passing through the Great Bitter Lake where all the ships on the early southbound convoy are anchored waiting for our convoy to pass so they can again queue up and continue on their southbound way. These lakes are quite wide. Another interesting fact, the canal flows in one direction in the summer and the opposite direction in the winter. Didn’t go to the lecture so I don’t know the reason for that one.

Tomorrow we have to meet at 4:45 AM, yes, that is not a typographical error, to leave for Cairo from Port Said for another 3 ½ hr bus ride each way. I don’t think it will be over 100 tomorrow, hopefully, just in the 80’s. So tomorrow will be another killer long day. It sure was easier last time I was here when we just flew from Cairo to Luxor and back. And there being only four of us was so wonderful with our own driver and guide. But Jack will get a chance to see the pyramids, sphinx, and Cairo museum.

Then we have one day at sea to pack then it is on to Athens and home. That is if everyone is not on strike in Athens or rioting so we can get to the airport and the flights are on schedule. We managed to avoid the worst of the rioting in Bangkok, it picked up the day after we left. It is hard to believe the 35 days are almost over. An 108 day around the world cruise would not be too long! I don’t think we can afford to do that next year though.

This has been a fantastic trip. We’ve met a lot of great people. Since this is such a long cruise, 90% of the people are retired and have traveled extensively so they are all interesting. We have especially liked the Brits, Aussies, Kiwi’s and, of course, the very friendly Canadians.

2010 Hong Kong to Athens -Petra

2010 Hong Kong to Athens

Petra

Yesterday, May 7, 2010, was our trip from the port of Aquaba, Jordan to Petra. Aquaba is at the northern end of the Red Sea. What is interesting about Aquaba is that 1 KM to the west is Eliat, Israel which is Israel’s resort destination on the Red Sea. You can see both towns but there is about a 100 yd space between the two towns where there is nothing. It looks funny but you can tell it is definitely the dividing line between two not particularly friendly countries.

We left at 9 am on our busses to drive the 60 KM to Petra. Jack kept saying it wasn’t going to take two hours to drive the 60 km. Wrong. We had a “happy room” stop but it was mostly uphill. We were on the east side of the Dead Sea though we couldn’t see it and it was mountainous and desert all the way. We passed Aaron’s tomb which was on a high mountain to the west of the road. It made me realize why the Israelite’s grumbled a lot. I can’t imagine spending 40 years wandering around in this territory. It was supposed to reach 104 degrees yesterday. Since we were up in the mountains I think it was more like the high 90’s. Three people suffered a heat stroke, one a twisted ankle walking on the Roman road (as it were) but I was amazed that all the rest of us old folks made it. It was a 6 mile walk through sandstone (ok), but tough going through the sand and uneven limestone pavers. It was downhill going in and thus uphill coming out. We spent 4 ½ hours of straight walking and we were pooped (especially me) at the end. However it was worth every minute.

Petra is a city of tombs and altars carved into the sides of sandstone mountains. When the Romans finally conquered it in ?. The extent of the city is amazing as well as the number of tombs. But just as impressive is the ¾ of a mile walk into Petra. The entrance is called “the siq” or cleft between the rocks. It is like walking through a narrower Grand Canyon. It’s wow,wow, wow. Then at the end you see the Treasury and come into the clearing of the tombs and temples and down and around the curve in the road the amphitheatre and residential area. It is hard to believe it was forgotten for all the centuries until the 19^th Century.

We were very happy to have a rest day because tomorrow we go to Luxor on a thirteen hour tour. Six hours of driving to get there and back and seven hours in Luxor to see the Valley of the Kings and the Temple at Karnak. I figure that is another five hours of walking tomorrow. It will probably be in the 100 degree range again. We should be ready for some “cool” weather in the 80’s when we get home.

You’ll have to excuse the picture placement on next page. I just cannot get these where I want them in Word. I can’t believe we’ll be home in a week. Boo hoo!

2010 Hong Kong to Athens -India- Goa and Taj Mahal

2010 Hong Kong to Athens

Goa and Taj Mahal ( Agra)

Goa

We took a tour of the state of Goa before going to the airport for our flight to Agra. Goa is along the western coast of India north of Mangalore and south of Mumbai ( Bombay). It has a large river and large shipbuilding industry. The district is made up of 427 villages and is 61% Hindu and 30% Catholic. The large Catholic population is due to the influence of Portuguese settlers. English is the predominant language in Goa. The temperature ranges from 34-37 Centigrade. The main industries are mining, mangoes, and fishing. Along the river the fishermen put stakes and nets in the water and just let the fish swim in. The boat traffic consists mostly of barges transporting the bauxite and mango crop down the river to the port of Goa.

We went to two large churches in Goa directly across the street from one another. The first was Bon Jesus where the body of St. Francis Xavier is preserved. Across the street is the basilica of St. Catherine. Why two huge churches? The Franciscan order built the cathedral then the Dominican order built St. Catherine’s then the Jesuit’s built another church and not to be outdone, the Augustinians built a fourth church. All financed by the Portuguese people. All have huge altars covered in gold and the obligatory statues, etc. Ninety per cent of the people in this area are Catholic so at least the churches are being used.

On to Panjim, the capital of Goa. The smallest capital in India. Jack didn’t want to brave walking through the market so we skipped the shopping and sat in the shaded waterside park where there was a peasant breeze. The temperature was in the mid- nineties. On the wide river there were casino boats and one modern powerboat of about 38 feet. I was unable to get a picture but it sure looked out of place. We wondered to whom it belonged. It was a visual reminder of the huge gap between the rich and the standard level of poverty that is prevalent.

Then it was off to the airport. It is amazing that in areas where the weather is so hot that there is not air conditioning in the public buildings. We were traveling on a chartered flight by Kingfisher Air which was late arriving. There were a fans in the waiting area but moving 95 degree air around does not make for a comfortable experience. We were fortunate on the way to Agra. Although we did not get picked in the raffle for the business class seats there were only two in a row in our section of coach and we were in an exit row with the extra legroom.

Agra and Taj Mahal

Our late departure meant we arrived too late to get to the Taj Mahal for the sunset viewing so we went straight to the hotel. The temperature in Agra was 105 degrees F. All the sights in Mangalore were duplicated in Agra: shacks, garbage, traffic mayhem, wandering cows, small business mish-mash, carts, bikes, motorcycles, tuk-tuks, more cars, all honking, men in long pants, women in saris, barefoot kids in shorts, small stands selling tobacco and lottery strips and above all the smell of India.

The Gateway Hotel was behind a wall with a gate, not too far from the Taj Mahal. We can see the spires of the Taj in the distance from the window in our room. We have a very nice renovated room; marble floors, two twin beds, a couch, chair, desk, and marble bathroom. The small wardrobe has lights that turn on when the door is opened as well as a safe. Bottled water is supplied. The quality of the furnishings and equipment is good but the finishes are crude. The installation was obviously done by unskilled labor. However, it is air conditioned and the lighting is ornate and works. The key must be put in the slot by the door for the lights to work which is fine. At our bathroom stop in Goa the lights went out several times in the building we were in and that also happened repeatedly at the hotel. It is evidently a fact of life in India. The electric wires on the street look like the ones in Thailand. Our guide pointed them out and said it took a very talented technician to be able to find the correct wiring when there was a problem. He also said half of the wiring was illegally jumped onto someone else’s line. Electricity is very expensive and although there is a growing middle class, most people cannot afford air conditioners and rely solely on fans even when the heat is 120 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade.

Now a few mind boggling facts. The population of India is 2.5 billion and grows by 20 million per year. The largest employer was the railroad which 17 million people ride each day: inside the cars with open doors, on the roof and hanging off the back of the cars. Wal-Mart has now surpassed the railroad as the largest employer. Motor cycles-35,000 sold every day in India. Honda sells more motor bikes in India than in the rest of the world combined. Cell phones- 250,000 new phones are sold per day in India. Seventy per cent of the population are farmers but they produce 18% of the gross domestic product which means they earn very little. So the farmers get up at 4-5am every day and ride their bikes into the towns to find work. They earn $2-3 per day in town, the women $2.50 per day. The poor go to the cities during the tourist season to find work and live in tents, shacks, etc with all their children. The poor have seven or eight children per family while the growing middle class have one or two children. Indira Gandhi tried to force sterilization on families after two children but they quickly voted her out. There is free education up to age 14 but it is not compulsory so only 1 in 600 people are considered literate enough to put their education to use. Of the national budget; 30% goes to defense, 4% for education, and 2.2% toward health care. Our guide said the Baptists and Presbyterians have come in and done a lot for the people toward education, clothing, and health care. We also saw a lot of Catholic schools which are considered strict and where the children get a good education. The local states are almost autonomous so there is no national policy directing India into the 21^st century. All in all, India seems like a country of mindboggling challenges before much progress can be made.

Dinner was served in the ballroom of the hotel shortly after our arrival at 7 pm. Our guide had mentioned that because cows are sacred in India, no beef is served in India. In the hotels where beef is listed, it is actually buffalo and where lamb is listed, it is goat. Sixty per cent of the population is vegetarian. After eating much more than usual and necessary on the ship, it was easier to be more restrained in the buffet line at the hotel. During dinner we were treated to a family doing folk dances of India. They were very different from the Thai dances- much faster with a lot of pirouettes and the singing sounded very much like our rap music! Afterward there was a magician who showed his secrets and sold the tricks- so we are ready for the grandchildren!

The next morning we were up sat 4 AM to leave at 5AM for the sunrise trip to the Taj. The trip consists of a bus to a closer parking area where we boarded an electric bus to take us to about 200 yards from the Taj wall and gate and then walking the rest of the way. The rest of the way became known as running the gauntlet because of the shops and being continually approached by unrelenting street hawkers selling their wares. We arrived at the gate at 5:20 am and were the first in line. The gates were supposed to open at 5:40. They did open closer to 6 am. We had to go through security machines, 2 lines for men and 1 line for women. Cameras and water bottles were allowed but not much else. The sun was already rising in the sky but it was so hazy there was no sunrise effect on the stone. But the Taj Mahal is a beautiful building, well worth the trip. We had a chance to take many pictures and took a tour of the inside which is very dark and no pictures are allowed. There was a breeze and because of the haze, the temperature, though warm, was comfortable.

The Story of the Taj Mahal

It was built by the Mughal (pronounced mogul) emperor Shah Jehan as a tribute to his wife who died after the birth of her 14^th child. Her tomb is in the middle of the building. On one side of the Taj there was a mosque built and a duplicate building used for nothing on the opposite side for symmetry. The Taj took 20,000 workers 22 years to build. It is constructed of brick and mortar covered with local white marble cut 8 inches thick, all hand cut with wire.  Thirty seven architects worked on the design, thirty four of which were from Iran so it has a Persian design. Fourteen chapters of the Koran are set in the marble as well as inset decorations made of jasper, lapis, carnelian, and black marble. There are large rings attached to the top where during WW II and the war with Pakistan camouflage cloth was hung to cover and disguise it. Now with GPS that would be fruitless. It can be seen on Google earth. Shah Jehan wanted to build a black marble mausoleum across the river from the Taj for himself but was held captive by one of his surviving four sons and buried in a tomb next to his beloved wife in the center of the Taj which ruined the symmetry in the interior space. The grounds around the building represent what heaven is supposed to be like. There are 4 water channels which depict wine, honey, nectar which the Koran mentions will be in heaven. There was also a sunken mango orchard which no one cared for over a period of time and has since disappeared.

Back to the hotel for breakfast and then out again to visit the sandstone former capital of the Mughal empire Fatehpur Sikri. Legend says the city was built, occupied, and deserted in a fourteen year period from 1571-1585AD. However, it is so large within its walls that short period is hard to believe. It reminds one of the Forbidden City in size and the Turkish castle in Istanbul in the layout. There was a place in the courtyard where the concubines stood on a grid to basically form a human Parcheesi game. It was hot, hot, hot. This former city is located in the countryside so our return trip to the hotel was on a toll highway. That was interesting. The road was not formerly a toll road so an SUV two in front of our bus going through the toll booth spent ten minutes arguing about the toll with the toll booth attendant. We pulled into another lane and they were still arguing after we went through. We also got to see a truck loaded with cardboard pull alongside with 8-10 men riding on top. They climbed down at the gate then climbed back up after the gate opened. We saw a tuk-tuk so full that the driver was hanging half outside while driving to fit more people inside and four more men hanging onto the back. Evidently the fare is the same whether you are inside or outside. Our guide spoke about a tuk-tuk driver getting a ticket for carrying 35 people in his taxi which is licensed for 5. The judge threw out the case because he said you couldn’t possibly get 35 in a tuk-tuk. Our guide said he has seen men riding on the hood hanging onto the windshield wipers! Oh, and about the court system. There are 30 million pending cases. It takes 15 years for a case to get to court. Are you getting the picture about the magnitude of the problems?

The area of Agra is a plain west and south of the Himalayas. Its Yamuna River connects to the Ganges River. Potatoes are grown here. Fifty centimeters of rain fall per year although there is currently a drought. The temperatures can get to 120 degrees during the summer months. People come out early and late and stay inside during the day when it is hot. Pollution has been discoloring the white marble on the Taj Mahal which is why they went with the electric busses and are working on lessening the pollution. I understand the skies may clear only a few days a year and that is when the weather is cooler in the winter. The tuk-tuks fuel is propane. Families share a tuk-tuk due to the cost. They last 5 or 6 years. Women rarely drive. Thirty per cent of the people speak Hindi rather than English. Four – five million people come to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal each year but most are from India. Agra is known for its jewels, carpets, marble, and embroidery. It has no international airport. Our chartered Kingfisher flight had to land at the military base. There were once a lot of tigers around Agra. There are now only 1400 tigers left. Hunters can get $50,000 for a tiger. The high point of India was when it was under the control of the British. There were 4000 Indians to 1 Brit. Now there are 200 languages and 800 dialects.

India has become known as Bollywood. Eight hundred movies are produced in India each year. They all have the same story; boy and girl meet and fall in love, encounter problems but live happily ever after. Each movie must have singing and dancing which has nothing whatsoever to do with the story. Indians love to go to movies. They pay from 10 rupees in a shack where someone puts in a DVD to a movieplex at 500 rupees. (A dollar equals 44 rupees)

After an afternoon of shopping at a high end jewelry store and seeing a demonstration at a marble factory, back we went for the sunset version of the Taj Mahal. Since it was still overcast we didn’t expect to see a difference and we didn’t. The change was due to the now large number of Indian tourists. There was a line around the interior mausoleum and large families, all dressed up, taking pictures in front of the Taj Mahal. I had forgotten my camera- duh- but it didn’t make any difference. We just sat on a wall and watched the people. Then the best thing happened. I had a man approach me with his young child of about 6 months. He handed her to me and wanted to take a picture. Sure you can. Then the other school age children slowly approached so I waved them in. Then the two teenage girls looked tentative and I waved them in. So after multiple pictures we were all very happy. That’s when I wish I had taken my camera. So among the dark Indian faces there is a white haired lady with her arm around them. I was flattered that I looked friendly enough to approach. It was the highlight of the day.

After dinner we were supposed to go back for the moonlight on the Taj trip. Since it was still hazy I doubted there would be any difference and we skipped it. Those who went said it did not look any different. The bonus was only 30 were admitted at a time so it was empty. But we had the early morning pictures so I was satisfied. I did not want to run the gauntlet again! Our return to the hotel was exciting. One block from the hotel there was an elephant in the road. He was carrying a large bundle of branches and was walking along the side of the road. The bus stopped so we could take pictures then he walked in front of the bus. His handler finally got him to move. Elephants pretty much get to go where they want to!

We also skipped the trip to the smaller mausoleum and a fort. I went shopping again and still bought nothing. The shopkeepers follow you around trying to help you and I like to wander around and look first. The amount of stuff was overwhelming and I will probably kick myself for not buying anything. It was early to bed after a very long, hot day. Our trip to the airport the next day was uneventful. However it was about 105 again and once through security at the Indian Air Force base we were in a room with fans but no AC. The plane was delayed- again. Thank heavens they brought us water after an hour and the plane finally arrived. There were a lot of us about ready to pass out from the heat.

As we landed in Mumbai (Bombay) we walked down the stairs and the India smell was overwhelming again. I don’t know how people get used to it. Mumbai is a city of 17 million with a skyline and expressways and a lot of cars and traffic. It also has 4.5 million people living in slums. There is a beautiful beach road with park and promenade, tall condo buildings, modern offices, hotels and 1 block away there are slums. Our first photo op stop was at a laundry! Then it was on to the gateway to India on the beach. I stayed on the bus and took a picture to avoid the hawkers again. There are beautiful British Colonial buildings most of which are in disrepair. Most buildings are in disrepair. I wonder in what condition these beautiful new skyscrapers will be in 20 years. The traffic and people are again overwhelming. This is the financial center of India. I don’t know how much progress can be made in this country. The gross domestic product is growing 8-9% a year and there is a growing middle class due to IT but the population is growing so much it will be difficult to make much headway.

I was sooo happy to get back on a ship with air conditioning that works all the time, fluffy white towels, and food that matches the menu description. We sailed away from India. Jack said he was very glad we went to the Taj Mahal because it was beautiful and now we don’t have to return to India. Most of the travelers on the ship feel the same way.

Salalah. Oman

After two days at sea we approached Lala Land. We couldn’t get into the port as scheduled because of “congestion”. Our morning trip left at 12:45 PM and the bus broke down shortly after departure. We had the same girl form the boutique with us when our bus broke down in Viet Nam. This time, however, we were near the beach and we stood under a palm tree in the breeze although the temperature was about 90 degrees F. A replacement bus was sent fairly quickly and we resumed the trip. We drove 60 km. north along the coast to a restored wadi. Hmmm. Then another 20 km. to a cemetery and a mausoleum where a famous sultan (?)was buried. I can’t tell you how dumb we Americans are. We get to a small white building where we must take off our shoes and women wear a head scarf. It is now over 90 degrees. We enter the room where there is something in the shape of a casket for a giant covered by a green tarp. We circle the casket(?) in a single file line and all dutifully take a picture while a man is lying on the floor in the corner. Are we nuts?! Back out in the heat to put on our shoes and get back on the bus. After a stop at a newly constructed port for fishing boats it is back to the ship. Along the highway we stop to watch camels crossing the road. Cross Salalah, Oman off the list of places you must see.

We left Oman at 11 PM to be part of a convoy through the danger zone. Helicopters are not more than 15 minutes away. Armed ships are 30 minutes away. Deck 5 has been armed with water hoses aimed at the sides and deck 9+10 are off limits at night. It is amazing the number of people with binoculars always on the look out. We have extra unspecified security on board. Do these people think the bridge won’t see pirates before they do? Yikes!

Now we have 4 days at sea. Yeah!!!!!!!!!!! Day 2 at sea- we won at bridge. Double yeah!

2010 Hong Kong to Athens -India

Monday, April 26, 2010

Mangalore, India

We have had two more wonderful days at sea. Yesterday was the culmination of a passenger ship building contest. The ships were from salvaged materials from the ship and were judged on appearance, seaworthiness (they had to float in the pool) and ability to carry cargo (6 Coke Cans). It was a blast. All floated except the buoy, (made from a yogurt container) which wouldn’t float upright.

There was a bridge lecture by a fellow passenger from Australia and then more bridge playing so I am a happy camper. Jack has been busy attending all the lectures. We have been playing BINGO and winning! Then last night I even won $134 on the slot machines.

Last night we had another contest before the show. The night before it was about pirates, last night music videos. You can imagine how well I did with those. NOT! Even though they were from different decades starting with the 50’s I needed you kids here! We did get Elvis doing Jailhouse Rock!

We arrived today at Mangalore, India which is on the southwest coast of India. Two evenings ago they evacuated a couple for “advanced medical care” in Sri Lanka. They walked off the ship which was good. Today I can see why Sri Lanka was a better choice than Mangalore, India.

We cancelled our tour and decided to go on our own to town. That was after the destinations manager described Mangalore as a traveler’s city not a tourist city. He also requested we not clean our shoes with the ship’s towels when we returned from the tours. This is a busy, smelly, cargo port. This city consists of red dust and industrial plants. The port smells of ammonia. The shuttle bus took us to the port entrance where there were a variety of “taxis”. The taxi drivers are held back from the tourists/passengers by a policeman with a long rod who contains them to the other side of the road. But to negotiate you have to approach them and then you are surrounded by a swarm of drivers. We passed up the $40 air conditioned car (which was a mistake) and went for the $15 3 wheeled open “taxi”. It was as precarious a ride as the pedi-cab ride in Saigon but dirtier. Between the ammonia smell, diesel bus exhaust, and the “India” smell Jack was tossing his cookies out the side after 10 minutes.

We had gone to the tour lady in the lobby this morning and she wrote down the name of the local market, the church we wanted to see, and a mall where they had a nice “beauty shop” where I could get my nails done. Our taxi driver did not know where the market was even with the name and our map. After several miscues I decided to skip it since I didn’t know whether Jack could take the smells and asked for the church. We went to the wrong church. He asked directions and finally found the correct one- St Aloysius. It is covered in oil paintings on the ceiling about the saint and the side walls are frescoes of the life of Christ. There was an interesting banner.

Then it was on to the “mall” with the beauty shop. Well, the shop was air conditioned. Upstairs was the nail salon. I was asked to remove my shoes which I did, however, since I was wearing sandals and my feet were covered in red dust I don’t quite see the point. Needless to say, they didn’t do gel nails so I just asked for a polish change. She started when I asked the price- 50 rupees ($1=44 rupees) and they didn’t take American dollars. The ship was not exchanging dollars for rupees. So I asked them to stop and the boss said to continue taking all the polish off. Then she said to finish and I should just come back when I had rupees. There was an ATM in the mall. So after the polish change- which is much less than perfect, I went with the driver to the ATM. The ATM was closed, it was being repaired. That meant we had to cross the street to another ATM. That was an adventure. I lived, got the rupees, and paid the girl 100 rupees. It took our driver awhile to return with us to the taxi. Everything here is bribes or “grease the wheel” whatever you would like to call it. I am sure he was asking for a tip even though he had nothing to do with going to that specific salon. We got back in the taxi where he had to pay the policeman or uniformed parking attendant, whichever, so we could leave the parking place. Back to the ship, please.

The driver kept asking if we wanted to stop here for shopping, there for whatever, or go to the beach. No,no, no. Just the ship. We were very glad to get back. If you come to India, you can safely skip Mangalore.

We did speak to some fellow passengers who went to the temple which they said was beautiful and did go to the beach. They said it was a small beach where the locals went and the women were in the water with their saris. Most of the women we saw were wearing saris with a few birkas thrown in.

I am very glad I am done with this. I smell like India and I need to change my clothes and jump in the pool before I wash my hair and scrub down. Tomorrow we leave Goa for Agra and the Taj Mahal. I am hoping it won’t be as smelly. We won’t be able to stand one another on the plane ride home if it is.