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.

2010 Hong Kong to Athens -Vietnam

April 9, 2010
We left from Hong Kong on schedule during a light rain. It has been overcast all day. Our airline flight was long but uneventful. We arrived last night in Hong Kong on schedule at 11:30 PM, retrieved all our bags, the hotel car was waiting, and off we went to the Marco Polo. We were given a newly renovated room on the 15th floor overlooking the harbor, where our ship was originally going to dock. Sounds great doesn’t it? Well the paint smell or new carpeting smell or whatever it was started the allergies. The Chinese sleep on mats on the floor or cinder block and the new mattress equaled that firmness. When you sat on the edge of the bed there was absolutely no “give”. So all the arthritis aches started in the middle of the night after all the “a-choo-ing” from the allergies. Then remember the renovation part? The hotel is still under renovation so the hammering started at 9 AM. Thank heavens we only spent one night in that very lovely hotel.

So we are now comfortably ensconced in our shipboard stateroom; smaller than we remembered, but everything is stowed away. That includes my two suitcases full of clothes. Now I have to remember
where I put everything. Tomorrow is a sea day and they have bridge on board. Yeah!

April 11,2010
After an enjoyable day on board we arrived in DaNang, Vietnam, a newly developing port. It is
surrounded by lush green mountains and there is a large store of sand(!) at the port. The beach along
one side of the bay is white sand. We boarded our tour bus to drive to Hue, a province in the middle of the country where the Imperial Palace of the 1000 yr Nguyen dynasty and the largest pagoda in the country. Our guide was Lan, which means orchid. The families often name their girls after a flower. On our drive, Lan spoke of the history and customs of Vietnam. April through September is the dry season. The rainy season is November-March the rainy, when there are typhoons. Cows are used for transportation and water buffalo for work. Vietnamese products are seafood from fish farms, black pepper, rice, cashews, and coffee. There are 84 million people in Vietnam, most are farmers but the grown children are moving to cities to seek jobs. The country is trying to develop industry and is building roads so people can access the cities more easily from the countryside. Vietnam is 1000 KM from north to south. The people eat fish, chicken, pork, and rice noodles. They bury their dead in caskets which are kept at home for 4 days, then taken to the cemetery for burial. Six months after the burial they go back and decorate the graves. The richer the family, the more decoration.
Foreigners cannot own a house in Vietnam. Vietnamese families after they live in a house 5-10 years they can sell it. Most families live in long narrow houses, 3 generations together. They share the living area, kitchen, bathroom. The boys sleep together and the girl sleep together. The parents share a bedroom. Housing has become very expensive, $40-60/ sq meter in Hue. Hue is known for its good university and hospitals. Only 30 % of the people have health insurance. The poor do not get medical care, they buy medicine at the pharmacy but are reluctant to go to the hospital due to the expense.

There is no income tax, but there is a property tax and business tax. Young workers in coffee shops which are very popular make @$50 per month. Electricity, water, and petrol are very expensive. 19,000dong = $1.00 We are accosted by sellers, everything is “one dollar”, hats, fans, postcards, packs of incense. Every family owns 2-3 motorcycles. They buy China motorcycles for $300 but like Honda motorcycles which last longer and have better mileage but cost $2000. Children go to school ½ a day, either morning or afternoon. The women shop 2x a day. The big meal is at lunch followed by a siesta for 45 minutes. If you work for the government you are only allowed two children. If you are privately employed there is no restriction. Religion, 20% are Buddhist, 10% are Catholic, 10% other. The rest worship their ancestors and Ho Chin Minh who freed the nation from foreign domination. The government is called a Socialist Republic and they vote every 5 years. You must be 18 to vote and get a drivers license to operate a motorcycle.

Our guide talked about her wedding. There were 400 people invited, 350 people by her parents and 50 of her friends. Pictures are taken 3-4 months before the wedding and are displayed at the wedding. Money is given which is all turned over to the parents to help pay for the wedding. The amounts are carefully recorded because the same amount must be given to those who are not yet married at their wedding. Lan was concerned because her fellow tour guides gave her a lot of money. They are not yet married and she will have to give an equal amount at their wedding! Her family is Catholic so they do not believe in fortune tellers but her husband’s family does. Her father-in-law consulted a fortune teller who, based on the lunar cycle, told
them on which day to get married. Consequently, there were many couples who got married on that day and all the venues were very busy.
Lan had been sent to a convent by her parents for her education. When she decided she didn’t want to say in the convent and wanted to get an education to become a tour guide her parents were very upset. She took her first small group of tourists to her home to meet her parents so they could see that they were nice and would stop worrying about her. Now that they see how much money she makes and that the tourists are nice they are encouraging her younger siblings to do the same! Before she married her husband, who is not Catholic and comes from another town, he had to agree to let her continue to work as a guide which she enjoys very much. He is a construction engineer.

Our impressions: Vietnam is a third world nation trying to emerge. Roads are substandard, traffic consists of trucks and motorcycles, and a few bicycles. Families of four ride on the motorcycles, various size packages and deliveries are strapped to the cycles and bicycles. Order onsists of staying to the right-mostly, passing whenever and wherever, no lights, honk and go. Housing is narrow brick houses with high ceilings, wide French doors across the front and back. Many are two story, with another family living upstairs, sometimes with a balcony running around the outside. Families run small businesses in the front of houses, no zoning. It reminds me of Honduras but with different architecture. The countryside has rice paddies with water buffalo and “scarecrows”. Scarecrows are sticks placed in throughout the rice paddies with plastic bags tied to the top that blow in the wind. Most homes have electricity.

Because of their 1000 yr history with china the temples and palaces and citadel looked like miniature Forbidden Cities, only yellow tiles instead of orange. The architecture, thrones, furniture were the same as China. The pagodas all have the same architecture, colors, and tiles. The writing at the emperor’s mausoleum was in Chinese characters and the area was guarded by the stone lions and stone soldiers. The officials were called mandarins. There was the Perfume River around the citadel which was lovely and had boats similar to the emperor’s barges in China. In the morning we went to a Buddhist Temple where the Buddhist priests still live. Children as young as seven live there. The children go to the local school in the morning. If the family is poor they are supported by the monks from contributions from all the Buddhist temples. If the family can pay, they do to support the child.

Our trip back was eventful in that we blew a tire on the bus. The driver stopped the bus, on the road, so watching all the motorcycles and trucks blow their horns and go full speed around was interesting. It took awhile for another bus to come, negotiations to go on, and all board a smaller bus to return to port. This is when you are thankful you took the ship sponsored tour because you know they will wait. The temperature was predicted to be 91 and it was all of that. The people from Canada and colder climates were really uncomfortable. We were well supplied with water, thank heavens. It was just like summer in South Florida but no breeze until the afternoon.
It is interesting that the people of Vietnam are welcoming tourists including Americans. The new generation is just learning about the war. The country was communist after the war. Production of rice plummeted, the economy was in shambles. So the government tried letting the people earn the money and go back to being able to build houses on the land. In one year, production dramatically increased and Vietnam has now outpaced China in production of both rice and cashew exports. They have allowed foreign companies to come in the economy has made progress although the top is still Communist and the government controls the media. The internet is allowing the people to see other viewpoints.

4/13/2010
This morning we sailed into Saigon harbor. Along the Saigon River delta it looks like the Amazon; Wide, muddy, vegetation growing to the water, flat, fast current with branches and limbs floating by. This is an industrial port, not a cruise port. However, there is now a tall bridge that permits the cruise ship to dock closer to downtown. The industrial park port where the cruise ship used to dock was difficult for the tourists, because 50,000 people are employed in the park and the traffic jam going in and out made it difficult for the tour companies to plan. There is barge traffic on the river. Most barges are operated by families who live on board and transport sand, rice, and other products up and down the river. The problem lies in the fact that
the children do not get an education because they are never just in one place. The government is trying to encourage the families to build a small home to come home to  each night so the children can be left to go to school. There are also people who volunteer to go on board for a few hours and teach the children so they can learn how to read. The boats have eyes painted on the front bow on each side. Evidently there were once large octopi that would come up river and attack the boats. The king told the people to paint the eyes on the boat so the octopus would think they were another fish and would not attack. The custom is still in effect.
The population is 8 million in the city proper, more that come from the outskirts to work in the city. There are 4 million motor scooters registered and traffic is a zoo. There are lots of cars and trucks besides the scooters,
bikes, and busses and it is honk and go. There are traffic lights that count down the seconds on both red and green and everyone goes when it starts green no matter what is in front of them. We were amazed that the cars all looked new and had no scratches on them. The cars are Mercedes, Lexus, Toyota, Honda. There is a growing very rich class who have invested in real estate which is booming. The apartments are sold before
they are built. The new villas are going for a minimum of one million US dollars. The house style is narrow and deep- 4 meters wide by 30-40 meters deep, one family per floor.
There is the wet and dry season here and the temperature is the same year round. It is 95 today. They have no typhoons so build the homes of bamboo and palm roofs. There is a huge demand for sand for concrete and steel using the resource of coal for the office and high rise condos. However, this is no comparison to Beijing or Shanghai for a modern looking city.
We took a ride in a pedi-cab today through the streets of downtown Saigon. It is definitely a third world wholesale business. We went through Chinatown, the spice market, garment area, toys, kitchen, “home depots”, as well as the upscale commercial strip of car dealers (where they service the cars at the side of the street), hotels, and shopping mall. The tour company gave us an envelope with a 20,000 duong bill (=$1)to tip the driver for the two hours of pedaling the bike. The drivers look for more! Jack gave them each another $2.
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October 2010 Caribbean Cruise

October 2010 – Caribbean Cruise Grand Princess

October 11, Monday

Brian dropped us off at the terminal at 12:30. Boarding was to start at 1:00 PM so there was a long line of people waiting. The lady in front of us in line had multiple bags to move as the line moved so we helped her move them along while she waited for her husband to return from parking the car. As we approached the terminal entrance thaere was a sign for Elite and suite travelers that we couldn’t see from the end of the line. We would not have had to stand in the line and could have sat and waited in the terminal or perhaps even boarded early. Oh. Well. Next time we’ll know.

Our upgraded to suite cabin is lovely. The bedroom is sectioned off by a drapery and there are two TV’s. The bathroom has both shower and separate whirlpool tub and is sectioned off from the toilet and sink area. There is a lot of storage and small walk-in closet. It all works great!. Even though we don’t qualify for free laundry via our platinum vs. elite status we do with the suite. Yeah! Of course since this is a 14 day cruise we probably won’t need it, but it will be nice to fall back on. Jack can get his tux shirts washed and pressed after he wears them instead of at home.

The ship is as we remember it except for the added movie screen at the one pool. At least they don’t play movies continually all day. The second pool has the sliding covered roof. We met a couple at lunch who started in England and were staying on through the Caribbean.

The first night’s theater show was singers and dancers and a comedian who was very good. It was more of a show than just an introduction to the staff. I am glad we have two days at sea to start.

Tuesday, Oct 12.

There is a two day discount in the ship stores and they are pretty busy. They have bridge on board. The couple is very nice but the instruction is beginner level. I left early. There were 10 tables of people to play duplicate in the afternoon. I played with a man who does not play duplicate and plays old fashioned Goren. He is a very conservative bidder. We did not do very well. I hope I am not going to play with him every time.

I went to a jewelry presentation on Ammolite and Tanzanite. The ammolite is a multicolored stone mined in Canada, the tanzanite in Tanzania. I should have bought the tanzanite the first time I saw it 15 years ago. The prices have gone up considerably because the mines are now government controlled. I am not crazy about the ammolite.

The suite guests and elite members now have free hors d’oeuvres and drink specials in the disco before dinner. There is no music but the views are great- up in the aft of the 17^th floor. The hors d’oeuvres are cheeses, crackers, olives so none work for me but it is a nice idea.

Our suite is right at the elevators at midship. The problem is, there are no stairs at midship. Since I try to always take the stairs for exercise we have to go all the way to the bow or aft to get the stairs. I guess more exercise is good. We are three flights down from the Horizon Court for breakfast and lunch and four floors up from dinner.

Our balcony is great. It has a table with four chairs and two lounges. So far we have had the sun in the afternoon but when we turn and head north we will have the shade so it will be a wonderful place to sit and relax in the afternoon.

The production show tonight was Shall We Dance? And it was excellent. The comedian was very funny. He filled the lounge to capacity for both shows. We managed to find two seats but there was standing room only in the back. It was a wonderful first day aboard.

Wednesday, Oct 13

Today was our second sea day. Skipped the bridge lesson and talked Jack into playing in the afternoon bridge game. There are no bidding boxes so he feels more at home. Still didn’t do very well. Had a couple of doubled overbids to the tune of down 800! There are several beginning bridge players in the group. Good for them, coming out to play duplicate!

The theater show tonight was a singer who I thought was mediocre- we left after a couple of numbers. We couldn’t get into the lounge for the ventriloquist for the first show. Jack pooped out but I went to the second show, again packed, and another great act that was funny. The dummy was a dinosaur egg. Now that was a twist. At the end he brought a man up from the audience had him sit on his lap as the dummy and made him talk. Very, very good.

Thursday, Oct 14

Aruba- We took a bus tour around the island and went to the natural bridge which had collapsed in 2005 and saw what is now called the mini-bridge. It is on the north side of the island which is beach less and rough. The landscape is cacti which grows over the granite rock. It seems weird on a Caribbean island. We stopped at the lighthouse and then went around to the western side of the island where there are hotels and wide sandy beaches. At the Holiday Inn we boarded a boat to take us out to the mini-submarine platform. There we got to see the wreck. It is a German boat deliberately sunk by the German captain during the second world war. It is pretty impressive and there were lots of fish and some coral visible. An interesting experience.

When we got back to the dock I wasn’t interested in walking around downtown. I took a long nap before getting ready to go to the steakhouse for our 49^th Anniversary dinner. The food and service were excellent, but so has the regular dining room experience. It was on to the casino where I had been winning, but not tonight. Then out on the deck to the Caribbean party. The Caribbean band on board plays a wide variety of music. All of it very well. One of the members got the party going with a lot of participation; dancing, conga line, etc. for 45 straight minutes. That is quite a feat for this age clientele. I guess that just proves that some of us old folks can still party with the young ones!

Friday, October 15, 2010

We slept in to almost 10 AM! I had breakfast, Jack lunch at 11 AM. Then it was off to a walk around Curacao. We are docked near the shopping and downtown bridge so off we went. The new hotel/casino/shopping area that was under construction when we were here last is finished. Very lovely with all the traditional Caribbean upscale shops. After an hour of looking around we were back on board for a swim and reading. What a life!

Two new performers- a juggler and a Las Vegas style pianist.  The juggler was so-so, the pianist pretty good. After spending the first few days winning in the casino we are now back to losing, as usual. Since the casino is one of the few places on board you can smoke, there are people who come in and just do that. They sit on a stool, not playing the machines, and smoke. Very annoying!

Saturday, October 16

Another day at sea with bridge. Jack watched football games on TV. There was a Captain’s Circle party. There are 1400+ repeat Princess cruisers on this cruise. The total number of members is now over 10 million. The most frequent cruisers on board were at the earlier party. Over 700 days on board.

We went to another production show, Motor City  that we had seen last year. There was a repeat of the juggler and ventriloquist. Jack skipped the “variety show” and went to bed. It was not worth going to. The juggler dropped his grand finale and the ventriloquist had a different “dummy”. Obviously, he had used his best material in the original show.

Sunday, October 17- Granada

This was the first time in Granada. It is a lush mountainous island- the spice island. It reminds me of Tortola only bigger.

We went tubing on a river in the mountains with lots of rapids. It was raining but a lot of fun. We had to wear life vests and helmets. It reminded me of white water rafting. The tubes had bottoms in them, handles on the sides, and ropes around the sides. The young men stationed themselves in the rapids and spun you through some of the rough parts to keep you off the rocks. I think the bottoms in the tubes were so you didn’t rip your bathing suits if you got hung up on the rocks. I was the first one out and got hung up on two rocks out of the main current. I managed to push myself away eventually. You learned to keep your butt off the bottom of the tube. There were ropes strung across the river before each section of rapids where we would all float together and hold on to each other. Then the staff would have us go spaced in singe file through the rapids. Lots of splashing and spinning and fun, fun, fun.

There was nothing wonderful on the dinner menu so we had pizza for dinner on the deck. They are showing the football games and baseball championships on the big movie screen on the deck. At least they don’t have the volume going all day. They had a movie last night in the theater which I went to see, Extraordinary Means. It was very good. A PG movie with Harrison Ford about a family with two sick kids working to get a scientists theory developed into a drug trial to help their kids survive.

Monday, October 18 Barbados

We have been here several times before and had no excursion planned so we ordered breakfast on the patio for 9:30 AM. Of course this morning I awoke at 8:20 but we got our laundry together and were ready when breakfast was delivered. By that time our balcony was in full sun so it was very hot. It was a quick rather than relaxing breakfast. We debated going into town but it is a shuttle bus ride so here we are sitting around the pool out on deck. No searching to find an empty lounge chair in the shade!

We spent the afternoon sitting on our butts at the pool reading. We got dressed for dinner and ate by ourselves so we could get to the comedy show at 8:30. We had seen Kevin Hughes before on other cruises. He is very funny. We skipped the second show since we had to get up early.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010 St. Vincent

It was raining when we arrived in St. Vincent this morning. We had to be on the dock by 8 AM for our trip to the falls, lunch and catamaran-snorkel trip. It was a two hour bus trip to the falls. The reason is not because it is a big island but because it is a narrow two lane with a lot of up and down and around all the coves. The island is lush and green and mountainous like Granada.

We made a stop at the sight where Pirates of the Caribbean Part 1 was filmed which has become a tourist attraction. Then on up to the park and Devil’s Falls. It is in a park like setting and we crossed the small river on a bamboo bridge. The falls are over 70 feet high. The water is cool but not freezing but the force of the water is incredibly strong. A lot of the people stood in the falls but not me. Then it was on to lunch a local restaurant: A homemade buffet of salad, rice, potato salad, chicken, beans, fish, plantains and banana cake for dessert.

Then onto the catamaran for a ride back down the coast with a snorkeling stop. We motored instead of sailing and the snorkeling was less than wonderful but it still made for a wonderful day in the sunshine. The temperatures have pretty well held steady at 82-84 every day. This was the first tour of the season on St. Vincent. The city and shopping is non-existent but the countryside is beautiful. Again we skipped the formal dinner and ate on deck. We went to the casino where I won $100 then went to the Wheelhouse Bar for a drink and dancing. It was the first time we had been there when the band was playing. There was a lot of couples dancing so we enjoyed our hour. Jack went to bed and I to the cruise staff talent show. Now I’m watching the ALCS baseball game. It’s up early tomorrow for a train ride on St. Kitts.

October 20, 2010 Wednesday St. Kitts

Off to an early morning start again. There is rain all around today but intermittent sun is predicted. We went on a narrow gauge train ride that used to be the tracks that were used to transport sugar cane. The maximum speed was 8 miles per hour so our hair was not mussed up. The cars are enclosed on the bottom with tables and chairs and open on the top with padded benches along the side and a cover on the top. It was a lovely way to see the island on our 18 mile trip. St. Kitts is mountainous with lots of green but the slopes are more like fertile plains than the tropical jungles on Granada and St. Vincent.

After the train ride we took a short drive through an old village to the waiting catamaran. It was a bigger, newer boat than yesterdays with a large covered deck. The drinks flowed freely and we were given a bag lunch while we cruised the remaining part of the island. There were a few rain showers but they didn’t last long and there was little wind with them so no problem. The captain actually put up the main sail for most of the trip so it was a pleasant ride indeed. As we sailed into the harbor we saw a couple of Sunsail boats moored so there must be some sailboat chartering here. Nevis is very close and a couple other small islands we could see.

The French and the British both occupied this island at the same time. The british first who were allowed by the Caribe Indians and they allowed the French to come and settle both ends of the island while they took the middle. Sugar cane was the main crop until 2005 when it was discontinued because the government was losing money. Now they are trying to develop tourism. There are many villages and roads with French names.

I napped and watched the baseball game while Jack went up on deck by the pool. After a nice dinner we went to see the production show but there were no seats so we went to the casino and to the later show. Stardust was the theme. It was sophisticated and low key songs from the 40’s-60’s. Very nice. We dined with a couple from California that were celebrating their 50^th anniversary and a couple from Arizona. It was another great day.

Thursday, October 21, 2010 St. Thomas

We got to sleep in until 8:30 since we didn’t have to be on the dock until 9:50. Our tour this morning was on The Screaming Eagle. It was fast, fun, and very wet. Even Jack enjoyed it. Were warned ahead of time that we would be completely soaked and that was a very true prediction. Afterward we walked around the dock doing some looking at the small carts to start to dry off but we just had to come back onboard to ditch the clothes.

We spent some time at the pool. The weather was fantastic. A beautiful breeze and not to hot- for us anyway. The Brits and Canadians are feeling the heat. We joined some people in the dining room who were from Philadelphia. She is active in national garden clubs and he is the CEO of a chain of assisted living facilities.

We skipped the entertainment and danced in the Wheelhouse Bar which was crowded. There were a lot of dancers. I think Dancing With the Stars has made dancing more interesting. There were a lot of couples doing a wide variety of dances. The Oriental couples dance a lot and very dramatically. We sat with an older couple- he a short meat packer from Pa. and she originally from Buenos Aires. They danced the tango, merengue, and passe double`.

Friday, Oct. 22, 2010 Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic

We started at 9:20 for a tour of colonial Santa Domingo which is a World Heritage site. The bus took us by the President’s palace which was built by Trujillo when he was dictator. It is a copy of the White House.  The grounds are extensive including a chapel and other buildings, all enclosed by a fence and guardhouses. The soldiers all assumed we would want a picture of them and stood proudly at attention in their uniforms and rifles. Then it was on to the colonial section which is pretty well preserved. We got to see the palace where Christopher Columbus’s son lived while he was the governor. They have brought back the original furnishings so it was very interesting. Although not air conditioned the wide porches on the river and Caribbean side kept the breezes blowing through. It was located inside the wall that surrounded the village and on the opposite  side was the large square. Then it was on to the rum factory and then the amber museum. There were way too many people for the size of the spaces so it was pretty hot in both places. It seems like the only island that has a good job preserving the buildings and history. We went to the cathedral- the oldest in the islands started in the 1500’s. The outside definitely needs some restoration and cleaning but the inside was in good shape. It is probably difficult to clean the coral rock blocks from which the cathedral was constructed. However, as in most of these islands, painting does not seem to be a necessity.

On to a restaurant for a Dominican lunch. Rice, chicken, beef, salad, cooked veggies and fruit for dessert. It was on a patio and in the shade it was nice, in the sun pretty hot. Then on to shopping. Nothing interesting if you don’t want amber or precious jewelry. We sat in the square with trees and benches. There were peddlers but they left you alone when you said no thank you. Then a walk back to the bus. A lot of the people had not expected so much walking and were pretty tired out. We got back 20 minutes before we had to be on board.

Santa Domingo is definitely the most densely populated of all the cities we’ve seen as well as the most densely populated island. There are many tall buildings and it is very urban. There are many businesses and much more variety than we’ve seen so far. Because it was settled by the Spanish there is also a Moorish influence in some of the buildings that they are trying to preserve. Even the cathedral has Moorish tile work in some of the side chapels. There is also a lot of ironwork on balconies and doors. We were told it is for decoration, protection from theft, and protection from flying debris during hurricanes to protect the glass.

Nothing appealed to us on the chef’s special dinner menu so we ate in the Horizon Court again. We had time for the casino before trying to find a seat for the comedian’s second show. Then it was on to dancing in the Wheelhouse Bar and to the theater for the Impressionist. He did a good job with Dean Martin, Willie Nelson, Iglesias, and many others.

Saturday, October 23, 2010 At Sea

Our last day at Sea. Jack is trying to watch the college football games and I will be playing bridge. They had a big “sale” again in the restaurant. It was a mad house. You would think they were giving stuff away. I stopped in the cheap jewelry store and found some clip earrings so I am a happy camper. Tonight is formal night and tomorrow is Princess Cays. I could just stay onboard. The free laundry and dry cleaning is great and the suite is fantastic. I am really getting spoiled.