Friday, March 28, 2008
Alexandria, Egypt
Alexandria is Egypt’s largest port and the 3rd largest in the Mediterranean and is 140 miles from Cairo. It is known for its temperate climate and sandy beaches. The city was named for Alexander the Great in 400 BC. The population is 5 million in Alexandria and 80 million in Egypt. Our tour director told us there is an increase of 1 million every 10 months which is presenting a problem. The population inhabit only 5% of the land with 95% desert uninhabited. The government has offered to give free land to the people who will build and farm the land. They have 3 years maximum to work the farm, but if it is not producing they must give it back. They receive about 15 inches of rain a year so they must irrigate from the Nile river.The Nile River is 4200 miles long and goes through 10 countries in Africa. A big problem is the lack of wheat, they are importing from other countries even the U.S. Dahlia, our tour director said the people stand in line for bread.
Our tour to Cairo was a three hour ride so our tour director had time to give us a great deal of information. Since we were going to the Museum of Antiquity and would see mummies she talked about the procedure used to mummify. The first step is to remove the intestines, lungs, liver and brains. They stick something up the nose to pull the brain out!! Then the body is buried in salt to absorb the moisture for 40 days which is also called the mourning period. After that the body is treated with oils and stuffed with herbs and spices, sawdust and lemon juice. They are then wrapped in linen cloths and put in a coffin. Kings may be placed in 4 coffins, one in side of the other.
Cairo has a population of 18 million, with another million who commute from the Delta every day and 1,000 new migrants every day. It is the 3rd largest city in the world.. One third of the households lack running water, one fourth have no sewers and there are one half million who reside in squatter cemeteries, the famous Cities of the Dead. The amount of green space per citizen fit in the palm of a child’s hand. Air pollution caused by traffic is equivalent to smoking 30 cigarettes a day. The traffic reminded us of some other cities we visited recently. Our tour director said traffic was the “survival of the fittest or the fastest”. The driver should not make eye contact or he loses. No one has the right away and they seem to think the white lines and few lights are for decoration. Sometimes we were stopped at an intersection for 15 minutes.
We asked our director about some large white cones we saw in the countryside and were told they were for breeding pigeons. Why do they breed pigeons? Because they eat them. When asked about their Muslim diet, we were told it is very similar to a Jewish diet, no pigs, horses or dogs.
Dahlia answered questions from us regarding the Muslim religion and explained it as many others had telling us about the 5 Pillars. When asked about 911 and the suicide bombers. She said, “all religions have some who manipulate and misuse what is written”. She said people get brainwashed and some are simple minded. The media shows the extremist, not the average Muslim The media showed dancing after 911, not those Muslims who were crying.
Our first stop was at the Museum of Antiquities, located in the heart of Cairo. This was very crowded and if this is an example of every day, we can see why tourism is an important part of the economy. This museum houses the world’s most important collection of Egyptian antiquities from 2700 BC to the 6th century AD with thousands of statues, jewels and artifacts f rom every period of ancient Egypt. We spent most of our time admiring the amazing treasures of King Tut including his funeral mask made of solid gold, still perfectly preserved. There were 12 rooms filled with treasures from King Tut’s tomb, which was discovered in 1922 virtually untouched. If one allows one minute per exhibit in this museum, it would take 9 months to view it all. Every treasure is an original. The only copy is the Rosetta Stone. The original is in a London museum.
After visiting one of the shops, we traveled on to one of the leading hotels in Cairo for lunch. Lunch was a culinary delight with a buffet of foods from different countries. The dessert table had around 50 different desserts fit for the Gods. The hotel was a former palace built in 1869 to house a French queen during the opening ceremonies for the Suez Canal.
Our tour bus then took us to visit the great pyramids of Giza, the largest of which is the only remaining one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. We were in awe as we stood beside these incredible Egyptian monuments and marveled at their size. The Pyramid of Cheops is said to have 2.3 million stone blocks, each one weighing 2.5 tons. The height of the two large pyramids is 450 feet tall. If you take l cubic foot stones of the Pyramid and arrange them in a line, they would stretch 2/3 around the world at the equator. What makes these statistics truly astonishing is that the pyramids of Giza were built around 2000 BC. The visit to the interior of one of the pyramids was hot, dusty and dark. The climb involved bending over at the waist and bending the knees for many, many steps down and then just as many steps up to finally reach the burial chamber.
We opted not to take a camel ride although the many guys were quite persistent. We then moved on to view the mysterious Sphinx. With the face of a man and the body of a lion, the Sphinx has puzzled travelers for centuries with its inscrutable expression. It is carved from natural rock and measures 190 feet long by 66 feet tall.
At the end of the tour, we relaxed for the drive back to Alexandria. The entire tour was 13 hours by motorcoach.
.
Alexandria is Egypt’s largest port and the 3rd largest in the Mediterranean and is 140 miles from Cairo. It is known for its temperate climate and sandy beaches. The city was named for Alexander the Great in 400 BC. The population is 5 million in Alexandria and 80 million in Egypt. Our tour director told us there is an increase of 1 million every 10 months which is presenting a problem. The population inhabit only 5% of the land with 95% desert uninhabited. The government has offered to give free land to the people who will build and farm the land. They have 3 years maximum to work the farm, but if it is not producing they must give it back. They receive about 15 inches of rain a year so they must irrigate from the Nile river.The Nile River is 4200 miles long and goes through 10 countries in Africa. A big problem is the lack of wheat, they are importing from other countries even the U.S. Dahlia, our tour director said the people stand in line for bread.
Our tour to Cairo was a three hour ride so our tour director had time to give us a great deal of information. Since we were going to the Museum of Antiquity and would see mummies she talked about the procedure used to mummify. The first step is to remove the intestines, lungs, liver and brains. They stick something up the nose to pull the brain out!! Then the body is buried in salt to absorb the moisture for 40 days which is also called the mourning period. After that the body is treated with oils and stuffed with herbs and spices, sawdust and lemon juice. They are then wrapped in linen cloths and put in a coffin. Kings may be placed in 4 coffins, one in side of the other.
Cairo has a population of 18 million, with another million who commute from the Delta every day and 1,000 new migrants every day. It is the 3rd largest city in the world.. One third of the households lack running water, one fourth have no sewers and there are one half million who reside in squatter cemeteries, the famous Cities of the Dead. The amount of green space per citizen fit in the palm of a child’s hand. Air pollution caused by traffic is equivalent to smoking 30 cigarettes a day. The traffic reminded us of some other cities we visited recently. Our tour director said traffic was the “survival of the fittest or the fastest”. The driver should not make eye contact or he loses. No one has the right away and they seem to think the white lines and few lights are for decoration. Sometimes we were stopped at an intersection for 15 minutes.
We asked our director about some large white cones we saw in the countryside and were told they were for breeding pigeons. Why do they breed pigeons? Because they eat them. When asked about their Muslim diet, we were told it is very similar to a Jewish diet, no pigs, horses or dogs.
Dahlia answered questions from us regarding the Muslim religion and explained it as many others had telling us about the 5 Pillars. When asked about 911 and the suicide bombers. She said, “all religions have some who manipulate and misuse what is written”. She said people get brainwashed and some are simple minded. The media shows the extremist, not the average Muslim The media showed dancing after 911, not those Muslims who were crying.
Our first stop was at the Museum of Antiquities, located in the heart of Cairo. This was very crowded and if this is an example of every day, we can see why tourism is an important part of the economy. This museum houses the world’s most important collection of Egyptian antiquities from 2700 BC to the 6th century AD with thousands of statues, jewels and artifacts f rom every period of ancient Egypt. We spent most of our time admiring the amazing treasures of King Tut including his funeral mask made of solid gold, still perfectly preserved. There were 12 rooms filled with treasures from King Tut’s tomb, which was discovered in 1922 virtually untouched. If one allows one minute per exhibit in this museum, it would take 9 months to view it all. Every treasure is an original. The only copy is the Rosetta Stone. The original is in a London museum.
After visiting one of the shops, we traveled on to one of the leading hotels in Cairo for lunch. Lunch was a culinary delight with a buffet of foods from different countries. The dessert table had around 50 different desserts fit for the Gods. The hotel was a former palace built in 1869 to house a French queen during the opening ceremonies for the Suez Canal.
Our tour bus then took us to visit the great pyramids of Giza, the largest of which is the only remaining one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. We were in awe as we stood beside these incredible Egyptian monuments and marveled at their size. The Pyramid of Cheops is said to have 2.3 million stone blocks, each one weighing 2.5 tons. The height of the two large pyramids is 450 feet tall. If you take l cubic foot stones of the Pyramid and arrange them in a line, they would stretch 2/3 around the world at the equator. What makes these statistics truly astonishing is that the pyramids of Giza were built around 2000 BC. The visit to the interior of one of the pyramids was hot, dusty and dark. The climb involved bending over at the waist and bending the knees for many, many steps down and then just as many steps up to finally reach the burial chamber.
We opted not to take a camel ride although the many guys were quite persistent. We then moved on to view the mysterious Sphinx. With the face of a man and the body of a lion, the Sphinx has puzzled travelers for centuries with its inscrutable expression. It is carved from natural rock and measures 190 feet long by 66 feet tall.
At the end of the tour, we relaxed for the drive back to Alexandria. The entire tour was 13 hours by motorcoach.
.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Salalah, Oman
Salalah, despite lying in the Arabian desert, enjoys a temperate climate through most of the year. However; our tour director said in the summer the temperature can go up to 55 degrees Celsius or around 140 degrees Fahrenheit with 99% humidity. Everything is air conditioned, homes, cars and businesses. The city is known as the perfume capital of Arabia.
Our tour directors’ name was Abdulla which means the son of God. He was full of information and talked in pretty good English for the full four hours of the tour. He told us that the city was very clean and we would see no trash or rubbish. Cleanliness is very important to the people, in their homes as well as the city. The city is also one of the safest, no worry about leaving things on the bus when we were gone. If someone steals an apple, they will be put in jail. Those in jail may have written a bad check, drove without a license or in the country illegally. Everybody has a job, free education, free health care and no taxes. They do take 5% of salaries for Social Security. When a young person turns 18 they are given free land where they can build a home.
You will see the pictures of the cranes which load containers.. Seven thousand containers are loaded onto the ships daily. Also we were told that one million barrels of oil are pumped daily. Petro (gas) is cheaper than water. They use the water from the sea for everything except drinking and that has to come from springs in the mountains.
Our tour took us out of town which began with a drive to a grove of frankincense trees, a species unique to Southern Arabia. During the monsoon season the mountainside setting is lovely, lush and green, but today it was dry and brown. The scraggly trees yield an aromatic medicinal resin that is used to make the sweet smelling incense. There were very little cars on the highway, but the only traffic problems encountered were the camels that wondered on and off the highway. (See picture)
Also you will see a picture of the frankincense tree and our tour guide in his native dress.
Abdulla gave us some information about uses for frankincense. He said the people clean their houses in early morning after first prayers before sunrise then burn the incense. It is said to absorb smells and kill germs and keeps away the flies. Another benefit is to help asthma and stomach upsets.
We asked Abdulla about women’s rights and we were told that they could drive, work or stay home and that some women have been elected to positions of power. Not long ago women were not permitted to leave the house without their husbands permission.
Abdullah’s family history was interesting. He said his father married in Oman and they had eight children in nine years. Times were very difficult then in Oman and his father left for Africa to find better living conditions, there he married again and had twelve children. He then moved again to find a better place and married again. Abdullah was the first born from this 13 year old wife in 1963, and had six brothers and sisters. The total number of children fathered was 27. The father has recently built a house with 17 bedrooms as when the family get together there are 306, enough for two football teams and then fill the stadium.
In the Islamic religion a man can marry up to four women, but he has to get permission from the first wife and everything must be equal. Whatever the first wife has, others must have the same and the man’s time must be divided equally. Also the man has to buy the wife. Abdullah called it a dowry, but the man pays $25,000, with 30% going to the girls’ parents. The dowry for each wife is the same, but if the next wife has been divorced there is a 50% discount. We were surprised when Abdullah said that 20% divorce. He thought the reason is that marriages are arranged. When a boy reaches marrying age, the mother and sisters check around to see who is available. All the women have their faces covered in public but not at home. The female family members will visit available girls and return to the boy with a description of the girl. Abdullah said he wanted to make sure they had good teeth and a nice nose.
Most of the Omani people adhere to the ancient tenets although the society is one of the least rigid. Still the call for prayer comes five times daily. The central Islamic belief is: “There is only one God, and Mohammed is his prophet”. Islamic faith further requires its followers to give alms to the poor. Other pillars of Islam include a one-time pilgrimage to Mecca and fasting during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.
Abdullah said that jihad has often been tragically misinterpreted. The translation is “holy war” but it is a reference to man’s internal struggle against impure motivations and manifest behavior. There are some sects with wrong ideas, but according to Abdullah Islamic faith is as gentle and as much concerned with peace and goodwill to fellow human beings as any other religion. We just completed a book on Islam and the Quran and it disagrees with Abdullah. However; we had a good impression of the people of Oman and with Abdullah’s sincerity.
Salalah, despite lying in the Arabian desert, enjoys a temperate climate through most of the year. However; our tour director said in the summer the temperature can go up to 55 degrees Celsius or around 140 degrees Fahrenheit with 99% humidity. Everything is air conditioned, homes, cars and businesses. The city is known as the perfume capital of Arabia.
Our tour directors’ name was Abdulla which means the son of God. He was full of information and talked in pretty good English for the full four hours of the tour. He told us that the city was very clean and we would see no trash or rubbish. Cleanliness is very important to the people, in their homes as well as the city. The city is also one of the safest, no worry about leaving things on the bus when we were gone. If someone steals an apple, they will be put in jail. Those in jail may have written a bad check, drove without a license or in the country illegally. Everybody has a job, free education, free health care and no taxes. They do take 5% of salaries for Social Security. When a young person turns 18 they are given free land where they can build a home.
You will see the pictures of the cranes which load containers.. Seven thousand containers are loaded onto the ships daily. Also we were told that one million barrels of oil are pumped daily. Petro (gas) is cheaper than water. They use the water from the sea for everything except drinking and that has to come from springs in the mountains.
Our tour took us out of town which began with a drive to a grove of frankincense trees, a species unique to Southern Arabia. During the monsoon season the mountainside setting is lovely, lush and green, but today it was dry and brown. The scraggly trees yield an aromatic medicinal resin that is used to make the sweet smelling incense. There were very little cars on the highway, but the only traffic problems encountered were the camels that wondered on and off the highway. (See picture)
Also you will see a picture of the frankincense tree and our tour guide in his native dress.
Abdulla gave us some information about uses for frankincense. He said the people clean their houses in early morning after first prayers before sunrise then burn the incense. It is said to absorb smells and kill germs and keeps away the flies. Another benefit is to help asthma and stomach upsets.
We asked Abdulla about women’s rights and we were told that they could drive, work or stay home and that some women have been elected to positions of power. Not long ago women were not permitted to leave the house without their husbands permission.
Abdullah’s family history was interesting. He said his father married in Oman and they had eight children in nine years. Times were very difficult then in Oman and his father left for Africa to find better living conditions, there he married again and had twelve children. He then moved again to find a better place and married again. Abdullah was the first born from this 13 year old wife in 1963, and had six brothers and sisters. The total number of children fathered was 27. The father has recently built a house with 17 bedrooms as when the family get together there are 306, enough for two football teams and then fill the stadium.
In the Islamic religion a man can marry up to four women, but he has to get permission from the first wife and everything must be equal. Whatever the first wife has, others must have the same and the man’s time must be divided equally. Also the man has to buy the wife. Abdullah called it a dowry, but the man pays $25,000, with 30% going to the girls’ parents. The dowry for each wife is the same, but if the next wife has been divorced there is a 50% discount. We were surprised when Abdullah said that 20% divorce. He thought the reason is that marriages are arranged. When a boy reaches marrying age, the mother and sisters check around to see who is available. All the women have their faces covered in public but not at home. The female family members will visit available girls and return to the boy with a description of the girl. Abdullah said he wanted to make sure they had good teeth and a nice nose.
Most of the Omani people adhere to the ancient tenets although the society is one of the least rigid. Still the call for prayer comes five times daily. The central Islamic belief is: “There is only one God, and Mohammed is his prophet”. Islamic faith further requires its followers to give alms to the poor. Other pillars of Islam include a one-time pilgrimage to Mecca and fasting during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.
Abdullah said that jihad has often been tragically misinterpreted. The translation is “holy war” but it is a reference to man’s internal struggle against impure motivations and manifest behavior. There are some sects with wrong ideas, but according to Abdullah Islamic faith is as gentle and as much concerned with peace and goodwill to fellow human beings as any other religion. We just completed a book on Islam and the Quran and it disagrees with Abdullah. However; we had a good impression of the people of Oman and with Abdullah’s sincerity.
Monday, March 17, 2008
India
THE REPUBLIC OF INDIA
Chinai
It has been said that India is less a country than a continent, and it holds as many variations in religion, language, customs, art and cuisine as it does in Topography. India is bordered at the top with the Himalayan Mountains, but also has deserts and rice paddies. The country has 5 major nations, is 1/3 the size of the U.S. and has over 4 times the population of the U. S. It is an agriculture country growing, rice, tea, cotton, sugarcane and potatoes. They export milk, cashews, coconuts and spices. There are 300 million cows which are sacred, they even have a home for old cows, they are never eaten or killed.
Religion is 83% Hindu, 12% Islam with some Christians and Jews. When we entered temples or mosques we removed our shoes. We were told to keep shoulders, thighs and midriff covered and ladies had to cover their heads.
The Indians do outside what we do inside, cooking, sleeping and washing clothes. We will post some pictures showing some of the poorest dwellings. Many of these dwellings were across from the Marina Beach which is 7.5 miles long. Some of the poor lived on the beach. In this area we saw the signs of Tsunami, the deterioration of the buildings was still evident. In 2004, over 1,000 people were killed.
We were warned about the excessive heat, traffic, beggars and the hassles. When we disembarked, the dock had some icky black substance that stuck to our feet and tracked into the bus. Those who visited temples, removed their shoes, then found themselves walking through residue. They had to throw their socks away. Our neighbor said he got up in the middle of the night to clean his shoes because the smell was so bad.
We were still unprepared for the culture shock. The traffic was unbelievable , we marveled that there were not more accidents. We spent most of our time in the air conditioned coach on our tour. We stopped only once for some shopping. This was in an upscale store where we were met at the door and followed all through the store. The tour busses that drove closer to the temples for a visit ended up being delayed by traffic. One bus tried to go close to a church, found the street barricaded and were stuck there for an hour. Things that stood out were the decay of the buildings, trash everywhere, dirt sidewalks and lack of maintenance everywhere. The port was the dirtiest we have visited and was most unorganized. Due to poor planning the busses were unable to leave the port, with vehicles trying to go all directions with continual horn honking. (See the jammed up busses in a posted picture.
3-16-08 Mumbai, India, Population 18 million formerly Bombay
We were up at 5:30 and ready to go through the immigration procedure at 6:30. The procedure was efficient unlike Chinai. Also different from Chinai, the deck was clean even though it appeared to lack paint and maintenance.
We were standing on our deck waiting to be called for our tour when we saw the ambulance pull up. A passenger a few cabins from us had died. He is the second death since departure and younger than most of us. The average age on ship is 75. He was very heavy and diabetic. He was cremated in Mumbai and his wife picked up the ashes and continued the cruise.
Our tour was the highlights of Mumbai, starting with city’s most famous landmark the Gateway of India archway, built in 1911. See the picture that is posted. Tourists were walking around in a large area. A little boy with a snotty nose and filthy, 4 or 5 years old attached himself to Jack’s trousers, pointing at his mouth. You feel like crying for them, but we had been warned that if we give to one we will soon have a crowd around us. When our bus stopped anywhere, the beggars and people peddling approached even in traffic. Our tour director told us some of the children were abandoned. They sometimes leave girl babies on the street. Fifty percent of the population, 18 million, are below the poverty level. The population is more than that of our three largest cities in the United States combined.
We visited the Prince of Wales Museum, but the most interesting was a museum which is a memorial to the famous leader of non-violent cooperation, Mahatma Gandhi., There were dioramas of the pivotal points of Gandhi’s life. We will post an example picture. Another colorful photo opportunity was the dhobi ghats, where laundry from all over Mumbai is brought to be soaped soaked, boiled and beaten. It looked like the way they were beating the clothing, the buttons and any trim would be ruined. The workers stand in the water in tubs and hit the clothing with sticks or beat on the sides of the tubs. (See picture)
The Victoria Terminus railway station is a conglomeration of domes, spires and columns. The first train in India left from this station in 1853; now, half a million commuters pass through the station every day.
Our tour bus continued on to the Hanging Gardens which was adjacent to seven towers called The Towers of Silence. According to our tour guide and other information we read, when the people die, they are placed in the towers for the vultures to devour. The bones are usually picked clean in 4 to 5 hours, the bones are ground and returned to the earth, body fluids are drained into filters so they can be reused. However; this is not happening as much today because of a shortage of vultures. The vultures were eating animals which had consumed pesticides and are dying off.
Day 2 at Mumbai (Bombay)
Paul Phelps a friend and the two of us walked to the gate to find a cab. Both guys had trouble folding their long legs into the small Fiat cab. We asked to be taken to the Crawford Market, but the driver suggested another. He took us through parts of town that were not pretty. Some shacks with piles of trash were sandwiched between shops. We didn’t like any place he showed us, so he took us to Crawford Market and didn’t charge us more, only $5.00.
Crawford Market goes for many blocks and has everything imaginable, even monkeys. We didn’t go to the pet area as we were told it could be very disturbing. This market was next to the Thieves Market. It is joked that what is for sale there has been stolen. Upon arriving at the market, we were assigned a guide who could take us where we could find what we were interested in. He also helped us cross the street which was quite a challenge. We found a nice place for shirts , drugstore and a place to buy decorative pillow covers.
We’ve had multiple notes since we left reminding us to turn our clocks back an hour, but we were surprised that the last two time changes have been in 30 minute increments. Today as we leave India for Oman we set our clock back 30 minutes. We are now 13 hours ahead of central time in the U.S.
We have included a picture of a cooking demonstration which was presented on a sea day. The last two demos have been on Indian cooking and mostly vegetarian. We have many new recipes to take home and try.
Chinai
It has been said that India is less a country than a continent, and it holds as many variations in religion, language, customs, art and cuisine as it does in Topography. India is bordered at the top with the Himalayan Mountains, but also has deserts and rice paddies. The country has 5 major nations, is 1/3 the size of the U.S. and has over 4 times the population of the U. S. It is an agriculture country growing, rice, tea, cotton, sugarcane and potatoes. They export milk, cashews, coconuts and spices. There are 300 million cows which are sacred, they even have a home for old cows, they are never eaten or killed.
Religion is 83% Hindu, 12% Islam with some Christians and Jews. When we entered temples or mosques we removed our shoes. We were told to keep shoulders, thighs and midriff covered and ladies had to cover their heads.
The Indians do outside what we do inside, cooking, sleeping and washing clothes. We will post some pictures showing some of the poorest dwellings. Many of these dwellings were across from the Marina Beach which is 7.5 miles long. Some of the poor lived on the beach. In this area we saw the signs of Tsunami, the deterioration of the buildings was still evident. In 2004, over 1,000 people were killed.
We were warned about the excessive heat, traffic, beggars and the hassles. When we disembarked, the dock had some icky black substance that stuck to our feet and tracked into the bus. Those who visited temples, removed their shoes, then found themselves walking through residue. They had to throw their socks away. Our neighbor said he got up in the middle of the night to clean his shoes because the smell was so bad.
We were still unprepared for the culture shock. The traffic was unbelievable , we marveled that there were not more accidents. We spent most of our time in the air conditioned coach on our tour. We stopped only once for some shopping. This was in an upscale store where we were met at the door and followed all through the store. The tour busses that drove closer to the temples for a visit ended up being delayed by traffic. One bus tried to go close to a church, found the street barricaded and were stuck there for an hour. Things that stood out were the decay of the buildings, trash everywhere, dirt sidewalks and lack of maintenance everywhere. The port was the dirtiest we have visited and was most unorganized. Due to poor planning the busses were unable to leave the port, with vehicles trying to go all directions with continual horn honking. (See the jammed up busses in a posted picture.
3-16-08 Mumbai, India, Population 18 million formerly Bombay
We were up at 5:30 and ready to go through the immigration procedure at 6:30. The procedure was efficient unlike Chinai. Also different from Chinai, the deck was clean even though it appeared to lack paint and maintenance.
We were standing on our deck waiting to be called for our tour when we saw the ambulance pull up. A passenger a few cabins from us had died. He is the second death since departure and younger than most of us. The average age on ship is 75. He was very heavy and diabetic. He was cremated in Mumbai and his wife picked up the ashes and continued the cruise.
Our tour was the highlights of Mumbai, starting with city’s most famous landmark the Gateway of India archway, built in 1911. See the picture that is posted. Tourists were walking around in a large area. A little boy with a snotty nose and filthy, 4 or 5 years old attached himself to Jack’s trousers, pointing at his mouth. You feel like crying for them, but we had been warned that if we give to one we will soon have a crowd around us. When our bus stopped anywhere, the beggars and people peddling approached even in traffic. Our tour director told us some of the children were abandoned. They sometimes leave girl babies on the street. Fifty percent of the population, 18 million, are below the poverty level. The population is more than that of our three largest cities in the United States combined.
We visited the Prince of Wales Museum, but the most interesting was a museum which is a memorial to the famous leader of non-violent cooperation, Mahatma Gandhi., There were dioramas of the pivotal points of Gandhi’s life. We will post an example picture. Another colorful photo opportunity was the dhobi ghats, where laundry from all over Mumbai is brought to be soaped soaked, boiled and beaten. It looked like the way they were beating the clothing, the buttons and any trim would be ruined. The workers stand in the water in tubs and hit the clothing with sticks or beat on the sides of the tubs. (See picture)
The Victoria Terminus railway station is a conglomeration of domes, spires and columns. The first train in India left from this station in 1853; now, half a million commuters pass through the station every day.
Our tour bus continued on to the Hanging Gardens which was adjacent to seven towers called The Towers of Silence. According to our tour guide and other information we read, when the people die, they are placed in the towers for the vultures to devour. The bones are usually picked clean in 4 to 5 hours, the bones are ground and returned to the earth, body fluids are drained into filters so they can be reused. However; this is not happening as much today because of a shortage of vultures. The vultures were eating animals which had consumed pesticides and are dying off.
Day 2 at Mumbai (Bombay)
Paul Phelps a friend and the two of us walked to the gate to find a cab. Both guys had trouble folding their long legs into the small Fiat cab. We asked to be taken to the Crawford Market, but the driver suggested another. He took us through parts of town that were not pretty. Some shacks with piles of trash were sandwiched between shops. We didn’t like any place he showed us, so he took us to Crawford Market and didn’t charge us more, only $5.00.
Crawford Market goes for many blocks and has everything imaginable, even monkeys. We didn’t go to the pet area as we were told it could be very disturbing. This market was next to the Thieves Market. It is joked that what is for sale there has been stolen. Upon arriving at the market, we were assigned a guide who could take us where we could find what we were interested in. He also helped us cross the street which was quite a challenge. We found a nice place for shirts , drugstore and a place to buy decorative pillow covers.
We’ve had multiple notes since we left reminding us to turn our clocks back an hour, but we were surprised that the last two time changes have been in 30 minute increments. Today as we leave India for Oman we set our clock back 30 minutes. We are now 13 hours ahead of central time in the U.S.
We have included a picture of a cooking demonstration which was presented on a sea day. The last two demos have been on Indian cooking and mostly vegetarian. We have many new recipes to take home and try.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Friday, March 14, 2008
Saturday, March 8, 2008
SINGAPORE, REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE
Singapore, an island country and the smallest country in Southeast Asia, is located on the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. When Singapore acquired independence, having few natural resources, it was economically underdeveloped. Foreign investment and rapid government-led industrialization has since created an economy which relies on exports of electronics and manufacturing primarily from its port. Singapore has the highest standard of living in Asia, and is ranked 11th in the world and is the 22nd wealthiest country. As a result of efforts to control motorized traffic, the maintenance of natural greenery, strict regulations on industrial locations and emissions,,Singapore has been able to control its pollution levels.
We noticed that most cars are new. That is because the people can only keep a car for 10 years. First they must pay for an entitlement and there are only so many entitlements to cut down on the traffic. Cars are expensive, $52,000 for a Toyoto Corolla and $368,000 for a Mercedes. We asked what they do with the old cars and were told they would be exported to New Zealand and other countries.
Eighty-three percent of Singapore’s population live in government constructed housing. An average place, 3 bedroom, may be between $230,000 and $280,000. They pay 20% down then make payments at 2.65% interest. If single they have to be 35 to buy, if a couple they have to be married. The private homes range in the five to ten million range. The government encourages taking care of the elderly. If a couple will live close to the parents, the government gives them $3,000.00 and a $30,000 tax credit which reduces their income tax credit for several years. The same party has been in power for 40 years. The Prime Minister is paid 3.5 million a year and the department heads 1.5 million.
The average age to marry is 27 for female and 35 for the male. Couples were waiting longer for a family and having only 1.2 children on the average. The government encourages more babies and pays $3,000 for the first baby and a tax rebate of $10,000. If the parents open up a savings account for the baby the government will match dollars for up to $8,000. The third child rebate is $20,000.
Education is not free but inexpensive and the government schools are quite good. When we took our tour, the places we visited were filled with the students who were on field trips their last day of school before a holiday. The students all wear uniforms.
Health care is not free, but subsidized from 55 to 80 percent. There is no Social Security but money is accumulated from salaries in a fund.
Singapore’s rules are tough, but clear. Jaywalkers are fined on the spot. Litter and you pay and convicted drug traffickers can expect to earn a death sentence. The city is very clean, the streets and buildings are cleaner than any Western city. Unlike other large cities, you can walk fearlessly in Singapore at any time day or night.
Singapore is just 90 miles north of the equator, the climate is tropical but the pace is anything but relaxed. Our tour leader told us there were 4 seasons, summer, summer, summer and summer. It is the time for winter and it is 85 degrees. More than 4,000,000 people live on the big island and there are 14 major nationalities. Most people belong to one of several Chinese groups.
We went on a tour that showed us highlights of Singapore. We boarded the air conditioned coach to drive through the heart of old Singapore. We disembarked several times to walk the tidy streets to view the historic Colonial District. We photographed the gold domed Sultan Mosque and the gemstone handicraft factory. Finally we visited the National Orchid Garden to see the largest orchid display in the world, featuring more than 60,000 plants.
We had two tours in one day, the second being a night safari. It is not an ordinary zoo with lights but is set in 98 acres of dense secondary forest. The night safari offered a unique experience of observing wildlife in a tropical jungle at night. There were subtle lights that enabled us to view the 1,000 nocturnal animals in vast natural habitats. Our viewing was from an open air slow moving tram.
The second day in Singapore we were on our own. We spent the morning trying to work on our blog. The internet service on ship is sometimes very frustrating. We gave up and left the ship about 11:00 and took a cable car over to Sentosa Island. Sentosa is a popular island resort in Singapore which features a beautiful sheltered beach, golf courses and two five star hotels. We walked around for about three hours and enjoyed the beautiful plants and flowers.
Singapore, an island country and the smallest country in Southeast Asia, is located on the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. When Singapore acquired independence, having few natural resources, it was economically underdeveloped. Foreign investment and rapid government-led industrialization has since created an economy which relies on exports of electronics and manufacturing primarily from its port. Singapore has the highest standard of living in Asia, and is ranked 11th in the world and is the 22nd wealthiest country. As a result of efforts to control motorized traffic, the maintenance of natural greenery, strict regulations on industrial locations and emissions,,Singapore has been able to control its pollution levels.
We noticed that most cars are new. That is because the people can only keep a car for 10 years. First they must pay for an entitlement and there are only so many entitlements to cut down on the traffic. Cars are expensive, $52,000 for a Toyoto Corolla and $368,000 for a Mercedes. We asked what they do with the old cars and were told they would be exported to New Zealand and other countries.
Eighty-three percent of Singapore’s population live in government constructed housing. An average place, 3 bedroom, may be between $230,000 and $280,000. They pay 20% down then make payments at 2.65% interest. If single they have to be 35 to buy, if a couple they have to be married. The private homes range in the five to ten million range. The government encourages taking care of the elderly. If a couple will live close to the parents, the government gives them $3,000.00 and a $30,000 tax credit which reduces their income tax credit for several years. The same party has been in power for 40 years. The Prime Minister is paid 3.5 million a year and the department heads 1.5 million.
The average age to marry is 27 for female and 35 for the male. Couples were waiting longer for a family and having only 1.2 children on the average. The government encourages more babies and pays $3,000 for the first baby and a tax rebate of $10,000. If the parents open up a savings account for the baby the government will match dollars for up to $8,000. The third child rebate is $20,000.
Education is not free but inexpensive and the government schools are quite good. When we took our tour, the places we visited were filled with the students who were on field trips their last day of school before a holiday. The students all wear uniforms.
Health care is not free, but subsidized from 55 to 80 percent. There is no Social Security but money is accumulated from salaries in a fund.
Singapore’s rules are tough, but clear. Jaywalkers are fined on the spot. Litter and you pay and convicted drug traffickers can expect to earn a death sentence. The city is very clean, the streets and buildings are cleaner than any Western city. Unlike other large cities, you can walk fearlessly in Singapore at any time day or night.
Singapore is just 90 miles north of the equator, the climate is tropical but the pace is anything but relaxed. Our tour leader told us there were 4 seasons, summer, summer, summer and summer. It is the time for winter and it is 85 degrees. More than 4,000,000 people live on the big island and there are 14 major nationalities. Most people belong to one of several Chinese groups.
We went on a tour that showed us highlights of Singapore. We boarded the air conditioned coach to drive through the heart of old Singapore. We disembarked several times to walk the tidy streets to view the historic Colonial District. We photographed the gold domed Sultan Mosque and the gemstone handicraft factory. Finally we visited the National Orchid Garden to see the largest orchid display in the world, featuring more than 60,000 plants.
We had two tours in one day, the second being a night safari. It is not an ordinary zoo with lights but is set in 98 acres of dense secondary forest. The night safari offered a unique experience of observing wildlife in a tropical jungle at night. There were subtle lights that enabled us to view the 1,000 nocturnal animals in vast natural habitats. Our viewing was from an open air slow moving tram.
The second day in Singapore we were on our own. We spent the morning trying to work on our blog. The internet service on ship is sometimes very frustrating. We gave up and left the ship about 11:00 and took a cable car over to Sentosa Island. Sentosa is a popular island resort in Singapore which features a beautiful sheltered beach, golf courses and two five star hotels. We walked around for about three hours and enjoyed the beautiful plants and flowers.
Halong Bay, Vietnam
Halong Bay features some of Vietnam’s prettiest scenery. Because of the beauty of the bay, which features thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various sizes and shapes, it has been made a UNESCO World Heritage site. During the Vietnam War, many of the channels between the islands were heavily mined by the navy of the U.S., some of which pose a threat to shipping to this day.
We did not sign up for a tour here, but rather just went ashore and did some shopping. There were many, many stands close to the pier and the prices were very reasonable.
The entertainment that night was pretty special as a gymnast who was a two-time Olympic team member and a member of the U.S. Gymnastics Hall of Fame, Lance Ringnald put on a performance. We also had another show put on by the Filipino crew. It was fun to see the front desk girls, our plumber, even a doctor on board sing, dance and entertain.
Da Nang, Vietnam
Da Nang is a major port city in the south-central coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea. During the Vietnam War the city was home to a major American air base. The city’s economy is based primarily on seafood export, tourism and furniture, household goods and clothing production. They export many millions of dollars worth of goods to the U. S.
On our tour, we were driven through the center of Da Nang, and past some of the city’s colonial style buildings for a brief stop at the local market. The market was amazing, very large. The lower level was fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, meats etc. Upon going upstairs, we were awed by the vast number of shoes and clothing, but no time to buy as this was just a walk through. We did return later in the afternoon.
The coach then took us to the rural area to visit a local village community. We enjoyed a walk through the village, shaded from the sun by a canopy of bamboo thickets, passing local homes, vegetable and fruit gardens and a village temple. We met many children walking on the road. They were returning home from school in their navy and white uniforms. We were told they attend school for half a day. They knew how to say “hello” and were very friendly. We were taken into a home where grandma and grandpa were baby sitting with two children. There was a very ornate altar which took up quite a lot of space. Our guide said the altars are not for a particular religion but just to honor the ancestors. We were allowed to walk all through the house. There was a pot on hot coals at the back of the house. The lady showed me what was cooking. I thought it looked delicious, then I found out it was for the two pigs in a pen nearby.
Before returning to the ship, we visited the Cham Museum which houses a collection of Cham ethnic artifacts, as well as an extensive collection of sculptures and history of the Cham people.
Phu My, Vietnam
We docked early at Phu My, Vietnam which is the gateway to Ho Chi Minh city. Ho Chi Minh is the largest city in Vietnam and is located near the Mekong River Delta. The city was known as Saigon until the end of the Vietnam War. In 1975, Saigon was renamed to Ho Chi Minh city.
The tour we chose was the transfer to Saigon. The trip of 60 miles took 2 ½ hours as the road was packed with motorcycles and bicycles.
Our daughter in-law has family in Saigon. Nhung’s brother, Theing and mother met us with a large bouquet of flowers. They introduced us to some of the major highlights of the city. We were glad they were with us especially when it came to crossing the street. We walked through and around an endless stream of bicycles, cyclos and motor bikes.
We were enthralled with the market and all the fresh produce including exotic fruits and vegetables particular to the region. In addition to fruits and vegetables, we could buy clothing, jewelry etc. etc. We enjoyed many little shops, including one with hand embroider pictures where we made a purchase.
Theing and his mother took us to the Windsor Hotel for sumptous Vietnamese food. When the waitress saw how awkward I was with chopsticks, she brought us forks.
We met our bus at 4:00 p.m. and made our way back to the ship through the maze of motor bikes and bicycles.
Halong Bay features some of Vietnam’s prettiest scenery. Because of the beauty of the bay, which features thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various sizes and shapes, it has been made a UNESCO World Heritage site. During the Vietnam War, many of the channels between the islands were heavily mined by the navy of the U.S., some of which pose a threat to shipping to this day.
We did not sign up for a tour here, but rather just went ashore and did some shopping. There were many, many stands close to the pier and the prices were very reasonable.
The entertainment that night was pretty special as a gymnast who was a two-time Olympic team member and a member of the U.S. Gymnastics Hall of Fame, Lance Ringnald put on a performance. We also had another show put on by the Filipino crew. It was fun to see the front desk girls, our plumber, even a doctor on board sing, dance and entertain.
Da Nang, Vietnam
Da Nang is a major port city in the south-central coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea. During the Vietnam War the city was home to a major American air base. The city’s economy is based primarily on seafood export, tourism and furniture, household goods and clothing production. They export many millions of dollars worth of goods to the U. S.
On our tour, we were driven through the center of Da Nang, and past some of the city’s colonial style buildings for a brief stop at the local market. The market was amazing, very large. The lower level was fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, meats etc. Upon going upstairs, we were awed by the vast number of shoes and clothing, but no time to buy as this was just a walk through. We did return later in the afternoon.
The coach then took us to the rural area to visit a local village community. We enjoyed a walk through the village, shaded from the sun by a canopy of bamboo thickets, passing local homes, vegetable and fruit gardens and a village temple. We met many children walking on the road. They were returning home from school in their navy and white uniforms. We were told they attend school for half a day. They knew how to say “hello” and were very friendly. We were taken into a home where grandma and grandpa were baby sitting with two children. There was a very ornate altar which took up quite a lot of space. Our guide said the altars are not for a particular religion but just to honor the ancestors. We were allowed to walk all through the house. There was a pot on hot coals at the back of the house. The lady showed me what was cooking. I thought it looked delicious, then I found out it was for the two pigs in a pen nearby.
Before returning to the ship, we visited the Cham Museum which houses a collection of Cham ethnic artifacts, as well as an extensive collection of sculptures and history of the Cham people.
Phu My, Vietnam
We docked early at Phu My, Vietnam which is the gateway to Ho Chi Minh city. Ho Chi Minh is the largest city in Vietnam and is located near the Mekong River Delta. The city was known as Saigon until the end of the Vietnam War. In 1975, Saigon was renamed to Ho Chi Minh city.
The tour we chose was the transfer to Saigon. The trip of 60 miles took 2 ½ hours as the road was packed with motorcycles and bicycles.
Our daughter in-law has family in Saigon. Nhung’s brother, Theing and mother met us with a large bouquet of flowers. They introduced us to some of the major highlights of the city. We were glad they were with us especially when it came to crossing the street. We walked through and around an endless stream of bicycles, cyclos and motor bikes.
We were enthralled with the market and all the fresh produce including exotic fruits and vegetables particular to the region. In addition to fruits and vegetables, we could buy clothing, jewelry etc. etc. We enjoyed many little shops, including one with hand embroider pictures where we made a purchase.
Theing and his mother took us to the Windsor Hotel for sumptous Vietnamese food. When the waitress saw how awkward I was with chopsticks, she brought us forks.
We met our bus at 4:00 p.m. and made our way back to the ship through the maze of motor bikes and bicycles.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
HONG KONG, PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
Hong Kong consists of a mainland portion located on the country’s southeastern coast and about 235 islands. Hong Kong city is an island. Hong Kong was a British dependency from the 1840's until 1997 when it passed to Chinese sovereignty.
The climate is mild, no colder than 40 degrees. There are about 10% Christian, 50% Buddist among the 6.9 million people. The city is very clean, we were told there is a $1,500.00 fine for littering.
We have a sensational view of the skyline from the ship. Our veranda is looking out at the colorful harbor and the famous green and white Star Ferry. The ferry runs every 10 minutes to the Hong Kong island and is free for seniors.
Our tour on the first day was a bus that took us over to the island using the underground tunnel which was 1 and 1/4 mile long. This was a walking tour so after we got off the bus, we started from the Man Mo Temple in Shung Wan. We then strolled down Hollywood Road, famous for its curio and antique shops. Not far from Hollywood Road was SoHo a modern and trendy dining area. We were supposed to take the outdoor escalator down to Stanley Street where there were shops selling nick nacks, leather goods and casual clothes. Our guide said they had changed the time when we could go so we walked which was great exercise. The streets are very steep and we walked up and down hundreds of steps. In the afternoon, we walked to the Night Market which is open from 6:00 p.m. to midnight. This was further than we thought, a good 40 minute walk through crowded streets. They tell us that there are 100,000 people to each square mile, or 7 million total and we believe we saw many of them on the streets.
Our tour on the second day was a market walking tour, but it was not as much walking as the first day. We visited the Bird Market where there was an amazing array of bamboo bird cages on display and the “warbling” competitions must be heard to be believed. We were told that more people have birds as pets because they live in the high rise apartment and cannot have other pets. The Bird Market is both wholesale and retail. We have included a picture of grasshoppers that are fed to the birds. We then walked along Flower Market Street, row upon row of shops and stalls selling cut flowers and plants from all over the world. We have posted one picture, but have many others of the flowers. The next stop was the jade market which was a great place to browse and pick up souvenirs. To the Chinese, jade is said to have great spiritual value and to represent wealth, good fortune and power.
Each night at 8:00 Hong Kong island presents a symphony light laser show which can be seen from our balcony. When the gangway was raised the last night and we sailed away we viewed a lighted dragon and lion. This was the highlight of a party which began at 10:30 p.m., we enjoyed even though it was past our bed time.
Hong Kong consists of a mainland portion located on the country’s southeastern coast and about 235 islands. Hong Kong city is an island. Hong Kong was a British dependency from the 1840's until 1997 when it passed to Chinese sovereignty.
The climate is mild, no colder than 40 degrees. There are about 10% Christian, 50% Buddist among the 6.9 million people. The city is very clean, we were told there is a $1,500.00 fine for littering.
We have a sensational view of the skyline from the ship. Our veranda is looking out at the colorful harbor and the famous green and white Star Ferry. The ferry runs every 10 minutes to the Hong Kong island and is free for seniors.
Our tour on the first day was a bus that took us over to the island using the underground tunnel which was 1 and 1/4 mile long. This was a walking tour so after we got off the bus, we started from the Man Mo Temple in Shung Wan. We then strolled down Hollywood Road, famous for its curio and antique shops. Not far from Hollywood Road was SoHo a modern and trendy dining area. We were supposed to take the outdoor escalator down to Stanley Street where there were shops selling nick nacks, leather goods and casual clothes. Our guide said they had changed the time when we could go so we walked which was great exercise. The streets are very steep and we walked up and down hundreds of steps. In the afternoon, we walked to the Night Market which is open from 6:00 p.m. to midnight. This was further than we thought, a good 40 minute walk through crowded streets. They tell us that there are 100,000 people to each square mile, or 7 million total and we believe we saw many of them on the streets.
Our tour on the second day was a market walking tour, but it was not as much walking as the first day. We visited the Bird Market where there was an amazing array of bamboo bird cages on display and the “warbling” competitions must be heard to be believed. We were told that more people have birds as pets because they live in the high rise apartment and cannot have other pets. The Bird Market is both wholesale and retail. We have included a picture of grasshoppers that are fed to the birds. We then walked along Flower Market Street, row upon row of shops and stalls selling cut flowers and plants from all over the world. We have posted one picture, but have many others of the flowers. The next stop was the jade market which was a great place to browse and pick up souvenirs. To the Chinese, jade is said to have great spiritual value and to represent wealth, good fortune and power.
Each night at 8:00 Hong Kong island presents a symphony light laser show which can be seen from our balcony. When the gangway was raised the last night and we sailed away we viewed a lighted dragon and lion. This was the highlight of a party which began at 10:30 p.m., we enjoyed even though it was past our bed time.
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