Opera Formal Night

Uneventful day at sea - "formal" night. Cheryl’s wearing a silk gown purchased in Vietnam for (I believe) $15. It was either $15 or 25 – either way - very inexpensive and exceptional quality. We returned to our cabin right after dinner and elected not to go to the 8pm show – it was opera night, and neither of us are fans. Had been feeling a little suspect all day – took my temp before bed and sure enough, 101. Will need to call the clinic in the morning.

Arabian Sea

After dinner last evening, we joined several couples on the top deck by the aft pool for conversation & drinks prior to our 11pm departure. The tables were being cleaned from the air pollution (soot from nearby ships unloading coal) so we didn’t stay long – the air was difficult to breath as well. The crew completed installing razor wire around the ship a few hours ago. A total of 1,769 feet was installed for the trip across the Arabian Sea. For those interested & as published by the Navigator, the ships daily publication…” the Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan & Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south by a line between Cape Guardafui, the northeast point of Somalia, Socotra, Cape Comorin in India, and the western coast of Sri Lanka. The sea surface is 1,491,130 square miles, maximum depth is 15,262 feet”.

These updates from the Navigator are much appreciated & very educational. We were back in our cabin by 10:30pm and watched from the bedroom as the lights of Bombay faded away. Bright sunny morning today & the stagnant, polluted air we’ve been cloaked in for several days is barely visible behind the ship!

Reflecting on India

We found India to be full of extreme contradictions. We visited 3 cities and found them all to be a full-frontal assault on your senses, both good and bad. On one hand, we saw color, beauty, & smiles. On the other, poverty, dirt, and greed. India is a land of diversity - from religion and culture, to customs, flora & fauna…truly incredible.  And India has so much potential. It is a land of stunning and amazingly diverse natural beauty. The history, the civilization – if you just smile at people, ask questions, be open and interested, you'll mostly be embraced with a warm welcome – not always, but no different than most countries.  As with every corner on earth, the people are what make India so special, and I mean that sincerely. On the other hand,  I feel like I was only seeing the world in black and white, until we visited India - now I see in amazing color although unfortunately, not all bright & positive. Nothing in other third world countries prepared us for India.

But honestly, why travel & visit if you don't want to see something different to your own country? A World Voayage is exactly that…you see & experience most everything. 

India is full of contrasts and at the same time there is an inherent rhythm to it. If you can find a way, it needs to be experienced. That said…just beware.

From One Extreme...

...To The Other

Mangalore had its charms, as did Goa...though neither of us would have wanted to stay in either city beyond one day. Bombay was electric – a completely mind-blowing contrast to any major US city, or ANY major city for that matter. We loved the enthusiasm of many of the people we met… though we found it very difficult to accept the state in which the cities were in and the way they treated their country. There is absolutely no excuse for the complete and utter lack of respect Indians have for their surroundings, each other and their country. Spit, urine, feces, garbage… it is everywhere, all the time. Grown men urinating on main, well-traveled roadways at all hours - ex-farmers who have now become waged-workers still waste water as if it is an endless resource, & burn all their trash polluting the ground and the air. Despite education, despite awareness, the people (large majority) just do not seem to care here. The worst was Bombay (Mumbai) where the filth and degradation was completely appalling. This is the filthiest place we’ve ever seen. Half of the population could be put to work just cleaning up the mess. And really, shame on the higher levels of society for overlooking these conditions. I expected third-world but not the consummate filth and slum conditions nearly everywhere in Bombay. That India overall portrays itself as a world power is truly bizarre. Beggars, filth, dirt, smog, sewage, disgusting smells. We tried so hard to see past it all, even using their dirty squat toilets.

The mountains were a complete contrast - clean, spiritual, and free of any western influences that have consumed Bombay. The people were very different too... not many spoke English so a good guide was necessary. 

But it’s the complete disregard for health and the care of their people and environment. I have never EVER witnessed such a lack of love and passion for keeping the home and land you live in, clean and pure as much as the words filling the air with the passion for India by its people. Ghandi once spoke to the Indian people himself, saying that they must be able to clean up their own homes (home is country) and practice cleanliness. He was truly a fantastic human being, on a global scale however, the way Ghandi thought seems to be a once off, he tried to teach them but ultimately failed.

They say it’s all part of the package. They say there are so many India’s within India, and we found that to be true. There are very nice, kind and helpful people…and people with different races and religions live together. Parts of the country are very beautiful. The education structure is good, but the system itself is not well-implemented. They don't implement laws and rules. The majority of Indians are culturally weak, & corruption is everywhere. You have to watch your back wherever you go, particularly ladies. The roadways are horrendous. I came to appreciate the “chaos” as something I’ll call the “Bombay Ballet” … merging traffic is poetry in motion. Think of lane markers more as guidelines than rules. And the infrastructure is a mess by Western standards, especially the side-walks. And the noise! Indians do love their horns, but I guess it’s advance communication letting others know you are there and that you see them. Sanitation, again, by western standards doesn’t exist - litter is common…mounds of trash…piled everywhere...either growing bacteria or burning.

I hope India won't ever lose all of its color, festivals, friendliness and noise and become just a clone of the West….but I sure hope for the sake of the young kids & leaders of tomorrow that today’s government & civic leaders step-up and start taking positive steps to correct & strengthen their infrastructure.

I know this will sound contradictory, but I’m always surprised when people go to a foreign country and then complain that everything is not as it is in their land - it beats the very purpose of the visit. I’m not so much criticizing as I am informing, feeling empathy and compassion. They have so much potential.

If you missed the photos & commentary in my earlier post, please CLICK HERE

Bombay, India

Unbelievable Smog

We arrived & docked in Bombay at 6am, Wednesday March 28. We’re scheduled to remain here until 11pm tomorrow evening, when we set sail for Egypt, 3,245 miles to our west. Total cruise distance to date - 27,531 miles. The city is shrouded in smog as you can see – we were told it remains this way because of the lack of pollution laws combined with a population of 17 million, the 6th largest metro area in the world. After a quick breakfast, our tour group left the pier at 7:45 for a short trip to Gateway of India, the city’s most recognized landmark. This was built in 1911 to commemorate the visit of King George V & Queen Mary – the archway you will see below was originally conceived as an entry point for people arriving on steamers from England. In the background, you can see the Taj Mahal hotel through the smog, partially rebuilt after terrorists bombed the lobby recently and killed over 100 people. We boarded a small boat and approximately 1 hour later & arrived at Elephanta Island for a tour of the Elephanta Caves. These caves & sculptures were created/carved by Hindus approximately 1,000 years ago dedicated to Lord Shiva. The Portuguese named the island Elephanta, after the large statue of an elephant they found near the spot where they docked their ships. 

  

  

  

Exterior of Cave Entrance

Once we arrived on the island, we had a choice of either taking a short train ride (2 miles) to the base of the mountain or walking – most of the group elected to walk because it was still early in the morning and we all needed the exercise – particularly ME…I think I’ve gained 15 pounds since January but won’t go near a scale to verify! By the time we reached the base of the mountain to begin our climb, the sun had burned through the smog and it was getting quite hot with high humidity, but our venture had just started. So…you’re standing at the base of a mountain and there before you, lays a stone walkway about 10’ wide, straight up to the top! On either side of the walkway, vendors have their tables setup with every imaginable trinket & souvenir, and they ALL believe their products are the best and they ALL believe you shouldn’t leave without purchasing! We start the steep climb and the sweat from the humidity & ascent begins rolling off of us. Of course, these vendors have cold water to sell, hand-fans, cold beer – they see you sweating & gasping for air…it takes 5 minutes for you to muster enough breath to say “no thank you” - but they just keep coming at you! Half way up, they offer to sell you a chair connected on either side with a pole – they will CARRY you to the top for $10 – I WAS TEMPTED!! We finally made it up the mountainside and waited for our small group to assemble before moving on to the caves. Since we were among the first tourists of the day, the area was just waking up. After a few minutes, we see a cloud of dust and the tree branches rustling – the MONKEYS have found us! Dozens & dozens of monkeys – some carrying their babies – all coming to greet us & beg for food. The tour guide warned us ahead of time not to carry food & to keep our distance, but everyone wanted and successfully got a few photos. Then it was on to the caves & sculptures – absolutely incredible – our photos don’t begin to capture the beauty & mystique of these ancient masterpieces.

  

    

After 2 hours, we started back down the mountain and once reaching the base, the local cows & bulls were awake! Similar to the monkeys and surprisingly, they beg for food as well! They particularly like corn-on-the-cob. The vendors pan-fry it for human consumption and if the animals see you eating it, they won’t leave you alone. As we waited for our entire group to reach the bottom, we saw several unsuspecting people being chased by bulls in pursuit of their corn! It was quite comical – no one was ever in any danger as all the animals seemed pretty tame in that respect. Even though the temperature had reached 90 by mid-day, we elected to walk to the boat vs. taking the train. Once aboard, it was another hour back across the harbor to the pier, then a short bus trip to the ship – through 3 security checkpoints. We had to present our passports, a pink India immigration card & also our ship-card. No complaints here – good security!

  

     

Once back onboard, it was time to shower & grab a late lunch – we were starving after all that exercise in the heat! We originally intended to catch a cab and go to city center for the evening, but during lunch we heard a few horror stories from other passengers about their experiences earlier in the day so we decided to stay on the ship all night and start in a different direction early Thursday morning.

Day 2

It's 4am - we've decided to join a ship-sponsored city tour at 9am this morning vs. venturing out on our own.

Despite our extended stay here, interest in touring Bombay dwindled considerably for Day 2 – surprisingly, our large bus had a total of 10 passengers on board, and was the only bus venturing out today. Normally, there are 15 – 20 busses filled to capacity.

A "BULL" In The Middle of The Financial District

My city population number was incorrectly stated earlier – I was told today there are 21 million people here, significantly higher than my original 17million. That said, we toured the entire city today. Bombay is a mixture of several dynamics, but none of them are isolated to geographic areas – they all run together. There’s not an affluent area, or a poor area, or a “middle-class” neighborhood – rather, you get a combination of all income sectors no matter where you travel. Imagine yourself driving through Times Square in New York – tall buildings, neon signs, etc. Imagine the sidewalks there with business people going to and from office buildings, just as you would expect. Imagine people milking cows on the same sidewalk and selling it as “fresh milk” – imagine a few cows roaming in the middle of Times Square, and a horned-bull lying beneath a traffic light. Imagine several goats resting under a retailer’s awning – imagine food carts lining the streets with wood-burning fires spewing smoke keeping their products warm – imagine young children chasing tourist buses begging for money at every stop – imagine young homeless children with no clothing being bathed by siblings out of a bucket of dirty water on these same sidewalks. Imagine Times Square with all its beauty & modern architecture – imagine Rockefeller Center – then imagine a society who openly relieve themselves on walkways, regardless of location or time of day – regardless of retail establishment or landmark. Street after street after street after street – we were in awe of many beautiful structures…new office buildings…churches…train stations…temples…markets…hotels. We were amazed by the number of taxis – there are 500,000 in the city. Traffic is bumper-to-bumper wherever you go, and whatever the hour. Like New York, the city never sleeps. Amidst all the beauty in landscape & design…amidst everything that could otherwise be postcard material – you have the wooden carts pulled by Oxen, the wild dogs running between traffic, you have constant, continual chaos with horns blowing, people screaming, many just lying on the side of the roads sleeping or passed out. You have extreme wealth; you have gut-wrenching poverty & despair – simultaneously. We stopped at a park named Hanging Gardens – an absolutely beautiful display of flowers & foliage! Just one city block south, there were dozens of vultures circling in the air. Why?? As our tour guide explained…”look at the round cement building on the hill – it has no top – many people take their dead family members here, drop them down, & the vultures eat them…that’s why the birds are overhead…they are waiting”. Absolutely incredible…

I'll Begin With The Good

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

   

That's As Good As It Gets...

...And Now The Rest Of The Story

Despite all the glitz & glamour – despite the fine colleges here – despite the world’s largest movie industry, despite the sprawling financial center that calls Bombay home…there’s a seedy undercurrent and mixed lifestyle here that just defies logic – at least to the two of us. How can some of the very best and some of the absolute worst be allowed to co-exist on the same street corner without someone, somewhere, at some point saying…this isn’t right…we need to do something??? While clearly, it’s not my place to pass judgment or criticize, I thank the good Lord I was blessed with a humble but clean childhood, a society with comparatively good morals, with sound laws & regulations, with a government progressive enough to understand infrastructure & the importance of enforcement – I thank God I was able to raise my children in a healthy environment – I thank God they each have the opportunity to succeed & make a difference - I’m so proud to call America my home.

  

  

  

  

  

A Day At The Beach?

Even In Full-Sun...Not Very Inviting

   

  

   

   

   

     

      

  

  

  

   

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

   

   

   

   

 

   

   

   

   

   

   

  

  

  

    

Our final stop today was the Taj Mahal hotel for coffee & cookies – AFTER we were processed through metal detectors & armed guards. Beautiful, absolutely grand hotel. This is the same hotel where just 3 years ago, nine suicide bombers attempted to bring the structure to the ground & killed over 100. They’ve done a tremendous job rebuilding the towering lobby in such a short period of time – it’s a shame they don’t have the same sense of urgency for the balance of the city, though most people were busy, industrious, and generally happy.

We sail at 11pm tonight…4 hours from now. Incredible, amazing two days - things we've never seen before, and probably never will again.