Prinsendam 2006 Circle of the Sun, About to begin...

[serendipity1499]

Wow...Also have been laughing so hard that I'm crying!

 

What wonderful story tellers you & Grumpy are..They y should turn your posts into a movie..It would be such fun..Thank you for sharing your experiences with us!

 

Someday hope to have have enough $$$ to go on a 104 day Round the World..Take lottery tickets every week, but "my ship hasn't come in yet"..

 

Only problem is will miss our sweet little Pup..Maybe we could take her aboard as a service dog..She already goes to the Hospital every week & is in the "Reading with Rover" program at school..Any ideas?

[kryos]

Only problem is will miss our sweet little Pup..Maybe we could take her aboard as a service dog..She already goes to the Hospital every week & is in the "Reading with Rover" program at school..Any ideas?

I don't know what the "Reading with Rover" program is, but it sounds like something used in the education field. If you could get her certified as a service animal, and yourself certified as needing one, I guess you could bring her.

 

There was someone on my Amsterdam cruise who had a large service dog. He was in a scooter, but was not blind and did not appear to be deaf. I think the dog's purpose was to fetch stuff for him. Don't know if an animal like that would technically qualify as a service animal, but apparently he got approval for the dog to join him on the cruise. Several of us were talking about that ... and wondering just how in the heck he managed to get the dog onboard. Let's face it, another individual could "fetch" things for someone and this dog (quite large) didn't seem to do anything else for the guy. But he did have the dog out with him wherever he went, so perhaps he really did need him?

 

Anyone know how one goes about qualifying a service animal to come onboard ship?

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[Grumpy1]

Anyone know how one goes about qualifying a service animal to come onboard ship?

Well... you see, I have this disability... when someone cuts in line in front of me, I go into a rage and do really bad things... but if I pet my dog those feelings pass... So my psychiatrist signed this letter that says I need my dog at all times and they have to accomodate me to comply with ADA... or else guarantee that no one will ever cut in line in front of me...

[OldCodger73]

Well... you see, I have this disability... when someone cuts in line in front of me, I go into a rage and do really bad things... but if I pet my dog those feelings pass... So my psychiatrist signed this letter that says I need my dog at all times and they have to accomodate me to comply with ADA... or else guarantee that no one will ever cut in line in front of me...

 

Going off-topic, isn't that the argument the woman used to get her pot belly pig in first class on a US Airways flight to Seattle a couple of years ago?

[serendipity1499]

I don't know what the "Reading with Rover" program is, but it sounds like something used in the education field. If you could get her certified as a service animal, and yourself certified as needing one, I guess you could bring her.

 

There was someone on my Amsterdam cruise who had a large service dog. He was in a scooter, but was not blind and did not appear to be deaf. I think the dog's purpose was to fetch stuff for him. Don't know if an animal like that would technically qualify as a service animal, but apparently he got approval for the dog to join him on the cruise. Several of us were talking about that ... and wondering just how in the heck he managed to get the dog onboard. Let's face it, another individual could "fetch" things for someone and this dog (quite large) didn't seem to do anything else for the guy. But he did have the dog out with him wherever he went, so perhaps he really did need him?

 

Anyone know how one goes about qualifying a service animal to come onboard ship? Blue skies ...--rita

 

Thanks Rita I was really saying this with tongue in cheek as "Brandy" does not qualify as a Service Dog....We work at the local hospital with a certified service dog & his handler & it takes quite a bit of training to get the certification, along with Doctors certifications etc...We also had a Certified dog on the "Westerdam"..Believe it was a Hearing Dog....Re the "Reading with Rover" program at our local school..Young children who have reached certain goals in reading are rewarded with 10-15 minutes of reading to our dogs on a one on one basis..We belong to Therapy Dogs, Inc. & have a wonderful time each week..

 

Sorry to get off topic folks..I'm still dreaming about a Round the World Cruise..Betty

[Cruiseoften]

There was someone on my Amsterdam cruise who had a large service dog. He was in a scooter, but was not blind and did not appear to be deaf. I think the dog's purpose was to fetch stuff for him. Don't know if an animal like that would technically qualify as a service animal, but apparently he got approval for the dog to join him on the cruise. Several of us were talking about that ... and wondering just how in the heck he managed to get the dog onboard. Let's face it, another individual could "fetch" things for someone and this dog (quite large) didn't seem to do anything else for the guy. But he did have the dog out with him wherever he went, so perhaps he really did need him?

 

Anyone know how one goes about qualifying a service animal to come onboard ship?

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

 

One answer as to why the dog may have been on board might lie in your statement "he did not appear to be deaf. The dog was prboabbly his ears - the passenger was perhaps a lipreader and the dog alerted him to the fact that someone was talking, his phone was ringing, someone at the door etc. etc., any number of reasons. I'm sure the dog also fetched and carried.

 

I doubt the dog was allowed on board at the whim of the passenger. Any compenent TA would make all necessary arrangement.

Don't know if you receive the program "Sue Thomas, Private Eye' (or a title like that) points up the value of such animals.

[Ides of March]

Day 56 At Sea Mardi Gras Nite

Not much to report on this day. I worked on this thread and Grux even attended a lecture by the ship's engineers where they described the bilge system. Bet you thought I was joking when I quipped about the bilge tour. She is looking forward to learning how to grease the main bearings on the propeller shafts. Our security was increased by the appearance of LRADs or Long Range Acoustic Devices on the starboard side bridge wing and on Lower Prominade port side aft as we sailed toward Zanzibar. They look like big black stereo speakers and can apparently direct a focused audio signal of 160 decibels. A jet plane taking off generates 140 dB. They can emit many types of sounds of the ones they use on pirates is an electronic manipulation of a baby crying. You can burst the year drums of the bad guys a considerable distance away but because its directional all the passengers would hear would be the pirates screaming.

It was the first time we saw our table mates Ed and Nancy after the Captain’s Dinner and I was shocked at her take on it. They are veterans of many of these dinners and on some cruises they were at the captains table every night. She said this was not a dinner but a stage production and she felt sorry for the stewards who she sensed were uncomfortable in their garb. She asked the question why, if they were the cream of the crop chosen for such a function, they were not given distinctive and prestigious uniforms. She said she doesn't like seeing people demeaned for the amusement of others. I now must admit some shame that I didn't have the same first reaction as did she. You have to have a lot of time for a Lady like that.

This was Mardi Gras week and we celebrated it this night. Many of the ladies wore intricate masks to dinner that they purchased or constructed. They never looked more beautiful.

Day 57 Zanzibar Tanzania

Sail in was very pleasant not for the scenery on the island which is quite flat but for the dhows sailing around us in the harbour. These are quite large boats from 25 to 50 feet long and beamy with a unique lanteen sail rig that billows like a spinnaker spilling air to control the angle of heel. With the distinctive curvature of sail they must be the most beautiful boats in the world.

As we anxiously assembled to get our tender tickets an announcement was made that the ship’s security officers would first go ashore to ensure that the promised security was in place in Stone Town failing which a landing would be canceled. This took well over an hour and gave us time for breakfast. When we got the all clear we were told that tide conditions would likely preclude landing between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.. Those on organized tours were given priority on the tenders because the buses were waiting and those not on tours groused to no avail.

We managed to be on the second tender but when we arrived at the pier at 10:45 a.m. we hit a rock and had to back away. We then had a bit of a free harbour tour which was worth every cent eventually disembarking at a floating dock after higher steps were delivered by another tender to us. We first walked across to the dhow harbour to watch these craft being loaded and unloaded with lumber, beer and other commodities. We were mingling with the dockworkers who looked extremely tough and I doubt if there was a Rotarian among them. Kiwanians maybe.

Zanzibar together with its sister islands Pemba and Mafia comprise the Spice Islands and are some 22 miles off the east coast of Africa. They are technically in Tanzania but have independent administration. Stone Town is the main settlement on the island and is reputed to be a rough and dangerous place. We received many cautions in the briefings and the ship's tours that went to Stone Town did not allow the pax off the bus much to the disappointment of the tourers. We banded with Leon, Ella, Robin, Mary and another couple Robin and Marian (whose last name is thankfully not Locksley) to do our own walking tour. Robin I negotiated with and hired Mohammed II as our guide driving a hard bargain of $10 for the entire group for the entire day. He ended up making that or more from each couple. This was a very wise choice as he appeared to be well known by the locals throughout the town and as we were supporting one of their own we were never hassled or harassed although he did caution us about pickpockets on several occasions.

We walked by an old fort that has been everything from a prison to a rail car repair shop that now houses artisans and into the oldest part of the town which comprises narrow zigzagging streets between two and three-story buildings. It was similar to Venice, Santorini or Tangiers in many respects. The streets are six to 10 feet wide with motorcycles, scooters, bicycles and handcarts a constant irritant and hazard. There was the full spectrum of shops from those selling produce and other basics to those catering to tourists which other than those from our ship were not that numerous. There was one fellow butchering a 10 to 12 foot shark auctioning the chunks as he hacked them off to spectators. We were damn tempted to bid on a few choice morsels.

Stone Town is known for the ornate doors on residences that are beautifully handcarved and have metal spikes protruding from them supposedly to discourage attacks by elephants. I am at a loss as to how one would get an elephant into those streets let alone turned so he could butt the door. Many have doorsteps that extend to the side that feature vertical spikes either to repel elephant attacks from above or the butts of tired tourists.

We visited the local markets selling meat and spices and several upscale tourist shops which did feature superior if more expensive merchandise. I am trying to justify my HAKUNA MATATA T-shirt which means “no problem” in Swahili. Swahili is a contrived language marrying the Arabic and African Bantu languages and is the local dialect throughout eastern Africa. Initially everyone I met call me Jumbo and I was offended thinking they were commenting on my girth. They were really saying Jambo which means hello at least when addressing a tourist.

This was Friday, the Moslem Sabbath and with the local population predominantly of that religion we were treated continuously to prayers being chanted from loudspeakers mounted in high towers throughout the town. There is a small Christian population and we went to an Anglican Church where they were having a service at 1 p.m.. It was somewhat surreal to stand in the lobby of the church hearing hymns in one ear and repetitive chants in the other. Grux asked Leon to make like a Cantor so we could have a three ways but he sagely declined and we're still alive. We then went to the old slave markets and saw the underground dungeons. A Suite sized dungeon would accommodate 75 chained slaves for extended periods whereas a Dolphin Deck cabin sized dungeon would only hold 50. Very depressing. There is a touching monument in the forecourt donated by local companies showing five neck chained slave statues standing in a pit.

Thankfully tourists have replaced slaves which along with spices remains the town's bread-and-butter.

Finally we were off to Africa House, formerly known as English House for sustenance. Built by the British in their heyday it is truly a beautiful old building with a large shaded veranda off the games room overlooking the ocean where we enjoyed Kilimanjaro beer brewed in Dar Es Salaam over on the mainland and delicious vegetarian pizza in deference to Mohammed who is Moslem. He declined alcohol but accepted a Coke like soft drink called Red Bull with enough caffeine in it to give a three-day buzz. We relaxed and had a thoroughly enjoyable time.

We walked back to the pier shopping en route and caught the tender at high tide wading through ankle deep water to board.

Pleasant and moderately memorable if for nothing else but the name Zanzibar.

Day 58 Mombassa Kenya

As the Grux so accurately observed, “Mombassa is a sewer”. I think she was being charitable. It really is a filthy and uninviting town.

We arranged to go with Howard on a tour bus he chartered with about 16 others plus a guide, Mohammed (number unknown), much to the chagrin of HAL and the Micato Safaris Group who had a lock on the organized tours and tried unsuccessfully to bar our bus from the port. It was essentially the Coffee Club plus our friends from the day before.

We first went to a Hindu Temple for no apparent reason other than that there’s not much else to do. We watched colourfully robed women rolling cotton onto sticks on sandalwood boards to be later dipped in wax and used in ceremonies. We looked at the colourful bas relief murals teaching against the evils of drink and anything else remotely enjoyable. I thought the Stations of the Cross were depressing.

We drove the main drag stopping at huge aluminium elephant tusks that span the road which our guide assured us were not ivory. (Duh, really?). On to the market where we toured the most disgusting meat emporium to date. Piles of black sheep heads, sheep entrails hanging beside bull gonads in their original packaging that hurt even to look at and sundry other such delights. Animals are slaughtered early in the morning and must be butchered, sold and consumed that day do to a lack of refrigeration.

On to Fort Jesus which because of the $12 entrance fee we just walked around and used the facilities which consisted of a hole in the floor. Then to the old town where the shop lined streets are wide enough to accommodate cars and small trucks making the walking even more irritating and dangerous. We did get into the backstreets which were narrow and saw how the residents live in a mixture of old and new with charcoal carts parked every block and proprietors of chapate stands talking on cellphones.

Then onto the bus for a trip to a swank beachfront hotel for drinks. En route was mile after mile of small shops set well back from the highway selling everything imaginable with goats to wide screen tvs sitting in the dirt. Every building was incredibly run down and litter was everywhere. It looked like the aftermath of a three year garbage strike back home. Their equivalent of public transport which are 10m passenger vans that routinely carry 25, are brightly coloured and bear names such as “The Pride Of Africa” were everywhere and stop indiscriminately to let passengers on or off. They then dart into traffic apparently without looking and made our ride jerky and extended. The Hotel was nice with camels on the beach giving rides but the dozen oysters I ordered were the size of nickels and my Gaspacho never arrived so I left hungry anf PO’d after 1 ½ hours. They generously agreed not to charge for the soup I never received.

We had the Dhow dinner cruise so were dropped off at the ship and the others continued to a native co-op where they make the carvings that are sold everywhere and which our former friends Robin and Mary describe to us as the highlight of their day. After a quick shower it was onto an official bus for a ride to Tudor Creek which was the river we had crossed twice that day and a few hundred yards from the bridge we had used. There was nothing of interest there during the day and less at night. Down a long flight of rough hewn stone steps to the sail-less dhows where we sat with our friends Pat and Jude in the bow. We motored up the creek, down the creek, admired a few condos, missed seeing Fort Jesus and the old town, anchored in the dark, ate a forgettable meal which I would describe if I could remember it, and returned to climb the stone steps. The HAL reps ran up to organize the bus leaving the pax to work on our teamwork in hauling the elderly and infirm (who believed the one walking man symbol in the brochure and are now raising hell) up the hill. For $189 it was a complete rip-off. We are reviewing all the HAL tours we have booked and will likely cancel a lot paying the 10% penalty if need be.

Filthy, unpleasant and I hope I can forget it.

I’m pretty pooped and sore at present so I will post this now and use our second sea day tomorrow to describe our eventful and enjoyable two day safari at Maasai Mara.

Until that time….

Ides

[localady]

Ides-

Thank you so much for taking me with you and Grux into filthy stinky Mombassa for the time it took me to read your wonderful post! Look forward to your posts and the adventures, good and bad, you are encountering.:D

P.S. Shame on HAL...hope they refund your money on that one

Needless to say, give um hell Harry!!:cool:

[Grumpy1]

Day 56 At Sea Mardi Gras Nite

 

 

Many of the ladies wore intricate masks to dinner that they purchased or constructed. They never looked more beautiful.

Now Ol' Grumpy isn't too sure about telling the women that they look more beautiful hiding behind a mask.... could be some rather unpleasant reactions.

 

Slinkie and Grumpy took Mardi Gras masks and beads along last year... even had lots of extra beads to pass out. Grumpy tried to get the women to "earn" their beads in the traditional Mardi Gras way, but....

[Ides of March]

Days 59 and 60 Maasai Mara Safari

We left the ship at 6:30 a.m. and boarded three buses to the airport. On to the short takeoff and landing airplanes similar to a Dash 8 but smaller and departed on our 2 1/4 hour flight. We were on the port side and saw the bottom slopes of Kilimanjaro but were disappointed that the top at 19,000 feet was shrouded in cloud. We were flying at 8000 feet and were not pressurized to go up and take a look. We landed on a dirt strip near the camp with our wheels hitting deep puddles and throwing sprays of mud to the side which is a bit startling when you're not expecting it.

The area has experienced a four-year drought yet it had rained heavily for 20 hours the day before stopping at about midnight. The locals were ecstatic as apparently many hippos and crocodiles were dying as their habitat dried up. We were hailed as heroes for bringing the rain. A bit of a reverse from what I am normally used to. The one-hour game drive we were to have had before lunch was canceled as the trucks would have been mired to their axles so we proceeded on with the locals consider a road to the camp. The main hotel building is quite nice with large airy principle rooms and covered verandas. It sits on the Mara River which is a muddy deep stream about 75 feet across with 50 foot banks on each side. Our side of the river featured vertical banks that the hippos and crocodiles could not climb whereas the other side had many trails descending to the water for their use. The river boarded our camp on three sides with the fourth protected by an electric fence and we were told armed guards around the clock. All down the river on each side of the lodge were our tents. A metal frame sat atop a stilted platform from which hung an end to end outer shell with a second tent under it and set back creating a beautiful veranda towards the river. The veranda had log railings lashed together with comfortable canvas chairs and a table. The tented two single beds with mosquito netting, a multipurpose area behind the beds and a shower basin and toilet in the rear section that could be flapped off. Not lavish but very nice nonetheless.

We sat on our veranda for an hour and a half before lunch with what the Grux called our personal hippos because a mother and her small baby were directly across from our tent about 100 feet away. The baby would climb the slippery clay bank, fall asleep and slowly slide into the water. It had a gash on his left rear flank and when it would fall asleep the flies would invade the wound and the little fella would awake with a start. Every time he went in the water the mother would push him back up on the bank. The camp naturalist later told me there must've been a croc nearby that the mother sensed and when it left she did let him go in to suckle underwater coming up every three or four minutes for air. A midsize hippo showed up, socialized for a few moments and headed upstream towards “Hippo Corner” underwater but you could follow his progress by the ripples. The beauty of this set up is that the animals are right in front of you but can't get at you. Hippos are the most dangerous animals in Africa killing about 6000 people per year. The leave the river after dark and can go up to 10 miles inland to eat the 150 to 200 pounds of vegetation each needs per day. They return to the river between 4 a.m. and dawn and if they sense anyone around they panic and run for the water destroying everything in their path including 6000 Africans annually apparently.

At 2 p.m. we had an orientation lecture and were then addressed by a Maasai Elder who was in fact a junior elder and probably in his early 30s. He was dressed in the traditional Maasai red costume which they wear so enemies cannot detect that they have been wounded. He described their lifestyle in great detail including the fact that they do not eat either meat or vegetables. They raise cattle which they bleed at the neck mixing the blood with milk and honey or other natural sweeteners which they consume as their staple diet. They therefore do little cruising.

Into our vehicles which in this case were enclosed Land Rovers with pop tops so you could stand up with your head out the roof and over to the Maasai village nearby. Robin and Mary who were not on this trip but who had traveled in Maasai country previously had told us that they are extremely proud people with little time for tourists and if one took their picture you are also taking your life in your hands. It turns out that the Maasai number about 250,000 but own over 20% of Kenya. Our hotel which was purchased by the Fairmont chain last March are tenants on their land which just for this tribe extends over 350 miles by 600 miles all the way back to Kilimanjaro. They are thus very accommodating to tourists.

The Maasai village which in effect houses one extended family is enclosed within a wall about 6 feet thick of piled brush and is circular about 400 yards in diameter. There are several entrance ways that are blocked and guarded at night. Just inside the wall are a ring of thatched roof mud and dung huts. In the center of the outer perimeter is a second brush wall where the cattle are kept at night well away from predators. Each hut is occupied by one of the wives of the proprietor and her children. He literally sleeps around.

The women of the village were gathered in their finery which consisted of bright beads and even brighter wraps with elaborate facial paint. They stood in line and sang to us while their children milled about their legs. Very beautiful to watch. A group of young warriors dressed in their red garb loped around the perimeter in a bounding motion which they made seem effortless and which they use to traverse long distances over the plains. They then stood in line and chanted while each would take turns leaping vertically. They were not large men but my guess is that each could dunk a basketball from a stationary position.

We were invited into their huts where one had to bend through a small door and proceed between a woodpile and a small room with a wooden grill door that housed lambs and calves at night for extra security. Inside the hut there was a cooking hole in the center near a bed where the wife would sleep with all of her children and an even smaller room off to the side where the proprietor would sleep from time to time it being her choice to join him if she'd felt procreation likely. Until recently they practiced female circumcision so there wasn't a lot more in it for her. The practice is now optional to the woman although if she declines the procedure it is unlikely she would ever attain first wife's status. The beds are dried animal skins and hard as rock.

We concluded our stay with a visit to a walled compound just outside the main enclosure where they were selling crafts much like we have seen all over Africa and using the same sales pitch ie what would you pay me for that? and then feigning offense when you told them. I would love to have bought a Maasai war sword but was unsure how I could ever get it home. With their land holdings and commercial interests they are not a poor people but would have you believe that they maintain their traditional way of life. On balance I believe that is likely true but the children did accept the chocolates dispensed by the pax. All in all it was a tremendous experience and a highlight of the trip even if it did delay our game drive.

By 4 p.m. we were in the trucks and rolling through the absolutely gorgeous open plains. Maasai Mara is the tip of the Serengeti Plains being that part of them that lie in Kenya. The actual Serengeti Plains are eight times as large and are in Tanzania so it is essentially one eco system with differing names in each country Mara means “spotted” and refers to the effect created by the Acacia like trees that are spaced every quarter-mile and seem to grow along defined lines as if planted. Our naturalist Mike Clifton explained to us later that the soil is only 18 inches deep but the bedrock has long parallel cracks which the trees grow over so their roots can penetrate deeper hence the effect. The movie Out Of Africa with Redford and Streep was filmed here and that will be the first one I watch when I return home.

Unlike South Africa where there are no truly wild animals outside of game reserves, Maasai Mara is an open plain for hundreds if not thousands of miles with the only fences protecting farms and the like. We had large distances to cover and therefore drove very quickly over untracked grasslands leaving six-inch furloughs in our wake in the clay based soil. As our great driver Winston would swerve to avoid termite mounds we would sometimes skid completely sideways as if on ice and all of our high-speed turns were controlled four-wheel drifts or at least I hope they were controlled. We crossed rain swollen creeks and mud holes that extended hundreds of feet on what I thought when I first boarded our truck were bald tires. I learnt that tread on the bottom means nothing as they quickly clogged with mud but the big lugs that project from the side of the tire are like paddles so the driver angles to the side of ruts and Bob's your Uncle. It was far more comfortable to stand and hold the bars than to sit inside the truck but many times when I released one hand to take a picture the truck would lurch and I would be hit in the ribs by the padded side of the opening. That also is a breathtaking experience. Since our return I feel like I went six rounds with Joe Frazier but even that would be preferable as I would have been unconscious after 10 seconds or so.

We saw thousands of animals especially vast herds of Wildabeasts. The film of their migration was shot in this area. We saw many animals that we had not seen at Lalibela including Water Buffalo, jackals, and probably the most interesting creature of all, the Secretary Bird. It is so named because it looks like it is wearing a black skirt, a gray blazer and has long head feathers that looks like hair. It's long gray tail has a black tip and looks like a pen. I don't know if it can type. There were many carcasses of dead animals strewn about with carrion specialists feeding. Apparently there is a lack of calcium in this area so carcasses are generally totally consumed.

Sunset was that about 6:20 p.m. and we were to have a Sundowners Bush party on a plateau to enjoy the event but at 5:45 p.m. a downpour started which necessitated putting the cover on the truck. Did it rain. At the time we were a considerable distance from the site of the party and were heading that way as we had the head guide Charles who was responsible for the entire Safari in our truck thanks to Howard (who we were riding with). Charles had to get back to take control so if I thought our ride to that point in time was fast and rough I hadn't seen anything yet. What was barely passable on the way out looked impossible now but Winston was amazing. We did bog down half a dozen times but he rocked and reversed us out and we kept going. At times we were making headway at about 10 feet per minute but when he did get our momentum going he wasn't about to surrender it to minor irritants such as bushes, rocks and termite mounds. When we reached the site of the Bush party Charles called it off and dropped us at the lodge at about seven whereupon he coordinated the rescue efforts of the other trucks who were stuck with some of the pax not making it back until after 10 p.m..

We freshened up and returned to enjoy the open bar that Charles had arranged for the night as compensation for missing the Bush party and although it is against my policy I took my Tusker beer and went to what was to have been a one half-hour lecture by the camp naturalist Mike Clifton. His talk went for an hour and a quarter because no one would let him go and I doubt I have learned more in my life in such a time span. He briefly addressed many of the animals we had seen and gave us a pithy description of their predilections. Just fascinating stuff.

We enjoyed an OK barbecued dinner and were off to bed by 10 pm although they told us that our 6 a.m. game drive would have to be postponed till it least 9 a.m. as it was still raining and if it continued the drivemight have to be canceled. The water in the tents was not potable in each guest had been given a one half liter bottle for their use. When I awoke parched at 3 a.m. I had to walk the 300 yards to the main lodge only to find it deserted. I finally found our armed guard who was supposedly covering our back chatting with a cleaner in the kitchen. I got some water from the staff water cooler which I carried back now accompanied by the guard to the tent and gave him are empty bottles which he kindly replenished from the same source. I then lay awake for quite a few hours listening to the night sounds of the animals including the occasional scream. The bed was also as hard as rock probably emulating the Maasai so it wasn't a great night.

Up at seven for breakfast at 8 a.m. and into the trucks at 9 a.m. after packing for a 3 1/2 hour drive that commenced on the more harder packed roads until we reached high ground. We did stop and see a large group of hippos who were actually out of the water standing on a rock point so other than Grux’s baby these were the first where we enjoyed a full body view. We were also taken to where a Maasai warrior was guarding a family of white rhino to protect them from poachers who desire their horns as aphrodisiac's. We got out of the truck and literally stood about 10 feet from the magnificent animals and needless to say were quite docile and uninterested in our presence.

Probably the highlight or lowlight of the day depending on your perspective is when our truck was passing a herd of gazelle just as the mother was giving birth and we actually saw the baby drop to the ground. We were about 50 feet away and us the herd fled. We backed up a considerable distance but it quickly became apparent the mother would not return to clean and nurture her offspring until we had left so we did so. Grux watched through binoculars until we were very far away and never saw the mother returning so we can only hope. We had opted to skip the final lunch and returned only when we were due to leave for the airport that still had time for a quick bite. This was true even though our truck blew a ball joint a few miles from the camp and a replacement vehicle had to be dispatched to pick us up. Luckily it happened when and where it did Apparently some of the pax had not heard that the 6 a.m. game drive was canceled and showed up whereupon they were loaded into a truck and taken out but only on the passable roads. They are the only ones to have seen the lions returning to their shelter in the bush after a night hunting which is of course what we had all hoped to see.

An uneventful if bumpy flight that that I slept through as we were in dense clouds and could see nothing of Kilimanjaro.I hear two gentlemen boarding the third plane got into an actual fistfight and statements are now being taken from witnesses. Darn, I always seem to miss the really good stuff.

Although he encountered some minor disappointments such as missing the Bush party and the early-morning game drive, just being in and seeing such magnificent country made the trip worthwhile in itself with the animals as a bonus. The Maasai experience although somewhat contrived will simply never be forgotten. Living in such close proximity to the wildlife even if with a false sense of security was amazing as even if you could not always see them, they're unending cacophony assured you of their presence around the clock.

Just a few words of advice for future visitors to Mombasa who wish to do a Safari. Before leaving on this trip I thought the prices demanded by HAL excessive but when I tried to locate a private provider on the Internet I was flooded with so much information that I gave up. The Micato group had a lock on all the official tours and although they were generally competent they are not the only game in town. I hear from others that the Taita Hills overnight which involved a four hour bus ride in the actual vehicles it took you to view the animals which cost $999 was a disaster. The ride out was unbearable, there were few animals to see and the Hilton properties run facility was tacky in the extreme. One lady in closing her curtains had them rip in her hand they were so mildewed and rotten. A sign advised guests that the water was not potable and bottled water was available at four dollars each. I haven't heard anything about the Amboseli overnight which cost $1599. The Shimba Hills half day trip ($149) involved a two-hour ride out for a one-hour game drive. Our tour was the Cadillac and went for $1799 although we paid substantially less because the couple who could not go preferred to see the money in our pockets and not HAL’s.

I met two couples who walked out on the pier, saw a lady holding a sign advertising safaris and went on an overnight to Tsavo Park the largest in Kenya which is 1 1/2 hour away where they saw all of the big five, stayed in a beautiful lodge and had a fantastic time all for $275 each. Live and learn folks.

Back on topic our experience at Maasai Mara was sometimes very unpleasant sometimes very pleasant, but amazingly memorable.

Tomorrow the Seychelles with nothing more exerting than the cab ride to the beach. I may have a very short post thereafter and then a few days off before India.

Until that time…

Ides

[Williebill]

I'm so sorry for your few disappointments, but overall it seems this trip was so memorable; I'm certainly glad that you and your DW were able to have such a wonderful experience.

[OldCodger73]

Ides, maybe you answered this before and I missed it, but what kind of shots did you have to have before the trip and what kind of anti-malaria prevention was required/recommended?

 

BTW, am really enjoying you journal.

[Ides of March]

Day 63 Victoria Seychelles Indian Ocean

This will be a very short report because yesterday we fought our genetic predisposition to see everything possible and be the last ones up the boarding ramp to kick back and relax. We brought with us Grumpy’s port report from last year and I noted his comment that had he brought a bathing suit to the beach where his tour lunched, he might not have left. Being so advised, we taxied to Beau Vallon beach on the other side of the island, brought bathing suits, and didn't leave. It was just great. Maybe Grumpy , Slinkie, Grux and the writer should travel together and do a joint blog. They could handle the shopping opportunities and we would cover the near-death experiences. I hope in future others may benefit from this thread as I have from Grumpy and Slinkie's.

If one were not forewarned by an itinerary and awoke in the Seychelles it would be easy to mistake the islands for Hawaii. Drop dead gorgeous. Towering green mountains falling to idyllic beaches. Lush vegetation with particularly beautiful flowers. Spotlessly clean and impeccably maintained buildings and streets. Of course after Mombassa even Newark would look pretty good but this was exceptional.

We were slow off the boat and walked the main two streets of the town finding the shopping limited and expensive but given the fact that virtually everything has to be brought to the islands such is to be expected. We took the mandatory photographs of Little Big Ben which is a pretty clock tower structure about 25 feet high in the heart of town and some other flowerlike sculpture which the Grux could identify. Then to an ATM and thinking we were removing dollars we took 500 Seychelles shillings worth about $95 but this did save us in the long run as cabs were half the price if paid in the local currency as were drinks and the like. At the end of the day Grux bought beautiful sheer wraps with what remained and it was easy to stay firm on a rock hard bargaining position.

The cab ride takes you over a mountain with tight switchbacks all the way up and down with breathtaking views to boot. The beach itself is one of the nicest I have ever been on with perfect sand for walking and swimming and with a moderate surf that invited bobbing all day and little if any undertow so you wern’t without taking your life in your hands. The water was warm but not tepid and you could stay in all day which we nearly did. There was a lovely hotel which featured two spectacular topless sunbathers near the steps down to the beach mandating frequent trips to washrooms and like. Fantastic sail away with the sun setting behind the myriad volcanic islands that compromise the chain. All in all a most enjoyable and relaxing day.

Extremely pleasant and very memorable but a little hard to get to from frozen Canada.

Today as we walked the deck flocks of flying fish entertained us with hundreds at a time forming clouds over the wave tops. Grux insisted that the proper term was a school of flying fish and a heated argument ensued culminating in her telling me to flock off and me telling her to go school herself. We ultimately agreed that when swimming they were a school and when flying a flock. I have always believed that compromise and the law of division of property are the pillars on which long and enduring marriages are built.

Kochi or Cochin on Monday so I will take a break until after that visit and so…

Until that time

Ides.

[Grumpy1]

Ah, yes... the Seychelles! If I were to retire to an island paradise with the goal of getting away from the hustle and bustle, but not totally isolated from the creature comforts, the Seychelles would certainly be on the short list. Glad you were able to enjoy the beach and the spectacular views. Methinks there will not be any pictures of your favorite view, though...

 

The flying fish are certainly fun to watch... even more fun to try to get pictures. It's a good thing my pictures are digital... I would have rolls and rolls of film pix showing nothing but water and maybe a ripple or two...

 

If Cochin is anything like Chennai, you'll probably wish you had jumped ship and stayed in the Seychelles...

[Ides of March]

Day 67 Cochin (Kochi) India

After three uneventful sea days when there was little to do but gossip, eat, gossip, sleep, gossip and win the segment trivia challenge championship. Actually the CanAms won more individual sessions than we did but we took the championship round and got the HAL picture frames. I traded mine for a travel clock with one of the CanAms and now do not have to fumble for my watch in the middle of the night. It plays a variety of wake-up tunes such as Frere Jacques but so quietly it has little chance of waking you up. My type of clock.

As we traveled through South Africa and Mombassa and viewed the poverty and squalour in the slums we were told that such would be middle class in India. We were expecting a horror show and may yet see one but Cochin was a very pleasant surprise and we loved it. Sail in was between low-lying islands with what appeared to be resorts and beautiful beaches to port and huge bungalows with beautiful docks to starboard. There were many Chinese Dipping Nets which are huge cantilevered log structures built on the beach. The counterbalancing weights are huge boulders held in rope loops as opposed to slings which the operators continuously work under. It must be safer than it looks which isn't hard. To lower the Nets a couple of fellows walked up the arms that suspend the net until it is completely submerged with the rocks hanging high in the air. It's then pinned so that when the restraint is removed the net rises quickly. We saw the operation occur many times without seeing one fish caught. We viewed all this later from the beach and not from the ship but once I got going on my description it was hard to stop.

We docked in a port area about 6 km from town. While we were waiting for clearance to go ashore which takes a considerable time in bureaucratic India we were treated to a folklore show in the Queens Lounge with female dancers who performed to music that sounded like it came from a guitar that had been immersed in water for a week. We then had a demonstration of martial arts that has likely evolved over time to what is today a stylized dance form, and finally a demonstration and of an art of facial and body control where the artists face should have been projected on the large screens as if you weren't in the first few rows all you saw a was a fellow bared to the waist wiggling in a chair which grows tiresome after half an hour or so.

We disembarked at about 10:30 a.m. and looked at the four elephants that were on the dock to greet us and then together with Robin and Mary hired a cab for the government posted fee of $15 for two hours for the vehicle. It was air-conditioned thankfully and quite comfortable although our driver Boban’s english was limited and I'm sure we would have taken more from our tour have we talked to other drivers to determine their level of proficiency. Live and learn. He could tell us the name of places but little else and otherwise agreed with everything you suggested as to where you might be probably meaning that he had heard of it.

We first stopped at a nearby beach to view the above described Chinese Nets and walk through a local flea market. The vendors were quite persistent and stuck to you refusing to take no for an answer until you showed a measure of irritation. Grux disagrees and said she used a smile but I've never perfected that technique We were off to the area known as Fort Cochin to first view a couple of Catholic churches, Santa Cruz being the largest and most impressive where a wedding was taking place and then to St. Francis Church where Vasco da Gama was first buried. Then on to the Bishop's Palace where we walked around the grounds that looked like a botanical garden. Bishops seem to live quite well around the world no doubt commensurate to their contribution to the well-being of mankind.

Robin had graciously offered me the front seat in the taxi next to the driver supposedly because of my long legs but probably because I would've squashed the other two passengers in the rear seat. This gave me the best perspective on the numerous head-on collisions we invited. The traffic has to be seen to be believed with Tuk-Tuks or three wheeled vehicles everywhere, hand carts being pulled in the middle-of-the-road, 18 wheel transports, goats, bicycles, motorcycles and sacred cows all milling about in the confined streets. Traffic would merge with out ever checking behind them and the worst offenders were not the goats or cows. Boban would pull out to pass at the most inconceivable of times often going head-to-head with tuk-tuks three abreast or transport trailers all while traveling at 15 mph in third-gear. The taxi was always so far out of its optimal torque and power range that it couldn't get out of its own way. I took comfort in the fact that there appeared to be an airbag and I always used my seatbelt however short the hop. The oncoming traffic would slow just enough to let us dart or I should say lag back into our lane and we would repay in a similar manner when our side of the roadway was occupied by oncoming traffic as it frequently was. Another new and exciting experience.

We went to the Mattancherry Palace also known as the Dutch Palace because they did some reno work on it many years after it was built and saw the so-called erotic murals where Vishna was depicted doing a little tweaking and groping which today seems very tame in this world of Calvin Klein. By this time three of us were sick of looking at buildings and vetoed the Grux’s suggestion that we visit the Pardesi Synagogue which by most reports was probably the only thing truly worth visiting in the town. Thousands of individually hand-painted ceramic tiles each different from the other were quite beautiful from the postcards we have seen.

We stopped at a rather high end store selling Kasmir carpets, wood carvings and the like. I was shown a beautiful three-foot by 5 foot silk carpet and was quoted a price of $225. For some reason my mind went into bargaining mode and I was prepared to offer $125 when Grux indicated we should look around some more. We then proceeded to New Town which is the more modern downtown district where Grux shopped for and bought some sarees which are quite beautiful. We went into spice stores were the aroma was initially quite pleasant but quickly became overpowering and made me feel a little queasy. I was fine once I have a smoke. We checked out some liquor stores but the prices are all set by a government agency and are actually higher than in Canada which I never thought I would see. After pricing other silk rugs that were quite expensive we returned to the initial store to be told of the price quoted had been $2025 and that we must have misunderstood. Yeah right. I can’t believe I didn’t jump at once at what was an incredible bargain but I went by bthe maxim “If it looks too good to be true….” I would have saved some time had I been more rash.

Our tour now having extended for well over four hours upon our agreement to double up on the fare, we enjoyed another exciting drive back to the ship and after prying my fingers out of the dashboard foam we had a very very late lunch. I would love to try some local fare but we have heard so much about Delhi Belly that we are sticking to ships food and bottled water. My niece Michelle and her husband Rishi just returned from India on their honeymoon trip and brought back a souvenir bug we believe so we are more than a little cautious. This was a quick stop to send pax off to Delhi/Agra and the Taj and to take on customs officials so we were due back by 4:30 pm.

Our good Aussie friends Bruce and Vicky were entertaining their son, his wife and four kids on the ship so we met them at the aft pool and had a very pleasant swim and chat. Sail away was at 6 p.m. and we were entertained (?) by a troupe of drummers who loudly and monotonously accompanied a group of six dancers who had what looked like a bass drum on their backs from which projected tinfoil Christmas trees that bounced when they danced. This went on for an hour with the drummers doing the same song and the dancers doing the same step so when they finally quit relief was palpable amongst both the pax and the performers.

Sail away was terrific with a glorious sunset enjoyed by members of the coffee club and others such as Leon and Ella on eight aft.

Reasonably pleasant and memorable as it was our first taste of India albeit an unusually affluent and benign region if our fellow travelers are to be believed.

Tomorrow is the Ides of March and so I wish a very happy birthday to my 24-year-old son Daniel in Nova Scotia who we would love to hear from. To Lynne from Seattle, I hope you now have the proper URL. To Larry and Vicky, we are thinking about you a lot and please keep us up to date.

Three days in Mumbai so I may not be able to post until Saturday next and so…

Until that time

Ides

[alsas]

The secret of india is go to the best hotels and enjoy the local food. No eating from unknown sources. No water from small shops (if they can fake rolex water is easier) Food is fantastic in India don't body swerve it all. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WONDERFUL COMMENTARY.Your wonderful spouse is no slouch with her diary. Happy sailing ALSAS

[RuthC]

I can't stand the wondering any more, so just have to ask: what are the names of the people on the Can-Am trivia team?

I suppose that team name isn't copywrited, but I'm betting it's the same group as on my '03 and '04 trans-Atlantics. If so, it's no wonder they're winning so many games: they cruise all the time, have had the same quizzes more times than I can count, and take the game seriously enough to e-mail each other the questions and answers!

If it's the same people, of course.

[Ides of March]

Day 69 Mumbai India (The Ides of March)

I missed the sail in but judging from the sail away there wasn't much to see just some cranes on the piers and misty mountains in the distance.

Onto a bus chartered by Bruce and Vicky by 8 a.m. with the Coffee Club aka “The Future Friends of Bill W”, plus Leon and Ella and off to Lunavala, an old British Hill station about 90 km southeast of the city. The wealthy of Mumbai keep villas in the mountains at Lunavala for use on weekends to escape the city heat. En Route we passed the infamous slum at Dhalwi where over a million people live in a 4 km² area. A newspaper article we brought from home estimates that the cottage industries that exist in that slum gross from one billion to $2 billion per year. Two to three stories with ladder access, bootlegged power and water and no sanitation system. Plastic tarps provide some shelter from the weather. Incredible by our standards but to most of its inhabitants it is their home and they would never think of leaving. The expressway passed by marshy areas where landfill has been used to connect the myriad islands on which Mumbai is built and thousands of people were bathing and washing in brown water that we would never think of using on our cars. Cows and goats meandered freely on the shoulder while we passed at 60 mph. Woo hoo.

Our 20 seater bus carrying 13 was comfortable but grossly underpowered and we climbed into the mountains at a brisk 5 mph at times with the air conditioning off to assist the four-cylinder engine. We helped by chanting in unison “I think I can, I think I can…” We finally arrived after a few hours and boarded tuk-tuks that carried us the first half of the way to the Buddhist caves that are carved in the rock high on a mountain. Our tuk-tuk was the first off the line but everyone passed us in what turned out to be a low-speed race so we got some great pictures as they went by. We walked the second half which was somewhat arduous but the view was great over the arid landscape. This was in the Hindu Holi Festival or Festival of Colours celebrating the end of spring and the beginning of summer so not much rain is expected until September. Water is a huge problem here and even the affluent can only access it through their taps for a few hours a day.

We toured the caves and the modest carving of the Buddha near the entrance and then climbed to the chambers of the monks by a narrow dark interior stairway. All very impressive when you realize it was hewn from solid rock by hand with rudimentary chisels. The locals were very polite and would ask us if we wished to participate in the Holi celebration and if so they would smear your face with a coloured powder that thankfully washed off easily except for one spot in the middle of my forehead where the particular powder was somewhat indelible and remained visible for a few days. After a harrowing high-speed descent in the tuk-tuks where once again everyone passed us we were on our little bus for a similar high-speed return. Much more relaxing going up.

We had hoped to spend the day outside of town but if there was anything to see our guide Vir, who is marginal at best didn't know about it and so we returned to the incredible city of Mumbai for an impromptu tour. The traffic seemed far more chaotic than we had experienced in Cochin but we were told us was a holiday and it was really very light which proved to be the case. We were taken to a gorgeous temple of the Jain faith, a Hindu subset who do not believe in the caste system. They control the diamond industry in India work with the Antwerp Jews of Belgium to cut and polish the smaller diamonds which comprise the bulk of the business. They run on Belgian time and the start work at 11 a.m. spending the entire morning at their temples. They walk barefoot to the temple so as not to kill insects and wear masks so as not to inhale them thereby taking a life. They are strict vegetarians but will not eat root vegetables as such damages the trees and. honour the elephant who like themselves eat only the fruit of the trees. Their temple is essentially carved marble and solid silver with particularly intricate doors. Extremely beautiful.

We then went to the Hanging Gardens which look like ordinary if impeccably maintained botanical Gardens with trees sculpted in the shape of animals and penguin garbage cans. We've now seen penguins on three continents. The gardens are hydroponic being built over the main cistern that supplies water to the city and only in that sense are they hanging. The reason the cistern must be covered is that it is beside the Towers Of Silence where those of the Parsee faith deposit their dead whom they will not inter nor incinerate on top of gratings over deep wells where the birds consume the flesh of the bodies within hours leaving the bones to fall through the grate later to be mixed with lime to complete decomposition. Because the birds sometimes fly with flesh in their beaks which might drop in the cistern were it not covered the Hanging Gardens were seen as the solution. It is indeed an eerie sight when walking through the gardens to see the vultures circling over the trees that surround the Towers of Silence. Apparently modern drugs in the bodies of many of the dead are wiping out the bird population from kidney failure and so they also use mirrors to direct sunlight on the bodies as an alternative to the vultures. The Parsee faith is rapidly dwindling and now numbers only 40,000 in this city of 22 million. Only those born of purebred Parsee parents qualify to continue the faith and as one Parsee tour guide told her flock, the women are highly educated and tend not to marry.

After a quick drive down Chapati Beach which was crowded with revelers but very few swimmers due to the polluted harbour water, past the Gateway to India monument which is similar if smaller than the Arc de Triomphe which is where the British came and to the joy of the locals eventually left, we returned to the ship stopping at a local liquor outlet where the government set prices continued to be ridiculous. Little Scotland is suffering a severe drought.

We were too tired after a long day to return to town so I went to farewell cocktails for Sally from Florida who we will miss. She had tried to extend her cruise back to Lauderdale but HAL gave her such a ridiculous quote for the last leg that she passed. The incremental cost of keeping her on board with cabins empty to my mind would mean that anything she paid would go right to their bottom line. Senseless in Seattle?

Day 70 Mumbai Redux

Up and out at 9 a.m. for the Marvels of Mumbai tour which to my surprise turned out to be great due to a wonderful guide Shilpa. Our tour was restricted to old Mumbai which was essentially constructed by the British and were every major structure is a replica of something in London ie Big Ben, Victoria Station etc. etc. The traffic was truly chaotic this time as we were in rush-hour with most office workers starting at 10 a.m. having left home at 6 a.m. to make it in time. 6 million people arrive at the two train stations each day with trains arriving every 45 seconds carrying three times their design capacity or 5000 people hanging through doors, off ladders and riding on the roof. Utterly amazing. They flood into the downtown business district which is the commercial heart of India. This city has 22 million people of the 1.3 billion in India but pays 38% of all tax revenue. They disdain Delhi as a hick town full of tribes people and bureaucrats who squander their tax dollars. They have banned cows except for a very few tethered in the city as well as tuk-tuks and thus the traffic flow has apparently improved dramatically in the last several years although from what we saw this is hard to believe. To the untrained western eye total confusion reigns with cars and pedestrians vying for supremacy and with 10 near misses per minute. No one seems to worry about what is behind them and everyone lives with their hand on their horn which no one seems to take notice or offense at. Apparently it is required by law when overtaking and lets those in front know you are coming. We did not see one accident in our three days which boggles the mind. Apparently if vehicles collide there is much screaming but little else. If however a vehicle hits a pedestrian the driver will be pulled out and pummeled by the crowd. This must be the golden rule that I missed because it would take me up to five minutes to get across a street with many false starts and stops and retracing of steps whereas the locals would simply stride out with but a cursory glance. I was obviously in a lot more danger than they were as my erratic behavior was not expected by drivers but it would still take more nerve and I presently possess to do it right.

We passed Malabar Hills where the very wealthy live downtown in buildings that are outwardly grungy but opulent inside. This is the area where the diamond merchants dwell. On to the Gandhi Museum which was a friend's house where he lived when in town and then to the Prince of Wales Museum which the Grux loved and I couldn't wait to get out of. I wondered why was looking at stuff I wouldn't pay a buck to a street vendor for. On to the dhobi ghat village where men wash clothes in concrete tubs leased from the city, dip them in a bleach solution and flail the hell out of them. Great pictures.

After a few drive bys of places we had stopped the day before we were dropped off at the gateway to India in front of the Taj Mahal hotel. The Taj is truly a magnificent building and was erected by a wealthy Parsee businessman as a challenge to the British whose hotels featured signs saying “No Indians Or Dogs Allowed”. Most locals undoubtedly thought this a small price to pay in return for exposure to such amenities as cricket and British cuisine but he built a structure of unsurpassed opulence to which natives were allowed access. We boarded a tour boat for the 45 minute ride to the Elephanta caves with again no life jackets in sight. Crowded, top-heavy and with minimal freeboard, one can understand the disasters you frequently read about although we had an amphibious tour boat sink in Ottawa notwithstanding the safety equipment and regulations we enjoy so who's to say. They probably have a better passenger mile safety record than we do.

After a train ride on the dock which was cheap, fun and totally unnecessary we climbed the steps and sloping path between vendor’s stalls very reminiscent of the Shinto temples in Kyoto and Kobe and arrived at the caves that were similar but far more elaborate than we had seen at Lunavala. These were Hindu caves and the wall carvings were very impressive in comparison. I particularly enjoyed the trees full of monkeys and one family with a little bald guy whom the parents tried to hide between them as I approached but who kept breaking free to get a look at me. Daddy wasn't pleased and indeed was “hissed off” so I backed off. Unbeknownst to me there was one fellow in the branches above me who attempted to knock my hat off. I got one great picture of a couple of monkys on their honeymoon that even shocked the Grux when she reviewed the days photographic production but she wouldn't post that one on her blog choosing the family portrait instead.

Back to the Taj, where we jumped another tour bus back to the ship for the Indian barbecue which was great. Then into a cab with our friends John and Bridget from California for a down and dirty night tour of the town. We drove to the area known for its “Ladies in Cages” which is essentially where prostitutes sit behind grills exposing their wares. Unfortunately that was not much to see unlike Amsterdam because they now use doors and only entertain known customers were those who come with references. On to Falkland Road which features transvestites, eunuchs (both saree clad), and homosexual prostitutes on one side of the road and run-of-the-mill female prostitutes on the other. This is not a good place for Westerners to walk at night although we did drive it with windows open and I took surreptitious videos which could have been problematic if discovered. We had been cautioned that there are also children being exploited and thus not to go if such were too repulsive to our sensativities but if it exists as I'm sure it does we didn't see it thankfully. On to Chapati Beach to see the Queen's necklace which is created by the fluorescent streetlights along the long curved beach. Not particularly impressive. While on a two lane freeway traveling at about 40 mph the traffic converged into our right lane because two scooters have stopped in the left lane and the drivers were chanting contentedly. Mind-boggling again. After an hour and a half we had had enough and returned to the ship much to the chagrin of our cab driver Sonny who was expecting a much longer ride and a much larger tip. In fairness he had to bribe the harbour police each time he entered or left the dock area and so this is where the longer rides and tours are negotiated with the drivers refusing to take short hops into town. An exhausting but fascinating and exhilarating day.

Day 71 Mumbai Farewell

After a slow start to the day we walked to the main gate of our pier known as the Green Gate to grab a cab to Colobala Street market just behind the Taj. We were with Grux’s friend Doris who is a real character and who had shopped with her when I was on the Cape tour in South Africa. We saw our cabbie friend Sonny who again wanted a long-term commitment so we brushed him off and chose another cabbie for the one dollar ride to town. Even this ride was an experience as the driver insisted on first bringing us to a tailor shop quite far removed from our destination where he assured us that no purchase was necessary but he would get an entry on the card he carried it would somehow mean cash for him in future. After many warnings that this was unacceptable he wouldn't give up and I told him to pull over and let us out whereupon he saw reason for all of 30 seconds before beginning the pleading again. I told him to watch my lips and asked which part of “no” he didn't understand and finally told him that there would be no dollar for him if we were not brought directly to our market which must have exceeded what he would have received from the tailor as he complied. He did drop us off halfway down the street in front of a government fixed-price store and before we had walked 10 feet he had parked his cab and was urging us inside with his card in hand. Needing a washroom we complied but didn't even price the merchandise as others had warned us it was exorbitant. We finally ditched the driver and had a great time shopping for a few hours in the very reasonably priced stores and stalls. As I was waiting for Grux and Doris in front of a fabric shop I purchased a brass compass/sundial which I had no idea that I needed but it is a handsome instrument and comes in a beautiful wooden box with biscuited joints all for 500 rupees or $12.50.

This was probably the best time of all as we got to mingle with the people close-up and personal and they were very polite and friendly if somewhat aggressive and persistent. Beggars abounded many being young women carrying an infant who we were told rented the babies for such purpose. Many did not ask for money but wanted you to buy packaged milk for the child which would be sold to you for 10 times its normal price whereupon when you had left she would sell back to the merchant splitting the profit with him. There is a system and if you reject three or four such solicitations than you cease to be bothered but God help you if you give anything as you will be hounded unmercifully thereafter. We saw some deformed individuals begging but none of the children who supposedly are crippled on purpose to improve the sympathy factor. We had been cautioned never to give to them as it would only prove the tactic successful in future. We bought a lot of stuff because rupees are worthless outside of India and we had to get rid of them and we sure had a lot of fun in the process. I went back to the ship and Grux returned in the afternoon with her twin Celine who looks remarkably like her. Can you find Celine in Grux’s pictures? We skipped the St. Paddy's Day celebration as we were simply too exhausted after the complimentary wine and cheese at sailaway.

Celine and her husband Don had gone on the overland to Delhi, Agra and the real Taj Mahal and had only returned the night before. She therefore needed an experienced Mumbai veteran like the Grux to show her around in the limited time left. The Agra trip by all accounts was wonderful and worth the $3,750 HAL charged for it as they saw a lot of the villages on the four-hour bus ride from Delhi to Agra, stayed in magnificent hotels and had wonderful meals even if six or seven of the 50 participants are still riding the porcelain on the ship. One of their three buses rear ended an Indian bus that had stopped on the freeway to avoid a crossing cow and three or four pax were injured with the most serious we know of breaking her ankle and now being confined to a wheelchair. The passengers on the ill-fated bus were transferred to the other two and the injured taken to hospital by cab where two may still remain. The police never showed up at the accident scene and some say they were paid to stay away thus avoiding a lot of red tape for the bus company. The injured were given priority treatment at the sunrise viewing of the Taj as they had missed the sunset session which apparently was curtailed before the sun had fully set to the disappointment of some. The forts at Agra and Jaipur were apparently quite impressive as was the Taj of course.

Those who were in Mumbai, still known to locals as Bombay, ten, two or even one year ago can't believe the change that they see. It is relatively clean because payment is made for every container of refuse that is brought to a disposal area and thus teams scour the city sweeping rubbish into piles, picking it up between sheets of cardboard and depositing in plastic containers that the third member pushes on a cart. Banning cows and tuk tuks from the inner city has apparently made traffic less congested and safer if one can believe it. There is a tremendous disparity between rich and poor who are equally evident yet everyone is industrious and hustling for a living. They might pick your pocket but violence we are told is extremely rare and harshly punished. The fact that the city is the commercial center of the country with computer call-in centres everywhere as well as movie studios in Bollywood pumping out a thousand movies a year gives it a tremendous vibrancy that I have not seen elsewhere even in New York city. Simply put I loved India and I loved Mumbai and unlike South America, Antarctica, and Africa hoped to return for an extended stay someday although Delhi Belly scares the hell out of me.

Tremendously enjoyable, tremendously memorable and tremendously exhausting.

About halfway through this missive I looked at Grux’s blog which she is pumping out daily and posting in a more timely manner. I see that she has greatly changed her style from being very curt and factual initially (like talking on the phone to Marcel) to being much more descriptive and using thousand word photos (most of which I took). In other words she's cutting my grass. I will hereafter read hers first and try to avoid undue redundancies.

Tomorrow Salalah Oman where we have a cab ride planned with Robin and Mary culminating in a little snorkeling I hope in the afternoon. We will have quite a few sea days thereafter as we enter the Red Sea and travel past Mecca to the Suez Canal which we will traverse en route to Alexandria, Cairo and the Pyramids and so…

Until that time

Ides

PS Bunny, I am using Dragon Naturally Speaking 8. To answer another question I remember, the CanAms who beat us today in a tiebreaker are Robin and Marion Stone and some professor who taught German at the U of Toronto and his wife whose names I forget

[Old As Dirt Mom]

....it is one of the best moments of my day to read your reports of your world voyage. I'm also travelling with you via Gruxy's journal. Your observations of India are particularly interesting to me, as our youngest daughter spent the first 18 months of her life in an orphanage in Calcutta. Granted that is the other side of India, but urban life in Calcutta (Kolkata) is not unlike that of Bombay (Mumbai), which city I last visited some twenty years ago...I too, hope to return to India one day.

[wynkys]

Another great and informative report. Thank you once again for such entertaining writing.

 

Wayne

[localady]

Ides-

Thanks for the wonderful description of your time in Mumbai, it is wonderful that you are sharing this with all of us!

Continues safe seas and blue skies~:cool:

[mim100]

Ides....greetings from Vancouver Island...what wonderful experiences..and we're (almost) right there with you...and learning lots !! if you haven't written your first book yet, I'm eagerly waiting for it...and somewhere I've missed the addy for Grux' blog..can someone post it please?

[Ides of March]

Day 74 Salalah Oman

Thanks to the hour we set our clocks back as we travel westward, (we are now nine hours ahead of Eastern time), we were up early bright eyed and bushy tailed for sail in but might as well have stayed in bed. On to the pier with Robin and Mary where I asked Barbara our port lecturer why we had come to a gravel pit. After Robin apologized for knowing me, he entered into a lengthy negotiation with the cab dispatcher who, true to his profession agreed to all demands and then failed to communicate them to our driver.

When Robin realized we had bypassed downtown Salalah contrary to plan a major confrontation ensued which we won after much posturing and my leaving the cab two or three times but which cleared the air for the rest of the day (the confrontation, not me leaving) and we had no further problem.

We first went to the Souks or markets in the downtown area which were pretty disappointing. Concrete one story malls with every fourth shop open the others having locked gratings greeted us. Prices were high and selection limited so Grux only bought a frankincense burner and various fuels for about three dollars. The flowing white robes that fitted me made me look like a grand piano in storage so we passed. The gold souk was even smaller and the wares were the orange type gold which I'm told is less desirable. After bypassing various piles of rubble, which we later learned was the old town due to our driver Achmeds extremely limited English, we went to the Sultan's Palace which we of viewed from the exterior. Very modern and well manicured. He is on his annual tour of the country meeting with his people and apparently is very progressive investing millions and millions in schools, hospitals, and social programs. No poor were evident here.

We then went to a lovely temple or mosque which featured a 4 x 75 foot tomb. When we were there we had no idea what we were seeing and no one could help us out. It appeared to be some form of grave with headstones at each end and carpets covering mounded gravel along its length. Grux called it the Tomb Of a Very Tall Guy, and I offered The Tomb of the Unknown Pipeline. Turns out it's the father of the Virgin Mary and they figure he's in there somewhere but are unsure where so they allowed for a margin of error at each end. Many unsuccessfully suppressed giggles.

We then headed for the “fishing village” of Tadah or Tadaq about 20 miles away. En route we passed a pack of camels grazing by the roadside and Robin had the driver stop so he could get a picture. Sort of like our first iceberg which is probably the most photographically studied one in Antarctica. As he would approach they would retreat but in the resolute style for which he is famous he never gave up and chased them over gravel and scrub eventually getting a great shot of the north end of a camel going south. Robin had to walk a mile for his camel. (Bet you saw that coming.) We later saw groups of hundreds of camels by the road with many grazing near the shoulder which made me wonder if you hit one at high speed would it go right over the car or like a moose or deer come at you through the windshield.

As I said my first impression was that this place was a gravel pit I was partially correct as it is a gravel pit with great infrastructure. The roads are wide, smooth and empty so we shot through the desert at great speed. We saw numerous mirages although in one instance it turned out that it was indeed an inlet from the ocean containing water so that mirage turned out to be a mirage. We arrived at the fishing village which turned out not to have any piers but only Dory type boats with twin outboards pulled up on the deserted beach, it being low tide. Another disappointment.

Our driver took us to Tadaq Castel which is like a small fort gussied up for tourists showing you how the local sheik would have once lived. It provided an interesting half-hour diversion which was welcome as to this point I was wondering why we had left the boat. We then drove back at high speed to the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Salalah where upon entering we were invited to partake of spiced coffee and dates with a very pleasant old guy who clearly enjoyed his job. I employed my well-known straight leg style as we sat on cushions on the floor. At least I had a wall to lean against. We went for a swim off a beautiful beach of fine white sand in cool blue green water with a three to 5 foot surf. The snorkelers were disappointed as the sand churned up and limited visibility but the swimming was great and silver fish about a foot long were jumping around us. After an hour and a half and a delightful time which didn't cost us a cent we were back in the cab heading for Job’s Tomb. We can now say we swam in the Arabian Sea.

By all accounts of our fellow pax who had been here before, a visit to this tomb was a waste of time but as there was little else to do and we still had hard earned time credits with our driver we decided to go. It is a long drive and you must therefore have patience but it turned out to be the highlight of the day much to my chagrin as I had earlier speculated to that effect in a somewhat sarcastic manner. We had heard from others that they had stopped to try camel meat cooked on a mound of hot stones and when we told our driver this he had laughed which we thought indicated that such was a put on. We wondered whether they had eaten goat thinking it was camel and had a good laugh at their expense. When we passed a small structure where meat was hanging from the canopy and smoke emanated from a pile of rocks we asked the driver what it was and he told us it was a camel cookout. The laugh was on us. We returned for a camel burger and as I was hungry intended to supersize mine. When however we saw a goat's head sitting among the cooking meat with it’s glazed eye following you as you moved around we experienced a sudden sensation of satiety. They did cut strips of meat from what appeared to be ribs clearly larger than those of a rabbit or goat and offered them to us. I would've eaten them anyway but I think the others did so out of a sense that it would be offensive to refuse. The meat was stringy, greasy but otherwise tasted exactly like beef. They also gave us cups of very strong sweetened tea that was delicious. They declined to our offer of compensation with a wave of their hands and we resumed our quest.

The drive to the tomb takes you up into the mountains and the journey itself is worth the effort as you get to see the countryside and the rural way of life. Deep canyons with heavy striations surround you and present very picturesque photo ops. The camel crossing traffic signs are somewhat unique to my experience and I wish we had been going slow enough that I could have timed a photograph properly.

We arrived at the tomb and entered to see much the same setup as earlier with Mary's pop except this one was only about 15 feet long. Job as I'm sure you all know was a rich man with many animals, as many wives and even more children when God took it all away. Resisting pressure from his friends he refused to renounce God and of course got everything back in the final chapters. Sort of like Abraham and his son. God seems to like jerking people around like that and reminds me of the boss on “The Office”….” You're Fired”….” Just Kidding”.

There was an English-speaking guide present who was accompanying the Gruenwald’s on a private tour without any annoying pax who gave us the scoop on Job. This time the grave is long because Job was 11 feet tall (bet he was a date picker). We also got to see an impression of his foot that would humble Shaq O’Neil. All in all very much worth the effort. There were nice views from the hilltops and only later did I learn that we were looking into neighboring Yemen which explains the visible military presence and patrolling helicopters to curtail unwanted immigration. That ended our day and we returned to the ship.

I later learned from those on the official HAL tour that they had seen vast empty fields studded occasionally by washroom facilities and children's play structures. Apparently during the rainy season Salalah becomes a tourist haven particularly for those from the other Arab countries. The 100,000 locals rent their homes to the tourists and move en masse to these fields where they live in tents for a few months. It's a major source of income for them and they thoroughly enjoy the experience as it is a holiday like atmosphere in their well appointed camps.

Salalah was interesting only in that it was our first exposure to an Arab country and although affluent and impeccably clean it appears lifeless both in terms of scenery and joie de vivre of its people. Been there, done that.

We are now sailing the Gulf of Aden heading for the Red Sea on perfectly calm waters. We haven't seen a white cap in two weeks. The weather has been absolutely perfect in India and here with temperatures in the 75 to 80 degree range with moderate humidity. We are now between Yemen and Somalia in pirate country but there is so much shipping traffic with at least two to three tankers visible at any time that we have to believe we are in a well protected area. As we were walking this morning Jim asked us if we had seen the whales. Grux thought he said “wells” and scanning the horizon but failing to see an oil platform she asked if they were “underwater wells”. This provoked a somewhat quizzical look from him as he confirmed they were indeed that variety.

We now have four Sea days as we head up the Red Sea and then a fifth as we traverse the Suez Canal. I may have a brief post before Alexandria if there is anything of interest and so….

Until that time

Ides

[Nancyquilts]

Ides -

I hope you are feeling some (very small) pangs of guilt, altho' I admit most of the guilt is mine - I just talked DH into most of the trip (from Florida to Buenos Aires) next January around South America - we're second on the wait list, so I figure that gives us a pretty good chance. I've really enjoyed your cruise - thanks for the frequent updates. Nancy

[Grumpy1]

Just a few more days until the Solar Eclipse that HAL arranged as a special attraction for this year's cruise. I wonder if they are passing out smoked glass so evreyone can properly sear their eyeballs.

 

We've really been enjoying you descriptions of Mumbai and Salalah Oman. Time to check out Grux's blog and find out the rest of the story:D