Walvis Bay, Namibia
May 11, 2010
Namibia is a country of giant sand dunes, so large that they can be seen from space. Therefore, the most important thing to do in Namibia was to see the dunes. No dunes are located near Luderitz, our first stop in Namibia; however, some large dunes are located near Walvis Bay, although the very large dunes are in the east of Namibia, not close to the port where the ship stopped. While I was in Cape Town, I stopped into the Namibia tourism office to try to find a guide to take us into the desert when the ship stopped in Walvis Bay. It turned out that Mazda Corporation was having a large conference in Walvis Bay the same day the ship stopped there, so finding a local guide was difficult. However, after some work, I did locate an experienced guide with a four-wheel drive Land Rover. I had invited Bas and Monique to go with me, and the guide met us at the pier at 7:30 a.m., just after the ship docked.
The large dunes near Walvis Bay are located in Sandwich Harbor, an hour’s drive south of Walvis Bay. We stopped first to pick up some sandwiches at a local bakery/sandwich shop, which was packed with locals also getting sandwiches. After we set out, we passed the Walvis Bay Lagoon just on the south side of Walvis Bay, and we stopped to look at, and photograph the thousands of pink flamingos there. Our guide said that the number of pink flamingos was estimated to be about 70,000. They eat crustaceans in the lagoon waters, which gives them their pink color. We walked out into the mud to take photos, but still, most of the flamingos were too far out in the water for really good photos.
Our next stop was the local salt processing plant, which was quite large. The guide said that the plant was owned by the government, and processed more than two million pounds of salt each year. The salt is used for commercial purposes. Some sizeable dunes are located near the salt plant, and our driver took us on our first ride up to the top and down the very steep slopes again. I was surprised that a vehicle could drive on top of the dunes, and also surprised that it could safely go down such steep slopes. He warned us not to be concerned; he said he was experienced and knew what he was doing. He did make sure that we were wearing our seat belts, however.
We then drove south along the coast for an hour. We stopped several times to take photos, particularly when we saw a huge flock of cormorants sitting on the shore. It was a great photo, especially when Bas ran yelling at them to make them fly. As we drove farther south, we entered Namib Naukluft Park, where a permit was required to enter. Our guide had already obtained the permit. As we continued, the dunes formed a tall wall directly by the shore, leaving only one lane for a vehicle to pass, and at times, the water washed over the lane and we had to drive through the water to continue. Our guide said that in previous years, many houses were located along the beach, but the sand dunes eventually buried them. We passed a single lone building still remaining.
When we got to Sandwich Harbor, several vehicles were already there, and our guide told us it was organized tours from the ship. They had not stopped for sandwiches or to view the flamingos, but had driven directly there. They parked at the base of the dunes, and a couple of people climbed a dune; however, they did not drive into the dunes, which our driver did immediately. To drive up steep dunes and then down again, where one cannot see what is below is a scary experience; however, he reassured us that he had been doing that for the past 11 years and we did not need to worry. We scaled dunes as high as a twenty-story building and dropped down slopes of more than 60 degrees. It was an amazing experience. We stopped in several places for photos and simply to gaze in wonder at the dunes. We were unable to take any photo that adequately showed the height or steepness of the dunes.
Around noon, a problem arose. Our driver informed us that we could stop and eat our sandwiches, and then he would take us back to the ship. We had contracted with him for the full day, to be returned to the ship at 5:00 p.m.; however, he said that we had misunderstood and that he would take us only to see the dunes, and then return us to the ship. After some discussion, we made it very clear to him that it was his misunderstanding and not ours, that we had contracted with him for the full day, and that was what we wanted. The implication was quite clear that if he wanted full payment, he would give us a full day. After a time, he agreed.
Our guide had been very friendly and very talkative on the way down, informing us about everything we saw. However, we drove back to Walvis Bay in silence, not stopping until we got back to the salt plant, where we took photos. We then requested that he take us to a place with restrooms, and that request seemed to surprise him; however, he complied. He then informed us that he would take us to “Dune 7”, a mid-sized dune located just outside town, where we would have lunch at one of the picnic tables there. Dune 7 is a local recreation area for families, and many children were there playing on the dune when we arrived. They had fun climbing the dune and sliding down.
After lunch, we drove north by a back road that was not paved, but was as smooth as a paved road. After a time, we arrived about 10 miles east of Swakopmund, and turned east onto a road called Welwitschia Drive, an alternating gravel and paved road. We drove along that road for 10-15 miles, before turning around and heading back into Swakopmund. Welwitschia is a plant that grows in the desert and survives for a very long time; average specimens are 500-600 years old, and the oldest ones are 2000 years old. The plant has large flat leaves that grow along the ground, and the plant has a root that reaches down as much as 20 feet. The leaves are very strong and cannot be torn; however, animals in the desert scratch at the leaves with their teeth for the moisture in them. Welwitschia Drive has been called a moon landscape, and it does resemble photos of the moon landscape. It is very barren.
We then drove into the little town of Swakopmund, a pretty tourist town with a nice beach and very pretty painted buildings, some of which have onion domes on them. The town is a very popular beach town for Germans; the town used to be a German town, and German is still spoken widely. We drove around the town taking photos of the interesting buildings, including the railway station built in 1901, and still one of the finest in Southern Africa. We then stopped into the famous Café Anton, a German confectionary, for coffee and apple strudel. We sat outside on a pretty terrace, and it was cool in the shade. We noticed that most of the guests were speaking German. After our coffee and strudel, we walked around the area to take photos of the lighthouse and a beautiful building that resembled a castle. It was originally constructed as a vacation house for the Kaiser, and is now used as the Namibia President’s vacation home. While we were in Swakopmund, we stopped at an ATM to get cash to pay the guide in Namibian dollars.
We drove back to Walvis Bay along the beautiful, and very modern highway that runs along the coast between the two towns. Many homes have recently been constructed along this road next to the beach, and our guide told us that the homes were built and owned by locals, mostly, although a few were owned or rented to foreigners. This is the area where Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt came to live before the birth of their baby. As we reentered Walvis Bay, our guide pointed out housing development (or townships) on both sides of the road -- one side for “coloreds” and one side for “blacks”. In South Africa and Namibia, “coloreds” are a distinct group of people who are mixed race and who speak Afrikaans almost exclusively, whereas “blacks” speak English along with their tribal language. They consider themselves a distinct group from “blacks”.
We returned to the ship at 4:30 and paid our guide his full amount and departed happily. It was a very good day, particularly the ride in the dunes, which is an unforgettable experience.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Luderitz, Namibia
Luderitz, Namibia
May 10, 2010
We had planned to take a taxi to Kolmanskop, the abandoned town near Luderitz; however, when I didn’t see any taxis, I decided at the last moment to take the ship’s tour that went to Kolmanskop. It worked out fine, although it was much more expensive than a taxi would have been. The ship was in Luderitz for only a half day (until 1:30 p.m.); and the tour of Kolmanskop was for only a couple of hours. On the way back to the ship, we got out of the tour van and walked around the little town for a while before walking back to the ship.
Kolmanskop (see Wikipedia entry) was a thriving town in the early 1900s based on diamond “mining”, which was really just finding diamonds on the surface of the ground rather than actually digging in mines for them. However, larger diamonds were found in other places, so this town was abandoned. It has been lying in an abandoned state since the 1950s, filling up with sand. Three of the buildings have now been restored to some extent as the town has now become a tourist attraction. It was interesting to take photos of the old buildings.
Namibia was a German territory until it was lost to the British in World War I, and both Luderitz and Kolmanskop were German towns. The German influence is still very strong in Luderitz, with a Lutheran church being the most prominent building in the town. The town reminded me of a rural American town that is dying because all the young people are leaving to live in the cities. The climate of the town is extreme desert, with sand dunes and sand everywhere. We were told that anything -- such as a road or a railroad -- that is not used frequently is quickly covered by the sand. However, the basic geography beneath the sand is granite rock, much like Oman. It was hard to imagine building on the granite rock. Water had to be imported, as there is no fresh water supply. The little town of Luderitz seems to be based on fishing and it is not close to any other place. What an isolated, tiny town. We were told that the local school only goes to grade four as no teachers will come to live and teach in the town; after that, children are either home schooled, or they must go away to school. Many of the poor simply remain uneducated.
There was not much to this stop, but it was interesting.
May 10, 2010
We had planned to take a taxi to Kolmanskop, the abandoned town near Luderitz; however, when I didn’t see any taxis, I decided at the last moment to take the ship’s tour that went to Kolmanskop. It worked out fine, although it was much more expensive than a taxi would have been. The ship was in Luderitz for only a half day (until 1:30 p.m.); and the tour of Kolmanskop was for only a couple of hours. On the way back to the ship, we got out of the tour van and walked around the little town for a while before walking back to the ship.
Kolmanskop (see Wikipedia entry) was a thriving town in the early 1900s based on diamond “mining”, which was really just finding diamonds on the surface of the ground rather than actually digging in mines for them. However, larger diamonds were found in other places, so this town was abandoned. It has been lying in an abandoned state since the 1950s, filling up with sand. Three of the buildings have now been restored to some extent as the town has now become a tourist attraction. It was interesting to take photos of the old buildings.
Namibia was a German territory until it was lost to the British in World War I, and both Luderitz and Kolmanskop were German towns. The German influence is still very strong in Luderitz, with a Lutheran church being the most prominent building in the town. The town reminded me of a rural American town that is dying because all the young people are leaving to live in the cities. The climate of the town is extreme desert, with sand dunes and sand everywhere. We were told that anything -- such as a road or a railroad -- that is not used frequently is quickly covered by the sand. However, the basic geography beneath the sand is granite rock, much like Oman. It was hard to imagine building on the granite rock. Water had to be imported, as there is no fresh water supply. The little town of Luderitz seems to be based on fishing and it is not close to any other place. What an isolated, tiny town. We were told that the local school only goes to grade four as no teachers will come to live and teach in the town; after that, children are either home schooled, or they must go away to school. Many of the poor simply remain uneducated.
There was not much to this stop, but it was interesting.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Cape Town, May 6-8, 2010
Cape Town
May 6-8, 2010
All night, the storm lashed the ship, with high winds and rain and we rolled to and fro in our big bed. We did not fall out but neither did we sleep with much comfort! At 7:00 a.m., the captain started blowing his fog horn to let the pilot know we were sitting off shore waiting for the pilot to come aboard. We learned later that 7:00 a.m. was the time of the shift change, so our ship had to wait for the new pilot to come to work before he could motor out to meet the ship; he arrived at the ship at 7:20. The winds were blowing 45 mph, and the captain was not sure he could put the ship through the narrow opening in the marina. Finally, as the ship inched its way to shore, the winds calmed a bit, and the captain used two tugs to help steady the ship as he eased it through the narrow opening into the marina. It was a very slow, very careful process, and when we finally arrived at the pier, a seal had decided to climb into one of the huge tires along the pier, and had to be encouraged to move before the ship could tie up.
The pier was in a great location, right downtown next to the V&A Waterfront Shopping Mall, a really great shopping mall that reminds me of the waterfront in Baltimore. The entire waterfront is filled with restaurants and shopping. The mall was developed several years ago by a private group, and sold recently to the Dubai development group headed by the Sheik. Many of the stores are upscale, and the entire area is very pretty.
As people began to leave the ship for scheduled tours, the winds and rain did not let up. We had not scheduled a tour that day, and we decided to go next door to the shopping mall; however, by the time we arrived at the mall entrance, we were soaked and Rae’s umbrella was totally destroyed by the wind. What a storm. We were happy to be indoors, and we stayed for several hours, looking through stores. I came across a salon, and got my hair cut by a very pleasant young woman from Johannesburg, who complained about the cold winter in Cape Town (never less than 60 degrees F). She had never seen snow. My haircut was not the same as Marty, my hair person at home, does it, but it was acceptable for only $28. It will last until we get home and Marty can straighten it out. While we were in the mall, we also located an Internet café, where I planned to go to try to load photos on our Flickr site. We also visited a bookstore, where we bought a book on Namibia and another more complete book of places in Western Africa, which included most of the places the ship would be stopping. Eventually, the rain and wind abated a bit, and we returned to the ship. Then about dinner time, the weather cleared, and became cool and pleasant.
Friday morning dawned sunny and clear, and we decided to take the hop-on/hop-off bus. There were two bus routes, so we got a two-day pass, one for Friday and the other for Saturday. The first bus route took us through the downtown area, with commentary on the bus audio system about the history of Cape Town and some of its landmarks. We had previously decided to get off the bus in the downtown area and go to the Namibia tourism office to try to get information about a private tour guide in Walvis Bay, so we could go into the dunes. The woman at the tourism office was very helpful, and one of her suggestions eventually led us to our guide, although not directly. After leaving the tourism office, we walked through Green Park, which was filled with tent stalls of vendors selling hand made crafts. We purchased a couple of souvenirs, and then walked on to the next bus stop to reboard the bus. As we walked, a woman approached begging for money, and I refused. She was rail thin. There was a hot dog vendor near-by. As we walked on, I gave 10 Rand to Rae and asked her to give it to the woman.
We were not sure where the next bus stop was, even though we had a map, and we found that asking locals was no help. Finally, we spotted the bus on a street, and he stopped for us, even though we were not at the bus stop.
We continued the bus tour, and enjoyed listening to the commentary on the audio system as we saw all the landmarks. We really do enjoy taking the hop-on/hop-off buses in all towns that have them. They are pleasant and informative, usually two level with an open top, and they allow hopping off and walking around. As we drove along, we decided to hop off the bus at the Malay section, with its brightly painted houses, so I could take photos. Later, we hopped back on and continued our tour. The bus continued on to the lower station of the cable car to the top of Table Mountain. We enjoyed the view from the lower station, which is about half way up the mountain, but we did not go to the top.
Around 2:00, we came to Camps Bay, a pretty street lined with restaurants, and I suggested that we hop off the bus and get something to eat at an outdoor café. We walked along the street looking at all the restaurants and then picked one that had some shade; the day was not hot, but the sun was really glaring. The restaurant was Paranga, Shop 1, The Promenade, Victoria Road, Camps Bay, Cape Town. We had nice salads and were enthralled by the scene of the ocean lashing against the rocks and the beach. Sitting in the restaurant looking out at the ocean and the beach was truly a magical scene. We noticed many young people there, particularly beautiful young people, and many expensive cars, and later we learned from the bus audio that Camps Bay is the place to see and be seen, particularly among young wealthy Cape Towners. We sat there for almost two hours before we hopped back on the bus, which slowly wound its way along the cliffside road back toward the waterfront and the ship.
The houses along that road are built into the side of the steep hill, reminding me of the way the houses are built on the side of the hill in Positano, Italy, although the hills in Cape Town are steeper than those in Positano. We noticed stairways leading up the steep hillside to houses, and the bus audio system pointed out that some of the houses had private funiculars or elevators. As the bus drove along, I tried to get a photo of the steep stairs, but failed to do so, although I did get one photo of a funicular.
When we got back to the ship, we were not hungry, and we decided to attend a wine tasting at the shopping mall, called the Wine Affair at the V&A Waterfront. We had no idea how difficult it would be to find the location of the wine tasting; no one we asked at the mall knew how to tell us where to go, and we walked all over the place for at least half an hour before finally finding a young waiter in a restaurant who walked us to the venue. The place was packed with young people -- young, hip, white couples, perhaps 2,000 people. It was a very upscale affair. I had thought I would go to the Internet café in the mall after the wine tasting, but it closed at 9:00, and we were too late to go. I decided to be at the Internet café at 9:00 a.m. the next morning, when it opened to try to load my photos onto Flickr.
One interesting sight at the marina was the large yacht owned by Larry Ellison of Sun Microsystems. The yacht is one of the largest private yachts in the world, with 82 cabins. Staff and crew never stopped cleaning and shining the yacht, and were always present at the entrance to be friendly to passersby, while making sure that no one tried to go on board. The yacht is completely white, and somewhat bland in appearance, but very impressive in size. Many passersby stopped to take photos of themselves with the yacht in the background.
Saturday was another beautiful day, and I wanted to get out and get on the hop-on/hop-off bus, but Saturday was our last day in Cape Town, and I really wanted to spend some time at the Internet café. I arrived at the Internet café about 8:40 and waited for it to open at 9:00. A few minutes before 9:00, the workers arrived and saw me waiting, and said hello to me. Then just at 9:00, when the doors of the shop opened, I began my work. I worked steadily for two hours, until 11:00, but the Internet connection was quite slow, and I was successful in loading only some of the photos that I took in Singapore.
After leaving the Internet café, we began the second route around Cape Town on the hop-on/hop-off bus. This route took us farther out, around the back side of Table Mountain, past Kirstenbosch Gardens, down by Hout Bay, again past Camps Bay, and then back to the waterfront. It was a beautiful drive on a beautiful day. We didn’t hop off the bus; we just enjoyed the scenes of Cape Town. We got back to the waterfront around 2:00 p.m. and had to be back on board the ship at 4:00.
The waterfront was filled with other people enjoying the beautiful weather, and as we passed a lovely outdoor restaurant, we decided to eat some lunch and watch the scene. We were able to get an outside table at Sevruga, a beautiful restaurant directly on the sidewalk, but well shaded, and we ate a beautiful lunch while watching the passing scene. Before we ordered, we noticed that many of the customers were drinking a lime-colored drink filled with green leaves. We asked what it was, and the waiter said it was a Mojito, which was a lime drink (like lemonade) with mint and rum. I ordered mine without the rum, and Rae had the one with the rum. It was truly refreshing. For lunch, Rae had a very tasty seafood bisque and I wanted to try springbok, which Bas and Monique had urged us to try. Springbok is a local antelope. The helpful waiter suggested that I try the springbok with the chocolate mint sauce, somewhat like chicken mole in Spanish. He said that the chocolate mint was mild and would help cover the gamey taste of the springbok. It turned out to be very delicious. By the time we finished our lunch, it was time to reboard the ship to leave for Namibia.
Cape Town turned out to be a truly wonderful visit. The weather on the last two days was incredible, and the city was beautiful and interesting. It was a truly happy visit.
May 6-8, 2010
All night, the storm lashed the ship, with high winds and rain and we rolled to and fro in our big bed. We did not fall out but neither did we sleep with much comfort! At 7:00 a.m., the captain started blowing his fog horn to let the pilot know we were sitting off shore waiting for the pilot to come aboard. We learned later that 7:00 a.m. was the time of the shift change, so our ship had to wait for the new pilot to come to work before he could motor out to meet the ship; he arrived at the ship at 7:20. The winds were blowing 45 mph, and the captain was not sure he could put the ship through the narrow opening in the marina. Finally, as the ship inched its way to shore, the winds calmed a bit, and the captain used two tugs to help steady the ship as he eased it through the narrow opening into the marina. It was a very slow, very careful process, and when we finally arrived at the pier, a seal had decided to climb into one of the huge tires along the pier, and had to be encouraged to move before the ship could tie up.
The pier was in a great location, right downtown next to the V&A Waterfront Shopping Mall, a really great shopping mall that reminds me of the waterfront in Baltimore. The entire waterfront is filled with restaurants and shopping. The mall was developed several years ago by a private group, and sold recently to the Dubai development group headed by the Sheik. Many of the stores are upscale, and the entire area is very pretty.
As people began to leave the ship for scheduled tours, the winds and rain did not let up. We had not scheduled a tour that day, and we decided to go next door to the shopping mall; however, by the time we arrived at the mall entrance, we were soaked and Rae’s umbrella was totally destroyed by the wind. What a storm. We were happy to be indoors, and we stayed for several hours, looking through stores. I came across a salon, and got my hair cut by a very pleasant young woman from Johannesburg, who complained about the cold winter in Cape Town (never less than 60 degrees F). She had never seen snow. My haircut was not the same as Marty, my hair person at home, does it, but it was acceptable for only $28. It will last until we get home and Marty can straighten it out. While we were in the mall, we also located an Internet café, where I planned to go to try to load photos on our Flickr site. We also visited a bookstore, where we bought a book on Namibia and another more complete book of places in Western Africa, which included most of the places the ship would be stopping. Eventually, the rain and wind abated a bit, and we returned to the ship. Then about dinner time, the weather cleared, and became cool and pleasant.
Friday morning dawned sunny and clear, and we decided to take the hop-on/hop-off bus. There were two bus routes, so we got a two-day pass, one for Friday and the other for Saturday. The first bus route took us through the downtown area, with commentary on the bus audio system about the history of Cape Town and some of its landmarks. We had previously decided to get off the bus in the downtown area and go to the Namibia tourism office to try to get information about a private tour guide in Walvis Bay, so we could go into the dunes. The woman at the tourism office was very helpful, and one of her suggestions eventually led us to our guide, although not directly. After leaving the tourism office, we walked through Green Park, which was filled with tent stalls of vendors selling hand made crafts. We purchased a couple of souvenirs, and then walked on to the next bus stop to reboard the bus. As we walked, a woman approached begging for money, and I refused. She was rail thin. There was a hot dog vendor near-by. As we walked on, I gave 10 Rand to Rae and asked her to give it to the woman.
We were not sure where the next bus stop was, even though we had a map, and we found that asking locals was no help. Finally, we spotted the bus on a street, and he stopped for us, even though we were not at the bus stop.
We continued the bus tour, and enjoyed listening to the commentary on the audio system as we saw all the landmarks. We really do enjoy taking the hop-on/hop-off buses in all towns that have them. They are pleasant and informative, usually two level with an open top, and they allow hopping off and walking around. As we drove along, we decided to hop off the bus at the Malay section, with its brightly painted houses, so I could take photos. Later, we hopped back on and continued our tour. The bus continued on to the lower station of the cable car to the top of Table Mountain. We enjoyed the view from the lower station, which is about half way up the mountain, but we did not go to the top.
Around 2:00, we came to Camps Bay, a pretty street lined with restaurants, and I suggested that we hop off the bus and get something to eat at an outdoor café. We walked along the street looking at all the restaurants and then picked one that had some shade; the day was not hot, but the sun was really glaring. The restaurant was Paranga, Shop 1, The Promenade, Victoria Road, Camps Bay, Cape Town. We had nice salads and were enthralled by the scene of the ocean lashing against the rocks and the beach. Sitting in the restaurant looking out at the ocean and the beach was truly a magical scene. We noticed many young people there, particularly beautiful young people, and many expensive cars, and later we learned from the bus audio that Camps Bay is the place to see and be seen, particularly among young wealthy Cape Towners. We sat there for almost two hours before we hopped back on the bus, which slowly wound its way along the cliffside road back toward the waterfront and the ship.
The houses along that road are built into the side of the steep hill, reminding me of the way the houses are built on the side of the hill in Positano, Italy, although the hills in Cape Town are steeper than those in Positano. We noticed stairways leading up the steep hillside to houses, and the bus audio system pointed out that some of the houses had private funiculars or elevators. As the bus drove along, I tried to get a photo of the steep stairs, but failed to do so, although I did get one photo of a funicular.
When we got back to the ship, we were not hungry, and we decided to attend a wine tasting at the shopping mall, called the Wine Affair at the V&A Waterfront. We had no idea how difficult it would be to find the location of the wine tasting; no one we asked at the mall knew how to tell us where to go, and we walked all over the place for at least half an hour before finally finding a young waiter in a restaurant who walked us to the venue. The place was packed with young people -- young, hip, white couples, perhaps 2,000 people. It was a very upscale affair. I had thought I would go to the Internet café in the mall after the wine tasting, but it closed at 9:00, and we were too late to go. I decided to be at the Internet café at 9:00 a.m. the next morning, when it opened to try to load my photos onto Flickr.
One interesting sight at the marina was the large yacht owned by Larry Ellison of Sun Microsystems. The yacht is one of the largest private yachts in the world, with 82 cabins. Staff and crew never stopped cleaning and shining the yacht, and were always present at the entrance to be friendly to passersby, while making sure that no one tried to go on board. The yacht is completely white, and somewhat bland in appearance, but very impressive in size. Many passersby stopped to take photos of themselves with the yacht in the background.
Saturday was another beautiful day, and I wanted to get out and get on the hop-on/hop-off bus, but Saturday was our last day in Cape Town, and I really wanted to spend some time at the Internet café. I arrived at the Internet café about 8:40 and waited for it to open at 9:00. A few minutes before 9:00, the workers arrived and saw me waiting, and said hello to me. Then just at 9:00, when the doors of the shop opened, I began my work. I worked steadily for two hours, until 11:00, but the Internet connection was quite slow, and I was successful in loading only some of the photos that I took in Singapore.
After leaving the Internet café, we began the second route around Cape Town on the hop-on/hop-off bus. This route took us farther out, around the back side of Table Mountain, past Kirstenbosch Gardens, down by Hout Bay, again past Camps Bay, and then back to the waterfront. It was a beautiful drive on a beautiful day. We didn’t hop off the bus; we just enjoyed the scenes of Cape Town. We got back to the waterfront around 2:00 p.m. and had to be back on board the ship at 4:00.
The waterfront was filled with other people enjoying the beautiful weather, and as we passed a lovely outdoor restaurant, we decided to eat some lunch and watch the scene. We were able to get an outside table at Sevruga, a beautiful restaurant directly on the sidewalk, but well shaded, and we ate a beautiful lunch while watching the passing scene. Before we ordered, we noticed that many of the customers were drinking a lime-colored drink filled with green leaves. We asked what it was, and the waiter said it was a Mojito, which was a lime drink (like lemonade) with mint and rum. I ordered mine without the rum, and Rae had the one with the rum. It was truly refreshing. For lunch, Rae had a very tasty seafood bisque and I wanted to try springbok, which Bas and Monique had urged us to try. Springbok is a local antelope. The helpful waiter suggested that I try the springbok with the chocolate mint sauce, somewhat like chicken mole in Spanish. He said that the chocolate mint was mild and would help cover the gamey taste of the springbok. It turned out to be very delicious. By the time we finished our lunch, it was time to reboard the ship to leave for Namibia.
Cape Town turned out to be a truly wonderful visit. The weather on the last two days was incredible, and the city was beautiful and interesting. It was a truly happy visit.
Sunday, May 09, 2010
East London, South Africa, May 4
We took a taxi with Bas and Monique; she had arranged for a taxi to pick us up a the port and drive us for the day. We went first to Khaya La Bantu, a replica Xhosa Village 20 miles west of East London. East London reminded me of a town in the Western U.S. -- flat buildings and wide streets -- a clean, neat town. In recent years, a huge, gleaming new shopping mall has opened west of the downtown area, taking most of the business from the downtown stores. The town was not busy early in the morning, and there was little traffic. The road west was the N2, an expressway, and the countryside was green with rolling hills. It was beautiful.
When we arrived at Khaya La Bantu, we found a welcoming party of about 25 girls, all under the age of 14, along with 8-10 women and a half-dozen boys. The troop was a singing and dancing group, there to perform for the guests. We were the first to arrive, and later, two bus loads of passengers arrived for the performance. As we stepped out of the taxi, we were shocked to see that many of the girls were topless, which was the usual “dress” for village girls. The girls performed a couple of singing/dancing numbers for us, and then we all waited until the busses arrived. They seem to have performed frequently, because they were very good, and completely at ease topless. We took photos of them as they danced, and later they posed for more photos. After the busses arrived, the ladies gave an explanation of village life, and then the ladies and men were separated, and the women were taken into a hut to hear about cooking, while the men were taken to a separate place to hear about the rite of circumcism. This rite was performed as boys reached age 13.
After the lectures, a traditional lunch was served -- beans, squash, lamb stew, and several other items, along with bread. All of the lunch was prepared over open pit fires, and it was quite good. Following lunch, the girls performed more dances, and then the busses left. The owner of the land, and the performing show, then invited us to see his farm house, which was not modern, but quite nice.
After leaving Khaya La Bantu, our taxi driver took us to Inkwenkwezi Game Reserve, a private game reserve. We were surprised to see an ostrich in the lobby of the main building, which housed the office and restaurant. Then the ladies who were working the office took us out back to see some cheetahs in a large pen. There was not enough time to go into the reserve to see other animals.
We then drove along the coast back to the ship, stopping for photos along the way of giant termite mounds and an eland standing on a hilltop.
We were happy to pay our taxi driver 1000 Rands for the day, about $140.
When we arrived at Khaya La Bantu, we found a welcoming party of about 25 girls, all under the age of 14, along with 8-10 women and a half-dozen boys. The troop was a singing and dancing group, there to perform for the guests. We were the first to arrive, and later, two bus loads of passengers arrived for the performance. As we stepped out of the taxi, we were shocked to see that many of the girls were topless, which was the usual “dress” for village girls. The girls performed a couple of singing/dancing numbers for us, and then we all waited until the busses arrived. They seem to have performed frequently, because they were very good, and completely at ease topless. We took photos of them as they danced, and later they posed for more photos. After the busses arrived, the ladies gave an explanation of village life, and then the ladies and men were separated, and the women were taken into a hut to hear about cooking, while the men were taken to a separate place to hear about the rite of circumcism. This rite was performed as boys reached age 13.
After the lectures, a traditional lunch was served -- beans, squash, lamb stew, and several other items, along with bread. All of the lunch was prepared over open pit fires, and it was quite good. Following lunch, the girls performed more dances, and then the busses left. The owner of the land, and the performing show, then invited us to see his farm house, which was not modern, but quite nice.
After leaving Khaya La Bantu, our taxi driver took us to Inkwenkwezi Game Reserve, a private game reserve. We were surprised to see an ostrich in the lobby of the main building, which housed the office and restaurant. Then the ladies who were working the office took us out back to see some cheetahs in a large pen. There was not enough time to go into the reserve to see other animals.
We then drove along the coast back to the ship, stopping for photos along the way of giant termite mounds and an eland standing on a hilltop.
We were happy to pay our taxi driver 1000 Rands for the day, about $140.
Durban, May 3
We took a taxi with Bas and Monique, friends we met on the ship. The driver was Indian, who was born and raised in Durban. The taxi company was owned by his family and he had been driving for the past 14 years. He agreed to take us out for the day for 800 Rand (about $115). As we began our drive through Durban, I noticed how hilly the country is, and how green. The downtown area is along the coast, and flat, with wide streets. Durban has the feel of a clean, neat city, well organized and easy to follow. One feels comfortable in Durban. Then one begins to notice how Durban flows in and around and atop many hills -- some quite tall. The larger streets and freeways seem to flow between the hills, and neighborhoods climb the hills right to the top, often capped by tall apartment buildings with views that stretch for miles. Durban is a very beautiful city, a welcoming city.
We drove first to the Valley of 1000 Hills, and I expected to spend some hours taking landscape photos. However, I learned that this valley was the home of the Phezulu Zulu Village, a center for traditional Zulu tribal culture and dancing. It is a beautiful area, and we were going to attend a cultural show. We arrived at 9:30, and the show began at 10:00, so we walked among a large zoo-like area containing crocodiles of all sizes from babies to some very large ones. Crocodiles live to more than 100 years of age, and one of the males was more then 100 years old. We then sat in the small café and had cappuccino while waiting for the show to begin. A group of dancers performed a very lively show about marriage -- the payment of cows as a dowry to the girl’s family and the acceptance by the girl and her family. It was a very pretty show, and then we took photos of the dancers and walked among traditional Zulu grass huts on display in a museum-like setting.
After leaving the show, we drove among the hills to view the scenery and then the driver took us to Castor Crest, a shanty town. We drove through the shanty town on a narrow road and took photographs of the makeshift houses constructed of scraps of wood, tin, plastic, and whatever other building materials the people could find. We noticed a water tap where people went to get water, and we noticed out-houses -- the common toilets. A few of the huts had an electric line stretching from the single electric line running through the shanty town. We noticed children playing and tried to take a few photos of them. After a time, the driver turned the taxi around and drove back the way he had come, and we took more photos as we left.
Next the driver took us to the new soccer stadium being constructed for the World Cup. This new stadium is built in the shape of a giant flower basket, and a funicular car runs up one side of the “handle” of the basket to a viewing platform at the top of the stadium. We rode up and took photos, and the view was beautiful, with the coast line stretching along one side of the landscape with white waves breaking along the beaches. The skyline of the city grew from the coast, leading to green hills dotted with tall apartment buildings. The scene was beautiful.
We had lunch at the stadium at an outdoor restaurant, and watched numerous school groups coming to visit the stadium. We took photos of one group of girls, about 7-8 years old, all dressed in blue uniforms, as they watched a water fountain display its pattern of sprays. Durban has a right to feel very proud of this new stadium.
After leaving the stadium, the driver took us on a drive through the city, to give us a feel of the city, and I enjoyed that very much. We then returned to the ship about 2:30 p.m., ahead of our 3:00 deadline prior to sailing to East London.
The weather was cool and dry and sunny and beautiful, and soon after we returned to the ship, the sky became overcast, and soon loud claps of thunder and flashes of lightening shook us as a heavy rainstorm flooded down.
We drove first to the Valley of 1000 Hills, and I expected to spend some hours taking landscape photos. However, I learned that this valley was the home of the Phezulu Zulu Village, a center for traditional Zulu tribal culture and dancing. It is a beautiful area, and we were going to attend a cultural show. We arrived at 9:30, and the show began at 10:00, so we walked among a large zoo-like area containing crocodiles of all sizes from babies to some very large ones. Crocodiles live to more than 100 years of age, and one of the males was more then 100 years old. We then sat in the small café and had cappuccino while waiting for the show to begin. A group of dancers performed a very lively show about marriage -- the payment of cows as a dowry to the girl’s family and the acceptance by the girl and her family. It was a very pretty show, and then we took photos of the dancers and walked among traditional Zulu grass huts on display in a museum-like setting.
After leaving the show, we drove among the hills to view the scenery and then the driver took us to Castor Crest, a shanty town. We drove through the shanty town on a narrow road and took photographs of the makeshift houses constructed of scraps of wood, tin, plastic, and whatever other building materials the people could find. We noticed a water tap where people went to get water, and we noticed out-houses -- the common toilets. A few of the huts had an electric line stretching from the single electric line running through the shanty town. We noticed children playing and tried to take a few photos of them. After a time, the driver turned the taxi around and drove back the way he had come, and we took more photos as we left.
Next the driver took us to the new soccer stadium being constructed for the World Cup. This new stadium is built in the shape of a giant flower basket, and a funicular car runs up one side of the “handle” of the basket to a viewing platform at the top of the stadium. We rode up and took photos, and the view was beautiful, with the coast line stretching along one side of the landscape with white waves breaking along the beaches. The skyline of the city grew from the coast, leading to green hills dotted with tall apartment buildings. The scene was beautiful.
We had lunch at the stadium at an outdoor restaurant, and watched numerous school groups coming to visit the stadium. We took photos of one group of girls, about 7-8 years old, all dressed in blue uniforms, as they watched a water fountain display its pattern of sprays. Durban has a right to feel very proud of this new stadium.
After leaving the stadium, the driver took us on a drive through the city, to give us a feel of the city, and I enjoyed that very much. We then returned to the ship about 2:30 p.m., ahead of our 3:00 deadline prior to sailing to East London.
The weather was cool and dry and sunny and beautiful, and soon after we returned to the ship, the sky became overcast, and soon loud claps of thunder and flashes of lightening shook us as a heavy rainstorm flooded down.
Nosy Be, Madagascar, April 29
The poverty was shocking from the first step on land. This island reminds me of St. Lucia in the Caribbean, or perhaps Nicaragua. There is no pier, and the ship anchored in the bay, with tenders ashore. We took the “highlights” tour from the ship, and the tour was made in a non-air conditioned, 12 passenger van rather than in a bus. I sat up front with the driver to take photos. Van tours are much better than bus tours. Even before the ship stopped moving, small boats rushed to the ship from the shore, with men begging passengers to throw money to them from the ship. The captain announced that passengers should refrain from throwing money, or anything else (like bath soap or shampoo) to them; however, some passengers tossed both money and other items. Once ashore, beggars and people selling souvenirs, embroidered scarves and tablecloths, and many other items pestered passengers incessantly. We quickly got into the van and set off on our tour.
The tour guide pointed out a dilapidated building and said it was the “governor’s house”; another dilapidated building was the mayor’s house, and still another was the town administrative building. Everything was old, shabby, and run down, although some of the souvenir sales people were well dressed, in brightly colored clothes. As the van proceeded, we saw people walking everywhere and few cars or even motor bikes. Small, old Renault cars were ubiquitous and used as taxis. The island was controlled by France for a number of years, and a version of French is the language and Catholicism is the principal religion.
The first stop on the tour was the town food market, a large building in the town center where locals purchased fresh fruits, vegetables and fish. Few houses had electricity and almost none had a refrigerator; therefore, people had to buy food every day. The main street in town was lined with small shops selling items to be purchased by locals, although some souvenir shops also appeared. Nothing on the island was modern; everything was old and shabby. The tour guide said that the Somali pirates had reduced the number of cruise ships visiting the island, and the island had also lost income when the sugar cane processing plant closed three years ago. The tour guide said that the island is now really struggling economically, with no sources of income.
After touring the town market, the tour van drove inland into the countryside. The road was well paved and smooth. All along the route were shanty houses built of wooden limbs and small trees; many had thatched roofs or wooden planks laid together with wide gaps. A few houses had tin roofs, often with large stones laid on top to hold the tin in place. The tour guide said that most houses had two rooms. The weather is always warm, so houses used only cloth sheets for doors. There were a few schools, and children went to school at least for a few years. The guide said most classes were large because few teachers would come to the island to teach.
The van driver stopped at one point to show us the yellow flowers from ylang-ylang trees; these flowers are grown on the island and sold to perfume factories in Paris. Nosy Be is also famous for its vanilla, and we bought some as a souvenir. Later, the driver stopped the van to show us a chameleon. He then stopped at a “typical village”, and we got out for a walk. The tour guide told us about the shanty houses, made of thin trees, like a log cabin only with the “logs” in vertical rather than horizontal positions. Souvenir sellers immediately swarmed around the van, and later we saw the same sellers, who followed the tour vans.
At lunchtime, the vans gathered at a beautiful beach, where the ship had arranged a beautiful spread of snacks of fruit and fried shrimp, along with soft drinks and beer. A group of women did a folk dance to entertain the passengers, and I walked around taking a few photos of the beach area.
After the lunch stop, the tour vans returned to the town center for a final stop before returning to the tenders and the ship. We left our van at that point and walked along main street past all the tiny shops. By that time, most of the shops had closed for the mid-afternoon siesta time, and many of the shop owners were seen sleeping in their shops or in front of their shops on the sidewalks. Children were sleeping along with parents at the shops. We walked back to the tenders, a walk of an hour or so, and returned to the ship.
I’m glad to have visited Nosy Be, but like St. Lucia, I would not be eager to return.
The tour guide pointed out a dilapidated building and said it was the “governor’s house”; another dilapidated building was the mayor’s house, and still another was the town administrative building. Everything was old, shabby, and run down, although some of the souvenir sales people were well dressed, in brightly colored clothes. As the van proceeded, we saw people walking everywhere and few cars or even motor bikes. Small, old Renault cars were ubiquitous and used as taxis. The island was controlled by France for a number of years, and a version of French is the language and Catholicism is the principal religion.
The first stop on the tour was the town food market, a large building in the town center where locals purchased fresh fruits, vegetables and fish. Few houses had electricity and almost none had a refrigerator; therefore, people had to buy food every day. The main street in town was lined with small shops selling items to be purchased by locals, although some souvenir shops also appeared. Nothing on the island was modern; everything was old and shabby. The tour guide said that the Somali pirates had reduced the number of cruise ships visiting the island, and the island had also lost income when the sugar cane processing plant closed three years ago. The tour guide said that the island is now really struggling economically, with no sources of income.
After touring the town market, the tour van drove inland into the countryside. The road was well paved and smooth. All along the route were shanty houses built of wooden limbs and small trees; many had thatched roofs or wooden planks laid together with wide gaps. A few houses had tin roofs, often with large stones laid on top to hold the tin in place. The tour guide said that most houses had two rooms. The weather is always warm, so houses used only cloth sheets for doors. There were a few schools, and children went to school at least for a few years. The guide said most classes were large because few teachers would come to the island to teach.
The van driver stopped at one point to show us the yellow flowers from ylang-ylang trees; these flowers are grown on the island and sold to perfume factories in Paris. Nosy Be is also famous for its vanilla, and we bought some as a souvenir. Later, the driver stopped the van to show us a chameleon. He then stopped at a “typical village”, and we got out for a walk. The tour guide told us about the shanty houses, made of thin trees, like a log cabin only with the “logs” in vertical rather than horizontal positions. Souvenir sellers immediately swarmed around the van, and later we saw the same sellers, who followed the tour vans.
At lunchtime, the vans gathered at a beautiful beach, where the ship had arranged a beautiful spread of snacks of fruit and fried shrimp, along with soft drinks and beer. A group of women did a folk dance to entertain the passengers, and I walked around taking a few photos of the beach area.
After the lunch stop, the tour vans returned to the town center for a final stop before returning to the tenders and the ship. We left our van at that point and walked along main street past all the tiny shops. By that time, most of the shops had closed for the mid-afternoon siesta time, and many of the shop owners were seen sleeping in their shops or in front of their shops on the sidewalks. Children were sleeping along with parents at the shops. We walked back to the tenders, a walk of an hour or so, and returned to the ship.
I’m glad to have visited Nosy Be, but like St. Lucia, I would not be eager to return.
Dubai, April 20-21
The day was very hazy as we pulled into the port about 9:00 a.m.; we could barely see the Burj Khalifa through the haze, even though it was only a couple of miles from the port. As we went to breakfast, we noticed how cool the weather was, and the low humidity. We were told that the high temperature for the day would be only 29 C (about 90 F), a beautiful day, and it turned out to be hot in the sun but pleasant and dry and beautiful in the shade.
We had wanted to take a tour of the city today, and go to the Burj Al Arab Hotel tomorrow; however, we had to reverse the order because the ship was not running the Burj Al Arab tour tomorrow. About 10:00, we set off to the Burj Al Arab, down a long straight street, the Jumeirah Road. This road is the oldest part of Dubai; it was where the original houses, businesses and hotels were located. This road reminds me of lots of beach towns in America, with flat, two-story buildings on each side of the road. We were told that a mosque would appear about every 500 meters to ensure adequate places for daily prayers. On Friday, most Muslims would go to the Jumeirah Mosque, and would go to neighborhood mosques for daily prayers. We noticed how new the buildings looked, how there were no electrical lines anywhere, and how clean everything was.
We were also overwhelmed by the number of high rise buildings on the main road, the Sheikh Zayed Road, in the distance to the East, running parallel to the Jumeirah Road. The two main roads run North/South, with the coast line like the West Coast in Florida or California; Dubai is a West Coast city.
Our first stop was the Burj Al Arab hotel, for tea. We were pretty overwhelmed by the appearance of the hotel, built to resemble a giant sail on a dhow sail boat. Inside, the hotel was overwhelming, with an atrium reaching all the way to the 25th floor. Our tea was on the 27th floor, and after tea, we took photos from several rooms, including the tea room, another dining room, and the two story ballroom. We were not permitted to take photos from the top of the atrium down toward the lobby, perhaps for safety reasons (I’m sure they didn’t want cameras to fall on guests below).
The tour of the day was supposed to include a catamaran ride to “The World” Islands; however, because of rough seas, that part of the tour was cancelled. Instead, after tea and photos, we drove to the palm island -- the little palm island -- which was the first of the two palm islands constructed. The island was constructed as a residential area, and we were told that it is almost completely sold out and occupied. Clearly people were living in all those high rise apartments and in the thousands of single family homes built on the palm leaves of the island. It was a beautiful place. All the way out to the end of the island is the Atlantis Hotel, and the bus stopped there for photos. The water was a beautiful green color, and I had never seen water that color before. It was beautiful.
After leaving Palm Island, we drove through the newly developed area near Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Village. More than 120 high rise buildings have been built in this area in the past 12 years. The area is mainly a residential area, but it also includes Universities and the high tech sector of Dubai. The entire area is planned, with a lake, a canal, and beautiful landscape design, along with buildings of incredible architecture. The new ski slope is located in the Jumeirah area, and from the outside, it looks like a giant metal tube jutting out of a large building.
Dubai is divided into two main parts -- Downtown, near Dubai Creek, and Jumeirah, which is like a bedroom suburb in America. The two areas are separated by a large industrial park area, about five miles long. In each of the two parts of Dubai, beautiful high rise buildings have been built; the new Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, is located in the Downtown area, and that was the next stop of our tour.
The bus drove through the Downtown area, stopping at the Burj Khalifa for photos. This gleaming building is truly beautiful and impressive; it narrows soon and looks like a giant needle shooting into the heavens. Just in front of the Burj Khalifa, a large pond has been constructed with forced water fountain shows each night, like the ones at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Adjacent to the Burj Khalifa is the Dubai Mall, the largest shopping mall in Dubai, with more than 1500 stores. After half an hour of photos and walking in the area, we returned to the ship.
In the evening, we returned to the city to walk through the old section, the “Souk”, a warren of alleyways filled with small shops. Locals were out in the evening shopping for everything from food to household utensils to spices to gold. It was wonderful to experience. We stopped in a spice store to buy some saffron; the man opened a large metal container filled with dark Iranian saffron, pinched off some, and used his scale to measure out ten grams. Rae protested that it was too much, and he seemed taken aback that anyone might want less than 10 grams.
After our purchase, we continued walking for a couple of hours, then we took one of the little ferry boats across the “creek”, which is almost as wide as the Potomac River, to another old area to continue walking. After a time, we took a taxi back to the Dubai Mall to have dinner and watch the water show in front of the Burj Khalifa. We were able to get a table at an outdoor restaurant and watched the water show three times (it goes off every half hour) while having dinner. The air was cool and dry and the show was beautiful. The show changes each time it goes off.
Wednesday, we took the ship tour of the city. The first stop was on the beach near the Burj Al Arab for great photos. We then drove north along the Sheikh Sayed Road, a 10 lane freeway running north/south connecting all of Dubai, back toward the Burj Khalifa. We stopped for photos outside the Jumeirah Mosque, the oldest and largest mosque in Dubai, and then the bus took us to the Dubai Museum. We then took a ferry boat across the Dubai Creek to the souk area, where we went for a walk before returning to the ship. After the bus dropped us off at the ship, I immediately took the shuttle to the Dubai Mall to purchase another photo card for my camera, where I learned that San Disk now has faster disks than the ones I have been using. I purchased two of them, and that should be sufficient for the remainder of the trip.
We had wanted to take a tour of the city today, and go to the Burj Al Arab Hotel tomorrow; however, we had to reverse the order because the ship was not running the Burj Al Arab tour tomorrow. About 10:00, we set off to the Burj Al Arab, down a long straight street, the Jumeirah Road. This road is the oldest part of Dubai; it was where the original houses, businesses and hotels were located. This road reminds me of lots of beach towns in America, with flat, two-story buildings on each side of the road. We were told that a mosque would appear about every 500 meters to ensure adequate places for daily prayers. On Friday, most Muslims would go to the Jumeirah Mosque, and would go to neighborhood mosques for daily prayers. We noticed how new the buildings looked, how there were no electrical lines anywhere, and how clean everything was.
We were also overwhelmed by the number of high rise buildings on the main road, the Sheikh Zayed Road, in the distance to the East, running parallel to the Jumeirah Road. The two main roads run North/South, with the coast line like the West Coast in Florida or California; Dubai is a West Coast city.
Our first stop was the Burj Al Arab hotel, for tea. We were pretty overwhelmed by the appearance of the hotel, built to resemble a giant sail on a dhow sail boat. Inside, the hotel was overwhelming, with an atrium reaching all the way to the 25th floor. Our tea was on the 27th floor, and after tea, we took photos from several rooms, including the tea room, another dining room, and the two story ballroom. We were not permitted to take photos from the top of the atrium down toward the lobby, perhaps for safety reasons (I’m sure they didn’t want cameras to fall on guests below).
The tour of the day was supposed to include a catamaran ride to “The World” Islands; however, because of rough seas, that part of the tour was cancelled. Instead, after tea and photos, we drove to the palm island -- the little palm island -- which was the first of the two palm islands constructed. The island was constructed as a residential area, and we were told that it is almost completely sold out and occupied. Clearly people were living in all those high rise apartments and in the thousands of single family homes built on the palm leaves of the island. It was a beautiful place. All the way out to the end of the island is the Atlantis Hotel, and the bus stopped there for photos. The water was a beautiful green color, and I had never seen water that color before. It was beautiful.
After leaving Palm Island, we drove through the newly developed area near Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Village. More than 120 high rise buildings have been built in this area in the past 12 years. The area is mainly a residential area, but it also includes Universities and the high tech sector of Dubai. The entire area is planned, with a lake, a canal, and beautiful landscape design, along with buildings of incredible architecture. The new ski slope is located in the Jumeirah area, and from the outside, it looks like a giant metal tube jutting out of a large building.
Dubai is divided into two main parts -- Downtown, near Dubai Creek, and Jumeirah, which is like a bedroom suburb in America. The two areas are separated by a large industrial park area, about five miles long. In each of the two parts of Dubai, beautiful high rise buildings have been built; the new Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, is located in the Downtown area, and that was the next stop of our tour.
The bus drove through the Downtown area, stopping at the Burj Khalifa for photos. This gleaming building is truly beautiful and impressive; it narrows soon and looks like a giant needle shooting into the heavens. Just in front of the Burj Khalifa, a large pond has been constructed with forced water fountain shows each night, like the ones at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Adjacent to the Burj Khalifa is the Dubai Mall, the largest shopping mall in Dubai, with more than 1500 stores. After half an hour of photos and walking in the area, we returned to the ship.
In the evening, we returned to the city to walk through the old section, the “Souk”, a warren of alleyways filled with small shops. Locals were out in the evening shopping for everything from food to household utensils to spices to gold. It was wonderful to experience. We stopped in a spice store to buy some saffron; the man opened a large metal container filled with dark Iranian saffron, pinched off some, and used his scale to measure out ten grams. Rae protested that it was too much, and he seemed taken aback that anyone might want less than 10 grams.
After our purchase, we continued walking for a couple of hours, then we took one of the little ferry boats across the “creek”, which is almost as wide as the Potomac River, to another old area to continue walking. After a time, we took a taxi back to the Dubai Mall to have dinner and watch the water show in front of the Burj Khalifa. We were able to get a table at an outdoor restaurant and watched the water show three times (it goes off every half hour) while having dinner. The air was cool and dry and the show was beautiful. The show changes each time it goes off.
Wednesday, we took the ship tour of the city. The first stop was on the beach near the Burj Al Arab for great photos. We then drove north along the Sheikh Sayed Road, a 10 lane freeway running north/south connecting all of Dubai, back toward the Burj Khalifa. We stopped for photos outside the Jumeirah Mosque, the oldest and largest mosque in Dubai, and then the bus took us to the Dubai Museum. We then took a ferry boat across the Dubai Creek to the souk area, where we went for a walk before returning to the ship. After the bus dropped us off at the ship, I immediately took the shuttle to the Dubai Mall to purchase another photo card for my camera, where I learned that San Disk now has faster disks than the ones I have been using. I purchased two of them, and that should be sufficient for the remainder of the trip.
Oman, April 19
Oman has only two sights -- the grand mosque and the souk. The ship stopped for only a half day, and we took the ship tour. We noticed immediately the incredible drop in humidity; it was like a dream to walk outside. Later the temperature reached 42 C, but in the shade, we were very comfortable. What a difference from India, and previous stops on the cruise, where the humidity was always near 100 percent. Many people ate breakfast outside in the Panorama restaurant as the ship docked. What a pleasure to have low humidity.
The bus tour went first to the mosque, the second largest mosque in the world. As the bus set out, and along the way to the mosque, we noticed the new roads and the new cars on the roads. Additional road work was underway in many places. We were told that Oman has no public transportation; however, minibus taxis operated on schedule, with scheduled stops where people waited for their taxi. These minivan taxis were plentiful, holding about 12 passengers each. Clearly, many people used these taxis to commute to work. The roads were jammed with traffic that was stop-and-go in the morning rush hour.
As we drove to the mosque, we noticed that the geography of Oman is rocky hills, and it is occupied in the “valleys” between the rocky hills. Thus, it seems to wind its way around among the hills like an endless maze. The hills seem to be granite, so that construction on them would seem to be very difficult.
The mosque can be described only in photos; it is very beautiful, with a giant chandelier made of Swarovski crystals. All mosques are alike in several ways -- women pray in an area that is separate from the men, and all prayer rooms are a large open area where believers can kneel on a beautiful carpet to pray. Mosques are beautiful inside, but they are not like churches, with pews. Instead, they are open carpeted areas where those in attendance can kneel to pray. The mosque in Oman has a beautiful carpet and a beautiful chandelier, inviting attendees to kneel and pray and feel inspired.
We had been instructed prior to the tour of the mosque that everyone would be required to remove their shoes, and women would be required to cover their heads and to wear long sleeved blouses so that none of their arms showed. However, some of the women had not got the message, and were not admitted because they were wearing short sleeved blouses. One insane woman on another bus raised a fuss and said the policy was “stupid”. This insult was an insult to Islam itself, and the guards took the insult very seriously. They demanded an apology from the woman and held the tour bus until they got an adequate apology from the Cruise Line as well. The woman had returned to the bus, and refused to get off; she was afraid that they were going to take her to prison. Finally, the woman was forced to get off the bus and apologize, but she held up the tour for some time. I was glad she was not on the bus I was on.
After the mosque, the tour went to the souk -- the warren of shops. I love the souks. The first one I encountered was in Istanbul in 2000, and I have enjoyed going to them since then. This one was wonderful, with shop after shop filled with wondrous items, meant mostly for locals, although also available to tourists. Shopkeepers invited all passers by to enter and look, and people from the ship were clearly buying souvenirs. I took hundreds of photos in the souk, fortunately removing my lens filter first, so the photos are sharp and clear.
In the souk, almost all of the local men were dressed in disdashas, and all the women were wearing abayas, many with their faces covered. I took a few photos of men and women, as well as in shops. I asked, and most people did not object to my taking their photo. We wandered deep into the souk, taking several of the alleyways on our journey, and when it was time to return to the bus, we were not entirely sure how to make out way back to the bus. As we talked about directions, a tall, thin woman wearing an abaya with her face completely covered except for her eyes, stopped near us and then to my surprise, asked in English if we were lost and needed help. I was so stunned that I failed to ask her if I could take her photo, and I was sorry later.
The tour guide mentioned that young men in Oman must pay a dowry to a young woman’s family to marry. The amount varies, but is in the range of 30-40,000 U.S. dollars. He said that more than 70 percent of young Omani men are not married because they cannot afford a wife. I asked him what the young women do for husbands, and he told me that they marry Kuwaitis or young men from the United Arab Republics.
After leaving the souk, the bus took us to a museum of Oman history. I was not interested, so I wandered around outside, and then went to a very nice gift shop of the museum. It was a really nice gift shop, but many, or most, of the items were made in China. It was not a gift shop of Omani crafts, except for one item. Frankincense is grown in Oman, and it is a national product. It was sold in the gift shop in a variety of small containers, ready for burning.
After leaving the museum, the bus made a final stop at one of the Sultan’s seven palaces. This one was not a home, but a business office for the Sultan, who is the chief finance officer for Oman; the ministry of finance is located in adjacent buildings. I took a few photos, and then the bus made its way back to the ship. I enjoyed our stop in Oman.
The bus tour went first to the mosque, the second largest mosque in the world. As the bus set out, and along the way to the mosque, we noticed the new roads and the new cars on the roads. Additional road work was underway in many places. We were told that Oman has no public transportation; however, minibus taxis operated on schedule, with scheduled stops where people waited for their taxi. These minivan taxis were plentiful, holding about 12 passengers each. Clearly, many people used these taxis to commute to work. The roads were jammed with traffic that was stop-and-go in the morning rush hour.
As we drove to the mosque, we noticed that the geography of Oman is rocky hills, and it is occupied in the “valleys” between the rocky hills. Thus, it seems to wind its way around among the hills like an endless maze. The hills seem to be granite, so that construction on them would seem to be very difficult.
The mosque can be described only in photos; it is very beautiful, with a giant chandelier made of Swarovski crystals. All mosques are alike in several ways -- women pray in an area that is separate from the men, and all prayer rooms are a large open area where believers can kneel on a beautiful carpet to pray. Mosques are beautiful inside, but they are not like churches, with pews. Instead, they are open carpeted areas where those in attendance can kneel to pray. The mosque in Oman has a beautiful carpet and a beautiful chandelier, inviting attendees to kneel and pray and feel inspired.
We had been instructed prior to the tour of the mosque that everyone would be required to remove their shoes, and women would be required to cover their heads and to wear long sleeved blouses so that none of their arms showed. However, some of the women had not got the message, and were not admitted because they were wearing short sleeved blouses. One insane woman on another bus raised a fuss and said the policy was “stupid”. This insult was an insult to Islam itself, and the guards took the insult very seriously. They demanded an apology from the woman and held the tour bus until they got an adequate apology from the Cruise Line as well. The woman had returned to the bus, and refused to get off; she was afraid that they were going to take her to prison. Finally, the woman was forced to get off the bus and apologize, but she held up the tour for some time. I was glad she was not on the bus I was on.
After the mosque, the tour went to the souk -- the warren of shops. I love the souks. The first one I encountered was in Istanbul in 2000, and I have enjoyed going to them since then. This one was wonderful, with shop after shop filled with wondrous items, meant mostly for locals, although also available to tourists. Shopkeepers invited all passers by to enter and look, and people from the ship were clearly buying souvenirs. I took hundreds of photos in the souk, fortunately removing my lens filter first, so the photos are sharp and clear.
In the souk, almost all of the local men were dressed in disdashas, and all the women were wearing abayas, many with their faces covered. I took a few photos of men and women, as well as in shops. I asked, and most people did not object to my taking their photo. We wandered deep into the souk, taking several of the alleyways on our journey, and when it was time to return to the bus, we were not entirely sure how to make out way back to the bus. As we talked about directions, a tall, thin woman wearing an abaya with her face completely covered except for her eyes, stopped near us and then to my surprise, asked in English if we were lost and needed help. I was so stunned that I failed to ask her if I could take her photo, and I was sorry later.
The tour guide mentioned that young men in Oman must pay a dowry to a young woman’s family to marry. The amount varies, but is in the range of 30-40,000 U.S. dollars. He said that more than 70 percent of young Omani men are not married because they cannot afford a wife. I asked him what the young women do for husbands, and he told me that they marry Kuwaitis or young men from the United Arab Republics.
After leaving the souk, the bus took us to a museum of Oman history. I was not interested, so I wandered around outside, and then went to a very nice gift shop of the museum. It was a really nice gift shop, but many, or most, of the items were made in China. It was not a gift shop of Omani crafts, except for one item. Frankincense is grown in Oman, and it is a national product. It was sold in the gift shop in a variety of small containers, ready for burning.
After leaving the museum, the bus made a final stop at one of the Sultan’s seven palaces. This one was not a home, but a business office for the Sultan, who is the chief finance officer for Oman; the ministry of finance is located in adjacent buildings. I took a few photos, and then the bus made its way back to the ship. I enjoyed our stop in Oman.
Mumbai
The ship arrived in Mumbai on Saturday, April 16. How can I describe Mumbai? It is perhaps the most interesting place I have ever been. The one word I would use to describe Mumbai is “teeming”. Mumbai is truly a teeming city. It is like an ant hill, with untold numbers of ants, each one scurrying to accomplish its mission, moving chaotically in every direction with intense purpose, and yet not aggressive and not interfering with other ants. Men seemed more noticeable than women on the streets; crowds of men were everywhere, seemingly either gathered for work, or perhaps looking for work. Although the city is dirty, it is not filled with litter except in the slum areas. The city seems to be covered with a layer of dust; everything seemed to be brown and gray and black. Although there are high-rise apartment buildings, they were not so numerous as in Singapore or Kuala Lumpur, and few seemed to be new. I would happily return to Mumbai. I could spend months taking photos of fascinating sights.
The ship tours of Mumbai included stops at two museums, which was not the way I wanted to spend my time in Mumbai, so I decided to try to get an individual tour guide. When we were in Chennai, I spoke with the tour guide (Gita) and she introduced me to the manager of the tour company running the tours in Chennai, and would also be running the ship tours in Mumbai. He said that he would arrange for an individual tour guide in Mumbai; however, when we arrived at the port in Mumbai, he had not spoken with them, and no tour guide was waiting. When we talked with the representative of the tour company, we were told that an air conditioned car with a driver could be available to us for $50 for the entire day; however, we would have to wait for 45 minutes for him to arrive at the dock. We talked with taxi drivers; however, they wanted more money and also used non-air conditioned cars, and we preferred to wait. After a wait of only 5 minutes, a driver appeared, driving a new Toyota minivan, fully air conditioned, and we were off.
As we drove from the ship to the gates of the dock, we realized that we would never have found our way out -- the distance was at least a mile through a maze of roads filled with trucks loading and unloading cargo. We were very happy that we waited for this car.
The driver first drove us along a long street toward some of the beautiful buildings built by the British a hundred years ago -- the Prince of Wales Museum, the Rajabhai Clock Tower, the Mumbai High Court, the Victoria Rail Station. As we started off, my first impression was that at 9:00 a.m., the streets were filled with cars and people walking everywhere on their way to work. People were dressed in typical Indian clothing -- women in colorful saris and men in loose white shirts and pants. We were near the docks, and it was a typically poor area, as one would expect near a port in any city.
As we drove along, we passed block after block of shanties that had been “constructed” along the street, spilling out onto the sidewalk. Families lived in these shacks, made of scrap wood, tin, plastic, and whatever other discarded materials they could find -- homes for the homeless. We also noticed lots of trash strewn everywhere.
The streets around the rail station were even more congested with traffic than previous streets. Thousands of small, black-bottom, yellow-topped taxis filled the streets, each pressing to fill every crack in the traffic. The streets did not have lane markers, and drivers squeezed into every space wide enough to permit passage. Horns were constant, although they were not loud. Drivers used their horns to let the driver ahead know of their presence, particularly when passing, and particularly motorbikes, which were numerous, but not as numerous as in Viet Nam. We were amazed at the way the drivers filled every space on the road, but without touching. Often cars were only inches apart.
After some time, we found ourselves along Marina Road, and we stopped for photos of the beautiful waterfront, with miles of high-rise hotels and apartment buildings. It was beautiful. We passed Chowpatti Beach and stopped several times for photos. Then our driver told us that we were entering a very wealthy area, and the feeling of the area changed. The streets were lined with very large trees whose canopies reached out to cover the streets. This area was also somewhat hilly, with narrow, winding streets, and the driver said that we were in the Malabar Hill area.
Soon we noticed parked tour busses, and the driver said that we were near the Jain Temple, which we had wanted to see. He parked the car and after removing our shoes, we entered a beautiful temple. A man took our shoes and kept them for us as we entered the temple. Our driver told us that we were permitted to take photos inside the temple; however, when we entered, we saw many people praying, we I was hesitant to take photos until an official inside the temple said that it was okay. I also noticed other tourists taking photos.
The temple was somewhat dark inside, and it was very ornate, with statues located at the front center and in niches around the side walls and in corners. Other statues were located in side rooms off the main room, and as people passed into and out of these side rooms, they reached above the doors to clang a bell, usually three times. Incense was burning, and many of the worshipers were carrying lighted incense sticks.
Men were dressed in a cloth that covered their groin areas, and women were dressed in saris. Worshipers could be seen kissing their hands and touching the numerous statues, and some women were seated on the floor arranging flower petals and beads on trays to form religious pictures. I noticed that the male worshipers seemed to be older, while the women seemed to be of all adult ages. The temple was several floors high, with a beautiful, colorful dome, and an official suggested that we climb the stairs to see the upstairs of the temple and get a closer look at the dome. With my wonderful camera, I was able to take photos inside the dark temple with no flash, including beautiful photos of the dome.
When we left the temple, the man who had taken our shoes returned them to us, remembering which shoes belonged to us even though several bus loads of tourists had also arrived and deposited their shoes. I gave him a dollar and he seemed happy. Later, our driver told us that this temple was for Hindus who were not only vegetarian, but ate only vegetables grown above the ground. Outside the temple on the street, I saw two children playing along the curb, and took their photo. Immediately, the older of the two ran to me with her hand out, and I gave her a dollar for letting me take her photo. My practice throughout the day was to ask if I could take a photo of people, and then give them a dollar. When the driver noticed what I was doing, he felt that I was giving the beggars too much, and suggested that I give them a small amount of Indian money. However, I had no Indian money and continued to give one dollar.
After leaving the temple, the driver dropped us off at the Hanging Gardens, which were nearby, and told us where he would meet us down the street. The gardens were beautiful, and if not for the haze in the air, we would have been able to take a beautiful photo of downtown Mumbai from the hillside overlook. I did take photos, and I hope Photoshop will improve them.
After leaving the Hanging Gardens, we passed a hill with a brown cement building with no windows, and our driver told us that the building was the tomb used by Parsis. (See Wikipedia for Parsi burial rituals.) The driver said that the hill had been donated to the Parsis by Tata, who is Parsi. He told us that most of the rich people in Mumbai are Parsi.
After a time, we came to a narrow, tree-lined street, and the driver told us that we were near the Gandhi home, which was now a museum. He gave us 10 rupees each for an entrance fee and we went inside for some photos. Outside were beggars selling trinkets, and I gave a dollar to a pretty woman for her photo.
After another drive, we arrived at the Dhobi Ghat, the large area set up as an outdoor laundry; we were able to take photos from the elevated street. It was very interesting to see the men washing the clothes, and hanging them up on lines and laying them on the tin rooftops of laundry buildings, the white clothes hanging together, the blues, the reds, the denim jeans, etc. How could these clothes ever be returned to rightful owners?
After leaving the Dhobi Ghat, we passed another waterfront area, and we noticed a long winding pier stretched far out into the water. At the end of the pier was the Haji Ali Mosque. The driver stopped several times to let me take photos. Around the curve of the road, on the tip of land was another beautiful mosque, which I also photographed from the road.
Nearby, the driver pointed out a new building with a very lovely green lawn. Many Indians were visiting the building, including bus loads of Indian visitors. He told us that the building was new and it housed the planning department. Something inside the building must have been an attraction for the Indian visitors, although we did not go inside.
As the driver moved into the parking lot to turn the car around, we noticed a slum area, and he said that he lived in that area. We asked him if we would be permitted to take photos, and he offered to take us to his home in the slum. After parking the car, he led us through winding pathways to his home. We noticed the garbage in a creek, and the odor was horrific. As we walked along, we passed a barber shaving a man, who refused to let us take a photograph of him, and later, the barber also refused to let us take a photo. We also passed a group of 8-10 school girls who were dressed in their school uniforms, happily going to school. Each of the girls was neatly dressed with perfectly combed hair.
After winding our way through the maze, we came to the home of the driver, and after he announced us, he asked us to enter. It turned out to be the one-room home of his landlord, and his room was above on the second floor. A woman welcomed us to a spotlessly clean room, about 15 by 15 feet square, with a kitchen area along one wall, and a bed along the opposite wall. We noticed a woman sitting on the floor cooking, and we were told that she was a cook, hired from the slum, making flat bread. A young girl, about years old, was the daughter of the cook. The woman of the house left the room and soon reappeared with glasses of Coke for us. I was permitted to take photos, and soon the little daughter of our driver was brought in; she was about 6 months old. After a time, the driver’s wife also appeared. We were given sliced mangoes to eat, and they were absolutely wonderful -- so sweet and tasty, and not at all like the mangoes at home (which I do not care for).
One interesting difference between Mumbai and Singapore concerned ethnic groups or castes. In Singapore, ethnic groupings were discouraged, while in Mumbai (and I assume in all of India), ethnic groupings are almost mandatory. In Singapore, ethnic groups are not permitted to live together; instead, families of each ethnic group are split so that neighbors are not of the same ethnic group. All children of all ethnic groups attend the same schools. In contrast, in Mumbai, children attend only the schools of their own ethnic group -- Hindus of each caste attend Hindu schools of their own caste, Muslims attend Muslim schools, etc. Consideration of caste seems to follow one not only in schools, but also in jobs as well; individuals of certain castes perform some jobs, while other jobs are reserved for individuals of other castes.
After leaving the slum, we drove for a time and came to an area where our driver wanted us to shop. Drivers seem to get a fee for taking tourists to certain stores, and these stores were State-operated stores of Indian crafts. We went inside and many of the items were very beautiful. At first, we did not want to purchase anything, but I decided that perhaps we should buy a souvenir, and we picked out a small peacock and a small elephant of marble with colorful inlaid stones. The salesman insisted on showing us a small carpet made of silk. It was gold and it was very beautiful. After looking at several other small carpets, we ended up buying the gold one.
The driver then took us to the Taj Mahal Hotel. The hotel is still being renovated after the terrorist attacks; plywood corridors fill the hotel lobby and plywood still covers many of the ground floor windows. The former grandeur of the hotel is hidden. Incidentally, the hotel is owned by Tata, who seems to own much of Mumbai. The name “Tata” is everywhere. After leaving the hotel, I quickly took a couple of photos of the Gateway Arch, just across the street from the hotel, before returning to the ship.
The ship tours of Mumbai included stops at two museums, which was not the way I wanted to spend my time in Mumbai, so I decided to try to get an individual tour guide. When we were in Chennai, I spoke with the tour guide (Gita) and she introduced me to the manager of the tour company running the tours in Chennai, and would also be running the ship tours in Mumbai. He said that he would arrange for an individual tour guide in Mumbai; however, when we arrived at the port in Mumbai, he had not spoken with them, and no tour guide was waiting. When we talked with the representative of the tour company, we were told that an air conditioned car with a driver could be available to us for $50 for the entire day; however, we would have to wait for 45 minutes for him to arrive at the dock. We talked with taxi drivers; however, they wanted more money and also used non-air conditioned cars, and we preferred to wait. After a wait of only 5 minutes, a driver appeared, driving a new Toyota minivan, fully air conditioned, and we were off.
As we drove from the ship to the gates of the dock, we realized that we would never have found our way out -- the distance was at least a mile through a maze of roads filled with trucks loading and unloading cargo. We were very happy that we waited for this car.
The driver first drove us along a long street toward some of the beautiful buildings built by the British a hundred years ago -- the Prince of Wales Museum, the Rajabhai Clock Tower, the Mumbai High Court, the Victoria Rail Station. As we started off, my first impression was that at 9:00 a.m., the streets were filled with cars and people walking everywhere on their way to work. People were dressed in typical Indian clothing -- women in colorful saris and men in loose white shirts and pants. We were near the docks, and it was a typically poor area, as one would expect near a port in any city.
As we drove along, we passed block after block of shanties that had been “constructed” along the street, spilling out onto the sidewalk. Families lived in these shacks, made of scrap wood, tin, plastic, and whatever other discarded materials they could find -- homes for the homeless. We also noticed lots of trash strewn everywhere.
The streets around the rail station were even more congested with traffic than previous streets. Thousands of small, black-bottom, yellow-topped taxis filled the streets, each pressing to fill every crack in the traffic. The streets did not have lane markers, and drivers squeezed into every space wide enough to permit passage. Horns were constant, although they were not loud. Drivers used their horns to let the driver ahead know of their presence, particularly when passing, and particularly motorbikes, which were numerous, but not as numerous as in Viet Nam. We were amazed at the way the drivers filled every space on the road, but without touching. Often cars were only inches apart.
After some time, we found ourselves along Marina Road, and we stopped for photos of the beautiful waterfront, with miles of high-rise hotels and apartment buildings. It was beautiful. We passed Chowpatti Beach and stopped several times for photos. Then our driver told us that we were entering a very wealthy area, and the feeling of the area changed. The streets were lined with very large trees whose canopies reached out to cover the streets. This area was also somewhat hilly, with narrow, winding streets, and the driver said that we were in the Malabar Hill area.
Soon we noticed parked tour busses, and the driver said that we were near the Jain Temple, which we had wanted to see. He parked the car and after removing our shoes, we entered a beautiful temple. A man took our shoes and kept them for us as we entered the temple. Our driver told us that we were permitted to take photos inside the temple; however, when we entered, we saw many people praying, we I was hesitant to take photos until an official inside the temple said that it was okay. I also noticed other tourists taking photos.
The temple was somewhat dark inside, and it was very ornate, with statues located at the front center and in niches around the side walls and in corners. Other statues were located in side rooms off the main room, and as people passed into and out of these side rooms, they reached above the doors to clang a bell, usually three times. Incense was burning, and many of the worshipers were carrying lighted incense sticks.
Men were dressed in a cloth that covered their groin areas, and women were dressed in saris. Worshipers could be seen kissing their hands and touching the numerous statues, and some women were seated on the floor arranging flower petals and beads on trays to form religious pictures. I noticed that the male worshipers seemed to be older, while the women seemed to be of all adult ages. The temple was several floors high, with a beautiful, colorful dome, and an official suggested that we climb the stairs to see the upstairs of the temple and get a closer look at the dome. With my wonderful camera, I was able to take photos inside the dark temple with no flash, including beautiful photos of the dome.
When we left the temple, the man who had taken our shoes returned them to us, remembering which shoes belonged to us even though several bus loads of tourists had also arrived and deposited their shoes. I gave him a dollar and he seemed happy. Later, our driver told us that this temple was for Hindus who were not only vegetarian, but ate only vegetables grown above the ground. Outside the temple on the street, I saw two children playing along the curb, and took their photo. Immediately, the older of the two ran to me with her hand out, and I gave her a dollar for letting me take her photo. My practice throughout the day was to ask if I could take a photo of people, and then give them a dollar. When the driver noticed what I was doing, he felt that I was giving the beggars too much, and suggested that I give them a small amount of Indian money. However, I had no Indian money and continued to give one dollar.
After leaving the temple, the driver dropped us off at the Hanging Gardens, which were nearby, and told us where he would meet us down the street. The gardens were beautiful, and if not for the haze in the air, we would have been able to take a beautiful photo of downtown Mumbai from the hillside overlook. I did take photos, and I hope Photoshop will improve them.
After leaving the Hanging Gardens, we passed a hill with a brown cement building with no windows, and our driver told us that the building was the tomb used by Parsis. (See Wikipedia for Parsi burial rituals.) The driver said that the hill had been donated to the Parsis by Tata, who is Parsi. He told us that most of the rich people in Mumbai are Parsi.
After a time, we came to a narrow, tree-lined street, and the driver told us that we were near the Gandhi home, which was now a museum. He gave us 10 rupees each for an entrance fee and we went inside for some photos. Outside were beggars selling trinkets, and I gave a dollar to a pretty woman for her photo.
After another drive, we arrived at the Dhobi Ghat, the large area set up as an outdoor laundry; we were able to take photos from the elevated street. It was very interesting to see the men washing the clothes, and hanging them up on lines and laying them on the tin rooftops of laundry buildings, the white clothes hanging together, the blues, the reds, the denim jeans, etc. How could these clothes ever be returned to rightful owners?
After leaving the Dhobi Ghat, we passed another waterfront area, and we noticed a long winding pier stretched far out into the water. At the end of the pier was the Haji Ali Mosque. The driver stopped several times to let me take photos. Around the curve of the road, on the tip of land was another beautiful mosque, which I also photographed from the road.
Nearby, the driver pointed out a new building with a very lovely green lawn. Many Indians were visiting the building, including bus loads of Indian visitors. He told us that the building was new and it housed the planning department. Something inside the building must have been an attraction for the Indian visitors, although we did not go inside.
As the driver moved into the parking lot to turn the car around, we noticed a slum area, and he said that he lived in that area. We asked him if we would be permitted to take photos, and he offered to take us to his home in the slum. After parking the car, he led us through winding pathways to his home. We noticed the garbage in a creek, and the odor was horrific. As we walked along, we passed a barber shaving a man, who refused to let us take a photograph of him, and later, the barber also refused to let us take a photo. We also passed a group of 8-10 school girls who were dressed in their school uniforms, happily going to school. Each of the girls was neatly dressed with perfectly combed hair.
After winding our way through the maze, we came to the home of the driver, and after he announced us, he asked us to enter. It turned out to be the one-room home of his landlord, and his room was above on the second floor. A woman welcomed us to a spotlessly clean room, about 15 by 15 feet square, with a kitchen area along one wall, and a bed along the opposite wall. We noticed a woman sitting on the floor cooking, and we were told that she was a cook, hired from the slum, making flat bread. A young girl, about years old, was the daughter of the cook. The woman of the house left the room and soon reappeared with glasses of Coke for us. I was permitted to take photos, and soon the little daughter of our driver was brought in; she was about 6 months old. After a time, the driver’s wife also appeared. We were given sliced mangoes to eat, and they were absolutely wonderful -- so sweet and tasty, and not at all like the mangoes at home (which I do not care for).
One interesting difference between Mumbai and Singapore concerned ethnic groups or castes. In Singapore, ethnic groupings were discouraged, while in Mumbai (and I assume in all of India), ethnic groupings are almost mandatory. In Singapore, ethnic groups are not permitted to live together; instead, families of each ethnic group are split so that neighbors are not of the same ethnic group. All children of all ethnic groups attend the same schools. In contrast, in Mumbai, children attend only the schools of their own ethnic group -- Hindus of each caste attend Hindu schools of their own caste, Muslims attend Muslim schools, etc. Consideration of caste seems to follow one not only in schools, but also in jobs as well; individuals of certain castes perform some jobs, while other jobs are reserved for individuals of other castes.
After leaving the slum, we drove for a time and came to an area where our driver wanted us to shop. Drivers seem to get a fee for taking tourists to certain stores, and these stores were State-operated stores of Indian crafts. We went inside and many of the items were very beautiful. At first, we did not want to purchase anything, but I decided that perhaps we should buy a souvenir, and we picked out a small peacock and a small elephant of marble with colorful inlaid stones. The salesman insisted on showing us a small carpet made of silk. It was gold and it was very beautiful. After looking at several other small carpets, we ended up buying the gold one.
The driver then took us to the Taj Mahal Hotel. The hotel is still being renovated after the terrorist attacks; plywood corridors fill the hotel lobby and plywood still covers many of the ground floor windows. The former grandeur of the hotel is hidden. Incidentally, the hotel is owned by Tata, who seems to own much of Mumbai. The name “Tata” is everywhere. After leaving the hotel, I quickly took a couple of photos of the Gateway Arch, just across the street from the hotel, before returning to the ship.
Chennai, India
We took the Chennai sightseeing tour from the ship. We went first to a temple (Mylapore) first constructed as early as nine centuries BC. The “newest” part of the temple is from the 1600s. The tower over the door is made of granite, which does not hold paint. A plaster has to be used to cover the granite, and then painted. This one was last painted in 2000, ten years ago, and it is still very brightly colored.
We then went to St. Thomas church, built in the city where St. Thomas died. Then to the museum to see the bronze statues of the Hindu gods.
Last, to Fort George, to see the St. Mary’s church, built by Elihu Yale, who was then married there. Yale collected money from the British (in 1684) to construct a university in New England, but by the time he got to New England, he had spent or stolen half the money, so he didn’t have enough to start a college. He gave the money to Salem college in New Haven on condition that they would change the name of the college to Yale.
Then to the little museum at the fort. Currently the Tamil Nadu government is housed in buildings in Fort George, but massive new beautiful buildings are under construction to house the government -- court, legislature and many administrative offices.
Gita was a great guide. She went to high school at Woodrow Wilson high school in Washington. Her dad was in the foreign service of India, and she lived many places. She then worked for eight years at the UN in New York.
We then went to St. Thomas church, built in the city where St. Thomas died. Then to the museum to see the bronze statues of the Hindu gods.
Last, to Fort George, to see the St. Mary’s church, built by Elihu Yale, who was then married there. Yale collected money from the British (in 1684) to construct a university in New England, but by the time he got to New England, he had spent or stolen half the money, so he didn’t have enough to start a college. He gave the money to Salem college in New Haven on condition that they would change the name of the college to Yale.
Then to the little museum at the fort. Currently the Tamil Nadu government is housed in buildings in Fort George, but massive new beautiful buildings are under construction to house the government -- court, legislature and many administrative offices.
Gita was a great guide. She went to high school at Woodrow Wilson high school in Washington. Her dad was in the foreign service of India, and she lived many places. She then worked for eight years at the UN in New York.
Phuket, Thailand
We took the tour bus as transportation into the town of Phuket. Then we got a minivan with Fred and Phyllis from North Carolina and the couple from Montreal, Gilles and Denise, and toured Phuket Island.
We stopped first at a cashew processing store, which was interesting. The cashew nut is a small seed attached to the bottom of a pod that resembles a green pepper. When the time is right, the seeds are harvested and a worker takes the cashew nut out of the shell, using a table-top press. After leaving the cashew processing store, we went to a large temple complex, where we stayed for an hour to take photos and look at the various buildings on the grounds. Bhuddist temples are very beautiful, gleaming in gold. We then drove to the "big Buddha" that is being constructed on the highest mountain on Phuket Island. It is a very impressive sight, and can be seen from far off. We then drove along the coast through the coastal resort towns. On the way back to the ship, we stopped at a jewelry store so our driver could get coupons for gas. It was a very interesting day.
We stopped first at a cashew processing store, which was interesting. The cashew nut is a small seed attached to the bottom of a pod that resembles a green pepper. When the time is right, the seeds are harvested and a worker takes the cashew nut out of the shell, using a table-top press. After leaving the cashew processing store, we went to a large temple complex, where we stayed for an hour to take photos and look at the various buildings on the grounds. Bhuddist temples are very beautiful, gleaming in gold. We then drove to the "big Buddha" that is being constructed on the highest mountain on Phuket Island. It is a very impressive sight, and can be seen from far off. We then drove along the coast through the coastal resort towns. On the way back to the ship, we stopped at a jewelry store so our driver could get coupons for gas. It was a very interesting day.
Penang
We took the ship’s walking tour of a local food market and a flea market. The local food market was very busy as women were doing their daily food shopping. This type of market is strange to us, although it is similar to fish markets in seaside towns in America. Meats were being carved; fish were laid out and being cut up; live chickens were for sale, and were butchered on the spot. All of the fish and meats were laid out at room temperature; there was no ice and no refrigeration. Meat would have to be sold and cooked the same day before it spoiled. Fruits and vegetables were laid out in beautiful displays. Many other household products were also available.
The flea market was quite extensive and sold both items (mostly used items) and foods -- beautiful fruits and vegetables. It was similar to flea markets in the U.S. except that it also sold fruits and vegetables. It was not very interesting to us, and we returned to the bus to wait for the others.
The tour then stopped at the Penang museum with an interesting display of the history of Penang. Half of the building had been bombed by the Japanese during the war and not rebuilt. I am not very interested in museums, and I wandered around a bit, and then waited for the bus to reboard.
This was a morning tour only. After we returned to the ship, Rae took a nap and I went out again. After walking a short distance, I saw a young couple with a map and asked them where they got it. They said far from there, but they had another one in their backpack. As they searched for it, we talked about sites, and agreed that it would be nice to go to the big temple on the mountain (see name). A taxi came by and we asked him how much he would charge us to take us there. He said $10 American, and I said let’s go. On the way, he stopped for photos at the national mosque and then a Hindu temple. After the mountain temple, he took us to the sleeping Buddha temple and the temple across the street from it. We then stopped at a mosque for photos before returning to the ship.
The young couple were Alex and Catarina, from Chile. They were on a work-study program in Australia and in Penang on holiday. I took many photos of them, and they gave me their email addresses so I could send the photos to them later. It was a truly great day. I gave the taxi driver $40; he reminded me of the taxi driver in Istanbul, an older man just trying to earn a living.
The flea market was quite extensive and sold both items (mostly used items) and foods -- beautiful fruits and vegetables. It was similar to flea markets in the U.S. except that it also sold fruits and vegetables. It was not very interesting to us, and we returned to the bus to wait for the others.
The tour then stopped at the Penang museum with an interesting display of the history of Penang. Half of the building had been bombed by the Japanese during the war and not rebuilt. I am not very interested in museums, and I wandered around a bit, and then waited for the bus to reboard.
This was a morning tour only. After we returned to the ship, Rae took a nap and I went out again. After walking a short distance, I saw a young couple with a map and asked them where they got it. They said far from there, but they had another one in their backpack. As they searched for it, we talked about sites, and agreed that it would be nice to go to the big temple on the mountain (see name). A taxi came by and we asked him how much he would charge us to take us there. He said $10 American, and I said let’s go. On the way, he stopped for photos at the national mosque and then a Hindu temple. After the mountain temple, he took us to the sleeping Buddha temple and the temple across the street from it. We then stopped at a mosque for photos before returning to the ship.
The young couple were Alex and Catarina, from Chile. They were on a work-study program in Australia and in Penang on holiday. I took many photos of them, and they gave me their email addresses so I could send the photos to them later. It was a truly great day. I gave the taxi driver $40; he reminded me of the taxi driver in Istanbul, an older man just trying to earn a living.
Kuala Lumpur
We took the “Highlights” tour with the ship. Kuala Lumpur is over an hour’s drive inland from the port, and the tour was only four and a half hours -- 9 to 1:30 -- so there were only a few stops on the tour. It stopped first at the great blue mosque for photos. The Blue Mosque is the largest mosque in Southeast Asia, and it is truly beautiful. The tour then stopped at the Malaysia National Museum, which had displays of the history of Malaysia. The tour stopped at the Victorian era railway station, with its elegant building and across the street to the national mosque. The tour then stopped at the Petronas Twin Towers, the third tallest buildings in the world, and the highest twin towers in the world.
Malaysia was not what I expected. I had expected Malaysia to be like Thailand -- quite poor and undeveloped -- but it was very different. Malaysia is much more prosperous economically than Thailand, and much more highly developed. The region between the port and Kuala Lumpur is the richest region of the country, and it was very highly developed with new high-rise apartment buildings and new expressways throughout the area. New cars were everywhere, and there were few motorbikes. Kuala Lumpur was similarly highly developed.
Malaysia is a mixed country with about 65 percent of the population being Muslim, 20 percent Buddhist, and about 10 percent Christian. However, it seemed that almost all of the women wore the hijab. This was a brief visit, and an interesting one.
Malaysia was not what I expected. I had expected Malaysia to be like Thailand -- quite poor and undeveloped -- but it was very different. Malaysia is much more prosperous economically than Thailand, and much more highly developed. The region between the port and Kuala Lumpur is the richest region of the country, and it was very highly developed with new high-rise apartment buildings and new expressways throughout the area. New cars were everywhere, and there were few motorbikes. Kuala Lumpur was similarly highly developed.
Malaysia is a mixed country with about 65 percent of the population being Muslim, 20 percent Buddhist, and about 10 percent Christian. However, it seemed that almost all of the women wore the hijab. This was a brief visit, and an interesting one.
Singapore
The heat and humidity in Singapore were stifling. In addition, we had tremendous downpours -- tropical downpours with incredible thunder. We loved Singapore. Singapore is very clean and modern, and at the same time, very interesting. The city is multiracial, and very interesting. When we arrived in Singapore, the airport was like a large shopping center, much like Union Station in DC, only larger. We arrived at midnight, so the stores were closed. However, there was a long line of people waiting to get into a restaurant at the airport. We saw an ATM and got cash, and then got a taxi to the hotel. The road was wide with large trees lining the street and hanging over the street. It was beautiful.
The hotel was very luxurious, and we was very pleased that we got a good rate and stayed there -- the Easter special. The shower in the bathroom was incredible -- like a flood of warm water. Each day the buffet breakfast that was included with the stay was extensive and delicious. Also each day, we had “tea” at 3:00 in the afternoon, which consisted of sandwiches, scones, dessert and coffee. All we could eat and drink. We ate only those two meals each day until the last day, when we had lunch at the food court on Orchard Road. In addition, the location of the hotel was really great, within walking distance of the riverfront café scene and Chinatown, and only a short taxi ride away from Little India and Orchard Road. I would return to the Fullerton, except that the view from the Mandarin Oriental was better.
On the first day, we rested and then went for a walk along the river. Later we went for a river boat ride along the Singapore River, with the skyscrapers of the downtown business district towering above the riverside restaurants that lined the south banks of the river.
Our second day, we took the hop on/hop off bus and saw the city. We got off the bus in the Muslim section and while Rae got a foot massage, I went for a walk and took photos of the mosque, where a Malay wedding was taking place. Unfortunately, the rain started, and I went back to the place to meet Rae, and I got a plastic bag for my camera. That was the day we did not take an umbrella; we did after that.
The third day, we took the hop on hop off bus again, and this time we got off in Little India and walked to the next bus stop. We bought a couple of items and took photos. Later, we got off again at Chinatown and walked through Chinatown. We stopped for lunch at a Thai place. We bought a couple of souvenirs.
The last day, we took a taxi to Orchard Road. We wanted to go to one or two of the shopping centers on Orchard Road, and we shopped a little and bought a blouse for Rae and a blue Addidas shirt for me. We walked along the underground walkway that was air conditioned, and went to a large "food court" with dozens of food outlets; we stopped at one place and picked out samples of many items, and it was wonderful. We went to Hard Rock to get a pin for Douglas, and then walked part of the way back, stopping to take some photos at a small Hindu temple.
Each day at the hotel, we had a wonderful breakfast buffet in the beautiful hotel restaurant along the river. It was a beautiful scene each morning. In the afternoon, we had high tea at 3:00, with lots of sandwiches and desserts. Rae had tea and I had cappuccino -- two of them! We did not need dinner. The last morning, we had our breakfast and then took a taxi to the ship.
The hotel was very luxurious, and we was very pleased that we got a good rate and stayed there -- the Easter special. The shower in the bathroom was incredible -- like a flood of warm water. Each day the buffet breakfast that was included with the stay was extensive and delicious. Also each day, we had “tea” at 3:00 in the afternoon, which consisted of sandwiches, scones, dessert and coffee. All we could eat and drink. We ate only those two meals each day until the last day, when we had lunch at the food court on Orchard Road. In addition, the location of the hotel was really great, within walking distance of the riverfront café scene and Chinatown, and only a short taxi ride away from Little India and Orchard Road. I would return to the Fullerton, except that the view from the Mandarin Oriental was better.
On the first day, we rested and then went for a walk along the river. Later we went for a river boat ride along the Singapore River, with the skyscrapers of the downtown business district towering above the riverside restaurants that lined the south banks of the river.
Our second day, we took the hop on/hop off bus and saw the city. We got off the bus in the Muslim section and while Rae got a foot massage, I went for a walk and took photos of the mosque, where a Malay wedding was taking place. Unfortunately, the rain started, and I went back to the place to meet Rae, and I got a plastic bag for my camera. That was the day we did not take an umbrella; we did after that.
The third day, we took the hop on hop off bus again, and this time we got off in Little India and walked to the next bus stop. We bought a couple of items and took photos. Later, we got off again at Chinatown and walked through Chinatown. We stopped for lunch at a Thai place. We bought a couple of souvenirs.
The last day, we took a taxi to Orchard Road. We wanted to go to one or two of the shopping centers on Orchard Road, and we shopped a little and bought a blouse for Rae and a blue Addidas shirt for me. We walked along the underground walkway that was air conditioned, and went to a large "food court" with dozens of food outlets; we stopped at one place and picked out samples of many items, and it was wonderful. We went to Hard Rock to get a pin for Douglas, and then walked part of the way back, stopping to take some photos at a small Hindu temple.
Each day at the hotel, we had a wonderful breakfast buffet in the beautiful hotel restaurant along the river. It was a beautiful scene each morning. In the afternoon, we had high tea at 3:00, with lots of sandwiches and desserts. Rae had tea and I had cappuccino -- two of them! We did not need dinner. The last morning, we had our breakfast and then took a taxi to the ship.
Flights from Washington to Singapore
After checking in at Dulles Airport, we boarded on time with no problems. The flight began smoothly, but after about three hours, we experienced turbulence. The captain tried to evade the turbulence by changing altitude first, and then air speed. He changed altitude from 39,000 feet down until finally flying at 26,000 feet, and he reduced air speed from about 600 miles per hour to about 400 mph. He never found a way to avoid the turbulence. When we finally arrived at Tokyo, we were unable to land because of high winds. At first, he was going to go to another airport, but then was permitted to land at Tokyo Narita International. The landing was very nerve wracking, but he made it. We all relieved to be safely on the ground.
The time in Tokyo was uneventful, and the flight on to Singapore was also uneventful. Finally, after the 14 hour flight to Tokyo and an additional 7 hour flight, we arrived in Singapore.
ANA is a very good airline. I would make several observations about the flights (both on ANA). First, the airline flight attendants were great. They constantly moved through the aisles looking for ways to be helpful, and about every half hour, they offered orange juice, apple juice, or green tea. They were very friendly, courteous, and helpful. They were also very thin and pretty and smiled constantly. Second, on any airline serving Americans, there is always a long line waiting to use the restrooms, and there is quite a lot of noise and movement by the passengers, particularly on long flights. However, on these flights (both long flights on ANA), almost all of the passengers were Asian, and the flights were extremely quiet. There was very little sound, and almost no movement by the passengers. In addition, almost none of the passengers used the restrooms. There was one restroom serving the economy section on the plane, and it was almost never in use. It seemed very odd. I really liked ANA, and I would fly it again. Oh yes, the food was distinctly Japanese, even for breakfast, with rice, noodles, fish, and soy sauce.
The time in Tokyo was uneventful, and the flight on to Singapore was also uneventful. Finally, after the 14 hour flight to Tokyo and an additional 7 hour flight, we arrived in Singapore.
ANA is a very good airline. I would make several observations about the flights (both on ANA). First, the airline flight attendants were great. They constantly moved through the aisles looking for ways to be helpful, and about every half hour, they offered orange juice, apple juice, or green tea. They were very friendly, courteous, and helpful. They were also very thin and pretty and smiled constantly. Second, on any airline serving Americans, there is always a long line waiting to use the restrooms, and there is quite a lot of noise and movement by the passengers, particularly on long flights. However, on these flights (both long flights on ANA), almost all of the passengers were Asian, and the flights were extremely quiet. There was very little sound, and almost no movement by the passengers. In addition, almost none of the passengers used the restrooms. There was one restroom serving the economy section on the plane, and it was almost never in use. It seemed very odd. I really liked ANA, and I would fly it again. Oh yes, the food was distinctly Japanese, even for breakfast, with rice, noodles, fish, and soy sauce.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Friday, January 08, 2010
Singapore to Dover, 63 Days
Princess Cruise Line
Ocean Princess
April 5, 2010 - June 7, 2010
Precruise hotel in Singapore -- The Fullerton, constructed in 1928 as the General Post Office and restored in 2001 as a luxury hotel. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Thursday, January 07, 2010
Travel Ideas for the Future
Travel Ideas for the Future
Some initial thoughts on future travel destinations.
Like Tina Fey’s remark on 30 Rock, “I want to go to there.”
(Actually, the line seems to have come from Fey’s daughter, Alice.)
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
See as many of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as possible.
Africa
Tanzania/Kenya safari
Victoria Falls
Morocco again
Middle East
Egypt -- Nile River cruise
Petra
Turkey -- Istanbul again, and also other places
Syria
Dubai, UAE
Asia
Yangtze River Cruise
Guilin River Cruise
Xian – Terra Cotta Soldiers
Shanghai again (Circle trip -- Hong Kong, Guilin, Xian, Yangtze, Shanghai)
Beijing again
Return to several places in Asia -- Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore
India
Other places on a cruise
Australia, New Zealand and South Seas
Great Barrier Reef (not on a cruise, but stay several days)
Numerous places in Australia -- see World Heritage Sites
New Zealand on a cruise
Cruise the South Seas – Easter Island, Cook Islands, Tahiti, etc.
South America
Cruise around it, stopping in several places
Iguazu Falls (Between Argentina and Brazil)
Machu Picchu
Amazon River
Galapagos Islands
Central America
Return to several places, particularly Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica
Europe
Paris -- a month
Rome -- a month; also Northern and Central Italy
Car trip in Austria and Germany (Fly to Munich, then drive in a circle to Innsbruck, Salzburg, Vienna, Bratislava, Prague, Dresden, Nuremberg, and then back to Munich. Also Berchtesgaden and Rothenburg, Germany. Take a month or more; see map.)
Another river cruise
Norway cruise
Copenhagen and Danish countryside. If driving add in a small part of Sweden.
Southern France, leisurely car trip
Spain/Portugal
Tour of the Balkan countries (Serbia, Romania, Montenegro. Slovenia, etc.)
Poland, Warsaw, unique countryside
Britain
London -- a month
Northern England, York and the Lake District
Scotland, Edinburgh and the countryside
England -- gardens, villages, churches, country houses
US and Canada
New York -- stay a week or more
Back to Hawaii
Some of the National Parks out West
Maine and the Canadian Atlantic Provinces, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island
Vancouver, Victoria Island
Banff, Lake Louise
Cruise up Alaskan coast, Aleutian Islands, Russia, Japan, China
Louisiana Mississippi ante-bellum houses
New England and Canada in the Fall again
Some initial thoughts on future travel destinations.
Like Tina Fey’s remark on 30 Rock, “I want to go to there.”
(Actually, the line seems to have come from Fey’s daughter, Alice.)
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
See as many of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as possible.
Africa
Tanzania/Kenya safari
Victoria Falls
Morocco again
Middle East
Egypt -- Nile River cruise
Petra
Turkey -- Istanbul again, and also other places
Syria
Dubai, UAE
Asia
Yangtze River Cruise
Guilin River Cruise
Xian – Terra Cotta Soldiers
Shanghai again (Circle trip -- Hong Kong, Guilin, Xian, Yangtze, Shanghai)
Beijing again
Return to several places in Asia -- Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore
India
Other places on a cruise
Australia, New Zealand and South Seas
Great Barrier Reef (not on a cruise, but stay several days)
Numerous places in Australia -- see World Heritage Sites
New Zealand on a cruise
Cruise the South Seas – Easter Island, Cook Islands, Tahiti, etc.
South America
Cruise around it, stopping in several places
Iguazu Falls (Between Argentina and Brazil)
Machu Picchu
Amazon River
Galapagos Islands
Central America
Return to several places, particularly Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica
Europe
Paris -- a month
Rome -- a month; also Northern and Central Italy
Car trip in Austria and Germany (Fly to Munich, then drive in a circle to Innsbruck, Salzburg, Vienna, Bratislava, Prague, Dresden, Nuremberg, and then back to Munich. Also Berchtesgaden and Rothenburg, Germany. Take a month or more; see map.)
Another river cruise
Norway cruise
Copenhagen and Danish countryside. If driving add in a small part of Sweden.
Southern France, leisurely car trip
Spain/Portugal
Tour of the Balkan countries (Serbia, Romania, Montenegro. Slovenia, etc.)
Poland, Warsaw, unique countryside
Britain
London -- a month
Northern England, York and the Lake District
Scotland, Edinburgh and the countryside
England -- gardens, villages, churches, country houses
US and Canada
New York -- stay a week or more
Back to Hawaii
Some of the National Parks out West
Maine and the Canadian Atlantic Provinces, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island
Vancouver, Victoria Island
Banff, Lake Louise
Cruise up Alaskan coast, Aleutian Islands, Russia, Japan, China
Louisiana Mississippi ante-bellum houses
New England and Canada in the Fall again
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Saturday, September 01, 2007
Bermuda Cruise
Bermuda Cruise
Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines
September 2, 2007
Bermuda
While best known for its shorts and golf courses, Bermuda has much more to offer. And on a cruise vacation, you have the opportunity to see it all. Explore the underwater world or stroll along the historic streets of St. George. Relax on a pink-sand beach or swim in the sparkling turquoise waters. From sailing to shopping to sunbathing, the only thing you'll want in Bermuda is more time.
Itinerary
Day ***** Port **** Depart/Arrive
02-Sep Baltimore, Maryland 5:00 PM
03-Sep Cruising
04-Sep Kings Wharf, Bermuda 10:00 AM Docked
05-Sep Kings Wharf, Bermuda 4:00 PM Docked
06-Sep Cruising
07-Sep Baltimore, Maryland 7:45 AM
*** All itineraries are subject to change without notice. Please confirm your itinerary on the Review page before purchasing your cruise.
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