Well it's been a while since I updated this for everyone. After this one, Updates will probably follow our last port Taipei, Taiwan (early April) due to very short sea days between Vietnam, China, and Taiwan.
Since South Africa we spent a few days sailing to a small island called Mauritius .... very beautiful and tropical. We only spent the day there and sadly, most of the town was closed because it was a Sunday. The students treated it like it was an 8-hour Spring Break, however, and we had a very eventful re-embarkment as many returned from the beaches and booze-cruises quite intoxicated. But we sailed on time and the ensuing rough seas probably made the drunk students pay a higher price that night.
Next we had the unscehduled opportunity to make a visit to the US Marine Base island of Diego Garcia to discharge some sick members for medical treatment that could not wait. The ship was very excited to see all the miltary boats as we were, at the time, passing through the edge of the Somali pirate zone. These Marines were all business as they cleared the ship to ensure we were not a threat, however, and did not allow photographs.
Since South Africa we spent a few days sailing to a small island called Mauritius .... very beautiful and tropical. We only spent the day there and sadly, most of the town was closed because it was a Sunday. The students treated it like it was an 8-hour Spring Break, however, and we had a very eventful re-embarkment as many returned from the beaches and booze-cruises quite intoxicated. But we sailed on time and the ensuing rough seas probably made the drunk students pay a higher price that night.
Next we had the unscehduled opportunity to make a visit to the US Marine Base island of Diego Garcia to discharge some sick members for medical treatment that could not wait. The ship was very excited to see all the miltary boats as we were, at the time, passing through the edge of the Somali pirate zone. These Marines were all business as they cleared the ship to ensure we were not a threat, however, and did not allow photographs.
We had a wonderful "flash mob" rendition of the Bollywood song "Tally Ho" by our life long learners at our preport meeting. Liz was spotted dancing for the students. I also had to bid farewell to the Chief Security Officer Sequeria Savio in India as he was headed for home in Mumbai for a few months. It was great working with Savio fr the past teo months, he would make an awesome campus police officer.
Finally, after another week at sea, we landed in the port of Chennai, India. Our adventiures in this vast, wonderful country included a tour of the Fort in Chennai, a visit to the Church and Tomb of Saint Thomas followed by our much anticipated trip to Delhi, Agra and the Taj Mahal! The biggest treat in Chennai was navigating the city, not in a taxi, but in a three-wheeled motorbike taxi called an auto-rickshaw which was like full contact bumper cars. Traffic in all of India was incredible, and riding in one of these was definitely an E-ticket ride worthy of the hundred rupees ($2.25) it cost. Traffic lanes and directional signs are just suggestions here and busses, taxis, cars, bicycles, cows, camels, burro-drawn rickshaws and motorcycles all compete for their own small piece of the streets. WILD.
Finally, after another week at sea, we landed in the port of Chennai, India. Our adventiures in this vast, wonderful country included a tour of the Fort in Chennai, a visit to the Church and Tomb of Saint Thomas followed by our much anticipated trip to Delhi, Agra and the Taj Mahal! The biggest treat in Chennai was navigating the city, not in a taxi, but in a three-wheeled motorbike taxi called an auto-rickshaw which was like full contact bumper cars. Traffic in all of India was incredible, and riding in one of these was definitely an E-ticket ride worthy of the hundred rupees ($2.25) it cost. Traffic lanes and directional signs are just suggestions here and busses, taxis, cars, bicycles, cows, camels, burro-drawn rickshaws and motorcycles all compete for their own small piece of the streets. WILD.
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| Tally Ho |
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| Savio and I |
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| Auto Rickshaw |
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| Street Cricket |
Our visit to northern India began with a flight aboard a Jet Airways flight to New Delhi. Only 2 1/2 hours in length but complete with in flight TV and a hot meal (lamb curry). We were impressed. The airlines back home could take a lesson. And the brand new airport in Delhi (completed in 2010) was beautiful. We checked into our five star hotel late that evening after a tasty dinner.
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| Nice accomodations - Aslan Hotel Delhi |
Next morning was an early morning ride on the Taj Express train from Delhi to Agra. What an adventure. Just getting to the trains through the beggars was a feat. Three hours and twenty minutes later we finally stopped in Agra. Then all the traffic to reach the hotel seemed twice as bad as seen in Chennai, and we thought that was a 9 on a 10 scale. Great fun seeing a huge bus navigate the two-lane road resplendant with cowa, camels, bikes, scooters, motorcycles, cars, rickshaws and pedestrians.
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| Our group aboard the Taj Express |
After lunch, we headed for the Agra Fort which contained halls and palaces of the Mughals. The Mughal emporer who had the Taj Mahal built, Shah Jahan, was sentenced to live the end of his life in this Fort within sight of his beloved Taj but never able to visit the mausoleum he built for his bride.
Next it was on to a sundown visit to the Taj Mahal itself, a sight that speaks for itself.
Next morning after another early wake-up call, it was off to see the deserted sandstone city of Fatehpur Sikru. This remarkable well-preserved city was ordered built in the 1500's and deserted shortly after it was completed. It's was the third World Heritage Site we visited in the two days in Agra.
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| Green Parrot |
The afternoon was spent at the Mother Teresa Ashram playing with the orphanage children. Great fun for the entire group. That evening we returned to Delhi on the Taj Express.
Next morning we spent visiting two Temples, the government buldings and the Indian Gate war memorial. An evening flight back to Chennai concluded our three-night trip to Delhi and Agra. Liz and I were leaders for this trip and felt we returned with 18 new family members as we were the only "older folks" on this trip and all the students really made the trip a blast.
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| Parliament Buidling |
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| At the Sickh Temple |
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| Power Management Indian Style |
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| Baha'i Temple |
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| Indian Gate War Memorial |
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| Capital Building |
After we sailed from Chennai, the next morning was the much awaited Neptune Day. This fun maritime tradition has seafaring "poolywogs" become "scalebacks" by undergoing an early morning dip in some gross concoction of fish guts, etc poolside followed by kissing a fish and the rings of King Neptune and his Queen. Yours truly was the royal fish handler and also went through the ritual with Liz.
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| Achieved Shellback Status |
