Holy Cow, India!

Just after reaching the halfway point of our voyage around the world, we arrived in India. For me, it was definitely the best port we’ve visited…I only wish we could have stayed a few days longer! India is so unique, it might as well be its own planet! With over one billion people, the extremely diverse nation maintains a very rich culture despite the major economic changes occurring there. There really are no words or pictures that do India justice – it is something you absolutely must see, hear, smell (yes, smell!), taste and touch for yourself. For those of you who have traveled to India, you’ll understand…for everyone else, bear with me, as this was a difficult blog post to pull together! Warning, it’s a long one…

What we did

Upon arrival in Chennai, the ship underwent many preparations: cardboard boxes and plastic were put down to protect the carpets from the dirt on our shoes, the pool deck was closed off to protect our lungs from the pollution, and herds of Indian immigration workers filed onto the ship for the duration of our stay. Immigration and visa regulations are very tight in India, probably the strictest of any country we have visited so far. As soon as we could get off the ship, my friends and I were bombarded by auto rickshaw drivers (if you don’t know what an auto rickshaw is, Google it), and squeezed four of us in the back of one to head out and do some exploring! I only had about two hours before I had to be back on the ship to meet my group for our flight…and in those two hours, I managed to get COVERED in dirt and grime! Welcome to India :)

Over the summer, before I knew anyone else on the trip, I found some people on Facebook who were organizing a trip to the Taj Mahal and Varanasi, so I jumped on! Turns out, several of the people that also signed up over the summer became close friends of mine throughout our voyage…we had an absolute blast traveling through India together! Thirty of us flew from Chennai to Delhi, arriving just after sun down. Although we didn’t have much time to explore Delhi, we were able to see the Presidential Palace and the India Gate, a memorial dedicated to the 90,000 Indian soldiers who fought and died for the British in World War I. We had a delicious Indian dinner and stayed the night in Delhi.

We awoke very early to catch a train from Delhi to Agra the next morning. Riding the train was interesting because we were able to see a lot of the countryside from the windows. Although I was tempted to sleep since it was so early in the morning, I forced myself to stay awake and take in all of my surroundings – and boy was there a lot to see! Our first stop in Agra was Fatehpur Sikri, a palace built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar when it was prophesized that he would soon have a son. After lunch, we visited the Red Fort, built by Emperor Shahjahan between 1638 and 1648. From the fort, we had our first view of the Taj Mahal, as well as entertainment from the monkeys running around as if they owned the place! The highlight of our day was visiting the Taj later that afternoon and staying for sunset. Walking through the archway and seeing the magnificent Taj peek through was a breathtaking moment. The Taj itself is incredibly majestic; its magnitude and beauty are indescribable. We waited on line for about 30 minutes to be able to enter the building itself – there were several Indians there who were experiencing their first visit to the Taj, too. I learned two related lessons that day: 1) Indians do not understand the concept of lines or waiting one’s turn, and 2) THEY PUSH. The inside of the Taj Mahal was very dark, as we were quickly approaching sunset by the time we fought our way inside. The Taj serves as a tomb for Shahjahan’s wife, whose two requests upon death were 1) that he would never remarry and 2) that he would build her a beautiful resting place. He certainly succeeded, as the Taj is one of the most stunning buildings in the entire world! Other than her tomb, the inside of the Taj was not nearly as spectacular as its outer façade.

After dinner and a bit of shopping in Agra, we went back to the train station to board the overnight sleeper train to Varanasi. Again, there really are no words to describe this experience – each compartment of our car had 8 beds (each wall have three tiers of beds, and across there were two beds). Although there were 30 of us riding this train, our “seats” were not all in the same place. So we had two Indians sleeping in our compartment with us, too. After we got over the initial shock of the train itself, we had a fine time. When we awoke in the morning, we were served the best tea I have ever tasted! And we saw a lot of interesting things while on board, such as people running holding onto the train and others climbing up to the roof, just like in Slumdog Millionaire. Although not luxury accommodations, it was a very interesting experience to travel as the locals do themselves!

By the time our delayed train finally arrived in Varanasi, it was about lunchtime. After lunch, we drove out to Sarnath, just outside of Varanasi. We visited the museum there, which was full of statues of Buddha and also the original 4-headed lion statue that serves as the emblem of India and can be found on all of their money. All of the artifacts found in the British-built museum were excavated at a nearby site, which we were able to walk through after our museum visit. Sarnath is remembered as the place where Buddha gave his first speech after becoming enlightened. We visited the tree that is said to be a descendant of the tree under which Buddha’s first speech was given, just behind the Mulgandha Kuti Vihar temple. Although Buddhism was born in India, it is not widely practiced there anymore – the overwhelming majority of Indians are Hindu (80%), and there is also a large Muslim population, too.

After our tour of Sarnath, we drove back into the heart of Varanasi, where we rode in pairs on the old-fashioned rickshaws (think of a horse-drawn carriage minus the horse plus a man pedaling a bike) about 30 minutes to the Ganges River. The Ganges River is one of the holiest places in the world for Hindus, and is the place where they cremate many dead bodies. We arrived at the Ganges during sunset, and stayed to watch the spiritual ceremony called Aarti. Seven priests conduct this ritual every evening after the sun goes down.

We paid one more visit to the Ganges River the following morning for a sunrise boat ride up and down the river. Varanasi (also called Benares) is said to be one of the oldest living cities in the world. As Mark Twain once wrote: "Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together.” Varanasi is also known as “the city of learning and burning;” learning for the many institutions of higher education found there, and burning since it is the only city in India where cremations are allowed to occur at night as well as during the daytime. We saw thousands of people bathing in the holy water that morning, and the entire scene was so spiritual and different from anything I had ever seen. Varanasi was really a highlight of the trip for me, as it seemed so pure and traditional compared to some of the bigger cities in India.

We were treated to a traditional Indian dance demonstration that afternoon. Although rather informal, our introduction to Kathak was very entertaining. The only style of Indian dance I had ever seen was Bollywood on So You Think You Can Dance, so I thoroughly enjoyed this short performance. We had a bit of free time before lunch, so two friends and I went in search of a post office to buy stamps. We walked by the small post office building at least three times before realizing that just because it was a shack did not mean it wasn’t the post office. The three of us wiped them clean of stamps for the day! After lunch, we went to the Varanasi airport to catch our flight back to Chennai via Delhi. The Varanasi airport was a one-room operation that reminded me more of a Greyhound or local subway station! In comparison, the Delhi international airport could have been found in any major Western city (which was lucky for us as our flight was delayed on top of the layover that we already had there).

On our final day in India, I attended a Semester at Sea field practicum that brought us into one of the slums in Chennai. Unlike the overt poverty that can be seen all through the streets of India, those living in the slums definitely had a bit of a better life. A man who works for the Montfort Community Development Program guided our tour of the slum. They sponsor several initiatives such as empowerment of women through microfinancing, educational opportunities for ex-child laborers, exam preparation for students who dropped out or failed out of secondary education, integrated community programs for people with mental disabilities, and programs for senior citizens. We visited many of these initiatives during our tour. The most touching moment of the day was visiting the community center for mentally challenged kids – we heard one girl’s story (she could not speak, but her teacher relayed the story to us) about her trip to Ireland to participate in the Special Olympics there, and how she won a medal for playing basketball. Although she could not tell us the story in her own words, the smile on her face and the excitement running through her body were extremely visible to us all.

What we ate

Having been introduced to Indian food back home a few years ago, India was a paradise for me! While others complained of the spices and smells, I was very happy eating whatever they put in front of me. I didn’t even have to order, they just brought all of our meals out to us, and everything was scrumptious! The street food smelled unbelievably delicious, but we were warned to stay away from that. There were notably fewer American fast food restaurants even in the cities of India as compared with other countries that we have visited so far. Plus, McDonalds cannot serve hamburgers in India, as the cows are holy animals and it is prohibited to slaughter them (and yes, they do roam freely in the streets, and cars do stop for them to cross).

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India is truly the craziest place I have ever been. Although I absolutely loved my visit, there were many things that made India an uncomfortable place to be. The heat and pollution were at times very oppressive; like many other conservative cultures, it was respectful for women to remain covered – making the 90+ degree weather even hotter! The extreme poverty was very saddening, and the worst part was that there was NOTHING we could do about it. Many of child beggars work for gangs, further validating the portrayal of India in Slumdog Millionaire, so giving them food or money would have only perpetuated the system of begging. Another chilling element in India was the ubiquitous prevalence of swastikas, originally a Hindu symbol dating back thousands of years. The 20th century gave this ancient symbol a very different meaning, so seeing it everywhere took a bit of getting used to.

India has a very densely distributed population of 1.2 billion people, the second largest in the world. As it grows and continues to develop economically, I hope that its immense diversity and rich culture don’t fade. To sum up: Indian food = GOOD, Indian smells = BAD, India overall = uncomfortable yet unbelievably amazing! More from Vietnam…

Spring Break 2009 – Mauritius

Technically since Mauritius is in the southern hemisphere, mid-October is spring break time! To break up our stretch at sea from South Africa to India, we stopped for a very relaxing three days in Mauritius. Mauritius, an island off the coast of Madagascar, is one of the economic successes of Africa. It attracts many tourists with its beautiful beaches and well-preserved coral reefs. Additionally, its textiles, coffee and sugar cane are widely exported. Most of the tourists we saw were from India and Dubai, although the French influence on the island definitely attracts many Europeans, too. Despite the relative economic success of the island as compared with other failing African states, it appeared that much of the population has yet to reap the benefits of growth. For instance, some friends and I rented a large house just off the beach for only 8 euro per night, and our landlord Harold kept the money that we paid him in a drawer in the kitchen. We were all very glad that none of our belongings were stolen from the house – we only had one set of keys for all ten of us that stayed there, so we ended up doing a lot of climbing through windows! If us amateurs could easily “break in,” we were worried that anyone else would also be able to do so.

After all of the traveling we did in South Africa, it was nice to just lie on a gorgeous beach for a few days. The weather was absolutely beautiful! For three days, I alternated working on my tan, eating delicious food and swimming in the Indian Ocean…a wonderful vacation! We spent our time in Mauritius on the northern part of the island in Grand Baie, about a half hour taxi ride from Port Louis, where the ship docked. I took my first water taxi to get from the ship across to the main waterfront area, which was quite an experience. They packed over thirty of us with all of our bags onto a tiny motorboat, and the driver chain-smoked cigarettes while simultaneously collecting our money AND driving the boat. When in Mauritius…

While relaxing on the beach, we tasted fresh pineapple, mango and coconut…all delicious! On our first night, we went to an outdoor beach venue where there was a live band playing reggae and Mauritian music. We had fun tubing on our last day at the beach, but the water was so calm that it was a rather mellow ride. In addition to wonderful tropical fruits, Mauritian food consisted of a melting pot of several others, including mainly French, Chinese, and Indian.

Mauritius is definitely not a popular destination for visitors from the United States since it is so far away and hard to get to as compared to the islands of the Caribbean. Although not nearly as culturally enriching as some of our previous or future ports, it was a great stop, albeit short. It was sad to disembark from our last African port, but I can honestly say that I am even more excited for what’s to come in Asia! In just a few days, we’ll be crossing the equator back into the northern hemisphere and reaching India!

Would Timon and Pumba be friends in real life? (SOUTH AFRICA)

Believe it or not, one of my friends actually asked our safari guide this question – I hope you all know the answer. South Africa was absolutely amazing…this trip just keeps getting better and better as we go along. We had six full days in the beautiful port of Cape Town, and just about every minute of every day (and every night) was accounted for. The only thing missing – sleep! But who would rather sleep than do all of this?!

What we did

I awoke very early on Saturday morning to watch the sunrise as we approached the shore of Cape Town. Table Mountain prominently stood out from a distance, and serves as a breathtaking background to the entire city. We were lucky to arrive on a clear morning, when Table Mountain was not shrouded by a “tablecloth” of clouds, as it was on other mornings during our stay. The waterfront area at which we were docked is highly developed…many restaurants, gift shops and live bands could be found just a few steps from the ship. It was a nice change of pace from having to rely on shuttle buses to get out of the industrial ports of Casablanca and Tema!

On our first day in Cape Town, I visited two wine estates as part of a business class that I am taking on the ship. There are several vineyards just about an hour outside of the city, as the climate in South Africa lends itself well to wine production, especially red wines. We toured the vineyards, learned about the different production processes, and heard about the various marketing techniques and sustainability initiatives that are occurring in the wine industry today. The landscapes were absolutely stunning, and we luckily arrived in Cape Town on the first nice day they had seen in months (since South Africa is in the southern hemisphere, it is early spring there). Part of our tours included a wine tasting, where we got to taste Pinotage, a type of red wine produced only in South Africa.

The next morning, a friend and I visited Green Point Market, a craft fair open every Sunday in Cape Town. They had some really interesting paintings, wood carvings, beadwork, etc. I loved the unique products sold here, especially compared to the mass produced souvenirs sold in the waterfront gift shops. Later that day, we met a friend of mine, Landon, from Penn who is studying abroad in Cape Town this semester. He climbed Table Mountain with us, which took a little over 2 hours. We felt VERY accomplished when we finally reached the top, as it was a pretty rigorous hike! Unfortunately the view from the top was not great due to cloud cover, but we were able to see our ship from the revolving cable car that we took down the mountain! We also paid a visit to the local grocery store to stock up on snacks! I always like visiting grocery stores in other countries to see what different types of products they sell. I spent some time in the candy aisle – I just HAD to taste the South African specialties!

The following day, we visited Robben Island, the spot where political prisoners were sent during the Apartheid. To reach the island, you have to take a 30-minute ferry from the waterfront in Cape Town. On our way to the island, we caught a nice glimpse of the stadium that is currently undergoing renovations for the World Cup next summer. Upon arriving on Robben Island, we boarded buses for a tour of the island. We saw the quarries in which prisoners spent their days working, homes and schools used by the wardens and their families, and quite a bit of wildlife including an ostrich, penguins and many birds. Then, we reached the maximum-security prison, where our guide, Parks, greeted us. He, like all of the other guides on the island, was a former prisoner – he served seven and a half years on Robben Island for charges of political terrorism. He told us about the horrible conditions that the prisoners were forced to endure, and he explained that the wardens kept a very close eye and ear on their conversations and actions to prevent any uprisings. We saw Nelson Mandela’s prison cell, where he spent 18 out of his 27 years of imprisonment. Also, in the courtyard, we saw where Mandela hid his book, Long Walk to Freedom, while he was writing it. What fascinated me most about the tour was how our guide explained that several ex-prisoners live on the island to this day, and give tours as he does. I cannot imagine choosing to live on the same island, with the same view of Cape Town just across the harbor, as I was forced to in captivity for any length of time. Parks even told us that he is now friendly with several of the wardens by whom he used to be beaten and chastised. It was really neat to leave the island by boat, just as the prisoners did when they were released in 1991.

Five of my friends and I spent the next two days on a safari! We flew up to Port Elizabeth, on the Eastern Cape, about an hour flight. Unlike my hour flight between Philadelphia and Boston, we received a full meal and complimentary coffee on South African Express Airways! From the airport, it was about another hour’s drive to NDuNA Lodge, where we spent the night. The staff was incredibly friendly and accommodating; they picked us up at the airport and from that moment until we went through security to fly back to Cape Town, they were absolutely attentive to us. The lodge and property itself were spectacular – NDuNA has only been open since the beginning of 2009, and we were one of very few groups of people from the US to visit. We spent the entire afternoon riding quad bikes along the trails and spotting animals! NDuNA so far only has herbivores, which is why guests are allowed to ride around on their own. We spotted giraffe, ostrich, springbuck, zebra, and all sorts of others! That evening, we were surprised by a group of six local South African teens, who put on a traditional dance show for us before dinner. We were the only guests at the lodge that night, so we really had the place to ourselves! We all slept very comfortably that night, for the first time since arriving in Cape Town. When I woke up the next morning, I sat on the porch outside of room and admired the most gorgeous view…I can see why they have hosted several weddings there!

They took us to another game reserve nearby the next day so that we could see the bigger animals that NDuNA has not yet brought in (although they plan to do so in the future as they expand). We went for a four-hour game drive, and spotted so many animals! Our guide got us so close to the animals – I couldn’t believe it! We saw tons of warthogs, springbuck and impala. We saw giraffe, zebra, elephants, too! The coolest part of the day was how close we got to the lions…we could see the remains of their last meal, so our guide said it was safe to be in close proximity to them. They had a very rare white lion there too, which was absolutely beautiful! After this experience, going to a zoo will never ever be the same again. I had to remind myself several times that I wasn’t watching the Discovery Channel, but rather actually seeing these beautiful animals up close! We flew back to Cape Town late that night in time to enjoy our last night in South Africa!

What we ate

The better question here should really be what DIDN’T we eat. I’ve had some of the best meals I’ve ever eaten here in South Africa. Both the waterfront and downtown areas have some delicious restaurants, and then of course there were the incredibly decadent meals we were so graciously served on our safari. For exotic foods, I tried an ostrich fillet, warthog, kudu, springbuck, octopus, a kudu burger…and of course enjoyed the fresh meat and seafood that can be found nearly everywhere here.

At NDuNA, we had an unforgettable dinner (breakfast and lunch were not too shabby, either!). The chef there prepared our meal and heated it up in the fireplace right in front of us. The hospitality at NDuNA was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before! Similarly, we paused during our game drive on the second day for lunch – which we expected to be a pre-made sandwich or something – and to our surprise, we were fed a three course lunch! I could get used to that…

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South Africa, as a legacy of Apartheid, is an extremely divided and unequal society. As a tourist you likely would not notice this, because on the outside, the infrastructure and the cities seem to be very built up. However, if you venture just beyond the beautiful veneer of the waterfront area or of downtown Cape Town, you will easily find that the majority of the nation is living in extreme poverty. People in South Africa are hopeful that as time goes on, the two separate and unequal economies will continue to mesh and become one strong economic power. Although Apartheid legally ended more than a decade ago, there remain many obstacles for South Africa to overcome. These stark contrasts made South Africa a very interesting place to visit. So far, it was my favorite port – but there are so many more to come! More from Mauritius…

Greetings from Cape Town!

Hi everyone! Just wanted to let you know that I've added new pictures to the album posted earlier...and that my update from South Africa will be coming soon!