Taipai and Keelung, Taiwan

I didn't include Taiwan with the Chinese cities because officially its status is debateable.  After the fall of the Chinese empire, two forces dominated China, the Nationalist Party or Kuomintang (KMT), and the Communist party.  In 1948-49 the Communists gained control over the KMT and Chiang Kai-shek fled to Taiwan, establishing a Nationalist government, taking with him many imperial treasures.  On Oct. 1, 1949, Chairman Mao Zedong pronounced the founding of the People's Republic of China in Beijing.  The National Museum in Taipai contains those imperial treasures, much to the chagrin of China, who has continually demanded them back.


Taiwan has always been the refuge of Chinese from the southern provinces when political differences forced them to flee.  Taiwan has a large Japanese population and, in fact, the city of Keelung, where we docked,  architecturally looks more Japanese than Chinese.  The U.S. entered into an Agreement to protect Taiwan from the mainland if it should be attacked and has provided equipment, including rockets aimed at the mainland!  However, Taiwan's largest trading partner is China and all the rhetoric  of the Cold War has cooled way down. 


Taiwan considers itself a democracy, and in fact, the Chinese cities of Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai kind of do too!  Economically, they are all entrepreneurial but the government in China has made it all too clear that there will be no political changes in China in the foreseeable future.  And the government either owns or is a partner in almost every business.

The first day in Keelung, we went on a bus tour of Taipai, the capital, some 45 minutes from Keelung.  It has its skyscrapers and until 2004 had the tallest building in the world, Taipai 101.  Now Dubai has the tallest building.  We took the elevator from the 5th floor to the 89th floor in 40 seconds and didn't feel a thing, except for our ears popping.  The 360 degree views were great, even though it was cloudy.  But what a fabulous shopping center on the first 5 floors.  Rick and I got lost and were late getting back to meet the guide.  Somehow we had inadvertently crossed over into the office buildings and were politely escorted out.  I don't know who buys all the merchandise from Diors, Tiffanys, Hermes, etc. but they are everywhere.

We visited the Memorial for War Heroes and Chiang Kai-shek memorial and saw the changing of the guards at both places.  Incredible how those soldiers can stand on the pedestals for 1 hour without moving or blinking.  They must be hypnotized.  I had my first taste of getting shoved and elbowed by a Chinese crowd wanting to see the action.  The same man twice, shoved me out of the way, and then on his way back, pushed me out of the way.  Our guide says they are tourists from China.  When he came back again, however, I had my elbow out, which he encountered.  Probably wasn't a smart thing to do.

The next 2 days we were in Keelung.  What a disappointment not to go to Japan.  Taiwan didn't make up for it.  Rick walked through the night markets, a couple of temples but the town itself is depressing.  Looks like nothing had been done to the buildings since the 1950s.  On my birthday, April 1, Rick ordered an ice cream cake for some of our friends and by the time we got to the room to cut it, there were 30 people there.  We had a great time. Good thing we had a big cake.  The next night we had dinner in "fine dining", a 6-course meal provided by the ship's kitchen for special occasions. 


So although China's population is growing, (in spite of the 1 child law) and there has been obvious rapid economic development  - luxury hotels, public transport and excellent restaurants, this has been tempered by the destruction of traditional housing, the construction of highways, soon choked with traffic. As population growth drives a consumer boom, China's energy needs are fast outstripping its capacity.  Tens of millions of Chinese are flocking to the cities, living in poor conditions and running small businesses from shoe-shining to knife-sharpening.  Dissatisfaction is widespread and increasing, particularly with regards to corruption, pollution, environmental degradation and the expensive, rising costs of living.

China: Hong Kong, Beijing, and Shanghai

Some friends and relatives have inquired as to why we have not written on our blog since Vietnam.  We  sailed  from Saigon (officially Ho Chi Minh City) on March 24 heading for Hong Kong.  We had extremely rough seas and most of us spent time in bed with seasick pills.  However, when we sailed into Hong Kong on Sat.,Mar. 26, it was fantastic.  The Captain advised everyone to be up and watch our entrance into the bay and it was spectacular.

Truthfully, I don't know how to write about China now, after having been in Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai.  My  impressions and ideas about "China" have changed considerably after only a week. With a population of 1.3 billion, it's 3x the US population and only slightly larger mass.  95% of the population live in the eastern portion of the continent.   On Sunday, March 27, we flew to Beijing where we spent 4 days and 3 nights, and then flew to Shanghai to meet the ship and spend 2 days in Shanghai.  So in  one week's time, we visited 3 metropolises in China, all completely different, but yet not.  So we're going to tackle one city at a time starting with Hong Kong.

HONG KONG

Hong Kong is actually comprised of many islands, plus Kowloon and the New Territories on mainland China.  In an area of 421 sq. miles, live a population of 7.1 million.  Hong Kong is the largest island.  Because of the small area, all of the building is upward.  From the moment we entered the harbor, the sight of thousands of high rise buildings was overwhelming.

In December 1984 the British agreed to hand over the entire colony when the lease of the New Territories ran out in 1997, rather than hang on to a truncated colony consisting of Kowloon and Hong Kong island. 

The agreement theoretically allows Hong Kong to retain its pre-1997 social, economic and legal systems for at least 50 years after 1997.  So Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on July 1, 1997.  China promised that its socialist economic system would not be imposed upon HK and that HK would enjoy a high degre of autonomy in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the next 50 years.  Hence, China's policy of "one country, two systems" and the common view is that as long as HK continues to make money (and little noise) its autonomy is assured.  The European Commission has described HK as one of the freest societies in Asia despite not having full democracy.

Since it has been 50 years since I lived In Hong Kong and the New Territories, I was most amazed at the number of shopping centers.  We were docked right next to the Star Ferry, which are the ferries that take one from Kowloon to HK Island.  In order to get out to street level, it was necessary to go through this huge shopping center, with all the popular American brands plus some high-end retail shops.  Like Saigon, the shopping centers go up rather than out.

Rick and I went shopping, took a cab (no time to learn bus system or subway) to a jade market and then started down Nathan Road, the busiest road in Kowloon, looking for a Chinese Department Store, which is unheard of in a city of a million shops.  It was supposed to be at the corner of Nathan and Jordan, the busiest intersection.  We looked everywhere, only to discover that we were standing under the sign.  There are so many signs that it's almost impossible to find what you're looking for, especially since they are all in Chinese. Then we found a modern Chinese fast-food restaurant (hundreds of MacDonalds and Kentucky Frieds here) which specialized in bread!  French toast, fried bread, etc.  Wanted dim sum but no time for that.

That evening to celebrate Marie's birthday, we took her out to dinner.  Bob pleaded for an American style meal!  Here we are in the middle of the best food in the world and we ate at Dan Ryan Chicago Grill!   Actually it was very good - ribs, steak, baked potatoes.  After 3 months of curry, Chinese and assorted mixtures of food, we appreciated it.  To bed early as we're off to Beijing in the morning.

BEIJING

The next morning Sunday, March 27, at 11:35 am we flew to Beijing from the new Hong Kong airport.  The flight was great and we had a good, hot Chinese lunch during the 3 hour flight.  Again the attendants were polite, attentive but very demure.  (Do we still use that word?)  The new airport in Beijing, built for the Olympics, is beautiful and huge.  We walked a long way, however, to get through security and immigration, even though we had come from HK.

Beijing, the capital of China, lies just south of the rim of the Central Asian Steppes and is separated from the Gobi Desert by a green chain of mountains, over which The Great Wall runs. The Peking man was discovered in this area in 1929.  As you will recall from the Olympics, Beijing was very smoggy, partly because of the industry but also because the Gobi Desert is 120 miles west of the city and when the winds are from  the west, the situation is made worse.  It was clear when we were there because it was cold with spring just approaching- plum blossoms in bloom.

Like Hong Kong, Beijing is a city of towering high rise apartments and commercial buildings but is more spread out.  There are now 5 ring roads around Beijing trying to take the traffic away from the center of the city.  Beijing was cleaned up extensively for the Olympic games - no slums in Beijing!  Although there are bicycles, motorized cabs, and motorbikes, there are many more cars,  and expensive cars. 

We arrived in time to take 2-person pedicabs (a three-wheeled bicycle) to a dinner at a private residence where they served us a 9-course delicious, typical meal.  It was in a home where the woman made all of the courses - in a government-owned  2-bedroom home they rented for 55 yen a month.  No one owns real estate in China, only the building.  The woman then taught the students how to make dumplings, which BTW, I could live on.  We then went back to the pedicabs, down dark alleys and had a wild ride back to the bus and on to the hotel.  We stayed at the Holiday Inn Temple of Heaven.  HIs are nothing like HIs in the States.  This one was sleekly beautiful, full of marble, wood and the rooms were great.

Up at 7 am on Monday, had a  great breakfast buffet, although I have a hard time eating a Chinese breakfast which consists sof dumpling soup, various strange meats, fried bread, etc., but we could have omelets made for us, great bakery items, bacon, sausage, potatoes, etc.  Left at 8 am for the Forbidden City.  Our tour guide, named Fang, pronounced Fong, was excellent and our trip leader was Martie Fessenden, otherwise known as the Voice and who is also Asst. Ex. Dean, with her partner and 7-year old Sydney.

The Forbidden City built by more than 200,000 workers over a  period of 14 years and finished in 1420, is the largest palace in the world and has the best preserved and most complete collection of imperial architecture in China.  The film, The Last Emperor, was filmed there.  It was home to 14 emperors, select family members, concubines, and eunuch-servants.  The Forbidden City embodies Feng Shui architectural principles and includes 800 buildings and 8000 rooms, all within 170 acres.  Lots of walking.

We  then walked through the complex to Tiananmen Square, the world's largest public square and the very heart of modern China.  It has long been a gathering place for locals and visitors alike.  On the north side of the square is Tiananmen Gate.  It was from the balcony of the Rostrum on Oct. 1, 1949, the Mao Zedong, chairman of the Communist Paraty, proclaimed the founding of the People's Republic of China.  Mao gazes south from a huge portrait on the south side of the gate onto The Square.  At the height of the Cultural Revolution, hundreds of thousands of Red Guards crowded the Square,  In June 1989, the square was the scene of tragedy when student demonstrators were killed.  But noone talks about this. 

The Square is sandwiched between two grand gates:  The Gate of Heavenly Peace and the Front Gate.  Along the western edge is the Great Hall of the People.  THe National Museum of China lies along the eastern side.  The Monument to the People's Heroes, a 125 foot granite obelisk, commemorates those who died for the revoluntary cause.  It is eerie to see guards still standing as sentries on the Square.  Hundreds milled around the square, taking photos of one another.  One student came up to me and asked what the big deal was about Tiananmen Square.  Generation gaps!

We had lunch at a local restaurant and then visited  a Migrant School but neither Rick nor I went in.  It's more of a project for the students.  We then had dinner at Roast Duck Restaurant and it was wonderful.  To bed!  Long days.


Up early on Tuesday, went to a kung-fu school where they put on a demonstration  of kicking, hittting, throwing, holding, etc.  Students loved it as the kung fu students then gave lessons!  Had lunch at a local restaurant in a lovely park with plum blossoms everywhere.

And then we were off to  the Wall.  We went to the Mutianyu section, about 90 km from Beijing.  The Great Wall was built over 6,437 miles to protect residents from marauding nomads.  It was built in portions, not all at one time and linked in 259 BC and the Ming Dynasty fortified the wall, although that didn't stop the Manchu invasion in 1644.  Just getting up to the Wall to get into a gondola to take us there was a feat for me.  My knees were killing me and everyone was helping, but what a climb.  Rick was so excited.  I only climbed up the wall and all the others walked the wall for a kilometer where they took a toboggan back down.  Dan and I went on the gondola.  Dan was bus leader and has a walking disability also, so we were pals.  After a few hours, we left to attend an acrobatic show, which was okay and then went to dinner.  We were pooped.

A sad note:  2 female students camping on the wall overnight along with many other students, fell down some steps on the wall.  One girl's leg was severly cut but the other girl received head injuries which the other students had to deal with.  Someone found a door, they held her on the door, walked to find an car and then drove 3 hours before they found help.  She was treated in a hospital in Beijing, her mother arrived and  now we have heard that she has recovered consciousness and the ventilator has been removed.  She's lucky to be alive.  The Wall is very uneven, steep stairs with small steps, rises vertically suddenly and  in the dark, must be treacherous.

Okay, I'm publishing this and will pick up on Shanghai later.


















SHANGHAI

Finally, Shanghai.  It is the largest and most dynamic city in China with a population of 17 million people.  Its history coincides with colonalism and Britain's war with China.  The Treaty of  Nanking allowed the British to trade freely from certain ports, including Shanghai.  It was divided into concessions, where foreign nationals lived in miniature versions of first Britain, then France, the U.S. and Japan.  The Bund, or quay, along the Huangpu River is still lined with colonial buiildings.  In 1949, the Communists took over and the city was stripped of its grandeur.  However, in 1990, the Pudong area across the river from the Bund was declared a Special Eonomic Zone and a revival started for the city.  Both airports have been upgraded, new roads, subway lines, hotels and offices were built for the 2010 World Expo, which we missed.  Only the Chinese pavillion remains open.

The shopping is abundant and very upscale.  Nanjing Road  is a shopper's paradise and we went to Plaza 66 one night for dinner for dim sum with Stan and Joanne.  The restaurant was gorgeous, all glass and modern, and the shops in the mall were wonderful.  We actually ran into another couple from the ship in the restaurant!  We ended up having a "vertical" sundae at Hagendaz and visited with an Indian couple and their son who is going to Yale in the fall.  It's amazing the people one can meet.

We didn't take any tours since we only had 2 days and we were beat from the trip to Beijing.  But RIck did a lot of walking around the Bund.  Our view from the ship of both sides of the river was better than any view from any hotel.  The newer business section in the Pudong area has fantastic skyscrapers and interesting architecture.  The Bund area is lighted in golden lights that provide quite a contrast between the two sides.  The numerous floating restaurants with all their garish lights and colors provided the music for the setting.  We enjoyed our albeit short stay.

Saigon

Well I am completely bummed out to say the least.  Yesterday I contracted what they call Delhi's Belly, even though we aren't in India anymore.  Drs. put me on Cipro and advised me to cancel my trip to Cambodia !!! the one place I really looked forward to after 50 years.  And then I was depressed that I could even say I was there 50 years ago.  Friends on board ship couldn't believe it and finally I said: Yes I'm 72, damn it.  To make matters worse, it is raining.  Thank God, we have the balcony and can see outside.  Rick will have to write about Cambodia.

We arrived in Vietnam early Saturday and traveled up the Mekong river to Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City. the trip we had contracted with left shortly after we docked. I joined 56 others for a one hour flight from Saigon to Phnom Penh. We split the group into two buses and set out for the  National museum.  I was busy taking pictures of apartment buildings where Joan may have lived in the 1960s, when our bus conked out. Great start to a lonesome trip!

New bus took us to the National Museum, a large area that included several buildings/temples and beautifully landscaped grounds.
Next stop was a"sunset cruise" on the Mekong river. Except it was only about 5:00 PM.  The Mekong is joined by 2 other rivers at this point making it a major method of transportation.
Back on bus to an orphanage visit before dinner.
Sad conditions for schooling and care.

Next day started at 6 AM with visit to the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda.

We then traveled to the Toul Sleng Museum. In the past the museum was a high school. In April 1975, Pol Pot transformed it into an office called S-21 which was the biggest prison  in Cambodia.Thousands of victims were  imprisoned and tortured.  We then traveled about 15 kilometers to the " killingfields".              Since 1981, more than a hundred mass graves  have been found. This is the place where they killed the victims of the S-21 prison. Each grave contains an average of 100 skulls, and the remains of clothing, of men,women, and children.  

We then visited the central market, shopped and flew to Siem Reap. Left at 5 AM for sunrise photos of Angkor Wat Temple.  No sun but hundreds of people with cameras. Angkor Wat is huge, surrounded by an enormous moat, and began in 1113. The kingdom of Angkor endured until the end of the 16th century.

We also visited Ta Prohm temple before lunch. Then on to the South gate of Angkor Thom, Bayon, Baphuon, Terraces of Leper King and the Elephant terraces.And so to our flight back to Saigon.

Hurray, Joan is much better and we go shopping, drinks at the top of the Rex Hotel ( a famous gathering place for officers and such during the war), and dinner at TTT Guon Nom, a Vietnamese barbeque restaurant.  We cooked our own boar, beef and prawns at the table. And now we leave for Hong Kong. Two days down the Mekong river and across the China Sea.

Sorry for all the open space, but I cannot get these pics to go where I want them. Rick

Singapore

 Wednesday. March 16, we spent a day in Singapore which is absolutely beautiful, modern, clean, great streets, and we could learn a few things from the city administration.  Laws are stringent regarding littering, spitting, chewing gum, failing to flush a public toilet!, jaywalking, smoking in any public place but bars and designated places. or eating on the subway.  The subway system is clean, lots of escalators, easy directions (although we managed to get lost; well not exactly lost, but in the wrong place) and fast.  The government is involved in every aspect of Singaporean life, including housing.

Since the island is small (the size of  Chicago), there are few single level homes but rather thousands of high rise apartment/condo buildings.  Shopping centers, and they are gorgeous, go up rather than out and Orchard Road is probably as famous as Rodeo Drive in LA for designer clothes and luxury items.  Asians, Australians and Europeans go to Singapore for shopping, but there are several centers to choose from. 

The population is 77% Chinese, but since Singapore and Malay once formed a country, there are  14% Malays aand 8% Indian.  In Singapore itself there is an Arab quarter, Indian, Chinese, and English.

English colonial buildings have been beautifully preserved amongst all the new, modern skyscrapers.  The new ones on the left are curved and look like they are falling over.  We docked a block to the right of these building.

We first went on an orientation bus tour at 9:30 am, which I always like, to get the lay of the land.  The first place we went was up to the mountain for a 360 degree view of the city.  Then we went to a precious stone polishing and cutting gallery, where, of course, we exited through the sales room.   Then we went to the Botanical Gardens where we took 20 minutes to tour the orchid section which was absolutely fabulous.  I could have spent days in that garden alone.  We drove through the city, then Orchard Road and when we got to Chinatown, Theresa, Paul, Rick and I got off to have lunch, so we missed the tour of the Thian Hock Keng Temple.

After wandering down several streets and through a myriad of Chinese shops, we asked what was a good restaurant for dim sum which I was craving.  We were sent to Yum Chow and had 9 delicous dishes that were out of this world.  The girls at the table next to us were laughing at our trying to pick peanuts up with our chopsticks.  There was an American man with them from Kearney, Nebraska, who was an Anglican pastor in Singapore for 10 years, so we had a conversation with him.

We then, of course, had to go to Raffles Hotel, the home of the Singapore sling and got on the subway in China town and headed for Raffles City, thinking that must be where the Hotel was.  Well, it wasn't and a nice American gentleman sent us back the way we came, almost, and we found Raffles, the English colonial, red-tile-roofed and had a $30 Singapore sling!  It was not very good and had little alcohol in it.   I was tired by then so we took a taxi back to the ship around 5 pm but Thersa and Paul walked around the Marina.  We bought groceries in the shopping center at the Harbourfront (Vivo's was across the street), had a cheese sandwich and watched the cable cars, lit up like fireworks, cross over the harbor from Sentosa to downtown Singapore.

Dock time was 8:30 pm and we watched passengers board, 138 of them past dock time, including 2 professors and a couple of drunk students.  Apparently they were caught up in Immigration and won't be docked after all.  Several students were put off in Singapore but we don't know who.  A shower and bed!

Tuesday night before arrival in Singapore we had dinner with our 5 on board-kids and had pizza and ice cream cake with rocky road and vanilla ice cream,.  I couldn't believe how much cake (14") these kids can eat!  Pictured are Joan, Natalie, Kyle, Tom, Hannah, Brittany, Carla and Rick.

Friday, March 18, SAS announced that we would be going to Taiwan after Shanghai.  Poor Japan - we really wanted to go there but not now.  The radiation levels are increasing.

Earthquake/tsunami and itinerary

The world changes every day.  After the earthquake in Japan and the damage to the nuclear reactors, our itinerary has not changed.  However, it's going to be a day-to-day decision and we are on our way to Singapore, which wasn't affected by the tsunami, for one day on Wednesday, and then to Vietnam 2 days after that.  We have to refuel in Singapore.  Rumor Ranger (a column on board that challenges all the rumors floating around) says that we are not going to Australia!  However, it looks like the nuclear reactors in Japan have already melted down which doesn't sound like we'll be going to Japan.

Events continue on board ship regardless of the world tensions.  We received Al Jaszera (sp.) an Arab  news only TV station while we were in port in Chennai in order to follow the earthquake news.  It's the only time we have had access to news, except through our computers.  So, yesterday Neptune Day was celebrated, which is the initiation by King Neptune ( the Captain) of pollywogs (newcomers) who cross the equator.  Although we have crossed the equator twice now, it was postponed until yesterday.  Students, some faculty and LLLs, jumped in the pool after being covered in muck, kissed the fish, and some had their heads shaved.  I was amazed at how many girls contributed their locks.  They do look strange and are barely (no pun intended) recognizable.

Above photo is Captain Jeremy as Neptune and the Dean as his wife.  To right is Dean Dan Garvey, Executive Dean.
To the left, students line up to have their heads shaved.  Notice girl in middle.

Chennai, India

We arrived in a smoggy cloud of dust and dirt at 8 am.  Didn't watch the docking because they docked on port side and we are on starboard.  We are smack dab in the middle of old ships and aren't allowed to walk anywhere, but then who would want to.  There's only one dining room open on 5th deck; because of the dirt that would cover 6 and 7, they are closed.  There is plastic on the carpet at the disembarkation door.  Ought to give you an idea of an Indian industrial center.

We took a bus tour of the city and will send you photos later, because we are leaving tomorrow at 3:30 am for New Delhi and Agra and won't be back until midnight Wednesday.  Chennai used to be known as Madras, name of the fabric that was produced for centuries.  India has so many problems, other than the billion or so people who live here.  But more later.


Later....Chennai is India's 4th largest city with a population nudging 6-1/2 Million people.  Hot, fast, congested and noisy, it's the major transportation hub of the south.  Raj (English) architecture does exist, although it has not been preserved very well. Rechristened Chennai in 1997, the metropolis has boomed since the Indian economy opened up to foreign investment.  The flip side of this rapid economic growth is that Chennai's infrastructure has been stretched to breaking point: poverty, oppressive heat and pollution (a scary 5000 new cars hit  the roads every month) and the traffic is crazy:  cars, trucks, auto-rickshaws, taxis, bicycles, motorbikes vie for position in a two-lane street that suddenly becomes 5 lanes because the traffic makes it 5 lanes!  Drivers keep one hand on the horn to warn other drivers that they are there.  10 people can pack into and outside  the ubiquitous yellow and green taxis.

India is on Level 2 alert, therefore we have to present passports, ship ID, go though security on the dock upon leaving or returning, which means wand searches for women and pat-downs for men, as well as carry-ons.  Upon leaving the gate, a soldier enters the bus and checks passports of each person, which takes a long time with 30-45  people on a bus. Soldiers are everywhere in the cities and countryside

On the bus tour, we saw Fort St. George,  San Thome Cathedral and the ancient Kapaleeshwar Temple, a Hindu temple.  You must remove your shoes in order to enter any temple or church.  Women are warned to cover up shoulders, arms and legs, which probably bothered the female students as they are used to short shorts, spaghetti strap tops, etc.  The  "poverty" is amazing but the Indians don't see it that way.  60% of the population is Hindu, 25% Moslem, some Jains and Buddhists, Christians and Sikhs.  Most believe that materials things don't matter which means they are not poor but rich in their religious beliefs - Hinduism permeates every aspect of their lives, including the caste system, which is alive and well.

We returned in time for dinner and packing, and next morning were in the Union at 3:30 am, coffee and pastry (made on ship, delicious) and off to airpot at 4 am for flight to New Delhi on Kingfisher Airlines (there is also a beer called Kingfisher) which was very nice, smooth, full Indian breakfast, lovely, gentle Indian attendants who make our attendants seems rude and bossy.


NEW DELHI


I loved New Delhi.  We arrived at a new airport built for the Commonwealth Games 2 years ago.  The capital of India with 17 million people has 5- lane boulevards, landscaped beautifully, roundabouts everywhere, clean streets, lovely old English homes, new hotels, huge government buildings, military compounds everywhere and more of a European feel, although it is definitely India.  The traffic was 3 times as crazy as Channai and had more automobiles, although those darn taxis are everywhere.  And the honking of horns created a cacophony of sounds.  Our bus was new, Mercedes, and was the bus President Obama's entourage rode in when Obama was in New Delhi!

Delhi is home to 3 UNESCO World Heritage Sites:  Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri.  Our first trip was to Gandhi's memorial where he was cremated and an eternal flame burns for the Father of India.  It was very busy at 10 am.  Drove past India Gate, President's Home, Prime Minister, the Red Fort (which we visited next day),  toured an India Mosque, had a late lunch, drove through old Delhi which contained slums, which our guide told us didn't exist.  Drove back to restaurant to pick up box lunches which were to be eaten on the train to Agra at 6 pm.  The traffic to the train station was inpenetrable! 


What a train station.  We went up stairs to pass platforms, down stairs to next, etc., trying to find a place to park 40 people.  When we did, the students immediately ate their dinners: cold french fries, some kind of wrap (Hindus don't eat beef so we usually ate chicken), fruit, etc.  Our guide and SAS tour leader were frantically conversing on phones.  Then they told us the train wasn't expected for hours, but they had called our bus driver who was on his way back to the station to drive us to Agra.  So down through the station we went again, beggars following us, the students giving their food to the beggars, and we climbed back on the bus and left for Agra - same bus driver that had driven us around all day.

I'm glad we took the bus.  It took us 2 hours to drive out through the suburbs of New Delhi, but just watching the traffic, people and general confusion was an education.  It was a 6 hour drive to Agra and most of us slept - some.  The noise of the traffic and honking, plus watching the wedding places in all their garish, brightly lit glory kept us awake part of the time.  This is the time of year for weddings and these places are indescrible and we couldn't get photos because it was dark!  The music, floats, carraiges, people at 10 pm was incredible. 

We finally arrived at midnight at a beautiful 5-star (for India) resort after getting up at 2:45 am the previous day.   We slept well, up at  6 am for drive to Taj Mahal for morning view.  I didn't go as we were going back in the evening for sunset view.  Everyone came back at 9 am, we had breakfast, on bus to drive to Fatehpur Sikri, which is a petrified sandstone city built 400 years ago, by a wealthy emperor, named Akbar. It was abandoned for lack of water.

Driving through the countryside to get there was really interesting.  Fields of potatoes wheat, mustard, woemen collecting water buffalo dung for burning, water buffalo everywhere, the different modes of transportation, etc.  We returned to the hotel for lunch, checked out, and then went to see the Agra Fort. By then it was 5:00 pm and we went to see the Taj Mahal.  It is most beautiful from a distance beccause it is so majestic. It was built in 1600s by Mogul emperior for his wife who died in childbirth giving him his 14th child.  It is all that is written about.  A mosque sits to the left and an identical building to the right.  Of course we had our photo taken in front of the Taj.

After we were shooed out by military guards because there was a light show that evening, we drove to the same  restaurant for snacks, then headed for the railroad station for the express train to Delhi.  This time we only waited for 30 minutes, ran into another group from the ship (who were more exhausted than we were), served dinner on the train (which we didn't eat) and after 2 hours, were back in Delhi, boarded a bus for the airport and collapsed on the plane. They served a full dinner at 10:30 pm!  We did not eat.  More curry!!!  We arrived in Chennai at midnight, boarded another bus, arrived at the port about 12:30 am, security boarded bus and checked every passenger on  the manifest and finally got to ship, went through more security, fled to our cabin, showered and fell into bed!!

An unexpected detour

What a crazy morning.  Yesterday the Captain came on the intercom at 8:30 am and announced that we would be stopping at  Diego Garcia, an island in the Indian Ocean owned by Britain but leased to the US as a highly classified radar/satellite base, we think.  We were going to drop off three passengers who needed urgent medical care, who were then to be evacuated by the military to Singapore from Diego Garcia!   Many passengers had mused the night before that we were doing between 25-28 knots and must have been in a hurry.  Well, as it turned out, we were.

As our ship approached the islands, two tugboats escorted by two Zodiacs carrying Navy Seals armed to the gills, raced toward the ship to let off a pilot to take us into the lagoon, and to board Seals who were supposed to "sweep" the ship!  Now if you don't think that sounds ominous! Six Seals, a German shepherd bomb-detecting dog and the pilot boarded the ship.  Then we saw a submarine off our bow, probably 1/4 mile away!  In the meantime, the ship's crew assembled the dock on which the group boarded.  Dean Dan later told us that the military weren't sure if we had been captured by pirates - hence the sweep to secure the ship.  Actually they had been following us for days by radar wanting to see what ship was travelling so fast.

                                                                                           

Meanwhile, the two Zodiacs with Seals with rifles continued to race back and forth, another boat with only a machine gunner  patroled, and a "hospital" ship joined the parade.  After they swept the ship, (2 were on the flying bridge with the captain) the hospital ship backed up to the dock and 3 passengers were offloaded, one on a stretcher.  We understand the young girl has a blood disorder, and Mimosa, a student who was severly burned as a child, had infections which our medical staff couldn't adequately treat. The third was a male crew person. 

 All of the Navy Seals who had been on board and the pilot disembarked.  Everyone on board the ship cheered and clapped and the Seals either saluted or waved.  It was quite an emotional scene.  All of this took about 2 hours.

When the patients were being loaded, Randi, one of the nurses handed the Seals something white, which we assumed belonged to one of the patients.  About 5 minutes later, one of them in a Zodiac, stood up and waved a "Semester at Sea" T-shirt.  Everyone on board cheered.   Here we are in the middle of the Indian Ocean waving to American boys stationed at a secluded base, and seeing American flags waving, and they came to our rescue.  When the Seals first arrived, they were serious and solemn but when they saw all of the young students on board, I think they probably felt as much emotion as we did. Too bad all of the girls weren't in their bikinis!  Good for the American soul to be reminded that our military is there to serve when needed and not always on a battlefield.

I speculated as to what it must have taken to get help from this base.  The Captain, our Executive Dean, SAS and ISE in Virginia, the military in Washington or wherever, all had to have been involved.  Captain Jeremy is English which probably helped as well, since there is a British presence on the island (Union Jacks flying on boats as well).  And I thought the 6-day trip to India would be boring!

P.S.  BTW, the Captain told us not to take pictures of the base, but I assumed that didn't mean we couldn't take photos of the rescue.  Plus I told Dean Dan that I was going to publish on the blog and he said it was all right.


P.P.S.  We are now 10 1/2 hours ahead of the East Coast!  How does that happen?  We had to move our clocks ahead 1/2 hour last night.