Sailing Towards Jordan on the Red Sea - 5 days at sea
We have the razor wire up, security guards on board 24.7. We also have military vessels in view. We are quickly approaching Yeman and the tight straights. We are having a marathon on deck during the sea days. Six miles each day for 5 days. Its a challenge and I’m really liking it. MahJong in the afternoon, great wine at dinner. I cannot complain …. well I can about the Internet or lack there of. Miss you all but we are having the time of our lives. We both enjoy travel. I’m always amazed at how well Leon makes it through some rough spots. He loves world cruises, gives him something to look forward to. Caio for now.
Muscat, Oman - GOLF GOLF GOLF
Immigration here was a piece of cake. We arrived around 5:30pm and were instantly cleared. We were able to go into town and visit the Souq. We felt safe and the markets were filled with Frankincense and other Arabian sights and smells. Watching the ladies in Muscat was a contrast from Indian women. Oman ladies were all in black with absolutely perfect makeup and mysterious eyes. The men were in white, dark skin with amber or blue eyes. Ladies and men handsome and beautiful. It was a great evening in town.
New spelling of my name!
Beautiful practice area
Par three looking towards the Indian Ocean. I really enjoy playing golf here.
Rain clouds in the distance. The cloud cover made for a comfortable play. It was very pleasant weather
The Muscat Oman airport is very busy
This we didn't understand. A bus full of locals was touring the golf course. They walked onto the green and we didn't know what to do. So, we waited until they went back into the bus.
Now for the good stuff - Mumbai
Mumbai, India - experiencing the contrasts
Preamble: In my opinion, you will either hate the city or relax and experience all the contrasts and realize you want to see and do more. We fall into the latter. Our hope is to spend more time in India in the future. The sights, the smells, the colors are a feast for your senses. Others on board our ship could only see the poverty or pollution, we saw a different way of living so in opposition from we are used to. We were exposed to some very kind and friendly people. I will always remember our taxi driver, Raj. It was not happenstance that we met. He made our short stay in Mumbai an experience of a lifetime. I had a similar feeling when I went to Antarctica for the first time. I knew I’d be back as the place called to me. India feels similar. We will be back. I need to see more. I need to understand the history of India as it plays a large part in current affairs now. So here we go … hope you like the description of our short visit.
Sail in: We picked up the pilot and I went on deck as the sun was rising over Mumbai. The sky was bright amber and smog filled the air. There was a distinctive smell, not the burning so common in Southeast Asia, something very different - unique. The skyline does not have really tall buildings … yet. The twin towers are the tallest so far. The second tallest is a private home of the richest man in India. More about him latter. In another couple of years, there will be a new building finished that will be the tallest. Always reaching to be bigger, better, taller, sums up India in 2017.
The dock: We docked in a commercial area about 15 minutes from the “Green Gate”. A Costa ship which does a Mumbai to Mumbai turn around every 15 days took the passenger dock. I must say there just wasn’t a lot of difference between the two berths. We had shuttle buses that would transport us to the Green Gate. Our next challenge was immigration.
Immigration: This was a real cluster uck. You start to wonder how much of the immigration hassle we have gone through is payback for the USA’s pushback. Anyways, Indian officials were demanding, rude and there were tons of them. Onboard the entire ship had to be cleared before anyone could get off. Second, they confiscated all passports. If you wanted your passport, it was another two hours before they would scan them. We survived this by using our photo copied passport; however, those on overland travel to the Taj were late and missed their flights. Lots of upset folks during clearance.
The terminal: Once you got the shuttle ride to the “terminal” you had to go through xray screening to get out of the building. The building was a cinder b
lock shack. It was surrounded with military guys. Tons of them. Searching backpacks, cameras …. yuck!
The green gate: Cleared of the immigration and security checks we now were able to step out onto the streets of Mumbai. Immediately, the taxi cab drivers were on us. We negotiated from $100 per day down to $40 for all four of us for the day. Our driver was Raj. He ended up being a great soul and a pleasure to be around. We welcomed us to India.
The taxi: It was black and it ran …. sometimes. It could not idle. Each time it stalled, taxi cabs behind us would start blowing their horns. Raj would in turn blow his, then he would restart the car and we would lurch forward. Driving in Mumbai is a test of will power. The newer car always looses because the older cars don’t give a darn about another dent. We had close calls all around. Street lanes are suggestions, stop lights are a courtesy and pedestrians are targets.
Chemist: Our first stop was at the chemist to get some drugs for Karen and Scott. They have been on the ship for months and their insurance allows only a 3 month supply. The drugs in India are cheaper than in the US. Leon and I went to the store next door which sold sari dresses. Then we went back to the taxi and waited. That was a treat too. People watching and counting the rats that ran around in the cutter. The rats were pretty big.
Jewelry Store: This was our next stop. The store was very small. Big enough for a glass counter and a couple of tuffets to sit on. The merchant brought out cases of earrings, necklaces and bracelets. Indian ruby, sapphire and topaz. I bought a couple of things here as the price was great and the necklace unusual. Several officers from the Amsterdam and the Costa ship also were waiting to get into the tiny store. We knew we had a good jewelry store with the crowd that was waiting for us to be done. Leon had a special treat, he had to use the bathroom. Of course, there was none, so he got a trip with the jeweler assistant to a bathroom down the street. He said it was “different”.
Tailor: Leon and Scott were measured and selected fabric. Prices were cheaper than Hong Kong. Leon had a vest made and Scott a couple of dinner jackets.
Lunch: Raj too us to a high class cafe for lunch. He ordered a tasting of Indian snacks. Leon and I had Indian beer. It was great. We bought lunch for Raj and he packed up all the leftovers to bring home to his family.
Shopping: Raj took us to several markets and ran interference of us. It was a great time.
Synagogue: Scott filled us in on the Jewish history of India and we went to a beautiful (but rundown) colonial style synagogue. He is donating money to buy the synagogue a new roof. He had made a prayer earlier this year if he survived some issues he faced health wise, he would make a gift to this synagogue that was so important during WWII. There were services going on when we arrived. The crazy thing Raj lives next door to the manager of the synagogue and the next day Scott had a meeting with him. It was alignment of the universe that we had Raj as a taxi cab driver!
Gateway to India - built in the 1920’s to welcome British Royals to Mumbai. It stands as a meeting place for locals and tourists alike. It is directly in front of the Taj Hotel.
Taj Hotel - this hotel has been the victim of several terror attacks. Now you must be fully search before you get close to it. The streets are barracaded and there is a lot of razor wire. The hotel has been repairs with the exception of several slaps of marble that still have the bullet holes and bomb damage. It serves as a reminder of the attacks. After the latest attack, Indian worked with Israel to strengthen their defenses and that may have been part of our immigration and customs experience. It was very militaristic.
Sail in to the city
Pollution fills the horizon
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| Some sort of prison on an island |
View from the back seat of the taxi
We stopped to take a picture, the vendors swarm the taxi
Car carrier in front of us at the terminal
View of the city from the ship
British Execution Island
Dock with long arroach to the Green Gate
British Execution Island
The terminal - lots of raw materials and brightly painted trucks
Terminal worker's housing
More cool trucks
The Green Gate
Jamba Juice Mumbai Style
Air conditioning
Contrasts - new BMW car with a family sorting garbage
Colonial buildings in a state of disrepair
Gateway to India
The ladies of India are so colorful
Mold grows everywhere it has to be the climate
Begging in the streets - she is so young to be a mom with a little one
The train station - 3 million people a day use it
More buildings that had to be beautiful in their day
Beaches in Mumbai. They are too polluted to swim in
Temple life
Florist
Riches man's in India - his home 27 stories tall. Has a floor just for ice cream. He also has a ski resort inside for his 12 year old son. 162 cars for his use. Contrast this to the young lady begging in the street with her baby and you experience the contrasts of this city.
Crazy trucks with the skyscrapers in the distance
Pretty crazy designs. You wonder how this style of painting influenced the 60's psychedelic artwork.
Roadside cafe
Twin towers
Cow alert
Dhobi Ghats - The city’s laundry Dhobit Ghats was a very cool place to visit. The washing tubs have been owned by families for generations. Carts, bikes and cars bring bundles of laundry to the Dhobi Ghats each day. Hotels, families, restaurants and hospitals use the services. We were there on a Sunday and witnessed the workers taking their weekly bath at the laundry before starting the wash. The clothes are slammed against the stone tubs until all the dirt is smashed out of the garment. There is a high button mortality rate. Once the clothes are rinsed, they hang to dry on lines without clothes pins. They insert the tails of the garments between twisted ropes. Once dry, ironing is next then returned back to the owners via carts, bikes and cars. Each garment is pennies per wash.
These sinks are passed down to each generation. A family will own the sink, then have family members collect, wash, iron and deliver the laundry to its paying customers. Men do the pickup/delivery, wash and women do the ironing.
Getting ready for the Sunday morning bath before doing the laundry. Buttons on the shirts have a very short lifetime. The men slam the clothes against the concrete sinks until very spot is removed - or the clothing is in shreds
Sunday morning bath before starting the day's laundry - final rinse
