With only 3 days at sea between India and Malaysia, we didn’t really have much chance to get settled back into ship life. As bad as it is, I didn’t even unpack everything from my bag! In global studies we had only talked about Singapore and a little about Georgetown and Penang Island where the ship would be anchored. This left me a little in the dark as to what to expect when we arrived. Nicole, Kerry, Leah and I had previously planned a trip to Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, for the middle 3 days of our 5 day stay. We arrived on March 18 at 8am. Because the port is under construction in Penang we had to anchor in the harbor. It was our first time doing this and the first time we had to tender to shore. This is quite tedious because the tender only comes every half an hour and you inevitably just miss one as it is leaving. It meant a lot more planning ahead.
On the first day, I went on a tour of Penang Island with Semester at Sea. Although we were supposed to leave at nine thirty we did not end up leaving until about 11 because of the tendering situation. We boarded a bus and travelled to the Khoo Kongsi clan house. Although it was not far from the port I managed to fall asleep on the bus. I am becoming quite talented at falling asleep on anything that is moving whether it be in class on the ship, in a rickshaw in India, a bus in Malaysia (various times), any plane I am on and even a boat in the Amazon. It may be convenient during long bus and plane rides but it is quite frustrating when I am trying to take in a country where we have just arrived. The clan house looked to me like a temple but it was beautiful. It was built in traditional style with many colours and the details were very intricate. The walls were carved with images and symbols. There were 3 rooms, one which was used as a memorial to the dead, the great hall and another small room. It was really hot here (36 degrees and verrryyy humid) and everyone was ready to go after a few minutes. We boarded the bus once again and headed for the Kek Lok Si, or the temple of a thousand Buddhas. It was a very long uphill walk to get to the base of the temple. It was a narrow pathway surrounded by small shops selling t-shirts, souvenirs and fake designer things. When we finally reached the top (the base of the temple) there was a pond filled with turtles. There were more turtles in this one pond than I have ever seen in my life. They were the kind that are overgrown pets. The temple was split into many different levels and was really colourful and bright. We had a look around the lower levels first which had many statues of Buddha and other characters. There were water features and plants throughout the temple and especially incense burning everywhere. When we reach the highest level, there was a small gift shop, where you could pay a few extra Sen (cents) to go up the tower. I did this and started walking. There was a small spiral staircase which took you up the five floors. The walls were covered with tiles with Buddha on them, some painted, others made of gold, silver and bronze. Im guessing this is where the name of the temple came from. From the top there was a gorgeous view over the city of Penang and into the woods behind the temple. After returning to the bus we headed to the Fisherman’s Wharf restaurant for lunch. It was a Chinese restaurant that served many dished from spring rolls to noodles and friend rice. Everything was seafood with a little chicken. Beef did not seem to be as popular in Malaysia, probably because of the strong Hindu following there.
After lunch we headed to the snake temple. A little background is necessary first. We had been told in global studies that the temple was filled with drugged snakes that hung from the rafter and adorned the altars. They had said there were nets that kept them from falling down on the people and that there were all shapes and sizes of snakes. So when we arrived I was shocked to see only two small snakes wrapped around a candle stick on the altar. They looked dead and did not move a muscle. The temple was very small with not much to see. When we walked into the adjoining room there were many more snakes there. They were on the rafters, above the windows and also in a large cage with trees. There were 2 men who were taking pictures of visitors holding a large boa constrictor with a small green snake on their heads. I was petrified when I first walked in but thought to myself ‘when I am ever going to be in the snake temple in Malaysia again’ and decided that if I didn’t do it I would probably regret it later. So there I went, standing frozen waiting for the man to put the snake around my shoulders and on my head. When he did I was so scared I stood there freaking out. I forgot that I had to smile for the picture, so when they prompted me the picture turned out horribly and I look like someone had just stood in front of me naked! As soon as he took the picture I was like get them off get them off! Once they were off me I was fine watching other people do it after me. After leaving the snake temple we went to the botanical gardens. These were not too exciting for me except that there were tons of monkeys roaming around with the visitors. We stayed there for a little while looked at the flowers and trees before heading back to the bus. From there we came back to the ship, having to skip several sites we planned to visit because we had left late. Overall it was a good way to get a feel for the island and to spend my first day there.
When we got back to the ship I made a quick change before heading out for dinner and a night on the town with friends. We decided to have some street meat for dinner so we stopped outside a hotel for chicken satay. They are so good, especially dipped in the spicy peanut sauce. Kim, Zach, Ben and I sat for a while on the plastic tables drinking local beer and eating chicken satay. After that we walked around the corner to Momo and Slippery Senorita clubs. They had a live band at one and DJ at the other. We danced the night away until 11, when we had to go back to the ship in preparation for our 4am departure for the airport.
After packing quickly and getting 3 hours sleep, we headed to the union with all our bags. Because the tenders only run until 1am, we had to tender to shore with an overnight trip at 4:30am. Our flight wasn’t until 8am but the only other choice was the pay for a hotel for the night. After having some chocolate croissants and orange juice we boarded the tender at 4:30 and headed for the mainland. We had previously booked a taxi to the airport so we hopped in and were on our way. Needless to say we all fell asleep even though the drive was only half an hour long! When we arrived at the airport the AirAsia check in counter was not open so, surprise, we went back to sleep in the lounge. After checking in and realizing that seats were not assigned we went through to the lounge and waited for the plane to board. During these two hours we shopped in the duty free store and had a breakfast of sausage roll and tuna sandwich (better than having noodles at 6am I thought). When they announced that the plane had arrived everyone ran into a line so we followed. We waited in the line until the plane emptied and then boarded immediately. The plane had leather seats and was quite comfortable. We took off shortly after and slept on the 50 minute flight to Kuala Lumpur. When we arrived in KL we ordered a van to take us and Cory and Lauren, who were also staying at our hotel, to The Federal Hotel in downtown KL. This took about an hour and guess what we did? Yup we slept some more. When we woke up we checked in and headed to our room on the 6th floor. For the price we were paying we were surprised to enter and see that it was a king size bed with a single bed and not much else. We named the vast open space the ‘dancefloor’. Seeing as we hadn’t slept much the night before, we decided to nap for two hours before heading out to see the sights. Well two hours turned into 4 and it was 2pm before we left the hotel again. We jumped in a taxi and headed to little India. We first had a late lunch at a café and people watched. We had club sandwiches and soda! After lunch we walked down the main street and browsed the small market, stores and street meat stalls. Having just left India, it was hard to believe this was supposed to be Indian. We still aren’t sure if we were just lost or if we actually did see little India. After a disappointing time there (although we did enjoy the Ringgit store, the equivalent of the dollar store) we headed to the more touristy Central Market.
This was more of our style. Everything was for sale there from crafts to clothes and foods. We spent a while here and I bought a few souvenirs. Although the shopping was much better here, I was glad that we were able to go to a more cultural market to experience that too. We headed back to the hotel at 8pm and ordered chicken and beef satay from room service for dinner. The other girls got ready to go out but I was still suffering the effects of India so decided to stay in and get an early night. It was great to be able to use the internet, especially skype during our stay and to make phone calls home.
On the second day we had planned on getting up at 9:30 and heading to the Petronas towers, formerly the tallest twin towers in the world. By 11:30 we were all awake and getting ready. We didn’t arrive at the towers until 12:45 only to find out that they were sold out for the day. We decided to wake up early the next morning to try again. We headed into the attached mall to shop and have lunch. When we walked in the stores were all very expensive such as Coach, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Chanel among others so being on a student budget we decided to have lunch at the food court and then head out to China town.
China town was far more successful. There were 2 intersecting streets that were closed to traffic and filled with vendors selling sun glasses, CDs, DVDs, bags, belts, t-shirts and souvenirs. We spent a long time here browsing the stalls but I didn’t buy much because I think most of the same things will be much cheaper when we get to Vietnam. The market closed about 4pm when the police arrived so we took a taxi to the central train station, KL sentral. After some tricky driving by our taxi driver (we reversed up a street and did numerous U-turns) we arrived. It was like a mall in itself with many restaurants and stores. We walked to the monorail station and purchased tickets for under a dollar. When the monorail came we boarded and it travelled high above the streets as it winded through the city. It was much like the monorail in Disney World and Las Vegas. We got to see the KL tower and Petronas towers and well as look down on the whole city. When we got off, we took the short walk back to our hotel through the winding back streets.
We had a relaxing late afternoon as we all got ready to go for dinner and a night out on the town (I was feeling much better by this time). We decided to go to a small traditional Japanese restaurant attached to the hotel. When we arrived and starting asking the waitress about various dishes on the menu, her reply to most of them was “no more”. Having some fairly picky eaters among us, we left the restaurant after discovering there were no spring rolls or dumplings. We headed down the side street next to the hotel to check out another Japanese restaurant and a thai restaurant. After much contemplation and debate, we decided to go to the Western restaurant at the top of our hotel (I wanted local food but was outvoted). The restaurant had a great view and revolved so we had a breathtaking view of the city from the 18th floor while we ate. The food was quite expensive and disappointing as well. I had cream of mushroom soup and a noodle dish, one of the only local selections on the menu. We ate with Lauren, Kendall, Jon, Anna, Kevin and another guy who were also staying at our hotel. It was a fun evening but the food was less than impressive. We had a small argument with the hostess when she objected to us crossing our credit card numbers off the receipts. They don’t agree that only the last 4 digits are needed. We had been instructed to do this on the ship to prevent fraud. We finally settled our bills and returned to our room to finish getting ready to go out.
When we got to the room and laid down from being so full, we all got tired and decided not to go out but instead to stay in and watch movies. We had to get up at 6:30am to go to the towers to get tickets anyways so we decided that if we were to have a hope in hell of making it out of bed that early that we should get as much sleep as possible. After skyping for a while, we finally went to bed around 1am. After the wake-up call at 6:30 I was the only one to wake up and get ready. At ten to seven I woke the others up and told them I was leaving in half an hour with or without them. One by one they got up and got ready and we were out the door and in a taxi by 7:15. We arrived at the towers at 7:45 only to find the line already very long. We wanted to go up the towers at 9am but figured since that was the most popular time, that we wouldn’t get it so didn’t bother waiting. We went back to the hotel for breakfast before heading to the Lake Gardens. There was a buffet and an a la carte menu. We decided to eat from the menu after finding out that the buffet was 15 dollars. After laughing at the waitress when she told me the price, she lowered it to 28 ringgits, the equivalent of nine dollars. We enjoyed the breakfast which included western foods as well as noodles, rice, chicken sausages, fruit and other local delicacies. After breakfast Nicole wasn’t feeling well so Kerry, Leah and I headed to the Lake Gardens.
Our taxi driver dropped us off at the world’s largest covered bird park but this didn’t really appeal to us so we went to the Kuala Lumpur orchid garden instead. It was very beautiful but more like a nursery than we had imagined. After a quick walk around here we waited for the small shuttle bus that went all around the gardens. Because we didn’t have too much time, we decided this was the best way to see as much of the gardens as we could. After paying the equivalent of a few cents we hopped on. It was quite a disappointing trip to say the least. We saw more restaurants than garden and it seemed that it acted more as public transportation for the locals than for sightseeing purposes. Nonetheless it gave us a good look into the rest of the gardens that we couldn’t go to. Although lonely planet had recommended this as a not to miss site, I beg to differ. It was hardly the beautiful natural environment that you picture and was more a space for locals to bring their children to play and to practice tai chi.
After taking a taxi back to the hotel we packed up our stuff and headed to the airport. We had a state of the art taxi, complete with DVD player, leopard print fabric on the doors, racing seats and steering wheel and tissues coming out of the ceiling. Once again we all fell asleep on the ride and I managed to get some pretty entertaining pictures of the others passed out. When we arrived at the airport we checked in to our flight, having avoided a young woman who was trying to get us to take her bag onto the plane for her. After a two hour wait we finally boarded the plane and headed back to Penang. Guess what we did on the flight? Yup, we slept again!
When we got back to Penang we took a taxi back to the ship and Nicole, Kerry and I headed to a bank machine and money changer. It was a good opportunity to get some money changed into American and Vietnamese dong for future ports. We then headed back to the port to wait for the tender.
We arrived back at the ship at 6pm and decided to meet for dinner and a final night out at 7. After a quick shower and change I was feeling fresh and ready to go again. We took the tender to shore and looked for a taxi. We wanted to go to a steamboat restaurant, where you cook your food at the table on a barbeque style grill. The taxi driver took us to a restaurant that looked a little questionable so we walked around until we found a good place. We arrived at restauran Golden, which was filled with locals and no tourists, so we figured it had to be good. Joseph the owner came out to personally greet us and show us how to use the steamboat and cook the food. We had no idea what we were doing at first so it was a little bit of an adventure. Inside there was a large buffet of raw chicken, beef, pork, seafood, sausage, noodles and vegetables. We picked what we wanted to cook and headed outside to our table. The apparatus was already set up and featured a grill surrounding a vat of broth in the middle. We were instructed to butter the grill before cooking on it. Vegetables went into the broth and meats on the grill. Although we were not sure what to expect the food was delicious. We stayed for over an hour and ate far too much. We just kept putting more food onto the steamboat and eating it as it cooked. My favorite was an orange coloured chicken and the pre-cooked chicken satay which was the best I tasted in Malaysia. We really enjoyed our authentic meal here and thanked Joseph endlessly telling him we would recommend the restaurant to all our friends. We left a large tip and then headed for the door. As we were walking out Joseph chased us and asked us where we were going. We told him we were going to walk to Momo, a local bar a short distance away. He insisted that he drive us because it was too dark and dangerous for us to walk alone. We were very grateful when we saw where he drove us, through dark streets and quite alleys. We arrived at the bar a few minutes later, a journey which would have taken probably an hour to walk.
We had a great time at the two bars, Momo and Slippery Senioritas (we called it slippery susan’). We made sure to leave at 12:30am in order to make sure we were back at the dock at 1am for the last tender. The tender was packed with people coming back from the bar so as you can imagine, it was pretty much chaos. Well we finally made it and I headed for my cabin and hopped in to bed. I planned to get up fairly early the next morning to go to an internet café with Nicole and Kerry.
Well I woke up at 11:30 when Nicole and Kerry called to say that they were going to go to the internet café later in the afternoon. We met up for lunch at 12. It was a really good lunch as the food always is when we are in port. The cheeseburger days and pizza days are always in port and I haven’t even had one yet!
Anyway I went back to my room and lay down as I wasn’t feeling to hot from the night before. At 1:30 we headed to the union to meet the group for our orphanage visit. We didn’t end up leaving until about 2pm when we boarded the tender to head to shore. Once there we took a short bus ride to the St. Joseph’s Orphanage. When we arrive I was expecting a poor and run down place like the ones we had visited in other countries. It was exactly the opposite. The facilities were immaculate and modern and the children were well dressed and clean. Many of them spoke some English and all were polite. We were first told a little bit of information about the school and the children. They are split into grades and girls and boys go to class and live separately. There are 4 full time staff and the orphanage survives on donations alone. After the short introduction we were allowed to spend the rest of the time interacting with the children. Many played soccer, catch and others coloured, played with play dough and talked to the children. We gave them gifts of hair clips, pencils and stickers. I sat with Lauren, Leah, Rebecca and Marissa and we coloured and played play dough with a group of 3 girls. After a while other girls joined us and we played catch with a squishy ball.
Just before the trip was scheduled to leave me and Leah decided to head out into the town to pick up some last minute supplies before returning to the ship. We walked to the happy mart and picked up snacks. From there we wanted to get something to eat. We walked for a while but because it was Sunday there was not much open. We decided to get into a trishaw and ask the driver to take us to a good restaurant. He dropped us off at a busy street and we walked along. There was plenty of Indian food but I didn’t think my stomach was up for that again! In the end we ended up wandering back to the ship early. We boarded for the last time at about 5pm.
When we got back I changed some money into dong (for Vietnam) and mailed some postcards. We then went to dinner on the ship. I was not feeling well so after dinner I just relaxed until nine thirty. Then we had an Easter service led by some of the students who lead the bible study group. It was a really good experience and I was able to see that religion can be funny and light and not so serious and stuffy. I really enjoyed it and there were lots of people there and it was really encouraging to hear the testimonies of some of them. I went to bed around midnight. We are three days away from Vietnam now and I am really excited for it. I cannot wait to experience the markets and all the historical sites I have been told about! Until next time …xo
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
India
Well we have just left India and I have a lot to talk about! Most of my experiences there were so amazing it is hard to describe them and put them in words. The contrast and diversity of the country was so apparent.
On the first day we arrived the ship was cleared at about 10:45am. We rushed to have our passports stamped by Indian officials and receive our landing cards. Because our flight to Delhi was leaving at 12:40 we had to rush to get off the ship in the first bunch. We ended up having to pretend we were part of the trip organized by Semester at Sea because they always give them priority in disembarking the ship. I met with some other people going on my independent trip to take auto-rickshaws to the airport. These are three wheeled tiny cars essentially, which go about as fast as a 50cc scooter. The drivers are so skilled, but it is very scary riding in one because at every moment it looks like you are going to hit another car! My friend Mason and I were the first rickshaw to leave the port. We agreed on paying 100rps (about $2.50) to get to the airport, a trip which should have taken about 40 minutes. Instead our driver took us on a half hour detour in the wrong direction. When we arrived deep in the heart of Chennai he told us to switch into another rickshaw. The drivers of the rickshaws are very manipulative and also find reasons to stop, take the long route or to increase the price during the ride. We finally arrived at the airport at 12:30, only ten minutes before our IndiGo flight was scheduled to leave. We went into the terminal where we were told that we were in the international terminal and not the domestic terminal. We sprinted to the domestic terminal which was about 200m away only to find that the check in counter was closed. We begged them to let us in so that we could stay with the rest of our group. They checked us in quickly and ran with us to security. Despite warnings they barely checked our bags, and I continued to the pan with a full water bottle in my bag. We were the last people to get on the plane and the rest of our group was very relieved.
The IndiGo flight was very much like any in the West with a few noticeable differences. The first being that the stewards and stewardesses were very friendly but also very demanding. When it was time for food or to land, they woke everyone one up to ask if they wanted something to eat. This was a surprise to me because if you are sleeping normally, they just pass you by! The second and maybe the biggest difference was that no matter how short the flight was they always served a full meal. This usually meant rice or naan, with two different curry dishes accompanied by a bottle of water and a desert. The service was also very good, they came around to pick up the trays about ten minutes after they had finished distributing them. This was convenient for those of us who were trying to get some sleep on the flights.
After the short flight to Delhi we were greeted by our tour guides and given fresh floral necklaces. We boarded a large bus and headed out for a tour of Delhi. Although we visited many places and it is impossible to name them all, some of the major sites that we visited were India Gate, the memorial to all the soldiers that died in the wars. We also visited the presidential palace and national parliament. These were huge buildings that were surrounded by well manicured gardens. We drove past all of the embassies. One thing that was very cool for me was to see many people just relaxing or sleeping in the public gardens. At the monuments where we were able to get off the bus, many people were begging and trying to sell us souvenirs, chips, henna, and ice cream. Little did we know that this was just a taste of what the rest of the trip was going to be like. After the afternoon bus tour we checked into our ‘rustic’ hotel, the Ashoka International Hotel. The rooms were very basic, with a bed, couch, TV and air conditioner. At first glance the room looked normal but on further investigation, the air conditioner did not work and the bed was quite uncomfortable. The bathroom thankfully had a western toilet and shower. In the shower was a large bucket. No one was quite shore what the bucket was to be used for but it only got in the way. Picture me in a limbo-esque position trying to get my head under the showerhead while standing behind the bucket. We were suggested not to drink the tap water so we brushed our teeth with bottled water. After dumping our stuff and quickly refreshing ourselves we headed out again for dinner. We went to a lovely restaurant in Delhi. Being unsure of whether women were allowed to drink beer, all the girls ordered water. Only after the waiters questioned why we didn’t want to try Kingfisher. We were relieved and all tried the beer, which they serve at the House of India, and liked it very much. They began by brining naan with a variety of sauces. We were all starving so were eating as if we hadn’t eaten in days. As we kept eating, the food kept coming. Chicken, curries, vegetable dishes and more kept coming until we were all stuffed and had to waddle out of the restaurant. After dinner we headed back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep before our early departure the next morning.
At 4:45am the phone rang for our wakeup call. I took a freezing cold shower because we couldn’t figure out how to work the faucets. As I limboed over the bucket in the freezing cold water at 4:45am, I thought, what the hell am I doing here? At 5:30 we met in the hotel ‘lobby’ to board the bus to go to the train station. When we arrived, we found that many people were sleeping on the floor. The same happened on the streets where many people sleep directly on the pavement and others sleep under makeshift tents on cots or foam matresses. Even at 5:30 in the morning, many people were awake and cooking over open fires on the sidewalks. The train station was the home for many people and even at the crack of dawn, was bustling like I would have thought it would at noon. The train station was fairly dirty with many people and children begging once again. We boarded the train at 6:15 for a two and a half hour ride to Agra. When on the train, we got good views of the countryside we were passing through. We were once again served a full meal on board. After arriving in Agra and battling the beggars at the train station there, we once again boarded a bus headed for the Taj Mahal. When we arrived we boarded a battery operated bus that transported us close to the entrance and we paid our $20 entrance fee and were given a bottle of water and a pair of shoe covers. Our group split into two and we started walking towards the gate of the Taj. The gate is self was so big and elaborate that it could have been a monument alone. As you walked through the gate, the Taj came into view. Before arriving at the Taj, I wasn’t that excited to see it. I figured it would be a large beautiful building and not much more. Well was I ever wrong. When our tour guide told us the history behind the building of the Taj I now saw it as the most extravagant expression of love. When his wife died during childbirth the king promised her two wishes; that he would never marry again and that he would honour her memory with a memorial. It took 22 years to be completed and is completely symmetrical, right down to the water features and gardens that surround it. The only thing that isn’t symmetrical is the tombs inside, as it was originally built for only one. When the husband died, he was also buried there, although not in the center, making it unsymmetrical. The husband’s wish was not granted to have a black duplicate of the Taj built after his death. Every detail and tiny stone in the structure is especially placed, with the floral designs made of semi-precious stones from Africa, Saudi Arabia and Asia. Each one is hand sculpted and embedded into the marble. After spending about an hour marveling at the structure and taking lots of pictures, we headed back to the bus. From here we went to a silk carpet making factory. We learned how each row of silk is aligned to form the pattern on the carpet. Each small carpet can take a month to make! After learning about the process, guess what came next. Yes, the salesmen emerged and began trying to sell the carpets. Surprisingly to me, although they were very beautiful, many people bought carpets of all sizes. Some were large and needed to be shipped back to the states. Upstairs there was a silk scarf shop. This was of more interest to me and I bought a few beautiful scarves for next to nothing. We then reboarded the bus headed to a five star hotel for a buffet lunch which was delicious.
After lunch we again hopped on the bus for some more sightseeing. We visited the Agra Fort which is made of red sandstone and is huge. It served as the home of the president and also the place where he was later imprisoned by his son after being overthrown. The grounds also housed the public forum, local market and a temple. Again, much of the detailing was semi-precious stone imbedded in white marble, as well as gold, which has since been removed.
After leaving the fort we were all very tired and opted not to drive for an hour to see another fort. Instead we visited the marble art showroom, where the ancestors of the people who detailed the Taj now produce marble crafts. They showed us how they shape and embed the semi-precious stone into the marble, just as is done in the walls of the Taj. We then browsed the gift shop but everything was too expensive for us to buy anything. Because our train did not leave until 8pm we had some time to kill. Someone suggested to the tour guide that we visit a local market. Well we were in for a surprise. The bus dropped us off at a real local bazaar. There were cows roaming the streets and vendors selling fruits and meats on the street. There were some stores selling local clothing and saris. Although it was a good way to experience the culture, it was not what we had in mind. When we reboarded the bus, we explained to the driver that we wanted to visit somewhere to pick up souvenirs. He then took us to the India Art Bazaar. This store had everything you could possible want to buy, from scarves and saris, to pillow cases, jewelry, woodwork and art. Although it was quite expensive, a few people bought saris but most just picked up some t-shirts.
Our next stop was a local store where we could buy authentic tea. Not being interested in tea, I headed next door to a small store and picked up the same t-shirts that everyone else had purchased at the last stop for half the price. I was quite proud of myself, Nana would have been proud. I picked up some Pringles (which I am discovering are a universal food staple, as they have been available in every country so far) for dinner and headed back to the bus. Our last stop before heading back to the train station was to return to the hotel where we had lunch. Some people browsed the stores there for postcards and magnets while others used the internet. It was a good place to kill time before heading to the train station.
After an exhausting train ride, we finally arrived back in Delhi and were transferred to the hotel where we crashed, to be ready for another early morning the next day!
On day 3 we were headed to Varanasi (pronounced Waranashi by the locals). We woke up early for our flight at 8:30am. After a quick ‘full American breakfast’ of friend eggs and toast, we were headed back to the Delhi airport. After another short flight to Varanasi, where we of course, were served a full meal, we landed in Varanasi. I half expected the air to smell like smoke and decomposing bodies when we landed but this was not the case. After exiting the airport, we boarded a huge bright orange bus to travel to hotel India. When we arrived it was clear that this was a step up from our last lodging. Before exploring the rooms we settled down for yet another buffet lunch at the restaurant in the hotel. It was much smaller than the 5 star hotel we ate at in Agra. By this point the food was becoming quite tedious. Don’t get me wrong I like India food but when you eat it all the time it somewhat loses its appeal. The typical meal consisted of several curries, rice, naan and a vegetable dish. Although all meals were included in our trip, drinks were not. That meant we had to be slightly ghetto and fill our glasses from the water bottles in our backpacks.
After a quick lunch we split up into pairs and were given our room keys. On first glance our room was great. There were two single beds, a sitting area, a TV and a fully functional bathroom (with hot water but no mirror). We were told that we had the afternoon to ourselves and that we had to be back at 4:30. I decided to lie down for a few minutes to read. I threw myself onto the bed only to find out it was as hard as concrete. That ended my reading before it started so I headed downstairs to meet the group to walk around the town. Some people wanted to go to internet cafes and bank machines so myself and two others decided to head to the ‘mall’. We were pointed in the direction where there seemed to be a lot of people coming back. We kept walking amid stares and annoyance from rickshaw drivers and finally arrived at the ‘mall’. It was a small street market which was absolutely packed with locals in saris and lunghis. Needless to say we were very out of place. It seemed like some sort of festival as lots of people were just sitting around when presumably they should have been at work. We wandered for a few minutes through the stalls but most were selling fruits and vegetables and street food which we were specifically told not to eat. I felt very uncomfortable because people were continuously staring and gawking at us so we decided to turn around and head back towards the hotel. As we walked away from the market we were hassled by many rickshaw drivers but one in particular followed us all the way back to the hotel. You think it would have been better for him to wait for some people who would actually want to get in and then pay him, instead of pedaling alongside us when we repeatedly said no.
When we returned to the hotel we decided to visit the small gift shop located on the property. The owner and his wife were very friendly and called us their ‘babies’. We sat on a couch in a room that was about 6 feet square filled with pillow cases, saris, tunics and pashmenas. He showed us pictures of his family and the guestbook of past visitors. Because he was so friendly we felt obliged to buy something but after hearing the prices, which were much cheaper than anywhere else we had visited, I picked up two pashmenas for a total of five dollars. I then headed upstairs to our room and read my book on the couch. I have never done so much reading! I have read three books since being on the ship, as well as doing a bit of my reading for class.
At 4:30 we boarded the big orange bus to head toward the Ganges, or the Ganga as it is called in the local language. Because the prime minister was to be visiting the next evening, the streets were packed with people and vehicles and security was high. When we encountered this congestion the bus pulled into a parking lot and we all boarded the rickshaws. These were the manual ones that must be pedaled. I felt sorry for our driver who looked to be about 70 and skinnier than me. Not only did he have to pull our weight but also the weight of the inefficient bike. Every time we stopped in traffic we thought he was going to have a heart attack when he had to start from a dead stop again. The traffic was so bad at one point that the group of 12 rickshaws had to turn around and go down a different side street. The streets we went down were only wide enough for two rickshaws to pass. The open shop fronts filled the air with spicy aromas and entrepreneurs watched as we passed by. Children waved and screamed from windows high above the street and loved it when we blew kisses to them. When we finally got stuck in too much traffic to pass by, we dismounted and walked the rest of the way to the river. The closer we got to the site of the aarti (ceremony for releasing the ashes into the river) the more people were trying to sell us postcards, henna sets and jewelry. We stood for about half an hour to absorb the atmosphere. It is hard to put into words the feeling of the city but it really was fascinating. At 6:30 every night hundreds of people come to the steps of the river and there is a musical ceremony. Many people also watch from rowboats on the river. We boarded a row boat and headed out to see the smaller of the two crematoria. I was shocked to learn that the bodies are covered in cloth and then placed in the fire. It is in the open air, on the edge of the river. The relatives then collect the ashes for the ceremony.
For those who don’t know Varanasi and the Ganges are seen as very holy places in the Hindu religion. Many people bathe in the river to cleanse their souls and to be cremated there means that you are going to rest in peace and join with the Gods. People come from all over India to die in Varanasi, and there are special old houses where the people can stay until they die. Everyone is cremated with the exception of five groups of people. Pregnant women, children under 5, holy people and people who die from leprosy or another disease that I can’t remember, are not cremated. Their bodies are lashed to large boulders and sunk in the middle of the river. Because cows are so sacred, when they die, they are simply put into the river and float until they sink. It was quite scary thinking of what was in the water that our boat was floating on. After seeing the crematorium we rowed back to the site of the aarti to listen to the chanting and music. It is a very moving and emotional experience. People buy and release small floating candles into the river so it is a very beautiful sight at night.
After getting virtually eaten alive by mosquitoes the size of large birds we headed back to the shore and walked slowly back to our rickshaws, contemplating all that we had just witnessed. I have never seen so many people with physical deformities before. It seemed as though every 3rd person was missing a limb or two and begging in the hope that you would take pity on them and give them something. It was hard to say no and walk past them, especially for the children. We rode the rickshaws back to the big orange bus and then were transported back to the hotel. Guess what we had for dinner? Yep, you’re right, a buffet of curry, naan, rice and vegetables. I didn’t eat much this time besides naan and sauce. It was about 8:30 by this time and I went back to my room and did some reading. We had another early morning on Saturday so I decided to hit the hay around 11. A bunch of people from our group went across the street to a local wedding. Had I known people were going, I would have loved to do that. We have been told that weddings are one of the best ways to get information about a culture. We have also been told that if we see any weddings in Malaysia, that we should crash them!
On our last morning we woke up at 4:30 to meet at the bus at 5:15. I had a wonderful hot shower, and didn’t have to limbo over a bucket this time. When we met on the bus, a lot of people were missing. Some of us went and knocked on doors and made calls to rooms and more people showed up. By 5:45 we were in danger of missing the sunrise on the river and left without 4 people. We drove to the river and once again boarded a row boat, only without the bugs this time. As the sun rose, we paddled towards the larger of the two crematoria. They work around the clock and people just bring the bodies of their family members to be cremated soon after they have died. Because it was overcast, we didn’t actually ever see the sun rise but it was beautiful to see the people bathing in the river and worshiping their ancestors by lifting water out of the river and then letting it fall back in. Many people were washing clothes on the shores of the river too. I find it quite odd and rather repulsive that people swim, bathe, wash clothes and even drink the water that has been polluted by so many dead bodies. I guess the power of spirituality is so strong that none of that matters.
After returning to the hotel to pick up our luggage and have a quick breakfast we headed off to the place where Buddha gave his first sermon. We first visited a historic temple in Sarnath before heading to the site of the sermon. A large stone monument covered with gold had been built on the site and there were many Buddhists praying on the grass in front of it. Surrounding the site were many small brick monuments whose name escapes me and the site of a temple where Buddha used to meditate. Not being a history buff myself, I was somewhat bored during this part of the tour but was able to appreciate the historical importance of these sites.
After leaving the gardens, we went to a silk factory. Some members of the group had been the day before but it was really interesting to see how silk products are made, thread by thread. Once again there was plenty to buy, but I held back the urge. Some people bought ties, wall hangings and even bead spreads. I am saving my money to get clothes in Vietnam! After a short bus ride we stopped at a local hotel for, you guessed it, another buffet lunch. This one was not as good as the eight thousand we had already had and as soon as we finished we wandered into the town for our last taste of Varanasi. Some of the guys in our group spent 50 cents to have a blade shave, complete with head, back and face massage from the roadside vendors. Many of us watched as it looked as if they were being beaten by the barber, when in fact, they were only being massaged.
After lunch we headed for the airport, which was very busy because of the arrival of the prime-minister. We survived several power outages before boarding our flight to Delhi. Here we had a two hour lay-over before flying back to Chennai. When we arrived in Chennai it was almost midnight and raining. I hopped into a rickshaw with two girls who were on another trip. After bartering with the driver and forcing him to take us the most direct route back to the ship, we arrived safely, although exhausted! I dumped my bag and washed my feet, which were very dirty from the “dusty country” before crawling into bed.
The next morning I woke up at 8:30am in order to make plans with friends for the day. In the end I decided to head off to Spencer’s Plaza with 5 friends. We left the ship and walked along the long dusty road to find a rickshaw. About half way there two of the girls realized that they had forgotten their landing cards so had to go back. The other 4 of us got rickshaws and bartered with the drivers to get a good price. Originally they tried to tell us that Spencer’s Plaza was closed so that they could charge us a higher price to take us further. Eventually we told them to just go there and if it was closed when we got there, we could go somewhere else from there. Well surprise, when we got their it was open. We headed into the indoor market with 4 floors. There were millions of little stores selling souvenirs, pashminas, saris, cameras, ipods and anything else you could ever need (except postcards and magnets). We met up with the other girls at Subway for a quick sandwich before splitting up into two groups. The three of us browsed some stores near the food court but then decided to return to a store we had been to earlier with good prices and good quality silk products. I picked up some pashminas, wallets and a purse and paid for the items. As I was paying an interesting situation played out.
As I looked out of the store front, I saw the other worker ripping down pashminas and throwing them into the store. I naively asked if they were closing, which is when the second shopkeeper ran out too and pulled down the metal gate. When we tried to run out of the store, they would not let us leave. They turned off the lights and told us to get down and be quiet. I know this sounds like a kidnapping but scary, as it was at the time, looking back we were told to do these things for our own safety. After one shop keeper looked out into the hallway and saw it was clear he told us to run as fast as we could to the nearest exit. Still not knowing what was going on, we did as we were told, leaving our purchases in the store. When we got to the exit, many people were gathered and there were many rumors about what had happened. Fire, gunshots, fights, anything you could think of. After a few minutes the shopkeeper came out to tell us what was going on. He told us that there had been a fight on the fourth floor between two groups. Because we were on the bottom floor, they had thought the worst and had done everything they could to protect us. He told us that we had left our stuff in the store and would be able to come back in shortly to get it. It was surprising that he was so honest, given the precedent in India. After a few minutes everything was safe enough to return to the store and finish paying and then to receive our purchases. Although the stores all re-opened, we did not feel comfortable and decided to head to another outdoor market. We were only here for a short time but had a chance to go to the grocery store to pick up some staples (Pringles) and to also browse the stalls. Most were selling children’s toys, shoes and bindis (the dots to go on women’s foreheads). After finally finding an Indian flag, we headed back to the ship in a rickshaw.
At 3pm, 5 of us headed to the Missionaries of Charity orphanage, the brainchild of mother Theresa. I was not prepared at all for what I was about to see when we arrived. 90% of the children had severe physical and mental disabilities. The ones that could come outside were mostly in wheelchairs and the ones that couldn’t come outside were confined to cots are laid immobile on plastic mats. Many were unable to move at all so we sat on the floor massaging them and smiling and talking to them. It was very hard to see this and many of us broke down. To think that every day they must depend on somewhere else to move them, feed them, change their clothes and bathe them made me very appreciative. We spoke with Helen, a European worker at the orphanage. She told us a little bit about the organization and her role within it. At around 5pm the children were having dinner so we helped to feed some of them and play with the others who were not being fed. At 5:30pm visitor hours ended and we had to leave. It was hard to say goodbye to the children and we wondered what they did when there weren’t strangers to come and play with them. It was a really sobering way to end my experience in India, and a fitting way nonetheless. My visit to the orphanage effectively served to sum up my whole Indian experience; I loved the experience, but I did not love India, although I am very glad and grateful that I was able to experience it.
On the first day we arrived the ship was cleared at about 10:45am. We rushed to have our passports stamped by Indian officials and receive our landing cards. Because our flight to Delhi was leaving at 12:40 we had to rush to get off the ship in the first bunch. We ended up having to pretend we were part of the trip organized by Semester at Sea because they always give them priority in disembarking the ship. I met with some other people going on my independent trip to take auto-rickshaws to the airport. These are three wheeled tiny cars essentially, which go about as fast as a 50cc scooter. The drivers are so skilled, but it is very scary riding in one because at every moment it looks like you are going to hit another car! My friend Mason and I were the first rickshaw to leave the port. We agreed on paying 100rps (about $2.50) to get to the airport, a trip which should have taken about 40 minutes. Instead our driver took us on a half hour detour in the wrong direction. When we arrived deep in the heart of Chennai he told us to switch into another rickshaw. The drivers of the rickshaws are very manipulative and also find reasons to stop, take the long route or to increase the price during the ride. We finally arrived at the airport at 12:30, only ten minutes before our IndiGo flight was scheduled to leave. We went into the terminal where we were told that we were in the international terminal and not the domestic terminal. We sprinted to the domestic terminal which was about 200m away only to find that the check in counter was closed. We begged them to let us in so that we could stay with the rest of our group. They checked us in quickly and ran with us to security. Despite warnings they barely checked our bags, and I continued to the pan with a full water bottle in my bag. We were the last people to get on the plane and the rest of our group was very relieved.
The IndiGo flight was very much like any in the West with a few noticeable differences. The first being that the stewards and stewardesses were very friendly but also very demanding. When it was time for food or to land, they woke everyone one up to ask if they wanted something to eat. This was a surprise to me because if you are sleeping normally, they just pass you by! The second and maybe the biggest difference was that no matter how short the flight was they always served a full meal. This usually meant rice or naan, with two different curry dishes accompanied by a bottle of water and a desert. The service was also very good, they came around to pick up the trays about ten minutes after they had finished distributing them. This was convenient for those of us who were trying to get some sleep on the flights.
After the short flight to Delhi we were greeted by our tour guides and given fresh floral necklaces. We boarded a large bus and headed out for a tour of Delhi. Although we visited many places and it is impossible to name them all, some of the major sites that we visited were India Gate, the memorial to all the soldiers that died in the wars. We also visited the presidential palace and national parliament. These were huge buildings that were surrounded by well manicured gardens. We drove past all of the embassies. One thing that was very cool for me was to see many people just relaxing or sleeping in the public gardens. At the monuments where we were able to get off the bus, many people were begging and trying to sell us souvenirs, chips, henna, and ice cream. Little did we know that this was just a taste of what the rest of the trip was going to be like. After the afternoon bus tour we checked into our ‘rustic’ hotel, the Ashoka International Hotel. The rooms were very basic, with a bed, couch, TV and air conditioner. At first glance the room looked normal but on further investigation, the air conditioner did not work and the bed was quite uncomfortable. The bathroom thankfully had a western toilet and shower. In the shower was a large bucket. No one was quite shore what the bucket was to be used for but it only got in the way. Picture me in a limbo-esque position trying to get my head under the showerhead while standing behind the bucket. We were suggested not to drink the tap water so we brushed our teeth with bottled water. After dumping our stuff and quickly refreshing ourselves we headed out again for dinner. We went to a lovely restaurant in Delhi. Being unsure of whether women were allowed to drink beer, all the girls ordered water. Only after the waiters questioned why we didn’t want to try Kingfisher. We were relieved and all tried the beer, which they serve at the House of India, and liked it very much. They began by brining naan with a variety of sauces. We were all starving so were eating as if we hadn’t eaten in days. As we kept eating, the food kept coming. Chicken, curries, vegetable dishes and more kept coming until we were all stuffed and had to waddle out of the restaurant. After dinner we headed back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep before our early departure the next morning.
At 4:45am the phone rang for our wakeup call. I took a freezing cold shower because we couldn’t figure out how to work the faucets. As I limboed over the bucket in the freezing cold water at 4:45am, I thought, what the hell am I doing here? At 5:30 we met in the hotel ‘lobby’ to board the bus to go to the train station. When we arrived, we found that many people were sleeping on the floor. The same happened on the streets where many people sleep directly on the pavement and others sleep under makeshift tents on cots or foam matresses. Even at 5:30 in the morning, many people were awake and cooking over open fires on the sidewalks. The train station was the home for many people and even at the crack of dawn, was bustling like I would have thought it would at noon. The train station was fairly dirty with many people and children begging once again. We boarded the train at 6:15 for a two and a half hour ride to Agra. When on the train, we got good views of the countryside we were passing through. We were once again served a full meal on board. After arriving in Agra and battling the beggars at the train station there, we once again boarded a bus headed for the Taj Mahal. When we arrived we boarded a battery operated bus that transported us close to the entrance and we paid our $20 entrance fee and were given a bottle of water and a pair of shoe covers. Our group split into two and we started walking towards the gate of the Taj. The gate is self was so big and elaborate that it could have been a monument alone. As you walked through the gate, the Taj came into view. Before arriving at the Taj, I wasn’t that excited to see it. I figured it would be a large beautiful building and not much more. Well was I ever wrong. When our tour guide told us the history behind the building of the Taj I now saw it as the most extravagant expression of love. When his wife died during childbirth the king promised her two wishes; that he would never marry again and that he would honour her memory with a memorial. It took 22 years to be completed and is completely symmetrical, right down to the water features and gardens that surround it. The only thing that isn’t symmetrical is the tombs inside, as it was originally built for only one. When the husband died, he was also buried there, although not in the center, making it unsymmetrical. The husband’s wish was not granted to have a black duplicate of the Taj built after his death. Every detail and tiny stone in the structure is especially placed, with the floral designs made of semi-precious stones from Africa, Saudi Arabia and Asia. Each one is hand sculpted and embedded into the marble. After spending about an hour marveling at the structure and taking lots of pictures, we headed back to the bus. From here we went to a silk carpet making factory. We learned how each row of silk is aligned to form the pattern on the carpet. Each small carpet can take a month to make! After learning about the process, guess what came next. Yes, the salesmen emerged and began trying to sell the carpets. Surprisingly to me, although they were very beautiful, many people bought carpets of all sizes. Some were large and needed to be shipped back to the states. Upstairs there was a silk scarf shop. This was of more interest to me and I bought a few beautiful scarves for next to nothing. We then reboarded the bus headed to a five star hotel for a buffet lunch which was delicious.
After lunch we again hopped on the bus for some more sightseeing. We visited the Agra Fort which is made of red sandstone and is huge. It served as the home of the president and also the place where he was later imprisoned by his son after being overthrown. The grounds also housed the public forum, local market and a temple. Again, much of the detailing was semi-precious stone imbedded in white marble, as well as gold, which has since been removed.
After leaving the fort we were all very tired and opted not to drive for an hour to see another fort. Instead we visited the marble art showroom, where the ancestors of the people who detailed the Taj now produce marble crafts. They showed us how they shape and embed the semi-precious stone into the marble, just as is done in the walls of the Taj. We then browsed the gift shop but everything was too expensive for us to buy anything. Because our train did not leave until 8pm we had some time to kill. Someone suggested to the tour guide that we visit a local market. Well we were in for a surprise. The bus dropped us off at a real local bazaar. There were cows roaming the streets and vendors selling fruits and meats on the street. There were some stores selling local clothing and saris. Although it was a good way to experience the culture, it was not what we had in mind. When we reboarded the bus, we explained to the driver that we wanted to visit somewhere to pick up souvenirs. He then took us to the India Art Bazaar. This store had everything you could possible want to buy, from scarves and saris, to pillow cases, jewelry, woodwork and art. Although it was quite expensive, a few people bought saris but most just picked up some t-shirts.
Our next stop was a local store where we could buy authentic tea. Not being interested in tea, I headed next door to a small store and picked up the same t-shirts that everyone else had purchased at the last stop for half the price. I was quite proud of myself, Nana would have been proud. I picked up some Pringles (which I am discovering are a universal food staple, as they have been available in every country so far) for dinner and headed back to the bus. Our last stop before heading back to the train station was to return to the hotel where we had lunch. Some people browsed the stores there for postcards and magnets while others used the internet. It was a good place to kill time before heading to the train station.
After an exhausting train ride, we finally arrived back in Delhi and were transferred to the hotel where we crashed, to be ready for another early morning the next day!
On day 3 we were headed to Varanasi (pronounced Waranashi by the locals). We woke up early for our flight at 8:30am. After a quick ‘full American breakfast’ of friend eggs and toast, we were headed back to the Delhi airport. After another short flight to Varanasi, where we of course, were served a full meal, we landed in Varanasi. I half expected the air to smell like smoke and decomposing bodies when we landed but this was not the case. After exiting the airport, we boarded a huge bright orange bus to travel to hotel India. When we arrived it was clear that this was a step up from our last lodging. Before exploring the rooms we settled down for yet another buffet lunch at the restaurant in the hotel. It was much smaller than the 5 star hotel we ate at in Agra. By this point the food was becoming quite tedious. Don’t get me wrong I like India food but when you eat it all the time it somewhat loses its appeal. The typical meal consisted of several curries, rice, naan and a vegetable dish. Although all meals were included in our trip, drinks were not. That meant we had to be slightly ghetto and fill our glasses from the water bottles in our backpacks.
After a quick lunch we split up into pairs and were given our room keys. On first glance our room was great. There were two single beds, a sitting area, a TV and a fully functional bathroom (with hot water but no mirror). We were told that we had the afternoon to ourselves and that we had to be back at 4:30. I decided to lie down for a few minutes to read. I threw myself onto the bed only to find out it was as hard as concrete. That ended my reading before it started so I headed downstairs to meet the group to walk around the town. Some people wanted to go to internet cafes and bank machines so myself and two others decided to head to the ‘mall’. We were pointed in the direction where there seemed to be a lot of people coming back. We kept walking amid stares and annoyance from rickshaw drivers and finally arrived at the ‘mall’. It was a small street market which was absolutely packed with locals in saris and lunghis. Needless to say we were very out of place. It seemed like some sort of festival as lots of people were just sitting around when presumably they should have been at work. We wandered for a few minutes through the stalls but most were selling fruits and vegetables and street food which we were specifically told not to eat. I felt very uncomfortable because people were continuously staring and gawking at us so we decided to turn around and head back towards the hotel. As we walked away from the market we were hassled by many rickshaw drivers but one in particular followed us all the way back to the hotel. You think it would have been better for him to wait for some people who would actually want to get in and then pay him, instead of pedaling alongside us when we repeatedly said no.
When we returned to the hotel we decided to visit the small gift shop located on the property. The owner and his wife were very friendly and called us their ‘babies’. We sat on a couch in a room that was about 6 feet square filled with pillow cases, saris, tunics and pashmenas. He showed us pictures of his family and the guestbook of past visitors. Because he was so friendly we felt obliged to buy something but after hearing the prices, which were much cheaper than anywhere else we had visited, I picked up two pashmenas for a total of five dollars. I then headed upstairs to our room and read my book on the couch. I have never done so much reading! I have read three books since being on the ship, as well as doing a bit of my reading for class.
At 4:30 we boarded the big orange bus to head toward the Ganges, or the Ganga as it is called in the local language. Because the prime minister was to be visiting the next evening, the streets were packed with people and vehicles and security was high. When we encountered this congestion the bus pulled into a parking lot and we all boarded the rickshaws. These were the manual ones that must be pedaled. I felt sorry for our driver who looked to be about 70 and skinnier than me. Not only did he have to pull our weight but also the weight of the inefficient bike. Every time we stopped in traffic we thought he was going to have a heart attack when he had to start from a dead stop again. The traffic was so bad at one point that the group of 12 rickshaws had to turn around and go down a different side street. The streets we went down were only wide enough for two rickshaws to pass. The open shop fronts filled the air with spicy aromas and entrepreneurs watched as we passed by. Children waved and screamed from windows high above the street and loved it when we blew kisses to them. When we finally got stuck in too much traffic to pass by, we dismounted and walked the rest of the way to the river. The closer we got to the site of the aarti (ceremony for releasing the ashes into the river) the more people were trying to sell us postcards, henna sets and jewelry. We stood for about half an hour to absorb the atmosphere. It is hard to put into words the feeling of the city but it really was fascinating. At 6:30 every night hundreds of people come to the steps of the river and there is a musical ceremony. Many people also watch from rowboats on the river. We boarded a row boat and headed out to see the smaller of the two crematoria. I was shocked to learn that the bodies are covered in cloth and then placed in the fire. It is in the open air, on the edge of the river. The relatives then collect the ashes for the ceremony.
For those who don’t know Varanasi and the Ganges are seen as very holy places in the Hindu religion. Many people bathe in the river to cleanse their souls and to be cremated there means that you are going to rest in peace and join with the Gods. People come from all over India to die in Varanasi, and there are special old houses where the people can stay until they die. Everyone is cremated with the exception of five groups of people. Pregnant women, children under 5, holy people and people who die from leprosy or another disease that I can’t remember, are not cremated. Their bodies are lashed to large boulders and sunk in the middle of the river. Because cows are so sacred, when they die, they are simply put into the river and float until they sink. It was quite scary thinking of what was in the water that our boat was floating on. After seeing the crematorium we rowed back to the site of the aarti to listen to the chanting and music. It is a very moving and emotional experience. People buy and release small floating candles into the river so it is a very beautiful sight at night.
After getting virtually eaten alive by mosquitoes the size of large birds we headed back to the shore and walked slowly back to our rickshaws, contemplating all that we had just witnessed. I have never seen so many people with physical deformities before. It seemed as though every 3rd person was missing a limb or two and begging in the hope that you would take pity on them and give them something. It was hard to say no and walk past them, especially for the children. We rode the rickshaws back to the big orange bus and then were transported back to the hotel. Guess what we had for dinner? Yep, you’re right, a buffet of curry, naan, rice and vegetables. I didn’t eat much this time besides naan and sauce. It was about 8:30 by this time and I went back to my room and did some reading. We had another early morning on Saturday so I decided to hit the hay around 11. A bunch of people from our group went across the street to a local wedding. Had I known people were going, I would have loved to do that. We have been told that weddings are one of the best ways to get information about a culture. We have also been told that if we see any weddings in Malaysia, that we should crash them!
On our last morning we woke up at 4:30 to meet at the bus at 5:15. I had a wonderful hot shower, and didn’t have to limbo over a bucket this time. When we met on the bus, a lot of people were missing. Some of us went and knocked on doors and made calls to rooms and more people showed up. By 5:45 we were in danger of missing the sunrise on the river and left without 4 people. We drove to the river and once again boarded a row boat, only without the bugs this time. As the sun rose, we paddled towards the larger of the two crematoria. They work around the clock and people just bring the bodies of their family members to be cremated soon after they have died. Because it was overcast, we didn’t actually ever see the sun rise but it was beautiful to see the people bathing in the river and worshiping their ancestors by lifting water out of the river and then letting it fall back in. Many people were washing clothes on the shores of the river too. I find it quite odd and rather repulsive that people swim, bathe, wash clothes and even drink the water that has been polluted by so many dead bodies. I guess the power of spirituality is so strong that none of that matters.
After returning to the hotel to pick up our luggage and have a quick breakfast we headed off to the place where Buddha gave his first sermon. We first visited a historic temple in Sarnath before heading to the site of the sermon. A large stone monument covered with gold had been built on the site and there were many Buddhists praying on the grass in front of it. Surrounding the site were many small brick monuments whose name escapes me and the site of a temple where Buddha used to meditate. Not being a history buff myself, I was somewhat bored during this part of the tour but was able to appreciate the historical importance of these sites.
After leaving the gardens, we went to a silk factory. Some members of the group had been the day before but it was really interesting to see how silk products are made, thread by thread. Once again there was plenty to buy, but I held back the urge. Some people bought ties, wall hangings and even bead spreads. I am saving my money to get clothes in Vietnam! After a short bus ride we stopped at a local hotel for, you guessed it, another buffet lunch. This one was not as good as the eight thousand we had already had and as soon as we finished we wandered into the town for our last taste of Varanasi. Some of the guys in our group spent 50 cents to have a blade shave, complete with head, back and face massage from the roadside vendors. Many of us watched as it looked as if they were being beaten by the barber, when in fact, they were only being massaged.
After lunch we headed for the airport, which was very busy because of the arrival of the prime-minister. We survived several power outages before boarding our flight to Delhi. Here we had a two hour lay-over before flying back to Chennai. When we arrived in Chennai it was almost midnight and raining. I hopped into a rickshaw with two girls who were on another trip. After bartering with the driver and forcing him to take us the most direct route back to the ship, we arrived safely, although exhausted! I dumped my bag and washed my feet, which were very dirty from the “dusty country” before crawling into bed.
The next morning I woke up at 8:30am in order to make plans with friends for the day. In the end I decided to head off to Spencer’s Plaza with 5 friends. We left the ship and walked along the long dusty road to find a rickshaw. About half way there two of the girls realized that they had forgotten their landing cards so had to go back. The other 4 of us got rickshaws and bartered with the drivers to get a good price. Originally they tried to tell us that Spencer’s Plaza was closed so that they could charge us a higher price to take us further. Eventually we told them to just go there and if it was closed when we got there, we could go somewhere else from there. Well surprise, when we got their it was open. We headed into the indoor market with 4 floors. There were millions of little stores selling souvenirs, pashminas, saris, cameras, ipods and anything else you could ever need (except postcards and magnets). We met up with the other girls at Subway for a quick sandwich before splitting up into two groups. The three of us browsed some stores near the food court but then decided to return to a store we had been to earlier with good prices and good quality silk products. I picked up some pashminas, wallets and a purse and paid for the items. As I was paying an interesting situation played out.
As I looked out of the store front, I saw the other worker ripping down pashminas and throwing them into the store. I naively asked if they were closing, which is when the second shopkeeper ran out too and pulled down the metal gate. When we tried to run out of the store, they would not let us leave. They turned off the lights and told us to get down and be quiet. I know this sounds like a kidnapping but scary, as it was at the time, looking back we were told to do these things for our own safety. After one shop keeper looked out into the hallway and saw it was clear he told us to run as fast as we could to the nearest exit. Still not knowing what was going on, we did as we were told, leaving our purchases in the store. When we got to the exit, many people were gathered and there were many rumors about what had happened. Fire, gunshots, fights, anything you could think of. After a few minutes the shopkeeper came out to tell us what was going on. He told us that there had been a fight on the fourth floor between two groups. Because we were on the bottom floor, they had thought the worst and had done everything they could to protect us. He told us that we had left our stuff in the store and would be able to come back in shortly to get it. It was surprising that he was so honest, given the precedent in India. After a few minutes everything was safe enough to return to the store and finish paying and then to receive our purchases. Although the stores all re-opened, we did not feel comfortable and decided to head to another outdoor market. We were only here for a short time but had a chance to go to the grocery store to pick up some staples (Pringles) and to also browse the stalls. Most were selling children’s toys, shoes and bindis (the dots to go on women’s foreheads). After finally finding an Indian flag, we headed back to the ship in a rickshaw.
At 3pm, 5 of us headed to the Missionaries of Charity orphanage, the brainchild of mother Theresa. I was not prepared at all for what I was about to see when we arrived. 90% of the children had severe physical and mental disabilities. The ones that could come outside were mostly in wheelchairs and the ones that couldn’t come outside were confined to cots are laid immobile on plastic mats. Many were unable to move at all so we sat on the floor massaging them and smiling and talking to them. It was very hard to see this and many of us broke down. To think that every day they must depend on somewhere else to move them, feed them, change their clothes and bathe them made me very appreciative. We spoke with Helen, a European worker at the orphanage. She told us a little bit about the organization and her role within it. At around 5pm the children were having dinner so we helped to feed some of them and play with the others who were not being fed. At 5:30pm visitor hours ended and we had to leave. It was hard to say goodbye to the children and we wondered what they did when there weren’t strangers to come and play with them. It was a really sobering way to end my experience in India, and a fitting way nonetheless. My visit to the orphanage effectively served to sum up my whole Indian experience; I loved the experience, but I did not love India, although I am very glad and grateful that I was able to experience it.
Sea Olympics
So I know I usually don’t write while we were at sea but I want to say a few things about the Sea Olympics. They were supposed to be held the day after we left South Africa but were moved due to the threat of rough seas. Turns out that it was good because we didn’t end up leaving until a day late anyway. The Sea Olympics was on Saturday, March 8 but started well before that. Prior to the competition day, there were 3 captain’s challenges. The first was to make up a dance or skit. I am in the Yellow Sea, the best sea. We did a stomp routine with chanting and ended up coming second! The second challenge was a trivia challenge for our sea captains to test how well they know each other. We didn’t place in that round but did make it to the final round. The last challenge was to tell a story in less than 5 minutes and 22 seconds about something on the voyage this far. We did a skit that incorporated singing, acting and chanting. We ended up being disqualified because apparently our skit was inappropriate.
The actual Olympic day began early at 8am with a yellow sea breakfast. We all sat together and ate while we painted our faces and decorated ourselves with yellow. At 9am the opening ceremony began and we marched in 3rd. Each team entered with a cheer, which we were judged on. We ended up coming third for our entrance. At 10am the events began. Everyone was allowed to participate in 3 events as long as they didn’t overlap. Events included scavenger hunt, photography competition, pie eating, ping pong, flip-cup, trivia, simon-says, bowling, uno, scrabble, Pictionary, poker, mash potato sculpting, synchronized swimming, wet clothes relay and lip sync. The yellow sea led the competition for much of the morning but in the afternoon other seas started gaining on us. We didn’t win many events, I think only one, but we placed in most of the events. Going into the lip sync competition it was neck and neck between the yellow sea, the Caribbean sea and the Baltic sea. Although our lip sync was really good and well choreographed, it wasn’t as entertaining and funny as the other teams. We didn’t place in that event and subsequently ended up coming 3rd overall. We were all really happy with that because although we were competitive, we were laid back too.
I participated in the scavenger hunt. We had to find and take pictures of 26 different things and people around the ship. There was a team of ten people from the yellow sea and we split up the list. There were things like a picture with your favorite crew member, a picture with the dean, with the global studies text book, on the treadmill, and your sea captain cheering on the team. These things were all very easy to find so points were allocated based on originality and creativity. Some of our pictures were quite funny and I will post them when I get the chance. For the favorite crew member picture we took a picture of our steward tucked into a bed with a student vacuuming around him. We ended up coming 2nd out of the 10 teams which was really rewarding. The hunt took all day, simply because we had to think of original ways to capture each image. It was really fun and I got to meet some new people from my sea. I think overall the sea Olympics was one of the best days of the voyage thus far. We will arrive in India tomorrow but until the next post….xo
The actual Olympic day began early at 8am with a yellow sea breakfast. We all sat together and ate while we painted our faces and decorated ourselves with yellow. At 9am the opening ceremony began and we marched in 3rd. Each team entered with a cheer, which we were judged on. We ended up coming third for our entrance. At 10am the events began. Everyone was allowed to participate in 3 events as long as they didn’t overlap. Events included scavenger hunt, photography competition, pie eating, ping pong, flip-cup, trivia, simon-says, bowling, uno, scrabble, Pictionary, poker, mash potato sculpting, synchronized swimming, wet clothes relay and lip sync. The yellow sea led the competition for much of the morning but in the afternoon other seas started gaining on us. We didn’t win many events, I think only one, but we placed in most of the events. Going into the lip sync competition it was neck and neck between the yellow sea, the Caribbean sea and the Baltic sea. Although our lip sync was really good and well choreographed, it wasn’t as entertaining and funny as the other teams. We didn’t place in that event and subsequently ended up coming 3rd overall. We were all really happy with that because although we were competitive, we were laid back too.
I participated in the scavenger hunt. We had to find and take pictures of 26 different things and people around the ship. There was a team of ten people from the yellow sea and we split up the list. There were things like a picture with your favorite crew member, a picture with the dean, with the global studies text book, on the treadmill, and your sea captain cheering on the team. These things were all very easy to find so points were allocated based on originality and creativity. Some of our pictures were quite funny and I will post them when I get the chance. For the favorite crew member picture we took a picture of our steward tucked into a bed with a student vacuuming around him. We ended up coming 2nd out of the 10 teams which was really rewarding. The hunt took all day, simply because we had to think of original ways to capture each image. It was really fun and I got to meet some new people from my sea. I think overall the sea Olympics was one of the best days of the voyage thus far. We will arrive in India tomorrow but until the next post….xo
Mauritius
WOW AM I EXCITED THIS THING IS WORKING AGAIN!
Today is March 5th and we left Port Louis Mauritius last night. I am not sure how much I want to say about Mauritius because I had a really mixed experience. Our group of friends decided to rent a beach villa in Flic-en-Flac, a popular beach town. We had 13 people and therefore had difficulty finding a place to stay. After searching every website and contacting just about every person who lives in Mauritius we finally found Sandy, a renowned chef. When we arrived she picked us up at the ship, with the other 50 people who were staying in her accommodations. We drove to Flic-en-flac, about a forty minute drive and arrived at her home. We enjoyed drinks while we paid and waited to be driven to our villa. When we finally left, we drove to a nearby apartment complex. On first sight the villas looked average. They were by no means five star but they seemed to be ok. We were split into two groups, with two apartments, one with 6 people and the other with 7. I was in the six person. Our apartment was fine; the bedrooms had air conditioning, it was close to the beach and had all the amenities we needed (pretty much just a fridge).
At 3pm, three of the group, including myself left flic-en-flac to return to the ship. I had a field program that evening called ‘multicultural evening’. Nicole, my friend also on the trip, and I headed into the waterfront area of Port Louis to kill time before the evening began at 7:30. We had a bite to eat at McDonalds, just to see if it really is the same in all countries and then headed into the shopping area. There were all sorts of designer shops selling fake Lacoste, Abercrombie and others. We were tempted but I wanted to hold off until Vietnam. We decided to sit at a little café on the waterfront and have a drink. The weather in Mauritius was the hottest yet, but in the evening it was a comfortable temperature, which made it nice to sit outside and people watch. At six we returned to the ship to get ready for our FDP.
When we arrived at the colonial estate, we were lead to a large room where tables were set up around a dance floor. We took a seat and ate appetizers while dancers performed Indian, Chinese, Creole and Oriental dances. Between dances, the buffet was opened to enjoy different course. After the appetizers we had a salad bar followed by the main course. The food was delicious and definitely the highlight of the evening. Although the dancing was nice, there was no commentary so we didn’t know what we were watching. I felt that the evening was enjoyable but didn’t really follow the program that we had originally signed up for. Afterward we headed back to the ship and decided to sleep there and head back to the villa in the morning.
After a good breakfast on the ship Nicole and I head back to the villa. When we arrive at 10am everyone is still sleeping. We wake them up and all put on our bathing suits and head to the beach. The beach was pretty but the sand was very rocky. It looked similar to Bermuda because the water is turquoise but the beaches were a lot narrower. The distance between the water and the park beyond the beach was only about 12 feet in some cases. We laid out on the beach for a while, between swims. The sun was so strong that I needed to put on more sunscreen every half an hour. We all got very hot very quickly and took lots of swims to cool off. Around lunch time we wandered further down the beach for some lunch. There were many lunch wagons and ice cream trucks parked at the beach so I decided to try a kebab. It is a sub sandwich filled with shaved chicken, sauce and vegetables. It was delicious. I also had an Appletizer, which I was happy to find in Mauritius after loving them so much in South Africa. After lunch we moved our things into the shade. The whole beach was covered with families who had camped for the day, because it was Sunday. They had brought everything from chairs, to small stoves and tons of food. It was much like cup match in Bermuda, but they didn’t have generators! All the locals were playing music so it was really nice to sit and read while listening to them play.
After returning to the villa, we took turns in the one working shower (the other tub had a large hole in the bottom). It was refreshing because the water was freezing cold! We all got ready for dinner and an evening out before having some cocktails. At around seven we headed to Sandys house for complimentary dinner and drinks. Everyone who was staying with her was there and it was nice to not have to buy food and cook for ourselves.
After dinner we headed downtown to Shots, the most popular bar. It was pretty much all Semester at Sea kids, which was really fun.
On the third day we woke up late as a result of the previous late night and lounged around for a while. Some of the group headed out to an adventure park but a few of us stayed behind. We headed into the town to find an internet café. After making contact with the outside world again, we headed to a roadside stand for some vegetable samosas. They were very cheap (four for about 30 cents) and were so delicious we ended up going back for more.
After returning to the villa we just spent the afternoon relaxing, a well needed rest for the constant rush of semester at sea life. In the evening we once again headed to Sandys for dinner. After dinner Leah and I decided to head back to the ship because we had excursions early the next morning. After walking a mile in dresses with our huge hiking bags we finally found a taxi. Although he charged us a ridiculous price, we made it back to the ship in one piece and were please to feel the air conditioning and comfortable beds.
Although many people were really upset with the service we received from Sandy (compared to the price we paid), I did not feel as strongly. Although the villas themselves were not what we expected (roaches and mice were staying there too apparently) I think they made up for that with their welcoming hospitality. They drove us to and from the ship and cooked breakfast and dinner for everyone. Despite the less than satisfactory living circumstances, I think that we all enjoyed ourselves and the time that we had to just relax.
On the last day in Mauritius, I had an excursion to the Terre de Paix children’s home. I almost missed the excursion though because I took a water taxi into the waterfront to post some letters and go to a bank machine. I headed back to the dock at 10:45 to catch the water taxi, figuring it would take me 15 minutes to get back to the ship, leaving time before my trip left at 11:30. Well I was wrong. The water taxi that we took was deathly slow. From the sound of the engine you would have thought it was going about 300 miles an hour, but in actual fact, I probably could have swam faster than we were moving. We finally arrived back at the ship at 11:20 and I sprinted onto the ship to pack my bag and grab my ticket for the tour. I made it to the bus on time and we headed for Terre de Paix.
Terre de Paix is a non-governmental organization that survives on government funding and donations, which provides schooling and housing for young people (from pre-school age up until 18) who have either failed in the public school system or who have social problems with their families. When we arrived, the children we on their lunch break and we played soccer with them. They then taught us how to play the national instrument, the Ravonne, which is like large round, flat drum. When played properly it makes all different sounds. Although several of us tried to play it, none were very successful. At one o’clock, when classes resumed, we were broken into small groups. I was able to attend art class. I was really surprised to see how good all of the students were at art. I was slightly embarrassed when the wanted me to draw for them, and the leaf I drew ended up looking more like a bar of soap! After we rotated, I went to the pre-school class. We played play dough with the children and gave them stickers. One little girl, Geraldine, was fascinated with my camera and took pictures of everything. None of the children spoke any English but this wasn’t a barrier, we communicated through songs, smiles and touch. After school ended, the children were all picked up and we stayed behind to speak with some of the teachers. They said that because most of the children came from troubled backgrounds, there were always misbehaved and difficult to manage. I did notice this in art class when one girl in particular, Kelly, would not do what the teacher instructed. She kept leaving during class and wandering around outside. I could see that this was frustrating to the teacher who had to constantly watch her.
Although most of the children live at home with their families, nine teenage boys live at Terre de Paix. They must take care of themselves, cook and clean, and are mentored by youth leaders. These are the children that have family problems. Younger children and girls in the same situation are looked after in foster homes by the teachers and other community members. When the boys turn 18 they must have a court hearing and return home. If they are unable to go home, they will live with three other boys and support themselves. It was sobering to see how these boys lived- with everything they had fitting into a shared wardrobe. Despite this though, they were all happy and lively and seemed to be proud to show us their home.
Before heading back into Port Louis, we went a local beach near the school. It was nice to see a different part of the coastline, but I really didn’t need to see another beach. The boys who lived at the school came with us on the bus and were really excited when we bought them popsicles at a corner store! After dropping them off back at the school we drove back into Port Louis and back to the ship. I really enjoyed the trip because I got to meet some new people but also because I was able to gain insight into the other side of life in Mauritius, which was not apparent in the touristic beach town of Flic-en-Flac.
For the last night Leah, Kara and I headed out to the waterfront one last time for dinner. We decided on Pizza hut, as Mauritius will probably be the last port for a while where we can eat Western food. It was pretty good and after eating we wandered back to hop on the water taxi back to the ship. Although I enjoyed the time we spent in Mauritius, I would rather have spent the time in South Africa or the countries we are yet to visit.
We are now on our way to India, which I am really excited but a little nervous for. I think this will be our first port which will be a big culture shock for us. Until next time…xo
Today is March 5th and we left Port Louis Mauritius last night. I am not sure how much I want to say about Mauritius because I had a really mixed experience. Our group of friends decided to rent a beach villa in Flic-en-Flac, a popular beach town. We had 13 people and therefore had difficulty finding a place to stay. After searching every website and contacting just about every person who lives in Mauritius we finally found Sandy, a renowned chef. When we arrived she picked us up at the ship, with the other 50 people who were staying in her accommodations. We drove to Flic-en-flac, about a forty minute drive and arrived at her home. We enjoyed drinks while we paid and waited to be driven to our villa. When we finally left, we drove to a nearby apartment complex. On first sight the villas looked average. They were by no means five star but they seemed to be ok. We were split into two groups, with two apartments, one with 6 people and the other with 7. I was in the six person. Our apartment was fine; the bedrooms had air conditioning, it was close to the beach and had all the amenities we needed (pretty much just a fridge).
At 3pm, three of the group, including myself left flic-en-flac to return to the ship. I had a field program that evening called ‘multicultural evening’. Nicole, my friend also on the trip, and I headed into the waterfront area of Port Louis to kill time before the evening began at 7:30. We had a bite to eat at McDonalds, just to see if it really is the same in all countries and then headed into the shopping area. There were all sorts of designer shops selling fake Lacoste, Abercrombie and others. We were tempted but I wanted to hold off until Vietnam. We decided to sit at a little café on the waterfront and have a drink. The weather in Mauritius was the hottest yet, but in the evening it was a comfortable temperature, which made it nice to sit outside and people watch. At six we returned to the ship to get ready for our FDP.
When we arrived at the colonial estate, we were lead to a large room where tables were set up around a dance floor. We took a seat and ate appetizers while dancers performed Indian, Chinese, Creole and Oriental dances. Between dances, the buffet was opened to enjoy different course. After the appetizers we had a salad bar followed by the main course. The food was delicious and definitely the highlight of the evening. Although the dancing was nice, there was no commentary so we didn’t know what we were watching. I felt that the evening was enjoyable but didn’t really follow the program that we had originally signed up for. Afterward we headed back to the ship and decided to sleep there and head back to the villa in the morning.
After a good breakfast on the ship Nicole and I head back to the villa. When we arrive at 10am everyone is still sleeping. We wake them up and all put on our bathing suits and head to the beach. The beach was pretty but the sand was very rocky. It looked similar to Bermuda because the water is turquoise but the beaches were a lot narrower. The distance between the water and the park beyond the beach was only about 12 feet in some cases. We laid out on the beach for a while, between swims. The sun was so strong that I needed to put on more sunscreen every half an hour. We all got very hot very quickly and took lots of swims to cool off. Around lunch time we wandered further down the beach for some lunch. There were many lunch wagons and ice cream trucks parked at the beach so I decided to try a kebab. It is a sub sandwich filled with shaved chicken, sauce and vegetables. It was delicious. I also had an Appletizer, which I was happy to find in Mauritius after loving them so much in South Africa. After lunch we moved our things into the shade. The whole beach was covered with families who had camped for the day, because it was Sunday. They had brought everything from chairs, to small stoves and tons of food. It was much like cup match in Bermuda, but they didn’t have generators! All the locals were playing music so it was really nice to sit and read while listening to them play.
After returning to the villa, we took turns in the one working shower (the other tub had a large hole in the bottom). It was refreshing because the water was freezing cold! We all got ready for dinner and an evening out before having some cocktails. At around seven we headed to Sandys house for complimentary dinner and drinks. Everyone who was staying with her was there and it was nice to not have to buy food and cook for ourselves.
After dinner we headed downtown to Shots, the most popular bar. It was pretty much all Semester at Sea kids, which was really fun.
On the third day we woke up late as a result of the previous late night and lounged around for a while. Some of the group headed out to an adventure park but a few of us stayed behind. We headed into the town to find an internet café. After making contact with the outside world again, we headed to a roadside stand for some vegetable samosas. They were very cheap (four for about 30 cents) and were so delicious we ended up going back for more.
After returning to the villa we just spent the afternoon relaxing, a well needed rest for the constant rush of semester at sea life. In the evening we once again headed to Sandys for dinner. After dinner Leah and I decided to head back to the ship because we had excursions early the next morning. After walking a mile in dresses with our huge hiking bags we finally found a taxi. Although he charged us a ridiculous price, we made it back to the ship in one piece and were please to feel the air conditioning and comfortable beds.
Although many people were really upset with the service we received from Sandy (compared to the price we paid), I did not feel as strongly. Although the villas themselves were not what we expected (roaches and mice were staying there too apparently) I think they made up for that with their welcoming hospitality. They drove us to and from the ship and cooked breakfast and dinner for everyone. Despite the less than satisfactory living circumstances, I think that we all enjoyed ourselves and the time that we had to just relax.
On the last day in Mauritius, I had an excursion to the Terre de Paix children’s home. I almost missed the excursion though because I took a water taxi into the waterfront to post some letters and go to a bank machine. I headed back to the dock at 10:45 to catch the water taxi, figuring it would take me 15 minutes to get back to the ship, leaving time before my trip left at 11:30. Well I was wrong. The water taxi that we took was deathly slow. From the sound of the engine you would have thought it was going about 300 miles an hour, but in actual fact, I probably could have swam faster than we were moving. We finally arrived back at the ship at 11:20 and I sprinted onto the ship to pack my bag and grab my ticket for the tour. I made it to the bus on time and we headed for Terre de Paix.
Terre de Paix is a non-governmental organization that survives on government funding and donations, which provides schooling and housing for young people (from pre-school age up until 18) who have either failed in the public school system or who have social problems with their families. When we arrived, the children we on their lunch break and we played soccer with them. They then taught us how to play the national instrument, the Ravonne, which is like large round, flat drum. When played properly it makes all different sounds. Although several of us tried to play it, none were very successful. At one o’clock, when classes resumed, we were broken into small groups. I was able to attend art class. I was really surprised to see how good all of the students were at art. I was slightly embarrassed when the wanted me to draw for them, and the leaf I drew ended up looking more like a bar of soap! After we rotated, I went to the pre-school class. We played play dough with the children and gave them stickers. One little girl, Geraldine, was fascinated with my camera and took pictures of everything. None of the children spoke any English but this wasn’t a barrier, we communicated through songs, smiles and touch. After school ended, the children were all picked up and we stayed behind to speak with some of the teachers. They said that because most of the children came from troubled backgrounds, there were always misbehaved and difficult to manage. I did notice this in art class when one girl in particular, Kelly, would not do what the teacher instructed. She kept leaving during class and wandering around outside. I could see that this was frustrating to the teacher who had to constantly watch her.
Although most of the children live at home with their families, nine teenage boys live at Terre de Paix. They must take care of themselves, cook and clean, and are mentored by youth leaders. These are the children that have family problems. Younger children and girls in the same situation are looked after in foster homes by the teachers and other community members. When the boys turn 18 they must have a court hearing and return home. If they are unable to go home, they will live with three other boys and support themselves. It was sobering to see how these boys lived- with everything they had fitting into a shared wardrobe. Despite this though, they were all happy and lively and seemed to be proud to show us their home.
Before heading back into Port Louis, we went a local beach near the school. It was nice to see a different part of the coastline, but I really didn’t need to see another beach. The boys who lived at the school came with us on the bus and were really excited when we bought them popsicles at a corner store! After dropping them off back at the school we drove back into Port Louis and back to the ship. I really enjoyed the trip because I got to meet some new people but also because I was able to gain insight into the other side of life in Mauritius, which was not apparent in the touristic beach town of Flic-en-Flac.
For the last night Leah, Kara and I headed out to the waterfront one last time for dinner. We decided on Pizza hut, as Mauritius will probably be the last port for a while where we can eat Western food. It was pretty good and after eating we wandered back to hop on the water taxi back to the ship. Although I enjoyed the time we spent in Mauritius, I would rather have spent the time in South Africa or the countries we are yet to visit.
We are now on our way to India, which I am really excited but a little nervous for. I think this will be our first port which will be a big culture shock for us. Until next time…xo
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