April 28th-29th- Mumbai, India

                                                                  Gateway to India
 
Now that we have visited just a little while, we realize there is so much more to learn about India. It is a behemoth and though 900 million of its people live on about $2 US a day, most of them live with a dignity undefinable by our standards. The caste system is peeling away in Mumbai as the burgeoning middle class emerges in India's "commercial" capital. There will almost always be a large population who will never escape  the slums...even so, attempts at recycling amid this squalor, were impressive. The dignity of "day worker" is alive and well here.

                                              Those are used plastic containers atop this "slum apartment"

                                            This man threads flower garlands for temple offerings

The classic colonial structures lend their own weighty stature, yet they're beginning to be dwarfed by the modern edifaces marking the emergence of financial successes.  The beautiful "Queen's necklace", the hemi-circular harbor of this peninsula, hosts havens to young and old, rich and poor. Chowpatty Beach with its grandparent park, and lively family nightlife area, 5-star hotels, and sports clubs where soccer and cricket matches abound, attest to Mumbai's commitment to be user-friendly amid it's chaos. The city is a constant symphony of horns and cacophony of colors, the fruits, the vegetables, the covered marketplace and night markets are awash with visual masterpeices. The saris float buy as do the black-veiled and tunic-clad muslim women.

                                         The pigeons at Chowpatty Beach are fed in an open pen

                                                             Colors and smiling faces

                                 Vendor sitting high amid his vegetables in the fresh produce market



It was not unusual to see a large bull saunter down a busy street at his own pace, unflustered by the frustrated congestion he is causing. Colorful temples of different Hindu sects are nestled in neighborhoods.

                                          Detail from the Jain Temple in Mumbai's Malabar section

The central laundry, the Dhoubi Gat (sp?) is a wonder...  We watched as tens of thousands of clothes were separated, hand-throttled in hundreds of cement cloudy water troughs, and hung to dry on lines. The whites, so white and colors,  vibrant....and all remembering their rightful owners at the end of the day...this is Incredible India.

Harvard Business School sends students yearly to study the time management, labor division, and 99.9% accuracy rate of the Dava Wallas. This team of men, in white nehru hats, who cannot read or write, pick up over 200,000 homemade lunches daily from suburb and city homes before 11 a.m. They transport these tiptins by train and sort them, then bike and deliver them, each to its rightful small businessman and student for lunch for about 700 Rupees a month, that's $20US. India does not want its population to get used to "eating out!"

                                     Dava Wallas sorting lunch pails for delivery


As a westerner, one starts out being assaulted by unfamiliar sights, sounds, smells, and the shear heat of India....but you end up in awe of its unruffled tolerance, its stalwart perserverance and its inner composure and optimism in facing the challenges of its future. Too soon did our sun set on Mumbai!

April 26th-Cochin, Kerala, India





   
                                                     

The Chinese Fishing nets, lined up in the harbor mouth are the first images one sees sailing into the Port of Cochin in Kerala Province. Lowered as the tide comes in, these nets provide and incredible amount and variety of fish to the local markets.

   Kerala as a province is reputed to be the "Queen of the Arabian Sea" as it sits on the southwest tip of India. It is unusual in that the population is 45% Christian, largely traceable to the Portuguese influence in the 1500's.  Before her death, Mother Teresa came here to establish several orphanages. Many shrines have been erected in her honor throughout the Old Town.

Cochin boasts the earliest Catholic Church in all of India....though now, due to the changing colonial traditions that followed, it is an interdenominational church.



Spice Market

Cochin also boasts a rich and varied spice market...(get ready Trey, I only bought organic!)...pepper, cinnamon, tumeric, vanilla bean, cardomon, nutmeg, ginger,mustard seed, and fenugreek to name a few. So far, it's been hard not to love India in spite of the heat and humidity. It's so different and colorful and friendly.





Jew Town Street stall



April 23rd-24th Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, The "Pearl of the Indian Ocean" doesn't disappoint. About 90 miles off the Indian coast, it boasts a heritage descended from the LION...."Sinha" in Sanskrit...therefore, the majority of natives are Sinalese...or Sinhalese. Ceylon, as it was known by the usual colonial interlopers...the Portuguese, then the Dutch and of course, the English, was prized for its spices, its tea, its gems and its rubber...industries all still thriving today along with ready-made clothing. Ceylon received independence from the Brits on February 4th, 1948 and boasted  the first women Prime Minister in the world. She acted in the name of nationalism in 1972 to change its name "Ceylon" to "Sri Lanka"- "Resplendant Land."  It is a beautifully lush island with a 12th century man-made multi-reservior irrigational system that updated, works beautifully today  to keep their croplands bountiful. Over its early history, the Tamils from north east India invaded and some stayed, along with some Indians from the south. These early settlers became natives...not to be confused with the one million Tamils from India impressed into working the tea crops by the English in the early 19th century. This was one of the contributing factors in Sri Lanka's 30 year civil war which was just resolved in 2009.



Tea picker...only the bud and first two leaves!


   We were the first tourist ship that has docked in Trincomalee's port in 30 years, a reason we were greeted with smiles and waves everywhere we went. The usual Sri Lankan greeting translates to "Hello, Have you eaten any rice?"...and instead of having rice with your curry, here one has some curry with your rice.




Buffalo curd roadside stand...delicious with Treacle(honey drizzle)

   The ancient capital of Kandy boasts a tree from a cutting of the original "Tree of Enlightenment" under which The Buddha attained that revered state. They also have enshrined, in a multi level temple,an actual Buddha tooth, though close inspection has described it as 2 inches long, this fact has never deterred devotees.



Young Buddhist monk with his Mom




   One cannot speak of Sri Lnka without mentioning the wonderful animals...

April 19th-20th Welcome to India!

 

The spinning-wheel on the center of the Indian Flag of independence represents Ghandi's cornerstone of resistance in bringing India away from colonial influences and back to its traditional weaving and dress...interesting fact #1
   WoW! India! Land of contradictions....One third the land area of the U.S. and at 1.3 billion, 4 times the population.  900 million exist making below $1,000 a year. It has 22 official languages and 50% of its population is below 25 years old. There is a 65% literacy rate. 180 million muslims live in India although 80% of the population is Hindu. These are some of India's facts...but witnessing life here is amazing.




                                  The Descent of the Ganges sculpture in one solid rock   

   Our first visit is Chennai (Madras), India's fourth largest city after Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi. The "Detroit of South East Asia." Besides the auto industry, hi-tech has a foothold as a major employer,  and movie-making is HUGE. Chennai is also a cultural heritage site for traditional dance and the arts. Over the past thirty years, the way into politics here, is by being a recognizable movie actor/actress or screen writer.
   Our introduction into India was awash in paperwork and customs scrutiny, both on the ship before we were allowed to disembark and then again, on the tour bus leaving the port...this last check done over twenty minutes as we sat astride an active railroad line track!!! We felt both secure and insecure at the same time. The amazing contrast between the frenetic traffic with tuk-tuks, mopeds, trucks, cars buses and pedestrians, the busy sidewalks with fruit and vegetable stalls, as well as an occasional sleeping body and large wayward cow, was somehow all tranquilized by the women in their beautiful sarees who almost floated around, adorning the streets and alleyways looking cool in this 93 degree 92% humidity. This city has numerous medical hospitals and colleges, but little attempt is made to organize and centralize garbage pick-up. The people are always waving and smiling as we pass, even as they sit precariously with 2 children on speeding mopeds. The cuisine is exquisite, with layers of exploding flavors and subtle spices and Lassi (yogurt drink) to quell the fire. It is so very different and enriching.

Receiving a blessing in the Shiva Temple in Kanchipuram

                    The Shore Temple in Mahabalipuram. Only one of six original temples to have survived the surf.



Sidewalk watermelon stall



Ox drawn cart



April 16th-Phuket, Thailand

 Having left Thailand in Bangkok and now returned, I must say there is a pervasive feeling, again, of the Buddha's serenity somehow integrated in the everyday bustle. There is an innate beauty in the natural dis-arrangement of life here....that "Sawadee Ka" graciousness. Even the elephants can give gentle massages to a trusting mom....

And they can graciously accept

defeat (2-0) from a goal-tending Dad....

Phuket is an island off the Malay Peninsula, dotted with irridescent beaches and home to the cashew industry of Thailand. My cashew education was sadly neglected, as I never knew that one cashew fruit produces only one one cashew nut...it is a painstaking process to pick, extract, clean and roast each cashew...hence, the cost!


A single cashew fruit



April 15th-Penang, Malaysia

The Port of Penang Malaysia and "Georgetown" was largely developed by the British East India Trading Company in the early 18th century. Vestiges of colonial architecture are scattered among temples and mosques in this bustling port city.  This area is known for its Batik cloth painting as well as rubber production.

April 14th- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

  Kuala Lumpur or "Covergance of 2 muddy rivers" is the designated Capital city of Malaysia. Though Malaysia has a similar mix of ethnic groups as Singapore, it's more heavily weighted toward the Malay muslim population. Once again, ethnic differences are harmoniously blended in the effort to all move together in economic success. The Petrobas dual towers are the modern architectural cornerstone of this developing nation.

April 13th-Singapore

Singapore, an island nation is literally, the "Land of the Lion."   Handed over from 150 years of British colonial rule in the late 1950's, Lee Quan Yew has manned the ship of state beyond a Malaysian liason to Singapore's own independence for over 40 years. It is by every measure a behemouth of growth and modernity on the emerging world stage. Singapore has a 50 year growth plan which includes "reclaiming" land from the sea and mass reservior projects to provide a water resource for its growing population. It is a shining star of a determined single vision. Like-minded individuals revel in the rapid growth that security and strict social standards achieve. Chewing gum is not tolerated. Littering of any kind is not tolerated. Drug use of any kind is punishible by death without recourse. There are no social safety nets, save the family. Indian Hindus, Malay Muslims and Chinese with jobs, live in balanced harmony in subsidized privately-owned housing of quality standard which closely reflects the percentage of  each race within each housing block. Even the subways are ordered...with directed places to stand while waiting to board the trains and certain ways to exit. Certain seats are reserved for elderly, the infirm, pregnant women and women with children. I was astonished as two young girls jumped up to give me a seat(I know I'm not 3 of the 4!!) We admired Singapore's cleanliness and order...a wonderful place to visit.....but....

****Note to Our Children

Having traveled through much of the far East recently, Dad & I have decided that a new family tradition is in order......namely ANCESTRAL WORSHIP. We think we should institute this ASAP!

Also, on a less urgent note...Dad & I recently found Tiger who has seemingly found his 9th life here in Bangkok as one of the over-seers of the Temple of The Dawn. He's very close to Nirvana now!

April 9th-Bangkok, Thailand

It is 2,554 BE in Prathet Thai. Prathet Thai or "Land of the Free," Thailand celebrates year 1 as the 543BC the year of The Buddha's death(thus BE: Buddha Era). In 1939 Siam was renamed Thailand to feed a growing nationalist spirit reveling in the fact that, unlike it's immediate neighbors, it had never been a colony of any Western nation. Many of its kings, notably Rama IV (of "King & I" fame) and lately, Rama IX (born to his Harvard medical student Father in Cambridge, MA), have kept favorable ties to the West. Bangkok, Thailand's fourth capital city, boasts 12 million people. Despite the usual urban blight areas and congested traffic, everything seems a little less frenetic because there is that peaceful Buddhist overlay of graciousness, fully 95% of its population.
Ten Things to do in Bangkok:
#10 Learn to say "Sawadee Ka" (Mom) "Sawadee Krap" (Dad)-not just for Dad, I think all men say this) with palms together and a slight bow means "hello" and/or "good-bye"
#9 Video the jumping carp in the Chao Phraya River
#8 Hire a Fish-tail Longboat for a $10 pp 2 hour tour along the main river and the smaller "Khlongs" or canals

#7 Visit the Temple of Dawn
#6 Have the 7 course vegetarian set menu at the Shanghra-La Hotel's Thai Restaurant and have the entertainment revolve around your table

 

#5 Visit the Royal Palace to see the Jade Buddha and refresh yourself with lotus "holy water"

April10th- Bangkok, Thailand

#5. Marvel at the acceptable array of electric wires that crisscross Bangkok...how DO you spell FIRE HAZARD?

#4 Get a 2 hour $28 Thai massage....that's a full 120 minutes.

#3 Investigate "Icho Fa" - the minihouses built during most construction projects to appease displaced spirits. These remain permanent shrines. There's a large one here behind Jamie & Dana (our cruise hosts) to appease the displaced spirits when this Shanghri-La Hotel was built. They're everywhere(Jamie & Dana too!)

#2 Bargain and Buy Thai Silk..........AND

#1Have a $2.80 -15 minute Thai Fish Pedicure, enjoyed best with a complimentary mini-cup of Thai Tea

April 8th-Sihanoukville, Cambodia

Sihanoukville is a port that even our own cruise director needed to research....a fast-growing trading port and Cambodian tourist beach resort area.  We visited one of several inland villages, poor beyond any possible American standard, yet the same time, surrounding us in an amazing richness of spirit. Children, barely or very poorly clad, watched out for each other and for us as we negotiated cow patties and barbed wire fences to view ancestral burial sites and visit their revered town temple. There was communal and family support for their fellow classmates, who assembled themselves despite it being their New Year's holiday, just to sing their national songs and the alphabet for us. It was 90 degrees and 90% humidity with no fans in this schoolroom, paint peeling, and scant supplies. Attentiveness, smiles and respect all around. Maybe having a lot of stuff isn't always the answer! 

Village temple lifts village spirits in many ways

"Laugh & Cheap Home Clothing"....says it all