Day 75–March 21–Mumbai, India

I spent today with 3 fellow ship passengers (Dawn, Louisa and Gene).  We hired a taxi and a driver (Ali) to transport us around the city for 5 hours.  My friends had used Ali yesterday and were quite pleased with him and I could certainly see why.  Ali was a wonderfully sweet man who drove with such a calm proficiency.   I never feared for my life, since the traffic in Mumbai is chaotic to say the least. 

Ali would take us to whatever tourist site or market that we asked to go to and then he would return at our arranged meeting spot at the precise time that we had agreed upon.  This was a huge benefit because Mumbai’s streets and markets just run into each other and are terribly confusing with hardly any street signs.  Seeing Ali wave at us from across a crowded street was a welcome and comforting sight.

This was a market street in the Muslim section.  The images that floated by us as we walked through the various markets were extremely strange for these western eyes.  You are first struck with the constant human movement of mostly men with the occasional women and at time children playing in the street or alleys.  Women are seen usually in groups of two and they are most likely shopping or just walking on their way to someplace.  Men appear to be the ones in charge of the stores with the occasional female cooking, etc.  Then of course there is the abject poverty and filth, I was prepared for this and I found myself just observing and not judging.  I was surprised at how my stomach didn’t recoil when the carcass of a goat thrown over a bike passed right by me.  Keep in mind it was very hot and I do have a weak stomach. 

 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Dogs, cats, chickens, goats and cows just roam around at their leisure.  The cows and goats that we saw were tied to a post.

 Middle Class Housing

 Children doing laundry

 The Cherished Cows

We were looking to do some focused shopping so Ali drove us to a clothing store and with the help of a friend we were led to this enclosed store which I’m sure Ali gets a kick back from.  This friend of his just happened to mysteriously appear when Ali parked the cab.  He was all dressed in white with a little white hat.  I thought he was a Muslim but he had a yellow mark in the middle of his forehead which is (I think) a mark of a Hindu.  Anyway, this older gentleman escorted us down streets and through various markets to get to the designated shop.  He made sure that we all kept together and that we didn’t get in the way of traffic.  Pedestrians are certainly not in the right of way and the vehicles just keep coming right at you.  At one moment I thought how awful it would be if any of us were injured and had to be taken to a local hospital.  Therefore, we graciously tipped him.

 

 Victoria Terminus is a splendid example of Gothic architecture with richly carved buttresses, domes, turrets, spires and stained-glass windows.  Hard to believe that this grand building is one of the main stations of Mumbai and accommodates almost half a million commuters daily.  It has been declared a world heritage site by UNESCO.

 

A hub of activity

I was very touched by these two young men helping this elderly, very elegant woman walker through the terminus.

Our main objective to be at the Victoria Terminus around 11:30 am was to see the “Tiffen Wallahs”, these are the men who (for a fee) bring in to the city the lunches for the workers.  These lunches are contained in the Tiffen Tins and are carried in these cloth bags from the out lying suburbs to the city.  This is all based on the fact that Indians like a hot meal in the middle of the day and their wives oblige them by preparing a meal and hiring a “Tiffen Wallah” to bring them into the city.  It’s an amazing old tradition that is carried out by illiterate men who keep track of each tin by some kind of a code.

 

So there we were a group of 4 obnoxious American Tourists running around the terminal chasing down these guys and taking their pictures.  We followed them outside to hopefully see the tins loaded onto bicycles but alas they were loaded into the trunks of cabs and now women appeared on the scene to help out.  These was all done with hardly a word being spoken.  Louisa was upset because we didn’t see a bike in sight not until we were back in the cab and I spotted this guy.

We had a blast and were helped along with our mission by some very friendly Indians dressed in business attire and a woman (dressed in a blue sari) terminal worker whose job was to sweep the floors, she kept a look-out for us. 

  A typical traffic scene

On our way back to the port we made a stop at the Jehangir Art Gallery which was air conditioned and had some good modern pieces of art.  However, what I will remember it for it the delicious lunch that I had in the very small museum cafeteria.  The waiter, who could see me struggling with the many choices, recommended a pakera roti.  It was interesting how he accomplished this because his English was very limited and he was very shy.  This was a vegetarian wrap like sandwich which was “to die for”, I offered one to my companion Dawn and I almost had to fight her off for the rest of mine.  India is a great place for us vegetarians.  However, even a adventurous soul like myself should be careful with the Indian relish tray.  I took a bite out of what I thought was a green bean and my mouth just about exploded with heat.  I quickly gulped down what remained of Dawn’s yogurt smoothie.  I believe my nice waiter felt sorry for me because he then brought me a small bowl of an unknown fruit in brown sugar.  This was all for under $3.  It’s in the most unlikely places that I have the most fun..

I feel awkward displaying this next picture, especially after I’ve just been speaking of such culinary delights.

  Beggars approaching Ali as he dropped us off at the port entrance.  Another aspect of being in Mumbai is developing a compassionate way of dealing with the numerous beggars, especially the children.  If you happen to weaken and give a rupee to one within minutes you are surrounded by a mob.

I was intrigued by Mumbai and will long keep in my memory the sights, sounds and scents of this amazing day. 

 Sunset as we depart from Mumbai

I had an interesting conversation with Robert, our TaiChi instructor when I returned from my adventures in Mumbai.  He has been coming to India for 15 years and according to him it looks like some effort is being put into getting rid of the air pollution.  He said that in years passed he couldn’t even see the islands across from us at the harbor because of the pollution haze but now they were visible and was the moon which he was amazed to see the night before. 

So now we head out into the Arabian Sea heading toward Dubai, an extreme opposite of Mumbai.

Day 72–Cochin, India

Today I took a tour on the Backwaters of Kerala to Alleppey on a Traditional Houseboat, this was one ship excursion that I thoroughly enjoyed.  It was a long (almost 2 hours) bus ride to Alappuzha, that was interesting but there sure is a great deal of litter in India which can be depressing after awhile.  However, the boat trip certainly made up for that.

The houseboat has been converted from a traditional Indian longboat, the boat is a blend of old and new – old for it’s thatched roof, typical of these types of vessels; and new for its solar panels which provide energy for lighting and also for the flat screen TV that is in the main dining area.  It was a very luxurious houseboat with a cushiony sofa and many soft pillowed sitting areas.  These boats also have 3 bedrooms which rent out for overnights at $400 a night for one bedroom, of course that includes 3 meals a day and a cruise similar to what we experienced.

 Captain of the boat

 Our Guide Alex

The cruise provided an interesting glimpse into the daily life of the locals.  We peacefully glided along a beautiful network of rivers, lakes and canals which is all called the “Backwaters of Kerala”.  This connects the coast with the interior.  The canals have for centuries provided a safe and efficient means for transporting goods and people, helping to establish the region as a center for trade.

  A ferry stop

 Waiting for the ferry

 The larger commuter ferry

 Transporting concrete to a building site

Along the way, we saw churches, mosques and temples.

 The Orthodox Church

We also saw many schools, especially Catholic ones.

 St Mary’s School

 Catholic High School

At the water’s edge we observed villagers bathing, doing their laundry or washing their dishes.

At the end of the day we say women walking home from work and the fishermen returning home from fishing.

We see so many distressing pictures of India of the poverty and the poor living conditions that it was a real pleasure for me to have my first day in India spent on these various bucolic waterways.

  This is an old boat called the “Snake Boat” – which holds 100 paddlers.  They have races once a year.

After dinner this evening I watched the movie “Ghandi” which I had seen many years ago.  It was very moving watching it again.  He made quite a difference in the country of his birth and for the world at large.  I plan on visiting his home in Mumbai tomorrow.  I think this movie should be required viewing for everyone, especially our youth (Grandchildren pay attention)   With all that’s going on in the world today a little bit of “Ghandi” could go a far way now.

Days 67 & 68 –March 13 & 14 – Singapore

I’ve been looking forward to Singapore, since I’ve heard about how safe, modern and clean the city is.  However, not all of this is true more about that later.

I disembarked from the ship early and took the long walk through the terminal to a Starbucks where I published my most recent Blog entries, checked out Facebook and read my emails.  Time well spent especially since the coffee was good and it’s always fun to sit in a foreign café and do some people watching.  Which I ended up doing a lot of as the day progressed.  I was supposed to met my friend Dawn later on so that we could tour the city together.  However, her morning tour must have been delayed because after waiting an hour longer than our appointed meeting time, I decided to go on alone.

I walked across the street and after some mishaps found the subway (Metro) entrance.  By the end of the day I was a “an expert metro rider” but for the first 30 minutes I was somewhat bewildered.   The Metro is both clean and efficient.

My metro experience was heightened by the fact that for the majority of the time I was the only non-Asian person in the area.  A very amazing and wonderful occurrence for me.  I had a delightful chat with a young couple and their adorable 3 year old twin daughters.  I always felt very safe.

I was heading for the Suntec Mall which is where I was told that I could buy a ticket for the “Hop on & Hop off” bus.  This mall was huge and extremely crowded.  It was very modern and sleek and I felt very bewildered until I went up to the mall concierge who very nicely drew me a map to the ticket office which was a 15 minute walk.  So off I headed with the throngs of people who were there to shop, socialize or just to be seen. 

  Entrance to the mall.

With my ticket in hand I loaded onto the red double-decker bus and even though it was hot and sunny I choose to sit at the open top deck.  I was pleased with that decision, you get a better sense of the city from that perspective instead of behind a window.   Besides that the scents of exotic spices from the alley ways of Little India are magnificent.

 

I thought of Sharon because she was taking the “A Taste of Singapore: Curry Luncheon” tour today

I took 2 bus rides, one was the Heritage Route and the other was the City Route.  I thoroughly enjoyed myself and jumped from side to side of the bus to take pictures.  There was a recorded travel monolog that was very informative without being intrusive,  they also played the appropriate music for each of the ethnic neighborhoods that we were going through.  No one can really claim to be a “native” Singaporean, however, Malays lived on the peninsula long before anyone else.  There are 14 major nationalities here but most people belong to one of several Chinese ethnic groups.  The first Indians came to Singapore in the 19th century as forced laborers to cut away at the thick jungle that once blanketed the countryside.  They quickly became assimilated in Singaporean society as well as versed immigrants in the arts of British-style civil service.  

 Hindu Temple in Little India

 Hotel Parting Attendant

 Indians in the construction field on their bamboo scaffolds.

Another ethnic group are the Arabs and their neighborhood is called the “Arab District”.

  Sultan Mosque

 Street in the Arab District

And we can’t forget Chinatown:

 The three Judges

  Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

So as you can see many cultural elements have contributed to Singapore:  the British, Hindu, Islamic, Chinese, Confucian, Buddhist, and of course Malay all define this pulsating tropical city-state.  However, the over all impression is of modern skyscrapers and lovely parks.

 Everywhere you turn there is a construction site.

As I was walking the deck earlier this morning, our Ship’s Chinese Dentist pointed out Singapore’ s National Bird – The Crane.  So there I stood looking into the sky for a Crane, he laughed and said no the “Construction Crane”.

 

War Memorial Park

  A unique Resort and Casino hovers over the city. 

  Singapore Flyer

A ferris wheel that my grandkids would love.

  The Riverwalk

Botanical Gardens

Medical Tourism is big business in Singapore with plastic surgery being the big attraction.

 

The Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts.

This is a beautiful building with a colorful display of windows.  I wondered what the inside looked like.

We drove my the famous Raffles Hotel which is where the “Singapore Sling” was first created.

 

Raffles was the Englishman who was instrumental in laying out the city of Singapore.   You see his influence everywhere.

Now onto to tell you of a very unfortunate incident that happened to Sharon while she was out shopping by herself.  She was in a large, confusing mall that was right next to where we docked.   Her wallet which contained all her credit cards and her passport was either stolen or lost.  This of course was very distressing for Sharon.  She was quickly helped by the mall police and three passengers from the ship who sat with her for quite some time.  It took some time for the officials on the ship to be notified (???) and it was then that I was called into action.  I had looked for Sharon when I returned from my day’s activities but couldn’t locate her.  I wasn’t worried since there are so many places on this ship for one to “hang out”.  So there I was sitting in the “Queen’s Lounge” watching “The Black Swan” when my name was called over the loud speaker.  It must have been around 8:30 pm.  I reported to the front desk and was quickly hustled off the ship with the Singapore Port Agent; Alvin, a short fellow whose English wasn’t all that good.

I was very concerned about Sharon because the Ship’s staff person told me that she had been “mugged”, which was not the case.  Sharon wasn’t physically harmed at all.  After giving each other a hug, we were then driven to the Singapore police station to give a report.  After that we were driven back to the port to speak to immigration about getting Sharon back on the ship.  It felt very much like we were being handed off from one official to another.  Singapore is known for it’s efficiency but this all still took some time.  We didn’t get back to the ship until 11:30 pm.  After Sharon had some dinner, we headed for our cabin to get some sleep so that we would be prepared for an early morning at the American Embassy to get a temporary passport issued.  So finally at 11:30 am the next day we got all the details worked out and were both safely on the ship before our departure time of 1 pm.

This was a “wake-up” call for the both of us.  We will now both be more alert and aware about our personal safety.  Also, it’s never wise to keep all your personal documentation in one location.  You live and learn.