Tuesday, March 31, 2009
March 31
Now in the Arabian Sea, just about to leave the coastal waters of Oman and head into the waters bordered by Yemen and Somalia. Passed what looked like a patrol boat some miles back. Otherwise only a lonely freighter on the horizon, headed the opposite direction. We have several sea days until we reach Aquaba, Jordan. There I'm on a tour to the ancient city of Petra, what I've heard is a long hot walk but a worthwhile venture.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Dubai
3/30. Dubai yesterday: a beautiful modern place that seems stopped in time right now - with many huge construction project cranes sitting still. Towers half built, islands in the making, roadway work suspended. Apparently 300,000 people were laid off and presumably sent home to their countries. Of course, there’s still evidence of vast fortunes. [Another surprise - for them and us - it rained.]
The world’s engines have slowed down affecting everyone - from tourism in Mumbai to towers in Dubai, from unusually still container ports in Nagasaki to closed companies in Saipan.
I’ve seen so much. At this point my mind is just recording what I see and hear. What it all means will have to become evident as time passes. There are five days at sea now, good for thinking time if we don’t have any pirate excitement, but after that the ports will come quickly one after another In one case there are four days in a row without a sea day in between - Ephesus, Istanbul, Mykonos, Athens.
All in all I will have visited 37 ports in 25 countries since January 10th. When I say this is mindbending, I am not overstating the case!
The world’s engines have slowed down affecting everyone - from tourism in Mumbai to towers in Dubai, from unusually still container ports in Nagasaki to closed companies in Saipan.
I’ve seen so much. At this point my mind is just recording what I see and hear. What it all means will have to become evident as time passes. There are five days at sea now, good for thinking time if we don’t have any pirate excitement, but after that the ports will come quickly one after another In one case there are four days in a row without a sea day in between - Ephesus, Istanbul, Mykonos, Athens.
All in all I will have visited 37 ports in 25 countries since January 10th. When I say this is mindbending, I am not overstating the case!
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Arabian Sea
Day 76 from NY. 2 pm NY time, 11 PM our time . . . Passed Pakistan as we sailed in the Arabian Sea; right now we are in the Strait of Hormuz between Oman and Iran. Have been able to see the coast of Iran for quite some time - traveling this way makes geography real. We bear left after Oman and arrive in Dubai at 8 am. [Bound to be a contrast to our last port of Bombay.] We’re now 27,302 nautical miles from NY and 1,015 from Bombay. Temperature mild (75) but we may have rain tomorrow. Maybe not - we’ve been so lucky with weather on this trip. Just saw flocks of small, glowing birds, probably white reflecting the ship’s lights but they seemed phosphorescent in the night, flying above the water - quite mysterious. Could see them well enough to know they were birds and not flying fish but otherwise have no clue.
Several crew members are leaving in Dubai, heading home for their break - my cabin steward John Elasin, wine steward Andres Gallegos, and assistant waiter Demetrio Sandoval - I will miss them!
Eager to see Dubai, then head into the Red Sea. see Petra in Jordan, and then transit the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean.
Several crew members are leaving in Dubai, heading home for their break - my cabin steward John Elasin, wine steward Andres Gallegos, and assistant waiter Demetrio Sandoval - I will miss them!
Eager to see Dubai, then head into the Red Sea. see Petra in Jordan, and then transit the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
India
After Mumbai
When they say Mumbai is warm and humid, they aren’t kidding. With its 14 million people, the city swarms and traffic is wild. Visited two temples, including the Mahalaxmi temple (goddess of wealth) and one to Ganesha (god of prosperity) - both were busy and flower-filled; a veritable fashion show of saris; stopped by the Gate of India and went into the Taj Mahal Hotel. Drove by many other well-known sites, e.g., Chowpatty Beach, Victoria Terminal. Enough for me; good to see but hard to comprehend. Next port will be a big contrast - Dubai.
When they say Mumbai is warm and humid, they aren’t kidding. With its 14 million people, the city swarms and traffic is wild. Visited two temples, including the Mahalaxmi temple (goddess of wealth) and one to Ganesha (god of prosperity) - both were busy and flower-filled; a veritable fashion show of saris; stopped by the Gate of India and went into the Taj Mahal Hotel. Drove by many other well-known sites, e.g., Chowpatty Beach, Victoria Terminal. Enough for me; good to see but hard to comprehend. Next port will be a big contrast - Dubai.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
India - Cochin
Leaving Kochi (Cochin) in Southern India - the area known as Kerala - after a great day touring Willingdon Island where ship is docked, Mattancherry, and Fort Kochi. Did NOT shop, but did stop in a spice store for a few gifts to bring home. The spice and sari shop turned out to be The Chendamangalam Weavers’ Co-Operative Society. Saw the Chinese fishing nets in action and visited the 16th Century Portuguese Dutch Palace as well as the Portuguese church and Vasco Da Gama’s gravesite (till he was moved to Portugal in 1538). Our last stop was in a home - coincidentally, the elder woman of the house has a son living in Pennsylvania whom she hasn’t seen in 10 years - I will carry her hug back to him when I return home.
The economic crisis affects India, as our tour guide explained, including the IT companies and workers here. As I travel from country to country it is clear that the economic crisis affects people all over the world and they are watching us. I hear that many Republicans are treating business in Washington in a partisan way - how inappropriate in the context of a world crisis. We need to work together in the same way that the nation pulled together in the time of WW II.
Coming up in two days - Mumbai (Bombay), then a totally different environment - Dubai.
The economic crisis affects India, as our tour guide explained, including the IT companies and workers here. As I travel from country to country it is clear that the economic crisis affects people all over the world and they are watching us. I hear that many Republicans are treating business in Washington in a partisan way - how inappropriate in the context of a world crisis. We need to work together in the same way that the nation pulled together in the time of WW II.
Coming up in two days - Mumbai (Bombay), then a totally different environment - Dubai.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Phuket
Patong Bay, off Phuket, Thailand
Morning walk along beach in rain. . . great Thai coffee and new fruit for me - Keau mangkom. . .conversations with Thai shopkeepers Mari-Am and Rocky, who survived Tsunami. . . lunch in fabuous restaurant by the beach - Baan Rim Pa. Another place to revisit.... This part of the world, from disciplined Singapore to warm Patong Beach, is a land on the rise.
Morning walk along beach in rain. . . great Thai coffee and new fruit for me - Keau mangkom. . .conversations with Thai shopkeepers Mari-Am and Rocky, who survived Tsunami. . . lunch in fabuous restaurant by the beach - Baan Rim Pa. Another place to revisit.... This part of the world, from disciplined Singapore to warm Patong Beach, is a land on the rise.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Singapore
March 20: Line from Passage to India particularly interesting: “It matters so little to the majority of living beings what the minority, that calls itself human, desires or decides. Most of the inhabitants of India do not mind how India is governed. Nor are the lower animals of England concerned about England, but in the tropics the indifference is more prominent, the inarticulate world is closer at hand and readier to resume control as soon as men are tired.” Of course that doesn’t deal with the environmental damage than man can do to the habitats - those beings are (we assume) unaware of man’s role.
Ah, Singapore! Multicultural but maintaining traditions of each culture. Quaint history in such places as Raffles Hotel but gloriously creative modern architecture across the way. City coexisting with its rainforest. Must return to see the Botanical Garden and its orchids, along with so many other sites, and talk with more people living there. [Yes, Dan, it is a rigidly enforced safe and clean place - had to remember not to drink even bottled water while walking along the street].
On this trip I have the sense of being a traveler to distant lands, not really a tourist.
One of our earlier ports - Tonga - has had a violent undersea eruption, but it appears the danger of a tsunami is past. Traveling around the world makes me so much more aware of global weather. And more aware that the US is but one country in a big world.
Ah, Singapore! Multicultural but maintaining traditions of each culture. Quaint history in such places as Raffles Hotel but gloriously creative modern architecture across the way. City coexisting with its rainforest. Must return to see the Botanical Garden and its orchids, along with so many other sites, and talk with more people living there. [Yes, Dan, it is a rigidly enforced safe and clean place - had to remember not to drink even bottled water while walking along the street].
On this trip I have the sense of being a traveler to distant lands, not really a tourist.
One of our earlier ports - Tonga - has had a violent undersea eruption, but it appears the danger of a tsunami is past. Traveling around the world makes me so much more aware of global weather. And more aware that the US is but one country in a big world.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Viet Nam and Thailand
Internet expensive, therefore shorter, fewer blogs. Days flying by. Nha Trang very much a resort town. Ho Chi Minh City still reflects the style of Saigon; Continental Hotel still there (as in the Quiet American by Graham Greene). Thailand a delight - especially the Elephant Sanctuary near Pattaya. Took the opportunity to ride bareback on an elephant as she went into the stream - really fun! Now en route to Singapore. Thunderstorm at sea this morning. Started reading Forster’s Passage to India as we work our way there. Hard to comprehend how fast we are going through these countries - just a quick visit but at least they will no longer just be places on a map to me.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
in the South China Sea
March 12:
... in the South China Sea en route to Vietnam - Nha Trang and Vung Tau (Ho Chi Minh City)...
In Hong Kong I wandered with Carolyn Shadle and John Meyer, making sure we took the tram to the Peak, stopped in at the Peninsula Hotel, and did a little shopping. Felt I was in an international city rather than a foreign country.
March 11th:
Aware of global climate - drought, fire, wind and typhoon in Australia, volcano eruption in Japan - and of global unrest - North Korea closed the border yesterday; Sri Lanka (won’t be there but will be passing by), Bangkok, and Athens in turmoil; pirates from Somalia, etc.... Oh well, they don’t charge extra for excitement.
Each segment of this journey has a slightly different cast because about half of the passengers are on the world cruise and half are taking just segments. When we left Sydney the average age dropped significantly - lots of short segment travelers to Singapore, including a few with young children.
Cunard does pay special attention to the full world cruise folks - parties, lounge for coffee, gifts which show up now and then. In Singapore, Cunard’s president Carol Marlow and the officers will host us at a black tie dinner at the Shangri-la Hotel. Could be interesting to hear how Cunard plans to deal with the economic crisis. Surely their bookings for next year will suffer. [Those of you looking for cruises will find some good deals!] And, many cruise lines are bringing new and larger ships on line in the next year or so. There could be overcapacity at just the wrong economic time for the companies. There’ll always be people who’ll travel anyway, because they still can afford it, because they get bargain trips, or simply because they’re addicted to these trips. I can see why they’re addicted - on the days at sea there’s plenty to enjoy and we are never in any port long enough to see all we’d like. As for living in a small cabin - one can adjust to living with smaller space and fewer possessions when one has the world to see.
just pulling into Hong Kong at the moment, though we are docking at a container port instead of at the closer docks - did the same at Shanghai...
... in the South China Sea en route to Vietnam - Nha Trang and Vung Tau (Ho Chi Minh City)...
In Hong Kong I wandered with Carolyn Shadle and John Meyer, making sure we took the tram to the Peak, stopped in at the Peninsula Hotel, and did a little shopping. Felt I was in an international city rather than a foreign country.
March 11th:
Aware of global climate - drought, fire, wind and typhoon in Australia, volcano eruption in Japan - and of global unrest - North Korea closed the border yesterday; Sri Lanka (won’t be there but will be passing by), Bangkok, and Athens in turmoil; pirates from Somalia, etc.... Oh well, they don’t charge extra for excitement.
Each segment of this journey has a slightly different cast because about half of the passengers are on the world cruise and half are taking just segments. When we left Sydney the average age dropped significantly - lots of short segment travelers to Singapore, including a few with young children.
Cunard does pay special attention to the full world cruise folks - parties, lounge for coffee, gifts which show up now and then. In Singapore, Cunard’s president Carol Marlow and the officers will host us at a black tie dinner at the Shangri-la Hotel. Could be interesting to hear how Cunard plans to deal with the economic crisis. Surely their bookings for next year will suffer. [Those of you looking for cruises will find some good deals!] And, many cruise lines are bringing new and larger ships on line in the next year or so. There could be overcapacity at just the wrong economic time for the companies. There’ll always be people who’ll travel anyway, because they still can afford it, because they get bargain trips, or simply because they’re addicted to these trips. I can see why they’re addicted - on the days at sea there’s plenty to enjoy and we are never in any port long enough to see all we’d like. As for living in a small cabin - one can adjust to living with smaller space and fewer possessions when one has the world to see.
just pulling into Hong Kong at the moment, though we are docking at a container port instead of at the closer docks - did the same at Shanghai...
Saturday, March 7, 2009
South Korea
Over 20,100 nautical miles from New York and traveling 56 days so far.
Left South Korea last evening after a day trip from the city of Pusan (Busan) into the mountains where we visited the “Buddha-revered temple” of Tongdosa. Clear, cool air - quite a change from the tropics. This visit coincided with the March 5-7th “ceremony of receiving the percepts of Buddhism,” which is a major event for the temple. The “Tong-do temple was founded by Ja-Jang Monk in Sil-la-Dynasty (BC 646).” It is now a vast complex of structures built by a mountain stream
South Korea impressed me with its modern city coexisting with ancient cultures - had a great tour guide on the bus - you’ll see Choi’s picture on the web gallery. Also, Busan is the 5th largest container port in the world and seems to be busy building ships as well.
On to Shanghai.
Left South Korea last evening after a day trip from the city of Pusan (Busan) into the mountains where we visited the “Buddha-revered temple” of Tongdosa. Clear, cool air - quite a change from the tropics. This visit coincided with the March 5-7th “ceremony of receiving the percepts of Buddhism,” which is a major event for the temple. The “Tong-do temple was founded by Ja-Jang Monk in Sil-la-Dynasty (BC 646).” It is now a vast complex of structures built by a mountain stream
South Korea impressed me with its modern city coexisting with ancient cultures - had a great tour guide on the bus - you’ll see Choi’s picture on the web gallery. Also, Busan is the 5th largest container port in the world and seems to be busy building ships as well.
On to Shanghai.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
brief visit to Japan
A day in Nagasaki and on to South Korea. Photos should be up within hours. Big welcome for Queen Victoria here. Spent much of the morning at the Glover Garden - Thomas Blake Glover, from Scotland, lived here from 1859 till his death in 1911. He contributed to the introduction of modern science and technology into Japan. Along with the Walker brothers, he founded what is now Kirin Brewery Co. The afternoon was given to a tour of the Nagasaki Museum of History and Culture and to a walk in the Peace Garden.
Monday, March 2, 2009
at sea between Saipan and Nagasaki
Learning about waves from lecturer: Denny Whitford, PhD, Prof University of Maryland, Captain US Navy (ret.) Anybody know him? Good info and great presentation style. Watching out now for rogue waves.....
though a landlubber all my life, I am truly enjoying the sea. . . of course it’s beautiful, blue, and not stormy here!
,..meeting new people every day - at lunch today a couple who just emigrated to Australian from London . . . learned about Australia’s stringent requirements - financial, job, background! Also shared hope that Obama will be able to lead us all out of economic disaster. And after lunch met another woman who has discovered Ariel, super personal trainer.
NOW, out by the pool on an absolutely fabulous day. Wish I could send sunshine and warmth to friends at home in Pennsylvania, especially Beth Becker, who is helping me out at home and thus driving from Elizabethtown to Lancaster through rain, sleet, and snow.
though a landlubber all my life, I am truly enjoying the sea. . . of course it’s beautiful, blue, and not stormy here!
,..meeting new people every day - at lunch today a couple who just emigrated to Australian from London . . . learned about Australia’s stringent requirements - financial, job, background! Also shared hope that Obama will be able to lead us all out of economic disaster. And after lunch met another woman who has discovered Ariel, super personal trainer.
NOW, out by the pool on an absolutely fabulous day. Wish I could send sunshine and warmth to friends at home in Pennsylvania, especially Beth Becker, who is helping me out at home and thus driving from Elizabethtown to Lancaster through rain, sleet, and snow.
Saipan WWII
En route to Japan - as of 11:30 p.m. 3/2/09 (8:25 am New York time): we are located 21 degrees 37.41N and 139 degrees 46.79E.
Serious notes re Saipan: Bright skies and blue seas around here saw battles and death 65 years ago. Young boys, much like the writers whose letters to Dad I am documenting in Dear Coach, were put in jeopardy, sometimes died and sometimes were saved by luck along the way. Visiting Saipan affected me deeply. Being on the invasion beach, seeing the hills and then the cliffs. . . imagining as we pulled away from the island - instead of the Queen Victoria and a bunch of freighters, what it looked like in July 1944 with a flotilla of warships. .. Imagining the moments before men were sent onto the beaches. As Saipan and Tinian Island receded in the distance, I thought about the Enola Gay, which went from Tinian on this same route to Japan.
What an enormous tragedy (WWII).
During our sea day today I read John Ciardi’s diary of his time on Saipan; he wrote about the personal side of war - about the role of luck, the fear, the uncertainty, losing friends, the knowledge that one might die tomorrow. Ciardi noted the strangeness of going to sleep at night knowing you might die the next day. [He served on B-29s bombing Japan and Iwo Jima.]
And now in the world we have a world economic crisis. I have seen the closed stores and factories in Saipan. I heard the worries about jobs on Tonga, about the effect on business in New Zealand. On the ship I have heard concerns on the part of Canadians, Australians, Germans, English, and other world travelers when we get into our political discussion group or just in casual conversations. We have a world wide disaster that must be addressed with as much courage and unselfishness as WW II. Is it possible?
Serious notes re Saipan: Bright skies and blue seas around here saw battles and death 65 years ago. Young boys, much like the writers whose letters to Dad I am documenting in Dear Coach, were put in jeopardy, sometimes died and sometimes were saved by luck along the way. Visiting Saipan affected me deeply. Being on the invasion beach, seeing the hills and then the cliffs. . . imagining as we pulled away from the island - instead of the Queen Victoria and a bunch of freighters, what it looked like in July 1944 with a flotilla of warships. .. Imagining the moments before men were sent onto the beaches. As Saipan and Tinian Island receded in the distance, I thought about the Enola Gay, which went from Tinian on this same route to Japan.
What an enormous tragedy (WWII).
During our sea day today I read John Ciardi’s diary of his time on Saipan; he wrote about the personal side of war - about the role of luck, the fear, the uncertainty, losing friends, the knowledge that one might die tomorrow. Ciardi noted the strangeness of going to sleep at night knowing you might die the next day. [He served on B-29s bombing Japan and Iwo Jima.]
And now in the world we have a world economic crisis. I have seen the closed stores and factories in Saipan. I heard the worries about jobs on Tonga, about the effect on business in New Zealand. On the ship I have heard concerns on the part of Canadians, Australians, Germans, English, and other world travelers when we get into our political discussion group or just in casual conversations. We have a world wide disaster that must be addressed with as much courage and unselfishness as WW II. Is it possible?
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