Mumbai to Dubai

Mumbai to Dubai in four days

Our trip to the Taj Mahal began in Mumbai.

Thirty five trippers left the ship at noon by coach and after a tour of the city we left for the airport for a flight to Jaipur. Mumbai is quite a large city with extremes of rich and poor. The usual high end shops were in the main area of lovely old, well built buildings and the hovels and trash were on the outskirts. Traffic is a nightmare as we were to find throughout India once you approached any town or city. It was nothing to see three to four people on a small two stroke motor bike. It was not unusual to see a whole family, father driving, child sat in front on the tank and the mother holding a baby sat behind, often side saddle. These bikes were being driven at fast speeds and weaving in and out of traffic. The drivers wore helmets but non of the passengers had them. Very scary!

The question in our minds was, Slum Dog Millionaire, was this an exaggeration? Quick answer no! We saw for ourselves the mass of tiny shacks stacked against each other and stretching for miles as we drove over the bridges on our way to the airport. Shanghai looked much better than this and had an order to it we would never see in India.

Our guide told us the population of India was between 1.2 and 1.4 billion and it cost $100 million to even run a census. A new mouth to feed occurred every 3 seconds which meant that 25 million new Indians arrived every year or equivalent to the population of Australia. This birth rate meant that 55% of the population were younger than 35, the opposite of the situation in China. The problem was that most of these young people were out of work, as we would know it in the west, but lived on the black economy at subsistence level. This was made worse by the caste system which made it impossible to get anyone to clean up unless they were at the bottom of the totem pole. Worse, the government appeared to be indifferent to the situation.

The result of all this is a high population of beggars, street sellers, waifs and strays everywhere we went. The streets were teeming with people to a point where it was difficult to walk in a straight line anywhere. We weaved through people, cows, cars, motorbikes, trucks, and camels. In some places the monkeys ran along the roof tops peering in windows. Sometimes flocks of birds were mixed in and it was obvious that the line between humans and wild or domestic animals was completely blurred.

Our first visit in the journey was to Jaipur, We arrived at Jaipur airport aboard an Indian airways flight. The Maharaja of Jodhpur was sat in first class, we later found out. It was a good flight and a newer plane. We were served lunch which would have been nice except we could not eat wheat and most of the meal had wheat somewhere in it. We contented ourselves with some nuts and a gluten free power bar which we had in our bags.

Along the road to Jaipur, in our coach, the scenes hardly changed from what we had seen in Cochin. We would approach a village and see the same scene of men crouched over, mending a pile of shoes on the side walk, stripping tires and engines of trucks, cars and motor bikes, or operating a small market stall. Hundreds of decrepit but garishly painted trucks being loaded and unloaded with bricks, rice chaff, anything you can imagine. The oil tankers were old and filthy looking and numerous. Trucks being repaired exactly where they broke down. Traffic moving on either side of the road with no regard for lanes or the rules of the road.

We arrived at our ‘hotel’ set in a splendid park. It was one of the Palaces of the Maharaja of Jaipur originally, or as it turned out to be, his hunting lodge. It was made from marble throughout and extensive in size, with wonderfully landscaped gardens and peacocks strolling around. It was turned into a hotel in recent years but most of the splendor remains, or even upgraded, especially the plumbing probably. The theme was art deco and extravagantly done at that. We were greeted in reception with a Night Jasmine garland and a refreshing drink of cool Lychee juice. The customary red dot was placed on our foreheads and greeted with the word “Namaste“, meaning welcome. Everyone wore traditional dress, the women in beautiful saris and the men wore turbans and calf length coats over jodhpur type trousers. We felt a little scruffy among such splendor.

After a freshen up we had some time spare before dinner. Rob and I took a walk around the grounds and took many photos. We found an old train with carriages which used to carry the Maharaja and his guests from the lodge to his palace which was close by and still in use today. The carriages of the train are now being used as a restaurant and night club, named “Steam” We saw many birds and peacocks. The perfume of the flowers was very intense and made you feel quite heady in the warmth of the evening. We could here a noise of drums and music in the distance, so decided to investigate. It was coming from the front of the hotel where a group of people had congregated. In front of them were two elephants brightly painted and in full regalia, two camels and four lancers on horseback, equally dressed to the nines. The music was coming from a small group, also dressed in orange traditional dress, playing drums and pipes. We did not recognize anyone in the group and decided that it must be a private party. Slowly, the elephants began to move, followed by camels, lancers, band and group along the wide path to another area of the garden. In the meantime, large glass bowls were being laid out on another paved, raised path . These were half filled with water and red flowers were floating on top with a candle, lit, in the center. In the dusk it looked wonderful. Indian music began to fill the air and a dancer appeared. She gave a display of Indian dancing to anyone who wanted to listen and watch. On either side of this path were large lawns. Tables had been set and some were having dinner in the open air. Our meal was inside, in a private room, one of the many banquet halls.

Next day we drove inside the Pink City. This was created by a Maharajah to help the starving farmers during a three year drought. The city was set out in a planned development in approximately 1750. This was an example of planned public housing on the grand scale by a brilliant leader and planner. The buildings were made from local stone which is different shades of pink. The extensive structures consisted of long rows of three storey housing, shops, squares and a palace for the Maharajah. In one large square he had an observatory constructed with several sun dials of extraordinary accuracy and size. There were also marble structures which detailed the movement of the stars and planets and areas with columns for forecasting astrological data. It was very interesting and of special interest to the Indians who put great store on astrological forecasting for their position in the caste system. Although the caste system was officially abolished some years ago, in practice it still exists. This particular maharajah was a scholar of mathematics and a linguist. He may have been very rich and autocratic but one could admire him for the care of his subjects and his skill as a leader. What he created looked better than the ‘democratic’ India of today.

After lunch we set off for Agra which was a five hour coach journey. This took us through the rice growing area. The season had just ended and the fields were full of chaff which was spread around as fertilizer. The stalks of the rice were being gathered, bundled and left at the side of the road for anyone who wanted it. Many camel drawn trailers were involved in this. The main use of this product was fuel and brick making.

The fields gave way to brick making areas with high chimneys everywhere showing where the kilns were. Stacks of new, unbaked bricks were in abundance together with the baked goods. Trucks were arriving to take these away. As the coach proceeded the industry changed and we were soon in the stone cutting and dressing area.

Many small open air shops were along the roadway displaying their wares. These consisted of urns, arches, columns, large bowls, in fact anything you wanted. The stone in this area is a soft sandstone shaded from brick red to a light pink. It looks very pretty. As all these areas are far away from the main towns and cities the trash and traffic was less. However, the houses looked very tiny and consisted, in some cases, of no more than a hut, with a camel or buffalo sitting outside the door. Most of the houses looked like UK bus shelters, e.g. three sides and a roof in cement. Whether they had a pull down door or not we were not able to see. We did observe some funny driving, even in these rural areas. We were to make a stop at a “restaurant” or half way house for a comfort break. This place was on the opposite side of the dual carriageway. Instead of driving to the next cut through, the driver took the one before and drove up the wrong side of the dual carriageway to reach the restaurant. Luckily. There was not much traffic in the area. There were many gasps from people at the front of the bus. We also observed our coach overtaking a slow moving, heavily laden truck in the outside lane and a couple of cars used the hard shoulder to pass us all at the same time.

It was late afternoon when we reached Agra. It was busy and dirty. However, once again we were driven to a more secluded part of town and through guarded gates to experience yet another beautiful palace for the evening . This palace was black and white marble. It was different from Jaipur but just as grand. Another very good, buffet meal had been prepared and we were surprised, as we had been at Jaipur, that they were aware of gluten free diets and were very helpful in choosing which dishes we could eat. They offered Robert a special meal and he accepted while I enjoyed the faire that was offered. There were many dishes to choose from and four courses in all. We were promised gluten free toast for breakfast. I would love to be able to cook some of the dishes. They were so different and not too spicy. They were surprised and delighted when we asked for popadoms and mango chutney. They made the popadoms especially for us which we offered to others at the table. Some accepted, some refused without trying, some pulled their faces at everything that was offered.

Next day we had to be on the road for 5:00am. This was to see the sun rise over the Taj Mahal and avoid the heat and crowds. After a short coach ride and even shorter walk we were finally at the gates of one of the great wonders of the world. There was a line already formed and we had to line up, ladies on one side and gents on the other. This confused us but all was revealed once inside where we had to go through the electronic arch and be patted down. The ladies entered a tent like covering to be patted down but the men were done in the open.

Once through security, we collected around our guide and he explained the history of the Taj and also the walls surrounding it, which were made of the red stone and had its own story to tell. We walked up a ramp and through a tall stone gateway and there in front of us, in all its splendour stood theTaj Mahal. It was built for the wife of the Maharaja who died giving birth to their fourteenth child. This was his favourite wife and did great things for the people. He went into hiding for a long time and it is said that his hair was white when he returned. His life was not a happy one after this. One of his sons killed off the brothers who would inherit the title so that he would be the heir. He then beheaded the favorite son and served it to the Maharaja on a serving dish. This finished off the Maharaja and he resigned. The son then imprisoned him in a fort which had been built on the opposite side of the river from the Taj.

The Taj is as beautiful as described. Made of white marble embedded with precious and semi precious stones. We were surprised and delighted that you could enter the building and observe the intricate carvings and filigreed, marbled walls. We followed our guide around and he pointed out the details. Too soon we were back out and down the steep steps to the gardens in front. These are beautifully laid out. Now we were bombarded by local photographers eager to show us where Dianne had sat to have her photo taken. Many were queuing to repeat the picture for themselves which seemed strange for Indians to be doing this.

Once outside the red walls, we were harassed by hawkers trying to sell Taj Mahal replicas, probably made in China, books, pens, you name it. Children were used heavily in this, as were blind and crippled and young girls with babies over their shoulders all begging for something. It was very difficult to pass these people. Our guide had for warned us that the crippled children are often done by the parents at birth so that they could use them for begging. The women with the babies was another story. The babies would very often not be theirs. The babies would have been left in care while the mothers went to work. The babies, in turn, would be doped, to keep them from crying, and rented out to beg. It was horrible to watch. I would not have believed it but the film, ”Slum Dog Millionaire” confirmed that these practices were true.

We moved on to the fort, a massive structure making castles in the UK look like a toy fort, better yet it was in pristine condition. A moat surrounded the fort that was filled with water and hungry alligators in its day. Through the main gate over a drawbridge a long road rose up the main fort which twisted around to avoid the use of battering rams on the inner gate. The gates had long spikes protruding so that elephants could not be used to against the gate either. Smart thinking.

Inside the main fort was quadrangle of high walls. European looking stone window spaces but tiny peepholes pierced through. These where the quarters used by the Maharaja’s many wives and concubines. They could peer out but were not to be seen.

The large square contained gardens and fountains that could still be made to work as the water was drawn from the river into cisterns which fed the fountains through clay pipes which were still in good working order. The spouts were made of copper so they had not corroded away. Smarter than the Romans.

The stone work was of a very high standard and the decorations of the fort overall was marvelous and in great condition.

It was a sad place. The Maharaja, who was the builder of the Taj Mahal, was imprisoned at the end of the quadrangle by one of his sons. It overlooks the river valley and the Taj Mahal.. He died there contemplating the almost ruination of his empire by the cost of his creation and the death of most of his family. At the same time he left behind a monument that ranks as one of the seven wonders of the ‘New World’ and a must see on the bucket list.

Our visit to the Taj Mahal being over we returned to the hotel for a delicious lunch, then another five hour drive to Delhi. We experienced the same sites and road practices and trash in the towns. We observed a local bus pulling up in front of us. As the bus came to a halt, bottles, packages, etc, came flying though windows onto the sidewalk; they hit the wall and slid down into the ever growing pile of trash.

Arriving in Delhi we could see that there was hevy construction taking place for a new Metro. This covered miles. Along the building areas, houses and shops had been demolished and were in piles of rubble waiting to be taken away, we hoped. There were no pedestrian walkways available and we observed many people trying to cross the street while cars, etc., were whizzing by on diversions, temporary, makeshift roads, while the sacred cows lay among it all. Our coach weaved its way along, rolling and bumping, everyone tooting their horns until we finally reached the New Delhi area. There are two parts to Delhi, New Delhi and Old Delhi. They are one city. We had just come through the old part and had entered the new part built by the British during its occupation which ended in 1947. What a difference. We now have wide, manicured, central reservation on broad three lane dual carriageways. The buildings are large and impressive in their own grounds. They were built for the various embassies which are still housed in them. They were also used for the viceroy and the many people who lived here during the occupation. They must have had a ball. How they could live with the squalor on their doorstep is another matter and beats me.

Again, it was late evening and dark. We were taken to a 5 star hotel in the New Delhi area, thank goodness. We had a special private dinner waiting for us, after we had freshened up. It was on the top floor with a large patio area. A big sign outside the restaurant read “Closed, Private Party” It made us feel special. On the patio there was wine and appetizers of all descriptions and very tasty. When we were ready we could enter the restaurant where yet another magnificent buffet was laid. We certainly did not go hungry. One again the waiters were dressed in

traditional dress and we were greeted with the now familiar “Namaste”.

After dinner we retired as soon as we could. It had been a long day and we had to have our cases ready and outside in the lobby by 5:15am. This meant getting up even earlier so that we could use and re-pack everything. We had to remember that we could not take anything liquid etc., on the plane to Dubai. This meant searching and emptying purses of the necessary hand sanitizer, drinking water, etc. We had breakfast in the downstairs restaurant which was all set for us. We got our gluten free toast again and helped ourselves to the buffet. After breakfast we boarded our coach for a nice early morning tour of New Delhi finally arriving at the airport to board an Emirates flight. The plane was a Boeing 777, very new. It had a mist being sprayed from above to decrease the dryness. It felt good. The airline food was very good and we only had economy seats. We were given cloths to refresh ourselves and all beverages were free and you could have as much as you liked. The flight was very good and we soon found ourselves in Dubai.

Everything went well until we reached immigration. They didn’t like the look of our paper work. Rob and I, together with one other passenger were asked and escorted to a secure section. We asked again what the problem was and they reported that the computer stated we had already arrived the day before. I explained that they then had a problem as there were thirty five of us in the same party. They looked shocked. One story was that the ship, having arrived on the same day, had a number leaving the ship on a day tour. The ship forgot to mention that 35 of us were arriving from India by plane. Another story was that the port authority had stamped the ship’s arrival papers with the wrong date which put us, as stated, already in the country. After a two hour delay and a collection of passports to have the arrival date stamped, we were allowed to leave and get the coaches back to the ship. We all gave a big cheer when we entered the docks and passenger terminal. Everyone took in good humour except one or two who were hoping to get the trip cost refunded as compensation. Good Luck with that one.

I managed to get two nice photos in the secure room waiting for the rest of the group to file through immigration and be “arrested”. I told the three guys who were holding our passports, twiddling their thumbs and discussing what they were going to do about the problem, that they looked very smart and handsome and asked if I could take their picture. They swelled up with pride and with big smiles, arranged their head dresses, etc., and posed. Then an army officer arrived dressed in green with tons of braid everywhere. He looked disappointed that his picture had not been taken so asking his permission I had one taken by his side. He had smiles all over his face. What an experience.

As a last note we have to say that although India is a trash ridden place, the people themselves are very clean. Their clothes are clean and bright and how they do it is a miracle in itself. They are also very friendly and kind. They are eager to wave and smile as the coach goes by. They will point out a hazard and may even hold out an arm or hand to assist you. A nice experience.

Malaysia

Port Kelang March 25, 2010 for Kula Lumpur

Once again we were docking in a container port but this time we did have a passenger terminal, very modern. We had chosen to take a “Traditional Malaysian” tour. Our first stop was at a traditional Malaysian home. At first site it looked all jungle with palm and banana trees everywhere. However, walking down a pebbled path we came to a very austere looking, wooden building. What a surprise we got as we entered the home. Beautiful tiled floors, nicely decorated walls, good furniture and an upstairs which you approached via a stairway with a beautiful carved balustrade. Tables were set with nice white cloths and small plates, cups and saucers were at the ready. A variety of cakes had been prepared for us containing typical Malaysian fare. Trying to keep our gluten free diet going, we asked if wheat flour was an ingredient in any of the cakes. Eventually we found that we could eat three of the six varieties. One was shaped like the UK battered potato scallop but was made from fermented soy dipped in rice flour then deep fried. It was very tasty. Another was chopped dates and nuts with a rice pastry and a final one was a mixture of sweet fruits also wrapped in rice pastry. Brewed cold tea was the drink of the day which was very welcomed in the hot and very humid weather.

After refreshments we took a walk around the garden which was immense, more like a plantation. Many orchids, ferns, banana plants, mango trees, rubber trees and oil palms. It was more like a market garden. It seemed that all the neighbors had the same deal. The owners of the house were very old and had many children and grandchildren. These helped to tend the garden and sell the wares. One of the daughters in law helped with the tea and would return to her own home nearby. The guide told us that the houses were originally built on stilts for air conditioning purposes. In lower laying areas it was to prevent flooding. As the children of these families grew and found work they brought the money home and it improved the homes and living conditions. As the children married they would move off into their own homes or it could become an extended family home. There was no shortage of land.

The guide told us that the British planters brought the rubber trees from Brazil. The palm oil trees were already there. These two things, together with the tin mines, were the major industries. By the time the British left in 1957 rubber had given way to palm oil production. As we traveled along the road we were able to observe many areas of newly planted palm oil trees.

Leaving the house behind us, we traveled to Klang. This is a major industrial center. Malaya’s cars are built in this district together with many other industries including pharmaceuticals, oil refinery, cement plant, etc. The Blue Mosque is in Klang and it appears to be very beautiful. We could only observe it from a distance and part of the view was obscured by trees. Because of this, we could only photograph it through a space in a hedge.

From here we went to the Sultans Palace. This was a new kettle of fish. We were close in and the surrounding gardens are magnificent. We were not allowed inside the palace gates and there were guards outside to make sure we didn’t, something like the guards at Buck. Pal. There are nine Sultans with similar palaces each governing a state. A king, who serves for five years, is chosen by rote from this group. The tour continued to the town center bus station which was adjacent to little India where there is a market and stores. We stayed here for approx 30 mins. Robert and I took a short walk around the area and decided that we had had enough and retreated to the air conditioned bus.

On our return journey we saw many new high rise apartments being built together with the necessary malls. Along the shore there were resorts and hotels and new building in progress which appears to be new tourist areas.

Kuala Lumpur was a good distance away and others who had made the journey reported that it was a long ride, very hot and humid making us glad that we had taken the tour to Klang.

Singapore
We had to dock at the container terminal as the ship was too large to tie up at the passenger terminal. Visitors wanting to tour Singapore on their own were taken by shuttle bus to the passenger terminal. Those going on tours were able to board coaches already waiting on the dock side. We chose a traditional tour of the city hoping to see as much as possible.
Singapore is the world’s largest port as it handles the distribution of materials for most of Asia. The city was founded in 1819 by a clerk from the East India Company, Sir Stamford Raffles, as he became, a Scotsman who learned the local languages as a way to do business. He was smart and set out the development of the town to cater for the four distinct ethnic groups, probably to avoid conflict at that time, Malay, Chinese, Indian and Arab. These groups were a mixture of traders, merchants, craftsmen and workers.
The areas he designated are still there today. However, governmental policy is to mix them up, due to the day long riot between the Malays and the Chinese. These were so terrible that it gave everyone pause never to let this happen again
Gone are the swampy mangroves and jungle it is now a wonderful mix of high rises and stunning buildings, parks and treasured Sultan palaces and Victorian Government civic buildings, churches, Buddhist and Hindu temples and luxurious mosques. Lots of embassies near the orchid gardens and some very expensive houses.
First stop was the orchid gardens which were spectacular. It covers an area of three hectares which includes tropical foliage and water features such as fountains and small streams. Many rare orchids, over 1,000 species and 2,000 hybrids in various colours and sizes, plus ferns, magnificent hard wood trees, bamboo and foliage fill the park. There is a Cool House, which I must admit was a delight to enter to escape the heat. There is a constant cool mist for plants that grow in cooler climates like the high elevations of the tropics. The National Flower of Singapore is a Vanda orchid named Miss Joaquim. The orchid was first found in the garden of a Miss Agnes Joaquim in 1893.

We then visited the Sultan’s palace and learned how Raffles and the Malay Sultan made a treaty to allow the area to become a major trading center but allow the Sultan to keep some control. The Sultan’s Palace is now a museum with letters between Raffles and the Sultan together with photographs, sculptures, weapons and models of boats used in that period on display History reports that Singapore worked very well until the Japanese came in 1941 by way of Malaya.
A monument stands in the main park to remember the 50,000 residents killed by the Japanese. Similar monuments record the terrible treatment the captured allied prisoners received under the Japanese. Our Chinese tour guide made the pithy comment that they were from the Empire of the Rising Sun until it set in 1945.
We toured the town’s four districts and purchasing postcards in little India. In Chinatown we were guided through the markets finally visiting a museum created from a tailor’s shop that once housed several businesses and apartments. It had three floors of tiny rooms that housed sometimes as many as ten people to a room without windows. The rooms with windows cost more. The conditions were brutal. The passageways were very narrow and it took some doing for us to pass by each other. How the inhabitants managed to live and work under these conditions in amazing. The guide informed us that most of the people living here came from southern china where conditions were even worse. He had first hand knowledge of this and explained things in great detail. Most of this type of building has been demolished and replaced by government affordable housing. Lee Kuan Yew, the first prime minister of Singapore, instituted a rule whereby there was a mixed ethnic community created in every high rise housing development. There were quotas for each race. The official language is Malay but everyone speaks English, learned at school, or Singlish which is a dialect.
Before leaving the city for the ship we visited the largest hill in Singapore at 538ft., where we had a panoramic, bird’s eye view if the city. There are some amazing buildings in Singapore. They are trying to be the first and best at building the most unusual. One of the newest has three towers which has a huge platform overhanging the towers by hundreds of feet. Trees have been planted to give a look of a park in the sky. It also has swimming pools.


Thailand (used to be Siam)
We made two stops in Thailand, Laem Chabang, the port city for Bangkok, and an island off the mainland called Koh Samui, both very different places.
Laem Chabang a modern port of container handling and a cruise ship terminal and shopping facilities equivalent to any modern port stop. As the Japanese never attacked Thailand (as it had not been colonized by Europeans and it had a king?) the country had a settled look of planned growth and development. None of the frantic look of development and its associated litter and debris of clearing sites and abandoned fields and dwellings. Our tour buses were posh and with the necessary air conditioning the crews well dressed and very well organized.
We chose to take a tour to see a refuge for retired elephants in Pattaya rather than a shopping trip, or more temples. Bangkok was 3 hours away by coach and the ships captain gave out warnings about potential riots. Pattaya was only 20 miles and a good looking town with a beach front, fine hotels and resorts. Thailand is really open for tourist business.
We drove through the countryside past some really good looking new houses of the right size and shape for us to be interested in. Comparable with those we saw in Australia but newer and more modern looking. Some expensive looking temples and good landscaping completed the picture. The bus guide told us that the king was the longest serving monarch, he was 83 years old, had a son and heir and three daughter princesses. The royal family did a lot for their people, especially water projects, and creating business like jewelry making and promoting tourism.
As we approached the village we could see some elephants sheltering under trees. There are wild elephants in Thailand and they are protected. Thailand exports trained elephants to Burma to work in the rain forests, some are captured from this wild population, others are bred from the already trained stock. No-one wants one for a pet as they eat 300 kilos of food a day, including bananas by the bunch, sugar cane and other vegetables. Worse still, they feed at 2 am in the morning and their trainers have to get up to deal with this otherwise they eat everything they can. If the elephants get into a vegetable patch or orchard it is goodbye crop. Elephants will continue eating if they can. and drink 200 liters to wash it down.
We arrived at the elephant village which was very well laid out and the elephants, twenty of them, were there to greet us. We bought 2 kilos of bananas ($2) and started to feed them one at a time to our friendly elephant. We later saw the trainer pop in the whole bunch in one shot, crunch, crunch, swallow and it was gone. The same for a whole coconut.
We saw the elephants carry anyone willing to sit on their backs into the river. They submerged to a point where the riders were truly soaked but stayed on. It was very hot so we suspect that those willing from our tour welcomed the refreshing dip. We both declined.
A demonstration followed showing how strong these working elephants are. The females are preferred. Male elephants have a three month period where they are difficult to handle due to the mating period. Female Asian elephants do not have tusks another reason why they are preferred. The demonstration consisted of pulling very large, heavy logs in tandem, pushing and rolling logs forwards into a pile and various other working abilities. One elephant, small but not young, had been rescued from a circus. She had remembered many of her tricks which she was quite willing to show us. One particular trick impressed us. The translator asked for a member of the audience to hand him a money note. Receiving this, he threw it close to the elephant. The keeper then ordered the elephant to pick it up and hand it back. The elephant sniffed around to find the note, picked it up and then to our surprise handed it back to the person who had produced the note, not the translator or the keeper. The elephant then bowed to the appreciation of the audience. This continued with a large coin and two smaller ones, each time handing them back to the owners of the coins. As the ground was a soft dirt it would have been difficult for us to find the coins ourselves. It was amazing.
After the demonstration anyone wishing to take a ride, whether bareback or in a basket, on any of the elephants could do so. We also had demonstrations of how the elephant lies down on command for medical examination, and how the elephant lifts its front or hind leg to allow the handler to climb on. The elephants are only allowed to lie down for a short period as their huge size would overpower the heart. They sleep stood up.
Towards the end of the show the trainers brought in the large males who had enormous tusks. They were painted and dressed as war elephants as used in previous eras. So the trip became a super photo opportunity. 

Male war elephant dressed in its finery.

Koh Samui
We chose to have a day off from sightseeing here and elected to visit a beach resort. It was a good choice. It was a lovely place next to the beach. Everything had been laid out for the Cunard visitors. There were loungers and towels under very large umbrellas reserved on the beach as they were around the beautifully landscaped pool. A lunch had been arranged which consisted of many dishes of Thai food. It was excellent. Rob and I lazed around, swam in the pool and paddled in the warm sea. In fact for the first time we had ever encountered, the sea was warmer than the pool and the pool was warm. A truly memorable time.


Phuket (pronounced Pooket), Thailand

We had to take tenders from the ship to the town of Patong. Phuket is the largest island and is connected to the mainland by a bridge. The region is approx. 570 sq. miles made up of one large island and 39 smaller ones. The area was struck by the tsunami in 2004. Very little of the damage is obvious except for some isolated beaches where debris remains. More obvious signs of the tsunami we could see from the ship as we passed the island of Nicobar in the Andaman Sea on our way to India. Dead trees lined the shore from end to end killed by the sea water.

Back to Phuket. We landed on the jetty passing the typical low lying fishing punts with long pole motors on the back. These are very popular here as they can travel at speed in shallow water. The propeller enters the water about 10 feet past the end of the boat.

We were met by ten seater vans rather than coaches as the streets were narrow.

We were driven through the town to our resort, very much like the one on Koh Samui except we were not on a beach. The town was busy with many small stores and restaurants. It seems to be a lively and fun place for the young. We spent the morning and afternoon by the pool under an umbrella trying to keep cool in 101F heat and humidity. Lunch was Tia food and very tasty, with a cool Tia beer very good. We both spent and enjoyed time in the pool. The resort was attractive by any standard with great landscaping. There were many of these resorts and hotels along the main road. It would not seem possible for these to have been built in the space of time since Boxing day 2004.

Phuket is lovely but we did not see its main attractions. On the east side, small steep sided islands rise out of the sea like towers with trees on top. The islands are made of lime stone. They are cut through with caves forming sea lagoons in the centre. Local Thailand people, known as sea gypsies, scale the cliffs and collect the birds nests for bird nest soup. This dish is so highly prized the Tia’s get $1000/lb for the nests as they are so hard to find.

It is possible to hire sea going canoes to visit these islands and camp on the beaches. For young people this would make a fantastic holiday. It is a truly beautiful place and apart from Halong bay in Vietnam,, a unique environment. I hope some of you get a chance to see it first hand, but beware it is hot!

We returned to the boat and jumped in the shower to cool down. We watched the sail away from our balcony and were treated to a spectacular lightning storm over the hills of Phuket away on the main land. We had dinner with the Chief Engineer at his request where we had a lively discussion on a range of topics with the other guests.

Saigon

Saigon now Ho Che Min City

The Vietnam war ended in 1975 and the new regime took over using Hanoi in the north as the capital of Vietnam, a nation of some 40 or more ethnic groups. Conquests of Vietnam included Chinese occupation for 1000 years followed by the French, then the Japanese in WW11. A split occurred after the country was liberated from the Japanese and the French returned until 1954 when French forces were soundly beaten at Dien Bien Pu. The country was divided between North and South.

War came tragically again in the 60’s which ended in 1975 after the US pulled out from supporting the South and the Communist forces reunified the country. So what is it like now?

Well surprise, surprise, visitors and trade are very welcome. the Vietnamese people we met were cheerful, polite (even the street sellers) and hospitable. No rancor considering the terrible turmoil the country has been through. They are now in a massive catch up quick race with China.

It is like China in many respects, building is going on everywhere. We rode the highway from Phu Mai, the port where we tied up, to the center of Saigon and saw houses being torn down to make compartment blocks and new roads. Thousands of cranes, bulldozers, earth movers, heavy trucks and all the apparatus for making roads, bridges, civic projects and apartments were parked on dirt lots ready for employment. Occasionally we saw rubber plantations, rice paddies (three crops a year in this location), narrow, tall 3-4 storey houses left by the French. Apparently the price of land is houses were very high for building, so the houses had a frontage of 15-20 feet but were built back 100 -150 feet. Road frontage must have been the issue and that appears to be the case still with the new ones going up.

So after forty miles of bumpy dusty highway we came into the lovely city of Saigon.

Some interesting statistics.

Population of Vietnam 88 million. Population of Saigon, its biggest city, 8+ million. Number of motorcycles on the roads 4 million and counting. The impact is overwhelming. At every city road junction 50 -60 motorcycles are lined up to cross the traffic which does not stop. So the amazing feats of slow weaving of the traffic is a sight to see. Only a special feature of the Asian temperament could allow this to work. It could not happen in Europe. I have seen it done in Rome and it is lethal to pedestrians but it works in Saigon. Most of the motorcycles are 100 cc Hondas, one or two Harleys per 1000.

We took lots of pictures and video as it was so interesting, a mixture of ancient Vietnam, French colonial buildings. The cathedral, Notre Dame, the post office, opera, museums and government buildings and luxurious hotels are examples. Today, the entry of the global enterprises like Mac Donald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken etc. You would be surprised how many 7 elevens we counted. Sheila has deciede the seven wonders of the world today are; MacDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Burger King, Starbucks, Jack in a Box, Pizza Hut, and 7 eleven. they are everywhere even on the small island resorts like Ko Samui. Back to Saigon, The Gucci’s, Versace and all the high end overpriced stuff are there. The five star hotel chains, French and American are there too. Apart from the Vietnamese road and business signs we could be in any European city looking upwards, but at ground level we see pedestrians in the shallow conical sun hats traditional in this part of Asia and no fat Vietnamese people-----yet! One other thing of note, the young people of Saigon are very good looking, no beggars or pan handlers and everyone seems to have something to do.

The bus stopped in the square opposite Notre Dame, dodging the motorbikes and went into the post office. A magnificent French building great mosaic floors, lovely wood furniture and telephone kiosks, great looking tunnel ceiling. How did this survive? Could it be that the Vietnamese are more civilized than their colonizers? And so it was with all the civic buildings. We saw the presidential palace where the last South Vietnamese president lived and worked behind a park like enclosure. Two Russian tanks were in the grounds, the same tanks that crashed the gates in 1975. The buildings are now a museum and any damage from the war has been repaired.

The written language of Vietnam uses a 24 letter Roman characters, no W and no Z. During the French colonial period the French helped the Vietnamese transcribe their language from Chinese characters to the Roman characters of most of the European languages. Although the Chinese helped the North during the war and the two countries are friendly. The Vietnamese are a little wary of China due to their shared history. They are developing as a nation and like it that way. Vietnam was the only Asian country to liberate itself from the Japanese and yet to suffer the indignity of having the captured Japanese forces used as policemen over them by the Allies until the French returned.

Then with that behind us we went to see the museum of Vietnamese history and culture.

The exhibits were catalogued in both French and Vietnamese. The artifacts varied as they country has 40 or so different ethnic groups from the islands, jungle, hill country, delta and mangrove swamps that make up Vietnam today.

The biggest treat was a show of water puppets held in the museum. This show used water puppets manipulated on long poles hidden under the water and operated from a curtained both. Dragons, crocodiles, mermaids and princesses appeared from behind the curtain and cavorted in the water. Mainly for children, but it got a lot of attention from the granddads and grandmas on the cruise as they videoed the heck out of it to show later at home to their grandchildren.

We moved on to the temples. Religions are very tolerant in this part of the world. Buddhist temples for example have other deities and shrines and marriage between various religious partners is fine as far as they are concerned. All have some feature of ancestor worship. It always seems to involve lots of smoke and burning things so although the temples are splendid to look at we were glad to take a picture or two and get out.

We went to a banquet in one of the fine hotels set up by Cunard The food was great with much more than you could possibly eat and the choices were stunning even by Cunard’s standard. There were all kinds of fish and meat dishes, curries, Chinese dishes, vegetables, fruit, soups, rice dishes, noodles and barbequed everything. To add to these delights we were treated to some traditional Vietnamese music and dancing. The young women dancers were beautiful and graceful and the musicians really good with their instruments in making melodious music. After the show we visited the Rex hotel where all the war correspondents stayed during the Vietnam war. Very lovely cool place undamged apparently unlike the situation in Bagdad I believe.

We were impressed with Saigon and would like to see Halong Bay and Hanoi some day. Vietnam will be a major holiday destination soon if it isn’t already and a country to invest in. Probably more tolerant a society than any we have seen so far.

And so back to the ship by bus. Light dinner for us as we were packed from the banquet and on to a show. Tough life, this.

Laem Chabang and elephants in Thailand coming up next.

Sh

Shanghai

Shanghai is situated on the Yangtze river which the Chinese call Huangpu river about 40 miles from the sea. As the docks lie along the river from the mouth to Shanghai they are the second largest in the world after Singapore.

We docked amongst miles of derricks and stacked shipping containers as far as the eye could see. We took a one hour bus ride into Shanghai passed masses of new high rise apartments and crumbling ‘pigeon houses’. These house were given that name by the Chinese as they were so small and cramped. They originally housed the poor of Shanghai during colonial times. Shanghai has a horrible history and remnants of it still show.

So we approached the city through the network of intertwined roads over passes and tunnels that made LA look like a village. The building buildings became more and more impressive and luxurious. Unfortunately it was misty so the full panorama could not be appreciated as some on our tour were to find out when they went to the top of the tallest building in China at 1500 ft. It is called the Oriental Pearl Tower situated in the down town area.

We took a different tour in the Yu Yuan district of Shanghai, or old town as it is known. In the midst of markets, malls, arcades, peep shows and much crowded and jostling space we were taken to the Gem of Shanghai in my opinion.

Yu Yuan the park was begun in 1559 (Queen Elizabeth the first to put it perspective) by a Ming dynasty official called Pan Yunduan. He build it to honour his parents, the wealthy Pans. After WW11 the government turned the palatial estate into a park and restored the buildings and landscaping into a real gem we can see today. We took lots of pictures and listened to the legends and stood in awe at bridges and pools full of Koi, the temples, libraries, and art galleries and other treasures. If you visit Shanghai this is a must see.

Next we visited the Jade Buddha Temple. famous for its white Jade reclining Buddha it was built in 1882 when a Chinese monk brought the figure from Burma. It was made from a single piece of highly prized pure white Jade and weighs a ton. We were allowed to photograph this as it was not the original but a copy made in cheaper material. The original was destroyed by the People’s Revolutionary Guards. Save us from the zealots!

The other venerated Buddha images in this complex were to sacred to photograph as they were original. Weird isn’t it?

Back to boat by bus it was getting colder and fog seemed to creep in along the river. After dinner we still hadn’t sailed away. No news from the bridge. After the show we were still tied up, the customs officials had departed, the gangplank withdrawn and the ship was in port but locked down. The captain explained that the pilot station was closed on the river due to fog and we would sail as soon as the pilot station reopened.

So all Sunday we sat in a miserable foggy dock while the chances of visiting Halong Bay and Hanoi receded. Early Monday morning we cautiously sailed along the Yangtze river joking about the Amethyst a British warship that had to fight its way out of the Yangtze in the 50’s over a cheerful breakfast. It turned out the Chinese did their best for us and we were the first of many ships to clear the channel.

And so to sea for four days as the weather changed from a force 8 gale to force 4 and then to warmer and calmer water as we made our way to Saigon. Interestingly the force 8 gale was coming at us from the stern so the pitch of the ship was minimal but the slow role did get to some people. We managed to go to five shows, three balls where we danced more than any time in the last five years, three dance classes and a 12 trips round the deck walk. I think Sheila is better! So life on or off the ship suits us well. Buy a ship?