We arrived in Vietnam with overcast skies and 85% humidity! My roommate and I had nothing planned and decided to pack our bags and head out. Our ship is 20 minutes from the city so we took a cab into town and as soon as we stepped out our lives flashed before our eyes because of the oncoming traffic of vespas/mopeds/scooters. Motorbikes overpopulate Vietnam like rickshaws overpopulate India. Dads would drive while one child stood in front of him and mom sat on the back holding the baby-crazy! When you cross the street (we cross with locals as our shields) you just walk like there are not hundreds of motorized bikes about to run you over, and they simply swerve around you. They don't even have stoplights on most streets, driving is like an art here.
So, we spent our day walking around gawking at the thousands of people and shops. Each street is like a different section of a department or grocery store. Baby products all together down one "Nyguen" (just a popular name of a street I observed), food on another street, women's clothing on another, shoes, etc. on and on. SO MUCH STUFF!! We found a silk store and decided to have a few dresses made for super cheap. We brought in designs and they took our measurements and told us to be back in 3 days-after much stress they turned out pretty nice!
After a while we decided that we wanted to get out of Ho Chi Minh City so we walked into a "Vietnam Airways" office and booked flights to Hanoi up north. Around 9:30 pm we flew there and stayed in a cheap hotel where we were picked up the next morning by a tour guide we booked. Her name was "Ha" and she was the sweetest little Vietnamese woman who laughed at us all the time.
Lindsay (my roommate) and I got on a 3 hour bus ride early in the morning with Ha and a bunch of other tourists, we were going to Halang Bay. We were definitely a lot younger than everyone, but became friends with them quite fast. People from all over: Brazilians, Belgians, Australians-they were all a blast!
When we arrived in Halang Bay we moved into our hotel which is called a "Junk Boat." Basically a very small, floating hotel. For the next day and a half we were served meals and taken around the beautiful bay (which was very foggy most of the time but still great). We got to kayak and go to a huge cave somewhere out in the area.
Halang Bay is now being voted upon for the new Wonders of the World, and it was definitely beautiful and serene enough-just a little too polluted. There are villages of people who live in floating houses out in the middle of the bay. The kids are picked up in a boat everyday for school and a grocer comes out daily to sell his goods. I cannot even imagine living like this. It is very interesting and cool, but all of the trash that gets thrown into the water is damaging the scene.
Our time out there was absolutely amazing; between the beauty of the world to the amazing people we met, every second was great. At the end of our bus ride back to Hanoi everyone was being dropped off at their hotels, which Lindsay and I didn't have. So, we just yelled stop when we saw a tourist information place, waved goodbye to everyone while they laughed and gawked at us for being so crazy and jumped off. We bought tickets back to Ho Chi Minh City and hung around Hanoi until our flight, which we made with 10 minutes until takeoff (long story, ask if you want to know later).
The last few days in Vietnam I spent around Ho Chi Minh City. One day Lindsay and I spent as a pampering day getting hot stone massages, facials, manicures and pedicures (all for around $75 US). I visited a local elementary school with over 1600 Vietnamese children. They were the cutest, most excited-to-see-us kids ever! "Hello-what-is-your-name?" Is what they repeated over and over again. Things I was shocked about at the school: how many kids there were, the penmanship of all the children was exactly the same and perfect (something they are trained for years on), and how well some of them could speak in English. The classes were very large with about 40 kids to one classroom, but they all had uniforms and school materials. Oh and one other interesting thing was they had toothbrushes for everyone to use after EVERY meal.
I am sure you are all wondering how I could go to Vietnam and not visit any historical sites, tunnels or anything. Well I did; I went to a Vietnam War Memorial/Museum on my last day and quite honestly I don't know what to say about it. There are two sides to every story, and their side is unbelievable, heartbreaking, stomach-wrenching. This country has had the friendliest people I have met so far around the world and I don't understand why. I really am speechless.
Overall Vietnam was my favorite. I learned so much about the people and the history of my country and their country. The food was amazing (now that I am ten pounds heavier from only this port), people were the most amicable I have ever encountered and the sites were beautiful. What else can you ask for? I can't wait to come back!
FUN FACTS:
-7 Million people live in Ho Chi Minh alone (3.5 ride motorbikes)
-the US dollar is accepted everywhere
-1600 Dong = $1 US
-Viet means people
-Nam means south
-although rice fields cover much of the land their largest export is crude oil
Monday, March 31, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Singapore!
March 20, 2008
We woke up and caught a flight to Singapore this morning. Not only was the flight amazing, but the Singapore Airport was unreal! It is the only airport in the world that has a golf course and a pool in it. It also had every designer store in the world and was huge. People actually go there 6 hours ahead of time just to hang out and shop around. Ridiculous.
Our tour bus drove us around with a great guide telling us about all of the buildings and tons of world records that Singapore has (and seems to be obsessed with). Seriously by the end of the trip everything our guide would say we just added "in the world" to it because it fit.
This is the cleanest country I have ever seen. There are a ton of weird laws like you cannot chew gum; therefore gum is not sold in ANY gas station, grocery store- no where. You cannot have food on the trains. No walking on the grass. No littering. If you are caught with or using marijuana or any other drugs you are executed by hanging. Because there are so many laws, everywhere is so clean and you feel so safe, but slightly nervous that at any point you could be doing something illegal. I never thought that I could live in a big city, but if I could afford it I would live here.
This brings up a huge point of how expensive this place is. Alcohol has a 100% tax on it, cars have at least 100 but up to 200% tax, clothes, food, everything is unbelievably overpriced and then have a huge tax on top of it. Even the taxis look to be cheap but as soon as you pull out the money to pay a $3 charge is automatically added.
We took a boat ride around the harbor and got to see more of the city. One stop was at the "Raffles Hotel" where the very first settlers to Singapore landed. It is supposed to be a very nice and expensive hotel but didn't seem like anything special to me. We got tea and chocolate mousse cake which my roommate, who is a chocolate fiend, finished in minutes and I could only eat half of. Then we went to a silver factory where they make money trees!! It was cool to see it be done but too expensive to buy anything. After checking into our hotel we had the night to ourselves so Lindsay and I walked around town to see all of the shops and malls. We ate at a Hokra I think it is called, where there are just tons of different stands of native foods. Then we went out to the clubs.
Now I am not much of a club person but this place was crazy! It was like a big bubbled-in strip of all different types of clubs. Egyptian, Chinese, Fashion- every genre you can think of. There was one called "The Clinic" where you sat in wheelchairs and your drinks came in IV tubes that you drank out of (seriously crazy). We just walked around going from place to place for a while in shock at how different it was. We had heard that Singapore is one of the top 5 countries in the world for nightlife, shopping and fine dining, but this was insane. I cannot imagine what the other places are like.
March 21, 2008
Today we went to Sentosa island by way of a gondola. Everything is so lush and green here. The island was very pretty and we got to see pink dolphins perform tricks. It was very hot and humid so you can imagine my hair. We went to an aquarium where we could pet sharks, stingrays and other sea creatures. A ride around the beautiful city and we were dropped back off at Vivo City Center Mall which is huge and so overwhelming with tons of people (little Asians). We shopped went back to the hotel, napped and went out for a crazy night at the clubs.
The next day we woke up just in time for lunch and went to the airport, we spent the day traveling back to Malaysia and didn't do anything too special. And our last day in Malaysia I spent sick in bed, I don't know why I seem to be getting sick so often but it sucks. It will be a four day trip on the ship on our way to Vietnam!
Singapore Fun Facts:
-currency: the Singapore Dollar 1.3 = $1 US
-boasts Asia's highest standard of living after Japan
-huge fines for many crimes, including not flushing a public toilet
Malaysia Fun Facts:
-Malaysia Currency: 3.16 Ringgits = $1 US
-Muslim is the main religion
-Extreme diversity of Malays, Chinese, Japanese, Islamics
Sorry if I repeated some stuff! LOVE YOU ALL AND MISS YOU SO MUCH. Oh and please don't leave comments on my blog it is too hard to check just email me (brit0073@aol.com)
We woke up and caught a flight to Singapore this morning. Not only was the flight amazing, but the Singapore Airport was unreal! It is the only airport in the world that has a golf course and a pool in it. It also had every designer store in the world and was huge. People actually go there 6 hours ahead of time just to hang out and shop around. Ridiculous.
Our tour bus drove us around with a great guide telling us about all of the buildings and tons of world records that Singapore has (and seems to be obsessed with). Seriously by the end of the trip everything our guide would say we just added "in the world" to it because it fit.
This is the cleanest country I have ever seen. There are a ton of weird laws like you cannot chew gum; therefore gum is not sold in ANY gas station, grocery store- no where. You cannot have food on the trains. No walking on the grass. No littering. If you are caught with or using marijuana or any other drugs you are executed by hanging. Because there are so many laws, everywhere is so clean and you feel so safe, but slightly nervous that at any point you could be doing something illegal. I never thought that I could live in a big city, but if I could afford it I would live here.
This brings up a huge point of how expensive this place is. Alcohol has a 100% tax on it, cars have at least 100 but up to 200% tax, clothes, food, everything is unbelievably overpriced and then have a huge tax on top of it. Even the taxis look to be cheap but as soon as you pull out the money to pay a $3 charge is automatically added.
We took a boat ride around the harbor and got to see more of the city. One stop was at the "Raffles Hotel" where the very first settlers to Singapore landed. It is supposed to be a very nice and expensive hotel but didn't seem like anything special to me. We got tea and chocolate mousse cake which my roommate, who is a chocolate fiend, finished in minutes and I could only eat half of. Then we went to a silver factory where they make money trees!! It was cool to see it be done but too expensive to buy anything. After checking into our hotel we had the night to ourselves so Lindsay and I walked around town to see all of the shops and malls. We ate at a Hokra I think it is called, where there are just tons of different stands of native foods. Then we went out to the clubs.
Now I am not much of a club person but this place was crazy! It was like a big bubbled-in strip of all different types of clubs. Egyptian, Chinese, Fashion- every genre you can think of. There was one called "The Clinic" where you sat in wheelchairs and your drinks came in IV tubes that you drank out of (seriously crazy). We just walked around going from place to place for a while in shock at how different it was. We had heard that Singapore is one of the top 5 countries in the world for nightlife, shopping and fine dining, but this was insane. I cannot imagine what the other places are like.
March 21, 2008
Today we went to Sentosa island by way of a gondola. Everything is so lush and green here. The island was very pretty and we got to see pink dolphins perform tricks. It was very hot and humid so you can imagine my hair. We went to an aquarium where we could pet sharks, stingrays and other sea creatures. A ride around the beautiful city and we were dropped back off at Vivo City Center Mall which is huge and so overwhelming with tons of people (little Asians). We shopped went back to the hotel, napped and went out for a crazy night at the clubs.
The next day we woke up just in time for lunch and went to the airport, we spent the day traveling back to Malaysia and didn't do anything too special. And our last day in Malaysia I spent sick in bed, I don't know why I seem to be getting sick so often but it sucks. It will be a four day trip on the ship on our way to Vietnam!
Singapore Fun Facts:
-currency: the Singapore Dollar 1.3 = $1 US
-boasts Asia's highest standard of living after Japan
-huge fines for many crimes, including not flushing a public toilet
Malaysia Fun Facts:
-Malaysia Currency: 3.16 Ringgits = $1 US
-Muslim is the main religion
-Extreme diversity of Malays, Chinese, Japanese, Islamics
Sorry if I repeated some stuff! LOVE YOU ALL AND MISS YOU SO MUCH. Oh and please don't leave comments on my blog it is too hard to check just email me (brit0073@aol.com)
Thursday, March 20, 2008
PICTURES (finally)!!
Just another day on the ship with my friends (Lindsay H. Caroline Lindsay W. and ME! left to right)
Traveling can be slightly stressful at times...
Just another day in class or Paradise!
My other friend named Lindsay and I in Mauritius!
My roommate Lindsay and I!!
A night on the town in Cape Town, South Africa!
Sea Olympics! We are all in our sea colors!
We just hiked Table Mountain and struggled very much on the way up.
Carnaval (this is from a while ago) ONE CRAZY NIGHT!
Outside of a Sikh temple with the girls!
The Taj Mahal!!! UNREAL!
SAFARI TIME!!! (My friend Lauren and I)
Just to let you know what is to come from my pictures-I took this!
Don't worry I am in a Starbucks in Singapore using the free wifi internet that some Asian man let me use his log in account for!! Now that you can all see that yes I have gained my chubby weight back and I love it!! Not really but traveling the world isn't really the time to diet (I do my best though).
Today we got to Singapore the flight was great, as usual for foreign airlines. We toured around the city and learned that they love to break world records here and basically do what they have to to win! (Like making up a minister job for the prime minister when he got too old so he could get named the longest man to be minister in the world)! They have the world's largest ferris wheel too! We went to this hotel that is super expensive called the Raffle Hotel. It was founded by the first man to come to Singapore which is what makes it special. Other than that it wasn't too exciting. We ate at this large, outdoor food-court type place which was really yummy. Oh and we made a stop at some metal factory that makes these cool "money trees" (so it does grow on them dad)!
Malaysia!
March 19 2008
We arrived this morning in Malaysia, but did not wake up until around 11:00 because it took so long to get the ship cleared and all of the SAS trips got to leave first. This is a very difficult port because we aren't actually anchored to the island (due to construction) so we use our lifeboats (tenders) to leave the ship and get to land. It is a pain.
We got to land and started walking around aimlessly. We haven't really learned much about Malaysia yet so we weren't sure what to do or even what to look for. So we just walked in the humid heat. After beads of sweat started to take over our chipper moods we found sanctuary in a tea house. The woman suggested we get a "fragrance" tea and showed us how to pour everything into the multiple dishes and let the tea steep (very different than just using a tea bag). Excited to be so cultured we took big gulps and nearly spit it out on each other- I thought I had just bit into a lilac bush. It was very potent and absolutely disgusting. We couldn't drink anymore so we went back to the street.
A few more minutes in the heat and we desperately looked for air conditioning, which we found in one of the world's worst museums. There were old typewriters, desks, random pictures from around the city. Some signs were in English, but they weren't very informative. Annoyed we headed back to the ship.
We were a little lost and happened to find a tourist information center. We went inside and plopped into chairs as the men laughed at us. We looked through some pamphlets and asked how long it would take to get places and how much it would cost. One of the men offered to drive us to a chocolate factory and we took him up on it.
The "Chocolate Boutique" it was called- we got to sample every single kind of chocolate and coffee that they had. These coffees were better than any Cafe Au Lait, Kona coffee or Starbucks. The chocolates up there with France, Italy and Swiss chocolates. Don't worry I bought tons mom and dad!! When it got to the point of almost puking we had our new designated driver, Dawood, bring us to a few Buddhist temples.
They were absolutely gorgeous with the most amazing woodwork/carvings I have ever seen all over the place. Lots of Buddah statues and paintings with bright colors and a really cool wishing-well/pond!
Dawood brought us to another chocolate face and a hand-painted cloth place then we went back to the port. We ate dinner on the ship and are calling it a night so we can be refreshed for our flight to Singapore in the morning!
We arrived this morning in Malaysia, but did not wake up until around 11:00 because it took so long to get the ship cleared and all of the SAS trips got to leave first. This is a very difficult port because we aren't actually anchored to the island (due to construction) so we use our lifeboats (tenders) to leave the ship and get to land. It is a pain.
We got to land and started walking around aimlessly. We haven't really learned much about Malaysia yet so we weren't sure what to do or even what to look for. So we just walked in the humid heat. After beads of sweat started to take over our chipper moods we found sanctuary in a tea house. The woman suggested we get a "fragrance" tea and showed us how to pour everything into the multiple dishes and let the tea steep (very different than just using a tea bag). Excited to be so cultured we took big gulps and nearly spit it out on each other- I thought I had just bit into a lilac bush. It was very potent and absolutely disgusting. We couldn't drink anymore so we went back to the street.
A few more minutes in the heat and we desperately looked for air conditioning, which we found in one of the world's worst museums. There were old typewriters, desks, random pictures from around the city. Some signs were in English, but they weren't very informative. Annoyed we headed back to the ship.
We were a little lost and happened to find a tourist information center. We went inside and plopped into chairs as the men laughed at us. We looked through some pamphlets and asked how long it would take to get places and how much it would cost. One of the men offered to drive us to a chocolate factory and we took him up on it.
The "Chocolate Boutique" it was called- we got to sample every single kind of chocolate and coffee that they had. These coffees were better than any Cafe Au Lait, Kona coffee or Starbucks. The chocolates up there with France, Italy and Swiss chocolates. Don't worry I bought tons mom and dad!! When it got to the point of almost puking we had our new designated driver, Dawood, bring us to a few Buddhist temples.
They were absolutely gorgeous with the most amazing woodwork/carvings I have ever seen all over the place. Lots of Buddah statues and paintings with bright colors and a really cool wishing-well/pond!
Dawood brought us to another chocolate face and a hand-painted cloth place then we went back to the port. We ate dinner on the ship and are calling it a night so we can be refreshed for our flight to Singapore in the morning!
Monday, March 17, 2008
HOLY COW(S) in INDIA!!!
March 11, 2008
From the minute I woke up I could smell the burnt trash smell that comes along with the country. The outside decks were covered with plastic because of all the pollution, dirt and dust in the air. Cardboard was duct taped down on the carpeted areas... a great first impression.
We arrived in Chennai this morning and it took the ship a long time to be cleared by customs, security, etc. so everyone was frenzied and running around like mad people trying to make their plane flights. I had an afternoon flight and our bus took off on the crazy streets with lines in the road that no one pays any attention to. Horns are used as blinkers, friendly reminders and for no reason at all. The ride to the airport was a good introduction to the way all of India was going to look from here on out: trash everywhere in the streets, sidewalks, fields. Dirty kids in clothes that looked to be weeks old begging on the streets. People "relieving" themselves in fields right next to the road. Goats, pigs, cows and monkeys randomly all over. And, mosquitos of course!
The plane ride to Delhi was 2.5 hours and accompanied by the nicest airline attendants ever. We were handed cold, scented towels during takeoff to clean up with. A full meal, followed by tea and then candies and mints to finish. The US has some serious work to do.
Our hotel was absolutely beautiful and had a bunch of shops in it so we spent the afternoon buying fun stuff! All of our meals were included with our hotels. The spicy Indian food was a great change from ship food and surprisingly very tasty. I especially liked the desserts (no surprise there)! It was a late night and the beds were amazing!
March 12, 2008
4:00 AM wake up call! Tea at 4:30 and on the bus at 5:00. We were dropped at the train station which was already filled with venders and travelers... our first experience with being mauled by venders which was overwhelming for so early in the morning and not expecting to have to fight our way through a station which was apparently shelter to a ton of homeless people that sleep on the hard cement ground. Our train ride was 2 hours to Agra, we arrived at our hotel by 8:00 AM and served breakfast then went to an old fort of a Mongolian King.
The King had 3 wives and the only one who gave him a son was the Hindu one therefore she was the favored wife (he already had a bunch of girls). Everywhere in India men are favored over women. It is a huge problem here because there are so many gender-selected abortions and the gender ratio is terrible which leaves men unmarried and therefore lower in the caste system. Anyway this king made three different chambers in his fort for each wife and the Hindu one was the biggest and most beautiful. Everything was very weathered down and the most impressive part was how large the fort was.
After lunch we asked to be brought to a market and our tour guide brought us to a place where the locals buy their clothes and products-not exactly what we were going for. We were gawked at and haggled by beggars and felt very uncomfortable.
Just to make it clear when I say that there are poor people this is what it looks like: at least two of the people are deformed in some way, either with elephantitis feet, spine deformities, or the most common which people dont have feeling or control of their legs so they use their arms to get around and drag themselves on the ground. Everyone is very dirty and the kids just scream to get your attention and then put their hands to their mouths or make the gesture of a pen, comb or toothbrush. The things we take for granted. All they want is a pen to play with and we stand there with our digital cameras and take pictures. -If i would have known I would have brought a Costco sized bin of Bic Pens to make these children happy. These people poop on the street and the students on my bus complain about having to move all of their stuff into their new apartments when they get home. Some of them will never realize how fortunate they are to have STUFF to move into a HOUSE.
The entire country is so trashed I just dont understand. Who started this throwing of the trash and where did they get the idea that it would be okay. The air is so dirty my snot is black. Students from the ship have to take their inhalers all day long because they cannot breathe through this air. Who is to blame and what can be done?
March 13, 2008
The big day. We started early again, 6:00 AM and went to a different fort called the Agra Fort, it was much bigger and much more beautiful than the one we saw yesterday. Stone and marble walls with intricate designs carved into every crevice you could see. The man who built the Taj Mahal was imprisoned by his grandson and kept in this fort until he died (8 years). They imprisoned him because he wanted to build another building to mirror the Taj and he was using up all of the city's money.
Now it was time for one of the seven wonders of the world: the Taj Mahal! The security is very tight, they frisk you down and wont allow anything but cameras. As you walk through a large arch the Taj becomes more visible through the cloudy day and gave me the chills. It didn't seem possible that I could actually be looking at one of the most beautiful buildings in all the world. I can't believe it only took 22 years to build with how much work was put into it. The inside is not nearly as special as the outside. It is dark and small. The tombs are chambered behind tall marble walls. The outside could have been stared at for hours. There really is no way to explain how extravagant this place is. No words, no pictures, nothing can do the Taj Mahal justice except for seeing it itself. The vibe was so serene and although it is a tomb only good vibes came from the love that was put into it.
After lunch we went to Mother Theresa's Ashram to visit the orphan kids. We knew it was going to be sad, but we showed up with stickers and crayons hoping for the best. Nothing could have prepared us for what we saw. One section was for older people with downs-syndrome and other forms of retardation, the other section was for the children. The sick, deformed, diseased poor and orphaned children. We dont see people like this in the states because they are kept in places specially for them, these people have nowhere else to go. The nuns watch over them with loving-care, but that is not enough. There may not be cures for everything, but their coughs and sniffles need more. The back room had the children in the worst shape, unable to do anything but sit with their bone diseases and smile at nothing. It was heartbreaking and an eye-opener to how much our medical world can do, but in our world.
We finished our day off with a little more shopping and dinner then went to the train station to go back to Delhi. It was a late night.
March 14, 2008
I didn't think that there was anything better than the Taj Mahal in India but my day today was probably my favorite. It started off with a stop at the Ghandi Memorial where his ashes are buried and an eternal flame is surrounded by acres of beautiful garden. We went to multiple temples around Delhi. A Sikh, Hindu and Baha'i temple. They were all very different and so pretty. Each one I wanted to stay in and just sit and breathe all day long. Just when I was feeling like the world had nothing good in it I was renewed with a peace that I could feel in life. All of the traveling and arrogant people, the poor and the sick, the way of the world- it didn't make sense and still may not but the warmth I felt in these temples with these people... it was uplifting. Each temple had its own designs very different from the next.
The Sikh Temple was small with a huge and colorful shrine where they keep their holy book. We had to cover our heads to go inside and we sat on the ground as the priest-like people chanted and everyone around prayed. Outside was a huge holy-water pool where people splash or drink the water to cure them or keep their health.
The Hindu Temple was very large, all white marble with colorful paintings and statues of the Lord Krishna (G-d of Love) everywhere. You could walk around and still miss parts of the temple after an hour. Women come here a lot to pray that they will find a partner and be blessed with a good arranged marriage. Standing there made me feel all of the love I have and people I miss from back home. It was sad and happy at the same time because I was alone but could feel the love I never want to go away.
The Baha'i Temple was far away but worth the drive. It is in the shape of a lotus flower (the symbol of purity) and surrounded by nine pools of water. Their religion revolves around the number nine. They are currently the fasting growing religion and building nine temples around the world (seven of which are already built). There is no talking allowed when you are inside. A woman was singing at the alter and the acoustics were beautiful. It was definitely the most peaceful temple of the day. Natural lighting from the sun and natural cooling from the pools- it was calming and contenting.
A flight to Chennai and back to the ship around 12:00 AM.
March 15, 2008
Exhausted and dirty I woke up to join my friends for a traditional Indian breakfast at a house in town. (Caroline's dad is in town for business and staying at his friend's house so we went there and used their chauffeur for the day). We were brought to Mahabalipuram (an ancient city of the Pallava kings) where huge amounts of stone were sculpted and shaped into temple prototypes with animals and amazing designs. This was the first hot day since we were much more south and lucked out with the weather everywhere else. How the women wear clothing that completely covers them, I do not know.
We drove back to Chennai and went to an Indian shopping mall. We got henna drawn on our hands and bought scarves and other goodies. We were tight for time and getting anywhere in India takes at least 3 times longer than it should because there are so many people in rickshaws, busses, motor-scooters and on bikes. After changing quickly at the ship we went to a dinner at a very nice hotel and celebrated our last night in India (Caroline's dad's treat)!
Now we are on the ship and taking off toward Malaysia where I will be flying to Singapore. And I cant wait!
FUN FACTS:
-Cows really are holy in India. They do not eat them or even bother them. If a cow is sitting in the middle of the street or walking across the road, the entire city stops around it because they cannot be pushed, shoved or bothered in any way. The McDonalds only sells chicken burgers. In the south you can sometimes find buffalo burgers, but it is hard to come by.
-Exchange rate: 38 rupees = $1 US
-Population: 1.2 billion people in a country the size of Australia
- 55% of population is between ages of 15-25
-Women must have shoulders and legs covered at all times (including us)
-Population is 80% Hindu
-324 district languages in the country, Hindi is the most prevalent
-Tea is served with every meal and now I am addicted
- Everywhere we went we had to take our shoes off, even the Ghandi Memorial which was outside-so basically I picked up every germ alive just by walking in temples, gardens, and random outdoor places my guide said it was to keep dirty things from entering sacred places, but I am almost certain there has to be more to a tradition that started millions of years ago.
From the minute I woke up I could smell the burnt trash smell that comes along with the country. The outside decks were covered with plastic because of all the pollution, dirt and dust in the air. Cardboard was duct taped down on the carpeted areas... a great first impression.
We arrived in Chennai this morning and it took the ship a long time to be cleared by customs, security, etc. so everyone was frenzied and running around like mad people trying to make their plane flights. I had an afternoon flight and our bus took off on the crazy streets with lines in the road that no one pays any attention to. Horns are used as blinkers, friendly reminders and for no reason at all. The ride to the airport was a good introduction to the way all of India was going to look from here on out: trash everywhere in the streets, sidewalks, fields. Dirty kids in clothes that looked to be weeks old begging on the streets. People "relieving" themselves in fields right next to the road. Goats, pigs, cows and monkeys randomly all over. And, mosquitos of course!
The plane ride to Delhi was 2.5 hours and accompanied by the nicest airline attendants ever. We were handed cold, scented towels during takeoff to clean up with. A full meal, followed by tea and then candies and mints to finish. The US has some serious work to do.
Our hotel was absolutely beautiful and had a bunch of shops in it so we spent the afternoon buying fun stuff! All of our meals were included with our hotels. The spicy Indian food was a great change from ship food and surprisingly very tasty. I especially liked the desserts (no surprise there)! It was a late night and the beds were amazing!
March 12, 2008
4:00 AM wake up call! Tea at 4:30 and on the bus at 5:00. We were dropped at the train station which was already filled with venders and travelers... our first experience with being mauled by venders which was overwhelming for so early in the morning and not expecting to have to fight our way through a station which was apparently shelter to a ton of homeless people that sleep on the hard cement ground. Our train ride was 2 hours to Agra, we arrived at our hotel by 8:00 AM and served breakfast then went to an old fort of a Mongolian King.
The King had 3 wives and the only one who gave him a son was the Hindu one therefore she was the favored wife (he already had a bunch of girls). Everywhere in India men are favored over women. It is a huge problem here because there are so many gender-selected abortions and the gender ratio is terrible which leaves men unmarried and therefore lower in the caste system. Anyway this king made three different chambers in his fort for each wife and the Hindu one was the biggest and most beautiful. Everything was very weathered down and the most impressive part was how large the fort was.
After lunch we asked to be brought to a market and our tour guide brought us to a place where the locals buy their clothes and products-not exactly what we were going for. We were gawked at and haggled by beggars and felt very uncomfortable.
Just to make it clear when I say that there are poor people this is what it looks like: at least two of the people are deformed in some way, either with elephantitis feet, spine deformities, or the most common which people dont have feeling or control of their legs so they use their arms to get around and drag themselves on the ground. Everyone is very dirty and the kids just scream to get your attention and then put their hands to their mouths or make the gesture of a pen, comb or toothbrush. The things we take for granted. All they want is a pen to play with and we stand there with our digital cameras and take pictures. -If i would have known I would have brought a Costco sized bin of Bic Pens to make these children happy. These people poop on the street and the students on my bus complain about having to move all of their stuff into their new apartments when they get home. Some of them will never realize how fortunate they are to have STUFF to move into a HOUSE.
The entire country is so trashed I just dont understand. Who started this throwing of the trash and where did they get the idea that it would be okay. The air is so dirty my snot is black. Students from the ship have to take their inhalers all day long because they cannot breathe through this air. Who is to blame and what can be done?
March 13, 2008
The big day. We started early again, 6:00 AM and went to a different fort called the Agra Fort, it was much bigger and much more beautiful than the one we saw yesterday. Stone and marble walls with intricate designs carved into every crevice you could see. The man who built the Taj Mahal was imprisoned by his grandson and kept in this fort until he died (8 years). They imprisoned him because he wanted to build another building to mirror the Taj and he was using up all of the city's money.
Now it was time for one of the seven wonders of the world: the Taj Mahal! The security is very tight, they frisk you down and wont allow anything but cameras. As you walk through a large arch the Taj becomes more visible through the cloudy day and gave me the chills. It didn't seem possible that I could actually be looking at one of the most beautiful buildings in all the world. I can't believe it only took 22 years to build with how much work was put into it. The inside is not nearly as special as the outside. It is dark and small. The tombs are chambered behind tall marble walls. The outside could have been stared at for hours. There really is no way to explain how extravagant this place is. No words, no pictures, nothing can do the Taj Mahal justice except for seeing it itself. The vibe was so serene and although it is a tomb only good vibes came from the love that was put into it.
After lunch we went to Mother Theresa's Ashram to visit the orphan kids. We knew it was going to be sad, but we showed up with stickers and crayons hoping for the best. Nothing could have prepared us for what we saw. One section was for older people with downs-syndrome and other forms of retardation, the other section was for the children. The sick, deformed, diseased poor and orphaned children. We dont see people like this in the states because they are kept in places specially for them, these people have nowhere else to go. The nuns watch over them with loving-care, but that is not enough. There may not be cures for everything, but their coughs and sniffles need more. The back room had the children in the worst shape, unable to do anything but sit with their bone diseases and smile at nothing. It was heartbreaking and an eye-opener to how much our medical world can do, but in our world.
We finished our day off with a little more shopping and dinner then went to the train station to go back to Delhi. It was a late night.
March 14, 2008
I didn't think that there was anything better than the Taj Mahal in India but my day today was probably my favorite. It started off with a stop at the Ghandi Memorial where his ashes are buried and an eternal flame is surrounded by acres of beautiful garden. We went to multiple temples around Delhi. A Sikh, Hindu and Baha'i temple. They were all very different and so pretty. Each one I wanted to stay in and just sit and breathe all day long. Just when I was feeling like the world had nothing good in it I was renewed with a peace that I could feel in life. All of the traveling and arrogant people, the poor and the sick, the way of the world- it didn't make sense and still may not but the warmth I felt in these temples with these people... it was uplifting. Each temple had its own designs very different from the next.
The Sikh Temple was small with a huge and colorful shrine where they keep their holy book. We had to cover our heads to go inside and we sat on the ground as the priest-like people chanted and everyone around prayed. Outside was a huge holy-water pool where people splash or drink the water to cure them or keep their health.
The Hindu Temple was very large, all white marble with colorful paintings and statues of the Lord Krishna (G-d of Love) everywhere. You could walk around and still miss parts of the temple after an hour. Women come here a lot to pray that they will find a partner and be blessed with a good arranged marriage. Standing there made me feel all of the love I have and people I miss from back home. It was sad and happy at the same time because I was alone but could feel the love I never want to go away.
The Baha'i Temple was far away but worth the drive. It is in the shape of a lotus flower (the symbol of purity) and surrounded by nine pools of water. Their religion revolves around the number nine. They are currently the fasting growing religion and building nine temples around the world (seven of which are already built). There is no talking allowed when you are inside. A woman was singing at the alter and the acoustics were beautiful. It was definitely the most peaceful temple of the day. Natural lighting from the sun and natural cooling from the pools- it was calming and contenting.
A flight to Chennai and back to the ship around 12:00 AM.
March 15, 2008
Exhausted and dirty I woke up to join my friends for a traditional Indian breakfast at a house in town. (Caroline's dad is in town for business and staying at his friend's house so we went there and used their chauffeur for the day). We were brought to Mahabalipuram (an ancient city of the Pallava kings) where huge amounts of stone were sculpted and shaped into temple prototypes with animals and amazing designs. This was the first hot day since we were much more south and lucked out with the weather everywhere else. How the women wear clothing that completely covers them, I do not know.
We drove back to Chennai and went to an Indian shopping mall. We got henna drawn on our hands and bought scarves and other goodies. We were tight for time and getting anywhere in India takes at least 3 times longer than it should because there are so many people in rickshaws, busses, motor-scooters and on bikes. After changing quickly at the ship we went to a dinner at a very nice hotel and celebrated our last night in India (Caroline's dad's treat)!
Now we are on the ship and taking off toward Malaysia where I will be flying to Singapore. And I cant wait!
FUN FACTS:
-Cows really are holy in India. They do not eat them or even bother them. If a cow is sitting in the middle of the street or walking across the road, the entire city stops around it because they cannot be pushed, shoved or bothered in any way. The McDonalds only sells chicken burgers. In the south you can sometimes find buffalo burgers, but it is hard to come by.
-Exchange rate: 38 rupees = $1 US
-Population: 1.2 billion people in a country the size of Australia
- 55% of population is between ages of 15-25
-Women must have shoulders and legs covered at all times (including us)
-Population is 80% Hindu
-324 district languages in the country, Hindi is the most prevalent
-Tea is served with every meal and now I am addicted
- Everywhere we went we had to take our shoes off, even the Ghandi Memorial which was outside-so basically I picked up every germ alive just by walking in temples, gardens, and random outdoor places my guide said it was to keep dirty things from entering sacred places, but I am almost certain there has to be more to a tradition that started millions of years ago.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
End of Mauritius and SEA OLYMPICS!
March 4, 2008
My hike around the Volcanic Island started early this morning and was accompanied by a Mauritian specialist from the Mahatma Gandhi Institute. It wasn't really a hike at all, we rode on a bus and got out at different places. Our first stop was at the institute where a woman told us all about the history of the geology and geography of the island. I wont bore you all with details but basically it is one big volcano, however they don't know if the island broke off from Africa or was built up from a hot spot in the ocean. We then went to the Trou Aux Cerfs which is a dormant (inactive) volcano. The second we stepped off of the bus, terrential rain and low clouds took over so we couldn't really sea the crater. We rushed back on the bus soaking wet and cold (they had told us to wear swimsuits under our clothes, not bring rain jackets).
We drove through rain for a while and came upon a ton of Hindu people who were making their pilgrimage to the sacred lake of Grand Bassin. They make this journey and take water from the lake and pour it in small stone bowls.
The story is this: a long time ago the ocean started to grow and the water was poisonous and killing off their people. So, a G-d named Maha Shivatree (Strong Knight) came and drank all of the water to save the people. The water turned his skin blue so all of the pictures and statues were blue. When they pour the water into a special dish, it is supposed to soothe his throat from the pain of drinking the poisoned water.
We were priviledged enough to experience the Hindus praying to a huge statue of Maha Shivatree, in the terrential rain. I felt kind of bad though because if there were a bunch of Hindus walking in and taking pictures during one of our holidays I wouldn't be too happy. So I did my best to be respectful and quick.
Our tour continued on driving through fields of sugarcane and tropical forests. It reminded me of the Road to Hanna in Maui. When the rain cleared it was beautiful. Our tour guide said okay "it will be a 45 minute drive to our lunch stop"... 1 hour and 45 minutes later we arrived at a restaurant at the top of the island. We were served a four-course authentic, creole-indian meal, and Mauritian coffee to end it. Absolutely amazing.
After lunch we went to the Chamarel Cascade (waterfall). Since the trip was originally for my geology class this was the most important because we could see all of the different rock formations and ages. Then we went to a place nearby that had a seven-colored earth, volcanic phenomenon. It was really cool; there were literally seven different colored soils that had accumulated here. Supposedly the land is rich with mineral oxides and that is what gives it all different colors. They also had very large turtles there, I don't know how they fit in but they were still cool.
Our ride home was long and I fell asleep with tons of mosquito bites. Thank goodness they don't have malaria here. Mauritius was a fun place to come, definitely a paradise and vacation spot for the family, but I am very excited to get to India!
FUN FACTS:
-national bird: The Dodo (It was native to the island of Mauritius and only existed here. It is now extinct because they ate a lot and became very fat and made their homes on the ground beneath palms. The Dodo didn't have any predators so they never learned how to fly or to defend themselves. When the Dutch conquered the land they hunted the Dodo's and ate them. The bird was defenseless and therefore went extinct.) Everyone here is obsessed with the Dodo.
-exchange rate: $1 US = 27.5 rupees
-most people speak French, Creole and English (plus a few others)
-because the island is surrounded by a huge coral reef they were protected from the harsh waves of the tsunami a few years ago
-I am now known to my friends here as the "accident prone girl that everything happens to." So far I have been hit by a car, eaten alive by mosquitos, puked all over the island of Mauritius, made a drunken fool of myself, gotten sea sick, I have bruises all over my body just from walking into things completely sober, my worldwide blackberry never works, my friends and family are falling apart back home and I continue to wake up with a beautiful energy that never stops.
March 8, 2008
SEA OLYMPICS!!!
Preface: So each hallway on the ship is split into different "seas" aka I am in the Mediterranean Sea. Since we got on the ship, each sea has been assigned a color (Im pink) and captains. We have had meetings and preparing for the sea olympics which was today!
We woke up at 8:00 ran upstairs for chocolate croissants at breakfast and then got geared up in all our pink clothes! at 8:40 the day began with each sea joining in the union before judges and performing our chants. Ours sucked but everyone else had really cool ones. Then the day continued with all different activities!!
-different board games throughout the day
-scavenger hunt throughout the day
-picture contest throughout the day
-ping pong
-Hawaiian bowling (with pineapples and
-pie eating contest (boys and girls separately and our girl won which was the only thing we came in first place for the entire day and then they took that one out cause some girl raised hell!)
-toilet paper fashion show
-global studies trivia (which is a class we all take everyday)
-twister on the wet deck
-dodge-ball
-flip cup
-swimsuit (you had to relay by putting on a big white worker suit and hat then swim across the pool and get back then the next person on your team had to get the outfit on and do the same)
-soccer
-mashed potato sculpting
-tug-o-war
-Dean Ken says (like simon says)
-synchronized swimming (freaking hilarious)!
-lip sync (so much fun and very funny)!
I didn't actually do any of the contests (which i do regret) but it was still a fantastic day because it was so much fun to walk around and cheer people on and take pictures of everything! I mean seriously, i am in the middle of the ocean with bright sunny skies and a bunch of crazy students and teachers-how bad can it be>? My team sucked at everything and we came in last at #9. The Baltic Sea won it all which means they get to get off of the ship first in Miami when we get home. (Their chant is "ooh ah you wish you were a baltic" so my roommate and i have been singing "ooh ah i wish i was a baltic!")
After all the fun and games were done we ended the night with a dance party in the union. A BLAST! Oh and i got a smoothie from the 7th deck snack bar! Basically I am living the life.
Mom and dad you two need to come on this as life-long learners-you would love it! They (all of the lifelong learners) were the silver sea (cause of their silver hair haha :) and everyone loves them)!
The internet on the ship has had a lot of difficulty lately hence I have not been able to update my blog or write emails so sorry about that.
I will be in India in two days and absolutely cannot wait. Midterms are done and I am ready to explore more of the world!
My hike around the Volcanic Island started early this morning and was accompanied by a Mauritian specialist from the Mahatma Gandhi Institute. It wasn't really a hike at all, we rode on a bus and got out at different places. Our first stop was at the institute where a woman told us all about the history of the geology and geography of the island. I wont bore you all with details but basically it is one big volcano, however they don't know if the island broke off from Africa or was built up from a hot spot in the ocean. We then went to the Trou Aux Cerfs which is a dormant (inactive) volcano. The second we stepped off of the bus, terrential rain and low clouds took over so we couldn't really sea the crater. We rushed back on the bus soaking wet and cold (they had told us to wear swimsuits under our clothes, not bring rain jackets).
We drove through rain for a while and came upon a ton of Hindu people who were making their pilgrimage to the sacred lake of Grand Bassin. They make this journey and take water from the lake and pour it in small stone bowls.
The story is this: a long time ago the ocean started to grow and the water was poisonous and killing off their people. So, a G-d named Maha Shivatree (Strong Knight) came and drank all of the water to save the people. The water turned his skin blue so all of the pictures and statues were blue. When they pour the water into a special dish, it is supposed to soothe his throat from the pain of drinking the poisoned water.
We were priviledged enough to experience the Hindus praying to a huge statue of Maha Shivatree, in the terrential rain. I felt kind of bad though because if there were a bunch of Hindus walking in and taking pictures during one of our holidays I wouldn't be too happy. So I did my best to be respectful and quick.
Our tour continued on driving through fields of sugarcane and tropical forests. It reminded me of the Road to Hanna in Maui. When the rain cleared it was beautiful. Our tour guide said okay "it will be a 45 minute drive to our lunch stop"... 1 hour and 45 minutes later we arrived at a restaurant at the top of the island. We were served a four-course authentic, creole-indian meal, and Mauritian coffee to end it. Absolutely amazing.
After lunch we went to the Chamarel Cascade (waterfall). Since the trip was originally for my geology class this was the most important because we could see all of the different rock formations and ages. Then we went to a place nearby that had a seven-colored earth, volcanic phenomenon. It was really cool; there were literally seven different colored soils that had accumulated here. Supposedly the land is rich with mineral oxides and that is what gives it all different colors. They also had very large turtles there, I don't know how they fit in but they were still cool.
Our ride home was long and I fell asleep with tons of mosquito bites. Thank goodness they don't have malaria here. Mauritius was a fun place to come, definitely a paradise and vacation spot for the family, but I am very excited to get to India!
FUN FACTS:
-national bird: The Dodo (It was native to the island of Mauritius and only existed here. It is now extinct because they ate a lot and became very fat and made their homes on the ground beneath palms. The Dodo didn't have any predators so they never learned how to fly or to defend themselves. When the Dutch conquered the land they hunted the Dodo's and ate them. The bird was defenseless and therefore went extinct.) Everyone here is obsessed with the Dodo.
-exchange rate: $1 US = 27.5 rupees
-most people speak French, Creole and English (plus a few others)
-because the island is surrounded by a huge coral reef they were protected from the harsh waves of the tsunami a few years ago
-I am now known to my friends here as the "accident prone girl that everything happens to." So far I have been hit by a car, eaten alive by mosquitos, puked all over the island of Mauritius, made a drunken fool of myself, gotten sea sick, I have bruises all over my body just from walking into things completely sober, my worldwide blackberry never works, my friends and family are falling apart back home and I continue to wake up with a beautiful energy that never stops.
March 8, 2008
SEA OLYMPICS!!!
Preface: So each hallway on the ship is split into different "seas" aka I am in the Mediterranean Sea. Since we got on the ship, each sea has been assigned a color (Im pink) and captains. We have had meetings and preparing for the sea olympics which was today!
We woke up at 8:00 ran upstairs for chocolate croissants at breakfast and then got geared up in all our pink clothes! at 8:40 the day began with each sea joining in the union before judges and performing our chants. Ours sucked but everyone else had really cool ones. Then the day continued with all different activities!!
-different board games throughout the day
-scavenger hunt throughout the day
-picture contest throughout the day
-ping pong
-Hawaiian bowling (with pineapples and
-pie eating contest (boys and girls separately and our girl won which was the only thing we came in first place for the entire day and then they took that one out cause some girl raised hell!)
-toilet paper fashion show
-global studies trivia (which is a class we all take everyday)
-twister on the wet deck
-dodge-ball
-flip cup
-swimsuit (you had to relay by putting on a big white worker suit and hat then swim across the pool and get back then the next person on your team had to get the outfit on and do the same)
-soccer
-mashed potato sculpting
-tug-o-war
-Dean Ken says (like simon says)
-synchronized swimming (freaking hilarious)!
-lip sync (so much fun and very funny)!
I didn't actually do any of the contests (which i do regret) but it was still a fantastic day because it was so much fun to walk around and cheer people on and take pictures of everything! I mean seriously, i am in the middle of the ocean with bright sunny skies and a bunch of crazy students and teachers-how bad can it be>? My team sucked at everything and we came in last at #9. The Baltic Sea won it all which means they get to get off of the ship first in Miami when we get home. (Their chant is "ooh ah you wish you were a baltic" so my roommate and i have been singing "ooh ah i wish i was a baltic!")
After all the fun and games were done we ended the night with a dance party in the union. A BLAST! Oh and i got a smoothie from the 7th deck snack bar! Basically I am living the life.
Mom and dad you two need to come on this as life-long learners-you would love it! They (all of the lifelong learners) were the silver sea (cause of their silver hair haha :) and everyone loves them)!
The internet on the ship has had a lot of difficulty lately hence I have not been able to update my blog or write emails so sorry about that.
I will be in India in two days and absolutely cannot wait. Midterms are done and I am ready to explore more of the world!
Monday, March 3, 2008
Mauritius!
March 3, 2008
I cannot believe it is March already! The past few days have been quite eventful. We arrived in Mauritius on March 1st. Mauritius is an island in the Indian Ocean near Madagascar. They are known for their sugarcane and textiles. The island is home to mainly Hindu Indians who are in the middle of celebrating a 40 day fasting of all meat. It is not Ramadan, but I can never quite understand what they say when they tell me what it is called. The island is 720 square miles, or about 11 times the size of Washington DC, and there are 1.3 million people who live here. They thrive off of tourism, so with the population and the millions of tourists each year, it can get kind of crowded.
Anyway, we got off the ship and walked to town where we were shocked to see tons of people, markets, cars and nothing tropical at all. The culture shock took us over and we caught a cab back to the ship to regroup. At the beginning of the semester my friends and I booked a Villa on the North Shore, so this is where we went. Our taxi driver took us to the "factory shops" where they make designer clothing and sell them at retail prices. I didn't quite fit into the Burberry swimsuits and wasn't a fan of any of the purses. Everything was still very expensive so I left happily without buying anything.
Our villa was so nice with two rooms, a kitchen and living area. The beach was a 2 minute walk across the street and there were two pools at the hotel. We couldn't have gotten to the beach any faster. It was absolutely paradise and with no semester at sea students around the beach was beautifully serene. The hotel we were booked with offered tons of fun and free stuff, and with all of the money we have been spending the past few months we needed to take advantage of all the free things possible. So, we went snorkeling! A boat took us out into the ocean beyond the coral reef and we got to jump in and snorkel around. It was not as pretty as you would expect, but still a ton of fun!
Every once in a while I make my friends just stop and reflect on our lives. The boat ride in was the perfect time for reflection of the fortunate and unimaginable lives we live.
We relaxed on the soft, white-sand beach and took it all in. As we lay there tanning a man walked up to us to try and sell us massages. Not just any old massage though, he does an examination of the pressure points in your body and takes out the bad energy so you can glow with happiness. He had me sold! My friend Caroline and I went with him as Lindsay and Lindsay waited at the beach for us.
This man was the epitome of "The Secret" (a movie and book that if you have not already seen/read you need to do so immediately). A wafting smell of incense hit us as we arrived at his "office" where we laid on pads on the ground and he began to examine our pressure points. The places that hurt he told us he would fix. One spot at a time he would rub and whisper prayer, then stare at the area as if he was sucking the bad energy out. Then he rubbed his hands together until they got really hot and he would hold the area. It was unbelievable you could literally feel the energy leaving your body and afterward he would push on the points again and there would be no pain. This man has cured people with asthma, AIDS, sicknesses and diseases. All I could think was if only I could bring my dad here instead of under the knife of surgery.
After he cleansed our bodies of bad energy his "students" cam in and gave us full body massages with almond oil. He explained to us how we need to take care and love our bodies because in return the world will fill us with beautiful energy. When we met up with the Lindsay's for dinner we talked them into going the next day. We ate dinner at the hotel and then played cards and "socially drank" for a while. Later that night we decided to hit the town. It was a late night, but a very fun one!
We woke up the next day and slowly made our way to a restaurant for fried rice and noodles. It was delicious and extremely cheap. Then we went to the beach and had a blast for the day until it was time to get massages again. About mid-day I started feeling slightly sick. I drank some water and tried to take it easy. At the massages the man made my stomach ache go away for a while, but on the way home I got very sick again. To make a long and not-so-fun story short, I was vomiting and not doing well for the night and today. So, I told my friends to please stay here and enjoy themselves, but I had to go back to the ship and get help.
The 20 minute car ride seemed like forever and when I got to the ship the doctor's office was closed so I went to the Purser's Desk to page the nurse or doctor and the on-call people were not on the ship like they were supposed to be so I just went to bed until someone could help. I got a phone call about 1 hour later and one of the Captain's crew gave me a shot in the butt to help with the up-chucking. I slept for a while and then went to dinner. Now I am writing this blog rather than having fun outside with my friends. I am trying to gain my health back as soon as I can because I am supposed to hike the volcano tomorrow!
I cannot believe it is March already! The past few days have been quite eventful. We arrived in Mauritius on March 1st. Mauritius is an island in the Indian Ocean near Madagascar. They are known for their sugarcane and textiles. The island is home to mainly Hindu Indians who are in the middle of celebrating a 40 day fasting of all meat. It is not Ramadan, but I can never quite understand what they say when they tell me what it is called. The island is 720 square miles, or about 11 times the size of Washington DC, and there are 1.3 million people who live here. They thrive off of tourism, so with the population and the millions of tourists each year, it can get kind of crowded.
Anyway, we got off the ship and walked to town where we were shocked to see tons of people, markets, cars and nothing tropical at all. The culture shock took us over and we caught a cab back to the ship to regroup. At the beginning of the semester my friends and I booked a Villa on the North Shore, so this is where we went. Our taxi driver took us to the "factory shops" where they make designer clothing and sell them at retail prices. I didn't quite fit into the Burberry swimsuits and wasn't a fan of any of the purses. Everything was still very expensive so I left happily without buying anything.
Our villa was so nice with two rooms, a kitchen and living area. The beach was a 2 minute walk across the street and there were two pools at the hotel. We couldn't have gotten to the beach any faster. It was absolutely paradise and with no semester at sea students around the beach was beautifully serene. The hotel we were booked with offered tons of fun and free stuff, and with all of the money we have been spending the past few months we needed to take advantage of all the free things possible. So, we went snorkeling! A boat took us out into the ocean beyond the coral reef and we got to jump in and snorkel around. It was not as pretty as you would expect, but still a ton of fun!
Every once in a while I make my friends just stop and reflect on our lives. The boat ride in was the perfect time for reflection of the fortunate and unimaginable lives we live.
We relaxed on the soft, white-sand beach and took it all in. As we lay there tanning a man walked up to us to try and sell us massages. Not just any old massage though, he does an examination of the pressure points in your body and takes out the bad energy so you can glow with happiness. He had me sold! My friend Caroline and I went with him as Lindsay and Lindsay waited at the beach for us.
This man was the epitome of "The Secret" (a movie and book that if you have not already seen/read you need to do so immediately). A wafting smell of incense hit us as we arrived at his "office" where we laid on pads on the ground and he began to examine our pressure points. The places that hurt he told us he would fix. One spot at a time he would rub and whisper prayer, then stare at the area as if he was sucking the bad energy out. Then he rubbed his hands together until they got really hot and he would hold the area. It was unbelievable you could literally feel the energy leaving your body and afterward he would push on the points again and there would be no pain. This man has cured people with asthma, AIDS, sicknesses and diseases. All I could think was if only I could bring my dad here instead of under the knife of surgery.
After he cleansed our bodies of bad energy his "students" cam in and gave us full body massages with almond oil. He explained to us how we need to take care and love our bodies because in return the world will fill us with beautiful energy. When we met up with the Lindsay's for dinner we talked them into going the next day. We ate dinner at the hotel and then played cards and "socially drank" for a while. Later that night we decided to hit the town. It was a late night, but a very fun one!
We woke up the next day and slowly made our way to a restaurant for fried rice and noodles. It was delicious and extremely cheap. Then we went to the beach and had a blast for the day until it was time to get massages again. About mid-day I started feeling slightly sick. I drank some water and tried to take it easy. At the massages the man made my stomach ache go away for a while, but on the way home I got very sick again. To make a long and not-so-fun story short, I was vomiting and not doing well for the night and today. So, I told my friends to please stay here and enjoy themselves, but I had to go back to the ship and get help.
The 20 minute car ride seemed like forever and when I got to the ship the doctor's office was closed so I went to the Purser's Desk to page the nurse or doctor and the on-call people were not on the ship like they were supposed to be so I just went to bed until someone could help. I got a phone call about 1 hour later and one of the Captain's crew gave me a shot in the butt to help with the up-chucking. I slept for a while and then went to dinner. Now I am writing this blog rather than having fun outside with my friends. I am trying to gain my health back as soon as I can because I am supposed to hike the volcano tomorrow!
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