A Very Long Day

For most of us, a day is 24 hour long. Being nocturnal, at times I see each and every hour as it slides by. But this was an unusual situation. Boarding the jet-plane shortly after midnight, we preceded to flee the oncoming dawn, crossing over Iran (carefully avoiding Pakistan and Afghanistan airspace,) then Eastern Europe and Germany, landing in scenic Amsterdam shortly after dawn. On the clock, we had traveled about 5 hours. But this trip a quarter way wound the globe took about double that.

Sadly we had very little time to enjoy Dutch hospitality (or even the gift shop) before we joined the line for the trans-Atlantic flight. Again fleeing the morning, we arced over the globe, over northern UK (causing Shreeyash to pine for Edenborough,) south of Greenland then over Labrador and Quebec. About ten hours in flight again, we set down in Detroit.

Much as I have completely loved Singapore, and Puket, and Kochin and Mumbai and Pune, it is so nice to return home. Home of the red, white and blue, the land of “please” and “thank you.”

And again I blink. Was I REALLY riding on a motorcycle though some of the most dangerous streets in the world just hours ago? Sitting cross-lazed or cement floors, eating with my right had? Watching wild monkeys cavort? Plucking quartz for the dry earth and exploring ancient carved caves? Did that really happen?

Nothing appears to have changed here. Webkinz are still on sale in the airport shop, as they were weeks ago. I am still wearing my second-hand trench coat. My bags are still packed. Right here.

But there has been a change. I have my pictures and memories, and a promise. A promise to return as soon as possible; not to let another fifteen years pass. I promise to be a part of my family, by e-mail or in person, and to return the warmth and love shown to me.

With a return to Detroit from the east, just over two weeks after leaving to the west, comes quiet satisfaction in my moments of introspection. On this fifteenth day, the circumnavigation of the globe is complete. I have completed 15 days around the world.

Leaving India

All too soon, dreams come to an end. Following our second night in Pune, it was time for us to make plans for return. Our cousin arranged for a car (made by Tata of course) and driver to take as to The Mumbai airport from his house. The trip was uneventful; we did see some wild monkeys and very nice Western-style houses. The speedway was as nice as any freeway in the States. We passed slums and shopping malls and millions of people going about their lives.

The scenery was breath-taking. Large basalt faces sprouted from far below creating ancient volcanic gorges and valleys. While generally dry, the landscape was frequently punctuated by trees and shrubs, resilient in the spring warmth.

The city was different. Traveling through the bowels of Mumbai revealed it to be as frenetic and chaotic as one might expect when 15 million people choose to cram onto an island, each in search of a better life, and each with a scheme to bring it about.

I have to say that I am grateful I was not driving. It can be said, diplomatically, that Indians effectively and precisely utilize the road space. In the press of city traffic, mere inches separate vehicle from vehicle. I could have reached out and touched the beetle-shaped rickshaws or large red city busses we shared the road with.

Enthralled as I was by the press and energy of Mumbai, I did have a pervading sadness creep into the experience. Time was so short. With a whole world to drink in and savor, I only had time for a sip and a nibble.

To be fair, my brother did offer to try to revise my travel plans, going ahead and allowing a few more days in India without him. Enticing as this idea was, the time with my brother was precious too, as valuable as traveling alone would have been dreary. This coupled with how much I miss my wonderful children really answered the question before it was asked.

In departing, family members asked when I would return. In all honesty I had to say “I don’t know.” In my heart, I quietly promised “As soon as I can. As soon as I can.”

Pune- "Welcome Home"

Waking up in Chinchwad, outside of Pune is like a dream. No, it is not a paradise, but I do feel a deep connection to this place and these people, even the people I do not know. My kind cousin and his family gave us their only bed. While not as soft as the ship beds, and without the gentle rise and fall of the waves, I got a spectacular night’s sleep.

I did have to remember how to do a bucket bath, and how to squat… but these things are like riding a bicycle. It a appears that one never really forgets. I find that I am able to track more of the language than I expected. Certainly I am unable to converse, but with enough time I think I could pick it up quickly.

The first night with my cousin he took us to a type of restaurant known as a thali restaurant. Essentially it is a buffet in reverse. Upon sitting, a small army of servers approaches and fills a series of bowls and covers the remaining empty places on the plate with delightful foods, also providing several drink options. They then circulate, refilling anything I might be remotely interested in having more of. I summed up my experience for the owner this way: “I felt like a prince.”

The second night’s dinner was pov baji. Now, I had purchased a can of pov baji at home one time, but it just did not come close to the delightful flavors that my cousin’s wife creates when she cooks.

With this our only full day in this city, we visited family, and my cousin indulged me while I tried and failed to find a geocache. At the home of my grandparents, now occupied my aunt, we were met at the door, and greeted with “Welcome to your house.” My aunt, known to my kids as “India Aji,” performed a ceremonial foot washing for travelers returning from afar, and then we rinsed the dust from our mouths before entering the flat.

We had occasion to speak to two of the three cousins that I did not see. Each time the message was the same. “Welcome home. You must come visit us at our house. You must come home more often.” And I truly felt like I was at a long lost home. Even though Dominoes Pizza now delivers throughout the town, and wireless internet and mobile phones and automobiles are ever more abundant, the thing that has not changed is the love of family, the sorrow of separation and the yearning for togetherness.

Mumbai and Pune

It took two days at sea to move form Kochin, in Southern India, northward to Mumbai. It has been called “Maximum city,” featured in such movies as Slumdog Millionaire, countless Bollywood films and is backdrop for countless daily stories of heartbreak and hope.

Briefly leaving the ship, my brother and I made our way to Victoria Terminal (referred to as VT Station,) the main train station in Mumbai. After purchasing reserve tickets on an air conditioned express coach to Pune. With several hours to spare, we went to the Taj Hotel, of notoriety recently. That was a spectacular structure. Again, all the service staff had pressed uniforms, and immaculate grooming, a stark contrast from the streets a few paces away. It clearly highlighted the “Other India,” where everyone speaks impeccable Queen’s English, walks with shined shoes on vast colorful handmade rugs, drinks bottled water, is driven hither and yon by a personal driver and also employs a housekeeper and laundry woman.

I could not help but reflect on my last visit to this place. Fifteen years prior I had been here with my brother and sister. My brother pulled me away from a game of three-card Monty; someone bent corner of one card making it easy to track. Several of the men in the group even offered to give me money to bet with. Sensing trouble, my brother hustled me away before I was hustled or worse! My sister rented a horse for a ride on the Mumbai shore. She kicked the horse into a gallop on the beach. The problem is the beach is crowded and she knocked over someone. We left in a hurry. This trip to the beach area was far less eventful.

We took lunch at the Kaiber Restaurant, a spectacular facility with a Middle-East feel to it. On the conclusion of lunch, we returned to the ship to pick up our bags at get to the train. In an attempt to simplify our trip, we picked up a taxi from the secured area of the port near the boat. This did not help. The taxi was unable to use the closest gate, instead driving quite far afield for the official customs gate for taxies (had we gone out on foot as we did without our bags, we could have obtained a taxi very easily to VT station.) To save time, he took us to he side entrance of VT terminal, but the train was not easily accessible from there. Driving to the front of the station, we had to run to the platform and hop on the train at the rear. Had we run for the AC coach, we would have missed the train. To find our seats, we had to push our way forward with all luggage in tow. Pausing for rest now and again, we made our way, seat to seat and car to car until we found the air conditioned car. Stowing our luggage, we collapsed into our seats for the trip.

Vendors circulated selling tea (tea bags made by Tata, the same company that owns Jaguar!), coffee, cold drinks, snacks, books, fruits and even shoe shines. Notably absent was the army of red-clad coolies which had mobbed trains in the past, seeking to help anyone with bags off the train. But present was armed Indian guards some patrolling and some in sand-bag fortifications. Ironically the guards were a chilling reminder of the darker side of this beautiful city, yet their presence was quite comforting.

I had heard repeatedly that India had changed in the past fifteen years since my last visit. Of this I have no doubt. My memories of this place were at times wild and bewildering and frequently spiced with a feeling of being out of control. Not so this trip. I have found the people polite, well spoken and generally tolerant. But the most stark reminder of changes was yet to come.

On arrival at Chinchwad station, outside of Pune, I was met by the family that I both knew and yet did not know. My cousin and his son met us. When last I has visited, my cousin was recently married and they had no children. He had aged, and I have no doubt that he thought the same of me. Standing on the train platform regarding him, I felt like Rip VanWinkle. It did not seem like fifteen years. The smells and sounds were the same, and the family I care so much for was here greeting me with smiles and open arms. But everything had changed. The roads were nicely paved, cars are far more prevalent, and my cousin and his beloved wife, entrepreneur and businesswoman, have their own flat and two beautiful children in private school. He had certainly aged, but did not appear worse for the years.

It is so difficult to reconcile that this world exists simultaneously with the world of America. People live and die in each place, living day in and day out, but it seems like a different planet.

Cochin

I have been told for years that I needed to visit Southern India, that the weather was better, the people were nicer and that I would have an all around better time. Well, Cochin was most certainly India, with the aroma of rickshaw exhaust mingled with blossoming tropical trees, the birds darting here and there and small lizards on walls and fences. The people were more polite. Even negotiating for taxi rates was done in a quiet tone, and without a tough sell.

Some of the locations we visited were surprisingly interesting, such as the laundry. While mundane, it is functionally unchanged from colonial times. Clothing is cleaned by beating it against rocks and hung out to line dry. Clothing is ironed by irons that are wood (or coconut husk) fired.

We also visited some churches, dating back hundreds of years. It is said that the apostle Saint Thomas established the church in India in the dawn of Christianity, and that his bones rest in India to this day.

In “Jew town” an aptly named district with a Jewish center and cemeteries, we stopped at a lovely spice market. I was able to pick up some star anise, a spice I learned about form one of the boat chefs, and some other spices as well.

We wanted to have some Southern Indian food for dinner. After checking several restaurants, we ended up at the local Taj Hotel in Cochin. While the food was more expensive than we could have had, we were able to get the food we were after and be assured that it would not poison us.
We met friends at the hotel and proceeded back to the safety of the ship.

Why the silence?

Yes, much has transpired since my last post. The peculiar unraveling of my access to the net forces me to reflect on the fragility of the information age. Even so, here is what happened: We ran out of internet access time from the ship, and opted not to purchase another block of time (sadly we could not purchase a small amount of time.) Being resourceful, I had decided to find an internet café in India in Cochin, Mumbai and Pune. Unfortunately in each location in India it was not feasible to stop for an update, either because of the needs and interests of others we were traveling with, power outages or internet café owners on strike.

Approach to India

Shreeyash gave his third talk today, an interesting presentation on caste system in India, its origins, religious explanations, changes through colonial and post-colonial history and impact on social and personal life today.

I took two tours on the ship today, as well. The kitchen tour was very interesting. The galley produces 6,000 meals each day on this ship. We saw artistic breads (shaped like a cute animals like water buffalo and a mouse,) ice sculpting and at least two dozen different ways to fold a handkerchief. I only learned one: I can now fold a rabbit puppet (although my rabbits end up looking more like gargoyles…)

My other tour was an exclusive tour of the infirmary. The setup is very interesting. They have laboratory, and X-ray capabilities, ventilators, defibrillators, clot busters, medications and even a dental clinic. They have three acute rooms, and one critical bed. I also learned that the rumor of a crew member being eaten on the island of Komodo by a dragon (the only lizard known to hunt humans!) is completely false. And for those of you who are interested, no sea burials, due to a “zero overboard” policy.

On deck, security is heightened again, as we travel in the area of Sri Lanka. Primed fire hoses stand at the ready and Indian ex-navy security officers scan the horizon with binoculars. I have heard that the Tamel Tiger rebels fighting in Sri Lanka, known for terrorist attacks, have naval capability. Even so, the day has passed without problem.

I saw some flying fish as well as other small fish darting away through the sapphire seas as this city afloat cut though the waves. We also picked up an insect passenger. I found a butterfly on the aft deck. My only guess is that it is a Sri Lankan butterfly, confused and far from home. I tried to coax it out, back to the open winds, but every time it approached the breeze it would fly around me and back to the safe shielding of the vessel. After several minutes of trying to aid this creature, I decided that it wants to emigrate to India. I left it hiding in a stack of plastic chairs, waiting to come into port in the morning.

Dinner was shared with two neurophysiologists from Boston. It made for lively conversation, especially as he encouraged both Shreeyash and myself to continue in academia and research, not to be seduced by the allure of corporate wages. I may have already chosen the dark side, if paying my bills is what he is talking about. Also at the table were two interesting retired teachers from New York. Lively and enjoying the cruise, also loyal listeners of Shreeyash’s lectures, they always had a joke and perspective on life and aging worth hearing (although sometimes I am not sure I should repeat!)

We come to the Southern Indian city of Cochin in the morning. We will probably spend some time with another guest lecturer and his wife. He is Persian, spent many years in the States and is quick to discuss our cultural incongruities. As night settles, I still plan to socialize for a brief time, and in the words of Bruce, the entertainment director, have a good night tonight and a better day tomorrow.

Skirting the Bay of Bengal

The boat continues to gently lull us with its rise and fall. We have skirted the Bay of Bengal and will tomorrow round the southern aspect of Sri Lanka. Tonight’s show was a spectacular soprano, who had performed leading roles in such shows as the Phantom of the Opera and Les Misrables. Her performance was both captivating and relaxing.

Today, with Shreeyash not lecturing, we were able to have some time together, sometimes going “guy things” like working out and playing table tennis, and other times just talking about life, the past and possible plans for the future.

We took lunch with an amazing Chinese artist who plays the hammer dulcimer. His quiet thoughts in the political realms of India, China and the United States were very insightful. Overall his presence exuded quiet confidence. It would have been easy to speak over him, but instead our lunch was more thoughtful and circumspect.

Lunch had a peculiar fruit that I had never seen before. It looks like a plum, but the hard red exterior is not for eating. Cut in half, they reveal a sweet, soft white core. Between those and dragon fruit (a subtle fruit I have come to really enjoy on this trip) lunch was exotic, tasty and healthy. What a great mixture!

I plan to tour the ship’s medical facility tomorrow. I will see where the nursing staff works and what their resources include. I am very excited about this opportunity.

I ended the night singing “Danny Boy” with a group of new friends that I had met the previous night. We plan to meet again, and I think I will bring the words to “The Impossible Dream.”

As for wild life, small flying fish are common in these waters. They are small and shoot out of the water for short distances. No more dolphins. We appear to be traveling with several other cargo ships. They are frequently visible on the horizon and sometimes come close enough to easily see the other ship.

If you saw reports of a cruise ship responding to pirate activity, there are two things to say: 1) It was not this vessel (although we were both in Singapore at the same time) and 2) The captain was responding to an unidentified fishing boat straying too close. These fishing boats were not pirates. So, of late there is no recent documented activity by pirates in the area.

Dolphins and Show Tunes

Day 6-
I expected a day at sea to be far less interesting or busy than a shore day. Not so. I attended Shreeyash’s second lecture today. His use of technology and clearly organized presentations are easy to follow and quite informative. His topic, the deities and images of Hinduism, was a constant presence in our childhood. Even so, I found the lecture interesting and pulled out several topics I am interested in delving more deeply into. In particular, some gods pre-date modern Hinduism and may have been incorporated from previous religions.

I had an exciting site today. While on the aft deck, something splashed in the water. Having just learned about a “zero overboard” policy (regarding waste, but people are not allowed either… so no sea burials!) I wanted to know who was throwing something in the ocean. A silver figure gracefully broke the surface of the water and smoothly entered again. It appears that we had crossed paths with a pod of dolphins. The largest was no longer than 2 meters.

One calf broke the surface, spinning a full circle and disappeared into the ocean again. At that moment I sincerely hoped that the calf was playing. Bottle nose dolphins have been known to engage in “calf tossing” where adults grab the young and attack them, throwing them from the water. Some die from their injuries. Biologists believe this is some form of culling and may be common in dolphin societies. I never saw the dolphins again. Some on deck reported flying fish and a sea turtle. My thoughts are with that dolphin calf.

On a lighter note, I took some time to give the kids' Webkinz a tour of the ship. We took pictures with a replica terra cotta warrior, a sea lion statue and on deck. The Webkinz also got to meet an on board puppeteer, with puppets in hand! Everywhere we went, people understood and had stories of friends bringing their childrens’ toys on travels.

We attended a lecture given by another lecturer that came aboard in Singapore like we did. He is Persian and offered perspective of his life in the United States as an immigrant. While it did feel a bit like a stand-up act, I believe he is taking great pains to connect with the audience before discussing the social problems of the Middle East, which will begin two lectures from now.

I rounded the day out with a lecture on navigating by the start by the ships first mate. He stated that this vessel navigates with the use of three different satellite navigation systems. They did not solely rely on the US DOD system because the US can turn it off when it is necessary. Even so, should his systems fail, all officers have the skills to bring us in to port safely. Given that we are running just north of the equator, at about 10 degrees, Polaris should be visible ten degrees above the horizon, and I could not locate it from here. They were kind enough to turn the vessel 90 degrees to view the big dipper, and it was visible just above the horizon.

My day ended singing show tunes with a group of new friends, many from the Los Angels area.

Singapore Sling

I recently had a Singapre sling (the cocktail, you guys!! And YES it was virgin!!) It was great, but anyone know what is in it?

Reflections from Puhket

Puhket. Previously the only city in Thailand I had heard of was Bancock. I am truly impressed by this spectacular town. To be fair, with its deep water port, Puhket has been built up to accommodate tourists and sailors, and all the business they bring…. And yes, I did briefly rub against the less legitimate side of the town, from the offer of ocean jet skis (clearly marked UNINSURED,) to the offer of dance shows and recreational substances. That said, I really did not have time for these pursuits or patience for the risk that these activities bring.

We also learned about the great tsunami five years previous. Our guide explained how he survived the spectacular wall of water. He was startled when the ocean receded. And it receded far. Fish were exposed on the ocean bed, unable to swim as fast as the receding water. Some people were excited about the free and easy food, and they went into the ocean bed, to collect these fish. Knowing that the tide does not go out that far, and even if it did it was not time for low tide, our guide urged those around him to leave, and he fled for higher ground. Shortly thereafter three large waves engulfed the beach areas of the small island. The greatest wave crested at 12 meters (about 36 feet) preceded and followed by large waves. On the at fateful December 26th, hundreds of people died in the very beach communities we visited.

In the areas we visited, it is impossible to tell that a few short years prior they had been devastated. Our guide explained that aid flooded in from the world. Amreicans and Canadians and Germans and British and the people of many other lands donated money, materials and time to reconstruct this special place. The areas we saw were superb for their function.

It is apparent, that some unrest continues to linger, possibly fueled by the damage from the tsunami. I had an interest in visiting a tsunami memorial on one of the northwestern beaches, but this was not possible. Apparently, there had been recent rioting and so our driver was unwilling to go that vicinity. He would allow us to walk past the police barricade if it was that important to us, but it was not.

Puhket proper is overseen by a protector. Like Rio de Genero with the statue of Jesus looking over the city, Puhket has a large marble Budha, atop a hill sitting cross legged upon a lotus flower (the flower is yet incomplete, needing donations to finish the marble work.) To my delight, a geocache was located nearby and so I bagged my first international cache. I think Shreeyash was less than impressed, and our guide was confused why I was climbing out of the van and into the woods at a random stretch of road up to the big Budha.


We could have had lunch on the ship. But why? If I only have one day in Thailand (and I do!) I want to eat some authentic Thai foods! In the end we selected a restaurant with a secluded garden. Shreeyash and I shared the water from a green coconut. For my lunch I had Pad Tai, Shreeyash had he had Thai green curry. All together delightful.

Our guide also took us to an interesting cashew factory. I will upload a picture of the cashew fruit on the tree. I had never known that there was a useful fruit associated with cashew. Very interesting, and I will never eat a cashew quite with quite the same casualness.

After some shopping at a Thai discount keepsake store where I purchased several wood statues, I received a massage and we returned to the ship.

As night fell, gathering thunder clouds and the occasional flash suggested storm at sea. We get underway tonight. Another adventure awaits.

Reflecting on Singapore

Singapore is a spectacular city! Multi-ethnic and multi-lingual, although many people speak English. The transit system is spectacular, and they have a huge sky tram system.

My visit included Little India and the Sing-Ling tower, levels on levels of electronics and electronic components. Very impressive.

We also took in lunch in an Indian café and browsed at some of the shops. I bought very little there, because I want to purchase Indian things in India. The problem with Singapore being a mulit-ethinc and multi-lingual city is that, quite simply, I had a difficult time finding things that were unique to Singaproe. I did find a Mer-Lion statue, the guardian angel of Singapore, and am quite happy with his protection.

Today we emerged from a narrow waterway, notorious for piracy, without incident. Even so, the heightened security on this vessel was comforting.

The trek has started!

I am writing this on 3/15, although it seems much later. The journey statrted with a trip from Detroit to Tokyo, chasing the sun over half the globe. Then quickly to Singapore, where I type from now. Within hours I will be boarding a ship to continue the voyage.