In my life time I never
really thought I would travel to any of these countries, but yet I have just
returned from a globe circling journey which had me visiting all of them! It was literally an around the world trip
since we traveled west from San Francisco to Singapore, boarded the ship which
sailed northwest & finally continued our westward adventure from Delhi,
India to Newark, New Jersey & ultimately back to San Francisco. It's a fun
fact but not nearly as glamorous as it sounds. First up was Singapore.
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| Merlion Park is one of Singapore's major tourist attractions with its half lion, half fish statue. Singapore is a beautiful, safe country - a great place to begin our adventure. |
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| The Marina Bay Sands Hotel is one of Singapore's newest major attractions opening in 2010. The hotel was out of our price range for a stay but for $20 Singapore per person (about $15 USD) we could visit the very top & use our $20 voucher for drink credit. I thought, "Great, we can relax & have a couple glasses of wine." Not! One glass of wine & one beer wiped out our vouchers AND we had to pay another $7 for the tax & tip. Oh, well. |
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| The infinity pool sits atop the three 55 story towers of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. The hotel has 2500+ rooms, commercial offices & a shopping mall on the ground floors. |
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| Our 16 hour flight landed early in the morning in Singapore. Fortunately, they were able to accommodate us checking in at 8 AM but we dropped our bags, refreshed a little & headed out to do our own city tour. We took Lou's dad's small transport wheelchair & my private chauffeur pushed me all over Singapore in the heat. |
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| Another new attraction is the Gardens by the Bay, a 250 acre nature park, which includes a nightly light show extravaganza. This is a view from the top of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. |
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| These electronic "trees" are part of the Gardens by the Bay light shows. We managed to stay awake for the early evening light show before taking a taxi back to our hotel. |
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| Just before the first light show we found a spot to sit on the low walls for free. If you pay extra you can stand along the raised walkways (visible in this photo) right in the middle of the light show. That's the top of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel in the background. The next day we relaxed at the hotel before taking a taxi to the pier to begin our 15 day cruise. |
After spending a day at sea
aboard the Celebrity Constellation, we arrived in Phuket, Thailand (on Lou's 63rd birthday!),
where it was necessary to take a tender into the city. This is when I learned
of Darrin's injury & surgery so my sightseeing was quite limited since my
concern for my son took center stage. I related that story in my "Everyday
Musings of a 60-Something Grandma" blog if you haven't yet heard it.
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| You can see our ship in the background of this photo from the shore. These colorful fishing boats made for an interesting photo. The small pier to the left is where our tender boat docked taking us into Thailand. |
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| This scenery reminded me of many of the Caribbean islands we have visited over the years. It was shortly after taking this picture that I received the text about Darrin's injury. |
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| Our final stop in Phuket was at Wat Chalong. This is considered one of the most beautiful Buddhist temples in Phuket. At this point I knew Darrin was out of surgery & in recovery so I was able to somewhat enjoy my sightseeing. Lou climbed the stairs to the second & third floors but I remained at ground level in the primary temple. |
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| Wat Chalong is a Buddhist temple complex with several buildings. This is one of the picturesque structures that we explored. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Phuket. |
This cruise had seven sea
days which was good for my hip since it needed several breaks from the walking
& stair climbing of shore excursions. The terrain along with numerous ins & outs of the buses made taking the transport
wheelchair more trouble than it was worth so I just sucked it up & did it.
Our next port was Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka.
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| In my wildest dreams I never imagined I would be in Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon). Our tour this morning drove us past the crowded city streets where all the locals were busy shopping. The guide pointed out that being just off the tip of southern India, Sri Lanka likes to refer to itself as "India clean". Once we arrived in India I understood what he meant. |
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| This was the only day that a rain storm affected our travels. Our guide changed the order of stops to hopefully see the Gangarama Buddhist Temple before the storm hit. We almost made it but had to make a run for the bus as the rain poured down on us. Fortunately we had our umbrellas. |
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| Part of the Gangarama Buddhist Temple in Colombo. Our final stop was a beautiful old resort hotel on the Indian Ocean. As we had our refreshments the heavy rains continued which limited any decent photos of the hotel. |
I really struggle with Third
World countries & my apprehension about traveling to India was
obvious. The horrible treatment of animals, the neglect & suffering of
children & the abject poverty really upset me. But given the fact that I could return to life on the ship, I took a deep breath
& headed into Cochin, a southern India seaport. My first impression of India was now friendly & polite the people were. Everyone waved & smiled at us. But my second impression was of the huge amounts of garbage lining the streets everywhere we went!
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| Our first tour stop was Fort Cochin where we attended a performance of the Kathakali Dance. The first half of the hour long performance consisted of the woman on the right. making eye movements & expressions to describe various emotions. Our table mates agreed that it was way too long. I couldn't help comparing the woman to the various drag queens I've seen over the years. These were the only two characters in the performance other than a couple of drummers. |
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| The water front area contained a fish market just like most port cities everywhere that we visited. Fish is a staple in this part of the world. I was unable to get a photo since we were whizzing by on the bus but one shop had the sign title "Meat Products & Murdered Chickens". Fish sitting in 100 degree heat & murdered chickens is enough to make you a vegetarian! |
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| Cochin fisherman use these Chinese fishing nets for their catch. It is an unusual method operated from the shore. They are ten meter high contraptions that pitch forward lowering the green nets into the water. After about 10 minutes they are raised, hopefully full of fish. This is one of the major tourist attractions in Cochin & was quite interesting to watch. |
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| Our tour concluded with a long boat ride around a lake/inlet which gave my hip a rest & offered many photo ops. We were able to get a good look at the Chinese fishing nets. These colorful old fishing boats were just a few of hundreds. This southern state of Kerala was a good introduction to India. It eased me into the beauty of India but I would learn that it digressed quite a bit in my opinion as we continued our travels. |
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| This lone fisherman made for a picture of tranquility. |
The state of Goa was our
second port of call along the west coast of India. The weather was hot &
humid everywhere in India.
I sweat like an NBA player not to mention having a bright red complexion much
of the time. The bus you get is pretty much a crap shoot & ours had some
pretty woeful air conditioning this day.
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| Our tour in the state of Goa consisted mostly of a bus ride which was good for my hip since the next few tours would be much more strenuous. We made a brief stop at this colorful marketplace. This is primarily a market for the locals. Again most of the people were friendly & not overly pushy when it came to selling their wares. |
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| Our guide pointed out this slum as we passed it on our bus. The shore excursion talk on the ship pointed out that there is a "Slum Tour" in Mumbai which he took & loved. He was amazed that most people are completely happy. Apparently there are many huge slums in India & one was featured in the Oscar winning movie "Slum Dog Millionaire". |
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| Our final stop was at the Planet Hollywood Resort in Goa. You literally drive along a dirt road full of potholes & lined with shacks to arrive at a beautiful, upscale resort. Many famous people have stayed at this lovely hotel. We were served cookies & soda or coffee before exploring the grounds. |
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| This man climbed at least 20 feet up a palm tree at the Planet Hollywood Resort to cut some branches. He was barefoot & had nothing to keep him safely attached. One arm & the grip of his feet were all that kept him from tumbling to the ground. I am using this post as pretty much a straight forward travel log. I will do a second one soon with some strange photos & signs which will include many more of my impressions of this part of the world. |
Our final cruise stop in India was
Mumbai, the most populous city in the country with 12.4 million people. Mumbai
was formerly named Bombay
until it was changed in 1995. Many of the locals we encountered still call if Bombay. We had a
fantastic female guide who shared many of her thoughts & insights.
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| The Dhobi Ghat, India's unique laundry service. These are huge outdoor laundries where personal & commercial laundry is washed & dried. Even large hotels take their sheets & towels to the Dhobi Ghat. Our guide pointed out that very rarely lose or misplace anything. |
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| Our bus today had excellent air conditioning which certainly helped after being outside in 100 degree, humid weather. Here we were packed into the Mani Bhaven, which was Gandhi's Bombay base between 1917 & 1934. It is now a museum & major tourist attraction. |
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| The downtown of Mumbai was a beautiful city. This is the Prince of Wales Museum which we visited. While waiting for the bus, I struck up a conversation with a local woman dressed in a sari. She was sitting on a short wall & when she saw me limping, she patted the wall next to her & motioned me over. We chatted that I was from California & she was on a break from her job. My single biggest surprise was how friendly the Indian people are & how interested they are in the foreigners. |
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| The Gateway of India was our final stop on the Mumbai tour. A young girl (about 7 or 8), nicely dressed, approached me requesting a photo together. Her brother (about 9 or 10) had a cell phone & took the photo. I asked her name & told her mine. I half expected them to then ask for money but they didn't, just went on their way with a smile. Our guide was a woman in her 40s or 50s. She mentioned how India is a male dominated society explaining women are moving into the 2000s while men remain in the 1600s, which she added, is why I am single. |
After another sea day &
checking in on my son to satisfy my mom instincts that he was really doing okay,
we arrived in Muskat, Oman. A few weeks before we
discovered this cruise, a friend told us, "You have to go to Oman!"
Lou & I thought, yeah, right, when are we ever going to Oman. Then I'll
be darned, we were going to Oman.
It is a beautiful country & second only to Singapore in cleanliness. But
littering will get you ten days in jail for a first offense!
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| The first impression of Oman from our ship was that the port was surrounded by majestic mountains making it an extremely scenic city. Our guide informed us that skyscrapers are not allowed in Muskat, the capitol. The Blue Mosque is one of the highlights of the city. |
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| Oman is a Sultanate making it an independent Arab country. There are remnants of old forts which protected the city from invaders. Islam is the official religion of Oman but Jews & Christians are able to practice their faiths. Our guide told us that alcohol is not allowed - guess I won't be moving to Oman anytime soon. :-) |
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| Our bus ride out of the city took us by numerous beautifully landscaped & maintained areas. I was awed by the beauty of the architecture & the mountainous terrain. One of our table mates thought the whole place was way too "sterile". After some thought, I have to agree with him. Plus it seemed that women are still treated as second class citizens in many ways. It was a wonderful place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there. |
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| This local fish market in the village of Barkha was our first stop. It is out of the city & was a bustling place for the people to purchase fish. It isn't for the faint of heart since fish were being chopped up & some still flopped around on the tables. Our guide told us to ask permission to take a photo first. This man graciously nodded his head at my request but Lou had one who said no. I saw a man carrying a plastic bag of fish home that was dripping blood as he walked. |
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| The Nakhl Fort is one of the best restored forts in Oman. This historic fort was an important medieval stronghold. It was the highlight of our tour & I climbed all 93 steps to see it all. My hip was rebelling but, hey, when was I going to get another chance to see it? I popped some more ibuprofen & took my time. |
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| One of the rooms inside Nakhl Fort. This was our longest tour lasting 6-1/2 hours. It included a buffet lunch at the Al Nahda Resort Spa. As we traveled along the Batinah Coast there were many beautiful homes & scenery. Our young guide was quite personable. He had a masters degree from a British university & had just returned to Oman with his wife & two daughters. He explained that men still paid dowries for their wives & they were legally able to have several wives but he thought one was enough. |
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| As our ship sailed out of the port in Muskat we were treated to more of the gorgeous rugged coastline. |
Our final port was the United Arab Emirates city of Dubai. We left the ship in Dubai
rather than continuing on to Abu Dhabi
the following day. Our plan included flying to Delhi, India,
for a visit to the Taj Mahal. Lou crossed two items off of his "bucket
list", going to the 148th floor of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai & seeing the Taj Mahal.
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| After checking into our hotel, we hailed a taxi & headed to the Dubai Mall for our tour of the Burj Khalifa. Lou loves anything tall to go up in & I tag along. This really was a fantastic view of the surrounding area. We were looking down at these 30, 40 or 50 story buildings! |
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| More huge skyscrapers in upscale Dubai that look like tiny buildings from the 148th floor of the Burj Khalifa. The main observation decks are on the 124th & 125th floors but Lou found a tour called "At the Top" which starts at the 148th floor. It has it's own observation deck both indoor & out. You have one hour at the 148th floor to limit the crowds then you can descend to the 125th floor for as long as you'd like. |
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| I loved this shot from high above the only freeway interchange we saw on this trip. The Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world. Its more than 160 stories rise 2717 feet above the ground. Our observation deck "At the Top" is the highest in the world at 1821 feet above the ground. The first 30 or 40 floors are an upscale hotel, the next 50 or so are luxury condominiums of which a 900 square foot apartment starts at almost one millions dollars! The final floors are office space & the last 10 or 15 stories are simply a ladder to the top of the spire. |
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| Enjoying the views! Lou thoroughly loves these tall buildings & was in his element as we spent a couple hours towering over the rest of the world. |
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| I don't do well with heights but amazingly enough, I didn't feel uncomfortable at all even this high up. Even on these outside decks the railings were high enough that I felt fairly secure. |
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| The outside of the Burj Khalifa. It truly is a beautiful building & is the center piece of the Dubai Mall with its lagoon, shopping markets & lovely surroundings. You can see a few of the "normal size" skyscrapers in the lower left corner of this photo to give you an idea of the awesome height. |
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| There is a fountain show every half hour in the lagoon beginning at 6 PM. We watched a couple of different ones. Each show varied with different musical accompaniment. Again these are the "little" skyscrapers. |
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| As night fell the Burj Khalifa was lit up along with the entire area. This is the same shot as the one I took during daylight. You can see the 30 or 40 story buildings on the lower left. |
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| More of the night scene outside the Dubai Mall. The mall is the largest I have ever seen. We took a taxi but if we had driven & parked a car, we would still be looking for it! Honestly, I have a good sense of direction but the mall was so immense that I had no idea where we had entered. I would definitely go back to Dubai since there is still so much we didn't have time to explore. BUT I've decided that 16-20 hour flight times are like having a baby, you have to take enough time to forget what it was like to want to do it again. |
Thirty years ago Lou was in India with the primary goal of visiting the Taj
Mahal but riots in Agra
prevented anyone entering the city. He tried for two days & had to ultimately
give up. It took awhile but he made it back. I have to say that the first sight
of the magnificent structure is breathtaking!
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| The view from the rooftop of our hotel in Delhi. After a 3 hour flight from Dubai we were now in "the real India". What a change from the upscale opulence of Dubai to the dirty, run down areas of Delhi. I was the most apprehensive about this time in Delhi on our own. We had booked a day trip to Agra via train from a reputable tour operator who uses local companies. This one had excellent reviews. |
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| I had been in text communications with the owner of the local company since we had the train time, number & sets but no tickets. He assured me all was well & said, "Don't worry. This is India." The tour & the day progressed perfectly. We were well taken care of & I will share the details of that trip in another post. This is the view from our express train trip to Agra. |
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| One of the outer buildings of the Taj Mahal complex. Our personal guide, Farid, was fantastic! He took care of everything, helping with my wheelchair & relating the most interesting stories. His love & passion for his job & the Taj Mahal came through loud & clear. |
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| We entered through one of the arched gateways & there it was! With no scaffolding in sight!! The first sight of the Taj Mahal was truly breathtaking!!! All of our research had said that parts of it would be in scaffolding due to the first major cleaning since its construction. But we lucked out & it was totally visible - what a wonderful surprise! |
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| Farid pointed out that the detail around the entry ways & inside the tomb (no photos allowed inside) are all inlaid gems so they never fade with time like paint would. You can see the semi precious stones above each archway. |
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| This white marble mausoleum was built by the Shah Jahan for his third & favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died soon after the birth of their 14th child in 19 years of marriage. Farid related the details of their love story to us as we stood here gazing at this amazing memorial which brought tears to my eyes a few times as I was surprisingly overcome with emotion. Our two hours at the Taj Mahal was definitely a highlight of this trip! |
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| Following our sit down lunch at a local restaurant we continued on to our other destinations. The Agra Fort is another major attraction in Agra. It was a wonderful complex but after the majestic Taj Mahal unfortunately it paled in comparison. |
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| Our final stop was the Baby Taj, really named the Tomb of I'timad-ud-Daulah. It is a much smaller mausoleum built by the Shah's mother-in-law for her husband. An interesting fact that Farid related is that marriages are still arranged in Agra, love matches are not allowed. He pointed out several young couples sitting close on the outskirts of the property who were finding some private time to talk, steal a few kisses & just be together. Their families wouldn't find them on the grounds of the Baby Taj since no locals visit there. |
Our final day of this three week adventure turned out to be a wonderful trip despite my apprehension. The great drivers & guide took fantastic care of us as we navigated the traffic, train station, 120 mile trip to Agra & back with the aid of these great people! This was an amazing trip & I'm still having trouble wrapping my brain around all the things that we saw & did on our journey around the world. I'm really glad I did it but once was enough!
