Travel Journal

Arabian Sea & Indian Ocean Exotic Journey Part D - Columbo, Sri Lanka

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 18:44:45 -0500

December 12, 2009: Columbo, Sri Lanka is not the capital of Sri Lanka, but it is the largest city, port, and commercial center of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka was formerly known as Ceylon under British rule, but when they gained their independence in the early 1970’s the name Sri Lanka was chosen – it means ‘prosperous land’. It is a small island nation where the major industries are agriculture, textiles and tourism. Ceylon tea has been famous around the world for centuries and is still highly regarded today. One of the nice excursions available in Sri Lanka is to visit a tea plantation. Textile manufacture and clothing manufacture are also big business and many clothing exports go to the U.S. The primary religion of the population of Sri Lanka is Buddhism, although Hindu temples, Christian churches and Islamic mosques can also be found. It is believed that Buddha visited the island long ago. In the past few years there has been a lot of unrest in the country due to the violent acts of the Tamil Tiger rebels. However in May of this year a treaty was agreed between them and the Sri Lanka government, so the country is at relative peace again.

We chose a half day tour of Colombo in which the highlights of the city were shown. It began with a drive through the busy commercial center and thriving Saturday markets for fresh fruits and vegetables. Much of the markets and types of commerce and transportation appeared similar to what we saw in India. One major difference that we did notice was that more of the women appeared in western dress, rather than traditional dress, than in India, and head coverings were seldom seen. We then visited the National Museum of Sri Lanka which was founded by the British in 1868. It is housed in a beautiful British Colonial style building (without air conditioning) and has interesting collections of art and artifacts from Sri Lanka’s past. Most of the treasures are enclosed in glass cases and range from prehistoric agriculture and implements to beautiful jewelry, all types of firearms, knives and sabres, pottery, religious statues, ornate puppets, and relics from the heyday of British rule of over a century ago. Our next stop was at the venerable Galle Face Hotel, opened in 1864, that has hosted many famous celebrities, politicians and royalty from around the world for over a century. It claims to be the first hotel in Asia, and is still an admirable hotel today as we saw preparations for lavish weddings and holiday parties taking place. It is situated on a beautiful spot on the beach and a small museum is located in the hotel as well to help you imagine Colombo as it was during the British reign. And our last venue on the tour was a visit to a Buddhist Temple, the Gangarama Temple dates from the 15th century. We had to take our shoes and hats off before entering, and shoulders must be covered, but we were allowed to take photographs throughout this sprawling complex. We learned that authentic Buddha statues had only three posed in Sri Lanka, and that Buddha was always on a Lotus flower. The temple complex was very colorful and composed of several buildings and outside areas, and included a live elephant and charcoal burners for lighting incense. This port call gave us a glimpse of the diverse life and culture in this tropical island nation.

December 13, 2009: Another day at sea to rejuvenate and enjoy the pleasures of cruising.

Arabian Sea & Indian Ocean Exotic Journey Part D - Cochin, India

Wed, 9 Dec 2009 17:43:31 -0500

December 9, 2009: After a wonderful, but long day visiting Mumbai, Agra and the Taj Mahal, we luckily had a full day at sea to rest and recover. The weather cooperated by being warm and sunny, and the seas were smooth.

December 10, 2009: Cochin, India was our gateway port to southern India, and specifically the state of Kerala. Kerala is the wealthiest state in India with a minimum wage at least quadruple of the other states, and also boasts the highest literacy rate – 92 percent. It is also a Communist state, as it has been from its inception in the late 1950s, and the hammer and sickle flag is seen in some places. However, the high cost of labor and high taxes of the Communist government also severely limits the amount of business investment here, and thus the unemployment rate is over 25%. But there is a ‘safety net’ for everyone here, and no slums. It is also the most religiously diverse state of India, with a Christian segment of over 25%, Islamic segment of 14%, and the rest Hindu with a few other minority religions. (In the entire country of India the Christian segment is only 2%.) So for all of these reasons, and more, it is a very interesting part of India to visit.

Cochin has had a lot of European influence, starting with the Portuguese, but continuing with the Dutch and then finally the British. The ‘old town’ part of Cochin is called ‘Fort Cochin’, and buildings and churches from these various periods of European dominance can still be seen. And while there is not a lot of industry in Kerala, the exception is for cloth, and quite a wide variety of sari’s, scarves, caftans and other fabrics can be admired and purchased. And Cochin is the fourth largest port city in India, and the state of Kerala has tourism as a major source of income. There are many beach resorts, houseboats in the back waters, and wild games parks in the country side.

We chose an ‘off the beaten track’ tour where we ventured about 90 minutes away from Cochin, and first visited a sprawling ecological beach resort on the Arabian Sea. We had another bountiful Indian buffet meal there, and some time to explore the grounds and amenities the resort had to offer. After lunch we journeyed a bit further to the ‘Kerala backwaters’, where we boarded a lovely houseboat for a relaxing and insightful cruise on the canals and rivers. These houseboats come in different sizes, most with a kitchen at the back of the boat, several bedrooms and bathrooms, then a living and dining area that is under cover, but open air, and with the steerage at the front of the vessel. These unique houseboats have been serving vacationers and tourists in this area for about 40 years. The boats are made locally at the side of the canals with a wooden frame structure, and the sides of the craft made from woven reeds, and derived their inspiration from earlier vessels that were basically barges hauling goods. The boats are powered by fairly quiet diesel engines, and provide an excellent platform from which to enjoy cruising these tranquil waters. The banks are lined with graceful palm trees and other tropical foliage, as well as with many villages, homes, churches, temples, schools and small stores. So the local life such as women washing clothes on the stones along the river banks, children playing, and men fishing can be viewed through this unique vantage point. It was a nice window into a slower pace of life in India.

Arabian Sea & Indian Ocean Exotic Journey Part C - Mumbai, India

Tue, 8 Dec 2009 17:41:07 -0500

December 8, 2009: Mumbai, India, formerly known as Bombay, is a city of over 20 million people, teeming with life and color. It is one of India’s major port cities and one of its largest commercial centers. As Bombay, it was a key city when India was part of the British Empire, and some of the grand British Colonial buildings are still in existence. But the real growth occurred after independence in 1948 when many millions of people moved from rural India to the cities in search of jobs. Some of the world’s largest slums can be found here, even right up to the edge of the freeways and runways at the airport. (The recent movie ‘Slum Dog Millionaire’ depicts some of this fairly accurately.) It is also home to a lot of multi-national companies and their thriving movie industry called ‘Bollywood’. Despite the poverty and the throngs of people, you can see the innate entrepreneurship of the Indian people as small shops and kiosks are everywhere. The majority of the people are very industrious and do not sit idle. There is also a fairly healthy middle class here that is in evidence by the heavy advertising everywhere to their needs and desires.

However, we only were able to see a brief outline of Mumbai, as we had chosen to do a full day (14 hour) tour to fly to Agra, India and back to visit the Taj Mahal. This excursion, organized through the cruise line included a 2 hour flight on a chartered jet to and from a military airport in Agra. It was well organized and we had good Indian guides each step of the way. Driving through the streets of Agra is in itself a colorful and eye-opening experience. You see almost every form of conveyance from all types of cars, buses, tuk-tuks, pedicabs, bicycles, motorcycles, donkey and horse drawn carts, and even elephants and camels. Traffic control and regulations are basically ignored or non-existent, and driving is a free-for-all, although we witnessed very few accidents. At the side of the roads, there are small shops, kiosks and food stalls everywhere. And the colorful array of people, and especially the varied and beautiful sari’s of the women was a sight you did not tire of.

Our first stop on the tour was to visit the impressive Agra Fort, built by the Mughal emperors in the late 16th century. This sprawling red sandstone fortress, complete with moat, was built near the banks of the Yamuna River (a tributary of the Ganges River). The builder of the Taj Mahal, the Shah Jahan built part of the fortress and the Taj Mahal can be seen from parts of the fort. After exploring the fort we stopped at a nearby five-star hotel for a quick Indian buffet style lunch.

Everyone then had great anticipation for our visit to the Taj Mahal, recently voted one of the ‘Seven Wonders of the Modern World’. Despite the crowds, and rather pushy street hawkers, viewing the Taj Mahal in person exceeded expectations. As part of a plan to reduce air pollution which was beginning to damage the marble of the Taj Mahal, regular vehicles must stop a certain distance away. You can then proceed the next part of the way via electric bus and then on foot. Perhaps not surprisingly, judging by people’s dress, almost half of the tourists were Indians. Our guide said this was a good sign for the local economy that so many local people were traveling to sites like this.

The Taj Mahal was built by Shah Jahan as a tomb and memorial to his love for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died after childbirth in 1631. Approximately 20,000 workers labored for 12 years to complete it in 1643. This Islamic garden-tomb is also a mosque, complete with four minarets and a lotus pool, and was built at a cost of nearly 41 million rupees and over 1,000 pounds of gold. The beautiful white marble is almost completely covered with various decorative elements that come into focus the closer you get. Much of the gleaming edifice is covered by what’s called ‘Pietra Dura’. This is a Florentine technique in which minute slivers of precious stones such as lapis lazuli, turquoise, malachite and others are arranged in complex stylized floral designs that are set into the marble base. Favorite flowers were the tulip, lily, iris, poppy and narcissus. Other parts of the tomb are covered with inlaid calligraphy in black marble that inscribes Koranic passages. And yet other areas are geometric and floral patterns carved into the polished marble and sandstone surfaces. In the center of the tomb, safely ensconced behind the intricate marble screens, the marble cenotaphs for Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan sit on a raised platform. However, their actual graves are now buried in a dark crypt area below, closed to the public.

So, despite the crowds, the visit to the Taj Mahal definitely was a highlight of our trip, and worth the effort to see it. And despite it being a long day’s journey it was reassuring to return to the ship’s safe and familiar cuisine, comfortable bedding and many other amenities.

Arabian Sea & Indian Ocean Exotic Journey Part B - Muscat, Oman

Sat, 5 Dec 2009 23:50:36 -0500

December 5, 2009 – Muscat, Oman was our first port of call and a destination that we had little knowledge of before our visit there. Unlike some other destinations, the bookshelves and internet are not full of information for travelers that are planning a visit. This rather small country is bordered by Saudi Arabia, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates and the Arabian Sea. This was a very sleepy, mostly desert country, until large oil deposits were discovered in the 1960’s. The official name of the country is the ‘Sultanate of Oman’, and the current Sultan who took power in the early 1970’s has used some the large oil profits to bring the country into the modern era. When he came to power the entire country had only two schools, one hospital, and only five miles of paved roads – all of these aspects have expanded by more than a thousand fold since then. However, the Sultan does appear to rule with a heavy hand with strong Islamic principles and the populace knows that they are always being closely watched by their government, and almost all decisions are monitored by it. For example, every structure built must be either white or a light color according to Islamic law, and must be approved by the government. And foreign workers are granted only limited rights within the country and are limited to stays of two years or less.

Western investment has been limited, but some of the major hotel and restaurant chains are now starting to have a presence here. The Sultan has eight palaces around the country with several being in Muscat, although even the servants to do know which palace the Sultan will reside at each day. The Sultan also spent millions of dollars of his ‘own funds’ to build one of the largest and most extravagant mosques in the world - it can hold up to 20,000 worshippers. All of the areas we saw on our tour seemed to be well manicured and maintained, and we did not see any slums or areas of abject poverty. The Omani men seem to wear either western clothing or the long shirts and cap head coverings, while the Omani women wear the full black robes and veils, although few wore the full face coverings. Visitors and foreign workers are allowed to wear modest western clothing.

One of the most authentic and interesting highlights our tour was a visit to their local souk. This is a marketplace frequented by both locals and tourists that has been in existence for hundreds of years. It is located close to the seaport and is built mostly underground and has narrow sidewalks and alleyways that spread out in all directions. Everything from souvenir items, to colorful fabrics, to toys, to household items, to exotic spices and perfumes, to shoes, to the most exquisite gold jewelry can be found. And of course you must employ your keenest bargaining skills to obtain the best prices from the aggressive, but friendly vendors. This port call did give us a good glimpse of life in a small, fairly isolated Arab country.

Arabian Sea & Indian Ocean Exotic Journey Part A - Dubai

Tue, 1 Dec 2009 23:44:54 -0500

December 1 - 4, 2009 – Most voyages to exotic destinations require at least one long air flight to get there, and this trip was no exception. Luckily we were able to secure a non-stop flight from the Washington area to Dubai. The flight was a little more than 12 hours, and when you can get your head adjusted and prepared for this in advance it was quite doable. We passed the time alternating between sleeping as much as possible, staying well hydrated, eating in moderation, enjoying the in-flight entertainment options as well as reading up on the upcoming destinations.

We arrived in Dubai in the early evening and were cleared through the customs and immigration process without any delays. Since we landed on ‘Arab Emirates National Day’, we were also greeted by some of the local people with free samples of some of their local products, and their flags and other decorations were festooned everywhere. National Day celebrates the anniversary of seven smaller Persian Gulf countries joining together to form the ‘United Arab Emirates’. However, the real ‘jolt’ of seeing Dubai in person for the first time is as you drive from the airport to your hotel. It is approximately a 20 to 30 minute drive to most of the popular hotel areas. During this ride you will see an amazing array of skyscrapers and freeways, with some of the most interesting and modern architecture and bright lighting that you have ever seen. Some of the areas are so futuristic that you almost expect the ‘Jetsons’ to come flying around the corner. Another way to describe the amazing scene is ‘Las Vegas on steroids, but without the gambling, but with some excellent beaches’. There is not just one city center, but multiple city centers. Each city center tries to outdo the other ones, and most areas are anchored by numerous 5-star (or better) hotels and the largest and most ornate shopping malls in the world. Another fact which makes Dubai so fascinating is that all of this hyper-development has occurred mostly in the last 20 years or less. It is a very dry desert country, that even up until the 1960s and 70s was mostly a small fishing village and minor trading port. Temperatures in the summer can reach 100 degrees or more Fahrenheit, so visiting in the Spring, Fall and Winter months is preferable. During our stay the temperatures in the high 70’s, and getting a little bit cooler at night were perfect.

All of the major hotel chains are represented here as well as many you’ve probably never heard of. To slow our pace down from our normal hectic lifestyle to vacation mode, we chose to spend our first two nights in Dubai at one of their ‘over the top’ beach resorts. We chose one of the Jumeriah properties designed to replicate an idealized Arabian Village, complete with multiple restaurants, canals with Abra boats, and even its own Souk and the largest swimming pool in the Middle East. The intricate décor of the hotel and attention to detail made you think you were staying in an elaborate movie set. Another advantage of staying at this hotel was that it was located next to the famous ‘Burj Al Arab’ hotel, the 7-star hotel that resembles a large glass sailboat, anchored on its own private island. Having great views of this world famous landmark right from our balcony and while eating breakfast, etc. was a definite highlight.

While our hotel village was so all-inclusive that we could have been well fed and entertained for at least a week without leaving, we did decide to take a desert safari one evening. We were picked up at our hotel in the late afternoon by a driver in a 4-wheel drive vehicle such as a Toyota Landcruiser. We then drove about a half hour out of Dubai city into the desert area where our driver rendezvoused with similar vehicles. Each driver then let some of the air out of all of the tires for the tires to be able to become more flat for the next section of our tour which was driving over the dunes. We then enjoyed about 20 minutes of ‘dune bashing’ – where the driver’s drive the vehicles up and down the dunes at fairly high rates of speed in order to thrill the occupants and garner both screams and laughter. It is an exhiliarating ride, but with the experienced drivers, reinforced roof vehicles, wearing seat belts and holding onto the grab bars, it is a safe one too. This desert drive then leads to a ‘desert camp’ where an evening of unusual events was about to unfold. First, a herd of camels was available for photographing and camel rides. Another diversion was that complimentary henna tattoos were offered. Located in another corner of the encampment was a comfortable seating area with shisha water pipes for a bit of relaxation. The dining event featured local-styled low tables covered with bright patterned fabrics and with cushions on the ground for seating and oriental carpets underfoot. (Other than these dining areas, walking was on sand which was rather difficult at times.) These were set up in a circular format around a low stage area. Dinner was served buffet style and featured barbecued chicken, beef and lamb, hearth baked flat breads, and a wide variety of vegetables and salads. And at the end of dinner a belly dancer was the featured entertainer. She kept the crowd’s interest with her dance movements and audience participation. All in all it was a fun evening, and topped off by another view of the amazing cityscapes of Dubai at night.

After this brief introduction to Dubai, we prepared to board the Silversea ‘Silver Wind’, our home for the next 17 days. We were eagerly anticipating this exotic cruise, and yet also looked forward to returning to Dubai for a couple more days at the end of our journey. The Port of Dubai, currently under renovation and reconstruction, does not have much to offer at the moment in the way of amenities or aesthetics, but it does appear to be gaining popularity with many of the world’s major cruise lines. The air access into Dubai is fairly good, and it offers an excellent gateway into the many sights to see in the Middle East, South Asia and East Africa regions. As cruising gains in popularity, repeat passengers become more eager and interested in visiting new and exciting destinations, and Dubai is a perfect place to start.