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Friday, March 29, 2019

Paro, Bhutan to Darjeeling, India (home of the same-named tea)

 

Talk about Mr. Toad’s wild ride!  That’s what we lived through today to tell the story.

It all had to do with our travels from Shangri-La to wild and crazy and jammed with people.  We began the day leaving our zen-like hotel for the Paro airport, home of two gates numbered 2 and 3.  We flew up, up, and up, a necessity since it’s in a fairly small valley surrounded by 10,000 foot mountains.  Our flight to Bagdogra took only 30 minutes, the highlight being a clear sky and a great view of Mt. Everest.  It was a WOW! moment for sure.   

 

The fun began when we arrived at the Bagdogra airport, walked outside and realized we weren’t in heavenly Bhutan any more.  It was hot, crowded, and noisy.  We knew that this was the airport for Darjeeling, which cannot support an airport because it’s too high in the mountains.  When I’d checked the itinerary, I saw that the airport was 36 miles away from our hotel, so why did the schedule say “3-hour drive”?  That’s when Mr. Toad kicked in.  

 

The situation is primarily that we had to drive up a two-lane mountain road with more twists and switchbacks than I’ve ever seen.  There was also a great deal of traffic causing some delays.  Most of the roads were two-lane, but way too many were more like a lane and a half so it was like when roadworks are being done:  only one direction can drive at a time.  At least one delay was caused while we waited for a few cows to get out of the road.  Remember:  this is India, where cows are sacred and wander pretty much wherever they like.  All of these factors figured into the 5 MPH drive.

 

The villages we drove through provided a good bit of culture shock over our last destination.  There were people everywhere, shops open to the street, dogs, and yes, more cows.  Cars honked to warn people to get out of the road and we learned that pedestrians do NOT have the right of way.  The whole experience kept us glued to the windows watching India go by.  It was culture shock for sure.  

 

When we arrived in Darjeeling, I expected it suddenly to be peaceful and quiet and the way it was back in the English colonial days, when this city was the most popular spot for British officials and their families to move to for the summer, avoiding the heat of the flatlands.  Well, I was wrong.  It was more of the same, with noise and crowds.  

 

Finally we drove down an almost hidden alleyway to the back entrance of the Hotel Mayfair, which Tripadvisor gives the top rating here.  Our Indian travel agent loves Darjeeling and chose this hotel because of its historical significance.  This was the summer house of the Maharaja of Nazargun, whom I’ve never heard of, built over a hundred years ago during the British Raj.  It looks somewhat like a group of cottages, but the insides of the rooms are really quite rustic.  We’ll be here for three nights, so I hope we like it.

 

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Friday, March 29, 2019

Paro, Bhutan to Darjeeling, India (home of the same-named tea)

 

Talk about Mr. Toad’s wild ride!  That’s what we lived through today to tell the story.

It all had to do with our travels from Shangri-La to wild and crazy and jammed with people.  We began the day leaving our zen-like hotel for the Paro airport, home of two gates numbered 2 and 3.  We flew up, up, and up, a necessity since it’s in a fairly small valley surrounded by 10,000 foot mountains.  Our flight to Bagdogra took only 30 minutes, the highlight being a clear sky and a great view of Mt. Everest.  It was a WOW! moment for sure.   

 

The fun began when we arrived at the Bagdogra airport, walked outside and realized we weren’t in heavenly Bhutan any more.  It was hot, crowded, and noisy.  We knew that this was the airport for Darjeeling, which cannot support an airport because it’s too high in the mountains.  When I’d checked the itinerary, I saw that the airport was 36 miles away from our hotel, so why did the schedule say “3-hour drive”?  That’s when Mr. Toad kicked in.  

 

The situation is primarily that we had to drive up a two-lane mountain road with more twists and switchbacks than I’ve ever seen.  There was also a great deal of traffic causing some delays.  Most of the roads were two-lane, but way too many were more like a lane and a half so it was like when roadworks are being done:  only one direction can drive at a time.  At least one delay was caused while we waited for a few cows to get out of the road.  Remember:  this is India, where cows are sacred and wander pretty much wherever they like.  All of these factors figured into the 5 MPH drive.

 

The villages we drove through provided a good bit of culture shock over our last destination.  There were people everywhere, shops open to the street, dogs, and yes, more cows.  Cars honked to warn people to get out of the road and we learned that pedestrians do NOT have the right of way.  The whole experience kept us glued to the windows watching India go by.  It was culture shock for sure.  

 

When we arrived in Darjeeling, I expected it suddenly to be peaceful and quiet and the way it was back in the English colonial days, when this city was the most popular spot for British officials and their families to move to for the summer, avoiding the heat of the flatlands.  Well, I was wrong.  It was more of the same, with noise and crowds.  

 

Finally we drove down an almost hidden alleyway to the back entrance of the Hotel Mayfair, which Tripadvisor gives the top rating here.  Our Indian travel agent loves Darjeeling and chose this hotel because of its historical significance.  This was the summer house of the Maharaja of Nazargun, whom I’ve never heard of, built over a hundred years ago during the British Raj.  It looks somewhat like a group of cottages, but the insides of the rooms are really quite rustic.  We’ll be here for three nights, so I hope we like it.

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Oh dear...I hope that the Hotel Mayfair and Darjeeling will be two of those places that once you adjust to the differences they turn out to be wonderful.   Sort of like the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.  Quite an adventure.  How big was the plane?  I think having an experienced pilot with me who didn't worry would be comforting.  Can't wait to see what comes next.  Thanks for taking us on the adventure.  Cherie

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Saturday, March 30, 2019

Darjeeling, India

 

What a fascinating place India is, and Darjeeling is an excellent example.  I guess living in the United States and understanding how different the parts of it can be, I should not be surprised that in this country which is an entire subcontinent,  every place is unique. Our day today showed us such variety.  

 

We began with a trip on one of the world’s highest trains, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR), also called the Toy Train.  I’ve never ridden on a train which hugged the sidewalk through villages, in two passenger cars pulled by a tiny engine that strugged to get us up the hills.  Ginni and I looked at each other once and both said, 

“I think I can, I think I can,” since we remembered The Little Train that Could, one of our favorite childhood books.  The whole DHR is a United Nations Heritage site, complete with a coal-fired engine that belched fire when fed.  As we rode along, we found ourselves the object of interest, and people along the way even took photos of us passing by.  We also learned that Mark Twain came to Darjeeling in 1890, simply because he wanted to ride this cute little train.  Watching a muscular woman across the road shovel coal into buckets made us really appreciate our ride.  

 

Afterwards, we drove to a Buddhist temple which is the oldest in Darjeeling.  It has two of the largest prayer wheels I’ve seen and was just beautiful.  We learned from 

Ratan, our guide, that after India achieved independence in 1947, immigrants from Tibet flooded over the border and settled all over northern India, bringing Buddhism with them.   

 

As we drove along we noticed something I’ve never seen before.  If you’ve been to a third world country like Vietnam, you’ve probably noticed the maze of electrical wires between poles in the cities.  That’s also found here, but in addition, there are dozens of rubber hoses in the same pattern which are water pipes.  There they were, green, blue and yellow hoses strung from one area to another, delivering water to homes and businesses.

 

Next we headed to the Darjeeling Zoological Gardens:  the zoo.  This particular zoo features only animals found in West Bengal, the Indian state we’re in.  However, that includes some of the most fascinating animals in the world.  There were snow leopards, tigers, leopards, red pandas, and tons of other animals.  We probably spent two hours wandering through the exhibits, always trying for “the perfect photo.”  We even saw two couples from a local area who had just been married in their traditional attire.  

 

In the middle of the zoo is the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, the premier climbing school if you’re interested in climbing Everest, K-2, or another of the Himalayan peaks.  This is the school that Tenzing Norgay taught at before his death, and his ashes are in a memorial area there.  If you don’t remember, he was the sherpa guide who accompanied Sir Edmund Hilary to conquer Mt. Everest in 1953, and he was actually the first one to ascend to the peak.  The Mt. Everest museum there is amazing, and has equipment from several climbing expeditions.

 

From there, we went to the Tibet Refugee Center, where those who have escaped China’s influence in their native country can live and support themselves.  We walked through several buildings watching the process as people took sheep wool, spun it into yarn and then used it to create beautiful rugs and other decorative objects.  They then sell these products to local hotels and individuals so as to make an income.  We bought a purse for our daughter and John picked up a couple of tee shirts.  The rugs were gorgeous, but we couldn’t take one with us and we were told that mailing them wasn’t always very dependable, so we had to take a pass.

 

Then it was time to get back to the hotel, sit in one of the lounges editing and air-dropping photos, and then have a tasty Indian dinner.  Right now it’s almost 10:00, but the Indian wedding down the hill is going strong and we’re wondering about getting some sleep tonight.  One thing that will make it easier, however, is that when the maids come around for evening turndown service, they put a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel under the covers to keep our feet warm.  Such luxury!  I’m getting to like this place!

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Sunday, March 31, 2019

Darjeeling, India

 

Driving in India is an adventure all to itself.  This is our fifth (and longest) trip to India and I would never in a million years drive my own car here.  We’ve always had a car and driver (it really is quite a bargain) and occasionally it’s so stressful that I can’t even look up.  At the moment we’re rocketing through the narrow streets of Darjeeling, hitting the horn when anyone walks into the street, and I’m writing on my phone to avoid looking.  The deluge during the night has left the roads wet and slippery and that just adds to my discomfort.

 

On our first trip here we had an amazingly terrifying but memorable drive from Delhi to Agra.  There were cows, goats, camels, tuk-tuks and even the occasional elephant in the road.  Lane lines on the road were, I’m sure, just suggestions.  Needless to say, I did a lot of writing (and praying) while we drove.  

 

So why, if driving is so scary, do we keep coming back?  It’s the fascination of it - the sights, sounds, smells, and the people of India are like a magnet to us and I’m sure this will not be our last visit.

 

* * * *

 

Last evening, a Saturday, was the occasion for a wedding down the hill, and if you’ve ever seen Monsoon Wedding, you’ll have an idea of the volume of the music being played by a loud and enthusiastic DJ.  We were sure we’d never be able to sleep - and then at exactly 10:00, the music abruptly stopped.  That was great until about 3:00 AM, when a storm of biblical proportions began with pounding rain (our room is right under the roof), great flashes of lightning, and truly deafening thunder.  Sleep did not come easily until it finally calmed down around 5:00.  

 

Even with a lack of sleep, we were ready to go at 9:00 for a two-hour drive to Mirik Lake, the only public lake in West Bengal.  The drive was what caused my thoughts on traffic (above), and then, to make it worse, the fog was so thick that visibility was occasionally down to about 100 feet.  When we arrived at the lake, we were fairly surprised at its relatively small size but admired the surrounding forest-like environment and enjoyed watching the Indians enjoying a family day out.  I’m sure it would have been prettier under clear blue skies, but it was an interesting place to visit.

 

En route to Mirik we drove past beautiful tea plantations which look like entire hillsides of perfectly rounded green shrubs.  People work very hard tending the plants and picking the tender new leaves so that we can enjoy that delicious beverage.  

 

When we returned to the city, Ratan found us a little cafe where we split two orders of chicken chow mein (not too Indian, I know), and then were dropped off in one of the main market areas of town.  This was my favorite part of the day, not because I bought anything (except some Darjeeling tea for my tea-loving daughter), but because watching an Indian market in full swing is great fun.  The clothing is colorful, the bargaining intense, and the people are just so darned nice.  We walked for about a mile through the market and then onto The Mall, a street built by the colonial British just for walking.  It has about a dozen small hotels, beautiful views over the countryside, and two different places to sit and watch the sunrise over Mt. Kangchenjunga, the world’s third tallest mountain, after Everest and K-2.  

 

Then it was time to return to the hotel which, luckily, has an entrance directly from The Mall.  Ginni and I tried to order either an afternoon tea or a cream tea, but apparently they don’t offer those.  The first includes little sandwiches, scones, and pastries, and the second only offers scones with clotted cream and jam.  (High tea also includes meats and cheeses.)  We figured that since Darjeeling is known world-wide for its tea, they could at least provide some scones to go along with it.  

 

This is our last night at The Mayfair, and like a kindly old aunt, we’ve become used to it and rather fond of it. We love the wonderful service and the beautiful grounds, and while it’s a little tired and could use a bit of sprucing up, it was a good choice for us. 

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On 2/8/2019 at 3:44 AM, tennisbeforewine said:

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

At Sea en route to Easter Island

 

Our five days of lovely crossing continue, and the only thing I could wish for would be some sunny weather.  Both of us love to hang out on the back deck, reading, chatting with friends, and soaking up the sun.  We don’t spend as much time as our friend Jeff, but then our dermatologist doesn’t yell at us like Jeff’s does.  In this morning’s announcement, the Captain told us that this afternoon should have some sun, so I can hardly wait to see if his forecast is correct.

 

Last evening John and I had a conversation about our dining room stewards, which led us to a conversation about the Amsterdam crew in general.  There are a couple of truths about our crew:  they are the best crew on the high seas and anyone who has been on this ship for very long knows it.  One of the most satisfying memories I have on a previous world cruise was when a crew member on the Lido made some small mistake, resulting in a thorough tongue-lashing from a passenger.  The result was wonderful.  One passenger, then joined by a couple of others, lit into the rude man and let him know that if he didn’t appreciate how wonderful this crew was, he should jolly well find himself a different cruise line, because there would be no welcome for him here.  There wasn’t actually applause, but there were a great many happy faces at the put-down.  Rule number one:  you’d better appreciate our crew members.  The best-attended shows on the ship are the Indonesian and Filipino crew shows.  If you don’t get a seat about a half hour before they start, you just won’t get a seat.  

 

The dining room is an excellent example of why we appreciate our crew.  From previous cruises, we know several of the dining room staff, from our assistant waiter, Putu, to our waiter, Indi, to our area manager Asep, to the wine stewards Joel, Kay, Nestor, and Manny, to the dining room manager Ronald.  From one cruise to the next, we are recognized, welcomed, hugged, and valued.  One of our waiters from our segment in 2018 was Sam, and last evenig he didn’t have anyone at his station so he walked John over to our table, began handing menus to all of us, and then told us which dinner selections he recommended.  Indi, our regular waiter, was also our waiter for the full WC in 2017, and we were almost as happy to see him as he was to see us.  We’re all on a first name basis and as happy as clams at high tide.

 

Another dining room steward, Anam, loves magic and card tricks, so he’s the waiter for our friends Jan and Dick’s table, because Dick also loves card tricks and performs a new one at his table every evening after dessert.  When you consider that this is a 113-day cruise, that’s a lot of card tricks.  The important bit, however, is that HAL knows well enough that two wanna-be magicians belong together, so Anam is assigned as their waiter.  In fact, Anam stopped at our table the other night and showed us his newest trick.  He had done this from time to time in 2018, and we love the entertainment.  

 

That, of course, doesn’t even touch on the room stewards.  Each cabin is assigned two of these fine young people, and we have found that they just can’t do enough to make us happy.  On our first day, when we first met Wayan and Patrick, we told them that we don’t need towel animals or towels on the floor next to the bed in the evening. (Apparently this is a Deck 6 and 7 amenity, but I don’t understand it).  We also told them that we’re usually awake by 7:00 and off to the gym by about 7:15.  Since they begin their room cleaning chores at 7:30, they begin with our cabin and it works out very well for all concerned.  They’re quickly done with our room and we come back to a spic-and-span cabin.  They constantly ask if there’s anything else they can do for us, but they do everything wonderfully already, so the answer is “No, but thanks for asking.”

 

I know that you can find cruises that are more expensive and include more “treats” like free drinks and complimentary shore excursions, but you really won’t find a cruise line with a better crew. 

P. S.  Haven't been able to access internet for over a day; sorry for the delay.

 

I am 34 almost 35 and am enjoying your World Cruise. I aspire to do one hopefully before I turn 60. My Father and I cruise on Royal Caribbean and we love the waitstaff and room attendants. I could not agree more to treat them well. On one cruise we met this nice Head Waiter who worked with the Maitre D' to have my Father and I attend  an Officer luncheon at the Chef's Table. That was awesome.

 

On a second cruise we ran into the same Headwaiter who then was our Maitre D". He not only remembered us from our last cruise he checked with us every night and made sure my Father adn I had the same table and brought little extras for us!   One day we got a bottle of Champagne from him. 

 

Another time we had an issue at Chops the Steakhouse and they invited us to a special Galley Lunch on the house with a Galley Tour. In addition they comped us a Bottle of Wine the next time we dined at the Steakhouse. All because we treat them with respect!  

 

Also other staffmembers remembered me from a previous cruise. The kind woman working the Pool Stand came up to me and said"I remember you  from your last cruise" How is everything. We spoke for  awhile. Another attendant in the Buffet also remembered me from another cruise and we spoke for awhile. Just like being a part of their family. I always ask about life back home and their family.

 

Our Indian Waiter was so friendly and one of them made us Chai using his own personal stash every night. Of course we tipped him beyond what was required! He would always recommend the best Indian Dishes and always brought seconds!

 

I want to retire  and live on a cruise ship!


My Father and I spent two weeks on Cunard around the Med and loved it. Perhaps we would like Holland America.

On 2/8/2019 at 3:44 AM, tennisbeforewine said:

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Tuesday, April 2, 2019

Darjeeling to Delhi, India

 

Travel in India is, if anything, exciting.  It takes lots of time, excellent pre-planning, and copious amounts of patience, as we proved yesterday.

 

It was time to drive back down the mountain, but before we left, John had a really good idea:  check the requirements for entry into Oman, to which we’re flying to rejoin the ship.  If we were on board, it wouldn’t be a problem, but whoops!  It IS a problem.  We have to have e-visas, which require a passport photo and passport page uploaded onto the online application.  We had extra passport photos (it’s a good idea to always carry a few), but Rich and Ginni didn’t, so we had to find a photo shop for them on the way down the hill.  Success!  Then we continued our drive to the Bagdogra airport for our flight to Delhi.

 

That would seem to be straighforward, but oh no.  The reservation agent asked if we would like to upgrade to business class for 6000 rupees ($85) each and our group decision was yes.  We then expected to hand her our credit cards and be done with it but no, that would have been too easy.  We were directed to a small, hot office where an overworked young lady was responsible for charging us.  She just put in the chip card and everything was OK, right?  Oh no.  The machine was first incredibly slow and then rejected our card three times, even though it has no balance.  Finally she just took Rich’s card and charged all four upgrades.  

 

By now it was getting close to flight time, so a young man in the office walked us upstairs and through security.  By then, the boarding line was about a mile long, but our original check-in agent saw John, recognized him, and put us in a separate VIP line.  Oh my!

 

The flight was very comfortable, the Indian lunch was delicious, and we arrived twenty minutes early into New Delhi, finding Ajay, our favorite Indian travel agent, waiting to collect us and drive us to The Oberoi Hotel, AKA luxury personified.  After a lively interlude with hotel personnel in the hotel lounge enjoying some tea, we were taken up to our rooms where we had a lesson in how to use the IPad which controlled everything, including the lights, drapes and TV, with information about restaurants and the spa.  What a place!

 

Then it was time to find the business center so that Rich and I could apply for their Omani visas, since John and I had done so in Darjeeling.  That was even less fun than paying for our air upgrade, and an hour and a half later we had applied through two websites, the Omani government’s as well as a commercial one, paying twice, but finally having the applications accepted.  

 

Our efforts were rewarded with the rest of the evening spent at the hotel’s rooftop bar, enjoying the clear (!) skies, quaffing beverages, and ordering a variety of appetizers which constituted dinner.  It had been a long and trying day, but since “all’s well that ends well,” I guess it turned out just fine. 

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Wednesday, April 3, 2019

Delhi to Agra, India

 

Today was probably the most perfect of this overland trip.  We began in Delhi with a quick breakfast and then Ajay and the driver (doesn’t that sound lovely?) came at 7:15 to head to the Gataan Express train to Agra for the wonderful Taj Mahal.  This was such a different experience from our first trip to the Taj in 2008, when the drive took most of the day and was a lot like Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride through cows, tuk-tuks, donkey carts, sleeping dogs by the side of the road and a couple of elephants.  Today we just sat back, had a light breakfast delivered to us, and 100 minutes later disembarked at Agra station. 

 

Our local guide and driver collected us and, although the itinerary called for a visit to Agra Fort in the morning and the Taj at sunset, Mayank, our guide, suggested we go to the Taj Mahal right away to avoid both the crowds and the heat.  What a great idea that was!  The crowds, compared to our visit in 2008, were very light, and while it was about 80 degrees, we were able to avoid the high 90’s forecast for this afternoon. The other reason for avoiding this afternoon and evening was that today is Shah Jahan’s birthday, he of the romantic impulse which caused him to build this monument to his late wife in the 1600’s.  Because of that, entrance is free after 2:00 PM, and you can just imagine what that does to the number of visitors.  A bit of trivia:  The Shah’s wife was just 31 when she died - in childbirth with her 14th child.  Poor thing.

 

It’s difficult to describe the beauty of this world-famous structure when you’re up close to it.  The marble, quarried about 200 miles away, contains crystals, so it sparkles in the sun.  It’s difficult to realize that every carving and inlay was done by hand, which is why it took 22 years to finish, from 1631 to 1653 (you see, I was listening).  Even the chapters of the Koran on the Taj aren’t painted on; they’re inlaid with onyx - just beautiful.  

 

Afterwards, we told Mayank that we wanted to take the rest of the day off, so after a short (by our choice) visit to the local carpet emporium, we headed to one of the most beautiful hotels on earth, the Oberoi Amervilas, where every room has a view of the Taj and, if you’re very lucky (and we were), you have a balcony, too.  There are fountains, terraced lawns, reflection pools, and one of the most beautiful swimming pools I’ve ever seen.  Photos really don’t do it justice, but I’ll try.  

 

We settled into the dining room for lunch, and by the time we had finished, our rooms were ready.  We were told not to leave the balcony door open because there were some monkeys who’d love to enter your room.  After time at the pool it was time for a nap, but when I woke up I saw a banana peel on the floor next to the fruit basket.  It turns out that when he put his swimsuit out on the balcony to dry, John didn’t securely fasten the door, and while we were asleep, one of those pesky little monkeys came into the room, peeled and ate the banana, and then made his getaway with two apples.  He was nice enough to leave behind the orange, though - probably because bananas are easier to peel.  I’m just glad I didn’t wake up during his break-in.  

 

Sunset found us on the balcony outside the bar and then on the balcony outside Rich and Ginni’s room where the mosquitoes were in full attack mode.  Ginni gave us small bracelets which have the scent of citronelle to keep the little buggers away, but I think we would have needed four or five to really do the job.  We all decided we’d had enough of that fight, so we went downstairs for dinner.

 

Today was just perfect.  We visited one of the most beautiful buildings on earth, had a swim in a wonderful pool and then a nap, and even were able to provide hospitality to that little fuzzy friend who came to visit.  

 

P. S.  Received our Oman visas today.  Hooray!

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Your experience in Agra sounds pretty perfect.  I have read horror stories on CC of visits to the Taj Mahal.  The right TA seems to be the the key.  Looks wonderful.

And, when visiting friends at a resort in Newport, CA we learned to play pickleball.  We had soooooo much fun.

As always, thank you for including us in your WC.  Cherie   

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Friday, April 5, 2019

Agra to Delhi to Muscat to the ms Amsterdam

 

Just writing the above makes me tired.  After our totally relaxing day in Agra, we had until 11:00 the next morning to just relax some more.  Then Mohan, our driver, picked us up and we got to discover the joys of the Indian super highway.  Instead of the villages, people, cows, donkeys, and so on of our first trip from Delhi to Agra, we drove on a nearly empty freeway that took us three hours instead of the previous five.  It was somewhat less charming and a whole lot less scary, but it was nice just to sit back, read, and then find ourselves in the mad traffic of Delhi by 2:00.

 

Our flight was scheduled for 7:00, and Ajay wanted us to be at the airport by 4:00, so we had time for a couple of hours of Delhi sightseeing.  Because it was midafternoon, it was really more of a couple hours of Delhi traffic jams and horn honking, but it was fun anyway.

 

Our flight went smoothly and 3-1/2 hours later we were in Muscat’s shiny new airport where immigration went smoothly and quickly and we only had to wait about a half hour for our luggage to come up.  A short taxi ride took us to the most elegant Hilton Garden Inn I’d ever seen, and then the next morning found us back on board our home away from home.  

 

Muscat, and indeed all of Oman, is amazing.  It sits on the water at the foot of jagged peaks which surround it, a beautiful natural setting.  Sultan Qaboos (I pronounce it “caboose”) is a benevolent dictator who took the reins of power from his father about 30 years ago and, since then, (unlike his father) has used the country’s oil revenue to modernize Oman and make life better for its people.  There are pictures of him everywhere, and everyone we’ve spoken to has nothing but good to say about him, and they are quite sincere.  There is mandatory education for both genders, along with university for anyone who qualifies, the infrastructure of the country is modern, utilities as well as health care are top quality and free, and there is freedom of religion.  To top it off, Muscat has been named the world’s second cleanest city - after Singapore.  

 

We spent part of the day unpacking and filling two laundry bags with 12 days of dirty clothes, and then took the shuttle to the souk, where the merchants were somewhat persistent but always polite.  We found a postcard for our granddaughter in a shop that also sold stamps and directed us to the post box right out in front.  The efficiency with which this country is run suggests to me that Jessica will have that post card in just a few days.

 

It’s wonderful to be back “home,” especially with others telling us that they’re glad to see us returned safely, and with five sea days before Aqaba, we should have plenty of time to rest up from our adventure.  

 

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Friday, April 5, 2019

Agra to Delhi to Muscat to the ms Amsterdam

 

Just writing the above makes me tired.  After our totally relaxing day in Agra, we had until 11:00 the next morning to just relax some more.  Then Mohan, our driver, picked us up and we got to discover the joys of the Indian super highway.  Instead of the villages, people, cows, donkeys, and so on of our first trip from Delhi to Agra, we drove on a nearly empty freeway that took us three hours instead of the previous five.  It was somewhat less charming and a whole lot less scary, but it was nice just to sit back, read, and then find ourselves in the mad traffic of Delhi by 2:00.

 

Our flight was scheduled for 7:00, and Ajay wanted us to be at the airport by 4:00, so we had time for a couple of hours of Delhi sightseeing.  Because it was midafternoon, it was really more of a couple hours of Delhi traffic jams and horn honking, but it was fun anyway.

 

Our flight went smoothly and 3-1/2 hours later we were in Muscat’s shiny new airport where immigration went smoothly and quickly and we only had to wait about a half hour for our luggage to come up.  A short taxi ride took us to the most elegant Hilton Garden Inn I’d ever seen, and then the next morning found us back on board our home away from home.  

 

Muscat, and indeed all of Oman, is amazing.  It sits on the water at the foot of jagged peaks which surround it, a beautiful natural setting.  Sultan Qaboos (I pronounce it “caboose”) is a benevolent dictator who took the reins of power from his father about 30 years ago and, since then, (unlike his father) has used the country’s oil revenue to modernize Oman and make life better for its people.  There are pictures of him everywhere, and everyone we’ve spoken to has nothing but good to say about him, and they are quite sincere.  There is mandatory education for both genders, along with university for anyone who qualifies, the infrastructure of the country is modern, utilities as well as health care are top quality and free, and there is freedom of religion.  To top it off, Muscat has been named the world’s second cleanest city - after Singapore.  

 

We spent part of the day unpacking and filling two laundry bags with 12 days of dirty clothes, and then took the shuttle to the souk, where the merchants were somewhat persistent but always polite.  We found a postcard for our granddaughter in a shop that also sold stamps and directed us to the post box right out in front.  The efficiency with which this country is run suggests to me that Jessica will have that post card in just a few days.

 

It’s wonderful to be back “home,” especially with others telling us that they’re glad to see us returned safely, and with five sea days before Aqaba, we should have plenty of time to rest up from our adventure.  

 

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Saturday, April 6, 2019

At Sea en route to Aqaba, Jordan

 

It’s pirate time!  If you’ve seen Captain Phillips, you know what pirates are all about in this day and age, and when we sail this part of the world, it’s necessary to guard against them.  We are in what’s called “The Indian Ocean High Risk Area,” and although tankers and container ships are the pirates’ main targets, they occasionally show passenger ships some interest.  There has been a significant decrease in incidents in the past few years, but precautions are still necessary.

 

In the past, we’ve seen the area below the railings on Deck 3 wrapped in razor wire, since that would be the easiest area to access.  This year, however, there’s no such precaution, but other measures are in place.  When I spoke with Captain Jonathan at lunch, he said that the “piracy area” has shrunk a great deal and that the threat decreases each year.  The most important measure is that we have begun reporting to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organization (UKMTO), located in Dubai.  They coordinate all coalition warships in the area which are assigned to anti-piracy operations.  We are being tracked 24/7 in this area and, although we can’t see them, warships are fairly close.  

 

On board, there are several things being done to help with this possible threat.  On the Bridge, the officers keep a close radar watch.  Extra security guards are on board and they operate a 24-hour anti-piracy watch.  We have charged water hoses ready for use on Deck 3 (Lower Promenade), and we are making 22 knots (25 mph) an hour, which would enable us to outrun any but the fastest vessels.  

 

My favorite anti-piracy devices, however, are the four LRAD’s, or Long Range Acoustic Devices.  They look like those huge old television/internet dishes that people used to have in their back yards, and their purpose is to aim very high frequency sound waves at anyone coming too near the ship.  The waves are so strong that they will temporarily or permanently deafen the attempted intruder, and in some cases can be fatal.  They can be aimed very specifically, so attempted pirates had better watch out.  

 

While we were overland, we missed the piracy drill, but we’ve done it before so I think we know that the bottom line is to find a hallway without windows and sit down.  We can do that.  Pirates beware!

 

* * * * *

 

Regarding my last (out of order) posting yesterday, we were all rather frustrated by the internet for the entire day.  While I had written the text, the server wouldn’t let me post it, but strangely, it would let me post photos.  Finally, finally, I was able to post the text below the photos, but then it posted twice.  I certainly hope it works better today.  

 

P. S.  There seems to be a crisis on board.  One of the container ships carrying the beer for the Amsterdam was delayed, so there’s an actual beer shortage on board.  Rich and John are beside themselves and are having to make do with Red Stripe and a couple others that they won’t touch.  The Heineken is no more (on a Dutch ship?!).  We have been assured by Edmond, the Beverage Manager, that this may all be put right in Aqaba.  One can only hope so.  

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