So, I will be posting about Viet Nam as soon as I can... but it probably won't be until I get to Beijing in 4 days! Then I can post pictures from Malaysia, Viet Nam, and some from China! I am really excited for China and I will do my best to keep you all up to date on my travels!
love love love
Cherie
Monday, March 31, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Malaysia and such...
First of all, again, let me apologize for not being more on top of my blogging. Since being in Asia our time between ports has significantly decreased. From Malaysia to Vietnam (where I am writing this from) we had 3 days at sea, so trying to write updates, do my school work and still maintain my social life (that’s right, I have one of those!) is quite difficult… anyhoo, on with what you really want to hear about…
My time in Malaysia was great! (And no I didn’t kill the Prime Minister). The first three days I was on a SAS sponsored trip to the Cameron Highlands and the next two days I spent with some friends at a sweet hotel in Penang. First of all, getting off the ship in Penang was not as easy as it normally is – we had to tender our way in… meaning that the ship was anchored in the harbour and we used the (HOT HOT HOT) lifeboats to get from land to the ship. Anyhoo, the first day began with a tender ride to land and then off to the busses for our 4 hour ride to the highlands. We stopped twice on the way for a “happy stop” as our guide called them and also for lunch at a Chinese restaurant. After our stop we continued to climb up into the highlands (6,000 ft). About a half hour before we made it to our hotel it started to downpour! Now, maybe its just because I have only seen the sun since beginning this adventure, but that kind of rain was foreign to me (and not because it was in Malaysia). We eventually made it to the hotel, broke out the rain coat and flip-flops and headed down to the city. We did a bit of shopping and found an internet café where we could make calls to the US for less than .10 a minute and internet for even cheaper – it was beautiful! Spent a few hours there and then headed back to the hotel for the evening. The next morning we had land rovers (like the ones on Ace Ventura!) that took us through the highlands to different tea plantations and to one of the highest peaks in Malaysia. Riding in the land rovers was an experience to say the least. With four of us in the back with no real seats it was pretty bumpy and uncomfortable but the sights that we saw were totally worth it. We went on two different jungle hikes and saw some native plants and insects. Our guides were great and explained everything very well. They even showed us different plants that the natives used and still use as medicinal. It was really interesting. We also stopped at a tea factory. BOH (Best of Highlands) is the brand that is most famous in Malaysia so I stocked up at the factory and I hope to share some with everyone when I get back (Yep, I kinda went a little crazy with the tea). In the afternoon we had planned to go to a village a visit with some of the native people but due to a gigantic tree in the road our plans changed and we visited a smaller village that we had passed earlier. The people that lived in the village were very welcoming being that we came in completely unexpected – our guide had lived with them for a period of time a while back so he knew it would be acceptable for us to just show up. The chief of the village was kind enough to give us a blow gun demonstration and even let us try it. It was a great experience and the pictures are priceless. After our visit we headed back to the main part of town where we stopped at a strawberry farm where I bought the most amazing strawberry ice-cream!! Yum! The Cameron highlands are known for its strawberries (as well as tea) so it was great to be able to make a short stop there. The next day we visited some temples and some sights on our way back to Penang. My favourite was a Buddhist temple that was built into a cave. Again, only the pictures can really explain. Once we got back to Penang I quickly got back to the ship, unpacked, repacked, and headed back out to a hotel in Penang with 3 of my friends. The hotel was built in the traditional British colonial style. It was beautiful and the time to relax was well needed. That night we went out to dinner at a traditional Malaysian place and met an American family who just moved to Dubai about 6 months ago. It was really cool to hear their story and also just be in a “family” for a few minutes. After the restaurant kicked us out because we were there too late the mom would not leave without seeing us off safely and giving us a “mom” hug. She was so sweet! The next day, after lying out by the pool, we went for an early dinner to Subway – you should be jealous. It was the first we had had subway since leaving the states so it was quite refreshing, although it didn’t taste the same. For dessert we went next door to Starbucks! I got my traditional London Fog and man, was it good! – First time to have Starbucks since leaving the states too. After our dinner we headed to Gurney Plaza – a huge shopping center in Penang. We went to get some groceries and headed back to the hotel to watch a movie. The next day, Easter Sunday, we pretty much chilled by the pool all morning until brunch at the hotel. After brunch we packed up, took some “family portraits” and then headed back to the ship. I will admit that my time in Malaysia was more like vacation than an educational experience, although I did learn a lot at Cameron Highlands. The down time was well needed and it was a great time to spend with friends. Easter night we had a service on the ship which was great. The turnout was more than I expected and I think a lot of seeds were planted. I hope this update finds everyone well and I will try my best to give you my thoughts and feelings on Viet Nam as soon as I can – and I will try to upload some pictures when I find an internet café. Miss you all!
love love love
Cherie
My time in Malaysia was great! (And no I didn’t kill the Prime Minister). The first three days I was on a SAS sponsored trip to the Cameron Highlands and the next two days I spent with some friends at a sweet hotel in Penang. First of all, getting off the ship in Penang was not as easy as it normally is – we had to tender our way in… meaning that the ship was anchored in the harbour and we used the (HOT HOT HOT) lifeboats to get from land to the ship. Anyhoo, the first day began with a tender ride to land and then off to the busses for our 4 hour ride to the highlands. We stopped twice on the way for a “happy stop” as our guide called them and also for lunch at a Chinese restaurant. After our stop we continued to climb up into the highlands (6,000 ft). About a half hour before we made it to our hotel it started to downpour! Now, maybe its just because I have only seen the sun since beginning this adventure, but that kind of rain was foreign to me (and not because it was in Malaysia). We eventually made it to the hotel, broke out the rain coat and flip-flops and headed down to the city. We did a bit of shopping and found an internet café where we could make calls to the US for less than .10 a minute and internet for even cheaper – it was beautiful! Spent a few hours there and then headed back to the hotel for the evening. The next morning we had land rovers (like the ones on Ace Ventura!) that took us through the highlands to different tea plantations and to one of the highest peaks in Malaysia. Riding in the land rovers was an experience to say the least. With four of us in the back with no real seats it was pretty bumpy and uncomfortable but the sights that we saw were totally worth it. We went on two different jungle hikes and saw some native plants and insects. Our guides were great and explained everything very well. They even showed us different plants that the natives used and still use as medicinal. It was really interesting. We also stopped at a tea factory. BOH (Best of Highlands) is the brand that is most famous in Malaysia so I stocked up at the factory and I hope to share some with everyone when I get back (Yep, I kinda went a little crazy with the tea). In the afternoon we had planned to go to a village a visit with some of the native people but due to a gigantic tree in the road our plans changed and we visited a smaller village that we had passed earlier. The people that lived in the village were very welcoming being that we came in completely unexpected – our guide had lived with them for a period of time a while back so he knew it would be acceptable for us to just show up. The chief of the village was kind enough to give us a blow gun demonstration and even let us try it. It was a great experience and the pictures are priceless. After our visit we headed back to the main part of town where we stopped at a strawberry farm where I bought the most amazing strawberry ice-cream!! Yum! The Cameron highlands are known for its strawberries (as well as tea) so it was great to be able to make a short stop there. The next day we visited some temples and some sights on our way back to Penang. My favourite was a Buddhist temple that was built into a cave. Again, only the pictures can really explain. Once we got back to Penang I quickly got back to the ship, unpacked, repacked, and headed back out to a hotel in Penang with 3 of my friends. The hotel was built in the traditional British colonial style. It was beautiful and the time to relax was well needed. That night we went out to dinner at a traditional Malaysian place and met an American family who just moved to Dubai about 6 months ago. It was really cool to hear their story and also just be in a “family” for a few minutes. After the restaurant kicked us out because we were there too late the mom would not leave without seeing us off safely and giving us a “mom” hug. She was so sweet! The next day, after lying out by the pool, we went for an early dinner to Subway – you should be jealous. It was the first we had had subway since leaving the states so it was quite refreshing, although it didn’t taste the same. For dessert we went next door to Starbucks! I got my traditional London Fog and man, was it good! – First time to have Starbucks since leaving the states too. After our dinner we headed to Gurney Plaza – a huge shopping center in Penang. We went to get some groceries and headed back to the hotel to watch a movie. The next day, Easter Sunday, we pretty much chilled by the pool all morning until brunch at the hotel. After brunch we packed up, took some “family portraits” and then headed back to the ship. I will admit that my time in Malaysia was more like vacation than an educational experience, although I did learn a lot at Cameron Highlands. The down time was well needed and it was a great time to spend with friends. Easter night we had a service on the ship which was great. The turnout was more than I expected and I think a lot of seeds were planted. I hope this update finds everyone well and I will try my best to give you my thoughts and feelings on Viet Nam as soon as I can – and I will try to upload some pictures when I find an internet café. Miss you all!
love love love
Cherie
Friday, March 21, 2008
More Pictures...
Just a little photo shoot in the rik-shaw!
Our reaction to the smell of India...
Our unusual ride back to the ship...
Me in downtown Delhi
In front of a temple in Delhi
INDIA
Me and Zach on the rik-shaw ride.... before we got lost.
The Ganges River in VarinasiLong Overdue Pictures
Me and Kelli at the Taj!
GROUP C at the Taj!
The bellman at our hotel in Delhi
THE TAJ!!
Leaving for Delhi...
Me and Zach at our AMAZING hotel in Delhi.
Just a tad happy to be there...
Recognize this??
Me in the old Palace
Riding in Mauritius
Miss Anna riding...
Friends after our time riding...
Just some fireworks in the grocery store...
These are all from an orphange in Mauritius... so Cute!
My first time swimming in the Indian Ocean!
Me and some friends!
Catamaran cruise....
Me and Aliceson after our cruise!
This is on the top of a mountain in Mauritius
This was at lunch... and i wanted to be like the fish on my spoon! Don't judge!My India... experience
India… WOW! I really wish I could tell you every little detail (sights, sounds, smells, feelings, emotions) about my trip to India but that will not do it justice and I fear no one will be able to understand everything that I felt while in India. In this blog I will tell you more of what we did rather than what I felt because including everything would be way too long and also pointless because I cannot put it into words.
We got to India on Tuesday morning but I left Chennai (southern India) at 1500 hours that same day to fly to Delhi (northern India). Our trip to Delhi started with a bus ride to the airport – this is when the actual culture shock set in. The drive to the airport was 45 minutes so we were able to see some of the sites in Chennai. We drove through a part of town that is very hard to explain to those who weren’t there. People were sleeping on the sides of streets and living in “houses” held up with 4 sticks of bamboo and covered with a tarp. It was my first real experience with this kind of poverty and it did not feel well at all. When we got to the airport we were immediately bombarded with beggars asking for food and money. Of course with our group being the only white people in the area we were looked at like a celebrity. It took a while to get used to everyone staring at us whenever we entered a room. When we got inside the airport it was really interesting to see the overwhelming majority of men – in India the ratio of women to men is 919/1000. This is partially due to the dowry system (which is illegal, however still widely used), as well as infanticides (women getting abortions because of the female sex of the baby) – but that is a whole other story. So we arrived in Delhi and went straight to our hotel. The hotel was amazing! There were also a lot of other SAS trips staying there so it was great to see some friends from the ship. We had dinner and headed off to bed for our 4 hour rest. Our hotel for the first 2 nights was the Ashok Hotel – it was amazing! When we first arrived they gave us lays and the traditional dot on our forehead. It was great! We got up the next morning at 0400 hours and headed to the train station to catch the train to Agra. This was another eye opening experience for everyone. There were people everywhere (I know where there 1.2 billion people come from)! We were still always surrounded by beggars and men trying to sell things to us for a “special price just for me” (where have I heard that before?). Anyways, we arrived in Agra after a 2 hour train ride and were swept away to the bus for our journey to Fatehpur Sikri. This is a deserted city about 25 miles outside the city of Agra. It was built by Emperor Akbar as his capital to honour a Muslim saint who prophesied the birth of an heir. The palaces are made of red sandstone and are in remarkable shape. This is also the place where the game Parcheesi was invented – personally I had never heard of it before but for all of you Parcheesi fans I have a great photo of the 5 story tower that is apparently on the box. We then made our way to the city of Agra where we visited a department store where we saw how cashmere/silk rugs being made. I would have bought one but the price was a little too high for my liking. Later in the day we went to Agra Fort which contains halls and palaces of the Mughals – my professor also got attacked by a monkey there… don’t worry I have it all on video! From the fort we were also able to see the Taj Mahal, our next and most exciting stop! When I first saw the Taj Mahal I was speechless – It totally exceeded my expectations and I was thoroughly impressed. I wish I could expand my vocabulary in order to find words to explain it but it was amazing! After visiting the Taj at dusk we headed to a hotel for dinner and then to the train station to get back to Delhi. The next day (after another 4 hours of sleep) we went for a driving tour through Delhi. The sites included the Burla Temple and a Sikh Gurdwara, the Indian war memorial, parliament house, secretariat buildings and the official residence of the President of India. From there we headed to the airport to catch our flight to Varanasi. After arriving in Varanasi we visited the ruins of the ancient city where the Buddha preached his first sermon - we also went to the Stupa and ruins of an ancient monastery. The Buddhist temple we visited was also saw the tree under which Buddha was enlightened (Now, this wasn’t the actual place he was enlightened but the tree is a sapling of the original tree he was enlightened under – just thought I’d throw that out there). That evening we were scheduled to go to the Ganges River to watch some of the traditional Hindu rituals, however the Prime Minister of India was scheduled to come to Varanasi the next day so the city was “practicing” for his arrival by closing random streets which made it impossible to get to the river that evening. We did have time for a rikshaw drive that turned into a nightmare with getting separated from our group and experiencing the real India at night. Don’t worry, my mom didn’t know about this until long after the whole ordeal. Our driver spoke NO English and I don’t think he really knew where we were supposed to go. After we were stopped in the middle of a busy street for about 10 minutes my friend Zach and I finally found someone with a cell phone and were able to call our guide to find out where to go. We ended where we started with out seeing the Ganges… The next day we got up at 0430 hours and finally made it to the Ganges River. We boarded a small boat and sailed along the river to see all the different religious practices that have remained unchanged over the centuries. We saw many pilgrims come to the Holy water for the ritual immersion and prayer to release their souls from the cycle of rebirth. The walk to and from the river was, like many of my experiences, indescribable. People were everywhere asking for money, wanting us to buy things, wanting food, or simply staring at 60 white kids walking down the street trying not to be killed by all the cars/rickshaws/motorbikes. We then made our way to an Indian art emporium. They hand make 100% silk scarves, shawls, and tie. I might have gone a little crazy with the scarves… maybe! Don’t worry, they are super cute! After lunch and packing we headed back to the airport for our flight to Delhi and then Chennai. Before we flew out though, the Prime Minister flew in so we were able to see him which was really cool. I had a very interesting conversation with a local in the airport about the politics of India and the comparison/contrast to that of the states. Just a little side note – every person I have talked with about politics in the states seems to really like Obama… I just thought that was interesting. By the time we got back to Chennai we were all pretty delirious from our lack of sleep and would start cracking up at the smallest comment. It was good times! The next day I slept in until 1000 hours (that is good on the ship). After lunch my friends when to St. Thomas church and saw the tomb of doubting Thomas. It was not what I was expecting but it was still nice to see one of the three churches in the whole world that are built over the tomb of an apostle of Jesus. We also went around pretty much all of Chennai… our rik-shaw driver would take us everywhere except where we asked – talk about frustrating. We stopped in the middle of a busy part of the city and saw type of juice/smoothie stand and braved the ice/water that they told us NOT to eat multiple times… but hey, ya gotta live a little, right? 3 days later and I’m still not sick!! Well, this is getting to be really lengthy so I best give it a rest. Miss you all! love love love Cherie
We got to India on Tuesday morning but I left Chennai (southern India) at 1500 hours that same day to fly to Delhi (northern India). Our trip to Delhi started with a bus ride to the airport – this is when the actual culture shock set in. The drive to the airport was 45 minutes so we were able to see some of the sites in Chennai. We drove through a part of town that is very hard to explain to those who weren’t there. People were sleeping on the sides of streets and living in “houses” held up with 4 sticks of bamboo and covered with a tarp. It was my first real experience with this kind of poverty and it did not feel well at all. When we got to the airport we were immediately bombarded with beggars asking for food and money. Of course with our group being the only white people in the area we were looked at like a celebrity. It took a while to get used to everyone staring at us whenever we entered a room. When we got inside the airport it was really interesting to see the overwhelming majority of men – in India the ratio of women to men is 919/1000. This is partially due to the dowry system (which is illegal, however still widely used), as well as infanticides (women getting abortions because of the female sex of the baby) – but that is a whole other story. So we arrived in Delhi and went straight to our hotel. The hotel was amazing! There were also a lot of other SAS trips staying there so it was great to see some friends from the ship. We had dinner and headed off to bed for our 4 hour rest. Our hotel for the first 2 nights was the Ashok Hotel – it was amazing! When we first arrived they gave us lays and the traditional dot on our forehead. It was great! We got up the next morning at 0400 hours and headed to the train station to catch the train to Agra. This was another eye opening experience for everyone. There were people everywhere (I know where there 1.2 billion people come from)! We were still always surrounded by beggars and men trying to sell things to us for a “special price just for me” (where have I heard that before?). Anyways, we arrived in Agra after a 2 hour train ride and were swept away to the bus for our journey to Fatehpur Sikri. This is a deserted city about 25 miles outside the city of Agra. It was built by Emperor Akbar as his capital to honour a Muslim saint who prophesied the birth of an heir. The palaces are made of red sandstone and are in remarkable shape. This is also the place where the game Parcheesi was invented – personally I had never heard of it before but for all of you Parcheesi fans I have a great photo of the 5 story tower that is apparently on the box. We then made our way to the city of Agra where we visited a department store where we saw how cashmere/silk rugs being made. I would have bought one but the price was a little too high for my liking. Later in the day we went to Agra Fort which contains halls and palaces of the Mughals – my professor also got attacked by a monkey there… don’t worry I have it all on video! From the fort we were also able to see the Taj Mahal, our next and most exciting stop! When I first saw the Taj Mahal I was speechless – It totally exceeded my expectations and I was thoroughly impressed. I wish I could expand my vocabulary in order to find words to explain it but it was amazing! After visiting the Taj at dusk we headed to a hotel for dinner and then to the train station to get back to Delhi. The next day (after another 4 hours of sleep) we went for a driving tour through Delhi. The sites included the Burla Temple and a Sikh Gurdwara, the Indian war memorial, parliament house, secretariat buildings and the official residence of the President of India. From there we headed to the airport to catch our flight to Varanasi. After arriving in Varanasi we visited the ruins of the ancient city where the Buddha preached his first sermon - we also went to the Stupa and ruins of an ancient monastery. The Buddhist temple we visited was also saw the tree under which Buddha was enlightened (Now, this wasn’t the actual place he was enlightened but the tree is a sapling of the original tree he was enlightened under – just thought I’d throw that out there). That evening we were scheduled to go to the Ganges River to watch some of the traditional Hindu rituals, however the Prime Minister of India was scheduled to come to Varanasi the next day so the city was “practicing” for his arrival by closing random streets which made it impossible to get to the river that evening. We did have time for a rikshaw drive that turned into a nightmare with getting separated from our group and experiencing the real India at night. Don’t worry, my mom didn’t know about this until long after the whole ordeal. Our driver spoke NO English and I don’t think he really knew where we were supposed to go. After we were stopped in the middle of a busy street for about 10 minutes my friend Zach and I finally found someone with a cell phone and were able to call our guide to find out where to go. We ended where we started with out seeing the Ganges… The next day we got up at 0430 hours and finally made it to the Ganges River. We boarded a small boat and sailed along the river to see all the different religious practices that have remained unchanged over the centuries. We saw many pilgrims come to the Holy water for the ritual immersion and prayer to release their souls from the cycle of rebirth. The walk to and from the river was, like many of my experiences, indescribable. People were everywhere asking for money, wanting us to buy things, wanting food, or simply staring at 60 white kids walking down the street trying not to be killed by all the cars/rickshaws/motorbikes. We then made our way to an Indian art emporium. They hand make 100% silk scarves, shawls, and tie. I might have gone a little crazy with the scarves… maybe! Don’t worry, they are super cute! After lunch and packing we headed back to the airport for our flight to Delhi and then Chennai. Before we flew out though, the Prime Minister flew in so we were able to see him which was really cool. I had a very interesting conversation with a local in the airport about the politics of India and the comparison/contrast to that of the states. Just a little side note – every person I have talked with about politics in the states seems to really like Obama… I just thought that was interesting. By the time we got back to Chennai we were all pretty delirious from our lack of sleep and would start cracking up at the smallest comment. It was good times! The next day I slept in until 1000 hours (that is good on the ship). After lunch my friends when to St. Thomas church and saw the tomb of doubting Thomas. It was not what I was expecting but it was still nice to see one of the three churches in the whole world that are built over the tomb of an apostle of Jesus. We also went around pretty much all of Chennai… our rik-shaw driver would take us everywhere except where we asked – talk about frustrating. We stopped in the middle of a busy part of the city and saw type of juice/smoothie stand and braved the ice/water that they told us NOT to eat multiple times… but hey, ya gotta live a little, right? 3 days later and I’m still not sick!! Well, this is getting to be really lengthy so I best give it a rest. Miss you all! love love love Cherie
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Hello from Malaysia! I know what you are all thinking - i will have my HUGE update from my happenings in India as soon as i can. We just arrived in Malaysia this morning and as soon as the ship cleared customs I was off to the Cameron Highlands - about 4 hours sounth of Penang. It is beautiful here and has not stopped raining since we got here. Anywho, I am limited on my time but once I get back to Penang and get into the hotel me and a friend are staying at, I will upload my update from India and possibly some well needed photos of me and the Taj Mahal! I am having a blast (as usual) and I am really looking forward to sharing my MANY expierences from India.
Well, my time is going fast so I better get. Miss you all!
love love love
Cherie
Well, my time is going fast so I better get. Miss you all!
love love love
Cherie
Sunday, March 9, 2008
On to India......
Hello once again from the Northern Hemisphere. We said our last goodbyes to the Southern Hemisphere around 2100 hours last night and as I write we are just to the south east of Sri Lanka – Wow, I never would have imagined myself saying that before this voyage. It is sad for me to think that our trip is already almost half way over and sooner than I know it I will have to say goodbye to all these amazing friends I have met from around the world!
On a much brighter note we are almost to India! Tuesday morning (Monday evening for those of you in California) we will arrive in Chennai and that afternoon I fly to Delhi to begin our tour of the Taj Mahal, Agra, and Varinasi. Even thought I am a bit hesitant to experience a definite culture shock I am looking forward to learning more about their culture as a whole. We had a great introduction to what India is like is Mauritius, however on a much smaller scale. Although Mauritius is a French settlement the majority of the population is Indo-Mauritian, meaning people from Indian decent. While we were in Mauritius there was a big festival going on. Once a year Hindus from around the island make their way, on foot, to a river/lake (they believe it flows from the Ganges) just outside of Port Louis. As a result there are hundreds of groups of people that walk together carrying shrines of their god Shiva. I am not certain of every detail of the pilgrimage but it was an amazing experience to see all these people so dedicated to their faith and belief – something that is rarely seen in the states today.
On another topic, we did not have classes yesterday because of our sea Olympics on the ship. Each floor is divided into seas from around the globe and they all compete in many events with the prize of getting off the ship first in Miami – and of course my sea came in dead last! Good thing the rest of the standings do not count for order of disembarkation.
The other night we had a community college lecture on saris – how to tie them, where to buy them, and all that jazz. It was really interesting to see the different styles and it got me really excited to buy one! How cool would it be to be wearing an Indian sari in front of the Taj Mahal – so cool!!
Anyhoo, I should get back to my studies… I hope all is well at home! I miss you all!
love love love Cherie
PS. We move ahead 30 minutes tonight… weird, hey??
On a much brighter note we are almost to India! Tuesday morning (Monday evening for those of you in California) we will arrive in Chennai and that afternoon I fly to Delhi to begin our tour of the Taj Mahal, Agra, and Varinasi. Even thought I am a bit hesitant to experience a definite culture shock I am looking forward to learning more about their culture as a whole. We had a great introduction to what India is like is Mauritius, however on a much smaller scale. Although Mauritius is a French settlement the majority of the population is Indo-Mauritian, meaning people from Indian decent. While we were in Mauritius there was a big festival going on. Once a year Hindus from around the island make their way, on foot, to a river/lake (they believe it flows from the Ganges) just outside of Port Louis. As a result there are hundreds of groups of people that walk together carrying shrines of their god Shiva. I am not certain of every detail of the pilgrimage but it was an amazing experience to see all these people so dedicated to their faith and belief – something that is rarely seen in the states today.
On another topic, we did not have classes yesterday because of our sea Olympics on the ship. Each floor is divided into seas from around the globe and they all compete in many events with the prize of getting off the ship first in Miami – and of course my sea came in dead last! Good thing the rest of the standings do not count for order of disembarkation.
The other night we had a community college lecture on saris – how to tie them, where to buy them, and all that jazz. It was really interesting to see the different styles and it got me really excited to buy one! How cool would it be to be wearing an Indian sari in front of the Taj Mahal – so cool!!
Anyhoo, I should get back to my studies… I hope all is well at home! I miss you all!
love love love Cherie
PS. We move ahead 30 minutes tonight… weird, hey??
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
We are off to India!
We left Mauritius yesterday around 2230 hours and are slowly making our way to Chennai. Overall Mauritius was good but I was still excited to get on our way to Asia. The last two days in Mauritius were pretty laid back. I went to an orphanage on Monday (which I already told you about – pictures to come soon!) and then went horseback riding with some friends on Tuesday. Riding was a lot of fun mixed with a small amount of fear. First of all the stables we went to were owned by a wealthy Frenchman – I wasn’t too surprised to see that since Franco-Mauritians make up only 2% of the population but are also the wealthiest population in Mauritius. Anyhoo, we got to the stables, paid, and then got on the horses. There were a few things that stuck out to me: 1. They brought the horses out of the stables with English tack on – maybe I’m just weird, but I have never been on a trail ride with English tack. 2. The owner was pretty much threatening us to make sure these horses came back the same way they left. He reminded us numerous times that these were HIS horses and they were Thoroughbred. He pretty much seemed more concerned with the wellbeing of the horse than the rider. My question… If he was so worried about the horses, why in the world would he let US ride them? 3. I have never seen a person have so much hatred toward his own country. He was pretty much weird! – end of story. On the way back from riding our driver took us by a grocery store to get some necessities (ship food gets a bit old after a while). We went in to find a wide variety of things. On aisle 6 you got your everyday fireworks, aisle 2 you have Nutella and TimTams, and finally on aisle 9 you have some French novels. Too bad we only had a few minutes to get our things – I would have loved to explore more! I ended up getting some crackers, rice cakes, and TimTams (to educate the ship on how to properly execute the “TimTam Slam”). Later we finally made it back to the ship and said our goodbyes to Mauritius – and here we are! As for my thoughts on India – I am not quite sure what to expect. Everyone says that its major culture shock but I suppose know one will know until they have been there. In India I have a 3 day trip to Agra, Delhi, and Varanasi planned and am hoping to get on a service visit if there is extra space. The reality that our next port is India has not set in yet. For one, it marks the half way mark of this amazing voyage around the world, and two, I know I will be faced with circumstances that I have never experienced before. It will be, as this whole trip has been, a time when I am put out of my comfort zone, which of course is the time that we grow the most. So, I am looking forward to these challenges, as tough as they may be – I will learn so much! That’s all for now – I hope everything is well back home! I miss you all! love love love Cherie PS. Ethan – How long did it take you to fit all those cities into one sentence? Oh, how I wish for time like that! Love you!
Monday, March 3, 2008
Leaving Cape Town, Arriving Mauritius
So, wow! It has been a while since I have updated so I suppose I should catch y’all up. Well, we didn’t end up leaving Cape Town the night we were scheduled to because of fog. We actually departed Cape Town around 1000 hours on the 25th. I was outside while we sailed away and I convinced myself (and let me tell you, it didn’t take much) that I HAD to come back – anyone want to join? Anywho, we were at sea for a total of 5 days and it wasn’t until the last 2 days that the weather actually calmed down. Those first 3 days were pretty rocky which made things difficult but added that extra spice to life on the ship. We arrived in Mauritius (if you don’t know where it is look it up! Its somewhere off the coast of Madagascar) on Saturday morning around 700 hours which meant that we had to get up around 6ish to see the sunrise… needless to say it was an early morning for us. For the first day I had a trip through SAS to hike in the mountains and beach. In retrospect I really enjoyed it but during the hike I thought otherwise… See, being on the ship the most exercise we get is climbing the grand staircase about 10 times a day. Otherwise we are sitting in the classrooms, sitting in our rooms, or sitting down to eat – pretty much a lazy life. The have a gym on board but there are only 3-4 machines and signups are held the night before… its just a really complicated process that I haven’t figured out yet. Back to the story - We did the hike and the view from the top was amazing! After our hike we went to a French colonial home and had a traditional Mauritian meal. It was great! Soon after lunch we headed to a famous beach on the island called flick and flack (fun name, hey?). It was here that I had my first experience swimming in the Indian Ocean – all that’s left on my list is the Arctic Ocean, any takers? We stayed at the beach for a while and then headed back to the ship. Later that night I went out to dinner with some friends but soon after found my way back to the ship and to my bed! Yesterday was so much fun! I went on another SAS trip, but this one was a lot less challenging that the previous. We were on a catamaran, went snorkelling, and just chilled under the Mauritian sun for the day (with the help of Mr. SPF 30 this time!). On my trip I met a girl from Turlock (she knows where Porterville is!!!!) and she goes to Point Loma. We hit it off and went out for dinner with some friends after we got back to the ship. It was a great day! Today was my somewhat lazy day. I slept in, went to grab some internet on the waterfront, and then headed out to a service visit through SAS. We went to an orphanage where kids who aren’t necessarily biologically orphaned but socially orphaned, meaning their parents are in prison for prostitution, drugs, etc. It was great to see all these people care so deeply for these children who might not have any other hope otherwise. Tonight I decided to save some money and eat dinner on the ship – and I’m glad I didn’t miss it… it was ribs! I also got a phone card hoping to get a hold of a sibling of mine who lives in Russia but was not able to accomplish that… Peter, just know that I tried!! Right now I am in my friend’s room where I am going to spend the night so I best get to bed. Hope all is well back at home! Miss you all! love love love Cherie
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