April 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 2007
Woke up at 630 am to watch us sail up the Saigon river. We were the first off the ship an were escorted directly to the airport by bus for our flight to Phnom Penh Cambodia. Straight from the airport we went straight to lunch and had some form of Cambodian food, which was really good noodles, and all that fun stuff with some sort of fish curry, which was kind of crazy. Then we went to the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda the royal palace was closed because the king had just come back from Beijing and had some meeting of sorts, the people elect their king. So we just toured the silver pagoda and then headed to the Mekong River for a sunset cruise. We sailed by a floating village, which was amazing to see so up close. Then we headed to the hotel which was right across the street from the US Embassy and 8 of us went off on our own to the Palm Tree Foundation Orphanage which is funded by a couple on the ship. So we had tons of stuff to deliver there. We were there for about 4.5 hrs. It was amazing we were just in the courtyard with about 80 kids of all ages they had music playing so we just danced. Then one little boy did some form of a cartwheel and asked me if I could, so I did a few things for him then every little boy wanted to walk on their hands, so I spent about 1.5 hrs helping little boys walk on their hands which was a lot more me carrying them by their feet while they walked on their hands. And it was extremely hot outside but so worth it. We were all covered in sweat, mainly from having one kid on my shoulders one my back and two on my arms at all times. It was exhausting but so worth it, some kids at first were hesitant to talk to us but by they end they didn’t want to be put down. Then they all lined up and we handed out the stuff we had brought from the ship to them. And every time we gave them an item they would bow and thank us, and were so great full of every little thing we did for them. Then we just danced and played with the kids, then around 930 which was past their bed time the kids who had taken a bus to Ho Chi Minh to perform on the ship were back, and their were about 12 full suitcases of stuff for the kids which Terry brought with him. So we unloaded that stuff from the vans, and then the bus dropped us off at a bar restaurant were we met Terry and had a bite to eat and then headed back to the hotel in a tuk tuk I think that’s how you spell it, and crashed around 1230. We got up at 5 the next morning, had breakfast and then left around 630 to start the day. We started our day at the Tuol Sleng Museum here are a few exerts from it, it was once a hit school and during the genocide it was run by kids and thousands of people were killed here. In the past “Tuol Sleng” Museum was one of the secondary schools in the capital, called “Tuol Svay Prey” high-School. After the 17th, April 1975 Pol Pot Clique had transformed it into a prison called “S.21” (Security office 21) which was the biggest in Kampuchea Democratic (Cambodia). It was surrounded with the double wall of corrugated iron, surmounted by dense barbed wires. The classrooms on the ground and the first floors were pierced and divided into individual cells, whereas the ones ont eh second floor used for mass detention. Several thousand of victims (peasants, workers, technicians, engineers, doctors, teachers, students, Buddhist monks, ministers, Pol Pot’s Cadres, Soldiers of all ranks, the Camodian Diplomatic corps, foreigners, etc..) were imprisoned and exterminated with their wives and their children… There are a lot of evidences here proving the atrocities of Pol Pot clique: cells, instrument of torture, dossiers and documents, list of prisoners names, mugshoots of victims, their clothes and their belongings. We founded the mass graves surroudind, and in particular, the most ones situated 15km in the southwest of Phnom penh, in the village of Chhoeung Ek, District Dangkor, Kandal Province.
The Victims Grave
The 14 victims corpses have been found by, the army forces of the Front Union of Salvage National Kampuchea, through the building “A” and carried its to bury in this place. Among of those corpses there was a woman victim. These victims were the last ones who had been killed by the agent of S.21 before their fugitive.
The Security of Regulation
1. You must answer accordingly to my question-Don’t turn them away.
2. Don’t try to hide the facts by making pretexts this and that You are strictly prohibited to contest me.
3. Don’t be a fool for you are a chap who dare to thwart the revolution.
4. You must immediately answer my questions without wasting time to reflect.
5. Don’t tell me either about your immoralities or the essence of the revolution.
6. While getting lashes or electrification you must not cry at all.
7. Do nothing, sit still and wait for my orders. If there is no order, keep quiet. When I ask you to do something, you must do it right away without protesting.
8. Don’t make pretext about Kampuchea Krom in order to hide your secret or traitor.
9. If you don’t follow the above rules, you shall get many many lashes of electric wire.
10. If you disobey any point of my regulations you shall get either ten lashes or five shocks of electric discharge.
The Gallows
This pole with cables attached to it had been used for the student to conduct their exercise. The Khmer rouge utilized this place as interrogation room. The interrogators tied both hands of the prisoners to the back by a rope and lift the prisoners upside down. They did like this until the prisoners lost consciousness. Then they dipped the prisoners head into a jar of smelly, filthy, water, which they normally used as fetilizer for the crops in the terrace outside. By doing so, the victims quickly regain consciousness, and that the interrogators could continued their interrogation.
Building C
Groundflloor – single cells made of brick
First floor- single cells made of wood
Second floor- mass detention
The braid of barbed wires prevents the desperate victims from committing suicide.
After the high school museum we went to the killing fields, here are exerts from their.
Truck Stop
Here was the place where a trucks transporting victims to exterminated from Tuol Sleng Prison and other places in the coun. Try stopped. Trucks would arrive 2 or 3 times a month or every 3 weeks. Each truck held 20 to 30 frightened blindfolded and silent prisoners. When the trucks arrived, the victims were led directly to be executed at the ditches and pits or were sent to be detained in the darken and gloomy prison nearby. After January 07, 1979, one truck remained but it has since been taken away.
The Dark and Gloomy Detention
Here was the place where victims transported from Tuol Sleng and other places in the country were detained. Usually when the truck arrived, the victims were executed immediately. However as the number of victims to be executed was increased up to over 300 per day executioners failed in attempt to kill them within a day. That is why they were detained for execution the next day. The detention was constructed from wood with galvanized steel roof. Its wall was built with two layers of flat wood were to darken and also prevent prisoners seeing each other. Unfortunately the dart and gloomy detention was dismantled in 1979.
The executioners working office
Here was the place where executioners stationed permanently at choeung ek worked. The office as well as the killing fileds were equipped with electric power which enabled them to conduct executions and to read and sign the rosters that accompanied the victims to the site at the night time.
The Chemical Substances Storage Room
Here was the place where chemical substances such as DDT etc. was kept. Executioners scattered these substances over dead bodies of the victims at once after execution. This action had two purposes: Firstly to eliminate the stench from the dead bodies which could potentially raise suspicion among people working near by the killing fields and secondly was to kill off victims who were buried alive.
The Killing Tools Storage Room
Here was the place where the killing tools such as shackles, leg irons, and hatchet, knifes hoes, digging hoes, shoves, iron ox. Cart axles were stored. This instrument was lost in 1979. The storage room was constructed from wood with a galvanized steel foor.
The Most Tragic
Even in this 20th century, on Kampuchean soil the clique of pol pot criminals had committed a heinous genocidal act. They massacred the population with atrocity in a large scale, it was more cruel than the genocidal act commited by the Hitler fascists, which the world has never met. With the commemorative stupa in front of us we imagine that we are hearing the grievous voice of the vitims, who were beaten by Pol Pot men with canes, bamboo stumps or head of hoes. Who were stabbed with knives or swords we seem to be looking at the horrifying scenes and the panic stricken faces of the people who were dying of starvation, forced labour or torture without mercy upon the skinny body, they died without giving the last words to their kith and kin. How hurtful those victims were when they got beaten with cnes heads of hoes and stabbed with knives or swords before their last breath went out. How bitter they were when seeing their beloved children wives husbands brothers or sisters being taken to the mass grave! While they were waiting for their turn to come and share the same tragic lot. The method of massacre which the clique of pol pot criminals was carried upon the innocent people of Kampuchea cannot be described fully and clearly in words because the invention fo this killing method was strangely cruel so it is difficult for us to determine who they are for: they have the human form but their hearts are demons hearts, they have got the khmer face but their activities are purely reactionary. They wanted to transform campuchean people into a group of persons without reason or a group who kenw and understood nothing who always bent their heads to carry out ankars orders blindly they had educated and transformed young people and the adolescent whose hearts are pure, gentle and modest into odious executioners who dared to kill the innocent and even their owen parents, relatives or friends. They had burnt the market place, abolished monetary ststem, eliminated books of rules and principles of national culture, destroyed schools, hospitals, pagodas and beautiful monuments such as Angkor wat temple which is the source of pure national pride and bears the genius, knowldegs and intelligence of our nation. They were trying hard to get rid of kemer character and transform the sol and waters of Kampuchea into a sea of blood and tears which was deprive of cultural infrastructure, civilization and national character, became a desert of great dextruction that overturned the Kampuchean society and drove it back on the stone age.
Presentation of the Extermination Cmap Choeung Ek
The extermination camp Choeung Ek is about 15km from Phonm Penh in the south west. It implicated in the organzaiton of the biggest security centre of Kmapuchea democratic in Pol Pot regime under the name S.21. S21 had its head quarter at Tuol Sleng Prison. All the vicims detained and tortured during interrogating at Tuol Sleng were later sent to Choeung Ek for liquidation. A lot of population and pol pot soldiers of the eastern zone were also sent there sinc emay 1978 towards the end of 1980 86 out of 129 mass graves were unearthed in this extermination campu and 8985 corpses were found. A stupa has been erected to preserve their remains and also to commemorate the death of the Kampuchea people under pol pot regime.
Mass grave of 166 victimes with out heads.
Killing tree where executioners beat children
Magic tree- the tree was used as a tool to hang a loudspeaker which make sound louder to avoid the moan of victims while they were being executed
The conservatice dyke
This dyke was constructed in 2000 to be used as a conservation facility to prevent destruction of mass graves excavated from floods
After the killing fields we went to the Russian Market for a while where I found some sweet deals, then we headed to a nice restaurant for a Chinese Cambodian lunch. After lunch we went to the National Museum where we spent about an hour and then had some free time before we headed to the airport for our flight so Siem Reap. Our flight was barely worth it, it took us about 25 minutes, to get to Siem Reap. We instantly left the airport for Angkor Wat at sundown, it is rare cause it faces west so that is the best time to view it, most temples face east apparently. It was built by the Angkor’s in the early 13th century for the Vishnu. Then it became Buddhist and then both now of sorts I guess, it was lost for a periods because the Siams would invade the area and eventually forced the Angkor’s to the area of Phnom Penh to avoid war, and the monks took care of it for awhile, then it was lost you could say and the French found it in 1861. After sun down we headed to dinner and a cultural evening, we had some Cambodian dances. Then we headed to our hotel, which had a pool and everything, it was pretty rad, although the ceilings were definitely way nicer than the beds, which was bizarre. Then me Ben, Alex, Aleni, and Peter headed across the street to a Karaoke bar which was interesting, sort of, all the people singing got really dressed up and looked really nice, and I give them a lot of credit for getting up their, but a few of them hit a couple wrong notes, but for the most part it was cool. Then we headed back early for the next day was coming quicker than expected. We got up at 4am to head to Angkor Wat for sunrise. Which was awesome got to explore a lot of the temple with very few tourists. Took some rad photos, climbed as high as I could. Then we headed back to the hotel for breakfast and to get the people that didn’t wake up for the sunrise visit. Around 830 we headed out to another temple, cant recall the name right now, it’s the one that’s in tomb raider, and was not restored at all so it has the trees growing over it with their roots. It was super rad, I think I liked it more than Angkor Wat. It was the vision I had when I thought of Cambodia I guess you could say, their was this one room where when you beat your chest like a gorilla you could hear like the hollowness of your chest if it is even hollow. Hard to explain we had a good beat going with a few of us. A little on this temple.
Known today as Ta Prohm or “Old Brahma”, this monument was initially named “Rajavahara” meaning “royal monastery”. In 1186 AD Jayavarman VII consecrated several statues here, the most important of which was that of Prajnaparamita, the personification of the Perfection of Wisdom, a figure whom the King identified with his mother. Reflecting without doubt a religious ideology, it is only some years later that the king dedicated another temple, Preah Khan to his father whom he identified with Lokesvara. On an official level, this is clearly in the religious context of Buddhism of the Great Vehicle and, more specifically, in the context of a Khmer Buddhist atmosphere characteristic to Jayavarman VII’s reign. One must be wary of too quick understandings. The word vihara in its original use for example should not be understood with the Theravadin eye of the modern era. On the other hand, all things considered, the one kilometer by seven hundred meters area delimited by the exterior enclosing wall can perhaps be regarded somewhat as a Vat (modern Buddhist monastery). Within the walls, many people of diverse capacities made up a cult. Ordinarily the visitor approaches the monument from the west, that is they approach the heart of the complex. However one must not forget that the ritual entrance was to the east.
After this we went back to the hotel and had naptime for 2 hours, which I decided would do nothing for me so I chose to go swimming in the pool. I know I turned down a nap. The pool was very refreshing although it was pretty warm I don’t think they need to heat a pool in Cambodia. After the naptime we went to Angkor Tom I believe it is spelled which basically means Angkor City I think. It was once home to over a million people, it was pretty badass. There were a bunch of different temples, one to the elephants or something, one built by the Buddhists and they are just all so intricately designed. Every detail and their height its really fascinating. One temple just had these giants heads pointing in four directions just all over the place, and you just get lost in the temples wandering around. I would have loved to see what they looked like when they were first built. I mean they have a great look with the moss and stuff growing on the stone but the engraved art work must have been super sick. The details are so intricate. Oh on my way between temples their was this lady selling shirts but she had a really cool jacket hanging on a rack in the back of her stand so I asked her if it was for sale. She looked at me kinda funny not quit understanding what I was trying to ask and then set a price for it. I ended up after some good bargaining getting that jacket and three t-shirts for I think it was 40 Reel. After seeing the three different temples I was in a little art stand and with a friend check out a few cool pieces when I felt violent lashing at my feet oh yes I was being attacked by about 8000000 Cambodian red ants, they only hurt for about 72 hrs and then started itching. On our way back to the bus we saw that they were doing elephant rides which of course they failed to inform us about, and we didn’t have enough time to ride them which was disappointing but don’t you worry next time well ride elephants. They then hurried us on to the bus and we scurried on over to the Siam Reap airport. We decided it was a good idea to get Dairy Queen, which isn’t very Cambodian, but it was the only food option in the airport so we really had no choice. Then I realized I lost my landing card which they claim is super important but I never needed it once and we were supposed to turn them in or else we got dock time but I told them I lost it and they didn’t seem to care. So at this point we have been up since 4 am. And when we got on the plane most of us just knock out. So I am enjoying my nice little nap, when all of a sudden I am jarred awake along with the rest of my row, (I am on the isle) from this very loud noise, which is the flight attendant lady taking out my left knee with the food cart at about 80 mph. The dent is real nice. So I asked her for extra wafers, which were really good but never, got them oh well. So we made it back to Ho Chi Minh took the bus back to the ship waited in line for them to check everyone’s bags as we boarded the ship again and then we had a late dinner in the dinning hall then I believe I went and passed out after the longest day ever.
Got up the next morning at 7 for my trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels and the Cao Dai Temple. We took our 3 hour bus ride to a restaurant and then we went down the road to the Cao Dai Temple on the way their we passed some Oxen pulling a cart and working in the fields. We also passed an accident scene where there were lots of chalk drawings on the ground. The different things were numbered and there was a motorbike that had blood around it. Now back to Cao Dai. Cao Dai is a religion that encompasses all beliefs and religions basically. If not all then a lot of them. We were there for noon mass service whatever you want to call it. Their were about five or sic different levels in the temple, and depending on how long you have been practicing or whatever you were allowed to be closer or a higher level up towards the front of the temple. People were also in different colors I recall, blue, yellow, red, and white, I want to say green but I could be making that up. So after the temple we took an hour and a half bus ride to the Cu Chi Tunnels. We watched a movie on the tunnels and our guide explained about them how they were built and when and how big they were and how extensive of a tunnel system it was. Then we went threw some of the tunnels, which were widened so tourists can fit in them and still they are super small. And it doesn’t smell very nice down their. We saw a tiger pit trap thing where you step on what you think is ground and end up on spikes and we saw all the nasty traps and things they used during the war. Then we went to the firing range and im not sure what kind of gun it was but they call it the Rambo style gun, it was some kind of machine gun. Super fun. Then we filmed a little war scene super sick. Then we went threw more tunnels and then got back on the bus for our 2 hr bus ride back to Ho Chi Minh. On the bus ride back we played this movie and band game which was pretty entertaining its crazy what artist or movies come to mind when there’s pressure on. Once back in Ho Chi Minh we got dinner on the ship then I headed out to do some interneting before we went out that night. On our way out we left the port area and got on motorbikes, which is Vietnams version of the tuk tuk or rick, or taxi. So we each get on the back of one, and no motor bike driver in Vietnam has any clue where anything is so we said the seventeen saloon, so it took them about 15 minutes to get to one of the seventeen saloons apparently there’s two. So then we had to explain this wasn’t the right one and the eventually got us to the right one about 25 minutes later. So we spent a couple hours their just chilling, a lot of places close at midnight, so we left there a little after midnight and got on motorbikes again to go somewhere else. So we’ve been going for about five minutes now and my motorbike man stops cause or back tire was getting flat luckily all the other motorbikes in our motorcade stopped as well. So we get some more air and then move forward. So about five minutes later my motorbike man starts falling behind not letting any of the others now, cause our tire was flat again. This time though he didn’t stop for air just decides to kick me off, and tries to get me to pay him extra cause his tire was flat and I said sir I didn’t make your tire flat, at this point we are on some dark street there are five other motor bike drivers around me all yelling at me in Vietnamese no idea what they are saying so I paid less than what I was supposed considering I had no idea where I was and I had no friends and I wasn’t at my destination. So I start walking towards a main street hoping I could find a new motorbike driver to take me back to the ship. So one approaches me he speaks a little English. So I said just get me to the ship. So I get on with him and he lights up a joint, comforting, then tries to take me to get a massage, at 130 am, then tries to take me two or three other places and every time I have to say no sir just to the ship I don’t need anything I just want to go to the ship. So I made it back and in one piece. I got up early the next morning around 8 and headed to the internet to get some stuff done for a few hours, then back to the ship for lunch and then we headed out to the War Remnants Museum, which wasn’t open for another 15 minutes so I bought some Gucci glasses for 25000 dong, the guy wanted 150000 but I bargained down to 25000. That’s a dollar quarter. I know I am a pretty good bargainer. The museum was awesome. All of the photos and remnants where things that you could have seen in the states but the thing that was so different and very educational was the captions and the stories told. Just to see how some photos I have seen before have a completely different interpretation. After the museum we went to the Reunification Palace or something like that it has about five different names, it took us forever to get in cause we walked around the entire outside trying to find the entrance the grounds are like a square mile. There was some function going on and it was very uneventful, so we headed on to the market. After the market which was very hectic I went and got my rail pass then went to the rex hotel and used free Internet before meeting back up with people at a restaurant across the street from the palace. We also learned that in Vietnam they love to advertise things but never seem to have them or that service, everyone says they take credit cards but their machines are either broke, unexpectedly not working, or haven’t paid their phone bill so they cant be used its quit interesting. It was a really nice restaurant our guide recommended it, and it was the cheapest meal I have ever had. We each ordered a main dish, I had like three cokes, then we all got about 5 deserts cause we figured we might as well try one of everything cause each thing is only 75 cents. Then we headed back to catch some motor bikes but we had to cross rush hour traffic first and in Vietnam you just walk and they avoid you, so if there is more than one of you, you walk in a straight line so that it is easier for them to avoid you its quit clever. Then we caught motorbikes back to the ship and that ends Vietnam.
April 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 2007
Made it to Hong Kong after a really intense academic stretch between Vietnam and here way to much work due and not enough time to do and it recover from the intensity of Cambodia and Vietnam. First day in Hong Kong I went with a friend to find the apartment that their father grew up in. It happened to be right around the corner from where the ship was sort of so it wasn’t too hard to find. It was funny though it was this really old building with only five stories and it was only two apartments wide. These enormously tall buildings that were very extravagant surrounded it. So I guess its special since it has survived all these years. Then we stopped at a travel agency and I booked my flight to Beijing for the next day at 3 pm. Then we went on the metro they call it something else like MR or something but I can’t recall that right now. We had no idea where to go so we just chose a location and went for it. We ended up in Kawloon Bay which had this giant shopping area that we had to navigate threw to get out to the world so it took us a while and it ended up being a large residential area so we ate lunch their and then headed back to the ship to catch the ferry to Hong Kong Island. Once we got off the ferry on Hong Kong Island we headed for Hollywood Rd. which has lots antique shops and the area and its design and small winding narrow cobblestone roads seem to have a strong British influence I would say. Cruised around their until dark. All the shops were really expensive so no purchases were made I was hoping for more of pawn shop type of shops but oh well. It was still an awesome part of the city. Then we went back to the travel agency to pick up my airline ticket. Then we headed back to the ship to watch the light show from the back deck. The light show was pretty cool the bear claw building, which I believe is the tallest in Hong Kong, is my favorite. The skyline and just the city itself is very stunning. Then grabbed a bite to eat on the ship before heading back to Hong Kong Island for the night. Their was a carnival on the water that we attempted to go to but as soon as we got their it closed so we just walked around doing some night photography. Then headed back to try and get a descent nights sleep for once. Got up the next morning to look up a few things on the Internet before making the trek to the airport. It was going to be like $100 American to get to the airport by cab so I took the MR or whatever its called to one station, then to another where I had to buy another ticket, then had to transfer somewhere it was quit the process but I got their on time, we had to be their two hours ahead for some reason. Then just did some reading and chilled in the airport ran into some of the crew who were headed back to the Philippines. It is a very nice airport seems to be very efficient. I bet they try to get you their two hours early so you have lots of time to shop cause there are tons of shops their good marketing strategy. My flight to Beijing was pleasant they fed us some type of stir-fried noodles and then cookies and cream Haagen-Dazs ice cream. Some how between getting off the plane, baggage claim, and leaving the airport I lost the paper with the name of my hostel written on it. So I made up a name of what I thought my hostel was and had a cab driver take me their. That wasn’t the right one so I looked the one I had booked up online and had the man working their write it for me in mandarin. The first cab I got in spent five minutes making calls then kicked me out cause I don’t think he knew where it was. Then the second cab seemed pretty confident that he could get me their, but instead I got a 1.5 hr tour of the cities ins and outs. We made it their eventually after lots of stops for directions. He was nice enough to turn the meter off when he started getting lost so I paid if a bit extra since it took him so long and he was nice. I was convinced at one point that he was just going to tell me to get out and I was going to be stuck in the middle of late night really dark alleyway in Beijing. But it all worked out. I had three roommates in my room, two Japanese and one white, who looked like a sketchy smegel the creepy guy from Lord of the Rings. I slept for what felt like days but when I got up it was only 1030. Headed out towards T square and the Forbidden City. Met up with some people I knew from SAS in the Forbidden City and we headed to the Temple of Heaven. We hung out in the gardens their for sunset and watched these Chinese people play some game with things on string and some really interesting instruments. I tried to fly a kite I bought but it ended up in a tree but I have three more so it’s ok. Then as we were leaving to go meet up with friends the three of us got stopped by this Chinese student I forget her name, she asked us if we would edit her speech for her she was presenting it the next day for some Olympic committee. So we did out best and had some quality conversation with her. She emailed us the next day informing us how it went. I guess she didn’t win the award but it went well none the less, she was very appreciative and asked if she could take us to dinner and show us around, but we were leaving on a train in a few hours so we thanked her for her offer and kindness. After the Temple of Heaven we went to eat dinner at a local Chinese place, then we hurried back to the hostel to catch the bus to the Chinese opera. We were a few minutes late to the opera, which was quit interesting. Lots of very high octaves hit, and awesome scene titles, like the iridescent cloud. The last half and hour was awesome it was a fight scene so it involved lots of acrobatics and such pretty awesome. Then we headed back to the hostel and hit the sack. Got up early to leave for the great wall. It is usually a 2 hr ride or so but ours took about 3.5 because of an accident. We finally made it there and spent about 4 hrs exploring the wall. Little students stopped us about every 5 minutes because they wanted to take pictures with us. We are basically famous in China. After seeing the entire great wall we tobogganed back down to the base area where we boarded the bus back to the hostel in Beijing. Everyone went out to dinner and I joined them but was suddenly feeling horrible so I didn’t eat anything. Then headed back to the hostel to head to be since I wasn’t feeling good. Throughout the night I got sicker and sicker couldn’t make it out of bed in the morning or for that matter till early evening, around 5 pm I was feeling well enough to get out of bed for the first time and did some schoolwork on the internet in the hostel. Then just tried to pull myself together before making our way to the train station to catch our overnight train to Qingdao. The overnight train was a descent time; I was on the top bunk, which is the third from the ground with about 3 inches of headspace, fit somehow. It was pretty uneventful, still feeling pretty terrible, so once we arrived in Qingdao made our way back to the ship I took a nap till noon, then attempted to see Qingdao. I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere cause the street that I was on for about a mile and a half or so consisted of abandoned buildings, closed stores, hardware stores, sea men bars, hoar houses, and one shoe store. It was nice to not see any sasers for a few hours though. Got back to the ship and just collapsed. Straight up exhausted. Some history on the great wall the forbidden city and temple of heaven:
Construction on the Great Wall of China (GWC) was initiated by Qin Shi Huang the first Emperor of China between 220 and 200 BC. During the Ming Dynasty the current GWC was built much further south of the Qin Shi Huang GWC. Stretching 6500 km the Ming GWC extends from Shanhai Pass in the east to Lop Nur in the west while arcing along the southern edge of Inner Mongolia. The Qin wall was repaired, strengthened, and added on to in the Han, Sui, Northern and Jin Dynasties to aide in their defense against invasions from the north.
Depending on the dynasty the GWC had different uses and was edited to fit the Emperors needs and desires. During the Ming Dynasty bricks, tiles, and limestone were his choice of materials found widely throughout the wall. While during the Qin Shi Huang era compacted earth and less solid items were used. Showing advancement in technology during the Ming Dynasty and a need to have a more permanent sturdy wall.
The different sections added on to the wall in different areas signify were that dynasty was fighting wars or attempting to fend of intruders. The advancement of the wall also explains how war techniques and ways of breaching the wall developed.
The GWC and its history explain so much of the politics that went on for over 2000 years in different regions of China and surrounding areas of Asia. Today the wall visited by millions of tourists shows Chinas pride in an engineering marvel that has survived the test of time. It is also still being advanced and strengthened to sustain the wear and tear from all of the tourists.
The “Forbidden” part of Forbidden City comes from the emperor having the power to control when people could leave or enter the palace; it was not possible for either without their permission. The construction of the Forbidden City began in 1406 for the Yongle Emperor in Beijing, which was made a secondary capital of the Ming Empire. It took fourteen years and 200,000 men to erect the palace. Whole logs were brought north form the jungles of southwestern China. Today’s pillars were implemented during the Qing Dynasty and were compiled of pieces of pinewood.
The Forbidden City was the home of 25 emperors fourteen from the Ming Dynasty, one from the Shun Dynasty, and ten from the Qing Dynasty. After the fall of the last Emperor of China Puyi, the new Republic of China government required that he live in the Forbidden City while control of the outer court was taken over by the Republican authorities. The Forbidden City then went threw many different stages during the Republic of China period with all artifacts being evacuated, having the Japanese invade, and fires occurring. Today the Forbidden City is used to tell the story of the emperors and their elaborate imperial palace.
The symbolism of the Forbidden City was designed to reflect philosophical and religious principles and mainly to symbolize the majesty of Imperial power. It also shows the Chinese eye for intricate architecture, engineering and design. The massive amount of Chinese visiting the site also says that they take great pride in what their history has left behind. The restoration is a sign that they take pride in their country and want to show it off to the world for the Olympics and the future.
The Temple of Heave was the place where the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties would worship heaven and pray for bumper crops. The northern part of the outer surrounding wall is semi circular in shape while the southern part square, a pattern symbolic of the ancient belief that Heaven was round and the earth square. The double surrounding wall separates the temple in two parts. The inner and outer temples with the main structures in the inner one, covering a space of 273 hectares in all. The inner temple is also partitioned by a wall into two groups of buildings. The north structure is the Altar Harvests as the principal building used to pray in spring for bumper harvest in the year. The south structure is the Circular Mound Altar used to worship Heaven at the winter solstice where the principal construction is a large round marble terrace named the Circular Mound. The two altars connected by a 360 meter long raised walk called the Red Step Bridge, are arranged in a line forming a north south axis 1200 meters long and flanked by century old cypresses in a spacious area. To the inner south of the West Celestial Gate is the Abstinence Hall where the feudal emperors observed abstention before the rituals. In the western part of the outer temple is located the Divine Music Office, which was in charge of the teaching and performance of the ritual music. In the Temple of Heaven are situated such main buildings as the Hall of Prayer for Good harvests, the Hall of Heavenly Emperor, the Circular Mound, the Imperial Vault of Heaven, the Abstinence Hall, the Beamless Hall, the Long Corridor, the Longevity Pavilion in a double ring shape as well as the Echo Wall, the Three Echo Stones, and the Seven Meteoric Stones. Built in 1420 (the 18th year of Emperor Yongles reign of the Ming Dynasty), and then expanded and reconstructed during the Ming Emperor Jiajings reign and Qing Emperor Qianlongs reign the Temple of Heaven is a grand and magnificent masterpiece of architecture with a formal and solemn environment. Since the founding of New China, the government has allotted a great sum of money to protect and restore the cultural monuments there. The Temple of Heaven with its long history, deep cultural content and magnificent architectural style mirrors the ancient culture of the Orient. A masterpiece of the Ming and Qing architectural art and a precious example of Chinas ancient architecture the Temple of Heaven is the largest architectural group for worshipping Heaven in the world.
JAPAN
We arrived at the Himeji station and set forth to find a map of the area, since we had no idea where the castle was. So we found a map and then just needed to figure out how to get there. So we get directions and we are pointed straight down the main road of the city. A few minutes later Himeji Castle came into view towering over the city straight down the main road of the city from where we were. We make our way up the street to the castle, and threw the first entrance and set of gates across the moat. The first thing I notice is the massive amount of Japanese flocking into the castle gates as we are, this observation just confirms to me that the castle and its great stature was the right place to come. If the people who live here are coming to see it so should we right? On our way to get up to the entrance to the castle building itself, we heard some music beckoning us to follow its sound. Once we got to the sounds it was some form of a dance competition. It encompassed men and women dancing, the music seemed to be traditional Japanese, but the occasional tune had a country tone to it but still had Japanese lyrics. It was interesting that their system and story is told differently now due to globalization, and even though it is still viewed as traditional it has a sort of country twist to it. So we then proceeded on towards the entrance up winding stairs and sidewalks past many over looks to the city over extensive castle walls. We were surrounded by groups of school kids, We stopped by the long building which is behind the Main Tower and is not only for protecting the rear of the Main Tower but also for storing salt and rice during wars. The record books show that at one time 1300 bags of salt where stored here, each bag holding 54 liters. There are traces of salt remaining in the building to this day. We then scurried along with the bunch of school kids to our next stop was on the north side of the main tower in the Waist Quarter, it is the waist of the castle grounds. The building is built on the edge of a hill with a gentle curve and due to this the eaves of the building have a gentle curve. This area is a weak point in the castle and so the design of the castle prevents attacks from the north side. Then we headed towards an area where coffins stones were built into the castle walls. The have since been removed and replaced with different stones so they can study the coffins and their remains. It says something that the castle was so prestigious and people so dedicated to its grounds that they would use the wall as there resting place. It said that the coffins dated back to 500 AD much before the present castle was built. I wonder if the people resting in the walls were viewed as guardians to the castle. We are now at a beautiful viewpoint of the city and we can see directly down the street that we walked up from the train station. It is so clear now how the city was built around the castle, it being the focal point. Now we have spiraled our way around the castle making our way up the main floor and entrance to the actual castle building. As we entered the building the doorway peaked at my shoulders so I had to take a major duck to get in and the Japanese all pulled out their cameras to take photos of me not fitting in the door way. Now inside we had to take our shoes off to put on these slipper like shoes, and my shoes didn’t fit in the bag they gave us so I had one bag for each shoe which the lady thought was hilarious and she also went to the back to get me bigger slipper shoes but they still were pretty small, entertaining to walk in though. We charged up the flight of stairs to the first of five floors. The Castle is in immaculate condition for its age and for being built out of wood primarily, at least the interior. I believe it underwent restoration in the 50’s but that still a while ago. In the interior the architecture reflects many different ways of defending the castle from intruders. From foot holes for warriors to see out of high windows to the confusion of getting between levels to by them time to protect their beloved castle. Going back to the exterior architecture it the gates baileys and outer walls of the complex are organized so as to cause an approaching force the task of traveling in a spiral pattern around the castle on their way into the keep, facing many dead ends. This allowed the intruders to be watched and fired upon from the keep during their entire approach. Himeji however was never attacked this way so we probably will never know if the system ever truly works. As we made our way down the spiraling sets of walk ways and out the front entrance over the moat we ran into a gang of guys dressed in all black like ninjas. When people approached them they would do some martial art moves, and then ask if people wanted to hold their swords. It intrigued me that even the Japanese were approaching them wanting to speak to them. It made me wonder what the presence of martial arts in their society is.
The construction of Himeji came in a few different waves. During the Nanboku-cho era of the Muromachi period the castle was conceived and constructed. In 1580 a three-story tower was built after Toyotomi Hideyoshi gained control of the castle. In 1601 Tokugawa Ieyasu granted the Castle too Ikeda Terumasa, which spent nine years expanding the castle. The state that Ikeda expanded the castle to is, basically what is present today. The last major update to the castle was in 1618, which was the addition of the Western Circle. Himeji has not just withstood the test of time but also the shelling of the castle with blank cartridges at an attempt to drive its occupiers out as well as two bombs dropped on Himeji during the Second World War. It was only ever sold once during an auction in 1871 for 23 yen. The castle displays the Japanese way of life, which is very orderly and precise.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Thursday, April 5, 2007
March 13-April 1st PRe Mauritius to Post India
March 14, 2007
So the stupid noon announcements just came on and they are delaying our arrival in Mauritius until 1600 hrs tomorrow, which is CRAP! We were supposed to get off at 800 hrs that’s an entire day later basically.
March 15, 16, 17, 2007
We got in earlier than anticipated at 1200 hrs, which was nice we still had basically a full day and we didn’t have to get up that early we got a chance to sleep in after way to many tests and papers. Got off the ship and headed to the atm to get some for of cash took us a little while but we finally found one after going through and underpass, too three different places to ask and then found the one we wanted which was next to the tourist office got some maps their and asked them questions we had for our journey for the next two days. Then we headed out of the tourist office and walked threw a market type setting set up in the streets, lots of baby clothes and men’s and women’s underwear for sale, mainly men’s though which was interesting. Basically we got oriented with the city to figure out where we were in relation to everything. Walked threw a few areas with shops. We went threw a garden and ended up at the natural history museum, which wasn’t at all what we expected it was quit small. We saw the last Dodo Birds skeleton, and a whole bunch of other crazy fish and eels, and sharks and sea life preserved some how they almost looked fake but I think they were just old and they preserving wasn’t as modern as others. Then we stopped by the internet café before it was swarmed with sasers and did internet things before we headed back to the ship to relax out of the heat for a sec before we took a cab to flic n flac got a good price too bartered with him, did a couple walk aways it was pretty fun actually. Once we battled the traffic in Port Louis and made it out to flic n flac we decided on a nice seafood restaurant. We ordered a giant seafood sampler as an appetizer and then I got a surf and turf for my main course. It was awesome had great flavor, I couldn’t tell if the fish in the sampler was fresh, but whatever it was awesome. Oh my favorite part of my meal is the milkshake that I ordered and I had to laugh when they brought it too me cause they literally shook the milk and served it too me. After dinner we headed back to the ship to get a good nights rest.
Got up early today at 0630 hrs to head up to Curepipe then to Petrin then to Tamarin. So we made our way to the bus station getting into town via water taxi, which was interesting, Condoleia when trying to get out of the water taxi was grabbed by the ankle by the guy on the dock and basically thrown onto ground, it was hilarious basically not sure what they were thinking. Then we found the bus station and caught the express to Curepipe it was a nice ride only about 30 minutes or so, and when we departed the bus their we cruised around the local market their with all kinds of produce, and meats, and fish. We now found a taxi, which took us to Petrin in black river gorges national park. We hiked from Petrin down to black river. It was a three-hour hike or so 10 k, and we stopped along the way and swam in a nice pool in the black river. At the end of the trail in black river we were informed about a bus station there. That bus station doesn’t exist. The only means of transportation and life around, was a school bus full of kids, and it was getting ready to leave, so we figured ah, they might give us a ride, so we ran after the bus, getting to it just and time, and they willingly gave us a ride. It was once of the best times so far, the four of us on a bus with 40 5th graders, who were on an excursion researching the three, endangered Parakeets of Mauritius. The two boys sitting next to me let me listen to the music on their mp3 player, and it seemed that all kids were basically equals, no clicks, or cool kids, everyone loved each other, they sang and dance for us a little, and just had tons of questions, too bad I don’t speak French, but the three others I was with did. Those that had glasses had descent glasses, and a few kids had braces. Just the fact that they would give four strangers a ride, said a lot, that would never occur in the US. They dropped us off at an intersection and told us to walk up this road and over the mountain to get to Tamarin so we start trekking, and we just feel that it wrong, so half way up the mountain we find a taxi to hop in, and he takes us a completely different way to Tamarin. We go their though and that’s all that matters. Went down to the beach for a little while, and checked the surf, before we caught the last bus back into Port Louis. We had an enjoyable bus ride with some locals, did some conversing as much as I could do with language barriers. Once back in Port Louis we wanted a low key night, so we checked the movie times, and then headed back to the Explorer to shower and then went to the 2030 hrs showing of a Bollywood film. It was really good, about the fight of power between, local authority and the royal family of the area, and tons of people being killed. It was called The Royal Guard, who actually was the Princes son. Very complicated. Then we had some time to kill and were not ready to go to bed so we went to the casino for an hour or so, and only lost $10 between three of us not bad for an hours entertainment.
Last day in Port Louis, headed to the real market this time, got a few items, cruised threw the streets, hit up a pharmacy. Just enjoyed a nice day in Port Louis, made a few phone calls, did a little more internet, cruised threw some shops, and then chilled at a café around sunset and enjoyed an ice cream Sunday, before heading back to the ship. Mauritius was a lot like Hawaii, just completely different, the landscape aspect basically the same, a lot of the same vegetation, but everything else completely different.
March 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 2007
Sea Olympics, assasians, yoga, dolphins, whales, islands, BBQ, new malaria meds, college bowl, entourage, crazy dreams,
March 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 2007
Awoke in Chennai, finally in India, headed straight up to the seventh deck to see what Chennai looked like. The port was just what I was expecting; coal ships, and lots of dirty buildings around couldn’t wait to see what the city was like though. The first person I saw from the seventh deck was a man showering in an alley from a hose I believe. Then proceeded to go threw the two rounds of immigrations. Finally got off the ship and made our way threw the industrial area too the street and bartered for a good price for a rickshaw to T. Nagar a market area. We had a second group with us but we lost them on the ride over. Our driver stopped at two different stores practically forcing us out to go in the store and buy something so that he could get some commission. We stood our ground and basically drove the rickshaw to convince him to take us to where we wanted without any more stops. We went into a shop selling Sari’s and other types of clothing. The shopkeepers were very friendly and welcoming, and gave us great insight to Chennai. We needed to get to an ATM to get cash to pay for things so the shopkeeper had a rickshaw man take us to an ATM and bring us back they were really nice. His father started the shop forty years ago his father has now passed. We then made our way to the main section of T. Nagar and cruised threw shops and observed all that was going on for a few hrs, we were in a music store and all the electricity went off which seemed odd but no one seemed alarmed and just kept on shopping so I followed their lead. Then we found a internet café and sadly had to spend time doing school work for fall registration. Classes seem alright, Soviet Secret Service, Strategy in Action, MIS, and Intro to IAF. Then it was later in the evening at this point so we made our way back to the ship which was interesting, the rickshaw driver we were wanted us to give us a ride, gave us a price of 100 rupees, and then I tried to go lower, but he said no, 300 rupees, I said you cant go up after starting you are playing the game wrong here buddy. It made us laugh, we were turned down by a guy before that, I didn’t know they could turn you down, it was a fun and entertaining afternoon, on the streets of Chennai it is for sure survival of the fittest. Made it back to the ship in one piece, had dinner on the ship, and then Roxanne and I decided to go to a movie, the immigration guys on the ship talked us into it. So we had a insane rickshaw driver, but he got us their around 10 and so he said he would wait cause their would be no way to get back after the movie, so we said alright well be back at 1130 and he curled up in his rickshaw and took a nap. All the shops in the mall like place so we bought tickets for a movie, 50 rupees a piece, a true bargain. Was escorted to our seats. The movie is in Tamil now, no subtitles, which made things a little interesting. We tried to follow as best as we could. It was hilarious, so girl was with like three different guys and people were being killed then they would break out into song and dance, and do some jump over a twenty foot building, it was very amusing. We left the movie a little before 1130 to find our rickshaw man, and we got lost getting out of the theater so the attendant escorted us down these back stairs, threw two different bars then a parking garage, and finally we made it out to the street, and our man was still their thanfully because the area was deserted now not a rickshaw in sight. It was interesting to compare the streets of day time Chennai to the deserted streets of really early morning Chennai, we made it back to the ship and prepared for my all day trip that was leaving at 7 am but I had to be their at 6 am to be the first on the waiting list to see if I could get on.
Struggled out of bed, but made it up to the union around 615 and was the first on the waiting list, and after a lot of commotion and disorganization made it on the trip and we set off on a bus to Kancheepuram. Kancheepuram or the Golden City is one of the seven most sacred places of pilgrimage for Hindus. Most of the following are exerts from the plaques at the sites. Once known as the City of a Thousand temples there are still over 100 shrines in the environs of Kancheepuram. The most imporatn are the ‘living’ temples whiere the pracice of worship continues today. There are 7th and 8th century paintings on the walls of the 1200 year old Kailasanatha Temple. We saw the ten storied intricately sculptured tower of the 16th century Ekambareswara Temple which had either baboons or monkeys climbing on them which was awesome. Then we saw the Hall of 96 Pillars and the handsome pavilions at Vaikuntanatha temple. We then went to a silk weaving place and saw them weaving and had the opportunity to purchase their products. We then headed on to the Regency hotel for a very elaborate buffet lunch which was very tasty. My favorite food was called “the jackpot”. Not sure what was in it but majority of people in Tamil Nadu are vegeterain so so was all the buffet I recall. After lunch we made our way too Mamallapuram which is an ancient port city of the Pallava kings. Apart from being a popular beach resort, it is famous for three major sights of great architectural and artistic merit. We saw the 1200 year old shore temple standing in solitary splendor on the sand of the shoreline. We visited the five rathas named after the Pandava brothers heroes of the Mahabharata. These large stone edifies are sculptured and shaped into temple prototypes. Then we saw the biggest bas-relief in the world, Arjunas Penance, which portrays the descent of the Ganges from Sivas locks and other fables from Panchatantra. The “monuments” at Mamalampuram are young compared to the ones that are now out at sea, and can occasionally be seen at low tide. As in all other countries previously visited the vegitation in India is very similar to Maui, I have seen iron woods, monkey pod trees, mango, sugar cane, plumeria, lots of the same. They of course have much different names for them. Just a little more history on the places previously mentioned. The Five Rathas: These monolithic temples are known as rathas, as they resemble wooden chariot and it is an innovation of Pallava King Narasimhavarman I (Mamalla) (AD 630-668), A huge rock sloping from south to north was utilized judiciously to cutout different forms of temples besides few animal sculptures. Though these monolithic temples are termed as Panchapandava Rathas they have nothing to do with Mahbaharata. These rathas with their ekatala to tritala vimanas and different in plan and elevation exhibit splendid forms of south Indian art and architecture. The nakulasahadeva ratha has apsidal vimana a relief sculpture of ardhanariswara on the wall of dharmaraja ratha with perfect balancing of the masculine and feminine features is considered to be one of the fines specimen of early Pallava plastic art. The Ratha also contains Pallava-Grantha inscription recording the titles of Narasimhavarman I. The group of five Rathas were executedas models of south Indian temples and were not consecrated as their stupis are still attached with the bedrock.
And more info:
Mahabalipuram as the place is called today was known variably as Mallai, Kadal-Mallai and Mamallai in ancient Vaishnav hymns of the 6th-8th century A.D. The place however dates back to early historic times on the evidence of stray pottery and roman coins. All the monuments here except for the medieval Vishnu temple in worship in the heart of the village clearly owe their authorship to the Pallavas of the Smha Vishu line who ruled from Kanchi (the ancient Kanchi) Mahabalipuram was one of the Pallava ports in majority of the monuments (rock cut and monolithic) would seem to belong stylistically to the reon of Narasimhavarman, Mamlla (630-688) while some others should be of the time of his successors such as Parameswaravarman (672-700) and Narasimhavarman (Rajasimha) 700-728, all the for structural stone temples however belong only to time of the last mentioned king. The monumental remains at Mahabalipuram are informed by three kinds of mode of execution: excavated cave temples, monolithic temples models and structural erections. The first mentioned are essentially confined to the whole black granitic hillock rising in the centre of the village e.g. the trimurt. Mahishasura Mardini, Maraha Mandapa, Ramanuja Mandapa, Dharmaraja Mandapa, etc. The pillars are borth of simples square and octagonal shaft type as well as omate fluted and lion based forms reflecting the elements of the pillar order. The monolithic rathas however display the fullform and features of the contemporary temple style and show many varieties both in ground plan and elevation. They are of square (Dharmaraja, Arjuna and Draupadi Rathas) Rectangular (Bhima Ganesha Rathas) and apsidal rathas, Sahadeva rathas and range from single to triple storeys. They carry art motifs as well as carved panels of many divinities on them together with the Valayankuttai and Pidari Rathas as isolated boulder on the western side of the hillock they represent the most impressive and the oldest preserved vimana models of Tamil Nadu the earliest and most modest of them is Mukundanayanar temple in the sand dune to the north of the light house, and is very omate though small sized and dilapidated the shore temples in the other hand are the best and give the most finitelayout of a southem Vimana complete with Prakara. Dvarasala etc. and majestically fringe the sea most of these temples have Samaskanda (or Vishnu or Durgaetc as the case may be) on the back wall of sanctum. The bas reliefs of Arjunas penance and the Govardhana-Dhari are again another very important class of creation of Pallava activity. NO less unique are the portrait sculptures with laurels in the Adivaraha cave temple, seemingly representing Simhavihsnu and Mahendravarman I. Many minor carvings of Merit lie scattered in the place they all bear mute witness to the virility of Pallava art and religious patronage. The standing structural temples, which show a confidence in stone masonry constructions for first time, again have both simple as well complex models. So that is basically the most confusing summary of anything ever! After these too towns we departed for out 2 hr drive back to Chennai. I tried with all my might to stay awake but we all know how long that lasted. It was a very hot day and they air conditioning was only really working in the front of the bus so the heat just but me right to sleep. Oh at the giant rock stop we definitely saw a monkey dressed up it was like abu on crack, it had its ears pierced, and this really insane looking owner that carried it on his shoulder. It was saying hi my name is crazy I want your money. That definitely wasn’t happening. We also stopped at some market like tourist trap were I got some disposable cameras for my village project, and rode a 1200 year old cow. It was insane bucking bronco style. One of my friends basically got chased by some guy cause they wouldn’t give him money not sure of the true story. Then once back to the ship, I headed back to my room I had two hours to eat, pack, and shower before I had to meet for my Jayamapuram trip.
Left the ship around 9 went to Chennai Central maneuvered threw thousands of people in a very frantic matter and then waited 30 min for our train to arrive, once it was finally their we boarded (Yercaud Express to Erode) and we were given roommate assignments but their were four bunks in a cabin not two (oh sas) so we just went wherever really, and we stayed up for a while playing some card games and just chillin meeting new people some which I had never even seen on the ship before. After a 7hr train ride that felt like 15 min. we arrived in erode. The 30 of us then split up into two different groups, 20 to Jayamapuram and 10 to some village Goibebajychan or something like that. Thankfully the trip leader went to the one we didn’t he was obnoxious. We took a 30 min ride to The Jayaramans estate. They were our host family and farm about 150 acres, of coconuts, sugar cane, guavas, bananas, and various other plants; they also have a nursery, and some cows. We arrived around 7 or so at the house, and freshened up a little had some tea and coffee and met our family and the Jayaramns daughter in-law purni and their niece Raji. We then went on a walk threw the fields, people climbed a coco nut tree, and we saw their irrigation system, their well, then we headed to the local sugar cane processing facility, met some kids who I gave some jelly beans too. Then we went over too the husk factory where they husk the coconuts and turn the husk into rope and other things. Then we made our way to the school to visit the two classes going on, talked with the ones we could, I gave them a disposable camera to take pictures of each other with, hopefully they came out alright they weren’t the best disposables ever. The energy that these kids have towards life and learning is amazing. The looks on their faces when they see themselves in the camera can’t be put in words. They all want you to write your name down, they all want to know how old you are, I don’t think they know how old 22 is, (just kidding). They just look to us with such fascination on their faces. Its like a kids first time to Disneyland, or the beach. Then we took a stroll threw main part of the village all three streets, we stopped by a ladies house can’t recall her name, her husband was napping, she took down her 5 family photos and showed them to us with great pride, and explained as best she could what her children were up too. While we were at the house I guess word of our arrival had spread and a few more members of the community came to say hi to us. I guess we were the talk of the town you could say. We were supposed to have stopped by a more modern house in the village but they were not home so we ended up just observing it from the outside, and headed back to the house for some relaxation after being in the sun and heat during prime time heat in India. The kitchen hands whipped up a traditional lunch for us. It was quit nice what I could handle at least. A lot of it is too spicy for me. I tried to nap I had major sinus congestion so I just napped for a few minutes in a chair while talking to Purni and Raji, and having mama stare at me. Then we had more tea and coffee again and headed into the more center part of town to the village market, were we did some shopping my first and only purchase was a super sick sling shot, only 10 rupees, such a good deal, it was nice they gave us the same price they would anyone else, and for a lot of the people at the market we are the only white people they will see all year, so for them I guess we are just fascinating. We get a lot of stares, but it doesn’t bother me, I just smile and say hi to everyone, the kids are the best, when they see my video camera they all want to be filmed and their reactions every time they see themselves in the LCD screen is amazing, one kid just could not stop jumping around, and making crazy noises, he was highly entertaining. At sunset we headed back to the house, to have more coffee and tea, and get ready for dinner. Dinner again was amazing I ate as much as I could, they served us a really good desert something with lots of sugar, and momma, came and sat right in front of me and watched me eat, and made fun of how I don’t eat correctly with my hands, or at least not in Indian terms, and thought it was the funniest thing ever, so she entertained herself for awhile then went and found me a bag of the desert I liked which she had told everyone else was all gone, and just kept feeding them too me, while at the same time telling me how sugar is so bad for you it is going to give you an upset stomach but didn’t hesitate to stop feeding me them. Then we got the grand tour of the house, and just sat and talked for a while, Purni and Raji and just such intelligent people, the knowledge they shared with us was more than a few months worth of hard studying and schooling. We then headed out towards the gates for a drum performance by the untouchables, and we were begging mama to come dance with us but she said she couldn’t many times, then go stern and said she couldn’t because of their rank in the cast system she would be looked down upon if she did so, which was interesting to us, cause everyone claims the cast system no longer exists and I believe it is illegal. It was an amazing performance I tried to play the drums but that was a lost cause. Then we went back to the house most people went to bed but a few of us stayed to talk with Purni and Raji, and touched subjects, as sex ed in schools, and homosexuality, Medicare, school system, urbanization, and Muslims, Hindus, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, UAE, Iran, Iraq, Russia, Africa, US politics. Just about everything that you can think of. Mamma had the cook make me some extremely extremely strong ginger tea, which was supposed to get ride of my sinus problems, and you better believe it in the morning no problem, everything was fixed, it wasn’t the best tea I have had, but it sure did work, and I forced enough down I guess. Then went to bed a little late but we were learning so much I just couldn’t stop the conversation. Got up at 530 the next morning to milk the cows, which was awesome, basically I am a natural. Then we had more tea and coffee, very popular here, we then took pictures with everyone, and had to say bye, it felt like we had spent weeks with them but it was just the longest day ever, and the most amazing, the amount gained in that one day is equals about a years plus worth of knowledge. So we departed Jayaramapuram and headed into Erode. Once in town we went to the BVB School and had breakfast, and made some friends with students, Anderson spotted me right away and wanted to tell me about his physics class he had just gotten out of. Also this is where my celebrity status was discovered. So me looking like Dhoni was started and after that it was every where I went basically. Then after a quick breakfast we headed to Bhavani Temple after stopping at a much smaller road side temple and Bhavani is where we saw the elephant, and it was a very large temple, we saw a wedding party, the first large camera taking pictures of us which was kind of fun to have the roles reversed for a sec. The temple was on the river we saw people swimming and washing their clothes in the river. Then we drove to a carpet-weaving center. Which was awesome, the do the weaving in underground looms, I believe you call them, and it quit interesting all of it is foot based I think much more than usual, and it was intriguing to see, people keep on buying massive amounts of everything not sure what they are going to do with and how they are going to get it home. Then we headed back to the school for lunch, where these ladies who asked me about Dhoni made fun of me for not being able to handle the spicy food, after lunch we headed off to the ARIMA Centre for physically handicapped children, who all had affects from polio. It was amazing they performed some dances, Karate, and a few other things then wanted us to perform for them and we came back with the hokey poke, I was just completely embarrassed, we could have at least done the electric slide or something. But it was still amazing to interact with the kids; I gave them a disposable to take pictures with which they love. It was intriguing to see how they got around with such grace, and their disabilities didn’t hinder them from doing what they wanted. Then we traveled back to the big school in erode, and had some down time, (Kara and I well more so I attempted to practice things I haven’t done in 10 years, it was hilarious, the stares we got from people were great just ladies standing jaw dropping stares at us, I love it, I guess were interesting, what can I say) before they performed for us, they did an amazing dance, and then had some students do the same dance with them which was amazing, then they wanted us to perform so me Kara and Brittany represented us and did some gymnastics on stage for them just so that we didn’t have to embarrass ourselves again with the hokey poke, and I think it went over well, then their girls basketball team wanted to challenge us I steered clear of that one. I wasn’t around for the whole game but I am guessing we didn’t win cause their girl’s team is the champion of their league. A group of five boys found me and they wanted to know my ambitions and what I strived to do with life. I figured it would be hard to explain that I really had no idea, so I said I wanted to work for The World Bank. It sounded like a legit response. So I asked Anderson and his friends what there ambitions were, and three of them responded civil engineers one responded electrical engineer and the last Anderson mumbled something in Tamil that sounded like beggar, so I asked him if that was right, and then it became a running joke. I hung around talking with the students for about 45 minutes to an hour, just answering all their questions and asking them questions. They seem to have a hard time understanding our accent I think, and my Indian accent isn’t the best yet (HAHA). They are such intelligent people though, I wish I was that smart in seventh grade. But the things that you learn just from observing people in their “natural habitat” is amazing. After an amazing afternoon/evening we headed off to Swaminathapuram. Their we visited the Sidda medicine where the manufacture natural medicine from herbs, and plants, and all kinds of things. It was quit a large factory, tried some really crazy things, if it works at all like the ginger tea mamma gave me to cure my cold than everyone is in it to win it. After our tour of the factory part with these awesome hats we had to wear, we had a little snack time juice never tasted sooooo good. Then we went to an area of the factory where there were tons of kids, and played and interacted with them for about half an hour. They all gather around you beckoning for you to write your name down, sometimes they want your age as well. I love hearing all of their names they all are beautiful and unique well at least to me. Then headed into another room for meditation. I swear there were fifty mosquitoes attacking me during meditation cause I could not reach my inner chi very well. After the relaxing and deeply needed meditation we headed back to the BVB School where we had the best meal so far. We had these amazing noodles, tons of other things that were so hot they would have sent my too the moon, and then we had cake batter ice cream. We also got to meet the founder of the school who is mamas brother in-law. They kind of rushed us threw dinner and then we had to leave. It was hard to part with such a great time that was too short. It seems that the great things are too short. It left us starting or trip back once we left the school for our drive to the Rail way Station. SAS has been doing trips to Erode for 18 years now. It shows with how perfected your time there is spent. We got to meet Kings son who is an awesome tennis player apparently. Not sure if I touched on it but Mr. Mouche as I would spell it in English there is no English way of spelling it, it’s the Hindi term for mustache, and King which is what his name translated to were two teachers at the BVB School, one actually worked in the NCC I think its called, they loved me, the took me under their wing. Everywhere we went they held my hand, and made sure I didn’t miss out on anything. They wanted me to go and meet their families, so I had to promise that when we come back we will meet their families. It is fascinating how every school we go too the kids are so captivated by our cameras. I completely see why, but it makes me want to donate cameras to them and spend some time teaching them how to use them. I think some of the shots from the disposables I let them use will be really good. It was an interesting train ride back, I was asked by our trip leader to sleep in a car with Indians cause it wasn’t safe for a girl to do so me and Taylor were asked to and he couldn’t cause he wanted to stay with his family. So put us at risk cause you want to stay with your family who is surrounded by SASers, I mean I didn’t care, but they lecture us about not being adults, then expect us to be only when they want. Enough about that though. We hung out for a while on the train then finally passed out and got up around 6 am as we were pulling into the station. Got back to the ship around 630, took the shower of a lifetime. Not long just felt so good to get 4 days worth of dirt off. It was hot and Chennai isn’t the cleanest place on earth. Then grabbed some breakfast before heading downtown. Went to cruise threw some shops before we went threw spencers which is a mall type place the exact opposite than that of T Nagar where we went the first day. It was not as juristic as in Brazil but it was a different crowd their. Enjoyed spending a really long time in a bookstore/music store. Then after grabbing a bite to eat for lunch, we headed out back on to the streets of Chennai and found this awesome antique shop with all kinds of awesome stuff. Our favorite was this walking stick that was about 100 years old made of pure silver the handle part was a beautiful elephant, and it was engraved and designed very intricately down the whole stick, and you unscrewed the handle and a dagger was inside. It was super sick. Too bad it was $500 USD, and we couldn’t get it back on the ship. The owner had lots of awesome things, lots of it really expensive, but we learned a lot from him just asking him questions about each piece or thing we found interesting. He had some truly amazing silk paintings. We learned about the art that the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston bought from him, and the random people who came threw his store throughout the years to purchase things. He claims his shop was the first of its kind in Chennai. We didn’t catch how long he has been open for, but he had just boxes upon boxes of cool old stuff, which he just let us rummage threw. Then after about 3 hrs in this store we headed on a search for an internet café called java green, to do some school work. We found one eventually but it was for members only so we joined it was like 80 rupees to join something like $3 USD. It was interesting we were the only none Indians, and we were quit the talk of the room for a while. I just wish I could understand what people are saying sometimes. The internet was a hit we did all we needed, then made our way back to the ship in time to beat the rush before on ship time and massive lines. India is growing rapidly economically, and it seems as if its population is slowing down. The effects from the tension between Pakistan and India’s boarder is common knowledge to most citizens, and they can inform you in detail of the issues present from their side, and they even explain it from the other side pretty well I think. The effects from projects in the 80’s are now prevalent more than ever before.
So the stupid noon announcements just came on and they are delaying our arrival in Mauritius until 1600 hrs tomorrow, which is CRAP! We were supposed to get off at 800 hrs that’s an entire day later basically.
March 15, 16, 17, 2007
We got in earlier than anticipated at 1200 hrs, which was nice we still had basically a full day and we didn’t have to get up that early we got a chance to sleep in after way to many tests and papers. Got off the ship and headed to the atm to get some for of cash took us a little while but we finally found one after going through and underpass, too three different places to ask and then found the one we wanted which was next to the tourist office got some maps their and asked them questions we had for our journey for the next two days. Then we headed out of the tourist office and walked threw a market type setting set up in the streets, lots of baby clothes and men’s and women’s underwear for sale, mainly men’s though which was interesting. Basically we got oriented with the city to figure out where we were in relation to everything. Walked threw a few areas with shops. We went threw a garden and ended up at the natural history museum, which wasn’t at all what we expected it was quit small. We saw the last Dodo Birds skeleton, and a whole bunch of other crazy fish and eels, and sharks and sea life preserved some how they almost looked fake but I think they were just old and they preserving wasn’t as modern as others. Then we stopped by the internet café before it was swarmed with sasers and did internet things before we headed back to the ship to relax out of the heat for a sec before we took a cab to flic n flac got a good price too bartered with him, did a couple walk aways it was pretty fun actually. Once we battled the traffic in Port Louis and made it out to flic n flac we decided on a nice seafood restaurant. We ordered a giant seafood sampler as an appetizer and then I got a surf and turf for my main course. It was awesome had great flavor, I couldn’t tell if the fish in the sampler was fresh, but whatever it was awesome. Oh my favorite part of my meal is the milkshake that I ordered and I had to laugh when they brought it too me cause they literally shook the milk and served it too me. After dinner we headed back to the ship to get a good nights rest.
Got up early today at 0630 hrs to head up to Curepipe then to Petrin then to Tamarin. So we made our way to the bus station getting into town via water taxi, which was interesting, Condoleia when trying to get out of the water taxi was grabbed by the ankle by the guy on the dock and basically thrown onto ground, it was hilarious basically not sure what they were thinking. Then we found the bus station and caught the express to Curepipe it was a nice ride only about 30 minutes or so, and when we departed the bus their we cruised around the local market their with all kinds of produce, and meats, and fish. We now found a taxi, which took us to Petrin in black river gorges national park. We hiked from Petrin down to black river. It was a three-hour hike or so 10 k, and we stopped along the way and swam in a nice pool in the black river. At the end of the trail in black river we were informed about a bus station there. That bus station doesn’t exist. The only means of transportation and life around, was a school bus full of kids, and it was getting ready to leave, so we figured ah, they might give us a ride, so we ran after the bus, getting to it just and time, and they willingly gave us a ride. It was once of the best times so far, the four of us on a bus with 40 5th graders, who were on an excursion researching the three, endangered Parakeets of Mauritius. The two boys sitting next to me let me listen to the music on their mp3 player, and it seemed that all kids were basically equals, no clicks, or cool kids, everyone loved each other, they sang and dance for us a little, and just had tons of questions, too bad I don’t speak French, but the three others I was with did. Those that had glasses had descent glasses, and a few kids had braces. Just the fact that they would give four strangers a ride, said a lot, that would never occur in the US. They dropped us off at an intersection and told us to walk up this road and over the mountain to get to Tamarin so we start trekking, and we just feel that it wrong, so half way up the mountain we find a taxi to hop in, and he takes us a completely different way to Tamarin. We go their though and that’s all that matters. Went down to the beach for a little while, and checked the surf, before we caught the last bus back into Port Louis. We had an enjoyable bus ride with some locals, did some conversing as much as I could do with language barriers. Once back in Port Louis we wanted a low key night, so we checked the movie times, and then headed back to the Explorer to shower and then went to the 2030 hrs showing of a Bollywood film. It was really good, about the fight of power between, local authority and the royal family of the area, and tons of people being killed. It was called The Royal Guard, who actually was the Princes son. Very complicated. Then we had some time to kill and were not ready to go to bed so we went to the casino for an hour or so, and only lost $10 between three of us not bad for an hours entertainment.
Last day in Port Louis, headed to the real market this time, got a few items, cruised threw the streets, hit up a pharmacy. Just enjoyed a nice day in Port Louis, made a few phone calls, did a little more internet, cruised threw some shops, and then chilled at a café around sunset and enjoyed an ice cream Sunday, before heading back to the ship. Mauritius was a lot like Hawaii, just completely different, the landscape aspect basically the same, a lot of the same vegetation, but everything else completely different.
March 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 2007
Sea Olympics, assasians, yoga, dolphins, whales, islands, BBQ, new malaria meds, college bowl, entourage, crazy dreams,
March 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 2007
Awoke in Chennai, finally in India, headed straight up to the seventh deck to see what Chennai looked like. The port was just what I was expecting; coal ships, and lots of dirty buildings around couldn’t wait to see what the city was like though. The first person I saw from the seventh deck was a man showering in an alley from a hose I believe. Then proceeded to go threw the two rounds of immigrations. Finally got off the ship and made our way threw the industrial area too the street and bartered for a good price for a rickshaw to T. Nagar a market area. We had a second group with us but we lost them on the ride over. Our driver stopped at two different stores practically forcing us out to go in the store and buy something so that he could get some commission. We stood our ground and basically drove the rickshaw to convince him to take us to where we wanted without any more stops. We went into a shop selling Sari’s and other types of clothing. The shopkeepers were very friendly and welcoming, and gave us great insight to Chennai. We needed to get to an ATM to get cash to pay for things so the shopkeeper had a rickshaw man take us to an ATM and bring us back they were really nice. His father started the shop forty years ago his father has now passed. We then made our way to the main section of T. Nagar and cruised threw shops and observed all that was going on for a few hrs, we were in a music store and all the electricity went off which seemed odd but no one seemed alarmed and just kept on shopping so I followed their lead. Then we found a internet café and sadly had to spend time doing school work for fall registration. Classes seem alright, Soviet Secret Service, Strategy in Action, MIS, and Intro to IAF. Then it was later in the evening at this point so we made our way back to the ship which was interesting, the rickshaw driver we were wanted us to give us a ride, gave us a price of 100 rupees, and then I tried to go lower, but he said no, 300 rupees, I said you cant go up after starting you are playing the game wrong here buddy. It made us laugh, we were turned down by a guy before that, I didn’t know they could turn you down, it was a fun and entertaining afternoon, on the streets of Chennai it is for sure survival of the fittest. Made it back to the ship in one piece, had dinner on the ship, and then Roxanne and I decided to go to a movie, the immigration guys on the ship talked us into it. So we had a insane rickshaw driver, but he got us their around 10 and so he said he would wait cause their would be no way to get back after the movie, so we said alright well be back at 1130 and he curled up in his rickshaw and took a nap. All the shops in the mall like place so we bought tickets for a movie, 50 rupees a piece, a true bargain. Was escorted to our seats. The movie is in Tamil now, no subtitles, which made things a little interesting. We tried to follow as best as we could. It was hilarious, so girl was with like three different guys and people were being killed then they would break out into song and dance, and do some jump over a twenty foot building, it was very amusing. We left the movie a little before 1130 to find our rickshaw man, and we got lost getting out of the theater so the attendant escorted us down these back stairs, threw two different bars then a parking garage, and finally we made it out to the street, and our man was still their thanfully because the area was deserted now not a rickshaw in sight. It was interesting to compare the streets of day time Chennai to the deserted streets of really early morning Chennai, we made it back to the ship and prepared for my all day trip that was leaving at 7 am but I had to be their at 6 am to be the first on the waiting list to see if I could get on.
Struggled out of bed, but made it up to the union around 615 and was the first on the waiting list, and after a lot of commotion and disorganization made it on the trip and we set off on a bus to Kancheepuram. Kancheepuram or the Golden City is one of the seven most sacred places of pilgrimage for Hindus. Most of the following are exerts from the plaques at the sites. Once known as the City of a Thousand temples there are still over 100 shrines in the environs of Kancheepuram. The most imporatn are the ‘living’ temples whiere the pracice of worship continues today. There are 7th and 8th century paintings on the walls of the 1200 year old Kailasanatha Temple. We saw the ten storied intricately sculptured tower of the 16th century Ekambareswara Temple which had either baboons or monkeys climbing on them which was awesome. Then we saw the Hall of 96 Pillars and the handsome pavilions at Vaikuntanatha temple. We then went to a silk weaving place and saw them weaving and had the opportunity to purchase their products. We then headed on to the Regency hotel for a very elaborate buffet lunch which was very tasty. My favorite food was called “the jackpot”. Not sure what was in it but majority of people in Tamil Nadu are vegeterain so so was all the buffet I recall. After lunch we made our way too Mamallapuram which is an ancient port city of the Pallava kings. Apart from being a popular beach resort, it is famous for three major sights of great architectural and artistic merit. We saw the 1200 year old shore temple standing in solitary splendor on the sand of the shoreline. We visited the five rathas named after the Pandava brothers heroes of the Mahabharata. These large stone edifies are sculptured and shaped into temple prototypes. Then we saw the biggest bas-relief in the world, Arjunas Penance, which portrays the descent of the Ganges from Sivas locks and other fables from Panchatantra. The “monuments” at Mamalampuram are young compared to the ones that are now out at sea, and can occasionally be seen at low tide. As in all other countries previously visited the vegitation in India is very similar to Maui, I have seen iron woods, monkey pod trees, mango, sugar cane, plumeria, lots of the same. They of course have much different names for them. Just a little more history on the places previously mentioned. The Five Rathas: These monolithic temples are known as rathas, as they resemble wooden chariot and it is an innovation of Pallava King Narasimhavarman I (Mamalla) (AD 630-668), A huge rock sloping from south to north was utilized judiciously to cutout different forms of temples besides few animal sculptures. Though these monolithic temples are termed as Panchapandava Rathas they have nothing to do with Mahbaharata. These rathas with their ekatala to tritala vimanas and different in plan and elevation exhibit splendid forms of south Indian art and architecture. The nakulasahadeva ratha has apsidal vimana a relief sculpture of ardhanariswara on the wall of dharmaraja ratha with perfect balancing of the masculine and feminine features is considered to be one of the fines specimen of early Pallava plastic art. The Ratha also contains Pallava-Grantha inscription recording the titles of Narasimhavarman I. The group of five Rathas were executedas models of south Indian temples and were not consecrated as their stupis are still attached with the bedrock.
And more info:
Mahabalipuram as the place is called today was known variably as Mallai, Kadal-Mallai and Mamallai in ancient Vaishnav hymns of the 6th-8th century A.D. The place however dates back to early historic times on the evidence of stray pottery and roman coins. All the monuments here except for the medieval Vishnu temple in worship in the heart of the village clearly owe their authorship to the Pallavas of the Smha Vishu line who ruled from Kanchi (the ancient Kanchi) Mahabalipuram was one of the Pallava ports in majority of the monuments (rock cut and monolithic) would seem to belong stylistically to the reon of Narasimhavarman, Mamlla (630-688) while some others should be of the time of his successors such as Parameswaravarman (672-700) and Narasimhavarman (Rajasimha) 700-728, all the for structural stone temples however belong only to time of the last mentioned king. The monumental remains at Mahabalipuram are informed by three kinds of mode of execution: excavated cave temples, monolithic temples models and structural erections. The first mentioned are essentially confined to the whole black granitic hillock rising in the centre of the village e.g. the trimurt. Mahishasura Mardini, Maraha Mandapa, Ramanuja Mandapa, Dharmaraja Mandapa, etc. The pillars are borth of simples square and octagonal shaft type as well as omate fluted and lion based forms reflecting the elements of the pillar order. The monolithic rathas however display the fullform and features of the contemporary temple style and show many varieties both in ground plan and elevation. They are of square (Dharmaraja, Arjuna and Draupadi Rathas) Rectangular (Bhima Ganesha Rathas) and apsidal rathas, Sahadeva rathas and range from single to triple storeys. They carry art motifs as well as carved panels of many divinities on them together with the Valayankuttai and Pidari Rathas as isolated boulder on the western side of the hillock they represent the most impressive and the oldest preserved vimana models of Tamil Nadu the earliest and most modest of them is Mukundanayanar temple in the sand dune to the north of the light house, and is very omate though small sized and dilapidated the shore temples in the other hand are the best and give the most finitelayout of a southem Vimana complete with Prakara. Dvarasala etc. and majestically fringe the sea most of these temples have Samaskanda (or Vishnu or Durgaetc as the case may be) on the back wall of sanctum. The bas reliefs of Arjunas penance and the Govardhana-Dhari are again another very important class of creation of Pallava activity. NO less unique are the portrait sculptures with laurels in the Adivaraha cave temple, seemingly representing Simhavihsnu and Mahendravarman I. Many minor carvings of Merit lie scattered in the place they all bear mute witness to the virility of Pallava art and religious patronage. The standing structural temples, which show a confidence in stone masonry constructions for first time, again have both simple as well complex models. So that is basically the most confusing summary of anything ever! After these too towns we departed for out 2 hr drive back to Chennai. I tried with all my might to stay awake but we all know how long that lasted. It was a very hot day and they air conditioning was only really working in the front of the bus so the heat just but me right to sleep. Oh at the giant rock stop we definitely saw a monkey dressed up it was like abu on crack, it had its ears pierced, and this really insane looking owner that carried it on his shoulder. It was saying hi my name is crazy I want your money. That definitely wasn’t happening. We also stopped at some market like tourist trap were I got some disposable cameras for my village project, and rode a 1200 year old cow. It was insane bucking bronco style. One of my friends basically got chased by some guy cause they wouldn’t give him money not sure of the true story. Then once back to the ship, I headed back to my room I had two hours to eat, pack, and shower before I had to meet for my Jayamapuram trip.
Left the ship around 9 went to Chennai Central maneuvered threw thousands of people in a very frantic matter and then waited 30 min for our train to arrive, once it was finally their we boarded (Yercaud Express to Erode) and we were given roommate assignments but their were four bunks in a cabin not two (oh sas) so we just went wherever really, and we stayed up for a while playing some card games and just chillin meeting new people some which I had never even seen on the ship before. After a 7hr train ride that felt like 15 min. we arrived in erode. The 30 of us then split up into two different groups, 20 to Jayamapuram and 10 to some village Goibebajychan or something like that. Thankfully the trip leader went to the one we didn’t he was obnoxious. We took a 30 min ride to The Jayaramans estate. They were our host family and farm about 150 acres, of coconuts, sugar cane, guavas, bananas, and various other plants; they also have a nursery, and some cows. We arrived around 7 or so at the house, and freshened up a little had some tea and coffee and met our family and the Jayaramns daughter in-law purni and their niece Raji. We then went on a walk threw the fields, people climbed a coco nut tree, and we saw their irrigation system, their well, then we headed to the local sugar cane processing facility, met some kids who I gave some jelly beans too. Then we went over too the husk factory where they husk the coconuts and turn the husk into rope and other things. Then we made our way to the school to visit the two classes going on, talked with the ones we could, I gave them a disposable camera to take pictures of each other with, hopefully they came out alright they weren’t the best disposables ever. The energy that these kids have towards life and learning is amazing. The looks on their faces when they see themselves in the camera can’t be put in words. They all want you to write your name down, they all want to know how old you are, I don’t think they know how old 22 is, (just kidding). They just look to us with such fascination on their faces. Its like a kids first time to Disneyland, or the beach. Then we took a stroll threw main part of the village all three streets, we stopped by a ladies house can’t recall her name, her husband was napping, she took down her 5 family photos and showed them to us with great pride, and explained as best she could what her children were up too. While we were at the house I guess word of our arrival had spread and a few more members of the community came to say hi to us. I guess we were the talk of the town you could say. We were supposed to have stopped by a more modern house in the village but they were not home so we ended up just observing it from the outside, and headed back to the house for some relaxation after being in the sun and heat during prime time heat in India. The kitchen hands whipped up a traditional lunch for us. It was quit nice what I could handle at least. A lot of it is too spicy for me. I tried to nap I had major sinus congestion so I just napped for a few minutes in a chair while talking to Purni and Raji, and having mama stare at me. Then we had more tea and coffee again and headed into the more center part of town to the village market, were we did some shopping my first and only purchase was a super sick sling shot, only 10 rupees, such a good deal, it was nice they gave us the same price they would anyone else, and for a lot of the people at the market we are the only white people they will see all year, so for them I guess we are just fascinating. We get a lot of stares, but it doesn’t bother me, I just smile and say hi to everyone, the kids are the best, when they see my video camera they all want to be filmed and their reactions every time they see themselves in the LCD screen is amazing, one kid just could not stop jumping around, and making crazy noises, he was highly entertaining. At sunset we headed back to the house, to have more coffee and tea, and get ready for dinner. Dinner again was amazing I ate as much as I could, they served us a really good desert something with lots of sugar, and momma, came and sat right in front of me and watched me eat, and made fun of how I don’t eat correctly with my hands, or at least not in Indian terms, and thought it was the funniest thing ever, so she entertained herself for awhile then went and found me a bag of the desert I liked which she had told everyone else was all gone, and just kept feeding them too me, while at the same time telling me how sugar is so bad for you it is going to give you an upset stomach but didn’t hesitate to stop feeding me them. Then we got the grand tour of the house, and just sat and talked for a while, Purni and Raji and just such intelligent people, the knowledge they shared with us was more than a few months worth of hard studying and schooling. We then headed out towards the gates for a drum performance by the untouchables, and we were begging mama to come dance with us but she said she couldn’t many times, then go stern and said she couldn’t because of their rank in the cast system she would be looked down upon if she did so, which was interesting to us, cause everyone claims the cast system no longer exists and I believe it is illegal. It was an amazing performance I tried to play the drums but that was a lost cause. Then we went back to the house most people went to bed but a few of us stayed to talk with Purni and Raji, and touched subjects, as sex ed in schools, and homosexuality, Medicare, school system, urbanization, and Muslims, Hindus, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, UAE, Iran, Iraq, Russia, Africa, US politics. Just about everything that you can think of. Mamma had the cook make me some extremely extremely strong ginger tea, which was supposed to get ride of my sinus problems, and you better believe it in the morning no problem, everything was fixed, it wasn’t the best tea I have had, but it sure did work, and I forced enough down I guess. Then went to bed a little late but we were learning so much I just couldn’t stop the conversation. Got up at 530 the next morning to milk the cows, which was awesome, basically I am a natural. Then we had more tea and coffee, very popular here, we then took pictures with everyone, and had to say bye, it felt like we had spent weeks with them but it was just the longest day ever, and the most amazing, the amount gained in that one day is equals about a years plus worth of knowledge. So we departed Jayaramapuram and headed into Erode. Once in town we went to the BVB School and had breakfast, and made some friends with students, Anderson spotted me right away and wanted to tell me about his physics class he had just gotten out of. Also this is where my celebrity status was discovered. So me looking like Dhoni was started and after that it was every where I went basically. Then after a quick breakfast we headed to Bhavani Temple after stopping at a much smaller road side temple and Bhavani is where we saw the elephant, and it was a very large temple, we saw a wedding party, the first large camera taking pictures of us which was kind of fun to have the roles reversed for a sec. The temple was on the river we saw people swimming and washing their clothes in the river. Then we drove to a carpet-weaving center. Which was awesome, the do the weaving in underground looms, I believe you call them, and it quit interesting all of it is foot based I think much more than usual, and it was intriguing to see, people keep on buying massive amounts of everything not sure what they are going to do with and how they are going to get it home. Then we headed back to the school for lunch, where these ladies who asked me about Dhoni made fun of me for not being able to handle the spicy food, after lunch we headed off to the ARIMA Centre for physically handicapped children, who all had affects from polio. It was amazing they performed some dances, Karate, and a few other things then wanted us to perform for them and we came back with the hokey poke, I was just completely embarrassed, we could have at least done the electric slide or something. But it was still amazing to interact with the kids; I gave them a disposable to take pictures with which they love. It was intriguing to see how they got around with such grace, and their disabilities didn’t hinder them from doing what they wanted. Then we traveled back to the big school in erode, and had some down time, (Kara and I well more so I attempted to practice things I haven’t done in 10 years, it was hilarious, the stares we got from people were great just ladies standing jaw dropping stares at us, I love it, I guess were interesting, what can I say) before they performed for us, they did an amazing dance, and then had some students do the same dance with them which was amazing, then they wanted us to perform so me Kara and Brittany represented us and did some gymnastics on stage for them just so that we didn’t have to embarrass ourselves again with the hokey poke, and I think it went over well, then their girls basketball team wanted to challenge us I steered clear of that one. I wasn’t around for the whole game but I am guessing we didn’t win cause their girl’s team is the champion of their league. A group of five boys found me and they wanted to know my ambitions and what I strived to do with life. I figured it would be hard to explain that I really had no idea, so I said I wanted to work for The World Bank. It sounded like a legit response. So I asked Anderson and his friends what there ambitions were, and three of them responded civil engineers one responded electrical engineer and the last Anderson mumbled something in Tamil that sounded like beggar, so I asked him if that was right, and then it became a running joke. I hung around talking with the students for about 45 minutes to an hour, just answering all their questions and asking them questions. They seem to have a hard time understanding our accent I think, and my Indian accent isn’t the best yet (HAHA). They are such intelligent people though, I wish I was that smart in seventh grade. But the things that you learn just from observing people in their “natural habitat” is amazing. After an amazing afternoon/evening we headed off to Swaminathapuram. Their we visited the Sidda medicine where the manufacture natural medicine from herbs, and plants, and all kinds of things. It was quit a large factory, tried some really crazy things, if it works at all like the ginger tea mamma gave me to cure my cold than everyone is in it to win it. After our tour of the factory part with these awesome hats we had to wear, we had a little snack time juice never tasted sooooo good. Then we went to an area of the factory where there were tons of kids, and played and interacted with them for about half an hour. They all gather around you beckoning for you to write your name down, sometimes they want your age as well. I love hearing all of their names they all are beautiful and unique well at least to me. Then headed into another room for meditation. I swear there were fifty mosquitoes attacking me during meditation cause I could not reach my inner chi very well. After the relaxing and deeply needed meditation we headed back to the BVB School where we had the best meal so far. We had these amazing noodles, tons of other things that were so hot they would have sent my too the moon, and then we had cake batter ice cream. We also got to meet the founder of the school who is mamas brother in-law. They kind of rushed us threw dinner and then we had to leave. It was hard to part with such a great time that was too short. It seems that the great things are too short. It left us starting or trip back once we left the school for our drive to the Rail way Station. SAS has been doing trips to Erode for 18 years now. It shows with how perfected your time there is spent. We got to meet Kings son who is an awesome tennis player apparently. Not sure if I touched on it but Mr. Mouche as I would spell it in English there is no English way of spelling it, it’s the Hindi term for mustache, and King which is what his name translated to were two teachers at the BVB School, one actually worked in the NCC I think its called, they loved me, the took me under their wing. Everywhere we went they held my hand, and made sure I didn’t miss out on anything. They wanted me to go and meet their families, so I had to promise that when we come back we will meet their families. It is fascinating how every school we go too the kids are so captivated by our cameras. I completely see why, but it makes me want to donate cameras to them and spend some time teaching them how to use them. I think some of the shots from the disposables I let them use will be really good. It was an interesting train ride back, I was asked by our trip leader to sleep in a car with Indians cause it wasn’t safe for a girl to do so me and Taylor were asked to and he couldn’t cause he wanted to stay with his family. So put us at risk cause you want to stay with your family who is surrounded by SASers, I mean I didn’t care, but they lecture us about not being adults, then expect us to be only when they want. Enough about that though. We hung out for a while on the train then finally passed out and got up around 6 am as we were pulling into the station. Got back to the ship around 630, took the shower of a lifetime. Not long just felt so good to get 4 days worth of dirt off. It was hot and Chennai isn’t the cleanest place on earth. Then grabbed some breakfast before heading downtown. Went to cruise threw some shops before we went threw spencers which is a mall type place the exact opposite than that of T Nagar where we went the first day. It was not as juristic as in Brazil but it was a different crowd their. Enjoyed spending a really long time in a bookstore/music store. Then after grabbing a bite to eat for lunch, we headed out back on to the streets of Chennai and found this awesome antique shop with all kinds of awesome stuff. Our favorite was this walking stick that was about 100 years old made of pure silver the handle part was a beautiful elephant, and it was engraved and designed very intricately down the whole stick, and you unscrewed the handle and a dagger was inside. It was super sick. Too bad it was $500 USD, and we couldn’t get it back on the ship. The owner had lots of awesome things, lots of it really expensive, but we learned a lot from him just asking him questions about each piece or thing we found interesting. He had some truly amazing silk paintings. We learned about the art that the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston bought from him, and the random people who came threw his store throughout the years to purchase things. He claims his shop was the first of its kind in Chennai. We didn’t catch how long he has been open for, but he had just boxes upon boxes of cool old stuff, which he just let us rummage threw. Then after about 3 hrs in this store we headed on a search for an internet café called java green, to do some school work. We found one eventually but it was for members only so we joined it was like 80 rupees to join something like $3 USD. It was interesting we were the only none Indians, and we were quit the talk of the room for a while. I just wish I could understand what people are saying sometimes. The internet was a hit we did all we needed, then made our way back to the ship in time to beat the rush before on ship time and massive lines. India is growing rapidly economically, and it seems as if its population is slowing down. The effects from the tension between Pakistan and India’s boarder is common knowledge to most citizens, and they can inform you in detail of the issues present from their side, and they even explain it from the other side pretty well I think. The effects from projects in the 80’s are now prevalent more than ever before.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
all over the place
Feb 22, 2007
Struggled getting out of bed for global this morning we should get a day of rest after each country to physically and mentally prepare for 9 straight days of classes. In global today though the professor who is some how my extended family explained his comment about how blacks are the reason the US doesn’t have the highest HDI in the world, it sort of makes sense but they comment was definitely wrongly phrased. The courses this time also just have so much tension in them, which I feel is unnecessary in my Politics and Memory course we were talking about religion in brazil currently and about how the African descendants are so proud that they have held on to it, and people started just arguing there is a girl in the class who grew up in Ethiopia and she kept on referring to Africa as if it were a country and everyone residing in Africa was the same, And she went off on a bunch of other tangents also, then this other guy informed her that their were about 53 countries in African and we should acknowledge that and I thought that was a great point, then the tension sort of simmered down but this girl is also in my Global Environmental Politics course she’s just too much of a handful. Then in my other class Development Local to Global Perspectives we are talking about these tribes in Africa and other things, and one kid commented about how he feels most peoples lives in the states have no meaning and what is the need for extreme wealth and he covered a bunch of other points, then this other kid I call Bono threw back at him that these tribes are considered to have a low quality of life and they are so uncivilized which well both of them have different points of view but I just don’t understand that if these people are happy why we feel we have to attempt to change their life and make it “better” or to our standards. Mexicans and Nigerians are the happiest people in the world so shouldn’t we be learning from them. Anyways, it just interesting watching people speak in class about these issues and the people that do speak more than others speak as if they should be professing that class and occasionally cut off the professor, just interesting, in business classes these things don’t happen, we just fight to stay awake and leave classing completely confused. The stupid evening announcements came on and we have to advance our clocks an hour tonight and the next three nights, not alright with me I would so much rather do three hours one night and be in pain for one day instead of three.
Feb 23, 2007,
Struggled threw classes, was late for global cause I forgot to advance my clock but went to bed at 2000 hrs last night so I was up earlier than usual so I wasn’t very late only 15 minutes and when your grandfather is the professor I can get away with more. Classes weren’t too bad today no tension being flown across the room, just they all seem the same with a little different flare. Had another nice day by the pool for a while, figured out the whole shipboard account ordeal, just wish the lady could have had her story straight both times so that I wouldn’t have been so confused and thinking other things etc. oh communication issues. Then went to my family dinner, which I have five sisters, which is kinda interesting, and they seem pretty cool I tried not to thing about Dan Christies monotoneness, but he and his wife seem nice, and it should be alright. They are retired now, they have six kids well he does she is his second wife, this is his sixth voyage, and he as four adopted children and two natural, he does things in six’s apparently. One of my sisters knows brad fyffe just a side note.
Feb 24, 2007
I believe it was around 0800 hrs this morning they crew went threw the hallways banging down doors and drumming which kinda woke me up, but I just rolled over, then slept in till about 1000 hrs, didn’t get the fish guts poured on me and kiss the fish and or the captains ring and the captain was dressed in green, I meant too but didn’t, and I didn’t shave my head either, their were so many girls that shaved their heads or rocked the hawk, some look good some don’t, its kinda entertaining, I give them credit, I did get some good footage though, Did get to watch a lot of head shavings though, and a lot of it got donated to locks of love, and then just enjoyed our day off chillin by the pool relaxing to carnaval music still and some 80s jams, then tonight we had a BBQ which was amzing, burgers, and hot dogs, and ribs, and jello, and ice cream, and all things great for you basically. Then their was a pub night tonight but their was a weak turnout so I bailed early to read an atlas, and do some research on the phillipines, and apparently they aren’t pub nights anymore but after-hours everynight, I don’t know, I cant keep up with the changing of names and shenanigans, and then some people wanted to know why I was researching the Philippines and I told them about my surf resort and they made fun and asked me all these questions so I said nope your not invited anymore.
Feb 25, 2007
Another day of classes I wish they would just get more exciting the only professor who is a good public speaker is my global environmental politics class and it is really interesting. I mean they are all good just get slow when you have nine days of straight classes. Then a week to Mauritius then another week to India, then it speeds up thankfully then its bam bam bam until Japan then the journey home. I am working on my Field Journal for my world history 1400-1914 course, which is interesting which I guess would be the appropriate term, and in brazil they gave us these wish things or something like that and you cant take them off you have to wait for them to fall off and its taking forever apparently it takes up too three years someone said. Off to the journaling.
Feb 26, 27, 28, March 1, 2007
Today we woke up to the speaker blaring about an apartheid that would take place for 24 hrs. So that meant that if you did not shave your head on Neptune day you were not allowed to use public bathrooms, be seen on the seventh deck, eat in the garden lounge dinning room sixth deck, or use the computers in the computer lab, so to stand up for our rights we held a protest at dinner outside the garden lounge protesting our rights, and it got exciting, the archbishop showed up, I mean it wasn’t real they could not discipline us really but It was an interesting exercise. It was frustrating when I had to go to the bathroom during class and I had to go all the way back to my cabin cause I couldn’t use the public restrooms. So it was a fun day I guess. Then finished reading things fall apart by Achebe and wrote my four page on it. That took till 6 am so it was a short nights sleep before global the next day where the archbishop spoke, on all different topics covering South Africa which was really interesting. Then spent the rest of the day recovering from no sleep made it threw my 1045 hrs class where basically ruled the discussion about our book. So it was a good day then took a good ole nap, and went to bed early and we have been advancing the clocks way to much lately it has just been killing my sleep we had to advance that night and then again tonight, and today the archbishop spoke again in class, this time he was being asked questions from a panel who asked questions compiled by the students. It was awesome to hear him speak and see how he felt and looked and such things. Im really excited for south Africa hopefully I get up before we dock, some super high official like the president is apparently doing the diplomatic briefing tomorrow should be exciting.
March 2, 2007
So got up early 6 am that’s early to watch the sunrise over capetown which was awesome as we sailed into port. So the premier of western cape or something like that did the diplomatic briefing and then we were cleared and allowed to disembark around 11 or so, got a group together and headed to long street, we cruised up and down their for a while and at lunch at naked, it was interesting had a wrap of sorts, then we found a antique store with like war items and that sorts of stuff from all over, the owner was super entertaining learned a lot from him actually we were their for two hours or so, we learned lots of history, politics, all kinds of good stuff, he sold the producers of blood diamond a lot of apparel for the film. I purchased a 1930 South African three pents, coin, thingy, it was only 15 rand clint would say it was a good deal. I wanted to buy this shield but it was too expensive and the only thing he had in the store with real blood stains on it was a sword and I cant bring that on the ship so I was bummed out and a lot of the good items were NFS aka not for sale, like the neon orange one piece not sure what army wears that but he said he wears it occasionally, (a lie doubt). Then we hit up a skate shop, where we met some guy who does urban art and Djs, and stuff and gave us the low down of things to do. We were on the hunt for a skateboard which we never found. And conversions are hard cause 7 isnt divisible by much and is just too technical. Then headed back to the ship via the cab, bus, van, whatever they call um, and learned a lot about transportation issues, and parking and such from a guy in the car with us. Basically a very educational day make friends with locals. Had dinner at the ship and relaxed until heading out to long street for some nite life action. Had a late nite bite to eat at Mama Africa, then made our way up too cool runnings, but canceled that due to lines, and then I left those friends to meet up with other friends, that were in fiction, which was awesome, great music awesome people, just extremely hot, and kinda small but awesome, ran into our dj friends from the skate shop earlier, talked to them for a little while, its basically impossible to get away from sasers to we ran into a ton of them. Ended our great night out around 2 to head back to the ship so that we could get an early/descent start to the day tomorrow.
March 3, 2007
Got up around 1030 hrs and just chilled for a little had lunch on the ship, its pouring rain outside, so table mountains, out so we just headed to the waterfront area, and into the mall to find something to do, since maneuvering outside isn’t an option. So we decided to see a movie, and since we are in Africa we decided to watch Blood Diamond since it had relevance to our location. So bought tickets for that but had some time to kill so I headed off to go camera shopping, since Chamando has advanced stages of cancer, I decided to get a new one, but name stays Chamandeux, I guess its French now, so im excited about that, and then just wandered threw shops and just watching people its crazy how their whole lifestyle is left based where ours is right based, their escalators are left, they walk up the stairs on the left, in general they are left. Then met back up with friends to see Blood Diamond, which was super super intense, and extremely action packed it was also cool to observe the reactions by the crowd in the theater about different lines and parts of the movie. Awesome movie though, then we headed outside to the waterfront, and had fish and chips for a lunch dinner meal, then everyone headed back to the ship but I cruised further around the waterfront, over to the other end, made some phone calls, took some pics, oriented myself, just enjoyed wandering aimlessly then made my way back to the ship around 830 or so. Hung out with the roommate for a while and just chilled in the room till about ten then I was going to head to long street and meet up with people but it is still downpouring so I opted out of that the only reason long street was happening tonight was their was a street festival and everything was outside and I really didn’t want to stand out in the rain with a bunch of drunk people, so I went looking for something to do and some how ended back up at the movies it seems when I venture off alone at night I end up at the movies, it was so nice to be on my own not have anyone to worry about just do whatever the hell I want, so I decided on The Last King of Scotland, which I thought Blood Diamond was intense, this was insane, I mean hanging people from the ceiling with hooks, but it was a very well put together film. I knew parts of the history, didn’t know about the book that it was based on, but some how in Africa I ended up watching two movies about Africa, im glad I opted for the movie it was time well spent, where I think I would have been miserable and bored on long st. it was nice to just have a low key night, by myself, I just thought about it and I have been constantly surrounded by people for the last month, none stop, from 800 on the ship to the four million in brazil. Then while walking back to the MV I saw two kids dragging another kid, who was definitely not doing to well. Glad I wasn’t him or his friends that’s for sure. That reminds me apparently yesterday some SASer chick went and drank fish bowls whatever those are with some people and made it back to the ship and up the gangway all those stairs and then passed out at the top and code blued, and had her stomach pumped in an ambulance, sounds like fun huh. So I am really hoping that it clears up tomorrow so much to do but so limited by the rain, cant table mtn. Or lions head cant wait to safari though, we better have good weather for that its fricken summer whats up with the rain . If the weather doesn’t permit other activities I think I am headed for the district six museum, hopefully robben island if its not sold out or delayed due to weather. Just gonna play it all by ear. Really excited about my new camera, its so nice to not get frustrated every time I try to use it. Also cant wait to get my tax refunds on it 14% what are we in Iceland or something. I swear everyday I see new people working on the ship. I am up on the pool deck right now and have never seen these 5 guys cleaning the grill and mopping the deck before. I guess they could be new, off to bed now I know I haven’t been getting enough sleep when my right eye twitches its not very comfortable and or a good sign. So definitely just stabbed my right thumb while trying to open my battery package not with a knife no the stupid sharp plastic broke the flesh and went nicely into the tip of my thumb right above the nail nasty little buggar.
March 4, 2007
So the early start became a medium start cause the weather was till iffy out but we didn’t let it stop us. Went to buy tickets for Robben island it was sold out till Tuesday so we got tickets for Thursday morning at 800 hrs. then came back to the ship met up with mike and mike and went to tourist information to find something to do on a Sunday since most things are closed. The lady their was the most unhelpful person ever, told us there is absolutely nothing to do on Sunday. Helpful. So we decided hell were gong to simons town to see the jackass penguins so we found a guy to give us a ride but he couldn’t so he called his friend to take us so peter waited until joseph showed up, and so joseph ending up being Desmond Tutus personal driver but since he was in Joberg visiting his ill cousin while we are in cape town Joseph had time to drive us, so he treated us well took us to a bunch of cool places on the way to simons town which is about 45 minutes from capetown on the water. So it was an awesome ride. We stopped on the way to see a little fish market and then at a scenic lookout, then we got to simons town, and just cruised threw the national park and saw the jackass penguins, doing all kinds of crazy shenanigans, they really aren’t the friendliest animals, and they have been around for about 6 million years, a little side note I was watching a show on coyotes the other day and apparently after all things have died off coyotes will still be around, so imagine earth with cockroaches, and coyotes, sounds great right. Then we started our migration back to capetown, we had to call peter to tell him that we didn’t need a ride back he was planning on picking us up cause the tourist info lady said that their were no trains but their was a train every hour instead of every half, she was just trying to get our money, so we made the half hour walk to the train station way in the beginning of town, and made friends with this guy from ohio, he told us about the train while we were looking at penguins, he just got done teaching English in china, and so he flew to south Africa has been her for 3 weeks, and then is going to germany after this before he heads back to ohio. He had one of the narliest beards I have seen, he looked like he walked out of the 1930s, it was pretty intense. Oh and on the train it was a nice ride, but it squeeeeeeeeeeeled the entire way back im just glad we made it back, we rode first class which was 12 rand, about $1.25 for an hour and half ride, and it was alright I guess third class is just wooden benches lined against the walls, he it works somewhere to sit right. It wasn’t a very busy train cause its Sunday I suppose. Then once we got back to cape town we headed to the royal sushi restaurant for some awesome sushi had a rainbow roll with all kinds of awesome things for 100 rand, ate enough for a life time too. It was nice having a meal that had some real flavor to it. Its up at 4 am tomorrow to leave for the safari.
March 5, 6, 7, 8, 2007
So it did not have to deal with getting up early this morning for the safari cause I never went to bed I didn’t want to risk missing my safari, so I watched some sand lot and cool runnings once or twice, and then hung out with some people in the computer lab who were doing some drunk emailing, and then we boarded the bus and set off for the airport for our 2 hour flight to Durban. I of course don’t remember the flight to Durban I crashed hard once I sat down on the plane. Once in Durban we went on a little city tour, we learned how kwazulu natal got is name and if you are zulu you just refer to it as kwazulu or land of the zulu and if you are pro government basically you call it kwazulu natal. During the worst city tour ever we went to a parking lot for 20 minutes then they took us too a shopping area with lots of tourist like shops didn’t find really anything I really want an ostrich egg but I have to find the right one. So after the city tour we had to go back to the airport to meet the transportation that was going to take us to the game reserve which is 96,000 hectares and is about a 3 hrs drive from Durban. It was nice we got a good nap in too rest up for the game drives. All the way along the drive to the reserve we passed miles and miles of sugar cane that just was all you could see for miles as well as what looked to be tree farms, of cook pines and iron woods as far as I could tell as well as in towns smaller parcels like a few acres had sugar cane on them I am guessing for personal/town uses. Not sure what they would call them here. Also we passed threw many towns that had lots of speed bumps to slow you down for the school children, I noticed that they were all in the same uniform, and that the majority of them had books in their hands while one child had 4 or 5 books with her. The schools that I could see seemed relatively well put together and a descent learning environment from the outside atleast. According to our city tour guide, he is frustrated with the government because of the raise in cost for children to attend school, he said it has gone up close to 100 times what it cost when he went to school. He just thinks the government should be aiding with education more. I also asked about the water rights and where the water came from for all of the sugar cane and my driver said that the city and towns water was different than the water that the sugar plantations use, which was interesting because the area was suffering from a drought I believe, but they had no problem irrigating all the sugar, also it seemed that they must have deforested the area to grow the sugar but I didn’t seem that their was a lot of deforestation going on for sugar expansion. A lot of the towns that we drove threw while approaching the reserve we part of the Zulu nation which is ruled by the King of Zulu who has 28 wives and takes a new one every year, and I guess their was some controversy because the one he took this year was from Mozambique which is very rare, there is also a parade where female virgins march once a year with a reed in the air in hopes of being chosen as the kings next wife. They are inspected to prove their legitimacy. Also in the Zulu nation the king has absolute power and rule and they are separated from the South African government but not, they said if the king wanted someone killed he could order him killed and expect it done, and that what he says goes even if it contradicts South African law, which I support it helps their culture and community strive just as long as the king doesn’t use his power and take advantage of it. As soon as we entered the reserve we saw two rhinos off in the distance. And it was a good start to three days of bushness. We spent about 2 hrs on a sort of game drive on our way to camp. We saw the rhinos, zebras, giraffe, kulu, wilderbeast, water buffalo, impala, nyala, etc. We finally got to camp after two hours of so and it was almost close to sunset. It was really hot today. We got their figured out sleeping arrangements each tent slept 8 people, and apparently their were not enough beds for all of us in the regular tents, so 4 of us had to sleep in mama cooks tent. Which was fine, I guess a lot of people were freaking out due to ants in their tents, have they never seen ants before, they weren’t even biting kind, So then we had dinner, prepare by momma cook, our guide looks like a hyena meets the croc hunter and he likes to give nicknames to everyone so we called him stinger derived from sting ray. It was appropriate I guess no one has given him a nickname before, he has done safaris with jlo and Stephen Spielberg. It was a beautiful night and a full moon, so it was a nice night sky the moon hindered start gazing but it was still awesome chillin by the fire and being out of the city. Crashed early since I didn’t get any sleep the nite before and we had a long day of it shall we say, and because we were getting up at 5 am for a game drive. In the morning we were woken up to rain about 430 not in the tent and since rain is so rare this time of year I guess the first rain in 3 months or something like that, so we put the game drive off cause the animals would all be in hiding anyways until about 7 or so the rain ended about 530 or so, definitely didn’t have a problem going back to sleep. Got up for breakfast after the rain, had some cereal and coffee and some other things. Headed out for our game drive new sightings were a leopard spotted tortoise, and a whole heard of water buffalo staring us down from the side of the road, as well as a massive heard of wilder beast. It was a typical game drive, didn’t see too much because they were all still hiding cause it was cool, and they were drinking water from the rain that remained on leaves of bushes and trees. Then we headed back to Sontuli Camp for a talk from some Zulu guy cant recall his name but he works with the tracking of wild dogs and he told us about how they were close to extinction and are still endangered I believe. We learned about their hunting strategies, and he goes into the communities surrounding the reserve to educate them and let them know that they should not fear them, the reserve is fenced with an electric fence but occasionally it goes down for often than they would like because of poachers. He also talked about how quick they can travel and it gets challenging to track them and know where they are at times. It started to drizzle alittle again so we went under this tent that was set up but the rain came threw the sides, whatever doesn’t matter we are in the bush nothing really matters, and apparently last night someone left the tap on after showering or something and we lost 5000 liters of water. One why was someone showering we are camping on a safari in the bush, there is no need to be clean, and two that’s a lot of water, and so we didn’t have any running water for the day cause they had to pump more, not that it affected me at all. One quote was “I cant sleep unless I shower” ya then why would you sign up to spend three days in a tent. Anyways then we had something crazy for lunch that mama cook whipped up, they describe then we eat it and I am never sure if it is really what they say it is but I go with it. As long as it fills me up. It was nice I made a friend who is a zoology major so they were able to inform me with all kinds of crazy facts about animals. We then had naptime after lunch and the wild dog talk, but for some reason I didn’t nap I figured no need for napping im only in the bush for 3 days. So we chilled on the deck where we ate dinner and such, and looked for animals roaming down to the stream no action really minus an impala and a wilder beast of water buffalo we couldn’t tell they were too far away. Then around 6 oclock we went on a bush walk, which was about a kilometer to “pride rock” and we spent an hour their asking any questions that we wanted, Samaro talked about the Zulu then Stinger talked, about how the cheetah, leopards, and lions hunt, as well as the hyenas and we saw some hyena droppings, which are very white from all the calcium they have in their diet because they eat bones so much cause they are scavengers. After our bush talk and time on pride rock we returned to camp and mama cook had dinner ready. While eating dinner we had a hyena come within about 2 meters of the deck where we were eating, it scampered off quickly. Then after dinner we chilled for a little while and waited for our open-air night drive safari vehicles to arrive. We got the sickest tour guide Dunkin made Crocodile Dundee look like an amateur. First we head off see some awesome game, then about10 min in there is this 3 meter python slithering across the road and we figure we would just slow down to see it, but Dunkin gets out picks it up and brings it over to hang out in our vehicle for a little, apparently African Rat Pythons are not venomous and so after we played with it he set it down then another vehicle pulls up behind us and he picks it back up and that is when the python was not having it and it strikes him in the neck. Super sick and he just brushes it off like it was a mosquito bite that’s what described it as at least. Then we proceeded with our game drive. Then about five minutes later we ran into a hyena off to our left that was knowing down on a rib cage and spine of something undetermined, and for about 15 minutes this hyena just chilled eating their dinner and they could have cared less that we were staring at them. Got some great footage, then we headed on Jason had the spot light on our side and we were spotting things up a storm. We saw a white tailed mongoose and a lesser spotted jetty and tons of NAFI (not another fricken impala) wilder beasts and all the other animlas, still no elephants, lions, cheetahs, or leopards. We thought we saw a few all the time but our sightings never amounted to anything. It was almost easier to spot things at night because their eyes reflected from the spot light but we had a hard time identifying what they were but Dunkin had no problem, we would just be spotting something and we would have seen it and known what it was by the time we told him where it was. And the information that he spewed to us was kinda overwhelming just tons and tons of information, about hunting and all kinds of stuff. So the night drive was a success lots of fun some new animal sightings. Once we were back at camp we got a fire going and Dunkin told us stories of how animals hunt and the way they all help each other out or signal each other to warn each other. We got up at 5 today to head out on our game drive on our way out of Sontuli on our way to the airport. It sucks that we have to leave, I was just settling in, and getting to know most of the SASers on the trip with me. Our trip leader was starting to get a little overbearing. So we did a two hour game drive on the way out of the reserve. We saw giraffes up close and personal within minutes of leaving camp, and we saw all kinds of the same animals, and we got to see three rhinos just chillin right next to the road, and they hung their for about 10 minutes, it was insane one of their horns had to be atleast three or four feet long. That could really do some damage in a fight. Then we departed the reserve and made our way past the miles and miles of sugar cane back to the Durban airport. Caught or flight back to cape town. Then took the bus back to the MV. Once back on the ship me Jason chris kyle paul anna, and some other girl left to go hike table mountain. We got their a little after 530 or so, within 15 minutes the girl whose name I don’t know decided to turn around, then about another 30 minutes of rock climbing up these faces paul decided that this wasn’t safe and that he should turn around, it was definitely safe, so anna turned back with him so that he didn’t have to go alone. So it is now down to me kyle chris and Jason, and we rock climbed up the face for another hour until we where almost to the top but the sun was setting and we decided to stop and watch the sun set, and we had to hike back down anyways cause the cable car wasn’t open that day due to rain. So we stopped and watched the sun set over the ocean while the table cloth was falling over our heads, the table cloth is what they call the clouds that sit on top of table mountain. So once the sun set we set off on our trek back down the rock faces of table mountain. We ran into some gofers that smiled at Jason and he thought that were going to attack I thought that they were hilarious, I am not sure if they were even real gofers not even sure what those look like but hey sounds good, I called them badgers but I don’t know what those look like either. So we are now on our way down the rock cliffs, which are much easier to go down than they were up, but about 30 minutes after we left the sunset spot its definitely dark now, I mean we can see enough and we weren’t really worried cause we had light from the city as well as the fact that the full moon would rise in a few hours if we really got stuck, so we are making our way down and loose our trail, I told my story of almost dieing in Kilauea ike, after getting lost, so we were cautious and we all were ok with being lost so we just went down, we could see where we were going we just had to get their. So an hour later we are stuck, we are so close but we are now at a cliff face that we cant go down, and so we sat their for about 15 minutes contemplating what to do and we decided that the best idea was to head back up and look for the trail, we knew where it generally was and where we were we could see this tree and we knew we weren’t supposed to be by this tree so we headed back up. About 20 minutes of climbing back up and we found our trail and flew on down since we could tell where we were going. So we made it down in no time now, but we had one problem it was about 930 or so and their was no form of transportation to get back so we saw one of the workers leaving and caught a ride in the back of his truck back to the ship, I have to say climbing table mountain has been the best time so far, I mean all are awesome, but we were extremely entertaining. Was exhausted after the hike went out for about 30 minutes after getting back to the ship and rinsing off four days of dirt, and then went to bed to rest up for my 7 am wake up for robben island. The trip to robben island was interesting. We had a tour guide I wrote a whole paper on it. Our guide was a political prisoner who was in there from 86 to 90. Then after robben island I did some town cruising and mailed some things and did errands, which I never have, then lost my sunglasses somehow during our last hour in capetown, so all I can say is someone is pimped out thanks to my stupidity. A loss for me one great step for mankind. So then we got on the ship but we didn’t depart until 630 at night on the 9th. Cause we bunkered and we couldn’t get to the bunker when we were supposed to because of high winds so we were delayed but it doesn’t effect our arrival in port Louis cause we will just make up time at sea.
March 9, 10, 11, 12, 2007
So we have officially departed cape town, and we are staying along the coast and we are actually still on the coast and it is now the 11th. We were staying about a mile offshore cause of rough seas, and weather conditions, so its kinda cool getting to see the entire coast line of south Africa. Had a descent birthday slept in till 130 in the afternoon, then got up and chilled by the pool for a little before studying for the two tests I have the next the twelth. Had a family dinner, it was good, they didn’t know it was my birthday but that’s alright. Didn’t want to say anything cause that would only get awkward. Continued studying on the 11th, then took the two tests which actually went alright, glad to just get them over with, one was in world history 1400-1914 and we have covered that entire time period already, and the second was in global environmental politics, which only took about 25 min glad it was short just hope I did alright. Then after that went and attempted to study for my global test which was the next day but not much studying actually happened. Just was glad to be done with the previous tests and gave the brain a little break after not much sleep while in south Africa and then not much sleep recently preparing for the tests.
March 13, 2007
Took the global test this morning, got an 86 before the curve not really sure how that worked out considering I studied for about 18 minutes. Just glad it went well a lot of the question were bogus, but I did master the map question you ask my where any country in Africa is and I have got it mastered. We had cultural preport tonight cant wait to get to port louis I think my plans are too go find a village somewhere in the mountains and hang out their for a few days, everyone is planning on going to the beach, so it might be a SAS free excursion. We had a birthday dinner tonight, for me, mike (roommate), allie, mary, and Lindsey. We all have birthday mines being the first and lindseys the last on the 20th so we figured a cake and celebration was in order. I even got pimped out in my white coat for dinner.
Struggled getting out of bed for global this morning we should get a day of rest after each country to physically and mentally prepare for 9 straight days of classes. In global today though the professor who is some how my extended family explained his comment about how blacks are the reason the US doesn’t have the highest HDI in the world, it sort of makes sense but they comment was definitely wrongly phrased. The courses this time also just have so much tension in them, which I feel is unnecessary in my Politics and Memory course we were talking about religion in brazil currently and about how the African descendants are so proud that they have held on to it, and people started just arguing there is a girl in the class who grew up in Ethiopia and she kept on referring to Africa as if it were a country and everyone residing in Africa was the same, And she went off on a bunch of other tangents also, then this other guy informed her that their were about 53 countries in African and we should acknowledge that and I thought that was a great point, then the tension sort of simmered down but this girl is also in my Global Environmental Politics course she’s just too much of a handful. Then in my other class Development Local to Global Perspectives we are talking about these tribes in Africa and other things, and one kid commented about how he feels most peoples lives in the states have no meaning and what is the need for extreme wealth and he covered a bunch of other points, then this other kid I call Bono threw back at him that these tribes are considered to have a low quality of life and they are so uncivilized which well both of them have different points of view but I just don’t understand that if these people are happy why we feel we have to attempt to change their life and make it “better” or to our standards. Mexicans and Nigerians are the happiest people in the world so shouldn’t we be learning from them. Anyways, it just interesting watching people speak in class about these issues and the people that do speak more than others speak as if they should be professing that class and occasionally cut off the professor, just interesting, in business classes these things don’t happen, we just fight to stay awake and leave classing completely confused. The stupid evening announcements came on and we have to advance our clocks an hour tonight and the next three nights, not alright with me I would so much rather do three hours one night and be in pain for one day instead of three.
Feb 23, 2007,
Struggled threw classes, was late for global cause I forgot to advance my clock but went to bed at 2000 hrs last night so I was up earlier than usual so I wasn’t very late only 15 minutes and when your grandfather is the professor I can get away with more. Classes weren’t too bad today no tension being flown across the room, just they all seem the same with a little different flare. Had another nice day by the pool for a while, figured out the whole shipboard account ordeal, just wish the lady could have had her story straight both times so that I wouldn’t have been so confused and thinking other things etc. oh communication issues. Then went to my family dinner, which I have five sisters, which is kinda interesting, and they seem pretty cool I tried not to thing about Dan Christies monotoneness, but he and his wife seem nice, and it should be alright. They are retired now, they have six kids well he does she is his second wife, this is his sixth voyage, and he as four adopted children and two natural, he does things in six’s apparently. One of my sisters knows brad fyffe just a side note.
Feb 24, 2007
I believe it was around 0800 hrs this morning they crew went threw the hallways banging down doors and drumming which kinda woke me up, but I just rolled over, then slept in till about 1000 hrs, didn’t get the fish guts poured on me and kiss the fish and or the captains ring and the captain was dressed in green, I meant too but didn’t, and I didn’t shave my head either, their were so many girls that shaved their heads or rocked the hawk, some look good some don’t, its kinda entertaining, I give them credit, I did get some good footage though, Did get to watch a lot of head shavings though, and a lot of it got donated to locks of love, and then just enjoyed our day off chillin by the pool relaxing to carnaval music still and some 80s jams, then tonight we had a BBQ which was amzing, burgers, and hot dogs, and ribs, and jello, and ice cream, and all things great for you basically. Then their was a pub night tonight but their was a weak turnout so I bailed early to read an atlas, and do some research on the phillipines, and apparently they aren’t pub nights anymore but after-hours everynight, I don’t know, I cant keep up with the changing of names and shenanigans, and then some people wanted to know why I was researching the Philippines and I told them about my surf resort and they made fun and asked me all these questions so I said nope your not invited anymore.
Feb 25, 2007
Another day of classes I wish they would just get more exciting the only professor who is a good public speaker is my global environmental politics class and it is really interesting. I mean they are all good just get slow when you have nine days of straight classes. Then a week to Mauritius then another week to India, then it speeds up thankfully then its bam bam bam until Japan then the journey home. I am working on my Field Journal for my world history 1400-1914 course, which is interesting which I guess would be the appropriate term, and in brazil they gave us these wish things or something like that and you cant take them off you have to wait for them to fall off and its taking forever apparently it takes up too three years someone said. Off to the journaling.
Feb 26, 27, 28, March 1, 2007
Today we woke up to the speaker blaring about an apartheid that would take place for 24 hrs. So that meant that if you did not shave your head on Neptune day you were not allowed to use public bathrooms, be seen on the seventh deck, eat in the garden lounge dinning room sixth deck, or use the computers in the computer lab, so to stand up for our rights we held a protest at dinner outside the garden lounge protesting our rights, and it got exciting, the archbishop showed up, I mean it wasn’t real they could not discipline us really but It was an interesting exercise. It was frustrating when I had to go to the bathroom during class and I had to go all the way back to my cabin cause I couldn’t use the public restrooms. So it was a fun day I guess. Then finished reading things fall apart by Achebe and wrote my four page on it. That took till 6 am so it was a short nights sleep before global the next day where the archbishop spoke, on all different topics covering South Africa which was really interesting. Then spent the rest of the day recovering from no sleep made it threw my 1045 hrs class where basically ruled the discussion about our book. So it was a good day then took a good ole nap, and went to bed early and we have been advancing the clocks way to much lately it has just been killing my sleep we had to advance that night and then again tonight, and today the archbishop spoke again in class, this time he was being asked questions from a panel who asked questions compiled by the students. It was awesome to hear him speak and see how he felt and looked and such things. Im really excited for south Africa hopefully I get up before we dock, some super high official like the president is apparently doing the diplomatic briefing tomorrow should be exciting.
March 2, 2007
So got up early 6 am that’s early to watch the sunrise over capetown which was awesome as we sailed into port. So the premier of western cape or something like that did the diplomatic briefing and then we were cleared and allowed to disembark around 11 or so, got a group together and headed to long street, we cruised up and down their for a while and at lunch at naked, it was interesting had a wrap of sorts, then we found a antique store with like war items and that sorts of stuff from all over, the owner was super entertaining learned a lot from him actually we were their for two hours or so, we learned lots of history, politics, all kinds of good stuff, he sold the producers of blood diamond a lot of apparel for the film. I purchased a 1930 South African three pents, coin, thingy, it was only 15 rand clint would say it was a good deal. I wanted to buy this shield but it was too expensive and the only thing he had in the store with real blood stains on it was a sword and I cant bring that on the ship so I was bummed out and a lot of the good items were NFS aka not for sale, like the neon orange one piece not sure what army wears that but he said he wears it occasionally, (a lie doubt). Then we hit up a skate shop, where we met some guy who does urban art and Djs, and stuff and gave us the low down of things to do. We were on the hunt for a skateboard which we never found. And conversions are hard cause 7 isnt divisible by much and is just too technical. Then headed back to the ship via the cab, bus, van, whatever they call um, and learned a lot about transportation issues, and parking and such from a guy in the car with us. Basically a very educational day make friends with locals. Had dinner at the ship and relaxed until heading out to long street for some nite life action. Had a late nite bite to eat at Mama Africa, then made our way up too cool runnings, but canceled that due to lines, and then I left those friends to meet up with other friends, that were in fiction, which was awesome, great music awesome people, just extremely hot, and kinda small but awesome, ran into our dj friends from the skate shop earlier, talked to them for a little while, its basically impossible to get away from sasers to we ran into a ton of them. Ended our great night out around 2 to head back to the ship so that we could get an early/descent start to the day tomorrow.
March 3, 2007
Got up around 1030 hrs and just chilled for a little had lunch on the ship, its pouring rain outside, so table mountains, out so we just headed to the waterfront area, and into the mall to find something to do, since maneuvering outside isn’t an option. So we decided to see a movie, and since we are in Africa we decided to watch Blood Diamond since it had relevance to our location. So bought tickets for that but had some time to kill so I headed off to go camera shopping, since Chamando has advanced stages of cancer, I decided to get a new one, but name stays Chamandeux, I guess its French now, so im excited about that, and then just wandered threw shops and just watching people its crazy how their whole lifestyle is left based where ours is right based, their escalators are left, they walk up the stairs on the left, in general they are left. Then met back up with friends to see Blood Diamond, which was super super intense, and extremely action packed it was also cool to observe the reactions by the crowd in the theater about different lines and parts of the movie. Awesome movie though, then we headed outside to the waterfront, and had fish and chips for a lunch dinner meal, then everyone headed back to the ship but I cruised further around the waterfront, over to the other end, made some phone calls, took some pics, oriented myself, just enjoyed wandering aimlessly then made my way back to the ship around 830 or so. Hung out with the roommate for a while and just chilled in the room till about ten then I was going to head to long street and meet up with people but it is still downpouring so I opted out of that the only reason long street was happening tonight was their was a street festival and everything was outside and I really didn’t want to stand out in the rain with a bunch of drunk people, so I went looking for something to do and some how ended back up at the movies it seems when I venture off alone at night I end up at the movies, it was so nice to be on my own not have anyone to worry about just do whatever the hell I want, so I decided on The Last King of Scotland, which I thought Blood Diamond was intense, this was insane, I mean hanging people from the ceiling with hooks, but it was a very well put together film. I knew parts of the history, didn’t know about the book that it was based on, but some how in Africa I ended up watching two movies about Africa, im glad I opted for the movie it was time well spent, where I think I would have been miserable and bored on long st. it was nice to just have a low key night, by myself, I just thought about it and I have been constantly surrounded by people for the last month, none stop, from 800 on the ship to the four million in brazil. Then while walking back to the MV I saw two kids dragging another kid, who was definitely not doing to well. Glad I wasn’t him or his friends that’s for sure. That reminds me apparently yesterday some SASer chick went and drank fish bowls whatever those are with some people and made it back to the ship and up the gangway all those stairs and then passed out at the top and code blued, and had her stomach pumped in an ambulance, sounds like fun huh. So I am really hoping that it clears up tomorrow so much to do but so limited by the rain, cant table mtn. Or lions head cant wait to safari though, we better have good weather for that its fricken summer whats up with the rain . If the weather doesn’t permit other activities I think I am headed for the district six museum, hopefully robben island if its not sold out or delayed due to weather. Just gonna play it all by ear. Really excited about my new camera, its so nice to not get frustrated every time I try to use it. Also cant wait to get my tax refunds on it 14% what are we in Iceland or something. I swear everyday I see new people working on the ship. I am up on the pool deck right now and have never seen these 5 guys cleaning the grill and mopping the deck before. I guess they could be new, off to bed now I know I haven’t been getting enough sleep when my right eye twitches its not very comfortable and or a good sign. So definitely just stabbed my right thumb while trying to open my battery package not with a knife no the stupid sharp plastic broke the flesh and went nicely into the tip of my thumb right above the nail nasty little buggar.
March 4, 2007
So the early start became a medium start cause the weather was till iffy out but we didn’t let it stop us. Went to buy tickets for Robben island it was sold out till Tuesday so we got tickets for Thursday morning at 800 hrs. then came back to the ship met up with mike and mike and went to tourist information to find something to do on a Sunday since most things are closed. The lady their was the most unhelpful person ever, told us there is absolutely nothing to do on Sunday. Helpful. So we decided hell were gong to simons town to see the jackass penguins so we found a guy to give us a ride but he couldn’t so he called his friend to take us so peter waited until joseph showed up, and so joseph ending up being Desmond Tutus personal driver but since he was in Joberg visiting his ill cousin while we are in cape town Joseph had time to drive us, so he treated us well took us to a bunch of cool places on the way to simons town which is about 45 minutes from capetown on the water. So it was an awesome ride. We stopped on the way to see a little fish market and then at a scenic lookout, then we got to simons town, and just cruised threw the national park and saw the jackass penguins, doing all kinds of crazy shenanigans, they really aren’t the friendliest animals, and they have been around for about 6 million years, a little side note I was watching a show on coyotes the other day and apparently after all things have died off coyotes will still be around, so imagine earth with cockroaches, and coyotes, sounds great right. Then we started our migration back to capetown, we had to call peter to tell him that we didn’t need a ride back he was planning on picking us up cause the tourist info lady said that their were no trains but their was a train every hour instead of every half, she was just trying to get our money, so we made the half hour walk to the train station way in the beginning of town, and made friends with this guy from ohio, he told us about the train while we were looking at penguins, he just got done teaching English in china, and so he flew to south Africa has been her for 3 weeks, and then is going to germany after this before he heads back to ohio. He had one of the narliest beards I have seen, he looked like he walked out of the 1930s, it was pretty intense. Oh and on the train it was a nice ride, but it squeeeeeeeeeeeled the entire way back im just glad we made it back, we rode first class which was 12 rand, about $1.25 for an hour and half ride, and it was alright I guess third class is just wooden benches lined against the walls, he it works somewhere to sit right. It wasn’t a very busy train cause its Sunday I suppose. Then once we got back to cape town we headed to the royal sushi restaurant for some awesome sushi had a rainbow roll with all kinds of awesome things for 100 rand, ate enough for a life time too. It was nice having a meal that had some real flavor to it. Its up at 4 am tomorrow to leave for the safari.
March 5, 6, 7, 8, 2007
So it did not have to deal with getting up early this morning for the safari cause I never went to bed I didn’t want to risk missing my safari, so I watched some sand lot and cool runnings once or twice, and then hung out with some people in the computer lab who were doing some drunk emailing, and then we boarded the bus and set off for the airport for our 2 hour flight to Durban. I of course don’t remember the flight to Durban I crashed hard once I sat down on the plane. Once in Durban we went on a little city tour, we learned how kwazulu natal got is name and if you are zulu you just refer to it as kwazulu or land of the zulu and if you are pro government basically you call it kwazulu natal. During the worst city tour ever we went to a parking lot for 20 minutes then they took us too a shopping area with lots of tourist like shops didn’t find really anything I really want an ostrich egg but I have to find the right one. So after the city tour we had to go back to the airport to meet the transportation that was going to take us to the game reserve which is 96,000 hectares and is about a 3 hrs drive from Durban. It was nice we got a good nap in too rest up for the game drives. All the way along the drive to the reserve we passed miles and miles of sugar cane that just was all you could see for miles as well as what looked to be tree farms, of cook pines and iron woods as far as I could tell as well as in towns smaller parcels like a few acres had sugar cane on them I am guessing for personal/town uses. Not sure what they would call them here. Also we passed threw many towns that had lots of speed bumps to slow you down for the school children, I noticed that they were all in the same uniform, and that the majority of them had books in their hands while one child had 4 or 5 books with her. The schools that I could see seemed relatively well put together and a descent learning environment from the outside atleast. According to our city tour guide, he is frustrated with the government because of the raise in cost for children to attend school, he said it has gone up close to 100 times what it cost when he went to school. He just thinks the government should be aiding with education more. I also asked about the water rights and where the water came from for all of the sugar cane and my driver said that the city and towns water was different than the water that the sugar plantations use, which was interesting because the area was suffering from a drought I believe, but they had no problem irrigating all the sugar, also it seemed that they must have deforested the area to grow the sugar but I didn’t seem that their was a lot of deforestation going on for sugar expansion. A lot of the towns that we drove threw while approaching the reserve we part of the Zulu nation which is ruled by the King of Zulu who has 28 wives and takes a new one every year, and I guess their was some controversy because the one he took this year was from Mozambique which is very rare, there is also a parade where female virgins march once a year with a reed in the air in hopes of being chosen as the kings next wife. They are inspected to prove their legitimacy. Also in the Zulu nation the king has absolute power and rule and they are separated from the South African government but not, they said if the king wanted someone killed he could order him killed and expect it done, and that what he says goes even if it contradicts South African law, which I support it helps their culture and community strive just as long as the king doesn’t use his power and take advantage of it. As soon as we entered the reserve we saw two rhinos off in the distance. And it was a good start to three days of bushness. We spent about 2 hrs on a sort of game drive on our way to camp. We saw the rhinos, zebras, giraffe, kulu, wilderbeast, water buffalo, impala, nyala, etc. We finally got to camp after two hours of so and it was almost close to sunset. It was really hot today. We got their figured out sleeping arrangements each tent slept 8 people, and apparently their were not enough beds for all of us in the regular tents, so 4 of us had to sleep in mama cooks tent. Which was fine, I guess a lot of people were freaking out due to ants in their tents, have they never seen ants before, they weren’t even biting kind, So then we had dinner, prepare by momma cook, our guide looks like a hyena meets the croc hunter and he likes to give nicknames to everyone so we called him stinger derived from sting ray. It was appropriate I guess no one has given him a nickname before, he has done safaris with jlo and Stephen Spielberg. It was a beautiful night and a full moon, so it was a nice night sky the moon hindered start gazing but it was still awesome chillin by the fire and being out of the city. Crashed early since I didn’t get any sleep the nite before and we had a long day of it shall we say, and because we were getting up at 5 am for a game drive. In the morning we were woken up to rain about 430 not in the tent and since rain is so rare this time of year I guess the first rain in 3 months or something like that, so we put the game drive off cause the animals would all be in hiding anyways until about 7 or so the rain ended about 530 or so, definitely didn’t have a problem going back to sleep. Got up for breakfast after the rain, had some cereal and coffee and some other things. Headed out for our game drive new sightings were a leopard spotted tortoise, and a whole heard of water buffalo staring us down from the side of the road, as well as a massive heard of wilder beast. It was a typical game drive, didn’t see too much because they were all still hiding cause it was cool, and they were drinking water from the rain that remained on leaves of bushes and trees. Then we headed back to Sontuli Camp for a talk from some Zulu guy cant recall his name but he works with the tracking of wild dogs and he told us about how they were close to extinction and are still endangered I believe. We learned about their hunting strategies, and he goes into the communities surrounding the reserve to educate them and let them know that they should not fear them, the reserve is fenced with an electric fence but occasionally it goes down for often than they would like because of poachers. He also talked about how quick they can travel and it gets challenging to track them and know where they are at times. It started to drizzle alittle again so we went under this tent that was set up but the rain came threw the sides, whatever doesn’t matter we are in the bush nothing really matters, and apparently last night someone left the tap on after showering or something and we lost 5000 liters of water. One why was someone showering we are camping on a safari in the bush, there is no need to be clean, and two that’s a lot of water, and so we didn’t have any running water for the day cause they had to pump more, not that it affected me at all. One quote was “I cant sleep unless I shower” ya then why would you sign up to spend three days in a tent. Anyways then we had something crazy for lunch that mama cook whipped up, they describe then we eat it and I am never sure if it is really what they say it is but I go with it. As long as it fills me up. It was nice I made a friend who is a zoology major so they were able to inform me with all kinds of crazy facts about animals. We then had naptime after lunch and the wild dog talk, but for some reason I didn’t nap I figured no need for napping im only in the bush for 3 days. So we chilled on the deck where we ate dinner and such, and looked for animals roaming down to the stream no action really minus an impala and a wilder beast of water buffalo we couldn’t tell they were too far away. Then around 6 oclock we went on a bush walk, which was about a kilometer to “pride rock” and we spent an hour their asking any questions that we wanted, Samaro talked about the Zulu then Stinger talked, about how the cheetah, leopards, and lions hunt, as well as the hyenas and we saw some hyena droppings, which are very white from all the calcium they have in their diet because they eat bones so much cause they are scavengers. After our bush talk and time on pride rock we returned to camp and mama cook had dinner ready. While eating dinner we had a hyena come within about 2 meters of the deck where we were eating, it scampered off quickly. Then after dinner we chilled for a little while and waited for our open-air night drive safari vehicles to arrive. We got the sickest tour guide Dunkin made Crocodile Dundee look like an amateur. First we head off see some awesome game, then about10 min in there is this 3 meter python slithering across the road and we figure we would just slow down to see it, but Dunkin gets out picks it up and brings it over to hang out in our vehicle for a little, apparently African Rat Pythons are not venomous and so after we played with it he set it down then another vehicle pulls up behind us and he picks it back up and that is when the python was not having it and it strikes him in the neck. Super sick and he just brushes it off like it was a mosquito bite that’s what described it as at least. Then we proceeded with our game drive. Then about five minutes later we ran into a hyena off to our left that was knowing down on a rib cage and spine of something undetermined, and for about 15 minutes this hyena just chilled eating their dinner and they could have cared less that we were staring at them. Got some great footage, then we headed on Jason had the spot light on our side and we were spotting things up a storm. We saw a white tailed mongoose and a lesser spotted jetty and tons of NAFI (not another fricken impala) wilder beasts and all the other animlas, still no elephants, lions, cheetahs, or leopards. We thought we saw a few all the time but our sightings never amounted to anything. It was almost easier to spot things at night because their eyes reflected from the spot light but we had a hard time identifying what they were but Dunkin had no problem, we would just be spotting something and we would have seen it and known what it was by the time we told him where it was. And the information that he spewed to us was kinda overwhelming just tons and tons of information, about hunting and all kinds of stuff. So the night drive was a success lots of fun some new animal sightings. Once we were back at camp we got a fire going and Dunkin told us stories of how animals hunt and the way they all help each other out or signal each other to warn each other. We got up at 5 today to head out on our game drive on our way out of Sontuli on our way to the airport. It sucks that we have to leave, I was just settling in, and getting to know most of the SASers on the trip with me. Our trip leader was starting to get a little overbearing. So we did a two hour game drive on the way out of the reserve. We saw giraffes up close and personal within minutes of leaving camp, and we saw all kinds of the same animals, and we got to see three rhinos just chillin right next to the road, and they hung their for about 10 minutes, it was insane one of their horns had to be atleast three or four feet long. That could really do some damage in a fight. Then we departed the reserve and made our way past the miles and miles of sugar cane back to the Durban airport. Caught or flight back to cape town. Then took the bus back to the MV. Once back on the ship me Jason chris kyle paul anna, and some other girl left to go hike table mountain. We got their a little after 530 or so, within 15 minutes the girl whose name I don’t know decided to turn around, then about another 30 minutes of rock climbing up these faces paul decided that this wasn’t safe and that he should turn around, it was definitely safe, so anna turned back with him so that he didn’t have to go alone. So it is now down to me kyle chris and Jason, and we rock climbed up the face for another hour until we where almost to the top but the sun was setting and we decided to stop and watch the sun set, and we had to hike back down anyways cause the cable car wasn’t open that day due to rain. So we stopped and watched the sun set over the ocean while the table cloth was falling over our heads, the table cloth is what they call the clouds that sit on top of table mountain. So once the sun set we set off on our trek back down the rock faces of table mountain. We ran into some gofers that smiled at Jason and he thought that were going to attack I thought that they were hilarious, I am not sure if they were even real gofers not even sure what those look like but hey sounds good, I called them badgers but I don’t know what those look like either. So we are now on our way down the rock cliffs, which are much easier to go down than they were up, but about 30 minutes after we left the sunset spot its definitely dark now, I mean we can see enough and we weren’t really worried cause we had light from the city as well as the fact that the full moon would rise in a few hours if we really got stuck, so we are making our way down and loose our trail, I told my story of almost dieing in Kilauea ike, after getting lost, so we were cautious and we all were ok with being lost so we just went down, we could see where we were going we just had to get their. So an hour later we are stuck, we are so close but we are now at a cliff face that we cant go down, and so we sat their for about 15 minutes contemplating what to do and we decided that the best idea was to head back up and look for the trail, we knew where it generally was and where we were we could see this tree and we knew we weren’t supposed to be by this tree so we headed back up. About 20 minutes of climbing back up and we found our trail and flew on down since we could tell where we were going. So we made it down in no time now, but we had one problem it was about 930 or so and their was no form of transportation to get back so we saw one of the workers leaving and caught a ride in the back of his truck back to the ship, I have to say climbing table mountain has been the best time so far, I mean all are awesome, but we were extremely entertaining. Was exhausted after the hike went out for about 30 minutes after getting back to the ship and rinsing off four days of dirt, and then went to bed to rest up for my 7 am wake up for robben island. The trip to robben island was interesting. We had a tour guide I wrote a whole paper on it. Our guide was a political prisoner who was in there from 86 to 90. Then after robben island I did some town cruising and mailed some things and did errands, which I never have, then lost my sunglasses somehow during our last hour in capetown, so all I can say is someone is pimped out thanks to my stupidity. A loss for me one great step for mankind. So then we got on the ship but we didn’t depart until 630 at night on the 9th. Cause we bunkered and we couldn’t get to the bunker when we were supposed to because of high winds so we were delayed but it doesn’t effect our arrival in port Louis cause we will just make up time at sea.
March 9, 10, 11, 12, 2007
So we have officially departed cape town, and we are staying along the coast and we are actually still on the coast and it is now the 11th. We were staying about a mile offshore cause of rough seas, and weather conditions, so its kinda cool getting to see the entire coast line of south Africa. Had a descent birthday slept in till 130 in the afternoon, then got up and chilled by the pool for a little before studying for the two tests I have the next the twelth. Had a family dinner, it was good, they didn’t know it was my birthday but that’s alright. Didn’t want to say anything cause that would only get awkward. Continued studying on the 11th, then took the two tests which actually went alright, glad to just get them over with, one was in world history 1400-1914 and we have covered that entire time period already, and the second was in global environmental politics, which only took about 25 min glad it was short just hope I did alright. Then after that went and attempted to study for my global test which was the next day but not much studying actually happened. Just was glad to be done with the previous tests and gave the brain a little break after not much sleep while in south Africa and then not much sleep recently preparing for the tests.
March 13, 2007
Took the global test this morning, got an 86 before the curve not really sure how that worked out considering I studied for about 18 minutes. Just glad it went well a lot of the question were bogus, but I did master the map question you ask my where any country in Africa is and I have got it mastered. We had cultural preport tonight cant wait to get to port louis I think my plans are too go find a village somewhere in the mountains and hang out their for a few days, everyone is planning on going to the beach, so it might be a SAS free excursion. We had a birthday dinner tonight, for me, mike (roommate), allie, mary, and Lindsey. We all have birthday mines being the first and lindseys the last on the 20th so we figured a cake and celebration was in order. I even got pimped out in my white coat for dinner.
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