India...the noise, noise, noise

Shared Journal Entry:

October 18, 2005
A Grand Tour

First to answer some questions left by our sole writer and poet, Cherylie Girlie!!! We were not able to sign up for an event in the Olympics along with thirty others in our sea, as there were more students than event participant slots available. That is the fundamental reason we chose to judge the Academic Bee, as we had greatly wanted to be a part of the experience. We also served as contributors to the Scavenger Hunt, though not the official team. We even had a couple of items on the list, including a flashlight. And to justify our feelings we found out that indeed our Synchronized Swimming wrecked our gray day luck with ninth place!! Wow. Oh well!! It was a beary good day! And after looking at a map for Global Studies while reading about the Pacific Rim we spotted the Bering Sea, which will forever have a place in our hearts! There are so many other seas on the map that we wondered why the adult passengers and faculty choose the Vitamin Sea. One idea we came up with was the Tasman Sea. A good idea we thought, with the mascot Tasmanian Devils, of course!! Oh well, I guess we are just too brilliant!!! The dessert bar was a nice display of cakes and fruit, and the veggie sculptures that are so typical of these sort of attractions. We had some angel food cake and something chocolate, cake or brownie, we are not sure. Lastly, the mashed potato sculpture was of the MV Explorer, and the variety that each team accomplished was incredible. Who knew that mashed potatoes made such an excellent artistic medium?

Now, on to even more exciting events and happenings! Halloween is just around the corner and with a surplus of jolly ranchers still left we have decided a little trick or treating is in order. We initially turned some in for collection in South Africa, and have loads remaining. Why not hand a little out? So we signed up to do trick-or-treating and will get a pumpkin on our door to symbolize our status. As we have been enjoying them, hehe, we will most likely pick our two favorite flavors out of the batch, the blue and watermelon, to save for ourselves. There is also a costume contest and we have been debating whether to enter. We took a little inspiration from our dad, probably the first and last time this will ever happen (just kidding), and have been thinking about being seasick! Sound familiar? Cracker packs and such we will have to get from the dining hall, but let us know what you think, we can use green eye shadow to make our faces green. They are also going to be sending out Boo Grams and having some Halloween inspired movies, community college sessions, decorations, and carvings.

Today we had a bridge tour!!! It’s about time, we know. It is the last bridge tour on this voyage and we signed up about a week ago. Only fifteen at a time are given permission to see the ships bridge. We sat in the two main chairs with the captain’s hats on our heads for a picture that is just perfect. We even took the binoculars to go all out and act like buccaneers of the Indian Ocean. Having the opportunity to explore the bridge and hear about the inner workers of this giant ship that is the fastest passenger vessel in the world is essential, we think. There were so many panels of the ships interior with small lights, and we even saw the black box. Another item of interest was the cubbyholes for the world flags that we hang from the fore of the ship before arriving in port. There was no Kenya, so we joked that they never intended on stopping there at all because they lost the flag.

The crew has been very very active, as they have applied cleanliness to a whole new level. White plastic runners that span the width of the hallways have been spread from one end of the ship to the other on decks five and six. This is to keep the ship as clean as possible while in India and we suppose that it must be very dirty in the port terminal and outside Chennai as we have never witnessed such an occurrence. It makes us a little more nervous about what is waiting for us tomorrow.

The Internet is still free, and though you may think that this is excellent and an opportunity not to miss, you are strongly mistaken. We cannot wait for everything to return to normal. Last night it took ninety minutes to post our blog, a task that usually takes no more than four.

We have started to pack for our three-day trip to Delhi, Agra, and the Taj Mahal on Thursday the twentieth of October. As leather is not permitted in any of the temples and is considered to be very offensive in regard to the revered status cows are attributed in Hindu society, we have each purchased a small travel bag to wear over our shoulder and across our chest to replace our backpacks on this trip, which will enable us to both take a carryon bag. The bags are very sturdy, the seams reinforced with rain resistant material, dad should be proud, and plenty of room for a camera, water bottle, snacks, shrug, scarf, and many other small essentials.

Tomorrow we hope to go to the market and purchase tunics, skirts, tea, and SHOES, SHOES, SHOES!! On other note, we started our anti-malarial medication yesterday and everything seems to be just fine. No strange side effects or anything else.

We were reading the Deans’ Memo at dinner and about choked on our food when we saw this:

Attention SeaTV viewers: For those of you who didn’t catch it, there will be a repeat of the Twins Segment tonight from 1700-2000 on Channel 4. Tune in for a sneak peek into the lives of the “Doublemint Twins!”

In closing, today is the fifty-fifty mark as we have come to the midpoint of this voyage. It is also our fifth port tomorrow, India. To celebrate we purchased popcorn from the snack bar and watched Sleepless in Seattle on the television. Good night.

Excerpt from Heather’s Journal:

October 19, 2005
India

I really did not want to go to India, and after today I wish we were leaving tomorrow. We have learned that India is the largest democracy in the world; in my opinion the largest unequal democracy in the world. A democracy that allows its citizens to live the way they do is no democracy. Overall, today was pretty frustrating. The port is not a passenger terminal because India does not get cruise ships; wouldn’t that be a laugh. It is commercialized and dirty, dirty, dirty.

We decided to rent a rickshaw to do some shopping, namely at a place Professor Kirker recommended called Alsa Mall for handicrafts and Indian clothes. We agreed upon fifty rupees for the ride, a one-hour period to shop and then a return to the ship. After about twenty minutes, we arrived at the so-called Alsa Mall, but not Alsa Mall, just a high-end souvenir shop. “Alsa Mall, next, okay,” we tell the driver very firmly. Well obviously not firm enough because we arrive at another Alsa Mall imposter, though it is a very nice store that we make our first purchase of the trip.

Stepping back into the very intense sun from the coolness of the shop, we are greeted with a snack charmer. I know, how cliché. He invites us to watch the performance, which we decline, though are practically forced into anyway. It was quite interesting to say the least, especially because I sat only feet away from a real cobra, but afterwards he demanded eight hundred rupees, or about eighteen dollars. I don’t think so. So we hand him a couple of ones and are back on the road to Alsa Mall.

Not again, you guessed it. Not Alsa Mall, but a silk sari store. Where are the cute tunics, skirts, and flip-flops. Words of advice, beaded shoes and tunics were a very hot item over the summer in America. If you really want one, go and buy one now because we will most likely not be buying any. It makes me a little upset that I did not buy tunics in some of the other ports, namely Brazil and Mauritius, though we did buy everyone a very very, oh what the heck, very nice gift today. Sorry, no hints.

After the sari factory we went to the market, but no luck there and still no Alsa Mall. So we headed back to the ship, feeling very dirty, sweaty, hot, and overwhelmed. The rickshaw was very fast, swerving between the traffic to the point that I thought we would be squeezed between two cars like the icing on an Oreo cookie.

On the way back we saw the statue of Gandhi and the beach, which are driver took us to, though we wanted to go straight back to the ship. Finally we returned. I have always wondered about the people on the Amazing Race and why they are always arguing with the taxi, or rickshaw, driver, and now I know why. They tell you one thing, don’t take you to where you want, and then demand something exorbitant when you return. In our case, one thousand five hundred rupees, or about twenty-five dollars. But he never took us to Alsa Mall, wasting his own time, and then pretending that we owe him so much more. We ended up giving him one thousand, only because it becomes so frustrating dealing with these people.

“Die, die,” said our driver, pointing to a car draped in green, pink, and yellow garlands, following a procession of people walking in bare feet. You can see a head in the back of the truck, our diver laying his head to the side as if sleeping, “die.” Cows walk on the street and everywhere there is trash.

Tomorrow we are going on the Delhi, Agra, and Taj Mahal trip and have a four o’clock departure in the morning. Yawn. We are mostly packed, so stay tuned as we will return Saturday the 22nd in the evening and will most likely return to our regular posting on Sunday.

Excerpt from Megan’s Journal:

October 19, 2005
The noise, noise, noise

Breakfast in the dining hall was loud as we pulled into Madras Harbor, five locals in the warehouse pier playing music. After eating we joined the long procession to exchange currency, in which we never seem to change enough and have to charge something during the portion of the day. An hour and a half later we were up to the front of the counter, headaches and all. Two hundred dollars became eight thousand rupees in a matter of minutes and we were off into Chennai.

A dirty rickshaw, whose driver agreed on fifty rupees for the fare, took us into the city, though we never truly reached Alsa Mall where we would shop for local crafts and fabrics. We stopped at several nice stores and a craft market, horrible smells and equally unpleasant sights were everywhere – people lying on the sidewalks covered in filth, the honking of horns that never ceased, the smell of decay and rot prevalent far and wide. Never have I felt so uncomfortable and unclean in my life. While the peculiar vehicle swerved this way and that, as if the middle line designating sides was irrelevant, we braced for dear life, laughing occasionally as the wind whipped through the openings in the side.

No shoes, no shoes, no shoes!! Should I say it again, no shoes!! What happened to all of the cheap beaded shoes we heard about and where have they gone? While this was our only shopping day we did make several purchases, and perhaps the nicest gifts for some people on the entire voyage. Shhh! We also bought tea, tea, tea, and tea. Of course!!

About three and a half hours later the same driver, who had been with us all day returned us to the warehouse pier, asking for fifteen hundred rupees!! WHAT! We disputed in a rather bartering style and as we knew he had driven and waited for us everywhere for agreed someone hesitantly on one thousand, which is about twenty-five dollars. While we are a little disappointed in the expenditure, we are affected by the poverty here and will have to get over being fleeced for a couple more dollars.

Once back on board we showered!! Yes, it is that smelly and disgusting, car fumes mixed with cow manure makes really putrid odors. For now, I am reserved as to the remainder of the stay. Hopefully the Taj Mahal will be worth a plane, a train, and three days. Plus a wakeup tomorrow of three o’clock in the morning to leave around four fifteen for the airport.

After posting it is off to dinner, last minute packing essentials and sleep. I miss everyone at home, especially now with so much nauseating degrees of hardship and destitution. I am exhausted with a headache that seems like it will never recede. Over the next three days there will be no posts, perhaps a short one on October 23, 2005. Signing off…