Port #9: Japan
(Yokohama, Tokyo, and Kobe)
November 20-24
Day One: The ship docked in Yokohama and as soon as we were allowed off, a large group headed to the train station and we made our way to Tokyo for the first three nights. After a little confusion because of the crazy train maps, we finally made it. Due to our procrastination, just about every hotel in the area was booked… so I had my first hostel experience. To make things even more interesting, it was a capsule hostel. Google it “capsule hotels in Japan”… you’ll probably get a good laugh out of our sleeping conditions. The hostel that we stayed at was rented out almost entirely by Semester at Sea students, so it was a lot of fun to be there. Chaotic, but fun. By the time we reached Tokyo it was starting to get dark, so we just changed and walked around the city. The specific district of Tokyo that we stayed in was called Shibuya. It was a very cool area, and thank goodness for the Starbucks right around the corner of our hostel. We asked around and talked to some of the locals (the few who understood us) and were able to find a pretty good sushi restaurant for dinner. After that we went out for the night, and it was pretty amazing to see the crowds of people who are constantly walking around Japan. There was literally never a dull moment.
Day Two: I woke up at a decent hour and took a subway with a few girls into the Harajuku district. It’s known for its shopping and the crazy fashion that most of the Japanese women wear there. They also have street performers that kind of give it a “Venice beach” vibe. I really loved this particular area of Tokyo, it was very unique and fun to be in. I managed to find a few things that I really liked and then of course we headed to another sushi restaurant. We kept hearing that the sushi would be very different in Japan, but I didn’t find it to be that way. The only difference was probably that they had very simple rolls, not the crazy kind we have at some restaurants with all these weird sauces and whatnot. Still, it was really good. After getting lost on the wrong subway a couple time, we made it back to Shibuya where we met up with the rest of our friends. We went to a Karaoke bar for the night where I dazzled everyone with my brilliant singing. Okay, I just lied to you. But... I did sing, and it was a horrid attempt at Journey… but we had a good time.
Day Three: We spent our last full day in Tokyo doing a little sightseeing. I went to the top of the Tokyo Tower where we had a really cool view of the entire city. Then we went to a popular park/garden in the downtown area. It was pretty, and this is the first country where we have felt “fall” weather, so it was nice to see leaves changing color again. Then we went to another area called Yoyogi where they have a market, but it looked more like a giant garage sale to me. All sorts of used clothing and stuff like that were being sold there. It was interesting to walk around and see all the different things that people were trying to sell. The market was close to the Harajuku area that we were in on the previous day, so we decided to go back for some more sushi… and yes, we went to the exact same restaurant because it was so good ha. (Plus we had a discount card, so ya know, that always helps.) We made another run to Starbucks and then went back to the hostel to get ready for our last night in Tokyo. There was a pretty fun nightlife in Tokyo so we had fun hopping from one place to the other all night. Another thing I thought was pretty cool; I walked through the busiest intersection in the world. Well, I was told it was the busiest intersection in the world but I am not quite sure how accurate my source was. Either way, it was definitely the busiest place that I have ever walked through.
Day Four: We checked out of the hospital and headed to the subway station where we had to transfer over to another one and then get tickets for a Bullet Train. I was pretty excited to take one because I’ve always heard about them. We took the train from Tokyo to Kobe, which is where the boat docked after it left Yokohama. Tokyo was an amazing city, so I wasn’t that happy to leave but Kobe ended up surpassing my expectations. It’s always comforting to return to the ship after traveling independently, so it was nice when I finally got back. We didn’t get back till later than expected, so once we were there we just showered up and grabbed dinner in the port area. Then since most of the SAS kids were back on the ship, we all went out together for our last night in Japan… last port before America! I know I keep saying this, but it’s so crazy to think how fast it’s all going by.
Day Five: Our on ship time was 5:00pm so by the time I woke up, got breakfast, and showered… I had a pretty short day in Kobe. I wandered around the mall that was close by to the port with some friends. We went into a restaurant and they were offering Sake tasting so we may have indulged in that a little bit before heading back to the ship. I think it’s safe to say that I had a fantastic time in Japan. I found the people to be extremely welcoming and they were very helpful. Between Vietnam, China, and Japan… it’s pretty much a tossup as to which place I enjoyed the most. While they are so similar, they have many differences that set them apart. And as for now, I have 10 days at sea and then I reach Hawaii! Feel free to give me a call when I’m there because I will finally be able to use my phone again!!! (It’s amazing the things that excite me now…) Oh, and HAPPY THANKSGIVING. I’m terribly sad that it’s my first time missing this holiday at home, but I’m sure they will do something for us on the ship for it tomorrow. I hope everyone has a fun, safe holiday… and I’ll update you on my life soon!
p.s. for some reason the internet is being weird and I haven't been able to load pictures for the last couple ports... but I will keep trying!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Part One of My Asian Adventures
Sorry it has taken me so long to write on this!!!! We only had 3 days at sea between Vietnam and China, and I was very busy so it was hard to take some time to update you all! So here is what happened while I was in Vietnam and China….
November 3- November 7
Port #7
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Day 1: We arrive in Ho Chi Minh City! Our port was right downtown so it was nice to be in an actual city again. It was super crowded and super hot and humid, but still a good time just like all the other places. I was told by older friends who have been on SAS that they had dresses made and the guys had suits made and they actually turn out pretty well. So right when we got off the boat, a few girls and I went to a shop to pick out fabric and get measured to have dresses made. It ended up taking a while, but then after that we just kind of wandered through the city checking out a few shops. That night a large group of us went to the top of the Rex Hotel for dinner which was very cool because you could see all of Ho Chi Minh City from the top. We met up with a bunch of other kids from SAS later on and all went out together that night.
Day 2: I had my first motorbike ride! They literally have motorbikes EVERYWHERE (much more common than cars) and a lot of them serve as taxis. You just flag one over, hop on back, the guys gives you a helmet, and then off you go! I might have had a minor panic attack the first time because the traffic is so crazy but once you got used to it they were pretty fun. I don’t think I took one normal taxi for the rest of the week ha. I went to the Ben Than Market (rated as one of the top ten things to do in Vietnam) where I spent the day yet again bargaining. After all these markets in so many countries I think I’m going to have a hard time shopping in the US where I actually have to pay what the price tag says ha. But this market was huge and they literally had anything that you could think of. Later that night I went out to dinner with a few girls because one of my friends’ stepmom was in town. So she treated us to a good dinner which was really nice. We ate at the top of a hotel which has been around for a very long time and it was used by a lot of American journalists during the Vietnam War because it’s a very tall building so they could watch everything that was happening. So that was pretty cool to be there. (By the way, did you know they call it the American War here? Pretty interesting.) After we left dinner (with lots of People and US magazines from America which Brittany’s stepmom brought for us…) we met up with more people and went to a few bars in the area.
Day 3: I was on a SAS trip all day which took me to the Cao Dai Temple and then to the Cu Chi Tunnels. The Cao Dai religion is a blend of many religions including Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, and a few more. They take a lot of the main principles from each religion and combine them. The tower looked like something that belonged in Disney World. It had so many crazy colors and decorations, definitely something new for me to see as far as religious institutions go. Then we went to the Cu Chi Tunnels which were used during the war by the Vietcong. They’re super tiny tunnels that run underground, it is estimated that they run for about 200 miles. We went inside them and crawled around, and if you were claustrophobic this would have been a big problem ha. We also saw some of the “traps” that the Vietcong used. Seeing all these things gave me much better insight as to how tricky the whole Guerilla Warfare aspect of the war was. Later on I went out to dinner with a group of people to a traditional Vietnamese restaurant… the spring rolls there, oh my gosh, heaven. (Leave it to me to tell you about the food.)
Day 4: I had another SAS trip where we went to the Mekong Delta. We were taken on a boat ride through it and then we stopped at a farmer’s house where they showed us how necessary the Delta is to most of Asia for its water supply. We also went to a candy factory type place along the Delta where they’re known for the coconut candy they make. Seeing as how I am obsessed with coconut, I was pretty excited. Don’t worry; I bought a few boxes to bring back home. Then we had lunch along the Delta. Everything was amazing, probably the best foreign meal I’ve had on this trip yet. Pho soup (which Vietnam is known for) spring rolls, some weird fish that I had never heard of ha, and all sorts of crazy fruit that I had never heard of either. We then made the trip back to the ship and got ready for our last night out in Vietnam.
Day 5: I went into downtown Ho Chi Minh City again where we wandered through some shops and utilized the free wifi internet at the Rex hotel for a little bit. Then the group who had dresses made went back to the shop to pick them up. They all turned out pretty well actually, which I was surprised by. We then went to lunch at a place called Lemon Grass that was recommended to me by friends from last year. If you are ever in Ho Chi Ming City, this is a place that you MUST go to. From there we went back to the ship, cleaned ourselves up, and headed to a bar with friends to end our time in Vietnam. We had to be back on the ship by 9pm, and then the boat left very early the next morning.
OFF TO CHINA!
November 11- November 16
Port #8
Hong Kong (plus Beijing and Shanghai), China
Day 1: I have been told how amazing the Hong Kong skyline is from my teachers this entire trip, so I woke up early enough to watch us pull into port as the sun was rising. My teachers did not let me down, it was an incredible skyline. I thought Ho Chi Minh was a modern big city… but Hong Kong but that to shame ha. If you sort of ignored the massive Chinese symbols on all the buildings, you would have thought you were in downtown Chicago or New York. Right away after getting off the ship, I took a ferry ride to Macao which is a small island right off of Hong Kong. It’s known as the “Vegas” of Asia and the 10th tallest building in the world is there, the Macao Tower. The Macao Tower is also home to the highest bungee jump IN THE WORLD. So, bungee jumping I went! From the point where I jumped to the ground was 760 feet. It was quite possibly the craziest but coolest thing I have ever done. There were so many of us that went and by the time it was my turn to go it had turned to nighttime so I went jumping when it was pitch black out except for all the casino lights below me. It was amaazzzinnnggg… way too impossible to even describe. Don’t worry, I have a video and plenty of pictures to show you all. By the time we got back to the ship we had to hurry and get ready and meet everyone else on the infamous “LKF Street.” It’s known for having a good nightlife, so all of my friends and I went. It lived up to its reputation to say the least.
Day 2: I spent the day walking around Hong Kong. The shopping there was crazy. Every other store was some high end designer place like Louis Vuitton or Gucci. It was insane. (No worries Mom and Dad, I stuck to H & M) Oh. And FINALLY- Starbucks! First time I’ve been to one since we left America! That made us all very excited. Later that day we had an hour train ride to another part of Hong Kong where we had a hotel for the night. We had an early morning flight the next day and wanted to be closer to the airport so we were guaranteed to make our flight and everything. We had dinner inside the hotel and just kind of took it easy for the rest of the night.
Day 3: Made our flight to Beijing! It was about a 3 hour flight, and once we got there we went straight to our hotel to drop off our things and then headed into town. I was with a group of 16 kids, all from USD. After we checked in, we headed out to see Tian’anmen Square. Oh by the way, I forgot to mention. IT WAS FREEZING. This was the first cold spot we’ve had on our entire trip. It was like 20 degrees and there was snow on the ground, so that was quite the shock for us all. Good thing I packed well. Anyways, it was very cool to be at the Square and see it after knowing how much history it has.
Day 4: We woke up early and had rented a driver/van for the day that took us all to the Great Wall of China. It was about an hour away from out hotel. Seeing the wall was such a cool thing because it’s one of those things you always hear about, but I never really expected to be climbing it. Still freezing, but definitely worth it. After leaving the wall, we went to see some of the structures from the Olympics. We saw the Birds Nest (where the opening and closing ceremonies took place) and the Aqua Cube (where Michael Phelps owed everyone else…) it was so strange to be standing there because it’s such a large part of history. That night we had a group dinner with everyone and just relaxed in the hotel and tried to defrost ourselves.
Day 5: Another flight, this time to Shanghai. (The boat was traveling from Hong Kong to Shanghai while we were spending time in Beijing.) Another very cool city with a great skyline along the water. It was raining and cloudy which was a bummer, but it was a warmer than Beijing so that was a plus. We hit up some more markets after we dropped our bags off at the ship. Then we got ready and went out for a nice dinner to celebrate my friend’s 21st birthday. While the Chinese food had all been very good, it was nice to switch it up and go to a normal steak/seafood place ha. I was with a group of about 20 people at dinner, and afterwards we headed to a club where we were told everyone else would be at. We had a very fun time, and I think it’s fair for me to say that Kelsey had a very birthday.
Day 6: Initially, our ship was supposed to leave today at about 6pm… but because of some bad weather, we gained another night in Shanghai! A few girls and I went out, stopping at Starbucks first of course, to a mall and wandered around Shanghai since we didn’t get to see too much the previous day. It rained the entire time we were out, but we managed. We stopped at a really good place for lunch and went to a mall that was super nice. Then we went back to the ship and got ready for our last night out in China. We went to another area of the city that I hadn’t been to yet so it was neat to see another section of it. We had a great night, and then the ship left the following morning.
So now here I am! We’re heading to Japan and will arrive in 2 days. I can’t believe how fast this is going by, after Japan we go to Hawaii which means AMERICA. It’s all flying by, but I have loved every single second of it. (Minus the terrible rocky, rough water that we are experiencing right now. We’re back in 20 to 30 foot waves… not fun.) I’m sad I won’t be home for Thanksgiving for the first time ever, so I will be thinking of everyone a lot during that time. Hope it’s a good one though! I’ll be sure to update you on Japan as soon as I get back… I promise! Miss you all very much.
Love,
Alex
November 3- November 7
Port #7
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Day 1: We arrive in Ho Chi Minh City! Our port was right downtown so it was nice to be in an actual city again. It was super crowded and super hot and humid, but still a good time just like all the other places. I was told by older friends who have been on SAS that they had dresses made and the guys had suits made and they actually turn out pretty well. So right when we got off the boat, a few girls and I went to a shop to pick out fabric and get measured to have dresses made. It ended up taking a while, but then after that we just kind of wandered through the city checking out a few shops. That night a large group of us went to the top of the Rex Hotel for dinner which was very cool because you could see all of Ho Chi Minh City from the top. We met up with a bunch of other kids from SAS later on and all went out together that night.
Day 2: I had my first motorbike ride! They literally have motorbikes EVERYWHERE (much more common than cars) and a lot of them serve as taxis. You just flag one over, hop on back, the guys gives you a helmet, and then off you go! I might have had a minor panic attack the first time because the traffic is so crazy but once you got used to it they were pretty fun. I don’t think I took one normal taxi for the rest of the week ha. I went to the Ben Than Market (rated as one of the top ten things to do in Vietnam) where I spent the day yet again bargaining. After all these markets in so many countries I think I’m going to have a hard time shopping in the US where I actually have to pay what the price tag says ha. But this market was huge and they literally had anything that you could think of. Later that night I went out to dinner with a few girls because one of my friends’ stepmom was in town. So she treated us to a good dinner which was really nice. We ate at the top of a hotel which has been around for a very long time and it was used by a lot of American journalists during the Vietnam War because it’s a very tall building so they could watch everything that was happening. So that was pretty cool to be there. (By the way, did you know they call it the American War here? Pretty interesting.) After we left dinner (with lots of People and US magazines from America which Brittany’s stepmom brought for us…) we met up with more people and went to a few bars in the area.
Day 3: I was on a SAS trip all day which took me to the Cao Dai Temple and then to the Cu Chi Tunnels. The Cao Dai religion is a blend of many religions including Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, and a few more. They take a lot of the main principles from each religion and combine them. The tower looked like something that belonged in Disney World. It had so many crazy colors and decorations, definitely something new for me to see as far as religious institutions go. Then we went to the Cu Chi Tunnels which were used during the war by the Vietcong. They’re super tiny tunnels that run underground, it is estimated that they run for about 200 miles. We went inside them and crawled around, and if you were claustrophobic this would have been a big problem ha. We also saw some of the “traps” that the Vietcong used. Seeing all these things gave me much better insight as to how tricky the whole Guerilla Warfare aspect of the war was. Later on I went out to dinner with a group of people to a traditional Vietnamese restaurant… the spring rolls there, oh my gosh, heaven. (Leave it to me to tell you about the food.)
Day 4: I had another SAS trip where we went to the Mekong Delta. We were taken on a boat ride through it and then we stopped at a farmer’s house where they showed us how necessary the Delta is to most of Asia for its water supply. We also went to a candy factory type place along the Delta where they’re known for the coconut candy they make. Seeing as how I am obsessed with coconut, I was pretty excited. Don’t worry; I bought a few boxes to bring back home. Then we had lunch along the Delta. Everything was amazing, probably the best foreign meal I’ve had on this trip yet. Pho soup (which Vietnam is known for) spring rolls, some weird fish that I had never heard of ha, and all sorts of crazy fruit that I had never heard of either. We then made the trip back to the ship and got ready for our last night out in Vietnam.
Day 5: I went into downtown Ho Chi Minh City again where we wandered through some shops and utilized the free wifi internet at the Rex hotel for a little bit. Then the group who had dresses made went back to the shop to pick them up. They all turned out pretty well actually, which I was surprised by. We then went to lunch at a place called Lemon Grass that was recommended to me by friends from last year. If you are ever in Ho Chi Ming City, this is a place that you MUST go to. From there we went back to the ship, cleaned ourselves up, and headed to a bar with friends to end our time in Vietnam. We had to be back on the ship by 9pm, and then the boat left very early the next morning.
OFF TO CHINA!
November 11- November 16
Port #8
Hong Kong (plus Beijing and Shanghai), China
Day 1: I have been told how amazing the Hong Kong skyline is from my teachers this entire trip, so I woke up early enough to watch us pull into port as the sun was rising. My teachers did not let me down, it was an incredible skyline. I thought Ho Chi Minh was a modern big city… but Hong Kong but that to shame ha. If you sort of ignored the massive Chinese symbols on all the buildings, you would have thought you were in downtown Chicago or New York. Right away after getting off the ship, I took a ferry ride to Macao which is a small island right off of Hong Kong. It’s known as the “Vegas” of Asia and the 10th tallest building in the world is there, the Macao Tower. The Macao Tower is also home to the highest bungee jump IN THE WORLD. So, bungee jumping I went! From the point where I jumped to the ground was 760 feet. It was quite possibly the craziest but coolest thing I have ever done. There were so many of us that went and by the time it was my turn to go it had turned to nighttime so I went jumping when it was pitch black out except for all the casino lights below me. It was amaazzzinnnggg… way too impossible to even describe. Don’t worry, I have a video and plenty of pictures to show you all. By the time we got back to the ship we had to hurry and get ready and meet everyone else on the infamous “LKF Street.” It’s known for having a good nightlife, so all of my friends and I went. It lived up to its reputation to say the least.
Day 2: I spent the day walking around Hong Kong. The shopping there was crazy. Every other store was some high end designer place like Louis Vuitton or Gucci. It was insane. (No worries Mom and Dad, I stuck to H & M) Oh. And FINALLY- Starbucks! First time I’ve been to one since we left America! That made us all very excited. Later that day we had an hour train ride to another part of Hong Kong where we had a hotel for the night. We had an early morning flight the next day and wanted to be closer to the airport so we were guaranteed to make our flight and everything. We had dinner inside the hotel and just kind of took it easy for the rest of the night.
Day 3: Made our flight to Beijing! It was about a 3 hour flight, and once we got there we went straight to our hotel to drop off our things and then headed into town. I was with a group of 16 kids, all from USD. After we checked in, we headed out to see Tian’anmen Square. Oh by the way, I forgot to mention. IT WAS FREEZING. This was the first cold spot we’ve had on our entire trip. It was like 20 degrees and there was snow on the ground, so that was quite the shock for us all. Good thing I packed well. Anyways, it was very cool to be at the Square and see it after knowing how much history it has.
Day 4: We woke up early and had rented a driver/van for the day that took us all to the Great Wall of China. It was about an hour away from out hotel. Seeing the wall was such a cool thing because it’s one of those things you always hear about, but I never really expected to be climbing it. Still freezing, but definitely worth it. After leaving the wall, we went to see some of the structures from the Olympics. We saw the Birds Nest (where the opening and closing ceremonies took place) and the Aqua Cube (where Michael Phelps owed everyone else…) it was so strange to be standing there because it’s such a large part of history. That night we had a group dinner with everyone and just relaxed in the hotel and tried to defrost ourselves.
Day 5: Another flight, this time to Shanghai. (The boat was traveling from Hong Kong to Shanghai while we were spending time in Beijing.) Another very cool city with a great skyline along the water. It was raining and cloudy which was a bummer, but it was a warmer than Beijing so that was a plus. We hit up some more markets after we dropped our bags off at the ship. Then we got ready and went out for a nice dinner to celebrate my friend’s 21st birthday. While the Chinese food had all been very good, it was nice to switch it up and go to a normal steak/seafood place ha. I was with a group of about 20 people at dinner, and afterwards we headed to a club where we were told everyone else would be at. We had a very fun time, and I think it’s fair for me to say that Kelsey had a very birthday.
Day 6: Initially, our ship was supposed to leave today at about 6pm… but because of some bad weather, we gained another night in Shanghai! A few girls and I went out, stopping at Starbucks first of course, to a mall and wandered around Shanghai since we didn’t get to see too much the previous day. It rained the entire time we were out, but we managed. We stopped at a really good place for lunch and went to a mall that was super nice. Then we went back to the ship and got ready for our last night out in China. We went to another area of the city that I hadn’t been to yet so it was neat to see another section of it. We had a great night, and then the ship left the following morning.
So now here I am! We’re heading to Japan and will arrive in 2 days. I can’t believe how fast this is going by, after Japan we go to Hawaii which means AMERICA. It’s all flying by, but I have loved every single second of it. (Minus the terrible rocky, rough water that we are experiencing right now. We’re back in 20 to 30 foot waves… not fun.) I’m sad I won’t be home for Thanksgiving for the first time ever, so I will be thinking of everyone a lot during that time. Hope it’s a good one though! I’ll be sure to update you on Japan as soon as I get back… I promise! Miss you all very much.
Love,
Alex
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
India photos!
WELCOME TO INDIA!
In front of the tree where Buddha preached his first sermon
A few girls outside of the ruins of a buddhist temple
Along the Ganges at night for a religious ceremony, so many people in the background
Along the River Ganges for sunrise
Hello 5am....
Ashley and I towards the end of the sun rising
People praying and sending out ashes into the river
The girls in Agra
In front of the tree where Buddha preached his first sermonA few girls outside of the ruins of a buddhist templeAlong the Ganges at night for a religious ceremony, so many people in the backgroundAlong the River Ganges for sunriseHello 5am....Ashley and I towards the end of the sun risingPeople praying and sending out ashes into the riverThe girls in Agra
TAJ MAHAL
Jumping for joy.... literally.(ahhaha, I just made myself laugh out loud at my own joke.)
And now we're off to Vietnam!!!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
INDIA.
Port #6: Chennai, India
What a country. I spent time in Chennai, Varanasi, Agra, and Delhi… lots and lots of traveling was involved, but I really ended up loving it. It is completely unlike any other country that I have ever been to. I’ll try to give the best day by day explanation that I can, but honestly, it’s one of those places that is truly impossible to describe. But here goes nothing.
Day one: We got off the ship during the early afternoon and spent the entire day in downtown Chennai. I guess we were in their newspaper, so everyone knew the Semester at Sea students would be all over… so of course we were attacked by vendors every place that we went. We traveled around in “rickshaws” which were basically India’s form of taxis. They were these little carts with 3 wheels, no doors, and the driver would sit in front with three people in the back. They were TINY though. I can say that I honestly feared for my life more than a few times when we were driving around haha, but I figure they have been driving on those streets all their life, so they must have some way of knowing how to navigate them. It was constant chaos, with horns always beeping. Okay, enough about the driving. We went to what was considered a shopping mall to look around, great jewelry, and then did a little site seeing. We went to the basilica of St. Thomas. There are only three basilicas in the entire world that are built over the tomb of an apostle of Jesus. One in Rome, one in Spain, and the one I went to in Chennai… So I thought that was pretty neat. We then went to a street market and into a few silk shops. After that, we headed back to the ship for the evening because the next morning was an early one.
Day two: I woke up at about 3:30am and was out of the ship and on a bus at 4:00am heading to the Chennai airport. I signed up for a SAS trip that took up the rest of my time in India. So on this first day, a group of about 70 of us hopped on a flight to Delhi, and then another flight to Varanasi (“the eternal city”). When we arrived I learned very quickly that this trip was going to be full of cultural changes. First of all… what airport doesn’t have toilets? I became very accustomed to holes in the ground (uh gross). I’m sure you all really loved that detail. ANYWAYS. I have a book that describes the SAS trip so I’ll use some of their descriptions. “Located on the banks of the sacred River Ganges, Varanasi is the holy city of the Hindus. Often called ‘the heartbeat of India,’ it is the oldest inhabited city in the world.” So, when we reached Varanasi we went straight to the city of Sarnath, it lies in ruins but it is as holy to Buddhists as Varanasi is to Hindus. Then we went to the new Buddhist temple and saw where Buddha preached his first sermon… I think that is one of the coolest things ever. Then at night we went to witness the Ganga Aarti at Dasawamedha Ghat (don’t even ask me how to pronounce any of that) which is along the River Ganges. It was a religious ceremony and it was SO crowded with tons of people. Oh, and plenty of cows. Since they’re sacred there, I would see cows everywhere. Our bus had to stop and wait a couple times for a cow to cross the street. (And by street I mean a large dirt road) It was a pretty cool experience to see all those people together for something that’s such a big deal to them. We then went back to our hotel for dinner and hung out around there. Another early morning wake up call would follow.
Day three: Everyone woke up at 5am and we headed back to the banks of the Ganges River for the sunrise. We boarded a boat (uuhh a large wooden canoe??) and went along the river where we witnessed “a spectacle of religious practice that has continued unchanged over centuries- at dawn pilgrims go to the holy waters for the ritual immersion and prayer to release their souls from the cycle of rebirth.” It was super crowded again, but it looked so beautiful from the river because everyone in India dresses in such brightly colored clothing. Especially with the sun rising, it looked really amazing. As we were going down the river we saw the site where the cremate bodies, and actually saw it happening which was something we weren’t exactly expecting. Following our time on the river, we had a city tour of Varanasi. Lots and lots of poverty, and of course… lots of shops and vendors. They’re known for their silk there so we went to a silk factory where I was surrounded with way too many beautiful scarves. I maaayyyy have purchased a few, and then we went to a bead factory where again I was surrounded with so many beautiful things. We then had another flight to catch back to Delhi. Once we arrived there we had a city tour around that area. (talk about a long day) We went to a few more temples and then to our hotel for the evening.
Day four: Another lovely morning wake up call: 4:15am. Ugh. We took a bus to the train station, and then took the Shatabdi Express to Agra (home of the Taj Mahal wooo!!) We started off the day by heading to Fatehpur Sikri, a really beautiful area with red sandstone palaces. Then we went to Agra Fort to view the palaces and halls of the Mughals. It was really cool because we could see the Taj mahal in the distance from where we were. Then we FINALLY headed to the Taj Mahal for 2 hours during the sunset. It was so pretty, one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. Especially after driving through so much of India where it is dirty and impoverished, it was so incredible to arrive somewhere so beautiful. Definitely a highlight of my trip. After we left we had a nice dinner and then caught a late train back to Delhi. We were warned about the train stations beforehand that they can be pretty sketchy at night, and that warning was pretty accurate. There were people everywhere, with most of them lying all over the ground. There were children everywhere begging, people with polio who had paralyzed legs and had to literally drag themselves on the ground, rats, garbage, and tons of smoke. It was especially sad to see the children, most of them were forced over to us by adults to try and collect money and had limbs missing… very much like the Slumdog Millionaire scenarios. (There is actually A LOT of truth to that movie- if you haven’t already seen it, go out and rent it NOW.) It was, again, another very eye opening experience.
Day five: Basically a traveling day. Woke up at 7am, had breakfast, and then caught a flight back to Chennai. And now, here I am! Back on the ship, and we have like a week at sea before we reach Vietnam!
Despite the dirt, heat, occasional stomach ache, and TERRIBLE air quality of India (at night I had to turn the flash off of my camera if I wanted to take a picture because there would be spots from stuff in the air) I really learned to appreciate and actually love it. The people, even the poor, had so much energy and life to them. The colors of the country were amazing… I swear I saw colors that I didn’t even know existed on some of the women’s clothing. And I loved the food, all very spicy, so it was right up my alley. (I definitely witnessed a few kids tearing up at a couple meals because the foot was too hot for them haha) While the poverty was definitely overwhelming, I think we got prepped for it pretty well through Morocco and Ghana. Still, a lot of it was very hard to see. But the people were all very kind and helpful towards us, and I think for the most part, they enjoyed having us around. (So many people wanted to take pictures with all the blonde kids at the Taj Mahal, probably their first time seeing someone with light hair in that area.) I think my favorite part was probably the sunrise trip down the Ganges River. My trip is now officially more than halfway over. It’s crazy how fast it is all going by. I’ll be sure to add pictures before I dock in Vietnam! Thanks for the e-mails that you have all been sending, it definitely gives me something to look forward to. Hope to hear from you soon and I miss everyone very much.
What a country. I spent time in Chennai, Varanasi, Agra, and Delhi… lots and lots of traveling was involved, but I really ended up loving it. It is completely unlike any other country that I have ever been to. I’ll try to give the best day by day explanation that I can, but honestly, it’s one of those places that is truly impossible to describe. But here goes nothing.
Day one: We got off the ship during the early afternoon and spent the entire day in downtown Chennai. I guess we were in their newspaper, so everyone knew the Semester at Sea students would be all over… so of course we were attacked by vendors every place that we went. We traveled around in “rickshaws” which were basically India’s form of taxis. They were these little carts with 3 wheels, no doors, and the driver would sit in front with three people in the back. They were TINY though. I can say that I honestly feared for my life more than a few times when we were driving around haha, but I figure they have been driving on those streets all their life, so they must have some way of knowing how to navigate them. It was constant chaos, with horns always beeping. Okay, enough about the driving. We went to what was considered a shopping mall to look around, great jewelry, and then did a little site seeing. We went to the basilica of St. Thomas. There are only three basilicas in the entire world that are built over the tomb of an apostle of Jesus. One in Rome, one in Spain, and the one I went to in Chennai… So I thought that was pretty neat. We then went to a street market and into a few silk shops. After that, we headed back to the ship for the evening because the next morning was an early one.
Day two: I woke up at about 3:30am and was out of the ship and on a bus at 4:00am heading to the Chennai airport. I signed up for a SAS trip that took up the rest of my time in India. So on this first day, a group of about 70 of us hopped on a flight to Delhi, and then another flight to Varanasi (“the eternal city”). When we arrived I learned very quickly that this trip was going to be full of cultural changes. First of all… what airport doesn’t have toilets? I became very accustomed to holes in the ground (uh gross). I’m sure you all really loved that detail. ANYWAYS. I have a book that describes the SAS trip so I’ll use some of their descriptions. “Located on the banks of the sacred River Ganges, Varanasi is the holy city of the Hindus. Often called ‘the heartbeat of India,’ it is the oldest inhabited city in the world.” So, when we reached Varanasi we went straight to the city of Sarnath, it lies in ruins but it is as holy to Buddhists as Varanasi is to Hindus. Then we went to the new Buddhist temple and saw where Buddha preached his first sermon… I think that is one of the coolest things ever. Then at night we went to witness the Ganga Aarti at Dasawamedha Ghat (don’t even ask me how to pronounce any of that) which is along the River Ganges. It was a religious ceremony and it was SO crowded with tons of people. Oh, and plenty of cows. Since they’re sacred there, I would see cows everywhere. Our bus had to stop and wait a couple times for a cow to cross the street. (And by street I mean a large dirt road) It was a pretty cool experience to see all those people together for something that’s such a big deal to them. We then went back to our hotel for dinner and hung out around there. Another early morning wake up call would follow.
Day three: Everyone woke up at 5am and we headed back to the banks of the Ganges River for the sunrise. We boarded a boat (uuhh a large wooden canoe??) and went along the river where we witnessed “a spectacle of religious practice that has continued unchanged over centuries- at dawn pilgrims go to the holy waters for the ritual immersion and prayer to release their souls from the cycle of rebirth.” It was super crowded again, but it looked so beautiful from the river because everyone in India dresses in such brightly colored clothing. Especially with the sun rising, it looked really amazing. As we were going down the river we saw the site where the cremate bodies, and actually saw it happening which was something we weren’t exactly expecting. Following our time on the river, we had a city tour of Varanasi. Lots and lots of poverty, and of course… lots of shops and vendors. They’re known for their silk there so we went to a silk factory where I was surrounded with way too many beautiful scarves. I maaayyyy have purchased a few, and then we went to a bead factory where again I was surrounded with so many beautiful things. We then had another flight to catch back to Delhi. Once we arrived there we had a city tour around that area. (talk about a long day) We went to a few more temples and then to our hotel for the evening.
Day four: Another lovely morning wake up call: 4:15am. Ugh. We took a bus to the train station, and then took the Shatabdi Express to Agra (home of the Taj Mahal wooo!!) We started off the day by heading to Fatehpur Sikri, a really beautiful area with red sandstone palaces. Then we went to Agra Fort to view the palaces and halls of the Mughals. It was really cool because we could see the Taj mahal in the distance from where we were. Then we FINALLY headed to the Taj Mahal for 2 hours during the sunset. It was so pretty, one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. Especially after driving through so much of India where it is dirty and impoverished, it was so incredible to arrive somewhere so beautiful. Definitely a highlight of my trip. After we left we had a nice dinner and then caught a late train back to Delhi. We were warned about the train stations beforehand that they can be pretty sketchy at night, and that warning was pretty accurate. There were people everywhere, with most of them lying all over the ground. There were children everywhere begging, people with polio who had paralyzed legs and had to literally drag themselves on the ground, rats, garbage, and tons of smoke. It was especially sad to see the children, most of them were forced over to us by adults to try and collect money and had limbs missing… very much like the Slumdog Millionaire scenarios. (There is actually A LOT of truth to that movie- if you haven’t already seen it, go out and rent it NOW.) It was, again, another very eye opening experience.
Day five: Basically a traveling day. Woke up at 7am, had breakfast, and then caught a flight back to Chennai. And now, here I am! Back on the ship, and we have like a week at sea before we reach Vietnam!
Despite the dirt, heat, occasional stomach ache, and TERRIBLE air quality of India (at night I had to turn the flash off of my camera if I wanted to take a picture because there would be spots from stuff in the air) I really learned to appreciate and actually love it. The people, even the poor, had so much energy and life to them. The colors of the country were amazing… I swear I saw colors that I didn’t even know existed on some of the women’s clothing. And I loved the food, all very spicy, so it was right up my alley. (I definitely witnessed a few kids tearing up at a couple meals because the foot was too hot for them haha) While the poverty was definitely overwhelming, I think we got prepped for it pretty well through Morocco and Ghana. Still, a lot of it was very hard to see. But the people were all very kind and helpful towards us, and I think for the most part, they enjoyed having us around. (So many people wanted to take pictures with all the blonde kids at the Taj Mahal, probably their first time seeing someone with light hair in that area.) I think my favorite part was probably the sunrise trip down the Ganges River. My trip is now officially more than halfway over. It’s crazy how fast it is all going by. I’ll be sure to add pictures before I dock in Vietnam! Thanks for the e-mails that you have all been sending, it definitely gives me something to look forward to. Hope to hear from you soon and I miss everyone very much.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Pictures from paradise
So here are my pictures from Mauritius! I really love the beach, and if you didn't already know this... well my pictures will do the talking for me. Enjoy :)
Small harbor
The girls that I stayed with for the weekend
Paddling around in a kayak with Lindsey
Aannndd now testing out a friend's raft! (p.s. LOOK at that water)
Corny... but so neccesary. Girls pyramid on the beach.
Our humble abode for the weekend
Kristen and I on our last day (thanks for the height genetics, mom and dad...)
SO beautiful...
Small harborThe girls that I stayed with for the weekend
Paddling around in a kayak with Lindsey
Aannndd now testing out a friend's raft! (p.s. LOOK at that water)
Corny... but so neccesary. Girls pyramid on the beach.
Our humble abode for the weekend
Kristen and I on our last day (thanks for the height genetics, mom and dad...)
SO beautiful...And that is Mauritius for you!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Mauritius... little bit of heaven
Port #5: Port Louis, Mauritius
Lucky for you all, this is going to be a short one! I honestly have nothing to say other than it was the most beautiful place I have ever been. We spent our days on the beach and our nights on the town... that's about it ha, but I would not have changed it for a thing! I did manage to hop in a kayak for a little bit... so I was kind of productive? Anyways, absoutely loved it!!!
My internet is being strange at the moment, but I'll add pictures when I get another chance. As for now, we're off to India. It should be quite the experience, and I am really looking forward to it.
Lucky for you all, this is going to be a short one! I honestly have nothing to say other than it was the most beautiful place I have ever been. We spent our days on the beach and our nights on the town... that's about it ha, but I would not have changed it for a thing! I did manage to hop in a kayak for a little bit... so I was kind of productive? Anyways, absoutely loved it!!!
My internet is being strange at the moment, but I'll add pictures when I get another chance. As for now, we're off to India. It should be quite the experience, and I am really looking forward to it.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Pictures from South Africa!
Sorry it has taken me so long to load these! But here are some pictures from around Cape Town, they're out of order but you get the point...
This during the Operation Hunger trip on the last day with my favorite little girl.
A shark right by the cage that I was in.
Great White Shark!
Inside the cage waiting for some sharks to come by... no big deal.
Elephant!
The sand boarding group, on the dunes.
On the very top of Table Mountain overlooking Cape Town
Cape Town, South Africa... on the way up Table Mountain
Lindsey and I at the port in Cape Town with Table Mountain behind us
This during the Operation Hunger trip on the last day with my favorite little girl.
A shark right by the cage that I was in.Great White Shark!
Inside the cage waiting for some sharks to come by... no big deal.Elephant!
The sand boarding group, on the dunes.
On the very top of Table Mountain overlooking Cape Town
Cape Town, South Africa... on the way up Table Mountain
Lindsey and I at the port in Cape Town with Table Mountain behind usSo there's a little documentation of my time in South Africa for you! I can't believe how fast the time is going because we already dock in Port Louis, Mauritius tomorrow! We are there for 2 nights/3 days and I will be staying in the area called Flic en Flac with a group of friends in a couple villas. I'm pretty sure our time there will consist of laying on the beach... and quite possibly, more laying on the beach. I'll be sure to let you all know how it is when I am back. Before I go I'll leave you with a little quote by Mark Twain: ''You gather the idea that Mauritius was made first and then heaven, and that heaven was copied after Mauritius.'' Talk to you all soon! (p.s. how's the weather at home??)
love,
alex
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