Before the trip started, so many people would ask me “Where are you looking forward to the most? What port will be your favorite?” I usually responded with Africa – South Africa and Ghana were the ones I was looking forward to the most. The history, I would tell them, is why it will be incredible. And yes, the history was incredible. But South Africa is so much more than that. It’s a living, vibrant, “rainbow nation” – as its flag indicates. It’s a country that has obvious ties with its contentious past but is making strides to live in the present and move forward with hope and grace.
As we rounded Madagascar coming into South Africa from Mauritius, we hugged the coast pretty closely. And for the few days prior to our arrival, we could see the coastline way off in the distance. It made everyone so excited, and it was a constant little reminder that there really is life out there as we floated through endless ocean.
In Global Studies during our week at sea we learned about a 26 year old woman named Amy Biehl. She was a Stanford graduate studying women’s issues in Cape Town during the most dangerous years of Apartheid in the late 1980’s. As the foundation for the systematic separation of races began to crumble, mass violence broke out throughout the nation, most notably in the townships on the outskirts of all the major cities, including Cape Town. Townships are the areas that black residents were relocated to during Apartheid, shunned from the inner cities and displaced. Amy Biehl was driving three friends home from school one evening when she was swarmed by an angry mob, associating her white skin with the repressive governmental regime. She was murdered as the mob yelled “one settler, one bullet,” the radical slogan of violence during the uprisings. The four men accused of her death were all found guilty and spent nearly five years in prison before appealing to the Truth and Reconciliation Committee for amnesty. The TRC was set up following Nelson Mandela’s election in 1994 as a way to forgive the evil violence of Apartheid and move forward on a trajectory of peace. Archbishop Desmond Tutu chaired the hearings. When I first learned about the TRC, I had mix feelings. These people that committed horrible crimes would just be given amnesty? Did they deserve that after brutally killing innocent people? What about justice? But as a learned and understood better I realized that while this might not be justice, it was forgiveness – and that was more powerful than any type of an ‘eye for an eye’ punishment. Amy Biehl’s killers were granted amnesty as her parents listened to the Committee. Following the hearing, her parents met with all four of the men, and their own process of forgiveness began.
We had the honor of hearing Amy Biehl’s mother speak on the ship the day we arrived. Instead of our usual diplomatic briefing, Mrs. Biehl spoke for nearly an hour about her love affair with Cape Town, which only began after the tragic death of her daughter. She described her daughter’s mentality on the violence, which struck me with such clarity I got goose bumps. Amy had told her that if anything ever happened to her, she would be a name in the paper because of her white skin instead a number listed like her black counterparts. She said “I want to be a number.” While her death was just that, a very profound name written in all the papers, her legacy reflects the spirit of what she intended to accomplish. Amy’s mother and father set up the Amy Biehl Foundation in Cape Town which provides after school services to children living in the townships, they created a soccer club and extracurricular activities to keep kids interested in school and away from the crime centers in the townships.
But the most amazing part of the entire story is that Amy’s mother forgave all four of her daughter’s killers, welcomed them into her home and now two of the four men work as leaders of the Amy Biehl Foundation. I couldn’t comprehend the magnitude of her forgiveness as I sat in the Union listening to her speak. She now works side by side with the men that took away her daughter. She said that only through total forgiveness could she be released from the cycles of grief. I was totally and utterly floored by this woman, her compassion and ability to forgive should be a lesson to every human being in the world.
Waking up in port the morning of March 31, 2010 we looked out the window to see Table Mountain in the distance. The landmark of Cape Town, Table Mountain is a very tall and flat peak that overlooks the entire city. It definitely was the best view our little window has seen so far on the trip.
During our week at sea, we worked hard planning out our free time in Cape Town. Unanimously, we all wanted to go shark diving. I had been thinking about shark diving for a long time – knowing that I would probably never get another chance in my life to cage dive with great whites off the coast of South Africa. I wanted to see the most dangerous predator up close, watch them swim right by me. This was definitely on the voyage bucket list. We had planned on going our last day in port; this was going to give me a little time to mentally prepare. But the night before our arrival we got an email from the guide saying that the suspected ocean swells for the last day would make diving unsafe and that we should come tomorrow instead. I wasn’t ready! In less than 24 hours I was going to be in a steel cage surrounded by sharks. It finally hit me that this was a little bit scary.
We cleared customs easily because there were no face to face immigration proceedings and made our way to the dock. Right away, we were met by our guides to take us to shark alley, in Gansbaai, about a two hour drive from Cape Town. We all piled into a big van and looked out the windows onto very eye opening landscapes for the next two hours. Right out of the port we drove by the first township. Miles and miles of little shanty houses at the base of Table Mountain. People were playing soccer in the dirt, congregating in open spaces and just going about their lives. Sadly, this was as close as I got to the townships – I really wanted to visit a family, explore the neighborhoods and understand about growing up there – but there just wasn’t enough time. We finally reached Gansbaai and were dropped at the headquarters of Shark Diving Unlimited, the company that we contracted to take us out. Unknowingly, I think we picked THE company to take us. We walked in to see a rerun of 60 Minutes playing, featuring “The Shark Man” – the owner of the company. It was him being interviewed by Anderson Cooper, who he had just taken out shark swimming (without a cage) for the day. On the wall hung pictures of Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and Prince Harry all out on the boat that we were getting ready to take out. The Shark Man’s wife made us a light breakfast and then we had a short safety tutorial. All 20 of us boarded the small boat named “The Barracuda” and made our way towards shark alley, a section of the coastline known as a feeding area for the biggest great whites. It was about a 20 minute boat trip out through pretty rough waters. About ten minutes before our arrival to shark alley, the crew started to chum the water, leaving a long reddish streak behind to boat. We finally reached the diving area where the crew turned off the motor and attached the cage to the side of the boat. It looked a little less secure than I was expecting – the bars were pretty far apart. At this point I started to get anxious – what did I get myself into? Was I really about to jump into shark infested waters? We all put wet suits on and just waited for the sharks to arrive. It took about twenty minutes, but eventually they started to swarm. The cage held six people and the first group quickly entered the water. The crew put a weight belt around our shoulders to help keep us down inside the cage. We slowly would slide into the cage and place our hands and feet on little holds and wait for the signal. The skipper attached a large fish head to the end of a long rope and would drag it through the water in front of the cage so the shark would swim right by. Anytime a shark came near the skipper would yell “down!” and we would all dive deep into the cage, holding our breath as it swam by. Great white sharks are beautiful up close, the ruler of the ocean, the top of the food chain. We saw five or six during our afternoon there, some bigger than others – but all roughly 12 feet long. It was an adrenaline rush to be submerged in water as a great white shark swam straight towards me. But truthfully, it wasn’t scary. I was the most nervous right before getting in the cage, but once we were all in I felt safe surrounded by metal and other people. We would go in roughly 20 minute shifts, a group sitting in the cage waiting for one to swim by while the rest of us could watch them from the top of the boat. It was almost a better view out of the water because then I could really take in the magnitude of their size and body. What magnificent creatures they are, they demand the respect of the world – and rightfully deserve it. We all dove twice. Around the top of the cage was a layer of foam for the divers to rest their hands on when getting in and out of the water – it also served as a buoy when not connected to the boat. At one point, one of the sharks came out of the water, bit the cage and left its full teeth marks in the foam. It was by far one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. Luckily, my friend Kalyn caught the entire thing on her camera – the pictures are unbelievable.
Shark diving was one of my favorite days of the entire trip. It wasn’t cultural, it wasn’t historic, and it wasn’t a national landmark – but it was incredibly memorable. I will never forget the feeling of the wet suit, or how I felt as I entered the cold water, or my complete astonishment after seeing the first one. I was literally speechless when I came up for air after watching the first shark swim by. What a truly awesome experience. And it’s kind of fun to say that I’ve been shark diving off the coast of South Africa.
Later that evening, we were driven back to Cape Town for a much needed shower. All of us piled into a van, smelling like fish chum was really not that pleasant after a while. After getting ready, we had dinner and spent the evening on Long Street, in downtown Cape Town.
The next morning I had to get up really early to meet my group for our flight to Johannesburg for our safari! We boarded the bus for the airport around 4:30 am and arrived in Johannesburg later in the morning. We then had about a two hour bus ride to reach Pilansberg National Park. Pilansberg is a 55,000 acre reserve centered on the ancient crater of a dormant volcano divided by woodlands and elephant trails. Pilansberg is known to have one of the healthiest populations of the “Big 5” in all of South Africa. The lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant and buffalo make up the most essential safari animals and I luckily saw many of them during my time there. Pilansberg was exactly what I envisioned the landscape of the bush to be like. Miles and miles of savanna backed up to gorgeous red cliffs, it looked like the real live version of the Lion King. We checked into our hotel at the Kwa Maritane Bush Lodge and had a wonderful lunch. The food on the ship has started to get pretty repetitive and so any break from potatoes and pasta is great. The lodge was beautiful; it backed up right next to Pilansberg. We could sit outside and just stare out on the reserve, taking in the endless miles of sanctuary, listening to the sounds of birds and baboons. We had a few hours to relax and then headed out on our first game drive later in the afternoon. We were joined on our game drive by the Ambassador of Spain to South Africa and his family. They were very nice. Unfortunately, it was raining pretty hard throughout the afternoon and continued on the drive. Luckily, our safari vehicle was covered but the sides were all open. So not very long after we departed the Lodge, we all pretty much accepted we would spend the next several hours soaking wet. After I got past being wet, I just enjoyed the beauty of the wild, taking in every tree, mountain and animal. Almost immediately we spotted our very first member of the “Big 5”! The king of the jungle himself, the most beautiful male lion was resting right off the path of our vehicle – so our guide turned off the engine and we just enjoyed watching him for several minutes. Not minding us being there at all, he eventually strolled off into his lair under a big tree and we moved on. We spent the next three hours driving around the park, looking for any signs of animals – most had hunkered down out of the rain, but not long after seeing the lion we saw our first elephant. I couldn’t wait to see an elephant – it was the animal I was looking forward to the most. I couldn’t wait to see one in the wild, up close, to really put into perspective their size and aura in relation to me. Just simply standing in the bush, the big lone elephant seemed to not even realize we were there. It was seeing the elephant that made me really think of where I was. I was in a safari jeep in South Africa exploring the bush on an afternoon game drive! It was all so beautiful. And the recurrent feeling of luckiness rushed over me. We later saw a wildebeest, and a group of female antelopes huddling together to try and escape the down pouring rain. The guide took us towards a small watering hole where a lone hippopotamus was visiting. The hippo was the coolest animal I saw. Its mouth and head was huge – and I can now understand why they are considered so dangerous! We later saw a tall giraffe in the distance and a pack of zebra running. On our way out of the park we saw the same male lion again – nearly in the same spot where we left him. It was a very successful first game drive, especially in the rain. I loved every minute of it but was glad to return to the lodge for some dry clothes and dinner.
The next morning we had a 5am wakeup call to meet our safari jeeps for our early morning game drive and sunrise. Luckily, most of the heavy rains had subsided through the night and we were left with just a light rain. It was pitch black outside as we entered the park and slowly the entire bush sort of came to life with the sun. What an unbelievable site to see, the sun on the horizon overlooking endless miles of savanna, little signs of life springing up all around us. We were first taken to a big lake area where nearly ten hippos were playing in the water. At one point, one of the hippos totally came out of the water, opened its mouth as wide as possible, yawned and growled. We could see its entire mouth, it was fantastic. We later saw two giraffes in the distance, their markings were absolutely beautiful. Later in the morning we spotted another elephant and then many little animals of the bush including a jackal, warthog and baboon. Seeing all of these animals in their natural habitats was such an experience, their self sustaining ecosystem and environment amazed me. I wasn’t in a zoo, but within nature, that was the coolest part. We later returned to the lodge for a huge breakfast and had the next few hours to relax before our next drive.
The weather had cleared up substantially by the afternoon and we finally could really enjoy the landscape to its full degree. We drove around for nearly an hour without any animal sightings, the guide started to hint that it might be a slow afternoon and then all of a sudden we stumbled upon an area where many jeeps had pulled over and were very quietly sitting. And there, sitting in the grass, maybe 30 feet from our jeep was a cheetah. We had been told that morning that there were only two cheetahs in the entire park, and that our guide hadn’t seen one in over two years. He had told us not to get our hopes up. And there it was! We watched it very quietly for nearly 20 minutes; it seemed very content to just lay in the grass while people gawked in awe at its beauty. The cheetah is a gorgeous animal – it really does look like a giant cat. What a treat to see such an obscure animal. We all felt so special – the guide kept saying “you’re so lucky! You’re so lucky!” and we knew it was true. After that, I had no other hopes for the safari – everything I wanted to see I did. But it just kept getting better - that evening while riding through the bush we watched the most beautiful sunset, pinks and reds and blues all mixed together to make the most incredible sky. Right after the intense few days of rain, the opening up of the sky was breathtaking. After the sun went down we explored the bush at night, using big spotlights attached to the jeep to spot zebra, wildebeest and antelopes. Again, on our way out of the park that night, we spotted the adult male lion; our guide told us it was the same one. This time, he was with his brother and they both just strolled down the path next to us for quite a while. Their orangey mane shone in the light and I was amazed by the magnificence of their size and body – it was the king of the jungle in the flesh. We later returned to the lodge for our last evening together, we had a wonderful dinner and went to bed early to get ready for the last early morning game drive and flight back to Cape Town.
On our final game drive everybody really wanted to see a rhino. We were told that Pilansberg had a healthy population, and we should see plenty. So – that was the goal of the morning. Our guide, Voter, told us to continually look out the sides of the jeep, to keep scanning our eyes for anything moving. We trekked around for nearly an hour before taking a break and exploring a watering hole. I guess it is protocol for the protection of visitors, but no one was allowed to get out of the jeep at any point during our game drives except in designated rest stops along the way. So when we could finally get out and walk around a little (still in a very fenced in area), it was amazing to take it all in from the ground level. We saw probably fifty beautiful birds congregating on a tree limb in the water, hippos bathing themselves and the sun slowly emerging over the mountains. We then got back in the jeep to continue our search for a rhino. We kept driving and driving, asking other jeeps that we met on the path but we couldn’t seem to turn up any leads. And just as we were all about to give up, someone yelled “Rhino! Rhino!” and there he was, right out the window – disguised through shrubbery and grass was the most beautiful black rhino standing in the distance. The trees were blocking our ability to really take any pictures, but I kind of almost liked that better. We could only enjoy him for this one moment, and I think everyone appreciated it so much more because of that. It was the absolute perfect way to end the safari.
We then returned to the Lodge for breakfast and watched a short demonstration by the guides on the poisonous snakes of the bush. They showed us three deadly snakes, I can’t remember their names – I was too focused on making sure they stayed where they were. One of them puffed up when it was angered, one spit poisonous venom nearly five feet away and the other looked like an innocent black snake. This last one they said was the most dangerous; if a bite by him was left untreated it would paralyze a human in just a few hours. We later checked out of the Lodge and proceeded back on the bus to Johannesburg for our flight to Cape Town. On our way to the airport we drove right through downtown Victoria, another major city in South Africa – it was great to see another place and have another point of reference. We eventually made it back to Johannesburg where we had a few hours in the airport before our flight. Many of the other SAS kids on other safaris were also in the airport, so it was fun to meet back up with everyone and compare our experiences. We arrived back in Cape Town later that evening and I met up with Nicci and Mckenzie for a great dinner on Long Street.
Our final day in Cape Town also happened to be Easter Sunday. I love Easter, and truthfully – the day made me miss home a little. I love seeing the Bradford pear trees in bloom and greeting everyone at church in Galax. It’s a day to be with your family. Because of all of this, I felt this inner need to go to church. I found that so many other people felt the same. We decided to attend St. George’s Cathedral, an Anglican Church right in the heart of downtown Cape Town. It serves as the seat of the Archbishop of Cape Town, a position held most notably by Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Tutu served as the first black South African Archbishop of Cape Town and was an outspoken opponent of apartheid in the 1980’s. He now is a famous human rights activist and will actually be traveling on the entire Fall 2010 Semester at Sea voyage. But besides the Cathedral’s notoriety, it was also beautiful. Spanning a whole city block, St. George’s sheer size attests to how important a place it is. It is stone with beautiful stain glass throughout.
Colonized by the British in the 1800’s, South Africa is still impacted by its colonial legacy. St. George’s was built during the height of British imperialism; the land it sits on was donated to the Anglican Church by the colonial government. My favorite class this semester has been the History of the British Empire. We have learned the history of each of Britain’s satellite nations, many that we visited. The history of empire building struck me morally – so many indigenous cultures were lost with the arrival of the British, so many traditions and customs destroyed. Tutu is famous for stating “The missionaries came to Africa with a Bible and they said ‘Let us pray,’ and when we opened our eyes, we had the Bible, and they had our land.” It made me consider the implications of St. George’s Cathedral – what it meant when it was built in the 1830’s and how it has evolved over time since then.
I can honestly say it was one of the most beautiful, meaningful, and special services I have ever attended. At several points throughout the service, I felt a little lump in my throat – not because I was sad, but because I was so happy, so moved, and so completely and utterly touched by the beauty I was sitting in, listening to and experiencing around me. The service was conducted in English, Afrikaans, and Xhosa. I loved that it was all in different languages – I could hear the differences, but the amazing thing is that we were all hearing the same message. Religion has been a learning experience for me this semester. I’ve seen spirituality expressed through countless mediums, in a variety of cultures. It is used as a tool for social control, for personal fulfillment, for a way to connect with lost ancestors and to answer questions that don’t have answers. Yet, it has started wars, divided nations, and created prejudice and intolerance. I can’t define what is right or wrong in a religious sense anymore. I can’t determine that those people who dove in the Ganges to cleanse their sins were any better or worse than the wonderful monks in Vietnam who opened their home to us. I can’t state that the message I received on Easter morning in St. George’s Cathedral was any more correct than the one given to listeners at the Shinto Shrine in Tokyo on that cold afternoon in February. All I know is that there is a Higher Being, and I felt its presence that Easter morning. I felt a part of something bigger. I think I will always look back on my Easter 2010, sitting in Cape Town, South Africa. The church of Desmond Tutu, the living leader on human rights, only added to the experience. I hope that I don’t have to spend too many more Easters away from my family, but I will never forget the beauty of the entire day.
We later had a great lunch on Long Street and made our way back to the harbor. There we did a little shopping and listened to some music in the street. We were hoping to take a cable car to the top of Table Mountain, but unfortunately there were such high winds the entire mountain was closed for the day. It being Easter weekend, we were also unable to schedule a trip to Robben Island – the location where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years. These two things, along with a township visit are things that I must go back and do at some point in my life.
Another thing that was great about porting in Cape Town was the hype that is surrounding South Africa’s hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup this summer. Right near our port is the stadium where the majority of the final rounds will be played and the whole city, and nation, is just buzzing with excitement. Along the way, I discovered that engaging anyone in a conversation on football was an instant connection, so many people loved opening up about their lives following a little interest in the sport. Every taxi driver loved providing us with their predictions and seemed so excited to share with us which games they would be attending. There are not many things that I have found to be universal in the world, but on the second half of the voyage – soccer is definitely it.
On our final day, we learned of the murder of a prominent white supremacist and long time apartheid defender. The news made headlines on CNN, our only free news site on the ship and was mentioned in the Easter service as well. Killed outside Johannesburg by some of his workers, his death echoed throughout Cape Town and brought us all back to reality. We were in a country still facing harsh racial divides, the years of racial equality six years younger than me. South Africa paints a nice façade, the appearance of a nation marked by progress, change. And I think that there has been major progress and major change. Nelson Mandela led the way. But I think it is still very fresh. I could feel the injustice - I could see it in the townships, I could hear it in the conversations – and it haunted me. South Africa was the most Western nation we visited, so many times I felt like I could have been in the United States. But then I would be jolted back to reality. South Africa still has a long way to go and I look forward to the progress that I hope it continues to make in the future. I hope that when I go back to visit, I don’t feel the same divides I felt during this trip, that the residents of the townships will be provided with better living amenities and that the entire nation follows the path of Mrs. Biehl, towards forgiveness, tolerance and peace.
While I do hate that I missed a chance to see certain things in Cape Town, I don’t regret how I spent any of my time. Shark diving was epic and the safari was absolutely incredible. It was one of the first ports that I was really able to sit back and enjoy my experiences, not constantly worrying about traveling, picture taking or retaining information. I loved looking out onto the bush, listening to the sounds of nature and just taking it in. It was personal and introspective. I think there is so much in the world that we fill with incessant talking, stress and unimportant consideration. Having a chance to just look at nature – and the beings that survive within the wild, helped me put it all in perspective. My time in South Africa was incredibly special. I know that I will return one day, I look forward to that. Until then, I will reflect on the things I learned during my stay, the beautiful animals that I saw in the wild, the adrenaline rush as a dove into that steel cage, the magnificence of Easter Sunday, and the impact the act of forgiveness can make on an individual and a nation.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
“You gather the idea that Mauritius was made first, and then Heaven; and that Heaven was copied after Mauritius” -Mark Twain, 1897
The next morning we woke up and headed to Flic en Flac Beach, on another part of the island. It was a beautiful clear day, the perfect weather for the beach. Our cab driver drove us through different sections of the island, describing each community along the way. I was glad to try and at least get a little of the culture, I felt a little guilty spending our entire time on the beach. But then how couldn’t we? We were actually in paradise! We had a wonderful afternoon laying out, swimming and taking in the gorgeous scenery. We eventually made our way back to the ship to depart for South Africa. Mark Twain’s quote is the essence of the island, and Mauritians know it – they are very proud to be residents of such a beautiful nation.
I had never heard of Mauritius before I saw it on the itinerary for Semester at Sea. I couldn’t even pronounce it correctly. And honestly, I spent the majority of my time there soaking in the beauty while lying on the white sand beaches and enjoying the company of the awesome friends that I have made on this trip. Yet, I still feel like I learned – I learned the history of the island, which included the fateful tale of the Dodo bird. Mauritius is notoriously known as the onetime home of the extinct Dodo bird. Dodo birds were killed off by settlers when the island was first discovered. Weighing nearly 40 pounds and standing a few feet high, the Dodo bird was typically clubbed to death and eaten. Instead of running away when they saw what was happening to their friends, the Dodo birds would just wait for themselves to be clubbed and were considered really stupid. That’s where the term “you’re a dodo” comes from! Anyway, for some reason, Mauritius likes the history of the Dodo bird and it is sort of their national symbol. I also learned that the people are incredibly tolerant. Home to several different ethnic groups with a wide variety of national languages, the people of Mauritius have peacefully learned to coexist.
I liked the attitude of the people, they were warm and friendly – but also exuded a feeling of pride and confidence. While not yet on the mainland, my first visit to an African nation was wonderful. I would have thought that by now I would get used to the ocean, seeing it out my window every day. But I don’t think you ever really get used to it. It shows me something new each day, a new tinge of color in the water, a different sun set each night. And the waters and shores of Mauritius cannot be compared with anything else in the world.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Neptune Day
During our week at sea between India and Mauritius, we crossed the equator for the first time! March 20 was Neptune Day – the traditional sailors’ celebration to commemorate the event. We were woken up very early in the morning to the sounds of beating drums, whistles and loud celebration. Over the intercom we were told to put on our bathing suits and head straight to deck 7, the pool deck. There, we were all told the history of Neptune Day; it was an old tradition of merchant sailors whenever they crossed the equator to be covered in chum and to shave their head. One by one, we all entered the pool, were doused with green fish guts, instructed to kiss a giant dead fish and then knighted by “King Neptune,” Professor Gogniant, our Global Studies professor. After that, kids starting lining up to shave their heads. I couldn’t believe how many people decided to do it! Don’t worry, I didn’t.
Neptune Day was the embodiment of everything that I love about this trip. The ocean that day was the most beautiful of the entire voyage. When Mckenzie and I woke up that morning, we looked out the window to a completely flat, blue ocean. It was like we were floating on a giant lake – not the Indian Ocean. It looked like royal blue glass – so calm and gorgeous, the pictures that I took can’t do it justice.
We didn’t have class and so we were all able to relax and enjoy the beauty of the day. We later had another great cookout on deck 7 and watched the sunset. I saw the green flash as the sun entered the ocean for the first time! (I always thought that was a myth, but it really does happen)
Later that night, there was a ship wide talent show. We all crammed in the Union to listen to so many talented people sing, play instruments and read poetry. I was blown away by all the talented people that I am living among!
Every day I find myself realizing that this trip is dwindling day by day. It makes me sad and anxious. I am nervous I’m not doing everything to the fullest potential – I want to get the maximum I can out of this trip. But then I remember days like Neptune Day and I realize that I am. I prepared for this semester for nearly a year and will look back on this semester for the rest of my life. But the time actually living this semester is so limited – every day is a gift that I cherish, including the day that I ventured across the equator covered in fish guts.
Neptune Day was the embodiment of everything that I love about this trip. The ocean that day was the most beautiful of the entire voyage. When Mckenzie and I woke up that morning, we looked out the window to a completely flat, blue ocean. It was like we were floating on a giant lake – not the Indian Ocean. It looked like royal blue glass – so calm and gorgeous, the pictures that I took can’t do it justice.
We didn’t have class and so we were all able to relax and enjoy the beauty of the day. We later had another great cookout on deck 7 and watched the sunset. I saw the green flash as the sun entered the ocean for the first time! (I always thought that was a myth, but it really does happen)
Later that night, there was a ship wide talent show. We all crammed in the Union to listen to so many talented people sing, play instruments and read poetry. I was blown away by all the talented people that I am living among!
Every day I find myself realizing that this trip is dwindling day by day. It makes me sad and anxious. I am nervous I’m not doing everything to the fullest potential – I want to get the maximum I can out of this trip. But then I remember days like Neptune Day and I realize that I am. I prepared for this semester for nearly a year and will look back on this semester for the rest of my life. But the time actually living this semester is so limited – every day is a gift that I cherish, including the day that I ventured across the equator covered in fish guts.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
India
We ported in Chennai, India on March 11 after a week at sea. It was so nice to have that week on the ship – to catch up on work, catch up with friends and really feel at home. It’s funny, but coming back to the ship whenever we are away on trips, I feel this sense of love and belonging whenever I see that big boat in the harbor. It has been my constant as I see and experience new and different things every day. We’ll be riding in a taxi and when we finally see the ship over buildings and streets, everyone will always be like “Aw the ship! We’re home!” Especially with all the quick traveling between Japan and China and Vietnam, that week was such a great way to recharge our batteries and really get excited for India. I think I appreciated getting off the ship so much more with a longer stint at sea.
There was a lot of preport preparation for India. We were told repeatedly of the importance of the customs and maintaining respect and honor during our trip. It was labeled “The Big One” by the Deans and the doctor – the big one for our experiences (and chances for any illnesses imaginable) Also, my history class Women in India really provided me with insight into the sort of conditions we would be experiencing. They asked that all women wear pants below your knees and shirts that covered your shoulders, and preferably elbows. This wouldn’t have been that hard to do if it wasn’t 100 degrees outside, that made it a little trickier. There are several India specialists on the ship, anthropologists, historians, sociologists – all with conflicting opinions on what we should expect and how we should handle our experience. They left me with a feeling of excitement, but also with confusion – they told us not to be shocked by anything, we would see poverty in ways we couldn’t imagine, customs we couldn’t understand, and lifestyles totally different from our own. All these warnings were helpful, and all true.
When we port in different countries we usually dock in cruise terminals, with nice little shops and clean areas to walk through to get to and from the ship. We are dropped in this artificial world of tourism, without any sense of the real people. But in India, there are no cruise terminals, so we docked in an industrial shipping yard, a very different environment than how we have grown accustomed to disembarking. Customs was unorganized, difficult and lengthy. We were given our passport, a passport copy, and an arrival card to all keep up with. We had to carry all these documents on us at all times, because we were occasionally searched and asked for our documentation.
After finally getting off the ship, we were immediately bombarded with taxi and rickshaw drivers, imploring us to take their cab or rickshaw. The port area was confusing and disorganized and within minutes of setting foot into India, we were all very overwhelmed. We eventually figured out that we had to walk about 10 minutes down a road to leave the port gates to really enter the city. That walk was pretty eye opening. Everything was completely covered in black filth and it didn’t take long for all of us to look like we hadn’t showered in days. There were huge industrial trucks lining the roads, no sidewalks and just empty dilapidated buildings all around us. We finally made it to the port gate where we were bombarded again with drivers asking to take us anywhere we pleased. We were told by the Foreign Service officers in Chennai to really stick with the rickshaws, they were the cheapest and easiest way to maneuver around town. But they also said to make sure they didn’t try to make any stops along the way (this happened almost every time.) We eventually negotiated a price with a very persistent rickshaw driver to take us to Spencer’s Plaza – a local market and shopping area where we were told we could buy original goods. I really wanted to get a Sari – the traditional Indian dress. As expected, about halfway through our trip to the Plaza, the driver pulled over at a local market and told us to please spend five minutes inside shopping. The diplomats had warned us about this – that every driver gets a cut for taking foreigners to local shops along their route. Knowing what to do, we remained in the rickshaw and he eventually took us the rest of the way, disappointed. But that rickshaw ride was one of my favorite experiences in all of India. It was about a 40 minute drive, we just gazed out the sides taking in every sight, sound and smell. Chennai is a pretty large city in the South of India, but the infrastructure is still very limited. The roads were mostly dirt and were overflowing with rickshaws. We would pass huge families crammed in one tiny rickshaw – the children waving happily at us as we drove by. It was a great way to really see the city. Once again, I am blown away by the traffic. Port after port it just keeps getting crazier. In India there are absolutely no traffic laws, you are totally left to fend for yourself. I don’t know how anyone can drive like that, or get from place to place safely all the time. It was also my first chance to really see poverty as we had been warned about up close. There would be an immaculately nice office building backed right up to unroofed slums – small children begging with little bare feet in the dirt while men drove by in huge luxury cars. The economic disparity is huge – and very apparent.
We eventually reached Spencer’s Plaza, which turned out to be more like a mall than we had expected. But this was our only free day during our time in India without planned trips, so we wanted to spend it making sure we got all the mementoes we wanted. We stumbled upon a little cloth and fabric store owned by the sweetest older man I’ve ever met. Like most of the residents of Chennai, he knew that “big boat of Americans” was coming that day. He and his wife serve as homestay parents to Semester at Sea kids every semester and he was so friendly and warm, we all immediately felt at ease. We shopped around for the majority of the afternoon and had lunch inside the Plaza a little food court type area. I was a little hesitant about the food in India – so worried that I would eat something bad and not be able to fully experience the country. Dr. Mort gave a detailed debriefing prior to our entry and suggested we all take “pepto prophylaxis” with every meal while in India. We all did this religiously and luckily avoided any type of sickness. “Pepto prophylaxis” has become sort of a running joke on the ship – but no one is questioning its power. I just pointed to a picture on the menu, not knowing what I would end up with – it sort of was like a cheese quesadilla, served with a side of several different sauces and mixtures. Everything was incredibly spicy; I drank 3 bottles of water in that single sitting. Later, we explored around Spencer’s a little more, and we finally stumbled upon a dress shop. There, little Indian women were so excited to help us pick out our saris. We all tried on several before deciding on the ones that were right for us. The one I picked out is red with a brightly colored matching scarf and pants – I’m not sure where I’ll ever wear it, but it is beautiful. We later took a rickshaw back towards the ship, giving us another chance to see the city before heading back to the ship for a much needed shower. The crew on board the ship placed cardboard and plastic wrap over all the floors on the ship to prevent us from tracking in dirt. By the time we got back – the cardboard floors were already black. I have never seen dust, dirt and filth like I did that first day in Chennai. This might be too much information but I think it sums up the situation – anytime I blew my nose, the Kleenex would be black. We were inhaling soot and dirt for six days straight.
The next morning I had to wake up very early (3:30 am) to meet my group for our Semester at Sea planned trip to the Taj Mahal and Varanasi. This early morning routine became the norm during our time in India – it was quite a strenuous trip. We took a bus to the Chennai airport in the dark of night, as we drove we passed by a beach where a beautiful moon overlooked the ocean. We passed through security at the airport and boarded our flight to Delhi. After landing in Delhi, we remained on the same plane, with about an hour break on the tarmac and then took our second flight to Varanasi. Varanasi is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, located on the banks of the Ganges River; it is one of the holiest sites in the world for Hindus. The city feels old. Located in the northern part of India, there was definitely a difference in temperature, attitude and lifestyle with that of the south. Walking through the streets, I could feel the history, encapsulated in centuries of tradition, custom and ritual. We checked into our hotel where we were warmly greeted with tea and all had our foreheads painted with a bindi. Bindis are a small typically red dot placed right in the center of your face – between your eyes. Indians believe that your forehead is an empty space that needs to be made beautiful; the same concept is sometimes also applied to the neck. We had lunch at our hotel before leaving for an afternoon visit to a silk market. I was blown away by the intricacies of silk making. One man would sit behind a loom for hours to create masterpieces. He told us that it took about one week, working 10 hours a day, to produce one line in a silk wall hanging, which was probably about 5 feet by 7 feet. The work was tedious, but absolutely beautiful. After the silk market we proceed to a neighboring town called Sarnath. Sarnath is believed to be the location of the Buddha’s first sermon – a site incredibly holy to Buddhists. While there isn’t really any empirical evidence that Buddha was actually ever in Sarnath, or was actually a real person at all – it is an incredibly holy place and pilgrimage site for Buddhists. We first visited the museum, where there was room after room of excavated statues, clay pottery and ancient artifacts. We then visited the ruins of an ancient monastery where a group of monks was leading an afternoon service. Upon leaving the ruins, we were absolutely mobbed with people trying to sell us things on the street – it was incredibly overwhelming. We then visited the new Buddhist temple in Sarnath, a beautiful space that was ornately decorated. Afterwards, we proceeded back to Varanasi to watch Ganga Aarti at Dasaswamedh Ghat on the banks of the Ganges River. Ganga Aarti is a religious ceremony preformed in the evenings right on the river banks. The Ganges River is said to be one of the most holy places for a Hindu – and if you die in Varanasi then your soul goes straight to Heaven without any waiting or verdict, it is immediate acceptance into the next world. It is believed that the Ganges is full of Shakti, or divine spiritual power. Because of this, if you wash your body in the Ganges then you are immediately forgiven for your sins – once again purified in the eyes of God. But because of the belief that if you die in Varanasi you will immediately enter Heaven, the banks of the Ganges are full of dilapidated “death houses” – where people pilgrimage to await their death. There was this weird eerie feeling of lurking death in Varanasi that I can’t really describe, but the imminence of the end of life and the waiting for it was just a really strange concept for me to consider. We all took rickshaws from a side street to the banks of the river, once again I loved being able to take in my complete surroundings. The streets were packed with rickshaws and bicycles, the traffic constantly slowed down by the huge cows that would just lie in the middle of the street. No one ever attempted to make the cattle move, but just peacefully waited for them to move along on their own. I was never really given a straight answer on why the cow is so sacred, just that a lot of great Brahmins (the highest caste) were reincarnated between their human lives as cows. I’ve never had such a sensory over load as I did in that rickshaw on the way to the Ganges. There were night markets open, people moving in every direction, food being cooked and so much going on it was hard to take it all in. We finally reached the river where the ceremony had already begun. By this time it was dark outside and we just quietly watched as people sang songs and spread incense and prayed. Many participants in the ceremony were in canoes in the river along the bank. I wish that I could have understood better what was going on, but it was very beautiful. And I’m sure very meaningful to Hindus. Standing so near the water, the mosquitoes were incredibly bad. They were so thick it was all I could see when looking out onto the water. Luckily, I was pretty much drenched in deet and have been taking my malaria medicine pretty religiously – but it was still pretty gross. We later took rickshaws back to meet our bus to take us back to our hotel. We all prepared for our early morning wakeup call the next morning to watch the sunrise on the Ganges.
We had a 4:30 wakeup call the next morning, so we quickly had a little coffee and boarded the bus to take us back to the banks of the Ganges for the sunrise. We all boarded a large wooden boat while it was still dark outside to begin our float down the Ganges. We were able to watch the city come alive at dawn, one of the most beautiful sites I’ve ever seen. As the sun started to rise, people began entering the holy waters, bathing and washing away their sin and releasing their souls from the cycle of rebirth. This ritual has been practiced for centuries, and I felt so small, surrounded by the magnitude of this historic and traditional act. We floated for about an hour, passing religious site after site, death house after house, until we reached the sacred crematorium. Another part of the Hindu religion is that the deceased must be cremated. Those cremated along the Ganges are said to be the most holy, devout, soon to be dwellers of Heaven. The crematorium was basically just a large bank on the side of the river with big ditches dug out where several small fires were being controlled by workers. We watched as families mourned while witnessing the cremation of loved ones, one of the most gruesome – yet beautiful things I’ve experienced on this trip. It was this morning where I really witnessed the beauty of life and death. I saw young children following their parents into the water to cleanse their sins, and then I saw grown children mourning the loss of their mothers and fathers. These simple acts were wrapped in generations of religious tradition; I was overcome with so many feelings, but mostly I was in awe of how spectacular it was to be in a wooden boat on the Ganges River – one of the birthplaces of civilization. We got out of the boat right past the crematorium to take a walk through downtown Varanasi. As we walked, dust, dirt and ash would surround us, I had to breathe through my scarf the majority of the morning. By the time we arrived back at the hotel for breakfast, most all of our clothes were black with dirt and soot. After breakfast, we visited a glass bead shop where we were all given a lesson in bead making. We shopped for a little while and the proceeded back to our hotel to check out and head towards the airport for our return trip to Delhi. The Varanasi airport was quite an experience. It was literally two rooms, one seating area prior to “security” and one after. It was the most rinky-dink airport imaginable; we walked straight from security to the tarmac where we boarded the plane back to Delhi. After our arrival in Delhi we took a city tour which included driving down Santi Path (which means the road to peace) where all the embassies are located. We passed the War Memorial, Parliament House, secretariat buildings and the official residence of the President of India. We then visited the Birla Temple – a beautiful complex located right in downtown Delhi. Afterwards, we checked into our hotel – an unbelievable resort called the Ashok. While this was probably one of the nicest hotels in Delhi, the water in the shower was brown. I never felt like I was ever really clean. We had some free time before dinner, so I ventured to a market with my friends Abby and Amy. Located outside, this market seemed to go on for miles. We all really wanted some henna on our hands – so we walked around until we found a little henna station, where the painters could whip out cool designs in seconds, I was amazed how quickly they could do it. We later took a rickshaw back to our hotel after spending probably a good half an hour trying to find an exit to the market.
The next morning we had a 4:15 wake up call to leave the hotel by 5am for our train ride to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. My experience in the train station in Delhi was one of the most eye opening experiences of my life. As soon as the bus pulled up to the station, child beggars, homeless people and many people with physical deformities swarmed the bus. This happened almost everywhere we went while on the trip in India – but at the train station at 5 in the morning was very overwhelming. We were told not to make eye contact, not to give them any money and just walk straight ahead. This was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. It hurt deep down inside to see the small children beg for money, food, and just some attention. We were told not to really compare our experiences in India to Slumdog Millionaire because “it’s not how it really is”. But the sheer magnitude of poverty that we saw that morning was spot on like the movie. Our tour guide told us that the child beggars’ bosses typically drug the smaller children, to make them appear less active. I’ve never felt quite as helpless as I did that morning. There was absolutely nothing I could do to help the situation, I could provide no type of solution and it hurt my soul. As we walked from the bus to the landing, we passed through this little covered area right outside the terminal. There, hundreds of people were sleeping under all sorts of cloths and blankets. It was the most unbelievable site. Here I was, boarding a train to see the Taj Mahal, while hundreds of people were struggling to get through the night asleep. It affected me profoundly. We’ve discussed on this trip very often about our position in the world – I’m living on a cruise liner, circumnavigating the globe while we visit and learn about people that are struggling to survive. How do I reconcile that? How do I make peace with that? I haven’t yet. But that morning in that train station changed something, in my outlook, my standpoint, and my perspective in relation to the world. I was horrified and moved, and changed.
We took the Shatabdi Express to Agra which was about a 3 hour trip. Upon arriving in Agra we visited the red sandstone palace of Fatehpur Sikri. 25 miles from Agra, Fatehpur Sikri was built by the emperor Akbar as his capital to honor a Muslim saint who prophesied the birth of his sole male heir. It was a beautiful compound and in a remarkably high state of preservation. My favorite part was looking out into the distance, we could see a large tomb area Akbar built for his beloved elephant when it died. It had a better burial than a lot of his family. Afterwards, we had lunch at a local hotel (we ate all of our meals in hotels – I think it was the only way they could really accommodate all of us). Afterwards we visited Agra Fort, home to the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal as a mausoleum for his wife Mumtaz Mahal after she died in childbirth. Agra Fort was incredibly beautiful, definitely an impressive home for an emperor. Looking out the windows of Agra Fort, we could see the Taj in the distance, which was an amazing viewpoint. We then finally proceeded to the Taj. Afraid that petroleum car emissions might damage the color of the Taj, only battery operated cars are allowed within one mile of it. We all had to board small battery cars to get to the gates. It was so hot outside, crammed into this little car was pretty miserable. We finally arrived at the gates where we waited what seemed like forever to clear security to go inside. We were all a little disappointed because we only were given about an hour to explore the entire grounds – we could have spent days there, taking it in from different angles and views. But we eventually made it through security and were given little shoe covers to wear inside. The Taj Mahal really is an architectural marvel. The symmetry, white marble design and color was breathtaking. It is said that the color changes slightly throughout the day, depending on the sun. We arrived a little after 4pm and by the time we left a little after 5, it looked different to me. It was very crowded, I wanted to take lots of pictures, but I felt I was missing out on taking in its beauty by being touristy. We just sat for several minutes, admiring it. Flanking the main mausoleum on either side are two mosques, not typically considered when you think of the Taj Mahal. These buildings were just as beautiful. We wanted to make sure we had time to actually enter inside, so we got in the long line wrapping all the way around the dome. Looking at the design up close, the intricacies of the marble inlay is absolutely unbelievable. Tiny flowers, designs and symbols cover the walls – the hours of labor to make such beauty I can’t even comprehend. We finally were able to quickly walk through inside and view Mumtaz Mahal’s tomb. The entire gate around her tomb was made out of one large piece of marble. I’ve always thought the Taj Mahal was beautiful, but I never really understood why it was such a “wonder”. I get it now. It has the perfect duality of simple and intricate. It is the physical manifestation of Shah Jahan’s love for Mumtaz. And looking at it from every angle shows you something different. While I would have loved to have spent a little more time admiring its beauty – I am just so glad I was able to visit such an amazing architectural feat. We later had dinner at a hotel and took the train back to Delhi.
For part of my grade for my Women in India class, I had to talk to someone about their social lifestyle in India. Since I was on the Semester at Sea trip, I really didn’t encounter too many people on my own. I decided to ask our tour leader Rajh some questions – which were incredibly eye opening and informative. He told me about his life in Delhi, which sounded very cosmopolitan and urban, not like the lives of the women in the villages we are reading about. He told me his family was in the process of selecting his future wife – and that arranged marriages were the duty of every Hindu man. I asked him if he found the love of his life, would he still allow his parents to arrange his marriage to a stranger. He replied, “I have loved already, that chapter is over, I now must fulfill my duty to my family.” He went on to say that his parents had “learned to love” each other and every day is a learning experience about the other person. This concept just seemed so foreign; but it was such a great conversations about the philosophy of love and duty and the differences in India and the United States.
The next morning we departed Delhi at 6am for our flight to Cochin to meet back up with the ship. It was one of the longest days of traveling I’ve ever experienced – every mode of transportation was delayed and took longer than expected. We finally arrived in Cochin late in the afternoon around 4pm and had to go through customs to enter the port. Cochin is located in the only communist state in India, which made customs logistically hard and time consuming. Every government agency in India is just a little disorganized. I kind of loved that about the country, but it did make traveling a little bit tough. Back in the southern part of India, it was so humid. I was so glad to get back to the ship for a real shower (with clear water).
On our final day in India I visited the SOS Children’s Village in Cochin in the afternoon. In the morning, Mckenzie, Kalyn, Sarah, Nicci and I ventured to find a local post office. We were told it wasn’t that far from the port, so we decided to walk and try and find it. The entire way there, there were 3 to 4 rickshaws following us, yelling “semesterrr, we’ll take you anywhere!” At this point, we’ve gotten pretty used to hecklers and persistent drivers and sellers – but India was really a whole new level. We eventually found the post office, and then had a little lunch a local restaurant. We all ordered something different; mine was sort of a pancake type crepe with potatoes and a spicy sauce on the inside. We then returned to the ship to get ready for our afternoon visit to the Children’s Village.
SOS Children’s Villages are orphanages that have been set up by UNICEF and are located throughout the world. After seeing the children in the train station in Delhi, I had to do some sort of service project while I was in India. We rode for about an hour and half to reach the village on the outskirts of Cochin. As soon as we stepped off the bus we were greeted by children with balloons, all coming up to us, holding our hands and greeting us so warmly. We were taken to their small outdoor auditorium where we each were painted with a bindi on the forehead and neck and given a full coconut to drink while we watched the children sing and dance. After their performances, we were taken to one of their homes. There are 20 houses located in the village, all with about 15-20 children living in each home. Their home is the center of their life, with all the rest of the children forming their family and all having one “mother” that watches over them. We sat on the floor and played, colored, and talked for about 2 hours that afternoon. The children in the house I visited were of all ages, but there were four young teenage girls, probably around the ages of 12 to 14, that I immediately connected with. They all spoke basic English and so I was able to really talk to them about their lives. They told me they had never seen “yellow” hair before, and just wanted to play with it and touch my skin. Before the trip, I got some really small plastic trinkets from Wal-Mart in Galax because I was told children on service trips would love having a little something. I passed out little rubber balls to the boys and little neon plastic rings to the girls and they loved them. I couldn’t believe how enamored these children were by such a small small thing. I talked to the girls about their life ambitions, what they wanted to do when they could not longer live in the village. One girl told me she wanted to be a nurse, and when I told her that my mom was a nurse, she beamed from ear to ear. I wish that I could remember her name, I want so badly to be able to write to her, keep up with her and know how her life progresses. It was a day I will never forget, I was completely amazed by these children. I also was amazed by their “mother” the kindest older lady I have ever met. What an amazing woman she was – to live her life in the service of these children who otherwise would have no maternal figure. That is the definition of love.
We returned to the ship later that evening and departed Cochin, India for Port Louis, Mauritius. My time in India was extraordinary. I have never been placed so far out of my comfort zone and been left with the implications of that. It made me consider my life, my small place within this massive world, and how lucky I am. While I think that my pre-arranged trip did limit my ability to really feel the culture first hand, I wouldn’t have been able to witness the incredible things I saw otherwise. With my love for history, Varanasi impacted me in ways I didn’t know that it would. I could feel the centuries of tradition around me, how much bigger these rituals were than you or me. I was witnessing history in action. The Taj Mahal is a masterpiece – and it deserves all of the recognition that it has ever received. I was in awe of its beauty, a structure that has no parallel. But my time in India was not defined by the sites that I saw or the pictures that I took – it was made by the people that I met and the conversations that I had. I will always feel incredibly lucky to have experienced those six days in India.
Everyone always says “this trip changes you – you will see.” I was waiting for the change, waiting for this big “ah ha” moment, when I would be a different person. I have learned it doesn’t work like that. It isn’t some cosmic shift in my personality, but tiny adjustments in how I view things within the world. India was the first time I felt my outlook being altered. Everything that I regarded within my frame of reference was questioned, considered and examined. I will always be indebted to India for showing me this, helping me to expand my outlook and slowly change how I view myself in relation to the world.
There was a lot of preport preparation for India. We were told repeatedly of the importance of the customs and maintaining respect and honor during our trip. It was labeled “The Big One” by the Deans and the doctor – the big one for our experiences (and chances for any illnesses imaginable) Also, my history class Women in India really provided me with insight into the sort of conditions we would be experiencing. They asked that all women wear pants below your knees and shirts that covered your shoulders, and preferably elbows. This wouldn’t have been that hard to do if it wasn’t 100 degrees outside, that made it a little trickier. There are several India specialists on the ship, anthropologists, historians, sociologists – all with conflicting opinions on what we should expect and how we should handle our experience. They left me with a feeling of excitement, but also with confusion – they told us not to be shocked by anything, we would see poverty in ways we couldn’t imagine, customs we couldn’t understand, and lifestyles totally different from our own. All these warnings were helpful, and all true.
When we port in different countries we usually dock in cruise terminals, with nice little shops and clean areas to walk through to get to and from the ship. We are dropped in this artificial world of tourism, without any sense of the real people. But in India, there are no cruise terminals, so we docked in an industrial shipping yard, a very different environment than how we have grown accustomed to disembarking. Customs was unorganized, difficult and lengthy. We were given our passport, a passport copy, and an arrival card to all keep up with. We had to carry all these documents on us at all times, because we were occasionally searched and asked for our documentation.
After finally getting off the ship, we were immediately bombarded with taxi and rickshaw drivers, imploring us to take their cab or rickshaw. The port area was confusing and disorganized and within minutes of setting foot into India, we were all very overwhelmed. We eventually figured out that we had to walk about 10 minutes down a road to leave the port gates to really enter the city. That walk was pretty eye opening. Everything was completely covered in black filth and it didn’t take long for all of us to look like we hadn’t showered in days. There were huge industrial trucks lining the roads, no sidewalks and just empty dilapidated buildings all around us. We finally made it to the port gate where we were bombarded again with drivers asking to take us anywhere we pleased. We were told by the Foreign Service officers in Chennai to really stick with the rickshaws, they were the cheapest and easiest way to maneuver around town. But they also said to make sure they didn’t try to make any stops along the way (this happened almost every time.) We eventually negotiated a price with a very persistent rickshaw driver to take us to Spencer’s Plaza – a local market and shopping area where we were told we could buy original goods. I really wanted to get a Sari – the traditional Indian dress. As expected, about halfway through our trip to the Plaza, the driver pulled over at a local market and told us to please spend five minutes inside shopping. The diplomats had warned us about this – that every driver gets a cut for taking foreigners to local shops along their route. Knowing what to do, we remained in the rickshaw and he eventually took us the rest of the way, disappointed. But that rickshaw ride was one of my favorite experiences in all of India. It was about a 40 minute drive, we just gazed out the sides taking in every sight, sound and smell. Chennai is a pretty large city in the South of India, but the infrastructure is still very limited. The roads were mostly dirt and were overflowing with rickshaws. We would pass huge families crammed in one tiny rickshaw – the children waving happily at us as we drove by. It was a great way to really see the city. Once again, I am blown away by the traffic. Port after port it just keeps getting crazier. In India there are absolutely no traffic laws, you are totally left to fend for yourself. I don’t know how anyone can drive like that, or get from place to place safely all the time. It was also my first chance to really see poverty as we had been warned about up close. There would be an immaculately nice office building backed right up to unroofed slums – small children begging with little bare feet in the dirt while men drove by in huge luxury cars. The economic disparity is huge – and very apparent.
We eventually reached Spencer’s Plaza, which turned out to be more like a mall than we had expected. But this was our only free day during our time in India without planned trips, so we wanted to spend it making sure we got all the mementoes we wanted. We stumbled upon a little cloth and fabric store owned by the sweetest older man I’ve ever met. Like most of the residents of Chennai, he knew that “big boat of Americans” was coming that day. He and his wife serve as homestay parents to Semester at Sea kids every semester and he was so friendly and warm, we all immediately felt at ease. We shopped around for the majority of the afternoon and had lunch inside the Plaza a little food court type area. I was a little hesitant about the food in India – so worried that I would eat something bad and not be able to fully experience the country. Dr. Mort gave a detailed debriefing prior to our entry and suggested we all take “pepto prophylaxis” with every meal while in India. We all did this religiously and luckily avoided any type of sickness. “Pepto prophylaxis” has become sort of a running joke on the ship – but no one is questioning its power. I just pointed to a picture on the menu, not knowing what I would end up with – it sort of was like a cheese quesadilla, served with a side of several different sauces and mixtures. Everything was incredibly spicy; I drank 3 bottles of water in that single sitting. Later, we explored around Spencer’s a little more, and we finally stumbled upon a dress shop. There, little Indian women were so excited to help us pick out our saris. We all tried on several before deciding on the ones that were right for us. The one I picked out is red with a brightly colored matching scarf and pants – I’m not sure where I’ll ever wear it, but it is beautiful. We later took a rickshaw back towards the ship, giving us another chance to see the city before heading back to the ship for a much needed shower. The crew on board the ship placed cardboard and plastic wrap over all the floors on the ship to prevent us from tracking in dirt. By the time we got back – the cardboard floors were already black. I have never seen dust, dirt and filth like I did that first day in Chennai. This might be too much information but I think it sums up the situation – anytime I blew my nose, the Kleenex would be black. We were inhaling soot and dirt for six days straight.
The next morning I had to wake up very early (3:30 am) to meet my group for our Semester at Sea planned trip to the Taj Mahal and Varanasi. This early morning routine became the norm during our time in India – it was quite a strenuous trip. We took a bus to the Chennai airport in the dark of night, as we drove we passed by a beach where a beautiful moon overlooked the ocean. We passed through security at the airport and boarded our flight to Delhi. After landing in Delhi, we remained on the same plane, with about an hour break on the tarmac and then took our second flight to Varanasi. Varanasi is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, located on the banks of the Ganges River; it is one of the holiest sites in the world for Hindus. The city feels old. Located in the northern part of India, there was definitely a difference in temperature, attitude and lifestyle with that of the south. Walking through the streets, I could feel the history, encapsulated in centuries of tradition, custom and ritual. We checked into our hotel where we were warmly greeted with tea and all had our foreheads painted with a bindi. Bindis are a small typically red dot placed right in the center of your face – between your eyes. Indians believe that your forehead is an empty space that needs to be made beautiful; the same concept is sometimes also applied to the neck. We had lunch at our hotel before leaving for an afternoon visit to a silk market. I was blown away by the intricacies of silk making. One man would sit behind a loom for hours to create masterpieces. He told us that it took about one week, working 10 hours a day, to produce one line in a silk wall hanging, which was probably about 5 feet by 7 feet. The work was tedious, but absolutely beautiful. After the silk market we proceed to a neighboring town called Sarnath. Sarnath is believed to be the location of the Buddha’s first sermon – a site incredibly holy to Buddhists. While there isn’t really any empirical evidence that Buddha was actually ever in Sarnath, or was actually a real person at all – it is an incredibly holy place and pilgrimage site for Buddhists. We first visited the museum, where there was room after room of excavated statues, clay pottery and ancient artifacts. We then visited the ruins of an ancient monastery where a group of monks was leading an afternoon service. Upon leaving the ruins, we were absolutely mobbed with people trying to sell us things on the street – it was incredibly overwhelming. We then visited the new Buddhist temple in Sarnath, a beautiful space that was ornately decorated. Afterwards, we proceeded back to Varanasi to watch Ganga Aarti at Dasaswamedh Ghat on the banks of the Ganges River. Ganga Aarti is a religious ceremony preformed in the evenings right on the river banks. The Ganges River is said to be one of the most holy places for a Hindu – and if you die in Varanasi then your soul goes straight to Heaven without any waiting or verdict, it is immediate acceptance into the next world. It is believed that the Ganges is full of Shakti, or divine spiritual power. Because of this, if you wash your body in the Ganges then you are immediately forgiven for your sins – once again purified in the eyes of God. But because of the belief that if you die in Varanasi you will immediately enter Heaven, the banks of the Ganges are full of dilapidated “death houses” – where people pilgrimage to await their death. There was this weird eerie feeling of lurking death in Varanasi that I can’t really describe, but the imminence of the end of life and the waiting for it was just a really strange concept for me to consider. We all took rickshaws from a side street to the banks of the river, once again I loved being able to take in my complete surroundings. The streets were packed with rickshaws and bicycles, the traffic constantly slowed down by the huge cows that would just lie in the middle of the street. No one ever attempted to make the cattle move, but just peacefully waited for them to move along on their own. I was never really given a straight answer on why the cow is so sacred, just that a lot of great Brahmins (the highest caste) were reincarnated between their human lives as cows. I’ve never had such a sensory over load as I did in that rickshaw on the way to the Ganges. There were night markets open, people moving in every direction, food being cooked and so much going on it was hard to take it all in. We finally reached the river where the ceremony had already begun. By this time it was dark outside and we just quietly watched as people sang songs and spread incense and prayed. Many participants in the ceremony were in canoes in the river along the bank. I wish that I could have understood better what was going on, but it was very beautiful. And I’m sure very meaningful to Hindus. Standing so near the water, the mosquitoes were incredibly bad. They were so thick it was all I could see when looking out onto the water. Luckily, I was pretty much drenched in deet and have been taking my malaria medicine pretty religiously – but it was still pretty gross. We later took rickshaws back to meet our bus to take us back to our hotel. We all prepared for our early morning wakeup call the next morning to watch the sunrise on the Ganges.
We had a 4:30 wakeup call the next morning, so we quickly had a little coffee and boarded the bus to take us back to the banks of the Ganges for the sunrise. We all boarded a large wooden boat while it was still dark outside to begin our float down the Ganges. We were able to watch the city come alive at dawn, one of the most beautiful sites I’ve ever seen. As the sun started to rise, people began entering the holy waters, bathing and washing away their sin and releasing their souls from the cycle of rebirth. This ritual has been practiced for centuries, and I felt so small, surrounded by the magnitude of this historic and traditional act. We floated for about an hour, passing religious site after site, death house after house, until we reached the sacred crematorium. Another part of the Hindu religion is that the deceased must be cremated. Those cremated along the Ganges are said to be the most holy, devout, soon to be dwellers of Heaven. The crematorium was basically just a large bank on the side of the river with big ditches dug out where several small fires were being controlled by workers. We watched as families mourned while witnessing the cremation of loved ones, one of the most gruesome – yet beautiful things I’ve experienced on this trip. It was this morning where I really witnessed the beauty of life and death. I saw young children following their parents into the water to cleanse their sins, and then I saw grown children mourning the loss of their mothers and fathers. These simple acts were wrapped in generations of religious tradition; I was overcome with so many feelings, but mostly I was in awe of how spectacular it was to be in a wooden boat on the Ganges River – one of the birthplaces of civilization. We got out of the boat right past the crematorium to take a walk through downtown Varanasi. As we walked, dust, dirt and ash would surround us, I had to breathe through my scarf the majority of the morning. By the time we arrived back at the hotel for breakfast, most all of our clothes were black with dirt and soot. After breakfast, we visited a glass bead shop where we were all given a lesson in bead making. We shopped for a little while and the proceeded back to our hotel to check out and head towards the airport for our return trip to Delhi. The Varanasi airport was quite an experience. It was literally two rooms, one seating area prior to “security” and one after. It was the most rinky-dink airport imaginable; we walked straight from security to the tarmac where we boarded the plane back to Delhi. After our arrival in Delhi we took a city tour which included driving down Santi Path (which means the road to peace) where all the embassies are located. We passed the War Memorial, Parliament House, secretariat buildings and the official residence of the President of India. We then visited the Birla Temple – a beautiful complex located right in downtown Delhi. Afterwards, we checked into our hotel – an unbelievable resort called the Ashok. While this was probably one of the nicest hotels in Delhi, the water in the shower was brown. I never felt like I was ever really clean. We had some free time before dinner, so I ventured to a market with my friends Abby and Amy. Located outside, this market seemed to go on for miles. We all really wanted some henna on our hands – so we walked around until we found a little henna station, where the painters could whip out cool designs in seconds, I was amazed how quickly they could do it. We later took a rickshaw back to our hotel after spending probably a good half an hour trying to find an exit to the market.
The next morning we had a 4:15 wake up call to leave the hotel by 5am for our train ride to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. My experience in the train station in Delhi was one of the most eye opening experiences of my life. As soon as the bus pulled up to the station, child beggars, homeless people and many people with physical deformities swarmed the bus. This happened almost everywhere we went while on the trip in India – but at the train station at 5 in the morning was very overwhelming. We were told not to make eye contact, not to give them any money and just walk straight ahead. This was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. It hurt deep down inside to see the small children beg for money, food, and just some attention. We were told not to really compare our experiences in India to Slumdog Millionaire because “it’s not how it really is”. But the sheer magnitude of poverty that we saw that morning was spot on like the movie. Our tour guide told us that the child beggars’ bosses typically drug the smaller children, to make them appear less active. I’ve never felt quite as helpless as I did that morning. There was absolutely nothing I could do to help the situation, I could provide no type of solution and it hurt my soul. As we walked from the bus to the landing, we passed through this little covered area right outside the terminal. There, hundreds of people were sleeping under all sorts of cloths and blankets. It was the most unbelievable site. Here I was, boarding a train to see the Taj Mahal, while hundreds of people were struggling to get through the night asleep. It affected me profoundly. We’ve discussed on this trip very often about our position in the world – I’m living on a cruise liner, circumnavigating the globe while we visit and learn about people that are struggling to survive. How do I reconcile that? How do I make peace with that? I haven’t yet. But that morning in that train station changed something, in my outlook, my standpoint, and my perspective in relation to the world. I was horrified and moved, and changed.
We took the Shatabdi Express to Agra which was about a 3 hour trip. Upon arriving in Agra we visited the red sandstone palace of Fatehpur Sikri. 25 miles from Agra, Fatehpur Sikri was built by the emperor Akbar as his capital to honor a Muslim saint who prophesied the birth of his sole male heir. It was a beautiful compound and in a remarkably high state of preservation. My favorite part was looking out into the distance, we could see a large tomb area Akbar built for his beloved elephant when it died. It had a better burial than a lot of his family. Afterwards, we had lunch at a local hotel (we ate all of our meals in hotels – I think it was the only way they could really accommodate all of us). Afterwards we visited Agra Fort, home to the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal as a mausoleum for his wife Mumtaz Mahal after she died in childbirth. Agra Fort was incredibly beautiful, definitely an impressive home for an emperor. Looking out the windows of Agra Fort, we could see the Taj in the distance, which was an amazing viewpoint. We then finally proceeded to the Taj. Afraid that petroleum car emissions might damage the color of the Taj, only battery operated cars are allowed within one mile of it. We all had to board small battery cars to get to the gates. It was so hot outside, crammed into this little car was pretty miserable. We finally arrived at the gates where we waited what seemed like forever to clear security to go inside. We were all a little disappointed because we only were given about an hour to explore the entire grounds – we could have spent days there, taking it in from different angles and views. But we eventually made it through security and were given little shoe covers to wear inside. The Taj Mahal really is an architectural marvel. The symmetry, white marble design and color was breathtaking. It is said that the color changes slightly throughout the day, depending on the sun. We arrived a little after 4pm and by the time we left a little after 5, it looked different to me. It was very crowded, I wanted to take lots of pictures, but I felt I was missing out on taking in its beauty by being touristy. We just sat for several minutes, admiring it. Flanking the main mausoleum on either side are two mosques, not typically considered when you think of the Taj Mahal. These buildings were just as beautiful. We wanted to make sure we had time to actually enter inside, so we got in the long line wrapping all the way around the dome. Looking at the design up close, the intricacies of the marble inlay is absolutely unbelievable. Tiny flowers, designs and symbols cover the walls – the hours of labor to make such beauty I can’t even comprehend. We finally were able to quickly walk through inside and view Mumtaz Mahal’s tomb. The entire gate around her tomb was made out of one large piece of marble. I’ve always thought the Taj Mahal was beautiful, but I never really understood why it was such a “wonder”. I get it now. It has the perfect duality of simple and intricate. It is the physical manifestation of Shah Jahan’s love for Mumtaz. And looking at it from every angle shows you something different. While I would have loved to have spent a little more time admiring its beauty – I am just so glad I was able to visit such an amazing architectural feat. We later had dinner at a hotel and took the train back to Delhi.
For part of my grade for my Women in India class, I had to talk to someone about their social lifestyle in India. Since I was on the Semester at Sea trip, I really didn’t encounter too many people on my own. I decided to ask our tour leader Rajh some questions – which were incredibly eye opening and informative. He told me about his life in Delhi, which sounded very cosmopolitan and urban, not like the lives of the women in the villages we are reading about. He told me his family was in the process of selecting his future wife – and that arranged marriages were the duty of every Hindu man. I asked him if he found the love of his life, would he still allow his parents to arrange his marriage to a stranger. He replied, “I have loved already, that chapter is over, I now must fulfill my duty to my family.” He went on to say that his parents had “learned to love” each other and every day is a learning experience about the other person. This concept just seemed so foreign; but it was such a great conversations about the philosophy of love and duty and the differences in India and the United States.
The next morning we departed Delhi at 6am for our flight to Cochin to meet back up with the ship. It was one of the longest days of traveling I’ve ever experienced – every mode of transportation was delayed and took longer than expected. We finally arrived in Cochin late in the afternoon around 4pm and had to go through customs to enter the port. Cochin is located in the only communist state in India, which made customs logistically hard and time consuming. Every government agency in India is just a little disorganized. I kind of loved that about the country, but it did make traveling a little bit tough. Back in the southern part of India, it was so humid. I was so glad to get back to the ship for a real shower (with clear water).
On our final day in India I visited the SOS Children’s Village in Cochin in the afternoon. In the morning, Mckenzie, Kalyn, Sarah, Nicci and I ventured to find a local post office. We were told it wasn’t that far from the port, so we decided to walk and try and find it. The entire way there, there were 3 to 4 rickshaws following us, yelling “semesterrr, we’ll take you anywhere!” At this point, we’ve gotten pretty used to hecklers and persistent drivers and sellers – but India was really a whole new level. We eventually found the post office, and then had a little lunch a local restaurant. We all ordered something different; mine was sort of a pancake type crepe with potatoes and a spicy sauce on the inside. We then returned to the ship to get ready for our afternoon visit to the Children’s Village.
SOS Children’s Villages are orphanages that have been set up by UNICEF and are located throughout the world. After seeing the children in the train station in Delhi, I had to do some sort of service project while I was in India. We rode for about an hour and half to reach the village on the outskirts of Cochin. As soon as we stepped off the bus we were greeted by children with balloons, all coming up to us, holding our hands and greeting us so warmly. We were taken to their small outdoor auditorium where we each were painted with a bindi on the forehead and neck and given a full coconut to drink while we watched the children sing and dance. After their performances, we were taken to one of their homes. There are 20 houses located in the village, all with about 15-20 children living in each home. Their home is the center of their life, with all the rest of the children forming their family and all having one “mother” that watches over them. We sat on the floor and played, colored, and talked for about 2 hours that afternoon. The children in the house I visited were of all ages, but there were four young teenage girls, probably around the ages of 12 to 14, that I immediately connected with. They all spoke basic English and so I was able to really talk to them about their lives. They told me they had never seen “yellow” hair before, and just wanted to play with it and touch my skin. Before the trip, I got some really small plastic trinkets from Wal-Mart in Galax because I was told children on service trips would love having a little something. I passed out little rubber balls to the boys and little neon plastic rings to the girls and they loved them. I couldn’t believe how enamored these children were by such a small small thing. I talked to the girls about their life ambitions, what they wanted to do when they could not longer live in the village. One girl told me she wanted to be a nurse, and when I told her that my mom was a nurse, she beamed from ear to ear. I wish that I could remember her name, I want so badly to be able to write to her, keep up with her and know how her life progresses. It was a day I will never forget, I was completely amazed by these children. I also was amazed by their “mother” the kindest older lady I have ever met. What an amazing woman she was – to live her life in the service of these children who otherwise would have no maternal figure. That is the definition of love.
We returned to the ship later that evening and departed Cochin, India for Port Louis, Mauritius. My time in India was extraordinary. I have never been placed so far out of my comfort zone and been left with the implications of that. It made me consider my life, my small place within this massive world, and how lucky I am. While I think that my pre-arranged trip did limit my ability to really feel the culture first hand, I wouldn’t have been able to witness the incredible things I saw otherwise. With my love for history, Varanasi impacted me in ways I didn’t know that it would. I could feel the centuries of tradition around me, how much bigger these rituals were than you or me. I was witnessing history in action. The Taj Mahal is a masterpiece – and it deserves all of the recognition that it has ever received. I was in awe of its beauty, a structure that has no parallel. But my time in India was not defined by the sites that I saw or the pictures that I took – it was made by the people that I met and the conversations that I had. I will always feel incredibly lucky to have experienced those six days in India.
Everyone always says “this trip changes you – you will see.” I was waiting for the change, waiting for this big “ah ha” moment, when I would be a different person. I have learned it doesn’t work like that. It isn’t some cosmic shift in my personality, but tiny adjustments in how I view things within the world. India was the first time I felt my outlook being altered. Everything that I regarded within my frame of reference was questioned, considered and examined. I will always be indebted to India for showing me this, helping me to expand my outlook and slowly change how I view myself in relation to the world.
Friday, April 16, 2010
The Sea Olympics
On March 7, while at sea between Vietnam and India we celebrated the Sea Olympics. Every residential hall on the ship is divided into “seas”, sort of like our own dorm. There are about ten different “seas”, all having the name of one of the world’s seas. My hall, the Red Sea, competed against all the other seas in events all day long – from Simon Says, to synchronized swimming, pie eating contests, tug-o-war and a huge ship wide relay race. It was a nice break from classes and so much fun. There was an opening ceremony the night before and everyone got really into it. What was most exciting about the Olympics was the prize: the sea that wins gets to get off the ship first when we arrive in Fort Lauderdale on May 5th. While this didn’t sound like such an awesome prize to me, since I could stay on the ship forever, the prospect of not having to sit and go through customs all day long did sound nice. It was the most gorgeous day, clear skies and warm air – we were ahead of schedule so the Captain decided to anchor the ship in the middle of the Indian Ocean for the day. I can’t even describe how beautiful it was.
A few days before, we refueled the ship near the coast of Singapore, in the Straits of Malacca. The day that we were refueling, the Singapore government issued a terrorist warning for oil vessels operating in the Malaccan Straits –there is one section that narrows to just under a mile wide, this section has been known for is easy accessibility for pirates. It was all over CNN and the entire ship sort of buzzed with questions. The crew sped up the ship to over 24 knots, we hardly ever go that fast, to quickly get out of the area. We had armored ships on either side of us the entire time. It all turned out fine, and is a great story now – but at the time everyone was ready to get out of there.
But because of this incident, we were several hours ahead of schedule so we were able to just float the entire day – which was incredible.
There were different events scheduled throughout the day, each member of each sea having a different event. There was running scoreboard on every ship TV and we spent the majority of the day tied for about second place. Later, we won the ship wide relay but we had to wait until the closing ceremonies to see who was crowned the winner. Before closing ceremonies we had an incredible cook out on the pool deck. It was a night that I will always remember. I don’t know if I have really ever felt more content in life. All of us just sitting outside listening to awesome music, eating great food with wonderful people and watching the sun set as we floated through the Indian Ocean. What an incredible memory I will always have. I will remember how I felt, so happy, so lucky. I kept thinking “Why do I get to experience such an incredible thing right now? How did I ever get to be so lucky?” That feeling has been recurrent throughout the entire voyage, but it all culminated on this evening and I was completely touched by my complete surroundings.
After dinner we all proceeded to the Union for the closing ceremonies. We waited patiently as each sea was called with the point totals. Finally – it became apparent that the Red Sea was going to win! We were all so excited and when our name was finally called there was mass celebration. It was so much fun, one of the best days of the trip certainly. And on May 5th I will be one of the very first ones to touch American soil, hug my mom and start the process of entering the real world again.
A few days before, we refueled the ship near the coast of Singapore, in the Straits of Malacca. The day that we were refueling, the Singapore government issued a terrorist warning for oil vessels operating in the Malaccan Straits –there is one section that narrows to just under a mile wide, this section has been known for is easy accessibility for pirates. It was all over CNN and the entire ship sort of buzzed with questions. The crew sped up the ship to over 24 knots, we hardly ever go that fast, to quickly get out of the area. We had armored ships on either side of us the entire time. It all turned out fine, and is a great story now – but at the time everyone was ready to get out of there.
But because of this incident, we were several hours ahead of schedule so we were able to just float the entire day – which was incredible.
There were different events scheduled throughout the day, each member of each sea having a different event. There was running scoreboard on every ship TV and we spent the majority of the day tied for about second place. Later, we won the ship wide relay but we had to wait until the closing ceremonies to see who was crowned the winner. Before closing ceremonies we had an incredible cook out on the pool deck. It was a night that I will always remember. I don’t know if I have really ever felt more content in life. All of us just sitting outside listening to awesome music, eating great food with wonderful people and watching the sun set as we floated through the Indian Ocean. What an incredible memory I will always have. I will remember how I felt, so happy, so lucky. I kept thinking “Why do I get to experience such an incredible thing right now? How did I ever get to be so lucky?” That feeling has been recurrent throughout the entire voyage, but it all culminated on this evening and I was completely touched by my complete surroundings.
After dinner we all proceeded to the Union for the closing ceremonies. We waited patiently as each sea was called with the point totals. Finally – it became apparent that the Red Sea was going to win! We were all so excited and when our name was finally called there was mass celebration. It was so much fun, one of the best days of the trip certainly. And on May 5th I will be one of the very first ones to touch American soil, hug my mom and start the process of entering the real world again.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Vietnam
We arrived in Ho Chi Minh City on February 26 early in the morning – already in the sweltering heat. We had an on ship diplomatic briefing before clearing customs. Customs luckily moved pretty quickly and soon we were on our way to downtown. The port terminal in Ho Chi Minh City was located about a mile outside the center of town, so Semester at Sea had charter buses constantly running – which made navigating around town much easier. We were told by the Foreign Service officers to only take one type of cab in Ho Chi Minh City, Vinasun, because all the others wouldn’t use a meter and would rip us off. The traffic is insane. I can’t think of any other way to put it. I thought that the traffic patterns in China were bad, but HCMC is ridiculous. The roads were overflowing with motorbikes, the most common form of transportation. Vietnam is at the level of development where most cannot afford a car, so families rely on motorbikes. We were warned in preport to walk at the same speed the entire time we were crossing the street, because motorbikes would time their route around our walking. It was so hard not to just sprint across when a loud motorbike was flying straight towards us. After a few days I got the hang of it, but in the beginning it was a little scary. So upon our arrival to downtown, we were immediately in search of a Vinasun cab to take us to the War Remnants Museum, formally called the Museum of American War Crimes. We were told that this museum would give us another side to the story of the Vietnam War (The American War as it’s called in Vietnam). In our two days at sea prior to Vietnam we learned so much about the war, listened to stories of veterans on the ship and I tried to mentally prepare to visit such a war torn nation. It excited me for the opportunity to visit such an important nation in my country’s history. But I quickly learned that the war that preoccupies the minds and memories of so many Americans does not do the same thing for the Vietnamese. They have moved on from the war, rebuilt, developed and have tried to forget. Sadly, the war with the United States, while it killed 3 million Vietnamese – is only one of the many wars that Vietnam has had to endure in its extensive history.
I have mixed feelings about my visit to the War Remnants Museum. The majority of the displays were grotesque pictures and one-sided analysis of the horrific actions of the United States during the war. The pictures are undeniable. The crimes which were committed by American soldiers were horrendous and unforgivable. I gazed upon picture after picture of burning villages, mangled babies and completely destroyed landscape. There were so many photos that I would never see in an American history textbook, so many that we have been shielded from to protect our perceptions of our military action. But maybe it is because I am an American, but I was upset by the presentation of the museum. There was not one single picture of offensive Viet Cong action, no pictures of American soldiers suffering and no documentation of anything positive on behalf of the United States. I was disappointed by this one-sided propaganda, especially when I really wanted to learn the true Vietnamese perspective of the war. Is this what everyone thinks of it? Or was this just the government’s press release on how the American War should be understood? We later were able to tour the tiger cages where captured Viet Cong soldiers were kept. The soldiers were kept in the blistering sunlight all day – about 8 to 12 soldiers inside one very very small cage. I wish that I could describe the heat. The humidity along with the temperature made walking around pretty miserable – the thought of being locked in a cage with 11 other people during that heat is almost too much to think of. In the end, I don’t know how to characterize my feelings about the museum. I am horrified by my nation’s actions during this awful time in our history, but at the same time I am upset by the lack of full disclosure in which the information was presented. I left feeling guilty and saddened – upset but also amazed at how much Vietnam has developed since the 1960’s.
Later, we walked around the downtown part of Ho Chi Minh City and had lunch at Pho Noodles, basically local fast food. I had some delicious spring rolls and then we spent the rest of the afternoon lost in Ben Thanh Market. Ben Thanh Market is this unbelievably huge market right in central HCMC, everything possible was for sale, from food to artwork and clothing to knockoffs. The smells were so pungent and the shopkeepers were very persistent. Later, we ventured to the Rex Hotel – a beautiful old luxury hotel infamously known as the location from which the last US helicopters left when we pulled out of the war in 1975. The rooftop is a beautiful old bar with a wonderful 1960’s glamorous feel– I felt like Marilyn Monroe should be sitting at the next table.
The next day, I went on a Semester at Sea organized day trip to The Great Temple of Caodaism in the city of Tay Ninh and the Cu Chi Tunnels. It was about a 3 hour bus ride to reach Tay Ninh. We drove through miles and miles of countryside, which was such a nice change from the fast paced rhythm of Ho Chi Minh City. The countryside is beautiful with green fields of pasture as far as you can see. In the distance I could see men and women working hard in the fields, their tiny straw hats bobbing up and down. Along the roadside the entire way were small houses with shops in the front and residential homes behind them. Many children were out playing in the streets and old men sat in plastic chairs watching the traffic go by on the dirt roads. We had a traditional Vietnamese lunch at a local restaurant before visiting the Cao Dai temple for an afternoon service. Caodaism was founded in 1926 by Ngo Minh Chieu in an attempt to create the ideal religion. It fuses religious and philosophical traditions from the West and the East, including Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Hinduism, native Vietnamese spiritism, Christianity and Islam. The main tenets of Caodaism include the belief in one God, the existence of the soul and the use of mediums to communicate with the spiritual world and ancestors. The Great Temple is considered to be one of the most unique and striking structures in all of Asia – and I would definitely agree. The eclecticism of the religion is showcased through the architecture of the Great Temple. It is constructed with brightly colored columns, with the all seeing eye serving as a focal point throughout the structure. At the front of the temple, the leaders of all the religions included are featured in a beautiful mural. We were escorted to the balcony of The Great Temple to watch the service. I felt like it was a little intrusive to watch such a special service and not really understand it, but at the same time I’m so glad I was able to witness something so spectacular. There were probably close to 300 people participating in the service, all sitting cross legged on the floor wearing white robes –which was such a beautiful contrast with the bright colors of the building. The higher clergy members wore different colors and were seated higher and closer to the front. We just quietly observed the service while musicians played the traditional music. It was one of the most beautiful religious ceremonies I’ve ever seen. I just kept thinking about the magnificent combination of religions and how these people had created a peaceful way to incorporate all of the major religious viewpoints of the world. While I still don’t fully understand all the tenets of Caodaism, I was blown away by this religion. The people were so hospitable and kind – I wanted to stay there for days and just ask them questions and learn more.
After our afternoon in Tay Ninh, we proceeded on the bus to the Cu Chi tunnels, about another hour away on the bus. Cu Chi is famous for its 200 kilometer network of underground tunnels used by the Viet Cong during the war. The tunnels were used as a base from which the Viet Cong could launch strategic attacks and then seemingly disappear into thin air. Most of the tunnels are only about two feet wide and five feet high, but some of the lower levels are even smaller than that. Upon arrival we were shown a replica cross-section of the network of tunnels. I am still amazed at how intricate they are. People could survive for weeks inside, with rooms for sleeping and eating, which were all connected to different pathways and exits. We were taken around a park type area where they also had on display the trap door tools used by the Viet Cong to capture American soldiers. They were awful contraptions, basically a hole in the ground with really sharp bamboo rods sticking up vertically. We then were given the chance to walk and crawl through the tunnels. I’m not really claustrophobic at all, so I didn’t think it would be a problem. But once inside, I don’t know how anyone could spend more than just a few minutes in there. Everyone grew anxious while crawling through the tight, dark space. It was really the first time I’ve ever felt really stuck in somewhere without a clear exit. Luckily our guide could sense our anxiety, which I think happens with every visitor after the first few minutes inside, and quickly moved us through to the nearest exit. I kept thinking about the soldiers who had to live in these tunnels in order to survive. That put things quickly into perspective for me. The ingenuity of the tunnels was amazing, especially how each room connected to another and how they were completely undetectable on land. I am so glad I was able to visit these tunnels. I made the war real for me. It was finally tangible in a way that it hasn’t been through books and lectures. Here I was standing inside the tunnels used less than 50 years before in a war that changed the landscape of world politics as we know it. We had about a two hour ride back to the ship and then had a wonderful dinner at a restaurant called Lemongrass in downtown Ho Chi Minh City. (I kept thinking about Lemongrass on the Corner – made me miss Wertland!)
Early the next morning we woke up to explore more of Ho Chi Minh City. We had heard that the Post Office and the Vietnamese version of the Notre Dame Cathedral were both beautiful, so we set off in search of both. Vietnam was colonized by the French, so a lot of Saigon (HCMC was previously named Saigon prior to the fall of Southern Vietnam) has a very European feel. They even created a replica Notre Dame Cathedral made out of red brick right in downtown – which is beautiful. We also visited the local Post Office which is housed in a beautiful old building. On the inside walls are huge murals of old maps of Vietnam, before and after the reunification of the nation. On the back wall, right in the center, is a huge portrait of Ho Chi Minh. We got some postcards and stamps and wandered around. We then made our way to the Reunification Palace or the “Independence Palace” as it is called by the Vietnamese government. The Reunification Palace was formally the home of President Diem – the American puppet president of South Vietnam during the war. After Diem was murdered, it became home to Nguyen Van Thieu, who lived there with his family until South Vietnam fell on April 30, 1975. It is here that the famous photos were taken of tanks plowing through big ornate metal gates, signifying Northern control of Saigon and South Vietnam. While it symbolically represents the end of the war, it is also a beautiful home and headquarters, which has been left untouched since the 1970’s. It was like stepping back in time. All the rooms were decorated in flashy art deco décor and really brightly colored carpet. It is just an unbelievable mansion with room after room for entertaining, including three separate dancing halls, for intelligence gathering, with a full military office underground, and the inner-workings of the South Vietnamese government. Each room had a unique feel, but all very dated. I loved that everything was kept just like it was. After our trip to the Reunification Palace, we had a wonderful lunch at a little café. We sat in the upstairs part of this tiny restaurant, near a fan – trying to get a short reprieve from the heat. It was such a relaxing and pleasant little French café, a welcome change from the type of establishments we have grown accustomed to. Later, we walked through more of HCMC and spent about an hour in a local park and botanical garden. We were really the only tourists there, and I felt like I was finally visiting a place where real residents of Ho Chi Minh City liked to congregate and hang out. We later figured out that this park was also a zoo, and there were several mistreated animals in tiny cages around the park. I could hardly handle looking at them, we left soon after. During our time in HCMC we discovered a little frozen yogurt place called Tutti Fruitti that we visited almost every afternoon during our stay. I think it provided us with just enough time out of the heat to keep exploring; otherwise I’m pretty sure we would have headed back to the ship earlier each day. Later that night we ate dinner at an outside restaurant called Pasteur Garden where they served food on a little barbeque right in front of us.
The next day, the majority of our group of friends had a day SAS trip so Mckenzie and I decided to get out of HCMC for the day and take the hydrofoil to a little fishing village called Vung Tao. The hydrofoil is a fast moving boat, shaped like the body of an airplane. We had assigned seats and were served breakfast just like a flight. The hydrofoil trip took about an hour and a half to reach Vung Tao. Vung Tao is known for its great fishing and beaches and is really just a quaint little town away from the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City. We had a little lunch of rice and chicken at a family restaurant right across the street from the hydrofoil station where we were asked if we would like a guided motorbike tour of the city for the day. Not really having any sort of plan, we agreed and hired two tour guides to show us around. They first took us to a giant Jesus statue, similar to the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio. We climbed what felt like a million stairs to reach this incredible statue, which overlooked the coastline. We were also able to climb inside the statue and stand on his shoulder, which was one of the most beautiful views I’ve ever seen. It was the perfect clear day. They later took us to the popular beach location in Vung Tao, followed by a trip to a local Buddhist temple. We were greeted by friendly monks who showed us around the entire compound. Looking incredibly out of place, we were stared at with confusion by temple goers the entire time. It was a beautiful temple; we removed our shoes and spent several minutes of silence with the monks in front of a large shrine to the Buddha. Even though we were separated by language, I could feel their warmth and welcome – it was so pleasant to be so nicely received. Later, we drove through the actual fishing village right along the coast. The sun was high in the sky as we looked out onto these huge fishing vessels pulling in tons of fish right from the sea. I wish I had a picture of that moment, as we rode by the ocean on one side and this fishing village on the other – a tiny road separating it. Lastly, we visited the White Palace, home to a French prince during colonialism. It was this immaculate house overlooking the ocean, all the doors and windows opened right out onto the sea and everything has been left in place just as it was. It was a beautiful way to end the day. Our tour guides took us back to the hydrofoil station where we told them goodbye and we bought our tickets back to HCMC. We had about a half an hour to spare before our trip, so had some Vietnamese fast food and relaxed inside the terminal. But to our dismay, as we were waiting to board our boat, we realized that our boat was by a different company than we thought and we watched it pull away from the dock. We ran to the operator who started yelling in Vietnamese, there was mass confusion and we quickly purchased new tickets for the last boat of the day, which was leaving in just a few minutes. They luckily had two seats on the last boat trip and we made it back to Ho Chi Minh City later that evening. The entire trip back McKenzie and I just sat there so glad that we made that boat back, I don’t know what we would have done otherwise. We later had dinner at a great restaurant called Al Frescoes that was recommended by David Vaughan and we prepared for our trip the next day to the Mekong Delta.
On our final day in Vietnam we woke up early to meet our tour guide for our independent trip to the Mekong Delta. The Mekong Delta is called the “lifeblood of Vietnam,” the place where a lot of the commerce in the south is centered. We drove for about two hours to get to the Mekong from HCMC and boarded a big barge type boat with a covered top and built in seats. The Mekong River is wide; several larger barge type boats could fit across it. We rode for about an hour, taking it all in, the homes along the shore, the murkiness and smell of the water and the people who make their living working on this river. Our first stop was at a coconut distribution plant, right on the Mekong river bank. There were probably about 20 people working underneath one large tarp type area, each person with a distinct job. They cut the coconut, drained it, shelled it and separated all the parts of the coconut. I was amazed by their efficiency, and how sustainable it was to somehow use the whole thing! (Sustainability is the theme of our voyage) After leaving the coconut plant, we then went to a salt plant, located just a little down the river. There were just huge vats of salt water where people sift through the water to retrieve the salt. Later, we stopped at a brick manufacturer, where we were walked through each step in the process of making clay bricks right from the river. We then visited a family for a little while in a home right on the banks. They showed us how to make straw mats and we enjoyed some strained conversation and wonderful exotic fruit. The entire time we were there, the largest spider I’ve ever seen hung in the corner of the wall, right above the table. It was all I could do to focus on the family and not the spider; I had an inner dialogue with myself the entire time not to freak out. Afterwards, we took motorized rickshaws to our lunch location – which was basically just an open tent area in the woods. We had incredible food, including an entire Elephant Ear Fish for the table, which definitely could have fed nearly 20 people (there were only 6 of us). Elephant Ear Fish is this large fish that is fried and then served entirely. It was so beautiful I felt a little bad eating it. Following lunch we finally were able to board tiny wooden canoes for our trip down the narrow backwaters of the Mekong. We were given the traditional Vietnamese straw hats to wear because the sun reflecting off the water was really hot, and we just sat in the base of the canoe, as a little elderly lady steered us through the canals. The water is totally brown, and on each side are tall reeds of bamboo and other shrubbery growing all around. It was quiet, peaceful and beautiful. Afterwards, we bicycled through a small neighborhood for late afternoon tea with another family. Following tea, we bicycled back to meet our van to take us back to HCMC. We biked through the crowded streets, where I think all of us got a little overwhelmed by the traffic and people. Just biking was slightly scary; I can’t imagine trying to maneuver a motorbike through the traffic. Our tour guide looked back at us several times and just laughed, as all of us were struggling to keep up and not be totally overtaken by all the traffic. It was definitely an experience. We then headed back to the ship and we departed the next morning at 0600.
I loved Vietnam. And I love that I feel like I saw a cross-section of the country, at least in the South. After visiting Vietnam, I have a new reference point in relation to the War. Overall, the people were so welcoming and open. It feels like the nation is on the brink of development, real economic growth and major change. I would love to go back and visit Vietnam later in my life and see the changes that have occurred. I will never forget all the beautiful things I saw, the adventures in Vung Tao with Mckenzie and just really exploring on our own. It’s been a few weeks now since our trip to Vietnam, and Mckenzie and I were discussing our favorite memories so far, and we both just kept coming back to Vietnam. How happy we were, how beautiful it was and what awesome memories we will forever take away from the five days there. I had incredible experiences each day – and I’m so proud of how much we saw and accomplished on our own. They say that it’s the people that make this trip special, and Vietnam proved that to me.
I have mixed feelings about my visit to the War Remnants Museum. The majority of the displays were grotesque pictures and one-sided analysis of the horrific actions of the United States during the war. The pictures are undeniable. The crimes which were committed by American soldiers were horrendous and unforgivable. I gazed upon picture after picture of burning villages, mangled babies and completely destroyed landscape. There were so many photos that I would never see in an American history textbook, so many that we have been shielded from to protect our perceptions of our military action. But maybe it is because I am an American, but I was upset by the presentation of the museum. There was not one single picture of offensive Viet Cong action, no pictures of American soldiers suffering and no documentation of anything positive on behalf of the United States. I was disappointed by this one-sided propaganda, especially when I really wanted to learn the true Vietnamese perspective of the war. Is this what everyone thinks of it? Or was this just the government’s press release on how the American War should be understood? We later were able to tour the tiger cages where captured Viet Cong soldiers were kept. The soldiers were kept in the blistering sunlight all day – about 8 to 12 soldiers inside one very very small cage. I wish that I could describe the heat. The humidity along with the temperature made walking around pretty miserable – the thought of being locked in a cage with 11 other people during that heat is almost too much to think of. In the end, I don’t know how to characterize my feelings about the museum. I am horrified by my nation’s actions during this awful time in our history, but at the same time I am upset by the lack of full disclosure in which the information was presented. I left feeling guilty and saddened – upset but also amazed at how much Vietnam has developed since the 1960’s.
Later, we walked around the downtown part of Ho Chi Minh City and had lunch at Pho Noodles, basically local fast food. I had some delicious spring rolls and then we spent the rest of the afternoon lost in Ben Thanh Market. Ben Thanh Market is this unbelievably huge market right in central HCMC, everything possible was for sale, from food to artwork and clothing to knockoffs. The smells were so pungent and the shopkeepers were very persistent. Later, we ventured to the Rex Hotel – a beautiful old luxury hotel infamously known as the location from which the last US helicopters left when we pulled out of the war in 1975. The rooftop is a beautiful old bar with a wonderful 1960’s glamorous feel– I felt like Marilyn Monroe should be sitting at the next table.
The next day, I went on a Semester at Sea organized day trip to The Great Temple of Caodaism in the city of Tay Ninh and the Cu Chi Tunnels. It was about a 3 hour bus ride to reach Tay Ninh. We drove through miles and miles of countryside, which was such a nice change from the fast paced rhythm of Ho Chi Minh City. The countryside is beautiful with green fields of pasture as far as you can see. In the distance I could see men and women working hard in the fields, their tiny straw hats bobbing up and down. Along the roadside the entire way were small houses with shops in the front and residential homes behind them. Many children were out playing in the streets and old men sat in plastic chairs watching the traffic go by on the dirt roads. We had a traditional Vietnamese lunch at a local restaurant before visiting the Cao Dai temple for an afternoon service. Caodaism was founded in 1926 by Ngo Minh Chieu in an attempt to create the ideal religion. It fuses religious and philosophical traditions from the West and the East, including Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Hinduism, native Vietnamese spiritism, Christianity and Islam. The main tenets of Caodaism include the belief in one God, the existence of the soul and the use of mediums to communicate with the spiritual world and ancestors. The Great Temple is considered to be one of the most unique and striking structures in all of Asia – and I would definitely agree. The eclecticism of the religion is showcased through the architecture of the Great Temple. It is constructed with brightly colored columns, with the all seeing eye serving as a focal point throughout the structure. At the front of the temple, the leaders of all the religions included are featured in a beautiful mural. We were escorted to the balcony of The Great Temple to watch the service. I felt like it was a little intrusive to watch such a special service and not really understand it, but at the same time I’m so glad I was able to witness something so spectacular. There were probably close to 300 people participating in the service, all sitting cross legged on the floor wearing white robes –which was such a beautiful contrast with the bright colors of the building. The higher clergy members wore different colors and were seated higher and closer to the front. We just quietly observed the service while musicians played the traditional music. It was one of the most beautiful religious ceremonies I’ve ever seen. I just kept thinking about the magnificent combination of religions and how these people had created a peaceful way to incorporate all of the major religious viewpoints of the world. While I still don’t fully understand all the tenets of Caodaism, I was blown away by this religion. The people were so hospitable and kind – I wanted to stay there for days and just ask them questions and learn more.
After our afternoon in Tay Ninh, we proceeded on the bus to the Cu Chi tunnels, about another hour away on the bus. Cu Chi is famous for its 200 kilometer network of underground tunnels used by the Viet Cong during the war. The tunnels were used as a base from which the Viet Cong could launch strategic attacks and then seemingly disappear into thin air. Most of the tunnels are only about two feet wide and five feet high, but some of the lower levels are even smaller than that. Upon arrival we were shown a replica cross-section of the network of tunnels. I am still amazed at how intricate they are. People could survive for weeks inside, with rooms for sleeping and eating, which were all connected to different pathways and exits. We were taken around a park type area where they also had on display the trap door tools used by the Viet Cong to capture American soldiers. They were awful contraptions, basically a hole in the ground with really sharp bamboo rods sticking up vertically. We then were given the chance to walk and crawl through the tunnels. I’m not really claustrophobic at all, so I didn’t think it would be a problem. But once inside, I don’t know how anyone could spend more than just a few minutes in there. Everyone grew anxious while crawling through the tight, dark space. It was really the first time I’ve ever felt really stuck in somewhere without a clear exit. Luckily our guide could sense our anxiety, which I think happens with every visitor after the first few minutes inside, and quickly moved us through to the nearest exit. I kept thinking about the soldiers who had to live in these tunnels in order to survive. That put things quickly into perspective for me. The ingenuity of the tunnels was amazing, especially how each room connected to another and how they were completely undetectable on land. I am so glad I was able to visit these tunnels. I made the war real for me. It was finally tangible in a way that it hasn’t been through books and lectures. Here I was standing inside the tunnels used less than 50 years before in a war that changed the landscape of world politics as we know it. We had about a two hour ride back to the ship and then had a wonderful dinner at a restaurant called Lemongrass in downtown Ho Chi Minh City. (I kept thinking about Lemongrass on the Corner – made me miss Wertland!)
Early the next morning we woke up to explore more of Ho Chi Minh City. We had heard that the Post Office and the Vietnamese version of the Notre Dame Cathedral were both beautiful, so we set off in search of both. Vietnam was colonized by the French, so a lot of Saigon (HCMC was previously named Saigon prior to the fall of Southern Vietnam) has a very European feel. They even created a replica Notre Dame Cathedral made out of red brick right in downtown – which is beautiful. We also visited the local Post Office which is housed in a beautiful old building. On the inside walls are huge murals of old maps of Vietnam, before and after the reunification of the nation. On the back wall, right in the center, is a huge portrait of Ho Chi Minh. We got some postcards and stamps and wandered around. We then made our way to the Reunification Palace or the “Independence Palace” as it is called by the Vietnamese government. The Reunification Palace was formally the home of President Diem – the American puppet president of South Vietnam during the war. After Diem was murdered, it became home to Nguyen Van Thieu, who lived there with his family until South Vietnam fell on April 30, 1975. It is here that the famous photos were taken of tanks plowing through big ornate metal gates, signifying Northern control of Saigon and South Vietnam. While it symbolically represents the end of the war, it is also a beautiful home and headquarters, which has been left untouched since the 1970’s. It was like stepping back in time. All the rooms were decorated in flashy art deco décor and really brightly colored carpet. It is just an unbelievable mansion with room after room for entertaining, including three separate dancing halls, for intelligence gathering, with a full military office underground, and the inner-workings of the South Vietnamese government. Each room had a unique feel, but all very dated. I loved that everything was kept just like it was. After our trip to the Reunification Palace, we had a wonderful lunch at a little café. We sat in the upstairs part of this tiny restaurant, near a fan – trying to get a short reprieve from the heat. It was such a relaxing and pleasant little French café, a welcome change from the type of establishments we have grown accustomed to. Later, we walked through more of HCMC and spent about an hour in a local park and botanical garden. We were really the only tourists there, and I felt like I was finally visiting a place where real residents of Ho Chi Minh City liked to congregate and hang out. We later figured out that this park was also a zoo, and there were several mistreated animals in tiny cages around the park. I could hardly handle looking at them, we left soon after. During our time in HCMC we discovered a little frozen yogurt place called Tutti Fruitti that we visited almost every afternoon during our stay. I think it provided us with just enough time out of the heat to keep exploring; otherwise I’m pretty sure we would have headed back to the ship earlier each day. Later that night we ate dinner at an outside restaurant called Pasteur Garden where they served food on a little barbeque right in front of us.
The next day, the majority of our group of friends had a day SAS trip so Mckenzie and I decided to get out of HCMC for the day and take the hydrofoil to a little fishing village called Vung Tao. The hydrofoil is a fast moving boat, shaped like the body of an airplane. We had assigned seats and were served breakfast just like a flight. The hydrofoil trip took about an hour and a half to reach Vung Tao. Vung Tao is known for its great fishing and beaches and is really just a quaint little town away from the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City. We had a little lunch of rice and chicken at a family restaurant right across the street from the hydrofoil station where we were asked if we would like a guided motorbike tour of the city for the day. Not really having any sort of plan, we agreed and hired two tour guides to show us around. They first took us to a giant Jesus statue, similar to the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio. We climbed what felt like a million stairs to reach this incredible statue, which overlooked the coastline. We were also able to climb inside the statue and stand on his shoulder, which was one of the most beautiful views I’ve ever seen. It was the perfect clear day. They later took us to the popular beach location in Vung Tao, followed by a trip to a local Buddhist temple. We were greeted by friendly monks who showed us around the entire compound. Looking incredibly out of place, we were stared at with confusion by temple goers the entire time. It was a beautiful temple; we removed our shoes and spent several minutes of silence with the monks in front of a large shrine to the Buddha. Even though we were separated by language, I could feel their warmth and welcome – it was so pleasant to be so nicely received. Later, we drove through the actual fishing village right along the coast. The sun was high in the sky as we looked out onto these huge fishing vessels pulling in tons of fish right from the sea. I wish I had a picture of that moment, as we rode by the ocean on one side and this fishing village on the other – a tiny road separating it. Lastly, we visited the White Palace, home to a French prince during colonialism. It was this immaculate house overlooking the ocean, all the doors and windows opened right out onto the sea and everything has been left in place just as it was. It was a beautiful way to end the day. Our tour guides took us back to the hydrofoil station where we told them goodbye and we bought our tickets back to HCMC. We had about a half an hour to spare before our trip, so had some Vietnamese fast food and relaxed inside the terminal. But to our dismay, as we were waiting to board our boat, we realized that our boat was by a different company than we thought and we watched it pull away from the dock. We ran to the operator who started yelling in Vietnamese, there was mass confusion and we quickly purchased new tickets for the last boat of the day, which was leaving in just a few minutes. They luckily had two seats on the last boat trip and we made it back to Ho Chi Minh City later that evening. The entire trip back McKenzie and I just sat there so glad that we made that boat back, I don’t know what we would have done otherwise. We later had dinner at a great restaurant called Al Frescoes that was recommended by David Vaughan and we prepared for our trip the next day to the Mekong Delta.
On our final day in Vietnam we woke up early to meet our tour guide for our independent trip to the Mekong Delta. The Mekong Delta is called the “lifeblood of Vietnam,” the place where a lot of the commerce in the south is centered. We drove for about two hours to get to the Mekong from HCMC and boarded a big barge type boat with a covered top and built in seats. The Mekong River is wide; several larger barge type boats could fit across it. We rode for about an hour, taking it all in, the homes along the shore, the murkiness and smell of the water and the people who make their living working on this river. Our first stop was at a coconut distribution plant, right on the Mekong river bank. There were probably about 20 people working underneath one large tarp type area, each person with a distinct job. They cut the coconut, drained it, shelled it and separated all the parts of the coconut. I was amazed by their efficiency, and how sustainable it was to somehow use the whole thing! (Sustainability is the theme of our voyage) After leaving the coconut plant, we then went to a salt plant, located just a little down the river. There were just huge vats of salt water where people sift through the water to retrieve the salt. Later, we stopped at a brick manufacturer, where we were walked through each step in the process of making clay bricks right from the river. We then visited a family for a little while in a home right on the banks. They showed us how to make straw mats and we enjoyed some strained conversation and wonderful exotic fruit. The entire time we were there, the largest spider I’ve ever seen hung in the corner of the wall, right above the table. It was all I could do to focus on the family and not the spider; I had an inner dialogue with myself the entire time not to freak out. Afterwards, we took motorized rickshaws to our lunch location – which was basically just an open tent area in the woods. We had incredible food, including an entire Elephant Ear Fish for the table, which definitely could have fed nearly 20 people (there were only 6 of us). Elephant Ear Fish is this large fish that is fried and then served entirely. It was so beautiful I felt a little bad eating it. Following lunch we finally were able to board tiny wooden canoes for our trip down the narrow backwaters of the Mekong. We were given the traditional Vietnamese straw hats to wear because the sun reflecting off the water was really hot, and we just sat in the base of the canoe, as a little elderly lady steered us through the canals. The water is totally brown, and on each side are tall reeds of bamboo and other shrubbery growing all around. It was quiet, peaceful and beautiful. Afterwards, we bicycled through a small neighborhood for late afternoon tea with another family. Following tea, we bicycled back to meet our van to take us back to HCMC. We biked through the crowded streets, where I think all of us got a little overwhelmed by the traffic and people. Just biking was slightly scary; I can’t imagine trying to maneuver a motorbike through the traffic. Our tour guide looked back at us several times and just laughed, as all of us were struggling to keep up and not be totally overtaken by all the traffic. It was definitely an experience. We then headed back to the ship and we departed the next morning at 0600.
I loved Vietnam. And I love that I feel like I saw a cross-section of the country, at least in the South. After visiting Vietnam, I have a new reference point in relation to the War. Overall, the people were so welcoming and open. It feels like the nation is on the brink of development, real economic growth and major change. I would love to go back and visit Vietnam later in my life and see the changes that have occurred. I will never forget all the beautiful things I saw, the adventures in Vung Tao with Mckenzie and just really exploring on our own. It’s been a few weeks now since our trip to Vietnam, and Mckenzie and I were discussing our favorite memories so far, and we both just kept coming back to Vietnam. How happy we were, how beautiful it was and what awesome memories we will forever take away from the five days there. I had incredible experiences each day – and I’m so proud of how much we saw and accomplished on our own. They say that it’s the people that make this trip special, and Vietnam proved that to me.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
China and Hong Kong
After only two short days at sea we arrived at the International Port Terminal in Shanghai, China on Tuesday February 16, 2010. Ported right in the Shanghai harbor, we could see the entire skyline right out our window – it was definitely an awesome view to wake up to in the morning. For the first time, we had an on ship diplomatic briefing on arrival day. A member of the Foreign Service working for the US consulate in Shanghai boarded the ship to discuss many of the issues facing Chinese-US relations. It was such an exciting time to be in China because so many important things were happening. Interestingly, during our stay in China, President Obama met with the Dali Lama – an action that has strained US relations with China. Congress has also recently approved a large arms package deal with Taiwan, which has only strained relations further. As China works to completely reunify all of the satellite nations surrounding the mainland, the US meeting with the Dali Lama, the figurehead for Tibetan independence, and providing weapons to Taiwan, has led to increased resentment of Americans and the American government. We were warned that people would not be friendly, to not engage in any sort of political confrontation, and above all – avoid any type of run ins with the government. (I found this to all be very good advice) Besides the political turmoil which was currently happening in China, it was also Chinese New Year! I really didn’t fully understand what a big deal Chinese New Year is until we were there. There were huge fireworks in the streets every night, big red Chinese lanterns hanging everywhere and just constant celebration. It is the year of the tiger.
After clearing customs around noon, we stepped off the ship right into downtown Shanghai. We immediately were in search for Nanjing Road, the old shopping district said to have incredible bargain shopping within old historic buildings. While Nanjing Road wasn’t too far from the port, the sheer number of people and cars made the walk seem like it lasted forever. As soon as we stepped off the ship I was completely overwhelmed. I have never seen so many people in one area in my life; we were basically just herded along the sidewalks as there was a constant flow of traffic moving in every direction. There are really no pedestrian walkways – and crossing the street was very scary. We were told to walk confidently and briskly across and the cars would just move around us. I ended up just making sure I followed a local. When we were walking anywhere people would just stare at us, take pictures and gawk at how out of place we all looked. But eventually we arrived at Nanjing Road. It’s a beautiful old street lined with knickknack stores, food vendors and traditional clothing shops. I’m not sure if it was because of the New Year or if it’s like that all the time, but moving through the stores was like constantly being in an overly crowded elevator. Really, there just wasn’t enough space. The body language and non-verbal communication of the Chinese took some getting used to. There is no such thing as personal space or waiting in lines. They push, shove, and cut lines – and it was strange to realize this isn’t bad manners, but just their way of life. But this shopping got exhausting pretty quickly so we soon were in search of lunch. During the New Year it is customary to eat Dim Sum for breakfast and lunch every day. Dim Sum is sort of like dumplings filled with different things inside. We found a wonderful restaurant on Nanjing Road and relaxed there for awhile. China was also our first country where we couldn’t drink the water. It took a long time for the waiter to understand we needed bottled water or canned drinks. I sort of felt bad turning my nose up to their water and ice – but I definitely didn’t want to get sick. We later visited an area of Shanghai called “the Bund”, known as the cultural center of the city. It was just a gorgeous area lined with New Years decorations and after the sun went down – the place where they set off all the nightly fireworks. We ate dinner at a Hot Pot restaurant near the ship. Hot Pot is basically like the Chinese equivalent of the Melting Pot. They brought us a huge pot of some form of broth with what looked like an entire lamb inside. This was just a little too much for me – so I stuck with eating the noodles and dumplings we dumped in on the sides. It was quite a cultural experience, but I don’t think I will ever eat it again. The next day we walked around and explored Shanghai further and prepared for the Semester at Sea Beijing trip that was leaving the next day.
The next morning we woke up at 5am to meet everyone for the large Semester at Sea trip we were taking to Beijing. This was my first overnight planned trip through Semester at Sea. It was nice not to have to worry about any travel arrangements and to have everything planned out – but I think it also took away from the cultural experience a little bit. We had an early morning flight from Shanghai to Beijing and arrived at our hotel in Beijing around 11am. The SAS trip had 97 people on it so we were equally divided into 3 charter buses. We met our tour leader Henry, the cutest and sweetest older Chinese man. It was nice to have Henry on the bus with us – he gave us great background information about everywhere we were going. That is definitely one of the perks of a planned SAS trip – I felt more prepared for everything I was seeing. We had lunch at a nice Chinese restaurant and ventured to the Temple of Heaven, a beautiful temple located in the center of a public park. We were given these toys with coins on one end and feathers on the other and were told to try and play a pickup game with the locals, sort of like hacky sack. Everyone wanted to play with us and it turned out to be an amazing way to connect with the people. Separated by a language barrier – this simple game was such a fun and special way to reach a level of understanding between such different cultures. After, we attended a traditional Chinese tea ceremony where we were taught about different teas, their uses and the appropriate times to have them. I enjoyed learning so much about it. Later, we spent the evening in a little village on the outskirts of Beijing. We had dinner at a family’s home where they had prepared their traditional meal for the 5th day of Chinese New Year for us. On the 5th day – families eat pork dumplings, green beans and rice. It was no doubt the best meal I’ve had on the trip so far. The father of the family taught us how to make the dumplings and gave us a tour of their home. Their family has lived in the same house for five generations – taking care of the elderly family members and eventually moving up in the family hierarchy. The house was small, but obviously their prized possession – I loved visiting there because it was such a nice contrast from the big lights and skyscrapers of the city. We took rickshaws back to our hotel, an experience I don’t think I’ll ever forget. Maneuvering through tiny little streets in the pitch black of night while huge fireworks were going off in the background was unbelievable. Everywhere I looked there were little children setting off professional grade fireworks, the entire sky lighting up continuously. It was one of those moments that really put things in perspective – here I was sitting in a bicycle drawn buggy driving down the streets of Beijing during Chinese New Year.
The next day we awoke really early and spent our morning at Tiananmen Square and inside the Forbidden City. Being inside such a historic place excited me so much; I loved having the chance to walk through such an important world site. It was also interesting to hear Henry’s perspective of the Tiananmen Square massacre and his feelings about Mao Zedong. Henry did not plan on talking about the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, and when asked about it by a member of our group, he hesitated in answering for a long time. He briefly spoke that the students that protested in Tiananmen Square were rising up against corruption – not the actual government. He stated that the United States and other western nations blew the entire “incident” out of proportion and that it isn’t discussed much in China at all. It was then that I realized still how closed of a society China really is, and how different a country people like Henry live in. He glowed about Mao, saying that it is because of him that he was employed and even shared the expression “Oh my Mao” with us. (Like “Oh my God”) It was so interesting to hear his perspective and it was a showcase of the rest of the Chinese population. As we stood in front of Chairman Mao’s mausoleum, people showed such reverence, respect and love; I couldn’t help but be completely intrigued by what Mao had created in China. The building itself is overwhelming, the actual picture of Mao over to 20 feet tall. Entering the Forbidden City, we were escorted through courtyard after courtyard and building after building – it seemed to go on forever. Each building served a different purpose, a beautiful temple, dining area and sleeping quarters were all separated by huge walled in courtyards – all beautifully designed and decorated. The home of the Emperor for centuries, the Forbidden City was off limits to all regular people. Before the creation of the airplane – this compound was said to be the safest area in the world, completely impenetrable from the outside. I was amazed by the opulence, shear amount of space it took up and the years and years of history that this area held within its walls. We then had a quick lunch and traveled by bus for about two hours for our trip to a local orphanage. The orphanage was created by a man named Shi Qinghua about ten years ago after he felt a calling to help impoverished youth suffering from strained family dynamics. Many of the children who live in the children’s village have incarcerated parents, disabled family members who can’t care for them, or were just unwanted (mostly girls). We were given the chance to tour their classrooms, living quarters and playground. The classrooms were dirty, with only small wooden desks and a single chalkboard. There were usually ten children to one sleeping room, and the playground was a dirt field. But I really don’t know when I have seen happier children. They were all so excited for play companions. We spent the afternoon doing some cleaning and playing with the kids. On the ship, we have a program that knits scarves for kids we visit throughout the voyage. We were each able to take some scarves with us – the kids absolutely loved them. I was so touched by the entire experience. I was impressed by the life-changing effect Mr. Qinghua has on these children, and it made me hopeful for their future. While it was a hard afternoon, I left feeling happy that these kids will have a chance when they would otherwise not. Later, we had a traditional duck roast dinner at a local restaurant. Duck is the meal served on the 6th day of the New Year. All meals in China are served family style in the center of the table; they are placed on a “lazy Susan” or a turn table for easy access for everyone. There was an amazing spread prepared of rice and vegetables and the duck was served sliced already, I was really glad about this. We were shown how to put the duck meat, along with cucumber slices, rice and a sauce into thin rice paper and wrap it up like a burrito. It was delicious.
On our last day in Beijing, we finally ventured to the Great Wall! But first, we visited the Beijing International Kongfu School for a performance and short Kongfu lesson. About 12 Chinese boys between the ages of 12-15 preformed intense Kongfu routines – which included fighting each other and breaking stuff with their heads. After, they showed us the basic Kongfu steps – you have to be really limber to even attempt them. We then traveled by bus for about 3 hours until we reached the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. We had a nice lunch at the base of the wall then traveled by cable car to the top where we began our hike. Even though it was an overcast day, standing on the wall – we could see for miles and miles. The mountains were covered in snow, but it luckily wasn’t too cold outside. I can’t really put into words how I felt climbing the wall. I was amazed by the beauty of it, saddened by the loss of life it took to build, and overwhelmed by the magnitude of it all. All 97 of us just stood grounded for several minutes, taking it all in. The section on which we walked has been reconstructed for visitors, but even there the steps and walkways were so worn down by the millions of feet that have traveled on it. The way the wall contours with the mountains is amazing, I was impressed solely by the engineering of it. We spent the next three hours walking from where the cable car dropped us off to our end point; where we would toboggan down to meet our bus. I tried to soak in every second on the wall- the sights, smells and sounds. It was an incredibly special experience that I will look back on forever. At our ending point, we each took a small sled down a metal track back to the base of the wall. The ride back down took about ten minutes- it was like being on a rollercoaster we could control ourselves. We then traveled back to Beijing and made our way to a Chinese acrobatic show. The show was amazing, pretty similar to Circ de Solei – I now understand why China is always so good in the Olympics at gymnastics. They did flips, balancing acts and at one point had 17 people on one bicycle, which they rode around the stage. Everyone left the show completely floored. We then had our last dinner in Beijing and prepared for our early morning flight to Hong Kong.
We arrived on Hong Kong Island around noon. It was the shakiest flight I’ve ever been on – and the landing strip is basically a bridge over some water. The Hong Kong airport was like a city in itself. It took us almost an hour just to walk through it. Currently, Hong Kong is a Special Autonomous Region that is slowly assimilating back into Chinese control after being leased by the British for 99 years. Because of this, it is now considered a separate nation – so we had to clear customs and exchange all of our currency. Hong Kong is what I envision for the future of big cities throughout the world. It was clean, efficient, timely and so technologically advanced it amazed me. It was also amazing how different it was from Shanghai and Beijing – what a difference that S.A.R. title meant to the way in which people acted, treated others and went about their lives. We boarded a charter bus that took us to meet the ship, where I took a very long nap and tried to recover from some strenuous traveling in Beijing. That night, I met up with some friends who had gotten back from other trips and we explored Hong Kong and its famous night markets. At night Hong Kong is entirely lit up, the streets illuminated by endless lighted signs, window displays and shops. The skyscrapers put on a nightly light show and the entire city seems to just buzz with energy. The next morning we went to a beautiful pearl and jade market – where I watched jewelers actually open up oysters to get pearls out. There were some of the most beautiful stones I’ve ever seen, and the people loved sharing their stories about how they came to be jewelers, why they loved it and why jade is so important in China. In the afternoon, we explored the SoHo district of Hong Kong where little merchant shops went on for miles and miles. We later had dinner at a little burger pub hidden on a side street. While I felt a little guilty not eating traditional Hong Kong food, that was the best burger I’ve ever had – and might ever have.
On our final day in Hong Kong, we woke up really early and made our way to the largest Giant Buddha statue in the world. We took the Hong Kong metro to meet cable cars that would take us to the remote monastery way in the mountains where the statue is located. Now being a veteran foreign metro passenger, the Hong Kong metro system was the easiest and most efficient rail line I’ve seen. We easily found the right stops, which were all right on time. We reached the cable cars – and decided to take a “crystal cabin” to the top. The crystal cabins have a glass floor so we could see through the bottom the entire trip up. The cable cars were about a 30 minute trip, the entire trip was absolutely beautiful. As we got closer and closer to the statue we finally began to realize how huge it really is! We hiked up to the statue, up all 250 steps. The Buddha statue is placed in the Lotus posture, with six smaller female god statues around him paying their respects. It is roughly the size of the Statue of Liberty. Nestled in the mountains, we were standing in clouds – it was one of the most beautiful sites I’ve ever seen. The Giant Buddha was such an awesome way to end our trip in Hong Kong. We then made our way back to the ship terminal – which was connected to a giant mall. I also learned that Hong Kong is basically just one big shopping mall, with every store somehow connected with another. It was definitely convenient to be docked so close to great restaurants and free internet access. Hong Kong was an amazing city that I think I definitely want to go back and visit. I loved the way the city was laid out, how efficient everything and everyone seemed to be and how content the people seemed with their lives. It was a big city feel without the big city stress that I think sometimes inhabits the fast paced world.
My experience in China and in Hong Kong was very different from that of Japan. I quickly learned how different these two nations are. I will never again lump “Asia” together as one homogenous place. The people were different; their attitudes, etiquette and social norms were so dissimilar it amazed me. We have an assignment for Global Studies where we have to identify three adjectives that define each nation by the end of our time there. Right away my first one was: crowded. The mass amount of people around all the time overwhelmed me; truly I am just not used to it. I did love my time in China though and appreciated visiting such an important nation in the world. I can better understand our cultural differences and realize their impact on our relations. Visiting the Great Wall will be a highlight of my life, but so will all the other things I saw – each one adding to my overall experience.
After clearing customs around noon, we stepped off the ship right into downtown Shanghai. We immediately were in search for Nanjing Road, the old shopping district said to have incredible bargain shopping within old historic buildings. While Nanjing Road wasn’t too far from the port, the sheer number of people and cars made the walk seem like it lasted forever. As soon as we stepped off the ship I was completely overwhelmed. I have never seen so many people in one area in my life; we were basically just herded along the sidewalks as there was a constant flow of traffic moving in every direction. There are really no pedestrian walkways – and crossing the street was very scary. We were told to walk confidently and briskly across and the cars would just move around us. I ended up just making sure I followed a local. When we were walking anywhere people would just stare at us, take pictures and gawk at how out of place we all looked. But eventually we arrived at Nanjing Road. It’s a beautiful old street lined with knickknack stores, food vendors and traditional clothing shops. I’m not sure if it was because of the New Year or if it’s like that all the time, but moving through the stores was like constantly being in an overly crowded elevator. Really, there just wasn’t enough space. The body language and non-verbal communication of the Chinese took some getting used to. There is no such thing as personal space or waiting in lines. They push, shove, and cut lines – and it was strange to realize this isn’t bad manners, but just their way of life. But this shopping got exhausting pretty quickly so we soon were in search of lunch. During the New Year it is customary to eat Dim Sum for breakfast and lunch every day. Dim Sum is sort of like dumplings filled with different things inside. We found a wonderful restaurant on Nanjing Road and relaxed there for awhile. China was also our first country where we couldn’t drink the water. It took a long time for the waiter to understand we needed bottled water or canned drinks. I sort of felt bad turning my nose up to their water and ice – but I definitely didn’t want to get sick. We later visited an area of Shanghai called “the Bund”, known as the cultural center of the city. It was just a gorgeous area lined with New Years decorations and after the sun went down – the place where they set off all the nightly fireworks. We ate dinner at a Hot Pot restaurant near the ship. Hot Pot is basically like the Chinese equivalent of the Melting Pot. They brought us a huge pot of some form of broth with what looked like an entire lamb inside. This was just a little too much for me – so I stuck with eating the noodles and dumplings we dumped in on the sides. It was quite a cultural experience, but I don’t think I will ever eat it again. The next day we walked around and explored Shanghai further and prepared for the Semester at Sea Beijing trip that was leaving the next day.
The next morning we woke up at 5am to meet everyone for the large Semester at Sea trip we were taking to Beijing. This was my first overnight planned trip through Semester at Sea. It was nice not to have to worry about any travel arrangements and to have everything planned out – but I think it also took away from the cultural experience a little bit. We had an early morning flight from Shanghai to Beijing and arrived at our hotel in Beijing around 11am. The SAS trip had 97 people on it so we were equally divided into 3 charter buses. We met our tour leader Henry, the cutest and sweetest older Chinese man. It was nice to have Henry on the bus with us – he gave us great background information about everywhere we were going. That is definitely one of the perks of a planned SAS trip – I felt more prepared for everything I was seeing. We had lunch at a nice Chinese restaurant and ventured to the Temple of Heaven, a beautiful temple located in the center of a public park. We were given these toys with coins on one end and feathers on the other and were told to try and play a pickup game with the locals, sort of like hacky sack. Everyone wanted to play with us and it turned out to be an amazing way to connect with the people. Separated by a language barrier – this simple game was such a fun and special way to reach a level of understanding between such different cultures. After, we attended a traditional Chinese tea ceremony where we were taught about different teas, their uses and the appropriate times to have them. I enjoyed learning so much about it. Later, we spent the evening in a little village on the outskirts of Beijing. We had dinner at a family’s home where they had prepared their traditional meal for the 5th day of Chinese New Year for us. On the 5th day – families eat pork dumplings, green beans and rice. It was no doubt the best meal I’ve had on the trip so far. The father of the family taught us how to make the dumplings and gave us a tour of their home. Their family has lived in the same house for five generations – taking care of the elderly family members and eventually moving up in the family hierarchy. The house was small, but obviously their prized possession – I loved visiting there because it was such a nice contrast from the big lights and skyscrapers of the city. We took rickshaws back to our hotel, an experience I don’t think I’ll ever forget. Maneuvering through tiny little streets in the pitch black of night while huge fireworks were going off in the background was unbelievable. Everywhere I looked there were little children setting off professional grade fireworks, the entire sky lighting up continuously. It was one of those moments that really put things in perspective – here I was sitting in a bicycle drawn buggy driving down the streets of Beijing during Chinese New Year.
The next day we awoke really early and spent our morning at Tiananmen Square and inside the Forbidden City. Being inside such a historic place excited me so much; I loved having the chance to walk through such an important world site. It was also interesting to hear Henry’s perspective of the Tiananmen Square massacre and his feelings about Mao Zedong. Henry did not plan on talking about the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, and when asked about it by a member of our group, he hesitated in answering for a long time. He briefly spoke that the students that protested in Tiananmen Square were rising up against corruption – not the actual government. He stated that the United States and other western nations blew the entire “incident” out of proportion and that it isn’t discussed much in China at all. It was then that I realized still how closed of a society China really is, and how different a country people like Henry live in. He glowed about Mao, saying that it is because of him that he was employed and even shared the expression “Oh my Mao” with us. (Like “Oh my God”) It was so interesting to hear his perspective and it was a showcase of the rest of the Chinese population. As we stood in front of Chairman Mao’s mausoleum, people showed such reverence, respect and love; I couldn’t help but be completely intrigued by what Mao had created in China. The building itself is overwhelming, the actual picture of Mao over to 20 feet tall. Entering the Forbidden City, we were escorted through courtyard after courtyard and building after building – it seemed to go on forever. Each building served a different purpose, a beautiful temple, dining area and sleeping quarters were all separated by huge walled in courtyards – all beautifully designed and decorated. The home of the Emperor for centuries, the Forbidden City was off limits to all regular people. Before the creation of the airplane – this compound was said to be the safest area in the world, completely impenetrable from the outside. I was amazed by the opulence, shear amount of space it took up and the years and years of history that this area held within its walls. We then had a quick lunch and traveled by bus for about two hours for our trip to a local orphanage. The orphanage was created by a man named Shi Qinghua about ten years ago after he felt a calling to help impoverished youth suffering from strained family dynamics. Many of the children who live in the children’s village have incarcerated parents, disabled family members who can’t care for them, or were just unwanted (mostly girls). We were given the chance to tour their classrooms, living quarters and playground. The classrooms were dirty, with only small wooden desks and a single chalkboard. There were usually ten children to one sleeping room, and the playground was a dirt field. But I really don’t know when I have seen happier children. They were all so excited for play companions. We spent the afternoon doing some cleaning and playing with the kids. On the ship, we have a program that knits scarves for kids we visit throughout the voyage. We were each able to take some scarves with us – the kids absolutely loved them. I was so touched by the entire experience. I was impressed by the life-changing effect Mr. Qinghua has on these children, and it made me hopeful for their future. While it was a hard afternoon, I left feeling happy that these kids will have a chance when they would otherwise not. Later, we had a traditional duck roast dinner at a local restaurant. Duck is the meal served on the 6th day of the New Year. All meals in China are served family style in the center of the table; they are placed on a “lazy Susan” or a turn table for easy access for everyone. There was an amazing spread prepared of rice and vegetables and the duck was served sliced already, I was really glad about this. We were shown how to put the duck meat, along with cucumber slices, rice and a sauce into thin rice paper and wrap it up like a burrito. It was delicious.
On our last day in Beijing, we finally ventured to the Great Wall! But first, we visited the Beijing International Kongfu School for a performance and short Kongfu lesson. About 12 Chinese boys between the ages of 12-15 preformed intense Kongfu routines – which included fighting each other and breaking stuff with their heads. After, they showed us the basic Kongfu steps – you have to be really limber to even attempt them. We then traveled by bus for about 3 hours until we reached the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. We had a nice lunch at the base of the wall then traveled by cable car to the top where we began our hike. Even though it was an overcast day, standing on the wall – we could see for miles and miles. The mountains were covered in snow, but it luckily wasn’t too cold outside. I can’t really put into words how I felt climbing the wall. I was amazed by the beauty of it, saddened by the loss of life it took to build, and overwhelmed by the magnitude of it all. All 97 of us just stood grounded for several minutes, taking it all in. The section on which we walked has been reconstructed for visitors, but even there the steps and walkways were so worn down by the millions of feet that have traveled on it. The way the wall contours with the mountains is amazing, I was impressed solely by the engineering of it. We spent the next three hours walking from where the cable car dropped us off to our end point; where we would toboggan down to meet our bus. I tried to soak in every second on the wall- the sights, smells and sounds. It was an incredibly special experience that I will look back on forever. At our ending point, we each took a small sled down a metal track back to the base of the wall. The ride back down took about ten minutes- it was like being on a rollercoaster we could control ourselves. We then traveled back to Beijing and made our way to a Chinese acrobatic show. The show was amazing, pretty similar to Circ de Solei – I now understand why China is always so good in the Olympics at gymnastics. They did flips, balancing acts and at one point had 17 people on one bicycle, which they rode around the stage. Everyone left the show completely floored. We then had our last dinner in Beijing and prepared for our early morning flight to Hong Kong.
We arrived on Hong Kong Island around noon. It was the shakiest flight I’ve ever been on – and the landing strip is basically a bridge over some water. The Hong Kong airport was like a city in itself. It took us almost an hour just to walk through it. Currently, Hong Kong is a Special Autonomous Region that is slowly assimilating back into Chinese control after being leased by the British for 99 years. Because of this, it is now considered a separate nation – so we had to clear customs and exchange all of our currency. Hong Kong is what I envision for the future of big cities throughout the world. It was clean, efficient, timely and so technologically advanced it amazed me. It was also amazing how different it was from Shanghai and Beijing – what a difference that S.A.R. title meant to the way in which people acted, treated others and went about their lives. We boarded a charter bus that took us to meet the ship, where I took a very long nap and tried to recover from some strenuous traveling in Beijing. That night, I met up with some friends who had gotten back from other trips and we explored Hong Kong and its famous night markets. At night Hong Kong is entirely lit up, the streets illuminated by endless lighted signs, window displays and shops. The skyscrapers put on a nightly light show and the entire city seems to just buzz with energy. The next morning we went to a beautiful pearl and jade market – where I watched jewelers actually open up oysters to get pearls out. There were some of the most beautiful stones I’ve ever seen, and the people loved sharing their stories about how they came to be jewelers, why they loved it and why jade is so important in China. In the afternoon, we explored the SoHo district of Hong Kong where little merchant shops went on for miles and miles. We later had dinner at a little burger pub hidden on a side street. While I felt a little guilty not eating traditional Hong Kong food, that was the best burger I’ve ever had – and might ever have.
On our final day in Hong Kong, we woke up really early and made our way to the largest Giant Buddha statue in the world. We took the Hong Kong metro to meet cable cars that would take us to the remote monastery way in the mountains where the statue is located. Now being a veteran foreign metro passenger, the Hong Kong metro system was the easiest and most efficient rail line I’ve seen. We easily found the right stops, which were all right on time. We reached the cable cars – and decided to take a “crystal cabin” to the top. The crystal cabins have a glass floor so we could see through the bottom the entire trip up. The cable cars were about a 30 minute trip, the entire trip was absolutely beautiful. As we got closer and closer to the statue we finally began to realize how huge it really is! We hiked up to the statue, up all 250 steps. The Buddha statue is placed in the Lotus posture, with six smaller female god statues around him paying their respects. It is roughly the size of the Statue of Liberty. Nestled in the mountains, we were standing in clouds – it was one of the most beautiful sites I’ve ever seen. The Giant Buddha was such an awesome way to end our trip in Hong Kong. We then made our way back to the ship terminal – which was connected to a giant mall. I also learned that Hong Kong is basically just one big shopping mall, with every store somehow connected with another. It was definitely convenient to be docked so close to great restaurants and free internet access. Hong Kong was an amazing city that I think I definitely want to go back and visit. I loved the way the city was laid out, how efficient everything and everyone seemed to be and how content the people seemed with their lives. It was a big city feel without the big city stress that I think sometimes inhabits the fast paced world.
My experience in China and in Hong Kong was very different from that of Japan. I quickly learned how different these two nations are. I will never again lump “Asia” together as one homogenous place. The people were different; their attitudes, etiquette and social norms were so dissimilar it amazed me. We have an assignment for Global Studies where we have to identify three adjectives that define each nation by the end of our time there. Right away my first one was: crowded. The mass amount of people around all the time overwhelmed me; truly I am just not used to it. I did love my time in China though and appreciated visiting such an important nation in the world. I can better understand our cultural differences and realize their impact on our relations. Visiting the Great Wall will be a highlight of my life, but so will all the other things I saw – each one adding to my overall experience.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)