Guatemala, and The End

Guatemala, the last stop of an incredible trip. On the journey from Hawaii, there were all sorts of rumors flying. With the swine flu in Mexico, and crime rapidly rising in Guatemala, people thought that we would not by stopping, or that they would move us to some other country. They let us go to Guatemala, but gave us the most warnings. Guatemala has the same crime and risk level as South Africa, the highest possible level, outside of an all out war zone. The ship went so far as to institute a curfew, everyone had to be back on the ship by 11, unless you were staying the night in the country. They also advised against going to Guatemala City, and certain rural areas. These rules didn’t really apply to me, since I was going on a camping and hiking trip. Still, we had to be back on our guard. After China, Japan, long stretches at sea, and Hawaii, people would probably have let their guard down had they not warned us so much.
The first day in Guatemala, my trip to climb Acatenango was the first to leave, so we got off of the ship first. Acatenango is a 13,000+ dormant volcano, the third highest peak in Guatemala, and all of Central America for that matter. We drove from the port, where absolutely nothing is located, to a gas station an hour or so away to transfer from our regular bus. We got onto a “chicken bus,” one of the most common forms of transportation in Guatemala. They are used school buses, shipped from the states, refurbished, and pimped out. Ours was bright red and green, and had a huge speaker system. Every other chicken bus we saw was similar. We took this bus, Latin pop blasting away, up a dirt road to a large farm. The family that owns the farm has rights to the volcano, going back to colonial land distribution. Out hike started at 7000 feet, so it was already one of the highest spots I’ve ever been. We hiked for a short while to “La Mirador” a spot to look out over the entire valley. After lunch the trail went up into rain forest for quite a while. It was one of the steepest trails I’ve been on, and kept going up into less tropical vegetation. After being in a coniferous forest for a while, we got to base camp, set up at 10,000 feet. We got dinner and sat around the campfire, but went to sleep quite early because we were getting up at four the next morning to begin our summit push. Our guides warned us about altitude sickness, and it was somewhat harder to get a breath. No one slept great, but some were especially hard hit. I got up in the middle of the night, and had some difficulty breathing, so I was pissed if I was getting altitude sickness and couldn’t get up the mountain. Thankfully I felt great the next morning. The view from camp was incredible early in the morning, with the lights of the city of Antigua below, and a beautiful clear night sky above. Only four people decided to stay behind, and the rest of us set out after a quick breakfast. While hiking up the first section of trail, the sun came up, giving us a great view of the surrounding terrain. Pacaya, another volcano, rose up out of the clouds below us. We made it to our first real stop, and we regrouped. From here, we could finally see the twin summits of Acatenango. Our guides pointed out that we were going to the saddle in between them first, and then from there would go up to the higher summit. The hike to the saddle began similarly to the section we just finished, but then we passed the tree line and were into a steep slope of loose, black volcanic material. Small shrubs and grasses were intermittent. Once we got to the saddle, a lot of people wanted to stop there, but the guides gave a pep talk and got everyone to keep going. I went over to the other side of the saddle, for another absolutely beautiful view. We then started up to the summit. They kept us at a slower pace, to keep everyone on the hike, but then they let us loose, and the faster hikers started tearing up the peak. I ended up being the third one up, so I got to see it without too many people crowding around. From there we could look down into the saddle, and into the crater, not to even mention a sweeping panoramic view of Guatemala’s Pacific Highlands. Even though the volcano is dormant, there are numerous holes where you can stick your hand into the ground and it is noticeably warmer. While we were on the top of Acatenango, the nearby Fuego volcano was spewing dense smoke. It has been active lately, and once in a while lava will flow, but not while we were there. Still, seeing a volcano erupt very close to us was a dream come true. We took some group photos, and walked around the rim of the entire crater. By the way, at this time it was not even eight in the morning. We left after what seemed like all too short of a time, and headed down a different route from the summit to the saddle. This one was quite rocky and steep, and several people fell on the way down. We got back to the saddle and took the same trail back to base camp. When we arrived we had a second breakfast. That was one of the best pancakes I have ever had. It was probably due to my continued euphoria from the mountain, but it was delicious. We packed up and hiked down again. Going down the steep slopes through the rain forest was fun, running as fast as you dared to go, and hoping you could stop. We made it down in a fraction of the time it took to get up, and when we arrived back at La Mirador, another group of Semester at Sea students was eating their lunch their. We told them some details about what was ahead, but didn’t want to give away everything. I’d like to see how many of them made it up. From there it was back on the chicken bus to town, and then onto our regular bus for the drive to Antigua, the old capital of Guatemala. It was great to see the city that we had looked down on early that morning. We had a traditional Guatemalan meal, which was one of the best I’ve ever had. It consisted of black bean soup, steak, chicken, pork sausages, potatoes, and very small corn tortillas. I’m sure your average Guatemalan wouldn’t have three meats at a meal, but any one of them would have been fine. We had some free time to wander the city after lunch. It has some great old colonial buildings, and small, tightly packed houses and shops. The city’s landmark is an arch on the main road that leads to the city square. After leaving Antigua we drove back to the ship, where I got dinner, and then had a relaxing night before our last day in a port.
For the last day in Guatemala, and the final day in a port while on Semester at Sea, I went to the nearby town of Monterrico. It is known for its black sand beaches, and the Monterrico Nature Reserve. We took a large van, with some other students who wanted to go there. The beach was cool to see, but we did not stay long. The town itself is fairly small, it did not take long to find the nature reserve and walk there. These beaches are nesting grounds for sea turtles Most of the reserve is completely off-limits, it is solely for the wildlife. There is a small museum, and some small display zoo. We did get to see lots of small sea turtles, that they hatch and will later release when they are larger. We got lunch at a small, open-air restaurant. Just as I hoped, the food was incredible. Most of the menu was fish, but when I asked about one item, they told me it was “carne.” So I knew I was getting some kind of beef. It was a thinly sliced steak, covered with salsa, and served with the same small tortillas. We took our van back to the port, did some quick shopping from the market, and then said goodbye to our last port.
The trip now is nearly complete. Just a few short days at sea, and then its back home. I’m ready to be home again. Everything I have seen has been incredible, amazing, life changing, insert whatever moving adjective you want here. I haven’t even had that much time to reflect, I feel that that might take months or years. I am incredibly grateful for this voyage, and all that I have done and seen. I’m sure that everyone back home, who has been following this, might want some grandiose statement about the world, but the world is just so damn big, I can’t easily sum it up. People will want to know, has this trip changed you, and even to me, it has been obviously yes. People will want to hear everything, but there are memories that just cannot be put into words. People will want to hear some life philosophy, and I’ll tell them to go see the world, and come up with their own. I am capable of so much more now, I know so much more now, I’m ready to live to such a higher degree. I can’t wait to see you all when I get home, but also, I can’t wait to see where I’m headed next.

Don’t stop living in the red.

--- Jeff Malik

Hawaii

Hawaii was a good break, more like a vacation than the foreign experiences that I have had in 11 countries prior to this. We had to get up at six in the morning to begin the immigration and customs process. Everyone has to meet face to face with a U.S. customs officer, and then once all thousand or so people had done this, the ship was clear. I got off and walked around downtown Honolulu for an hour or so. After that I headed to Waikiki beach for a few hours. We went to Cheeseburger in Paradise for lunch – no ethnic food to try in Hawaii. I guess I could have found poi, but luaus aren’t even authentic Hawaiian anymore. After that I met up with some other friends, and we headed back to a different part of the beach. We were only there a short time, when a friend of Laura’s from high school who now lives in Hawaii showed up. He and two of his friends took us on a hike to a waterfall. We rode in the back of a pickup truck for a while, through the less touristy parts of Honolulu, and then onto the highway. We went through a tunnel, and came out on the other side of the mountains, into some absolutely beautiful scenery. The mountains are not that high, but very steep, rugged, and covered with lush vegetation. The view from the parking lot was incredible, and the views only got better from there on. No one was really prepared for a hike, we were all in sandals and swimsuits, but it was worth it. We wound around the sides of a mountain, and then took another trail that led along the crest of a ridge. It led down to a stream, and from there it was only a few minutes to the waterfall. The falls poured down into a very deep pool, so you could jump off into the water if you wanted to. After an hour or two of cliff jumping and swimming, we had to hike back out. On the drive back to Honolulu, we dropped Laura’s friend off at the University of Hawaii, so we got to see some of their campus. That night we went out, but I somehow got up at seven the next morning. That was a familiar pattern on this entire trip. Going out at night, and then getting up after a few hours of sleep, because you don’t want to miss anything in the countries. That second day in Hawaii I was by myself. I took care of some important things, and then went to Waikiki, but did not go on the beach. I walked around the restaurants and shopping area for a while. I am pretty sure I saw the hotel where we stayed when I came here years ago. I took the bus back to the ship and ate lunch there. In the afternoon I got wi-fi in a nearby mall, and finally put some pictures from this trip online. I ended up going back onto the ship a few hours before the absolute limit. I did not want to stand in line for a while, and the security measures in Hawaii were the most extreme of any port. I slept until dinner to make up for the night, and then watched us sail away that evening.

Japan

My time in Japan is over, we left last night. Our stretch of several ports in quick succession is done, it seemed to fly by. Now there are nine days at sea, until we get to Hawaii. Japan was incredible, everything I did was fun. Other places have been good, but Japan was great. When we arrived, we had to go through Japanese Customs and Immigration, the most intense arrival process so far. Everyone must be photographed, fingerprinted, and have their temperature taken before being allowed into the country. By the time all of that was done, I did not have enough time to see Kobe before my trip left. So I called home, looked around the port area, and then went on the trip to Hiroshima. We took the bullet train to Hiroshima, which took barely over an hour to go three hundred kilometers. Its about the same feeling as being on a plane, you’re going incredibly fast, but can hardly tell. Most of the track is in tunnels, but when you are outside, everything blurs by. Hiroshima itself is an interesting experience. There’s the obvious history, it being one of only two places in the entire world to ever have been the victim of a nuclear bombing. Yet, the museum is much different than others war museums and memorials that I have seen on this trip. The Hiroshima museum does not attempt to put blame on anyone. It is not set up to make the United States look bad. Most of the museum contains artifacts from the blast: watches all stopped at 8:15, torn and burnt clothing, melted and fused household goods. The museum is surrounded by a park, full of memorials. The most famous part is the “A-bomb dome” a shell of a building that was one of the few to remain standing. Now its skeleton remains, a reminder of the horrors of war. It is surrounded by cherry trees, and the peace park, making Hiroshima one of the most important voices for world peace.
My second day in Japan I visited Kyoto, the ancient capital. After about an hour bus ride, we arrived at Nijo Castle. It was built by the first Shogun, who unified Japan during its feudal period. Nijo Castle was the seat of power for several hundred years, until the last Shogun restored power to the emperor, and the castle became a secondary home for the royal court. Japanese castles are not like European castles. There is an outer stone wall, but it is only about twenty feet high. The building are made of wood, and not fortified at all. There was once a five story tower, but it was struck by lightning and burned down in the 1700s. Much of the castle grounds are gardens and ponds. It is clearly built to be comfortable, not merely to protect the ruler. I was in Japan during the peak of cherry blossom season, and every place I went in Kyoto was stunning. The trees here, and the second stop, were especially beautiful. That second stop was the Golden Pavilion, a Shinto shrine. The pavilion sits on a pond, and is surrounded by more gardens. The other buildings within the complex have Zen gardens. One building is known for its six hundred year old bonsai tree, which has been sculpted into the shape of a sailing ship. The pond contains two islands, turtle island, and crane island. There were live turtles in the pond, and as I was standing there, a crane flew across the water and landed on crane island. We then saw another pond, a sacred spring, and a traditional tea house, before leaving this shrine. For lunch we got box lunches from the ship, and went to a public park to eat them. It was full of food vendors, so I also got some fried chicken on a stick, something that can be found anywhere in the world. There was another temple complex on a hill next to the park, it was not a scheduled stop, but I went up to it anyways. I was told that parts of “The Last Samurai” were filmed here, but I did not recognize any buildings. After there, we went to a Shinto temple. Our guide showed the way that people ritually wash their hands, and then the Shinto prayer that they do. This area also had a cherry blossom garden. Our last stop in Kyoto was at a Buddhist temple. I had seen plenty of Buddhist temples in Thailand, but it was interesting to see the differences between the two. The Japanese temple again incorporated lots of nature, trees, and gardens. There was also less emphasis on the Buddha, and more on various small rituals. It is very common to use prayer flags, notes, or small wooden plaques to attempt to get your wishes granted.
Upon arriving back at the ship, I grabbed my backpack, a quick dinner, and then met everyone for our independent travel. Like in China, we could leave the ship as long as we met it again in Yokohama. Our goal was Koka, a tiny town with a very interesting history. It was the home of the Koga Ninja Clan during the feudal and Shogun eras. Their rivals, the Iga Ninja, are in another town a short distance south of Koka. We took the train to Kyoto, but accidentally got on the local line, so we stopped at every single stop along the way. It took longer, but gave us a really cool look at a wide range of Japan. In Kyoto we transferred to another train to Kusatsu, and then onto a tiny spur line to Koka. Each train got progressively smaller, slower, and less like the ultra modern trains that people expect in Japan. We finally arrived in Koka at almost eleven at night, and found it to be completely deserted. It was smaller than I imagined. The town consisted of two main streets, with less than a dozen traffic lights. We looked for a place to stay, and our options seemed to be the train station, or an empty field. Eventually we went into a convenience store, and using some drawings of beds, and pantomiming sleep, the store manager drew us a map to the one hotel in town. We found it around midnight, and the night shift women let us in and we got one single room for the three of us. It made the rooms on the ship look big, but it worked for the night. That night we discovered beer vending machines and Japanese game shows. We got up, explored the town a little bit, and then as we were eating breakfast on the street outside of our hotel, the other group of our friends walked out of the same place. They had gotten there earlier than we did, and must have been asleep before we even got to the town. We had a poor map from the website of the ninja museum, and after an hour or two of looking for it, we went to the train station and had them call the museum. It turned out to be about a ten minute drive, and they came to pick us up in a shuttle van and drive everyone out there.
The Ninja Village is a collection of small traditional houses, hidden away in the forest outside of town. The main thing to see is the ninja house, complete with trap doors, revolving walls, hidden passages, and several ways to escape. Next door to that is a museum full of clothing, armor, and weapons. There are tunnels that connect between some of the houses, and then to other parts of the village. One of the coolest things to do was to throw authentic style ninja stars, not the many-pointed ones that we see in movies. Real shuriken only have four points. The gift shop gave everyone a scroll saying that we were official ninja of the Koga Clan, and then we headed back to the train station to go to Tokyo. We had to take the small trains back to Kyoto, and then from there got on the bullet train to Tokyo. Even at the speed those trains can go, it took two and a half hours. The highlight was passing Mt. Fuji right around sunset. We transferred from the train station to the subway lines, and got to our hotel in the Roppongi district. The Tokyo subway system is one of the most massive and complex in the world, but each line is color coded, and it was fairly easy to get around the city.
The next morning, I woke up, and PJ wanted more sleep (great nights in Tokyo), so I headed out by myself. I went to central Tokyo, saw the Imperial Palace from outside, but did not go in. I ate my breakfast in a park across the street from it. I went back to Roppongi, and walked to the Tokyo Tower. I went up to its 250 meter observation deck for some awesome views of the city. There are just skyscrapers as far as you can see. It was weird to look down onto fifty story buildings, but the view was great. I went back to the hotel, and PJ was now ready to go out. Our first stop was Akhiabara, the electronics district. We went into a nine-story shop that was nothing but electronics and video games. The entire area is full of arcades, DVD stores, anime, and more neon than you can imagine. Then we went to Shibuya, where the world’s busiest intersection is. This district is called the Times Square of Tokyo. It’s very upscale and very modern. After dinner we went back to Roppongi and everyone met at our hotel to make plans for that evening. Some other of my friends were going to a high class bar in Shinjuku, the rich section of Tokyo, and I wanted to go meet them. I’ve never seen it, but the film “Lost in Translation” was filmed there. So a few of us ended up dressing nice, and went up to the 52nd floor of a skyscraper to see it. The view of Tokyo at night was an awesome backdrop for a high roller’s evening. (Don’t worry, I kept the bill low.)
On the last day, we took the train back to Yokohama to meet the ship. We put our stuff away, and then I went out to see the city. It’s a great city, probably the best port area. You can easily walk off of the ship and find things right in the area. It was nicer than Cape Town, but not as touristy, so I’d say that Yokohama is the best port city. The baseball stadium is about a five minute walk, but the game started too late in the day for me to get back to the ship on time. Lots of people went the previous day, and had a great time. I walked to the Landmark Tower, the tallest building in Japan, and it has the world’s fastest elevator. I didn’t pay to go up, since I went up the Tokyo Tower. Just outside of that building is the Nippon Maru, an old sailing ship. I don’t know its exact history, but during Japan’s modernization, it was the pride of the nation. The rest of Yokohama is beautiful, everything is very clean, and the city has more parks, squares, and green avenues than most places I’ve been. I was back on the ship in the afternoon, and then everyone had to get off again in the evening to go through immigration before we were cleared to leave. Much later in the evening we put out to sea. Sailing out past the brilliant lights and clean skyline of Yokohama was the perfect ending to a great time in Japan.

China

I’m now done with China, and not to get repetitive, but it was incredible. The ship docked in Hong Kong for two days, then sailed to Shanghai, but we had the option of getting off to travel, as long as we got back on in Shanghai. I spent the first day in Hong Kong, with no plans, and walked around. It’s a very modern city at first glance, but when you get off of the main roads, it’s more like the “real China.” I was walking past a city park, when I noticed a banner that said Kung Fu display, Sundays 2-4. It was around three, so I went in, and found people showing their Kung Fu skills to a small crowd. I wandered around both Hong Kong Island, and Kowloon, for the day, and then returned to the ship for a small dinner before going back out. Every night, the skyline of Hong Kong is used for a light show. The largest and most architecturally interesting buildings synchronize their neon lights, floodlights, and lasers. Everything is timed to music that a radio station plays. That night was one of the finals of the Rugby 7’s in Hong Kong. Tickets sold out months ago, so most people go to Lan Kwai Fong, Hong Kong’s main bar street to watch the games. It was a party in the streets for the entire night, thousands of drunk Australians everywhere.
The next morning, I left on my trip to Beijing. I want to keep this short, so I can finish in a reasonable amount of time. Japan is only two days away. I was on a University-hosted trip, to the University of International Business and Economics. We had a get together with some of the students the night we arrived. The next day, we spent the morning seeing Tianamen Square, Mao’s tomb, and the Forbidden City. After lunch we went to the Temple of Heaven. We went to an Acrobatic Show that night, which completely blew everyone’s minds. I did not think that any of those things they did were remotely possible. The third day in Beijing, there was an optional tai chi session early in the morning, which I got up to do. Then we drove out to the Great Wall, and spent several hours at it. Again, I cannot come close to describing how incredible it is. The wall is truly a wonder of the world. That night we had dinner with some more of the Chinese students. Our last day started with Kung Fu in the early morning, the Imperial Summer Palace, and then the Olympic venues after lunch, before flying back to Shanghai late in the evening.
My last day in China, I went to the Shanghai Zoo in the morning. I could go there as a field program for one of my classes, plus zoos are usually cool. I spent a lot of time observing the primates, for the paper I now need to write. One of the highlights were definitely the Giant Pandas. After finishing the zoo, I did not have enough cash for a cab ride back to the ship. The zoo was quite a ways away, it took more than half an hour to drive there, a lot of that on a highway. I started walking, planning on finding an ATM, but then I got it in my head that I would just walk all the way back to the ship. I followed a major road all the way to downtown, and then I knew how to get back to the port. It took my three and a half hours to walk, but I got to see Shanghai on a level that I did not plan on. By the way, I did this all alone, and did not see another Semester at Sea student, or a white person in general, until I was almost at the ship. I estimated it to be about ten miles through the city.
China was our longest port, and definitely one of the best. I’d recommend it to anyone, but now I’m just too exhausted to write much more.

Cambodia and Vietnam

So, I’m back on the ship after Vietnam, but I spent most of my time in Cambodia. Going to Cambodia on a SAS trip was my only opportunity to visit a country not on the itinerary. I was debating about it, because I knew that Vietnam would be an interesting experience for five days. By going to Cambodia, I got a taste of two countries, but not as in depth a stay in either one. My trip left for Cambodia on the day of our arrival, we got in a bus to the airport, for a very short flight across the border. We landed in Phnom Penh in the late afternoon, and went to the National Museum. It is primarily a collection of historic art, arranged by medium. The museum is a square building with an open courtyard, and each of the four parts of it hold either wood, stone, bronze, or precious metals. The entire place was fairly small, and reminded me of the art portion of the National Museum of Thailand in Bangkok. Our next stop was a boat ride on the Mekong River at sunset. They gave us Angkor Beer, one of only two beers made in Cambodia. They are nothing to write home about, but here I am doing just that. The day was cloudy, so the sunset was not spectacular, but the things we saw from the river were very interesting. We passed by numerous temples and pagodas on one side, and fairly undeveloped land on the other side of the river. The coolest thing we saw was a floating village, a collection of forty or fifty house-boats that all travel together, and when they anchor, tie to each other. People then walk freely between them, and use smaller boats to go into Phnom Penh, or wherever else they happen to go. After that, we went to an orphanage. I’ve never been one that would choose to volunteer at an orphanage, but it turned out to be fun. The Palm Tree Orphanage receives funds from an organization that was started by two people that went on Semester at Sea back a few decades ago. Two guys that went on SAS Spring ’07 were back in Cambodia, to work there. Several of the guys from our trip played soccer with a lot of the kids. They pretty much showed us up, but it was a good time, and we had to leave way too early. Once we left, we went to a very late dinner, which was pretty good. The food we had in Cambodia was like most Asian food: noodles, rice, and vegetables. However, it is predominantly seafood, and also soups are very common. Then we went to our hotel, which was far too nice for my tastes. The two hotels that I stayed at in Cambodia were the nicest hotel rooms I have ever been in. If I have a bed and a roof I’m happy, but Semester at Sea provides top of the line hotels. Their reasoning is that they stay at places that will have clean drinking water. I’m glad that this will be my only trip that will be staying in hotels arranged through the ship.
The second day in Cambodia, we started our day at Tuol Sleng, an important site in the Khmer Rouge’s genocide. It was once a high school, but became a prison and torture facility. Most of the facility had been left they way it was in the late 1970s. Blood still stains the floor in most cells. One building has been made into a museum, with row upon row of photos of the victims. Instruments of torture, as well as photos of their results, are shown. There was once a map of Cambodia, made out of human skulls, but after Buddhist monks requested a proper cremation, it was dismantled. A photograph of it still hangs on the wall, as the last thing you see before leaving. From there, the trip got even grimmer. We visited the Killing Fields themselves, were more than a million people were slaughtered and dumped into mass graves as part of the Khmer Rouge’s crackdown on anyone who was not a peasant capable of working the rice fields. Some of the “crimes” they were guilty of included going to a library, or being educated. A pagoda stands as a memorial to the victims. It is filled from floor to ceiling with skulls. The mass graves have had their victims removed, but still stand open, a reminder of what mankind is capable of.
Once we left, we moved on to less depressing visits. We went to the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, and the nearby Silver Pagoda. It is not actually silver, but is named that because of its silver tiled floor. You have to walk on rugs, but an area is left open to see the original flooring. We then ate lunch, and had some free time in a nearby market. We took another flight to Siam Reap in the afternoon. The town of Siam Reap is very small, and is only famous for being the closest city to Angkor Wat. It is predominantly very nice hotels. The government knows that people are coming to see Angkor Wat, and need rooms, so they only allow nicer hotels to be built, and thus generate lots of revenue. We went to the main gate of Angkor Wat for sunset that night, but did not actually go into the complex. The next day, we had to option of getting up at five, to see the sunrise from the same place. I didn’t go all the way to Cambodia to miss something like that, so of course I got up. Like many ancient buildings, Angkor Wat is built so that is aligned with the cardinal directions, and the angles of the sun. On the equinoxes, the sun rises directly behind the main tower. We were there only two days after the equinox, so by stepping about ten feet to one side, I got the exact same effect. Breakfast was served back at our hotel, and we quickly left again, to go to another part of the temple complex. This next area is even more in the rain forest that the main buildings. Gigantic trees, as well as strangler vines, are growing all around, and through the ruins. It gives the place a very mysterious feeling. With the exception of some buildings in danger of collapse, you are generally given freedom to explore the ruins. Darting through dark passageways, in a nearly thousand year old structure, was a dream come true. I hope I’m not wearing out this phrase in my blog, but Angkor Wat was one of the greatest things I’ve ever seen. We left this area, and went back to the main complex, but entered through the opposite gate, and had several hours to look around. Being inside the temple that we had seen at sunrise was awesome. It is incredibly intricate, and every surface you look at is covered with sculptures, carvings, or writing. The massive towers force you to look nearly straight up to take them in. It was one of the most absolutely breathtaking things I have seen. After lunch, we went to another series of temples and palaces that are all very close to one another. The first one we saw was the most impressive of these; its towers are adorned with massive stone faces on all four sides. There are dozens of towers in all, so that wherever you turn, a monolithic face is staring down at you. This temple was one of the most accessible; you could climb up into the highest parts of it. From there we saw a few more temples, and then had to finally leave the site. We drove back to the Siam Reap airport, and flew back to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. That night, everyone was exhausted, so we went out for pizza and beer, and then I was asleep well before eleven.
The forth day of the ship being in Vietnam was actually my first day of experiencing the country. I went on a trip to the Cu Chi tunnels, a network of 250 kilometers of tunnels and rooms used by the Vietcong during the war. The buses took us to the primary temple of the Cao Dai Religion, a religion found only in Vietnam. To me, it’s a cult. It was founded in the 1920s, all of its members wear white robes, live in the same gated complex, and work in the same clothes factories that support the facility. They worship a gigantic eye, and one of their saints is Victor Hugo. I walked away shaking my head. The rest of the afternoon we spent at the tunnels, which was the reason I signed up to go on this trip. After watching a blatant propaganda film, labeled as history, we walked through the jungle, past several small openings of the tunnels. They also showed us numerous traps used by the Vietcong. We came to an area that had a small opening, one by two feet at most. It had a wooden lid, that could be closed and camouflaged with leaves. I fit down in it, but several people could not. We then went into a section of tunnel, that we could crawl through for a long distance. A tiny staircase led down into the them, and then the tunnel runs all the way to Ho Chi Minh City. In the area we were, entrances are fairly common, so we only ventured sixty meters through them. However, that short time was enough that I got a feel of them. They are not nearly large enough to walk through, a sort of crouching walk is required. The heat is also very intense. I was never very uncomfortable in Thailand, Cambodia, or Vietnam, since the weather was similar to August in Tennessee, but the tunnels were very hot.
My last day in Vietnam, I spent exploring Ho Chi Minh City. Just crossing the street is an adventure, having to dodge hundred of mopeds, bicycles, scooters, and motorcycles. The guide on my tunnels trip said that there are four million of them in the city. We went to the market in the morning, then walked past many parks, and through lots of side streets. We saw, but did not go into, the Reunification Palace. It was the administrative building of South Vietnam, so it was a major victory when the North Vietnamese captured it. I also saw the Post Office, a leftover from the French Colonial Days. It was designed by the same man who designed the Eiffel Tower. After lunch, we went to the War Remnants Museum. As recent as 1995, it was known as the Museum of American War Crimes. Even after seeing Robben Island in South Africa, or the Killing Fields in Cambodia, this was the hardest thing to visit. The Vietnamese look at the war in a very different light, which was to be expected, and was fairly interesting, but there is a very strong bias that I have not witnessed elsewhere. The South Vietnamese are all labeled as puppets or henchmen of the United States. The images of American soldiers torturing North Vietnamese are juxtaposed with excerpts from the Declaration of Independence, in an attempt to show the hypocrisy of the U.S. Government. The displays are all very graphic, especially the section of Agent Orange birth defects. The mood in that building was grim, our hearts and minds heavy to a level I’ve never felt before. Yet, I feel as if we all should see these things, especially while on this trip. There’s still a feeling that we are young, and we will learn from the mistakes of past generations. There’s still hope.

Thailand

Thailand is an incredible place. It was everything I had pictured about Southeast Asia, and so much more. We docked in the Port of Laem Chabang, since the port of Bangkok is too shallow to accommodate newer, larger ships. On Sunday, the first day in Thailand, I went to the Pattaya Elephant Village, a sanctuary for former working elephants. They now operate various tourist shows, but the elephants are better off. We got to feed them, and then ride them by sitting directly on the elephant’s neck. After that, there was a presentation about how elephants were used in the logging industry in the past. The last thing we saw was the war elephant show. The staff was dressed in traditional Thai military clothing, and the elephants had seats mounted on top. The men carried old style swords and spears, and the entire group was accompanied by war drums. Afterwards, we rode the elephants again, this time in the seats. We went out for dinner at a nearby mall, and then headed back to the ship, as the town pretty much shuts down at ten. The next day, we went to the Tiger Zoo, which was very disappointing. On the way there, our guide explained it as a sanctuary, but it was pretty much a cheap circus. The tigers live in plain concrete enclosures, maybe twenty by thirty feet. Some had as many as four tigers living in them. They have an opportunity to hold a baby tiger, but these are also kept in some ridiculously small cages. Once we left, I volunteered to fill out one of the trip evaluations, and I felt better once I wrote a pretty scathing review. I think the general consensus was that no one really liked the place, and Semester at Sea should probably think twice about taking trips back there. The second part of that trip was a place called “Mini Siam.” This was described in the trip description as being a showcase of the culture of Thailand, on a miniature scale. We walked around models of temples and palaces about ten feet high. It was basically putt putt without the golf.
On the third morning in Thailand, I took a bus to Bangkok. We were dropped off at Central World Plaza, a modern complex of malls, hotels, skyscrapers, etc. From there we took the skytrain to a hostel that we had heard about. We got beds there, and then headed to the older part of Bangkok, to see the main attractions. To get there, we took a tuk-tuk to the river, and then got on the river taxi, a boat that runs between about a dozen stops along the river. Transportation in Bangkok is very cheap and very easy to use. We then went into the Grand Palace, and spent several hours there. The entire area is incredibly ornate, with the most intricate details on dozens of temples, halls, and palaces. The highlight was the Emerald Buddha, enshrined on a golden throne, high above the onlookers. From the palace, we went to a nearby market for lunch. We ate a street vendor’s makeshift restaurant, and then I finally got my chance to buy some foreign fruits. I went to a fruit vendor, and pointed to some spiky red fruit, and something else that looked like a plum, but had to be peeled like an orange. Each of these were good, but the purple fruit was incredible. After that, we went to see Wat Po, the temple of the reclining Buddha. I had heard that it was large, but the sheer size of it is hard to comprehend. It completely fills its temple, and my photographs do not do it justice. After this temple, we took a cab back to our hostel, and then walked around that area for dinner. We ate at “Tasty Thai” a Thai fast food chain. The cashew chicken I had was probably the best meal in that country. From there we went to a small night market, and then walked to Lumphini Park. Next to the park is the Suan Lum Night Bazaar, an absolutely gigantic market. Everything you can possibly imagine is for sale there. We spent several hours, going up and down the rows. Then we came across a pedestrian street, and looking across it, realized that we were only about one-forth of the way through the place. By this time, we had been up since seven in the morning, were running short on cash, and decided to call it a night.
The next day, we got up and headed into the older part of town via the water taxi again. We had to go to a stop farther up the river, so we passed the Grand Palace from the water. Our first stop of the day was the National Museum. I was supposed to go there for one of my classes, but it was worth seeing even if I did not have to go. It is housed in an old palace, so the building itself is beautiful, and then it is filled with some incredible objects. The museum covers everything from Thailand, but is predominantly about the ancient capital of Ayutthaya, Thailand’s wars with Burma, and the current ruling dynasty. We spent the morning there, and then headed out for lunch. Our plan was to walk to the Democracy Monument, and find a place to eat along the way. The restaurant we went in was absolutely hilarious. Picture every cheesy stereotype about Southeast Asia, and this place had it. The walls were covered with shiny curtains and sparkling garland. Gaudy lights, fake flowers, and a New Year’s banner covered the ceiling. People sang karaoke the entire time, but they take it pretty seriously. Everyone in the restaurant was fairly old. They would eat, get up to sing their song, and then go back to eating. No one was drinking, or singing while drunk like you would think. Our waiter kept asking us to sing, so we did. The people loved us when we sang, even though I butchered “Live and Let Die.” While in the restaurant, we looked at the map, and decided to add a stop at the Golden Mount to our day. So, we left, walked down to the Democracy Monument, which is cool to see but there is nothing really to do there. Then we continued down the same street to the Golden Mount. It is a temple built on the top of a hill, which contains some relics from Buddha. We climbed the stairs that spiral around the base, to the temple itself. The relic chamber was closed for cleaning and restoration, but consequently they were not charging admission. We went up on the roof, for good views of Bangkok. It has one of the coolest skylines I’ve seen so far. Lots of very modern buildings, but giant palaces and temples stick up every so often, giving the city both a very old and very new look to it. After leaving the Golden Mount, we planned on taking a cab to Wat Traimit, but a tuk-tuk driver said he would take us for only ten baht, it we agreed to stop at his sponsor. So, he took us to a jewelry store, we stayed for ten minutes, and then left. He didn’t pressure us; the store gives him a gas coupon whether or not we buy anything, as long as he brought us there. We went to Wat Traimit, which is famous for its five and a half ton, solid gold Buddha. Next to it is a larger temple that is under construction, and is supposed to be finished in time for an important anniversary of the king’s reign. From there, we went back to our hostel, and ended up getting our entire ride for free, since the driver took us to another shop. He was very happy, now that he got two gas coupons, and was one of the friendliest people we met in Thailand. We stopped at the hostel to drop our things off, and then went out to dinner. That night was Amber’s 21st birthday, so people met at her hotel and we went out that night.
The last day in Thailand, everyone else wanted to get massages, but I didn’t. I wrote postcards, and then took a walk in the area around the hostel. I found a little market, and then was supposed to meet everyone back at our hostel before lunch. I did not want to wait, so I wrote them a note, checked out myself, and went out into the city. I wanted to do some exploring on my own, and this was the first good chance I got. It’s a good change from being with other people. You really notice the city when no one is talking to you. I took the skytrain again to Central World, where the bus would pick us up. I ran into a different group of friends, ate lunch with them, and then I went to the grocery store and bought a watermelon. After the bus ride to Laem Chabang, we sat on the pier and ate it, before finally getting back on the ship.
Overall, I liked Thailand, and loved Bangkok. I can see why it is a major stop for world backpackers. It is probably the easiest city to get around in, and has so much to do. At night, the markets are incredible, and if you’re into it, Bangkok’s seedy underworld is about as seedy as it gets. I would recommend Thailand to anyone in a heartbeat.

INDIA

I just got back on the ship, after five mind-blowing days in India. It is one of the most indescribable places on the face of the earth. India is absolutely different, in every aspect of life. The culture shock kicked in about five minutes after leaving the ship. On the very first day, I had no trip planned, so our intention was to see the sights of Chennai. Stephanie knew about a place called the Burma Bazaar, which supposedly had everything you could possibly want to buy. Once we left the port gate, we were instantly surrounded by rickshaw drivers. We got them to take us to the bazaar, but had to take two rickshaws, and we never saw Becky or Diana the rest of the day. The Burma Bazaar turned out to be nothing but bootleg DVDs and electronics. We decided to have a rickshaw driver take us around, and they all know most of the things to see. When we told him the girls wanted to do some shopping, he took us to one of the government sponsored craft houses that the ship had informed us about. You have to bargain less here, but the price is still negotiable. After that stop, we went to a restaurant to eat lunch. When we walked in, the place was fairly crowded, but they led us to a side room, which was fancier. No one knew anything about Indian food, so I just picked some things and ordered them. It turned out to be a spicy rice dish that was pretty good. The room began to fill up, with business people and nicer dressed Indian men and women. It seems that many restaurants and other businesses separate higher and lower classes. Nothing was ever mentioned about the caste system, but I wonder if that is part of the reasoning. After eating, we told our driver to take us to a Hindu temple. He turned down a side alley that looked pretty suspicious, but we turned a corner and there was a temple right in front of us. We saw the artificial lake that these temples have, for Hindus to wash every morning. In the middle of this lake is a small, brightly colored ornate temple. During festivals, boats circle around this island temple, and then people go to it. The main temple was to the left of the lake. It was several stories high, with the entire outside covered in statues. Temples do not open until four in the afternoon, so we could not go inside at that time. Our driver took us to China town, which, like many things in India, was incorrectly named. I never saw a single Chinese person or establishment. It was a street exactly like every other street I saw in India, filled with lots of things I had no intention of ever buying. From there we went to back to the ship. On the way back, we experienced one of the negative parts of India that they warned us about. Our rickshaw driver stopped far from the port, and demanded more money than we initially agreed upon. Once back inside the port, we found Becky and Diana, that we had not seen since getting into two rickshaws. Becky and I had no plans for the rest of that day, so we got on the SAS trip to a food market at the last minute. The bus ride was guided by an older woman, who pointed out some important sights in Chennai along the way. When we got close to the food market, the street was being blocked by a political rally that was about to happen. Elections in India are coming up in May, and campaigning is in full swing. The bus stopped on a side street, and we got out and walked to the market. Their idea of a market was just a side street lined with women selling mainly fruits and vegetable. Our guide explained everything that we saw, but we did not get to eat anything. Our walk ended by going down another side street, where we passed another of the artificial ponds associated with a Hindu temple. This pond was filled with catfish, and people were selling and throwing bread and rice balls into the water, where the fish would go crazy to get them. We were given a few minutes to walk around before getting back on the bus, and I went to a pastry shop and just asked what was good. They gave me a bright orange, fried thing that was very syrupy and tasted like pure sugar, but was very good. The bus took us back to port, and we began to get back on the ship. I had planned on going to dinner, and then packing and going to sleep since my flight left the next day very early. However, I saw Katie and Andrea getting back on the ship, and they wanted me to go out to eat with them. I ate a small dinner on the ship, and then met them by the purser’s desk on the ship at seven. They were dressed up more than I planned, so I ran back, grabbed a button down shirt, and we headed out. We wanted to take a large van taxi to hold all of us, and had got them down to a price we thought was reasonable, when more people were getting off of the ship. Another driver got a higher price from these people, so they took the van. We ended up walking to the port gate to get rickshaws, took two of them, and went to our restaurant. I ordered a chicken dish, and then to go all out I ordered sheep brains. When they brought out the food, they said that they ran out of brains, so I missed this chance to eat something bizarre, but the chicken dish was pretty good. We went back to the ship, and I packed for our early departure the next morning.
On the second day, I woke up at two-thirty in the morning, after only about three hours sleep. We met at three, and left the ship. While at the first security checkpoint, two men were talking with the guards. They told us that we had to pay one hundred rupees each to leave the port, because it was early. The guards themselves weren’t asking for bribes, but they also weren’t stopping these guys from trying. We refused to pay, left, and got some rickshaws to the airport. Finding our gate was somewhat confusing, but we got on the flight without many problems, and were on our way to Mumbai. Most people on the ship, professors and administration included, thought we were crazy to go there. With the terrorist attacks only about three months in the past, they thought it would be a very dangerous place to go. One girl ended up not going with us, but the other six of us still wanted to go. The plane took off, and we had a view of the horrible pollution that Chennai is known for. We passed what looked like a solid dark cloud layer, but this was just the smog, and then higher up we passed the actual clouds. Upon arriving in Mumbai, there were free computers to use the internet, so we quickly looked up some hotel options. We wanted to stay in South Mumbai, were most of the things to see are located. A lot of places seemed sold out, so our plan was to get to the area, and then look for a hotel. The taxi ride took more than an hour, but we got to see a lot of the city. They dropped us off at the Gateway of India, a monument built by the British in 1911. It is the landmark of Mumbai. Across the street is the Taj Hotel, one of the major sites of the terrorist attacks in November. There are still boarded up windows and fire damage from that event. Down the street is another hotel that was attacked. Most of the eighth floor windows are covered there. They are still riddled with bullet holes from when terrorists were shooting down from the eighth floor, and cops were shooting up at them. The most interesting part of all this was how the local people thought about the event. Our guide for a city tour never used the word terrorist, and he never said Pakistani terrorists, or terrorists from Pakistan. He pointed out the buildings and said “This is where Pakistan attacked us.” The hatred between these two nations is all too clear.
The rest of that afternoon was spent on our tour of the city. We saw the world’s largest hand washing laundry facility. This place was surprisingly small, about the size of a small city block. I wonder if they measure by volume of laundry done, or if like many things in India they will tell you whatever they feel like. Then we went down Marina Drive, the principal road in Mumbai that surrounds the natural harbor on three sides. Gandhi’s house was one of the best stops of the day. I still know far too little about him, but it was very interesting. From there we saw the public gardens, a nearby Parsi Cemetery, Malabar hill, the Victoria Terminus, and a Jain Temple. While near the Gateway of India, a Hindu holy man came up to us, tied a band around everyone’s wrist, and said some sort of prayer. He had blessed us, and then expected some money, but the smallest bill I had at the time was five hundred rupees. He then muttered something else, and someone that spoke Hindi and English said that he was putting a curse on us. Then again, I don’t believe either one did anything. After going back to the hotel for a short time, some of us went to an internet café. They had no available computers, but they took us to another one. There was no way anyone would have found this second café. We had to go through a pharmacy, up a flight of stairs, past several apartments, and then up a second set of the steepest stairs I’ve ever seen, to get to a tiny room with five computers jammed into it. Yet that is completely typical for India. When we went back to the hotel, we gathered everyone up and wanted to go out for dinner. The six of us started walking, found a street that was more tourist oriented, it was lined with people selling everything imaginable. After a long walk, everyone was pretty hungry, and we went in one of the first restaurants we found, and quite the adventure ensued. The menu was strange, with a mix of Indian food, and their take on American food. We ordered, and while waiting more than an hour, things in that restaurant were pretty suspicious. Looking back in the kitchen, there was absolutely no kitchen equipment. The entire staff of the restaurant stared at us the entire time. No one else came into eat, but every so often a pretty cracked out looking person would come in with a bag of loose coins, go to a separate cash register, and leave again. I’m almost certain this place was a front for drugs. Our food came, and it was probably the worst meal I have ever had. I think the “chef” had no idea what he was doing, and the waiter looked at us with an expression on his face, as if he thought we were crazy for actually eating it. No one could finish their meal, and once we left we found the nearest pastry shop. I got a bunch of plain croissants to make up for my dinner, and then some pastries. That night, since we had been up since two in the morning, we just hung out in our hotel and made plans for the next day.
Our second day in Mumbai, and third overall in India, we went to Elephanta Island. It is named after a giant rock carving of an elephant, that has since been removed a put in a museum. The boat ride took about an hour, and then we climbed a short path up to the entrance gate. Throughout India, we knew we were getting ripped off because we were tourists, but here at the island it was glaringly obvious. There is a sign that says “Indian Price – 10 rupees” and next to it “Foreign Price – 250 rupees.” That turns out to be around five dollars, and this was definitely worth it. Elephanta Island is a World Heritage Site, known for its caves that have been carved into Hindu Temples. Cave 1 is the most famous, with a giant carved triple-head of Shiva. Throughout the cave are more giant statues and ornate columns. There are also four other caves open to visitors. They are of varying sizes, but all smaller than the first. Some are more finished than others, and some have no carvings left in them. The last cave was most like a cave in the natural sense. It was a rough opening, with only a small carved pedestal inside. After leaving the caves, there was a small museum about the site, and a map showing all of the other World Heritage Sites in India.
We took the boat back to Mumbai, and then went to the restaurant in our hotel for lunch. This was probably the best meal I had while in India. I ordered Chicken Biryani. Biryani is a rice dish that comes with your choice of chicken, lamb, fish, egg, or vegetable. You eat it with a side of beans, and nan, the bread of India. Later that afternoon, we took a walk through the city, with the final goal of going to the Hard Rock Café. We walked past the Victoria Terminus again, and behind it, found a large public park. At least a dozen games of cricket were going on. Most of them overlapped with each other, and it was hard to tell what was going on. Someone standing near one set of wickets might actually have been playing outfield for the next game. We watched for a while, and then walked towards the downtown area. The streets in this area are nicer kept up, with less beggars and street vendors. We passed by the Parliament building, and on that side of the street, no one is allowed to walk. Everyone has to cross the street and walk on the opposite side of the road. We passed through street food vendors, and then found the only beggar that we actually gave money to, because this kid had a monkey that he trained to dance. We walked along the waterfront as it got dark, and after a while, realized that the Hard Rock Café was much farther away than we imagined. There was a horse drawn carriage attempting to get us to go for a ride, and Connor thought it would be hilarious to roll up to the restaurant in that, so we got in. The guy wouldn’t take us all of the way, since they like to stay in predominantly tourist areas. When he wouldn’t go any farther, we walked for a little ways, and then got in an actual cab. Cab drivers in India generally tell you that they’ll take you anywhere, but then getting them to do it can be a problem. Our driver had to stop several times to get directions to the restaurant. I wondered why a cab driver from the tourist sector would not know where the Hard Rock Café was. We eventually got there, a little after our agreed upon time of eight. Surprisingly, the menu was the same as it was anywhere else. I had heard that going to chain restaurants would be different in foreign countries, for example, McDonalds doesn’t have hamburgers in India. But, we got beef hamburgers here. The bouncer came over and talked to us for a while. He lived in the U.S. for thirteen years, and then told us all about Mumbai. He was a Lady Vols basketball fan, and said he really liked Pat Summit. I loved going there, just to hear some good music for the first time in several months. We went out that night, but nightlife in India is completely different. Mumbai, being liberal by Indian standards, is one of the few cities that actually have bars and clubs. However, most of them require you to have a date, or pay a very high cover. A club that was recommended to us by our waiter was a two thousand rupee, or about forty dollar, cover charge. We ended up going back to our hotel, and going to the club that was attached to the hotel. They new us, from being at the hotel, and we did not have to pay any stag fee. Sheila attracted the attention of an Indian with the greatest moustache ever, and we aren’t letting her forget that.
Our last day in Mumbai, we had planned on going to a national park within the city, that is known for being one of the few green spots in Mumbai. It also has panthers living in it. That morning at breakfast, we saw an ad in the paper for horse races that day, and decided to go. We took a cab to the race course, but when we got there, the races did not start for almost two hours. This area had no major tourist spots, but we wanted to kill some time, so we walked around for a while. Only a block or two from the stadium, some kids were playing cricket, and they waved to us, so we went over, and ended up playing cricket for almost an hour, in a slum, in Mumbai. Cricket is much harder than it looks, but we didn’t do badly for our first time. The Indian kids absolutely loved that we even tried to play, and they told us to come play next time we were in Mumbai. That afternoon, we spent at the horse track. We just picked our horses based on the best names, and wanted to put down one hundred rupees on each of the first five races. The prize amongst us was a round of beer. Whoever did the best out of us had to buy. On the very first race I placed, and then did not win anything else until the fourth race. The Indian men around us kept trying to give advice on what they thought was a good bet. Ben took their advice a few times, and he did end up doing the best. No one actually came out ahead; he just lost the least, and so had to pay at the bar. I ended up winning about three hundred rupees after putting down five hundred. After getting dinner from the food vendors, we ate in the bar, and then went to watch one last race, but put down no bets. It was then after six, so we went through the arguments with cab drivers, took cabs to the airport, and then flew back to Chennai that evening. On the way back to the ship from the Chennai airport, was the only incident in India where we did not feel safe. The cab driver took us to the wrong port gate by mistake, and the cab was surrounded by rickshaw drivers who wanted us to get out and go with them instead. One of them opened up my door and tried to pull me out, but I slammed the door and we drove off. Our cab driver was apologetic, and got us to the right place eventually.
My last day in India, I was on a Semester at Sea trip, to Kancheepuram and Mamallapuram. First we went to Kancheepuram, one of the holiest cities in Hinduism, and went to the Sri Ekambareswara Temple. It is a typical Hindu temple, with a large tower above the gate, and then the temple itself within the enclosure. The day after we were there was a holiday associated with this particular temple, so the priests were doing a “practice” of the ceremony. Believers still think that the actions are holy, so some people were there. If we had been the next day, it would have been absolutely packed. After going on a tour of the temple with our guide, it was time for the ceremony to begin. Hindus treat the statues of their gods the same as the gods themselves, and we got to see that aspect. The priests dress the statues of two gods in robes, and adorn them with flowers. The entire icon is hoisted up on a platform, and men carry them around on their shoulders. Another priest lights a torch, and does a short ritual. The entire company then goes on a parade, accompanied with torches, drummers, and horn players. The Hindu faithful throw flowers at the statues as they pass by. In the actual ceremony, the statues are carried around the temple grounds nine times. They only did one today. After this temple, we drove a very short way to Kailasanatha Temple, a much older temple built out of sandstone. It has been named a national archaeological site in India, and much of it has been restored. As part of this designation, all parts of the temple are open to everyone. The inner sanctum is normally not open to non-Hindus, so we could go into this one. However, this upsets the Hindu population, who no longer visit this temple for religious ceremonies. A priest is still present, and was doing the noon service when we were there, but he had to audience. His chanting was an incredible sound as it resonated throughout the rock chamber. We left this temple and got back on our bus for the drive to Mamallapuram. We passed through rural areas, and saw rice fields. This was the first expansive area of vegetation I had seen in India. After an hour and a half, we stopped for lunch at a fairly nice hotel complex in Mamallapuram. It evidently is a prime vacation destination. From the beach at the hotel, we could see a temple on the shore, which we would later see again from far off. The plan was to see the famous shore temple, a giant edifice right on the ocean. There used to be seven huge temples, but the coast is eroding here, and now only one remains above the waves. At certain times, parts of the other seven can be seen in the water. However, there was a different religious festival going on here, and most of the streets were completely blocked. We went to see the other old temples instead. Our first stop was Aruja’s Penance, the largest bas-relief carving in the world. It depicts an epic battle between the forces of the earth, the heavens, and the underworld on a huge boulder. Other nearby boulders have been carved into the cave temples, similar to what I saw on Elephanta Island in Mumbai. We then saw a series of five temples that represent the development of the traditional south Indian temple. The earliest were the carved caves, and then these boulders were completely carved, leaving a solid stone temple. These are not nearly as big as the later temples made from blocks of stone. I blew the last of my rupees on some souvenirs, and then we took the bus back to the ship and had to leave India.
While on this trip, I had never been all that excited for India. I was more thrilled to go to Spain, or Japan. Lots of people were wondering why I didn’t care about India. But now that I’ve gone there, it is absolutely one of the most incredible places on the earth. Pick any adjective, and it can truly be used to describe India. It is fabulously magnificent, and yet contains the most shocking environmental pollution and human suffering. Somehow, everything combines to create the majesty that is India. Despite my doubts beforehand, India was possibly my favorite port, and one that I will probably return to at some point.