Cruising Home

Arrecife

When we first planned this travel adventure to India, we decided that rather than have a long flight home, we would take a transatlantic cruise. I’m so glad we did since India was quite an intensive tour.  We found that Oceania had just the perfect timing to fit in with our plans. After our flight to Barcelona and a two night stay, we boarded the Oceania Marina. I’ve posted already about our time in Barcelona and our exciting trip to Gibraltar but I’m resting for the next leg of our journey.

Agadir, Morroco

After our port stops in the Canary Islands followed by two stops in Morroco and a nice overnight stay in Lisbon with a day long excursion to Sintra and Cascais, we have begun the last segment of the trip to Miami. (Here’s a few pictures from some of the stops we’ve made.)

Casablanca

This segment has a total of eight sea days, five in the crossing and a couple more thrown in here and there. I promised myself when I toted my computer all through India and beyond that I would spend some time working on the novel I started. It’s another Casey Stengel mystery and I really need to move it along.

Sintra, Portugal

Soooo, that’s all for our travel adventure for now unless something unusual happens that makes a good story. After all, there’s nothing I enjoy more than a good travel story.

Adventure In Gibraltar!

Now we’ve done some daring things in our travel but booking an all day tour without an absolute guarantee that we could make it back in time to the ship was a new one for us. Malaga, Spain, was as close as we were going to get to Gibraltar which has been on the bucket list for a very long time. We have passed it in the middle of the night, in the foggy morning, and we scheduled one cruise to stop there but had the port canceled upon boarding the ship. This was going to be our one shot, miss the ship departure or not.

I had been assured by the tour operator that we had plenty of time to get back but in reading the description of the tour, it had mentioned that there could be a problem with traffic. We loaded a backpack with overnight underwear, medications and a few sundries just in case. Bob had already checked on hotels in Malaga and flights to Las Palmas, the ship’s next stop after a day at sea. So we had two days to get there if necessary.

The day before, I had a message from Eduardo, our driver, who said he would be at the terminal to pick us up at 9:30. I guess we were a little anxious because we were outside the cruise terminal a little after 9. He arrived a little before 9:30 and we were on our way in a very comfortable large minivan, just the two of us. We breathed a sigh of relief. One of our concerns was having to share the tour with others who might take longer to see things and shop.

The drive to Gibraltar was about two hours, mostly on freeway. Eduardo talked about the area we passed through. It was a nice drive mostly along the shore of the Mediterranean.

Our arrival at Gibraltar was in a bit of a fog, the rock itself being a bit obscured. Eduardo parked his taxi and led us to the immigration building. Gibraltar is part of the UK and not the European Union, thus we needed to have our passports and we had been urged to be sure it had been stamped on our entry into Spain. No problem there. Immigration had stamped it at the airport and then insisted we go through a second immigration check at the pier after we had already checked into the ship. One stamp had an airplane and the other a ship. Go figure.

There was no problem going through immigration and Eduardo met us on the other side. Apparently there is a special pass for tour operators. He texted another tour guide, the local one who would take us around the sights on Gibraltar. A few minutes later we met Tarek, a very happy and jovial guy, who loaded us into his minivan and pulled a short distance over to the airport. We needed a pit stop after the long drive and this was the best place for it.

Refreshed, we rejoined Tarek and he started our drive to the top of the rock. To get into the city, you have to cross the airport runway either by walking across it as pedestrian traffic or, in our case, using the tunnel under it to drive to the other side. The pedestrian crossing is closed whenever a plane is due or is taking off obviously.

Our first stop was at the Pillars of Hercules monument. Mythology says that Hercules was the one who made the passage between Africa and Europe. It was a show of strength for love of a woman. While the clouds threatened to cover our view, there were times of clear vision of a beautiful view of the sea and the area below us.

Next we were able to explore St. Michael’s Cave, one of many caves inside the rock. This one has been made into quite a light show. As you wander through the large stalactites and stalagmites, blues, purples, magentas and all sorts of other colors are projected seamlessly on the walls of the cave and blend with music that eventually crescendos into quite a light show before it all starts over again. There is even a large area where you can sit (a natural auditorium of sorts) and watch the whole sequence all over again.  Apparently there are concerts and theatrical productions done here on occasion. The auditorium area seats about 400.

Legend has it that St. Michael’s Cave was somehow connected to the African continent by a tunnel and that is how the Barbary Macaques (monkeys) were able to get to the island. No tunnel has been found. It is most likely that the Moors who inhabited the island at one time brought them with them as pets.

The monkeys are everywhere as you venture up the rock to the top. They are especially congregated where the feeding station is located. There is a department of the government that takes care of them. Tarek told us they all receive rabies shots which is a good thing as they have been known to bite tourists who get too close or might have something to eat in their hand.  At one point, we had one who was trying to get into the van through a half open window. Why? Well, they seem to know that some of the guides have peanuts to coax them with and create some fun for the tourists even though it is not allowed.

After viewing the feeding station, I went to get back in the van and felt a push on my back that sent me flying onto the seat with a squeal. I turned to tell Bob it wasn’t funny and realized quickly he wasn’t to blame. There was a monkey inside the van who had pushed me away to get in. Tarek quickly got me out of the van and as soon as the monkey found what he was after, a bag of peanuts, he grabbed them and ran. Tarek seemed to know each monkey by name and scolded the one who scampered off in a hurry with his prize.

We got to the top of the rock but the clouds that surrounded us did not afford much of a view. Once in a while a quick clearing would emerge only to be followed immediately by another part of the clouds covering us again. All the way up however we noticed heavy metal rings and at one point a heavy metal chain. It had been used back in the day to hoist large cannons up the rock for defensive purposes. I cannot begin to imagine that struggle.

The Siege Tunnels were another part of the Rock that we were eager to see. They seemed to go on forever (30 miles of tunnels) and were well documented with scenes of soldiers from the past. There were many sieges that took place on Gibraltar but the Great Siege that lasted well over three years began in 1779. It was during that time that excavation on the tunnels began mainly as a way to get cannons into strategic places.

During WWII more tunneling took place in order to provide a garrison for soldiers and storage for water and food, medical supplies, generators, and other supplies. I cannot imagine living in those tunnels even for a short duration.

When we finally finished our exploration of the Rock, Tarek took us to a square in town that was surrounded by restaurants and gift shops. He pointed out a Burger King on the corner and told us that Eduardo would meet us there in an hour. We parted company after a hearty thank you and found lunch of fish and chips at one of the restaurants (we were in the UK after all).

At the appointed time, Eduardo met us at the BK and we opted to walk to where his taxi was parked just over the border in Spain. It gave us the opportunity to walk across the airport runway. After all, how many times do you ever get to do something like that.

Our two hour drive back to the ship got us there with plenty of time to spare. It was a wonderful day and exciting excursion and another tick off the bucket list.

 

Barcelona--Weather Alert!

After fifteen days of heat and high humidity we arrived in a somewhat, or what felt to us, chilly Barcelona. I cannot recall any other visit to Barcelona where the sun was not shining and the clouds were certainly threatening rain. Hotel Turin was not quite ready for us yet. The last couple of times we stayed there, we lucked out and got into the room upon arrival. We locked our suitcases in the available lockers at the hotel and decided our first order of business was a cup of coffee or tea at the Bar Lobo next door.

The Bar Lobo is quite a busy sandwich/sweet place. I opted for tea and a croissant while Bob went for his favorite, grilled ham and cheese sandwich called a Bikini.

We still had a couple hours to kill so we decided the next order of business had better be to buy some umbrellas. We hadn’t packed our travel umbrellas because of the need to keep the weight of the luggage down for our domestic flight in India. It certainly looked like we would need them.

At one end of La Rambla almost to the statue of Columbus (who points the wrong way to the New World) there is a little corner convenient store where we knew we could get water and umbrellas and we hoped some cough drops to help with the head colds we acquired along the way.

Too tired and out of ideas, we headed back to the hotel and decided we would just wait out the last hour in the small lobby. To our delight, the receptionist said our room was ready. Gratefully we gathered our bags and checked into our room. We were tired. It had been a long night and neither of us had slept much on the plane. Ah, the joys of travel.

On our last visit, we had found a nice restaurant that had good Paella and we tried to find it again but couldn’t. We settled for one of the restaurants that line La Rambla at one section. We had surprisingly good seafood Paella.

Done for the night, we strolled slowly up La Rambla back to the hotel. The rain had kept a lot of people away in the afternoon but it was dry now and pleasant and the crowd was growing. Always fun to people watch there.

There was a time difference of seven and a half hours between Kolkata and Barcelona. (Have no clue why there is a half hour difference in India.) We hoped for a refreshing restful night and were rewarded.

Unfortunately, we awoke to a rainy morning. So much for an open top Hop On Hop Off ride. Besides, we’d done that so many times before we almost knew the route by heart. I got out my GPS My City app and we connected with AT&T International service and decided to explore the Gothic Quarter where the cathedral was located. We’d been by there before but really hadn’t delved into it.

Umbrellas at the ready, we found our way to the cathedral which was the first stop on the walking tour. Many time we had passed this and taken pictures but we’d never gone inside. For 9 Euros each (excluding the tower) we were soon inside and enjoying the beautiful architecture and interior of the massive structure.

The early beginnings of this cathedral date back to the 3^rd and 4^th century. When the Arabs invaded and burned the city, some of the basilica survived. In 1046, a second cathedral was built and that was followed in 1298 with the present day Gothic cathedral.

Inside the cathedral and below the altar area, is the tomb of Saint Eulalia. She was said to be horribly tortured and then burnt at the stake for her faith.

We quietly walked about as did others and listened to the commentary that Bob had managed to get with a QR code. There were signs posted frequently reminding people to be silent. Suddenly our phones buzzed and squealed with an emergency warning. It reverberated throughout the cathedral as each and every phone got the same message. The problem for us was that the message was in Spanish. We shrugged and chuckled and didn’t think anything more of it.

When we finished the interior of the cathedral, we found that there was also a courtyard to explore. When we looked outside we could see it was pouring rain. The perimeter of the courtyard was covered so we ventured out. At that point, we could hear the rumbling thunder. The warning on the phone became clear. It was a weather warning.

We dawdled as long as we could and watched the thirteen geese that inhabit the garden area. The geese represent the number of years this young woman lived (290-304 AD).

The gargoyles were spewing water like I’d never seen before. The rumbling seemed to fade and we thought the rain was letting up a bit so we decided to move on. We had passed a Churros y Chocolate shop nearby and used Apple maps to get us there. By the time we arrived, our shoes were soaked. The water running downhill and around a corner had rushed up past our ankles.

The respite from the rain was only surpassed by the perfectly done churros, crispy, sweet and deliciously dipped in rich creamy hot chocolate. My favorite Spanish delicacy and Barcelona knows how to do it right.

Later we would discover that the airport had flooded and flights were delayed or canceled. We hoped those coming to board the Oceania Marina the next day would not miss the ship. We were thankful we were there now. A taxi ride to the port and we would soon be on a slow boat to home, crossing the Atlantic without having to squeeze into an airplane seat for several long hours. Sweet.

 

The Oberoi Hotels of India

Over the years and miles of travel, we have stayed in some very nice hotels. Of course Hampton Inn is a favorite for one or two night stays and is certainly not a five star. The Oberoi Hotels that Uniworld put us in for our Ganges adventure were no Hampton Inns.

The first one in New Delhi was impressive from the pick up at the airport to walking into the lobby and then our room. We arrived a few days earlier than the Uniworld tour was to begin so that we could adjust to the time and rest from the 22 hours of travel. The room we booked included a pickup at the airport and as soon as we exited immigration and customs, we saw our name on a sign. The man holding the sign would be our driver and he pointed to us to show another young man that we were the Robbins.

That hotel representative led us out of the fray, took the time to wait as we got some money at the ATM and then led us through a busy terminal and arrivals area to find the driver who was ready to handle our suitcases. He tucked them into the trunk of the  black Mercedes and once we were seated, set a tray between us with cool washcloths and cold bottles water. The Mercedes even had its own WiFi which Bob hooked into to check mail, etc., as we drove. Me? I was fascinated by the streets and the sights we were passing and yes, saw my first cows.

Our check in was smooth. The room was absolutely spacious with a huge bathroom that included a tub and a shower and as some friends of ours would be delighted to know, a ToTo, a toilet that helps you get really clean after—well, you know.

The main restaurant was wonderful. The special restaurants, a bit pricey. The Passterie we found was a delightful place for coffee and light fare.

The concierge was cordial and helpful in arranging whatever we wanted to do as long as we didn’t want to walk. As we were told, this is not a “walking” city. It was the first we realized how careful all of those involved in our tour would be to insulate us.

The grounds were not expansive but there was a nice pool area as well as a courtyard with a calming pool/fountain. You didn’t want to stay out to long in the heat anyway. There was also a beautiful spa that we didn’t find until later.

We received the kind of care and attention that you would get on a luxury cruise line, perhaps better. If you read my earlier post, you’ll remember that when the laundry came back, there was a rose on top of the package.

Our next Oberoi Hotel was in Agra. This one was a bit of a surprise as we drove through a rather poor section of town and suddenly turned into the gates of the hotel to find a beautiful building and grounds. There would not be much time to explore the grounds as we were only there overnight, long enough to see the Taj Mahal at sunset and then again at sunrise. But when the door opened to our spacious room, the window took up most of the opposite wall and looked over a garden surrounding the pool and in the distance, the Taj itself. Awesome!

Again, the food offered in the restaurant was amazing. The service, unbelievable.

On to Jaipur. We arrived at this Oberoi at dusk and were amazed at all the birds making noise. It sounded like starlings but I’m not sure what kind they were. They were all in the trees. The layout of this complex was quite different from the other two. Rooms are in clusters throughout the campus. We walked quite a ways before our guide opened the door to ours. The good news he said was that we were right across from where the evening’s special Uniworld dinner was to be held.

This room was every bit as spacious and maybe more so than the others. We would have two nights here so I quickly put a bag of laundry together. With the heat and humidity you couldn’t wear your clothes more than a day (sometimes a few hours). The rule at each hotel was, have your laundry in by 7 am and it would be returned by 7 pm. Sure enough, it was, but this time without a rose. Oh well, the clothes were perfect.

This hotel advertised that it was also a bird sanctuary of sorts and yes, there were several peacocks roaming around and perching in odd places. We caught sight of a parrot in flight also.

Because the grounds were so expansive, there was a courtesy golf cart that would pick you up if you desired a ride to the main building that housed the restaurant. All you needed to do was call.

Lovely breakfast buffet. Wonderful dinner. Read my post on Jaipur that tells of our nice evening.

I know hotels are only rated up to five stars but they need to up the level of excellence with another star. These hotels were spectacular and I will cherish the opportunity we had to enjoy them.

Tips And Tidbits For River Cruising In India

Wash your hands, OFTEN! Use hand sanitizer OFTEN!

Several others in our group of Ganges river cruisers also experienced what many have called the “Delhi belly”. While we were done with ours by the time the cruise tour began, others had the problem a few days into our tour. Vishal, the tour manager, arranged a doctor for them and what they reported to us was that the problem was a bacterial infection not a virus and they were prescribed an antibiotic which helped them recover more quickly. By the way, the doctors in India are not expensive so don’t be hesitant if you need one.

The heat and humidity are all that you may have heard of and possibly more. We have been to Florida in the middle of the summer heat and it doesn’t compare at all to the heat of India. New Delhi was difficult because of the smog and very little breeze but as we moved on to Agra and Jaipur and eventually the river there were times when a breeze would promise a little relief.

What I did was to take something called Water Wipes with us. They were terrific. I would take out a half dozen sheets or so and put them in a Ziploc bag. They stayed surprisingly moist and provided a good refreshing wipe when needed. They are just water with a bit of citrus added. Others had some cool rags like those you can use when exercising or running. I should have brought mine. You can wet them down with water and they will help to keep you a bit more refreshed. If you don’t have any of that, take a washcloth and wet it down, put it in a Ziploc bag, pop it in the refrigerator in the room overnight and then take it with you. The crew greets you with cool washcloths on your return but it’s nice to have one handy when you’re out.

Wash your hands and use hand sanitizer often. Yes, I’m repeating but it’s important. The staff that come with you on the excursions will have a bottle of sanitizer with them don’t refuse the offer. You might regret it if you do.

Drink lots of water! Uniworld kept water readily available even on excursions. I don’t know how those guys managed to carry so many bottles with them but they were always available if your bottle ran dry. You might enjoy bringing your own insulated water bottle to fill with cool water from your room. Another tip: we had tablets that dissolved in water and enriched the water with electrolytes. The brand we use is Nuun but there are others by Gatorade and other sports drink companies. I think it made a difference for us.

Flip Flops are provided in your room for you to put in the cubicle with your room number on it when you leave the boat. When you return from an excursion, you exchange your shoes for the flip flops and the crew then cleans the bottoms of your shoes. There were some who wore sandals on tour but I was happy to have my covered toe Skecher’s. There was too much dust and dirt and other things that were too easy to step in if you weren’t paying attention. Bob and I both wore socks with our shoes so when we returned we just went to our room in our stocking feet. We’re not good with flip flops.

You might want to take some Pepto Bismol with you. They have it in tablets now. I remember the days of gagging on the pink liquid as a kid. It helps with several nasty symptoms and if you have breathing problems, asthma for example, you might want to ask your doctor about what precautions to take in New Delhi especially with the pollution.

While the water in the hotels and the river boat is not recommended for drinking from the faucets, it is safe for bathing. We were encouraged to use bottled water for brushing our teeth. You do get used to it after a while.

I say all of this not to frighten anyone but to help you prepare. It is quite a journey. For us at our age (we are both late 70s) it was a strenuous journey mainly because of the heat. It is a busy 12 days all packed with many wonders to see. Uniworld was always there for us with anything we needed. I highly recommend that cruise line for trips like this one. They take good care of you. You won’t be disappointed.

Kolkata--Mud Sculptures, The Black Hole

 This was our last day in Kolkata. After our visit to Mother Teres’s our long excursion continued with a stop at potter’s row. This was a couple of narrow alleyways that housed the workshops of many who were sculpting figures dedicated to the gods of the celebrations coming up. The Diwali sculptures were finished and already on display wherever they were needed but another celebration was coming up in a few weeks and more sculptures would be need to be supplied.

The sculptures started with a wooden frame and straw to give the basic shape. The clay or mud came from the Ganges because it was sacred. Fine features were carved into the wet clay after it was smoothed over the straw. It was an amazing process all to construct sculptures that would eventually be returned to the river from which they were born to replenish the sacred clay. We noticed the Diwali sculptures floating past our riverboat the next morning.

We tried to understand how these artists made any money from their work. The best we could get was that they were commissioned by others (patrons). As one celebration of the gods was finished, another would start so it must have been a good source of income.

The next stop was at St. John’s Church. There was to be a rest stop here and a small outbuilding held the facilities. There are times when I really wish I was a man. This was one. The only western style toilet was so disgustingly dirty that I decided to chance waiting until our return to the boat. Many of the other women did as well.

The significance of our stop at St. John’s besides the “comfort” stop was to see the Black Hole monument. The Black Hole of Calcutta was the scene of an incident in 1756 in which a number of Europeans were imprisoned in Calcutta (now Kolkata) and many died. Upon the surrender of the East India Company’s garrison, the governor of Bengal, John Z. Holwell and 145 others were imprisoned in a small cell usually used for petty offenders and called the Black Hole. It was a room 18x14 feet with little ventilation. All but 23 died that night.

Inside the church was lovely to look at and had a room that had been used as the offices for the governor. It also had an unusual pipe organ. I don’t remember seeing one with designs on the pipes. After a look around, we took a bit of respite from the heat in the shade afforded in the covered entryway.

There was one more photo stop before our return to the riverboat. It was a memorial to Queen Victoria who reigned during the time that India was controlled by the British. I didn’t expect it to be a huge marble building but she had been declared Empress of India back in the day. It is said to be the largest monument to a monarch in the world.

Across the street from the monument we caught sight of lavishly decorated carriages drawn by horses. Another picture moment before boarding our bus and continuing on to the Ganges Voyager II for our last night aboard.

The wonderful thing about a cruise like this with a small group of people (38 of us) was the friendships made. We had dinner with the two of the friends we had dined with most of the time, one a Brit and the other a Scot and both with a great sense of humor. Many laughs will be long remembered and tender moments cherished.

The next day, people disembarked in small groups until the last of us were left. Eleven of us were on the same Emirates flight to Dubai and we were picked up in the afternoon around three. Our flight wasn’t until 8:20 pm but we were afforded the day on the GVII to relax and enjoy breakfast and lunch. The trip to the airport took a little over an hour due to traffic.

Security at Kolkata did not seem to be quite as confusing as it was in Jaipur but then we were a little experienced now. Still there were two lines for the “frisk”, one male, one female. Once through security, we found the airport much nicer than we had expected. 

We had a little bit of a wait but it was an opportunity to enjoy the company of our friends for a little longer. Once in Dubai we would all go separate ways. 

Our flight to Barcelona where we were booked on a transatlantic cruise to Miami (no long flight home and an easier adjustment to time changes) would be a little more than seven hours. No business class this time. No sleep. Ah, well, the side effects of travel.

Next stop, Barcelona!

Kolkata--Mother Teresa

 Our last day on the Ganges, we awoke to our original starting place in Kolkata. It was a bit of an early start for our excursion but it was going to be a long one and our last. I might have opted out but I really wanted to see the home of Mother Teresa.

The rest of the stops on the tour didn’t interest me much. I was tired of historical buildings that flew by the window of the bus and were hard to pick out among all the other buildings. I think I was just tired and all the horn honking and crowds and crazy city traffic as well as the never ending heat was getting to me.

Mother Teresa’s home was our first stop. It was a room in a complex that houses the Missionary of Charity started by her in 1952. One of the best things about this stop was getting a small booklet that told of her life. I learned so much more about her.

When she received the call to begin her work in India, she responded with obedience. The journey was not easy and much prayer was needed for places to serve from and others to serve with. As the ministry grew, so did the notoriety. She was asked to travel the world speaking about the ministry, something she didn’t want to do but found it necessary in order to raise continued support for all the areas the ministry that had developed including an orphanage which is still in operation. I did not realize that her work eventually extended to 120 different countries.

Our first place to visit when we entered the complex was her room. There were stairs to climb and a small viewing area that looked into a very small room with a single simple bed, a desk and a chair and a clock. Here is where she worked on correspondence and other necessary paperwork and eventually passed away in that bed it was said looking at the picture of Jesus.

From there we went to a large museum room that held personal effects, pictures and news articles and artwork. One painting struck me. It was a “last supper” painting but instead of all the apostles, it had all the peacemakers of the world sitting around Jesus including Mother Teresa and Ghandi.

The last place we looked into was the room that held her tomb. Strange, but here we were allowed to take pictures. I didn’t raise my phone to snap a photo. Instead, I stood there and fought back tears. Here was a woman who had exemplified the very thing that Jesus wanted from all of us, to love one another no matter the station in life. I thought of all the people we had seen in the last week and a half. The poverty. The living conditions. Those who seemed unlovable. It was those people she served and ministered to and it was in bygone years when I imagine conditions were even worse than what we’d seen. I would borrow Bob’s picture later. The moment was too intense.

On our way again, we moved on past more historical buildings, more people living under bridges, more laundry hanging everywhere and lots more horns honking. The next stop was the flower market. From where the bus parked, it was a bit of a walk and through a very crowded street. There were a few flower stalls there along the way and tons of refuse from the trimming of the flowers to make the decorations we saw. A front loader was picking up some of it but the rotting greens really smelled.

We got to a bridge that overlooked the market below. Sachi had pointed out that there might be slippery places where the refuse was and then pointed to all the steps that led down into the market. I estimated about 25-30 steps down which meant just as many coming back up and figured that once down there, there would be no fresh air since it was kind of like going into a pit. I backed out and took the option that was afforded us to go back to the bus. I felt bad that I was the only one but someone led me back to the bus and the driver turned on the AC for me as I waited for everyone else to return.

Bob returned and sat down and said it was hot, crowded and like everything he would have imagined India to be. ‘Nuf said. 

We moved on to see something we had questions about. What were the mud sculptures we’d seen at several places?

Mayapur And Chandannagar, India,

 As we anchored for the night at Mayapur, you could look to the shore and see the huge temple of the Krishna Consciousness Movement. This is said to be the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya in 1486 and he is considered to be a reincarnation of Lord Krishna.

The massive new temple which was scheduled to be completed in 2016 has been delayed. Once it is completed though it will be about the size of the Vatican with a 700,000 square foot temple that is 340 feet high which will be the tallest Hindu temple in the world.

In the morning, the Sampan took the groups to the shore for a tour of the complex. I wimped out. It was very hot and I was still recovering from the heat of the day before as well as all the steps up and down to the lounge from our room on deck 2. There is no elevator on the boat. When it was said there would be lots of steps, I opted out.

The ever-trepid husband of mine readied himself and left just after breakfast. A breeze was blowing across the sun deck and since it was still early, the temperature was not too bad. I grabbed my book, my phone and my computer with the hope that there would be a connection with the internet. The internet has been intermittent. When it works, it works well and I’ve been able to get my blog scheduled enough in advance to post when I don’t have the connection. In the meantime, I use Word to write the post and then copy and paste when the internet is up. By the way, when I woke in the morning my tattoo was much darker as promised.

Back to the temple. While I sat on the sundeck, I could hear the Hare Krishna chant and at one point there was even some English as if there was a sermon of sorts. It was hard to make out but Bob confirmed that it was what happened. They were in a temple next to the large one, stepping around prone bodies that were worshipping. I’m surprised that they let the tour group into their service of worship.

By the time the groups returned the temperature had heated up nicely to unbearable and the returning tour groups looked a bit wrung out. I was glad I’d chosen to sit this one out.

As soon as all were back onboard, we weighed anchor and moved farther down river to a place called Chandannagar, a town that, it was said, had a lot of French influence. In 1673 the French had obtained permission to establish a trading post there. Later, after the settlement was established by the French, it would become a significant part of the war between the French and the British for possession of south India.

Meanwhile we played trivia, testing our acquired knowledge of India. Then we had a disembarkation talk because there were those who would leave us the next day. We were happy to learn that we could stay onboard until the mid afternoon when a group of us who were flying Emirates to Dubai would all leave together. Breakfast, lunch and a little down time before we all faced some long travel hours.

The date was October 31. Halloween at home but here it was Diwali. Lots of lights adorned the buildings in vertical strings of bright blue, green, red and white hanging over the facades. There were several archways of lighted decoration that became more prevalent as the sun set.

Cherry bombs or large firecrackers were set off periodically. As we entered the courtyard of the Sacred Heart Church, it almost sounded like we were under attack as the celebrants were nearby setting them off.

The Sacred Heart Church dates back to 1875 and is “an authentic expression of French architectural style in India” according to the sign outside. It was kind of nice to see a church for a change.

The sun had set but no one had turned down the humidity. We were all sweltering by the time we reached the museum of the Chandannagar College. I immediately noticed the typewriter that was very similar to the one I have at home but not in as good a condition. The other familiar item I saw was a large loom, not too different from the one I had in college for my textile classes. I smiled as I remembered trying to get the shuttle back and forth as I worked the peddles to lift the warp or weft.

For some unexplained reason with all the heat of the night, Uniworld had opted to serve hot coffee and tea as we came out of the museum. I took a tea graciously but then ended up giving it back when I couldn’t even get it cool enough to drink.

Sachi led us precariously across the street as motorcycles and a few small cars stopped impatiently for us to cross. He led us down a side street to see some of the street food that was being prepared. Unfortunately by that time I think most of us just wanted to get back to the GVII and the AC.

As we waited for the Sampan, several guests decided to wade into the Ganges in order to say they’d put their feet in. They joined several locals who were bathing in the river or just doing an immersion or just trying to beat the heat. I was almost tempted.

Back onboard, we showered quickly and went to the sundeck (moondeck after sunset?) for another dance troupe that was to perform folk dances as we sailed on to Kolkata. While we watched the fascinating dancers, the chefs stood in a corner over a grill and cooked kabobs of chicken and pineapple. We were very hungry and probably ate more than we should have but they were so very good.

The evening was very special between the lights on the buildings we passed and on our boat, the candles, the dancers, the food and the fireworks that we saw on both sides of the river, framing our view. Quite a memory to keep.