Rome Sweet Rome..almost home sweet home!!!

Bonjourno,

As I write this blog, I am sitting on my bed in the middle of almost packed luggage. We have been cruising on the Queen Mary for six days and will be greeting the Statue of Liberty early tomorrow morning. What an adventure this has been. I think I got behind on my blogs in the last few weeks so today before I get off the ship. my goal is to finish with our last tour...to Rome.

Ken and I took two different tours...he visited the highlights of Rome and I went to the Sistine Chapel. We did see some of the same landmarks though. Our dock was in Civitavecchia, which is two hours from Rome. The buses actually are pretty modern and with the tour guide's commentary on the city it makes the time go quickly. The first thing I noticed about Italy was the green...it was Spring and the rolling hills dotted with purple crepe myrtle trees was such a delightful view out our window. Along with our guide's wonderful Italian accent, I felt like this was the frosting on the fabulous cake we have been enjoying this journey!!

Our tour took us first to a very popular fountain called The Trivia Fountain. It is tradition to make a wish here while throwing a coin over your shoulder into the fountain. The fountain is surrounding by magnificent sculptures. On the way to the fountain we saw two women with a baby stroller...it was kinda weird because I saw one of the ladies using a cardboard to block the baby or something....the next thing, she grabbed into the pocket of one of the elder men's pocket...he knocked the cardboard and her down. We were warmed..beware of gypsies. It has been amazingly sad how people use children to help with their begging and crimes. Fortunately this was the only episode that we knew but after that I turned my backpack into a frontpack!!

Next we took a journey back to the days of the Gladiators with a visit to the incredible Coliseum. It is Rome's finest amphitheatre commissioned by Emperor Vespasian in 72AD. This immense sculpture once held up to 55,000 people. Subterranean passageways lead to holding chambers for competitors, animals and equipment and the 76 entrances to allow the access for the eager crowds.

From here we walked to the Vatican Museum which houses one of the most impressive collections in the world. The artwork is unbelievable...you hear about it all but until you are in front of it...you just can not believe it...I still can't!!! Michelangelo..what a guy!!!

Our last stop was the magnificent St. Peter's Basilica which took over 100 years to build. It sits on over 800 pillars and is adorned with 44 altars....that is a BIG church!!! It is by far the largest church in the world. We saw where the Pope stands to give his speeches and all that good stuff. They have Wed. morning service when he is in town...I guess he didn't know we were coming because he wasn't there.

The history of this city is ancient It is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city. It's history as a city spans over two and a half thousand years, as one of the founding cities of Western Civilization. It would take alot more time than we had to really see the sites yet I feel we got a very good feel of the history of the place.

So, the tours have ended...I just got back from a wine tasting, on our way to the "passenger" talent show. I was hoping Ken would play his digiredo but he said he is not prepared...possibly on a spaghetti Sunday he'll play for us. Afterwards we are going to the planetarium, dinner and our last show. When we wake up at 4:45 we are going up to the bow to see us go under the Barisono Bridge (3 meter clearance) and the Statue of Liberty as we arrive in our home sweet homeland.

I'll write once we get settled in Maine and finish the trip. Chris is picking us up in New York tomorrow where we'll stay a few days and then drive up through Boston to the Maclin's place which they so generously are letting us stay until Chris graduates. Our flight home will be on Mother's Day...how apropos....

Arriveiderci,

janet and Ken

Travel not only stirs the blood...It also gives strength to the spirit!!

Yasas from Greece,

As you can see from the photos, it was another "dress up" night on the Queen!!!! We are at a cocktail party that they invite certain people to...whether you are on the world voyage, traveled thousands of days or are in with one of the crew!!! Anyway, it's free champagne so I usually get there at the beginning and Ken joins up with me..ha-ha!!

The camel is representative of our great time in Egypt...we could've dressed the part...oh well...notice my Egyptian bracelet. By the way, that is what I've been collecting everywhere I go...bracelets. Needless to say I have a big collection of bracelets!!!
The next photo I titled "3 blondes with stripes"!!!

So we are onto Athens...what a great day and what was so special is we met up with Niki, my longtime friend who lives in Greece. We had to go to Plan B on our meeting as all the taxis and buses went on strike and the ship was docked about 30 minutes from town. We took a tour in the morning to the Acropolis and our initial plans were to meet up with Niki who was taking the metro and come back by taxi or shuttle bus. Since parking is so bad in the city Niki didn't want to drive. Well, parking is bad, but with 17,000 taxis and the buses off the road it was very easy driving and she ended up driving into town, we met at the museum and had a great lunch on the Platka. I must say I was a bit nervous if we hadn't caught up with her we would have had no way back to the ship..Not good!!! Boy, I was so glad to see her...my first girlfriend in 3 months...it was so emotional. Our tour to the Acropolis was another taste of ancient history. To look at the building, the sculptures and the designs just blows my mind...how did they do that??

I hated to say goodbye to Niki and was sad that her daughter, Katarina was unable to join us. She had unfortunately come down with something that morning and was home sick from school. Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece. It is also known as the birthplace of democracy. Named after the goddess Athena, Athens is one of the oldest city in the world with a recorded history of at least 3,000 years. Today, the Greek capital is a bustling and cosmopolitan and metropolis with an urban population of 3.1 million people and a metro population of 3.7 million people. it was the host city for the first modern-day Olympic Games in 1896 and in 2004 welcomed the Summer Olympics back home with great success.

All in all it ended up to be a great trip, especially with less traffic...it was almost as the Red Sea was opened and we were able to drive through...they even had one lane that only taxis were to drive in that we could drive in. It was the only Niki said she had driven in that lane...I guess there's a first for everything!!!

One more tour to Rome and we are done; too soon!!!

Looking forward to sharing all the other exciting adventures with y'all when we get home!!

janet and ken

What a day we had today!!!

Salaam alaykum as they say in Egypt,

What a day...we thought our tour started at 5 a.m. and found out when we got back to our room after dinner we actually had to be in the Queen's room at 3:45 a.m. I'm including Ken's script on his trip as we took separate trips....I'm so glad he did decide to go afterall...I think he is too. So, we take a 2 1/2 hour bus ride to the pyramids and they are all they say...mysterious, huge and beautiful. The amazing thing is you would think you'd travel quite away into the desert to see them, although they are right outside the town of Cairo. The first pyramid was built 2570 BC and took 200 years to build. It is just mindboggling to try to figure out how they moved 2,300.000 blocks of limestone weighing 2 1/2 tons each to put it all together. And all of that without computers, nails or cement!!
They were supposedly tombs for the pharaohs yet they have not found any mummies inside.

I walked all around one of the pyramids and took pics from every corner...I'm planning on comparing to see the difference!! There were so many people, children included looking to take your money...like the guy who wrapped a scarf around my head...I kept saying no money and he kept wrapping!! Then a security guard told me of a great pose for a pic and he took it...his bud said "you pay him?" You couldn't do anything without a handout!!! They would offer you a camel ride for $20 and once you got up they'd want another $30 to let you down. I did not fall for that one!!

And the little kids were so homely looking asking for money and bargaining with us...at one point I had a whole group of school age children approach me and their favorite question is "What is your name"...at first I thought they were asking for money and then realized they were on a school trip so I started clapping and they all joined in so there we were all singing and clapping...until their teacher pulled them away....probably saying in Greek..."that crazy American lady"! It just was so fun to interact with someone who didn't want money!!

We then visited the Sphinx which was amazing as it was carved out of a rock. On the way to our next stop we visited a mosque..yes, another one but it was pretty cool. We drove down a street in Cairo that had the first church, first synagogue, and first mosque.

Afterwards, we stepped aboard and experienced the colorful and fascinating sights of the magnificent Nile River on a floating restaurant. We took a gentle cruise as we had lunch and were entertained by "folkloric presentation and belly dancing". The belly dancers looked more like someone from Hooters!!

We have been so fortunate throughout this whole trip with the weather. I can't even remember when it last rained and it has been so warm during all of our tours. We sure have lucked out as it could make alot of the tours pretty nasty if it was cold or rainy.

And now Ken and his day...
4-13-10 Tuesday (anchored at the mouth of the Suez channel)
My original plans where to stay on the ship and observe the 100-mile Suez Channel transiting trip. However, the night before, I receive a call from the tour desk indicating there was still space open on a tour going to Cairo (Pyramids and the Sphinx). Even though the bus ride to Cairo was 2 hours long, anything had to be better than the infamous “camel ride”. So, at 2:30 in the morning I pulled my sorry butt out of bed dressed and was in the tour queue by 3:30AM.
Some 400 passengers took a number tenders (shuttle boats) to shore where we boarded our buses. .The Pymards of Giza are massive,,,, bigger than you can imagine. The Sphinx is also one of the 7 wonders of the world and make you ask, who, what, where and why??
The Cairo guide has his master degree in archeology and made the trip incredibly interesting. Aside from the history, the poverty (and traffic) in Cairo was overwhelming.
Kids working at 10 years old, bathing in filthy channel water and living in unbelievable conditions. Because of the usual traffic “grid lock” we and the other 10 Canard tour buses where very late leaving Cairo.
We where almost 3 hours from Port Said (the top of the Suez Cannel) the entrance to the Mediterranean. We where to depart Port Said at 7 pm (on a very tight schedule as dock space is at a premium because of the Suez ship scheduling). As a result, they gather all the late running Cunard tour buses at one spot on the outskirts of Cairo and under a special police escort took us across the county to the port to try meeting the departure time. Truck traffic on the Egyptian highways is very heavy. Even under a high speed police escort, traveling at 60 to 80 mph, this 10 Big Bus convoy was late arriving in Port Said. Most of the trucks we forced of the road gave up the “Egyptian hand salute”…We board Q.V. at 9PM (remember we have up since 2:30am) wiry.

Saal ma'is salaama,

janet and Ken

If you actually look like your passport photo, you aren't well enough to travel!!!

Our next tour was Sharm El Sheik in Egypt. Ken's description was far better than anything I could write so I will leave the tales to one of the greatest storytellers I have ever met. Although, just for your information, I had a great time and loved it all...well. the bumpy 4x4 I could have done without!!! So here goes Ken and the Camel story......

Advertised as a European “water playground” for the rich and famous, was just an over-priced high-end beach resort catering mostly to Russians. THIS was the tour for the big “Camel and Jeep” (4 wheeler) tour. This tour-group departed the ship at 8AM and loaded us into 17 different Toyota four-runner SUV’s. (All 112 of us). The ride and desert scenery was great…. while we were on the blacktop highways. But, then things started going south!!! Our 60 mph (highway) ride continued even after we took a hard right into the desert. There was 6 of us (per SUV) all packed into the rear on very hard board seats. Bucket seats have not been introduced into this part of the world yet!!!!! This part of the desert is “hard packed” and (really) bumpy.. “head beating on the roof of the SUV bumpy…The sand being kicked up by the other SUV’s made visibility almost zero.. After 60 minutes of this, we arrived at the base camp where we where to initiate ( JR’s long awaited) “camel ride”. At the camel camp , where the local Arabs will help us “mount up” and ride (further) into the desert. My camel took an immediate dislike to me. (the feeling was mutual). Therefore, we watched each other carefully.. If you have ever ridden or have been in a camel saddle when the S.O.B. decides to stand up, you will understand the pure terror that overcome you (ME). One minute you are at ground level sitting is a saddle designed for a 4 year old, the next you are 10 feet in the air on the beast that has the boniest back you can ever imagine. I yelled over to JR, who was resting comfortably on a much fatter and more amiable camel, “that my body was not designed for this camel”.. she, in turned, answered…. that my camel was not designed to carry a “big Buddha” like me!!! After 30 minutes of my first and last camel ride, they finally called a halt to this torture (I almost fell off twice trying to find a more comfortable position and easing the shooting pains coming from by backside.)
Getting off a camel is far more dangerous than getting on. This nasty animal that I was on, who was even more pissed at me than I was at him. He was going to take huge bite out of my butt the minute I hit the ground.. so knowing this, I decided to do a “Tom Mix dismount” i.e. jumping off prior to the camel getting down on his knees (or what ever they call them). Side note… first, a camel saddle has NO stirrups… and a saddle horn on the front AND back of the saddle.
So. in showing my riding prowess, I tried my “flying dismount” I made a critical mistake and caught my foot on the rear saddle horn…. flying off the camel, in what some say, a spectacular dismount… Happily, I ended up on my feet and immediately gave the beast the finger and he tried to spit at me…… all’s well that ends well…but my butt is still sore….
Now, after all that I still had a ride back in the “butt buster SUV”…..And, we paid $165.00 a head for this stupidity………
Arriving back at the ship, I smelled worst than I looked…enough for today.

janet and Ken (the camel hater)

Not I- not anyone else, can travel that road for you. You must travel it for yourself!

Salam,

It has been quite busy lately with three tours (pretty strenuous) in a row followed by Athens and Rome. We are now on the Queen Mary "floating" on back to the States...unwillingly, I may add. My goal is to update you on our last five excursions, a bit more fun from Queen Victoria and closing with our transatlantic crossing which we are on now.

So, we left you off at Dubai and Salalah...the desert. We then moved on to Jordon, but what was very interesting about this part of the cruise was the security. As we were entering the Somalia area we were under quite tight security, with the fear of pirates!! Can you believe that? The ship had installed barbed wire around the stern with high frequency sound machines to detract anyone climbing aboard???? We had to close our blinds everynight at dark and we even had a "pirate drill"...that's not what they called it, but it sounds good!!! When the commander came over the loudspeaker with his robust voice chanting " ATTENTION...ATTENTION....Take your positions for a security watch", we had to go out into the hallway and stand or sit until it was cleared. It really reminded me of elementary school with tornado drill although we did not have to kneel down with books over our heads. Well, we made it through the pirate territory, but I really had no fear as I had taken fencing and was prepared to take on any pirate...I was ready!!!! ON GUARD!!!

With that excitement over we visited Aqaba, Jordan which is Jordan's only seaport, located in the southernmost tip of Jordan in the Red Sea. Aqaba provides the gateway to the rose-red City of Petra and is one of the most spectacular attractions in the Middle East, abandoned and forgotten for centuries. For this tour we had to be on the bus at 5 am so it turned out to be a very long day with lots of walking and sightseeing, yet well worth it.

This was one of the most incredible pieces of handiwork I have ever seen. To see how they actually carved buildings out of rocks was awesome. The walk along the Siq was a wonderment every step of the way and then to see the "light" at the end of the tunnel was a God thing...it had to be a miracle how it was accomplished!!!

The mysteriously city of the Nabateans, Petra , is so securely concealed by the craggy encircling mountains that it was once "lost" for 1,000 years and is one of the seven wonders of the world. From this natural fortress, the Nabateans commanded the trade routes from Arabian and the East, until the Romans conquered them in 106 A.D. On arrival we walked to the entrance of the Siq- a very narrow, twisting pathway between towering sandstone and rainbow-colored cliffs. The narrow passage is an adventure in itself, for the towering walls create an artificial gloom until we suddenly emerged into the blinding light, and there before us is the Treasury, our first glimpse of the "Rose-Red City".

The Treasury is the most famous and outstanding of all the monuments; its pediment, rotunda and Corinthian pillars are all carved from the solid rock, and it is in the marvelous state of preservation. The site is surrounded by stunning mountains and as we approached Colonnade Street, we passed a series of fascinating tombs. It was said that Queen Noor made all the "homes" pink as the color of the rock was exquisite. I could go on and on about this place but words can not begin to describe it's uniqueness...hopefully, by the photos I send you will understand a little of this amazing wonder of the world but until experienced by the trek to and fro it will not seem real. The trip was way too short...it was a place one could have spent days exploring. In fact one of the Indiana Jones movie was filmed here...I can't wait to see the movie again so I can recognize the place.

Ken's take on the trip....
Aqaba Jordan. This is a small port in the country of Jordan. We boarded (900 of us) tour bus for the 2 hour ride to Petra Jordan This is a cliff city (over 5,000 years old). Build by the Romans as a major desert trading area. The walk into this mountain trading city was about 6 miles (one way) form the hotel (starting point) Desert temps. in the mid 90’s and dusty. There must have been 500 people plus our 900 walking into this city. With the walk-in, all down hill, (right, you have to walk back uphill the same 6 miles out) was an increasable walk into ancient history. The “walk-out” was and exercise in increased heart rate and hyperventilation !!! I did make it back to the hotel “starting point” for lunch and something cold. Saw many elderly having major breathing problems and saw even more using the horse driven carriages, camels and donkeys as transportation back to the starting point. (No motorized vehicles allowed) The 2 hours bus ride back to the ship through mostly desert was very quiet and peaceful we where all in awe at what we had just seen.

Just between you and me....it wasn't six miles, but seemed that long...it's the "Ken factor"!!! I thought I was going to have to call 911 for him but he was a trooper and made it all the way...I was even telling him let's stop and rest but he was on a mission....what a guy!!

Enjoy the pics...

janet and Ken

"GRAND"

I'm including in this blog Ken's rendition on some of our travels..beware...it may seem that we visited entirely different continents!!! This is Oman!!! Followed by Dubai...
4-3-10 Saturday….. Muscat Oman ( docked)
As we set foot on land, we faced temperatures. about 103 but very low humidity. Muscat is a beautiful small city of about 200,000, set at the bottom of a large mountain range. Muscat and is the capital of Oman (where the Shake hangs out) and has brilliant white buildings which includes the Sultans resident and Country capital buildings. This is all set against a background of very tall range of ragged treeless, brown mountains. Our first stop was a local shopping “souk” (open air market) remember it’s 100+ degrees. I am wearing long pants to respect the local religious requirements and sweating my ass off…. We ran into some ship- friends who gave us their ticket for a tour of the Capitol grounds and Prince’s palace. Interesting place very clean and modern …. Returned to the ship at 4:00 for a 5:00 overnight sailing to Dubai.


Janet's thoughts in Dubai....Grand...that is the word for this place in so many ways. Firstly, I was so happy to be able to meet up with Joseph and his lovely wife Linda. They were so hospitable and it was good to finally see someone I knew from home and to think we were halfway around the world!!! We met them at a wonderful restaurant overseeing so much activity in front of the tallest building in the world!!! Ken pretty much described our trip was like I said "GRAND". Linda has a contract with a hospital and has been here for two years, it's a four year contract. They both seem to really enjoy the place and all it has to offer. One real nice thing about this part of the city was the fact that we weren't hounded by vendors trying to sell their wares...most everything had a set price so there was very little negotiating.

I really enjoyed the museum the following day...could not believe how big it was as from the outside it looked very small...kinda like the Indian Temple Museum in FWB!! I could've spent alot more time in there but Ken was waiting outside for me...he chose not to go?? There was a movie that showed Dubai and how it has grown and the future...they are planning a "hospital city", "sports city" a huge marina and a huge (of course) "Disney type area!!! With the economy everyone thinks that Dubai is sinking and in trouble but it sure doesn't appear so...there is so many cranes and lots of buildings going up and up and up!!! Once again, it was such a delight to visit with Joseph ( a real Destinite) and Linda...we had our photo taken and will be sending it to the Log...who knows if we'll make it into the paper...perhaps if it's a slow news day!!!
4-4-10 Easter Sunday…. Dubai UAE.
Attended onboard Easter Sunday service lead by a minister from Atlanta Ga. (I was able to help serve communion to the approx 200 attending this service). Departed the ship at 9 a.m. to take a bus to “one” of the major mall attractions in this city of 3 million.
Dubai is only 38 years old. So everything is new and modern and in a constant building stage. There is no limit to the wealth in this city. We are to meet JR’s friends at the Burg building (currently the tallest building in the world) the mall that is connected to this building is also the largest mall in the world (and I believe it is) with 7 floors of every high-end retail store, you can think of (in the world). Sounds like I am in Texas with everything being the biggest.
After lunch at the Burg building complex, the building itself was not open due to mechanical problems with the lifts ((elevators)). We drove out to the newly developed the“Palm Island” man-made city developments (which you can see from space). On the way to the Palm we stopped at the newly open Ski Dubai mall that has an actually indoor (real snow) ski slope. The ski area is a full 5000 foot indoor ski run (real snow made daily with a “base” about 14 in.) In the Ski area…. is a black diamond run plus an intermediate ski run and “bunny” run. Also, a special area for snow boarding. Unbelievable!
At the tip of the Palm Island is a new Atlantis Hotel, similar to the one in Nassau, where rooms rates average $600 a night (rack rate $800) We stopped for a drinks, tea, lemonade or a special fruit drink..limited amounts of alcohol..only served to those who have a special permit…JR and Joseph also participates in a special “pipe smoking” event (not hash or M-J, also like alcohol…. a very big no-no in this Arab country). They smoked some kind of strawberry vanilla “she-shee” tobacco combination. Did not seem to do anything to, or for, JR other than to make her face red and caused her to cough violently. ($100.00 up in smoke.. literally)..
JR and I took a cab back to the Burg area for a nighttime water light show. To get the best seat I talked JR into having dinner at a restaurant on the fifth story overlooking the Burg Lake where they hold the nightly show. JR not happy with the restaurant because it was a TGI Fridays….. (she prefers local fare opposed to good old fashion ribs (beef, not pork, remember the part of the world we are in) Water show (and dinner) great,,,,, very much like the Bellagio Las Vegas. All the people of Dubai are very attractive, men, woman and kids ..dark skin, beautiful eyes and most dress in dish-dacha (men long white gowns) and Hyabf and Abayas (woman gowns). Taxied back to the ship about 11:00 pm (pooped).

4-5-10 Monday Dubai (second day)
We set off for the old city of Dubai at 9 am. Old city is built on the Dubai River (salt-water river) where many local products are transported via small wooden boats. We took one of these boat “up river” to the old city shopping area and museum. Bought (negotiated) more stuff, we don’t need and have no room for, but had fun anyway. We are developing a pretty good “buying” routine…i.e. the poor little American girl shopper and the mean old BIG Buddha (me) has all the cash…when we start to barter for merchandise the poor little white girl drives the price down then Buddha come in for the kill (not sure who get killed)… Am still on the prowl for a good Canon Camera. So, just before we had our final afternoon rebounding, we stopped at the Dubai Carrefour (Dubai’s answer to Wal-mart) for supplies (Pepsi, nuts, etc.) and maybe a camera ( but no luck on the camera …price still to high).. Re-boarding at 4:00 for a sail- away party (there is always a sail away party, not sure if the reason. Maybe it’s to get the hell out of that port or a reason for the majority of the passengers old and new to get drunk… not sure. Anyway, we undocked at 5 p.m. to head southwest to Salalah Oman.. This leg of the trip will be under new, very tight security conditions, bob-wire is being strung on lower outdoor decks and a outside security detail have been brought on the ship for better protection. All cabin drapes are to be full pulled over windows at night and a special “pirate drill” will be held tomorrow.. O’boy!!! JR can finally use her “sword” fencing lessons.



4-7-10 Wed. (Shalala Jordan)
We have been sailing in a “black-out” condition i.e. all window drapes are to be pulled closed at sunset. ALL interior ship lights are off (except running lights)…This is a very eerie when you are on the upper decks, however you can see as million stars from any baloneys or open upper decks. The pirates scare continues, we have been sailing in a convoy (6 six ships I can see) and shadowed by a military ship. Today it is a Spanish frigate. Steaming at 23 k. Seas flat and we are still running with the wind so the ride is good.. Salalah is a dirty little town with little to offer except frankincense and Mir, Took a cab from the ship to town for a look-see, visited their beach, shopped at the souk (outdoor market) then back to the ship. They only gave us 5 hours in this port so Canard was not to keen on Salalah either. We have new dinner quest, two men from Alberta Canada. One is an Optometrist the other an I.T. expert, good conversationalist.

janet and ken

Photos on their way!!!

Salemaleek from Oman and all I can say is "O man"..what a contrast to India....low-lying white buildings typify most of Muscat's urban landscape and as we cruised in all we saw were white pristine buildings...it was just another awesome sight. Ken says its like everyday is another movie. We open the balcony door and we are on another movie set...

Muscat is the capital and largest city in Muscat. Muscat (Arabic masquat: 'cliff") is a fitting name for the cliff-lined city. The region became important when Frankincense's (sap from the native Boswellia tree) was a popular religious instrument. The resin was believed to cure illness, and was as valuable as gold in the early Christian era. At the height of the trade, the commodity was exported as far away as Rome, but eventual decline in Frankincense trade slowed Omani development.

The bargaining in both Muscat and Salalah was very common. We were told to ask for about 1/4 of what the vendor asked. You could not walk through the street without the vendors, both men and women, including children were trying to hawk their wears. It was especially sad to see the children with their hands out. It was explained to us to just keep walking and no eye contact...not real easy.

We took a short tour in Muscat and saw the Sultan's Palace which was flanked by the Portuguese forts, Jalali and Mirani. Apparently, he does not live here but does have meetings in the palace...it is huge!! The men are allowed to have up to four wives...if the first can't produce than they can marry another. They believe it is better for a man to marry his mistress....less humiliating for their wife...really now!!!! They do have to be "fair" with all wives so if they have two, he spends three nights with each with the seventh night "off". I guess if he has four wives, he ends up getting three nights "off"!!!

Another city in Oman was Salalah which we visited after Dubai...I'll write about Dubai next.
Anyway, Salalah is the second largest city in Oman and I really don't know why we stopped there..it is known as the "perfume capital of Arabia". It is a popular tourism spot as it has "beautiful" beaches and the major attractions is scuba diving and bird watching. We went to the beach and I truly believe Destin has the most beautiful beaches in the world and so far I have seen quite a few. We have not seen sand as white as in Destin!!
We visited the souks...which means shops where they barter. I don't know how the woman can walk around in this heat with all the clothes...hyabs and abayas...on. We have had wonderful weather since we have left home...I think maybe only one or two days of rain!!

With that I am closing and saying a prayer that I have been very blessed this whole trip with a great companion who I am sure I have tried his patience but we are still talking and all is good!!!

Alekapalema,

janet and Ken


qv@cunard.co.uk#4152

Deserts are charming to those who know how to see them!!!

Hello to all,

Yes, we are still cruising...haven't been thrown overboard yet...but it's been so busy I haven't had time to keep up...four days at sea should give me time to tell you all about Muscat, Dubai, Salalah, Aqaba, Sharm el Sheik, Suez Canal, Port Said, Athens and Rome...wow..it sure sounds like alot when I list the places we have been in the last few weeks....hopefully, I'll be able to include a pic or two...be on the look out!!!

janet and Ken
qv@cunard.co.uk#4152

Around the world in 80 days...almost!!!

Namaskar from India,

The next two cities we visited were Cochin and Mumbai in India. I took a tour called "Local Life". It gave me an insight into the rural heartland near Cochin, where life has remained largely unchanged for centuries. It gave me a glimpse at the unhurried lifestyle of the locals, their simple homes and small workshops. In the village center I saw how the local people earned their livelihoods. I watched how the ladies used dried coconut husks to weave coir ropes, straw mats being woven out of wild pineapple leaves and watched the local potter create a range of pots and vases, depicting ethnic designs in clay. It was quite a surprise to see how many uses they derived from a coconut...six different liquids from the juice, rope from the husks and then bowls from the outer layer among other uses, including curry from the peel. They are such resourceful people which was so good to see. What was so sad to see was the poverty, the trash and the slums. If you have seen the movie "Slumdog Millionaire" you will see what I mean. They even showed the movie before our visit!!

Mumbai, formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. With an estimated population of thirteen million, it is the most populous city in India. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 transformed Bombay into one of the largest seaports on the Arabian Sea. It is built on a series of seven islands that form the city districts. A series of reclaimed projects linked the archipelago into a peninsula. India is only about 1/3 the size of Europe, yet its population is one billion people-fully 1/6 of the world's population. More religions are practiced on a larger scale in India than any other nation. Hinduism is the main faith, but there are also many others. Mumbai is the birthplace of Indian cinema with the oldest film broadcast here in the early 20th century . Bollywood produces more than 800 films a year, twice as many as Hollywood. It has an audience of 3.6 million

We toured many places including St. Thomas Cathedral where the have burial sites inside the church...as you walk around the church you are walking over the graves!!! There are many street vendors and once again where ever you go they are trying to sell to you. We went to the Gateway of India and a little girl kept wanting to put a flower bracelet on my wrist...I kept telling her "no money" yet she insisted...once she put it on, she would not let me out of her sight so of course I gave her money...before I knew it, I was being plagued by locals trying to sell to me. It was so sad...even a mother with a baby saying "food to feed the baby". Later I found out this was just a way to get to your heart!!! It works!! Ken even saw a little boy that he said could not have been more than 5 carrying his baby brother on his hip begging for money.

It's not unlikely to see a cow tied up in front of a temple with a basket of grass next to it. To go into the temple, you give money for the grass, the grass is fed to the cow, the cow is happy, the money goes to support the temple so everyone is happy!!
There are 14 McDonald's and they are the only one in the world that doesn't serve beef burgers...they use turkey, chicken or veggies.

The streets are full of vendors. If you stroke it, smoke it or eat it you find it at the markets!!! It's an assault on your senses and you either love it or hate it but you can't ignore it.

If you remember the Taj hotel was bombed in 2008 and it only took one year to rebuilt it. We were able to go in and it is a beautiful building with Rolls Royce, Mercedes and Porsche sitting in front. Our handbags had to go through a x-ray to enter the building.

I took a great tour with a brilliant guide. She gave us so much information and I'd love to share it all but I won't bore you any longer..here's the Reader's Digest of some of the interesting facts she shared with us. Cricket is their religion...the biggest sport. The dress here is very conservative , it should not show any curves so the men wear their shirts hanging out and the women are covered in their long dresses (saris) and many cover their faces also. They have many religious practices, like putting a pepper, lime and charcoal outside their businesses, cars, and homes for good luck and to keep evil spirits away. They replace these every Saturday. There is a group of 500 "business men" that deliver hot lunches from the men's homes to their work places on bikes. Then they go back, pick up the container and return it to the home. Four hundred thousand are delivered daily...yep 400,000 and they are known for their accuracy to the extent of being written up in the Guinness record Book!! Just an interesting factoid I will leave you with. This city, I must say was not as slummy as Cochin but that may because I was in a business area. It was a perfect way to get the feel for the architecture and heritage of this historic city.

Phir milenge,

janet and ken

qv@cunard.co.uk#4152

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing!!!

Hello from Thailand,

If you have been reading the news, you know about the controversy going on in Bangkok between the "red shirts" and the "yellow shirts" and spilling their own blood over the capital stairs. Because of this we were concerned if the ship would risk us stopping. As it was we did stop yet they cancelled a couple of the tours and cautioned us on places to stay away from. We did not see anything that resembled any kind of conflict so all was safe and sound. Although, there was alot of rumor onboard beforehand just to give the whole stop more exciting!!!

Bangkok is the capital of Thailand and is sprawls along the contours of the Chao Phraya River-Thailand's lifeline. At one time, Bangkok was compared with Venice because of its network of klongs (canals). It was nicknamed "Venice of the East" at a time when mot transportation was by boat. Today most of them have been paved over to accommodate the growing metropolis. While many khlongs still exist with people living along them and markets often being operated along the banks, most are severely polluted.

Bangkok is a magnet for foreigners escaping turmoil in their homeland or simply for business. The city's wealth of cultural sites makes it one of the world's most popular tourist destinations. The population of Thailand is 65 million with 9.1 million in Bangkok. the yearly average income is $8,000. Buddhism is very important to the people as the religion came from India...92% are Buddhist.

Ken and I took separate tours...I to the gardens and beach and Ken to the Palace and shopping...go figure!!! The tropical gardens were amazing with all the beautiful plants and the sculptured gardens...they were meticulously planned and cared for so they kept their unique designs. Our tour also included a Thai show with dancing, elephants and kickboxing. Elephants are the symbol of the country and you can find their design on everything from jewelry to clothing. Yes, I had to buy a t-shirt!!! Elephants eat 18 hours per day...sound like us passengers!!! Also they are pregnant for 22 months!!!

The people drive on the left side of the road and apparently the reason for that is the king decided to import a car from England thence they drive on the left. The Thai New Year is April 13 and it is like our Christmas.

Ken had a different experience in the city and I will send his experience along when he sends it to me....

Meanwhile...that's the scoop!!!

janet












qv@cunard.co.uk#4152
qv@cunard.co.uk#4152