Vietnam and Cambodia, 3/27-3/31/08

We chugged up the Mekong River early Thursday morning, at points only about 10 meters from the shore on either side. A few hours and a few hairpin turns later, we arrived at the dock outside Ho Chi Minh City. Almost immediately we packed up for three days in Cambodia. I was a trip leader, which is a thankless job but saves me half the cost of the trip. There were 59 of us on this trip, all with passports, boarding passes, landing cards, and other vitally important documents that can’t be misplaced but frequently are, causing delays and near heart attacks. And just hypothetically speaking, if one of the 59 decides he might be able to sneak into a temple in Angkor Wat and gets caught, he might wind up on the back of a police motorcycle making a solitary trip to a Cambodian jail to get fingerprinted while his trip leaders are trying to imagine just how bad this could get, especially since their plane home leaves in several hours. But hypothetically speaking, it all worked out and we came back with the same number of students that we left with.

The whole trip was awesome, actually. The recent genocide in Cambodia is as appalling as the ancient temples of Angkor Wat are an inspiring testament to human achievement. We toured a school that was basically turned into a torture chamber, and saw one of the many ‘killing fields’ where bodies were buried. Gruesome and upsetting (as are some of the photos on flickr). Ironically, the journalist who brought the genocide to light, Dith Pran, died on Sunday of pancreatic cancer.

Everyone rides a motorcycle or moped in Cambodia and Vietnam. Whole families pack onto one bike, usually without helmets. I saw a man balancing a small refrigerator on the back of his scooter in heavy traffic. He held it on the bike with only one hand. It’s all heavy traffic, and what one might call rules of the road don’t seem to apply. Scooters appear on sidewalks and on the wrong side of the road because that’s where they want to go. Traffic lights, where they exist, are routinely ignored. In order to cross the street one pretty much looks straight ahead and just walks into traffic. The bikes will go around you, just don’t stop, whatever you do! Several times Margie and I timidly stood on the edge of traffic until a kindly local took pity and ushered us across the street. It is a real sense of accomplishment when one gets safely to the other side, like one has survived another episode of Extreme Traffic.

The shopping is incredible, both in terms of the prices and the aggressiveness of the hawkers. “What you want, Madam?” which they may or may not have but they will surely find something else you should buy. “Yes, yes, it’s the same, only different.” My old Jansport backpack ripped out on the last day of our Cambodia trip so I picked up a new North Face for $10 on the street in HCM City. Dollars are widely accepted in Vietnam and Cambodia. There is evidence of construction throughout Phnom Penh and Siem Reap and it is clear both countries have determined that tourism is a large part of their future.

Vietnam and Cambodia represent such a vivid time in our country’s history, but not so for the people here. The American War (as they call it) was just one of numerous invasions in recent history. Possibly it’s easier to be magnanimous when you’re the victor. The tour guides we had were careful about not saying anything too anti-American, although some of us felt a sense of shame, or at least discomfort, as we listened to them being exceedingly diplomatic.

There are several faculty on board who fought in the Vietnam War, and for each it is their first time back. One gave a talk about his experiences in infantry in Global Studies, complete with many photos of the baby-faced boys in his unit… in the Union, where there is usually a low buzz of conversation and keyboard-clicking, there was not a sound.

For the over-50 crowd on the ship, Vietnam was both most anticipated and dreaded. What we found was a Communist country with a booming capitalist economy. The ghosts are there but mostly they’re just trying to move forward.

Not a Pirate in Sight. Drat.

We are currently anchored off Singapore for refueling. Last night we slipped through the Strait of Malacca without any threat of pirates overtaking and boarding our ship. Some of the female population seemed to be hoping to meet Johnny Depp. A member of the crew is posted on the fourth deck all night with a fire hose. The Bridge will radio him if any other vessels get too close, and he’ll wave the hose at them threateningly. Any pirate who tries to get this group of SASers to do anything they don’t want to do is in for a rude surprise. Herding cats, I think the phrase is.

More about Malaysia: We took a funicular up Penang Hill (701m. about sea level). What a view! We could see our little MV Explorer anchored way out in the distance. The monkeys are plentiful, brash, and goofy, see photos. It was several degrees cooler and in fact it thundered and rained while we were up there. I think it is the first time I’ve heard thunder since leaving VA. On the way back down the hill we chatted with a woman who grew up in Rochester, near my home-town of Oswego in upstate NY.

We had a nighttime adventure on the local bus. Prof. Joe Ascroft accompanied us to Batu Ferengi to the night market, where trinkets and knock-off Prada and Rolex goods are sold. Many DVDs and CDs sit on big planks of plywood. The vendors have walkie-talkies squawking in their ears when the customs people come through; then they frantically move the disks —“Excuse me madam, excuse me…”—shoving the planks underneath the tables where they are apparently no longer for sale. There is a large food court in the middle of the night market where we enjoyed chicken satay, large prawns, and fried rice. The process: find a table and note the number of the table, then go around ordering food to be delivered to your table. Be sure to get a large Tiger beer to wash it down. See many Semester At Sea friends, socialize, relax. It doesn’t get any better!

Malaysia is a breath of fresh air, 3/19-3/22

After the extremes of India, Malaysia has been a place of respite. We had very little planned in order to recharge and refresh ourselves, and we were not disappointed. Penang Island, where we anchored, is clean and safe and modern. The people are Malay, Chinese, Indian; their religions are Islam, Hindu, Buddhist, Christian; the cuisine is Chinese/Indian/Thai fusion. The street hawkers cook the most delicious foods which we ate as often as possible. Haggling is expected, whether in the street or in the mall. Margie and I are getting better at it, but still it doesn’t come easily.

We spent our first morning in Little India, wandering in and out of shops with tailored saris and fresh spices. I can’t bring myself to buy a sari because I know I wouldn’t wear it (but Margie and I both bought nice embroidered tops in India). Then we made a pilgrimage to Starbucks! I make no apologies. We have not had good coffee in two months and it was delightful, as you will see in the photos on flickr. I had Googled ‘Penang Malaysia Starbucks’ before our arrival and was so very happy to find one within walking distance.

This port is the first (and only, I believe) where our ship had to anchor off shore and we had to ‘tender’ in on the lifeboats. That evening we were supposed to meet my Malaysian college chum, Aileen, for dinner, but our plans went awry when the ship unexpectedly had to move and the tenders couldn’t run for a couple hours. This was only the first of several times we were inconvenienced by this tendering business, but fortunately we were able to get ahold of Aileen and reschedule. We met Aileen and her sister Karen several days later and they treated us to a tour of the island. First we went to a ‘wet’ market, a farmer’s market with fresh veggies and fish and meat. We ate a delicious second breakfast, then walked around the beautiful botanical gardens. Later, a trip to higher elevations to a fruit market with our choice of freshly-squeezed juices, and a quick drive through a fishing village before ending up at Aileen’s favorite Chinese restaurant. She ordered for us so I don’t know much about what we had, but it was scrumptious! It was great to see Aileen and Karen and I hope they will visit us in Virginia some day.

More anon.

Extreme India

India is a country of extremes: the poverty and filth and squalor, the heat, the invasive street peddlers, the traffic, the flavors, the colors. It’s sensory overload. The water will give you terrible GI problems, the malaria could kill you. SASers were on a train that caught fire, while others were in a mall when a near-riot started. Some took an unintentional two-hour ride with an inebriated auto-rickshaw driver. One even had to escape from an ashram! It seems that nothing is easily done in India. ‘Yes’ could mean ‘No’ or ‘Maybe’, and Indians have their own unique head-waggle to punctuate the ambiguity (search for ‘indian bobble head’ on YouTube to see what it looks like). Plans change constantly. Get into an auto-rickshaw (AKA tuk-tuk) and you may or may not be taken where you want to go, but at least you will get there at breakneck speed. And when you get there, wherever you are, the agreement on the price becomes another point of negotiation. There are cows and water buffalo in the road and monkeys in the trees. Injuries sustained in this port include numerous sprained ankles and wrists, bruises from being hit by a bike in traffic, and a monkey scratch. And then there are the GI issues… A challenge? Yes, indeed.

But the Taj Mahal! Photos really don’t help one grasp how enormous and magnificent it is. We visited once at sunrise and once at sunset. It was cloudy each time, but that only added to the mystique. The Taj looked like it was floating in a dream. 

And the children and teachers I met at the Sri Sayee Vivekananda Vidalaya grade school were the friendliest, nicest people I’ve ever met. We drove through a very poor neighborhood to get there. The students and teachers treated our small SAS group like we were rock stars: they met our bus with a band and waving flags, hung pretty beaded necklaces around our necks, and sang and danced for us. In return we sang “You Are My Sunshine” and did the Hokey Pokey and the Macarena and all participated in a rousing rendition of Head-Shoulders-Knees-and-Toes, which the kids particularly liked. Some of the older kids taught me a new computer game called Balance. Every classroom I entered the children greeted me in unison: “Namaste!” and asked me questions and asked for my autograph. They were so excited and welcoming and it was so flattering. Some of our SAS students painted a classroom, but the rest of us were asked to just interact and play with the kids. We were served coconut juice in coconuts and delicious bananas. Many of the 525 boys and girls are on scholarship and want to be doctors and pilots and such. My sense is that these lucky kids might just make it out of the abject poverty that is right outside the school courtyard. I gave out my email address many times so I hope to hear from them!

The day after we left India was a No Class Day. In addition to having to move our clocks 1.5 hours ahead, everyone was just exhausted, and it was a real blessing to have a day to sleep and unwind.

India is a hard place to describe

We are back at sea after 4 days in India. I’ve seen a bit of Chennai, New Delhi, and Agra (where the Taj Mahal is). It will take a bit longer to process it all, and get the photos up (camera in a state of disrepair at the moment, one of numerous mishaps this port!). Margie and I are fine, and I think we still have the same number of students we came to India with! More later.

Next Stop India, 3/10

Here is a slice of ship life: breakfast is served 6:30-8:30. The 6th deck dining room, where I prefer to dine, has an outside area and is at the back of the ship. One sits at a table overlooking the ocean and others join to talk about the previous port or the next port or the latest rumors. At 8am some people scurry away to teach classes or open the library. Every other morning, though, I start my shift after Global Studies, and therefore have the delightful opportunity to sit with my cup of coffee and allow others to rush off while new folk sit down. The conversation usually shifts a bit as new people rotate in. U.S. politics is discussed constantly. The ocean breezes sometimes blow napkins and other light items off into the ocean, or sometimes onto one’s dining companions. Most unfortunate, but hey, that’s ship life.

Two nights before docking in a new country there is a mandatory “Cultural Pre-Port” meeting, which usually follows themes started in Global Studies. At every port we have guest faculty or students from the next port get on board to spend a few days talking about their home countries. It is wonderful to see how these people are enthusiastically welcomed into our community. They are hugely popular! And they provide excellent first-hand information on culture and politics. Last night we had Cultural Pre-Port for India and our current students, Deepaka and Kanishkaa, each got huge ovations after their talks. Professor Usman’s wife, Mari, gave a great talk on cultural mores. She told the men in the audience: “Don’t strip yourself to show your macho body”. The final speaker of the night, Professor Parker, discussed such important topics as how to safely cross the street in India. It seems that pedestrians have lowest priority, and that might makes right. Cows are sacred and you don’t want to be a busdriver that has accidentally hit a cow, for you might be dragged into the street and beaten. In fact, finding a cow is perhaps the safest way to cross the street, should you be able to convince the cow to accompany you. India is repeatedly described as “challenging” in this and many other ways and I expect I will have more to say about that soon.

We passed over the equator again and are now back in the Northern hemisphere. It’s good to be home, haha!

Sea Olympics 3/8

The results are in, and you will all be happy to know that the old fogies did themselves proud during the festive Sea Olympics yesterday. The faculty, staff, and life-long learners constituted the Silver Sea (better than being called the Grey Sea, or worse yet, the Dead Sea) and we competed against 9 student Sea teams. We placed 6^th overall and won more gold medals than any other team, thanks to a few ringers (we have the best Scrabble and ping-pong players in the Indian Ocean). Here is a synopsis of events:

09:45 Silver Sea takes the gold in the banner contest (see flickr) and gains the first 500 points

10:05 All Day Scavenger Hunt begins (Melinda is competing and is horrified to learn that one of the items to be found is an old SAS yearbook, which means she will be doing some serious shelf-reading in the library the next day.) Participants have a list of 26 items/people to photograph. Creativity and completeness count, not speed. When results are announced Silver Sea has taken the bronze.

10:10 Silver Sea is quickly eliminated in the Tug o’ War (Margie is competing)

10:15 Silver Sea takes the bronze in the cheerleading competition with such memorable chants as “You may think we’re old, But we’re gonna take the gold” and an interesting rendition of Yellow Submarine, aptly renamed Silver Submarine. We all wore aluminum foil headbands with cute little subs on them, as you will see in the photos.

10:20 Silver Sea goes down badly in Pictionary. Guesses include an amoeba and a pregnant octopus, but really it was a bear.

11:05 Toilet paper fashion show is a big hit, but Silver does not place. Caribbean takes the gold.

11:35 Silver Sea is disqualified from Men’s Dodgeball for making an inappropriate finger gesture.

11:50 Silver Sea competes heroically in the Limbo but cannot match the flexibility of the younger set.

12:10 Word filters through the staff lounge that Silver took the gold in Scrabble! For a brief and glorious moment we are in second place!

13:30 Potato-sculpting contest begins (Melinda is competing). The theme is Around the World in 100 Days. Our design incorporates the Explorer with wings and roller-skates. Many positive comments are heard but in a travesty of justice Silver did not place.

14:15 Dr. Dave leads the Silver Sea synchronized swimming team to a bronze medal.

14:45 Joyce takes the gold for Silver Sea in Extreme Musical Chairs.

15:35 Silver Sea is eliminated in volleyball.

16:40 Lyn is the last one standing in Dean Kenn Says (like Simon Says) and wins another gold for the Silver Sea.

17:15 Sushil and Liz cruise to victory in ping-pong.

19:10 Lip Synch begins. Silver Sea dances to Splish Splash with shower caps and towels but cannot invoke the energy and popularity of the student teams. Unfortunately they do not place but a good time was had by all.

20:45 Final results are in, and the Baltic Sea reigns supreme. Silver Sea team is relieved not to have finished in last place.

Riding the Waves of the Indian Ocean, 3/6

Waters out of Mauritius have been a bit rough, but I’ve hit on the right combo of meds to keep me healthy. Others are not so lucky. The ship occasionally rides straight up a wave, and then the front drops down off the wave with a dramatic crash. It feels like we’ve dropped 10 feet but it’s probably much less. Everyone seems to have adjusted to this startling occurrence, for we just smile at each other when it happens. We are now old seadogs and sooner or later we will be ignoring it completely.

We had an interesting Global Studies today in which students from Donna LeFebvre’s class put on a play they had written about female infanticide. China is not the only country that has a long tradition of valuing boys over girls. With the advent of handheld ultrasound machines even expectant parents in remote villages can determine the sex of a child, and abort if it’s a girl. The male population of India is now significantly larger than the female population, and ‘bachelor towns’ have sprung up around India because there are not enough women to marry. The government has outlawed dowries in hopes of making female children less of a ‘burden’ to families, but dowries are still largely expected. Very sad.

In happier news, today was Taco Day!! The previous SAS librarians will understand my enthusiasm! The food on the ship is perfectly good, but bland and repetitive. Any break in the routine is appreciated. I haven’t yet broken down and gotten a cheeseburger from the pool desk, but I feel it is in my future.

Trying very hard to get photos up on flickr… bandwidth is easily clogged during the day…

The Island of Mauritius, 3/1-3/4

Mauritius is India Lite, according to Dean Dan. Although I’ve not yet been to India I believe this statement to be true. Many Indians were brought as slaves to Mauritius in the 17^th and 18^th centuries and then as indentured servants after slavery was outlawed in 1833 to plant and harvest the sugar cane crop. The predominant religion is Hindu and we were fortunate to be in Mauritius during a large Hindu festival to honor Shiva. Hindus make a pilgrimage to Sacred Lake near the middle of the island and bring back some of its blessed waters in a small tin pail. Many pilgrims walk from all over the island; others take buses. Some of those who walk construct elaborate shines to Shiva that one person carries on his shoulders. We took a tour of a Hindu temple in the midst of this festival, and also saw a Catholic church, a Chinese pagota, an Islamist cultural center, and the Mahatma Gandhi center in Port Louis (where we were docked). The local tour guides describe Mauritius as a true harmonious melting pot for religions and cultures and I can’t say that I saw anything to disprove it in the four days we were there.

Mauritius has many beautiful white sand beaches and blue, blue water. We went on a tour on Ile aux Aigrettes (Green Heron Island) where conservation efforts are studied. There were enormous tortoises all over this small island. It was not uncommon to almost stumble over them lounging in the sun while looking up for birds. The guide, when asked, told us that the tortoises are ‘ridiculously heavy’. You’ll get a sense of the size from the flickr phot os. We also saw pink pigeons, the Mauritian doty, and the Madagascar doty (all very pretty birds and very unusual to my Western eyes). Margie and I also joined up with some faculty who rented a van and driver to take us around the island one day. Our guide, who called himself Elvis, was enthusiastic and anxious to please. At one point he jumped out of the van bounded across four lanes of highway to fulfill someone’s half-serious comment about getting beer for the trip. It was about 9:30am and we had no way to keep it cold, but he meant well!

As predicted, the Indian food was particularly scrumptious. Our first night we met up with other faculty and ate at Namaste on the waterfront. From the outside it looked a bit cheesy with its neon sign, but our party of 6 agreed everything we ate was completely delectable. We also had a number of meals that were kind of Indian-Creole fusion with delicious spicy sauces over chicken or fish. Maybe I can find a recipe or two.

Sea Olympics are on Saturday!!

Last Comments about South Africa, 2/29

I now have a loaner laptop and have uploaded the South Africa photos to flickr (see link on right). They are as annotated as they’re going to get for now!

A few more comments about South Africa:

The other safari group had an interesting experience with an elephant who wanted to go through the camp (why? to get to the other side!) one evening around 9pm. The elephant was pacing back and forth just outside camp, so the guide sent everyone to bed and the elephant lumbered through camp and on his way. In the morning when the group went to drive out of camp, a tree had been pushed down over the road, totally blocking their way out. The elephant taught them a lesson about making him wait! So don’t ever keep an elephant waiting.

Other animals we saw: jannit, kingfishers, many hawks. We saw many white rhinos but no black rhinos (the latter is much more rare). We also saw a BIG snake trail across the dusty road one morning. BIG, I say!

On ship, we are now 9 hours ahead of the East Coast. The latest rumors are that our stay in Hawaii has been extended (false); we are sailing into a hurricane (false); everyone has to stay inside the ship when we pass through the Panama Canal (false). Who knows how some of these rumors get started.

Another rumor that started on Monday morning was that Global Studies was canceled. In fact we had a surprise lifeboat drill during classtime, so this rumor was technically true. We are to dress in long pants and shirt, hat, close-toed shoes, and dorky orange lifejackets. Most people got it right except one young woman in our muster area who showed up in leopard-print slippers. This breach was discovered only just before the captain came by to review the troops. The offender was quickly sent to the back row (usually reserved for men: yes, women and children really DO go first) and we collectively held our breath as Captain Roman came by, smiling but with his eyes riveted on the footware. Thank goodness, he missed the infraction. I’m not sure who gets in more trouble, the offending party or the crew in charge of mustering us; and fortunately we didn’t find out!

We dock in Mauritius tomorrow morning. It looks to be a lovely place, very small and lush, and we expect to eat some good Indian food. More in a few days!