SEA DAY (day 94)                                                                         AGRA  (day 92) continued...

COWS, DOGS, MONKEYS ETC...ROAM THE STREETS FREELY

OXEN ON THE GROUNDS OF THE TAJ

HINDU WOMEN DRESSED IN BRIGHT COLORED BEAUTIFUL SARIES

The people who've in INDIA hope to visit the TAJ once in their lifetime.

IN AGARA THE STREETS DO NOT LOOK ANY DIFFERENT THAN THEY DO IN MUMBAI

WE WERE WELCOMED FOR LUNCH IN AN EXQUISITE INDIAN RESTRURANT 

MUMBAI IS A CITY OF EXTREMES 

WE BOARDED OUR PLANE TO RETURN TO THE SHIP

ALL & ALL BETWEEN THE BUSES, THE PLANE & THE TOURING WE SPENT A HECTIC 

12 & 1/2 HOUR DAY

For the last 2 sea days we have been sailing from SOUTHERN ASIA towards the MIDDLE EAST tomorrow we will be in DABUI, THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES...

AT SEA (day 93) AGRA, INDIA                                                               day 92 continued

TAJ MAHAL

"In the 16th century, a Mughal emperor had a marble mausoleum constructed in memory of his favorite wife. They were married for 19 years and had 14 children. Before she died she made the Emperor promise that he would never marry again, which he did. He did, however, have a concubine of 200 women and he lived for another 30 years after she died.

The TAJ took 200,000 workers 22 years to build. The foundation consists 88 wells that are filled with clay, copper and other minerals which are all covered by a slab of red sandstone. Interesting, the foundation was planned this way so that should there be an earthquake that they would shift keeping   the building, THE TAJ, intact. Also, the MINARETS, a total of 4 one tower of in each corner of the building, are built purposefully leaning at slight angle away from the TAJ so that should there be an earthquake they would fall away from the TAJ.

"THE TAJ MAHAL is now revered as one of the world's most beautiful buildings".

MEN AND WOMEN ARE SEPARATED BY FENCES AND STAND ON SEPARATE LINES WHILE WAITING TO ENTER TO SEE THE TAJ

Dan and Lynn

WE ENTERED THROUGH THE WESTERN ENTRANCE 

THERE IS AN IDENTICAL EASTERN ENTRANCE ON THE OTHER SIDE

Everything in THE TAJ is totally symmetrical. It was only after the Emperor died and his son  him buried him at his wife's side did the symmetry become compromised.     

VIEW AFTER WALKING THROUGH THE ARCH OF THE ENTRANCE

It was 100 degrees that day and the crowd was unimaginable.

Apparently as many as 20,000 people can visit in a day.

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BUILDN IN THE WORLD

The MINARETS have scaffolding around them while they are being cleaned.  

CLOSE UP  OF THE DETAILS ON THE WALLS 

SEMIPRECIOUS STONES INLAID INTO INDIAN MARBLE

INLAID JADE LETTERING WORDS FROM THE KORAN THAT ADORN THE ARCHWAY ENTRANCE TO THE TAJ  

FLOWERS ETCHED INTO MARBLE
ALL OF THE MARBLE IS INDIAN MARBLE
The etchings were done in one very big piece marble, if they made a mistake the piece was broken and the etching was started again, from the beginning.

To be continued....

AT SEA (DAY 92
MUMBAI (BOMBAY), INDIA (day 91)                                                             continued

MUMBAI, the former BOMBAY is world unto itself its culture reflects both the affluence and humbling poverty of more than 20 million people. 70% of the people are HINDU, 25% are MUSLIM, and the other 5% are a mix of other religions. Over 40% of the land is reclaimed from the sea and there is about 1 acre for about every 1 & 1/2 thousand people. It would be a euphemism to say that MUMBAI is overcrowded. We were told that in MUMBAI you cannot judge people by the way that they look in that some very affluent people may look like they live in the slums or Shanty Towns, and vice verse.
MUMBAI is a city of extremes where slum-dwellers make dollars a day while BOLLYWOOD stars live a life of luxuries. Beautiful fountains fill the winding often dirty streets and alleys lined with small shops and office buildings.

A BEAUTIFUL CITY OF SILVER TOWERS

JUHU'S BEACHES AREN'T CLEAN ENOUGH FOR SWIMMING AND THEY CAN BE KIND OF SCRUFFY BUT FAMILIES ENJOY TAKING WALKS  ON THE BEACH AND ON THE WATERFRONT PROMENADE AS WELL AS JUST SPENDING TIME TOGETHER HERE

At night the beach turns into a carnival of food hawkers.

MUMBAI IS DISTURBINGLY EYE OPENING

IT IS A CITY OF DRAMS FOR INDIANS THAT, AT THAT SAME TIME AFFORDS SO FEW ANY MEASURE OF COMFORT 

INDIAN LIFE BENEATH THE SHADOW OF INDIA'S SKYLINE

ONE OF MANEY, MANEY, MANEY SHANTY TOWNS

You will notice all of the Direct T.V. Dishes on the corrugated tin roofs. 

Apparently there is a Slum Renewal Program in existence, but it seems as though there is a great deal of corruption in the project as there is in many of the other governmental projects.

SUNSET, PEOPLE ON THEIR WAY HOME FROM WORK.

The streets are seemingly lawless. Drivers run red lights or are just as likely drive on the wrong side of the road. The honking horns, the women knocking on the windows to sell flowers, and the beggars begging change almost cause a sensory overload.

MUBAI IS A WORLD ON TO ITSELF

THE CITY OF AGARA FROM THE AIR

AFTER TAKING AN HOUR BUS RIDE TO THE AIRPORT WE BOARDED A CHARTERED  PLANE FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF TRIP TO AGARA

Stay tuned for the TAJ MAHAL tomorrow...

MUMBAI (BOMBAY), INDIA (day 91)

We began today at 5:30 AM. It is 7:30 PM and we just returned from our trip to the city of AGARA
 and THE TAJ MAJAL.

No time to post tonight, stay tuned for tomorrow we had a very picturesque day...

AT SEA (day 90)

SUNRISE OVER THE INDIAN OCEAN

TOMORROW WE WILL BE IN MUMBAI (BOMBAY), INDIA

LOOKING FORWARD TO BOARDING A CHARTERED JET TO VISIT THIS WORLD HERITAGE SITE FOR A GUIDED TOUR AND LUNCH

In the 16th century, a Mughal emperor had a marble mausoleum constructed in memory of his favorite wife. The Taj Mahal is now revered as one of the world's most beautiful buildings.

Stay tuned...

COCHIN/KOCHI INDIA (day 89)

COCHIN is one of the West Coasts oldest and largest ports. COCHIN is  situated on the major crossroads of the INDIAN OCEAN, traders have been coming to KERELA (the state that the city  COCHIN is in) in search of spices, sandalwood and ivory. There are 35 million people in the state, 600,000 people live in COCHIN. The children are taught 3 languages, HINDI (the national language), ENGLISH, & PORTUGUESE, in elementary school. The literacy rate is almost 100%. There are 22 languages spoken in INDIA.
Today COCHIN has a Synagogue, several Mosques, Portuguese & Catholic Churches & Hindu Temples.

TRUCKERS DO A GREAT DEAL OF BUSINESS AT THE PORT AND MANY OF THE TRUCKS OWNERS HAVE THEM DECORATED BY LOCAL ARTISTS

THE STREETS AND THE LOCAL MARKETS ARE BUSY PLACES

MARKETS AIMED AT TOURISTS CLOG THE STREETS   

THE PEDDLERS ARE CONSTANTLY IN YOUR FACE

THEY LAY IN WAIT & THEN FOLLOW YOU 

CATHOLIC CHURCH

HEARDS OF GOATS GRAZE IN THE STREETS

CHINESE FISHING NETS DATE BACK TO THE 14TH CENTURY

THE NETS ARE A SYSTEM OF PULLYS AND LEVERS

WHEN THE TIDE IS HIGH THE FIHERMEN CATCH FISH & WHEN THE TIDE IS LOW THEY CATCH TOURISTS

IT TAKES 4 MEN TO WORK THESE NETS

WATCHING THE MEN WORK THE NETS WAS MORE MY THING

THE MATTANCHERRY DISTRICT IS WHERE THE CITY'S DWINDLING JEWISH COMMUNITY LIVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS CALLED JEW TOWN

PARADISE SYNAGOGUE BUILT IN 1588, DESTROYED IN 1662 & REBUILT IN 1664

WOODY LEARNING TO WEAVE SILK

PORTUGUESE  CHURCH ST. SEBASTIAN

COCHIN is INDIA lite, in that it is the calmest & most beautiful city in INDIA. We needed to remember to appreciate it for what "it" is. I guess what I mean by is that the city is designed to make "it's " own people comfortable and that it is that it is a part of ...

INCREADABLE INDIA

COLOMBO, SRI LANKA (day 88)

COLOMBO is the main city of SRI LANKA (population 2.2 million people). It is geographically diverse, in that there are both vast jungles as well as beaches in COLOMBO. It has a cosmopolitan mix of cultures that come together, i.e. Arab, Singhalese, Dutch, Portuguese, Tysmal, etc...3/4 of the people are Buddhists, 2% Muslim,  15% Hindu, 1% Christian. They have a 95% literacy rate, and English as well as Singhalese is taught in elementary schools. Although poverty is pervasive in the countryside that is changing fast, recently their economy has been growing by 8% per annum. Since independence in 1948, it has not stopped growing. COLOMBO is one of Asia's most fascinating cities

THREE LIGHT HOUSES THAT GREET YOU AS YO SAIL INTO THE HARBOR

A GROUP OF STUDENTS HOLDING AN APRIL FOOLS DAY  BIRTHDAY PARTY AT THE RR STATION FOR THOSE STILL SMOKE 

HANDOUTS

BAND AT HAPPY FOOLS DAY BIRTHDAY

TRAVEL BUDDAH AT THE RR STATION

PEOPLE WHO USE THE TRAINS PRAY FOR A SAFE TRIP

(from what I understand the trains are in such disrepair that the people need Buddha's help) 

MUSLIM SHRINE IN A CLOTHING STORE

MUSLIM SALESPERSON

5 MUSLIM GODS BEHIND THE CASH REGISTER IN STORES

THE MARKETPLACE IS NOISEY, CHAOTIC, LIVELY AND VIBRANT

MUSLIM TEMPLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MARKET

Like other ASIAN cities COLOMBO has modern skyscrapers surrounded by colonial architecture all around.  

COLOMBO is located off the southern most tip of INDIA.

Tomorrow we will dock in COCHIN, INDIA.