Day 80 - At Sea

 

 

Date:  March 29

 

Location:  Day 80 – At Sea (Cruising the Arabian Sea)

 

Next Port:  Muscat, Oman, March 30-31

 

Report:  We spent this sea day catching up on a few things, exercising, playing bridge, attending a lecture on Oman, sorting through our photos and drafting our journal reports.

 

We also spent considerable time musing among ourselves and others about our visit to India.

 

Our daily devotional meeting evolved into a general discussion about our experiences in Mumbai and Agra – as did our lunch and dinner conversations.

 

Many of the 160 travelers who made the trek to and from the airport through the heart of Mumbai and onward to Agra had similar feelings to those we expressed in yesterday’s report.  The India we saw – both from the ground and the air – seemed to be an almost hopeless situation. The poverty, personal hygiene and living conditions of so many people have created a desperate situation.

 

Some of the guests, who didn’t go to Agra, did have a more positive experience. They enjoyed lunch at the large colonial-style Taj Hotel and visited some nice shopping areas. Others saw some clean parks and residential areas.

 

A few more stats:

 

·        80% of marriages are still arranged

·        In Agra, 50% of the population are Hindu, 35% Muslim (15% in the rest of the country), 15% Buddhist (all living side-by-side in harmony)

·        Mumbai has 6 times the number of rats as its population of 20+ million

·        India is one of the few democratic countries where religion and politics do mix – and according to our guide that is a problem

·        Farmers own their land and it is passed down from generation to generation with each child (including women) getting a share

·        10,000 people a day visit the Taj Mahal, only 20% of them foreigners

 

We decided we would end this report on positive note, with a few truisms from our great guide, Atul:

 

·        In America you drive on the right-hand side of the road. In Britain they drive on the left-hand side of the road. In India it is optional!

 

·        To drive in India you need a good horn, good brakes and good luck!

 

 

Larry and Karen

 

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise