The first day in Brazil, I got off the ship with my friends Danny, Peyton, and a few others. We walked around for a bit, took the elevator to upper Salvador, and took in the sights. Afterwards, I went back to the ship to meet for my class trip. It was pretty cool to see the favelas, Portuguese for slums. It was difficult to get a cab to the airport, and it ended up being about $35 but I had a fun time in the cab, jammin’ out with three locals. I played my CD for them and they played theirs. I got to the airport, got a beer, and Peyton, Nils, and Martin showed up shortly after. We got on the plane and ordered free beers. We took a blue bus to Ipanema, a beach area near Copacabana, upon arriving in Rio de Janeiro. Eventually we found our friend Shannon’s apartment. It was on the eighth floor of an apartment building; they rented it for the three nights they were there. We dropped off our stuff and went to start drinking at a bar called Shennanigan’s. It was there that we met two beautiful Brazilian girls and their friend. Turns one of them had a private driver, so he took us around to some of the local clubs. It was a crazy ride packing us all into that black Chevy Trailblazer.
The next morning, I woke up everyone because we had to get the day started. We had all gone to sleep around 6AM, so it was a bit of a rough morning to say the least. We had banana-chocolate crepes for breakfast, then caught the subway to Maracana stadium, once known as the largest stadium in the world, holding around 180,000. After standing in line and figuring out that we couldn’t use our student ID’s to get a discount, we decided to come back later in the night to scalp tickets. We caught a cab to Parque Nacional de Tijuca. We got some drinks and I bought a delicious egg-cheese burger, then we headed into the park. The waterfalls were absolutely gorgeous. We saw a sign that said Prohibo Banho, which we could only guess meant no swimming. We ran into two locals dudes in swimsuits who were walking by and told us to come in the water with them. We were convinced and swam in in a mini whirlpool in a river above the falls. It was so refreshing. After talking to them for a while, they told us that night to stop by club 00. We said we would and left the park. We found a place to stay for that night, called Stone of a Beach, a cool hostel with a hip vibe. We dropped off our stuff and headed for the game. The game, Fluminense vs. Portuguesa, was really cool. The fans were intense. Everyone wore Fluminense gear, had flags, and were even lighting off flares in the stands. One of the players with the last name Fred scored a hat trick. That night we made it to 00, paid the expensive cover charge, and went in. We tore up the dance floor. All the locals were just bobbing back and forth while we were fist pumping and taking up a lot of space.
The next day we took a cab up to Christ the Redeemer, a giant art-deco sculpture at Corvocado, a mountain overlooking Rio. Afterwards, not wanting to pay 10 Reais (Brazilian currency) each for a ride down the mountain, a guy finally told us that if we wanted to walk down, we could follow an abandoned railroad track all the way to the bottom. We were sold. It felt like we were in a movie. Some parts were definitely a bit dangerous, but after about an hour, we made it all the way down. On our last day in Rio, we checked out a market, got a few things and took the bus to our flight. We got dinner at the ship and headed to a club called Madres. After the ticket scalper misled us, we started a party in the street. Eventually a pick-up truck started playing music and we started a dance party in the street. I was dancing with some locals, pulling out my lines like, “Voce quer dancar?” which means 'Would you like to dance?' in Portuguese. At one point we were dancing like crazy on the truck bed, bouncing it up and down to the song, “I gotta feeling.” The next day we went out, had some drinks, and got back on the ship.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Brazil
Brazil
The first day in Brazil, I got off the ship with my friends Danny, Peyton, and a few others. We walked around for a bit, took the elevator to upper Salvador, and took in the sights. Afterwards, I went back to the ship to meet for my class trip. It was pretty cool to see the favelas, Portuguese for slums. It was difficult to get a cab to the airport, and it ended up being about $35 but I had a fun time in the cab, jammin’ out with three locals. I played my CD for them and they played theirs. I got to the airport, got a beer, and Peyton, Nils, and Martin showed up shortly after. We got on the plane and ordered free beers. We took a blue bus to Ipanema, a beach area near Copacabana, upon arriving in Rio de Janeiro. Eventually we found our friend Shannon’s apartment. It was on the eighth floor of an apartment building; they rented it for the three nights they were there. We dropped off our stuff and went to start drinking at a bar called Shennanigan’s. It was there that we met two beautiful Brazilian girls and their friend. Turns one of them had a private driver, so he took us around to some of the local clubs. It was a crazy ride packing us all into that black Chevy Trailblazer.
The next morning, I woke up everyone because we had to get the day started. We had all gone to sleep around 6AM, so it was a bit of a rough morning to say the least. We had banana-chocolate crepes for breakfast, then caught the subway to Maracana stadium, once known as the largest stadium in the world, holding around 180,000. After standing in line and figuring out that we couldn’t use our student ID’s to get a discount, we decided to come back later in the night to scalp tickets. We caught a cab to Parque Nacional de Tijuca. We got some drinks and I bought a delicious egg-cheese burger, then we headed into the park. The waterfalls were absolutely gorgeous. We saw a sign that said Prohibo Banho, which we could only guess meant no swimming. We ran into two locals dudes in swimsuits who were walking by and told us to come in the water with them. We were convinced and swam in in a mini whirlpool in a river above the falls. It was so refreshing. After talking to them for a while, they told us that night to stop by club 00. We said we would and left the park. We found a place to stay for that night, called Stone of a Beach, a cool hostel with a hip vibe. We dropped off our stuff and headed for the game. The game, Fluminense vs. Portuguesa, was really cool. The fans were intense. Everyone wore Fluminense gear, had flags, and were even lighting off flares in the stands. One of the players with the last name Fred scored a hat trick. That night we made it to 00, paid the expensive cover charge, and went in. We tore up the dance floor. All the locals were just bobbing back and forth while we were fist pumping and taking up a lot of space.
The next day we took a cab up to Christ the Redeemer, a giant art-deco sculpture at Corvocado, a mountain overlooking Rio. Afterwards, not wanting to pay 10 Reais (Brazilian currency) each for a ride down the mountain, a guy finally told us that if we wanted to walk down, we could follow an abandoned railroad track all the way to the bottom. We were sold. It felt like we were in a movie. Some parts were definitely a bit dangerous, but after about an hour, we made it all the way down. On our last day in Rio, we checked out a market, got a few things and took the bus to our flight. We got dinner at the ship and headed to a club called Madres. After the ticket scalper misled us, we started a party in the street. Eventually a pick-up truck started playing music and we started a dance party in the street. I was dancing with some locals, pulling out my lines like, “Voce quer dancar?” which means 'Would you like to dance?' in Portuguese. At one point we were dancing like crazy on the truck bed, bouncing it up and down to the song, “I gotta feeling.” The next day we went out, had some drinks, and got back on the ship.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Ghana have fun
On the first day we arrivied in Tema, I traveled with Abbie, Nils, Alyson, and Lauren. We took the 45 minutes bus ride to Accra and met up with my friend Jillian who’s studying in the city. It was great to see her after so many months. She led us around, first to a restaurant, then some markets, then to an orphanage she volunteers at. We got to play soccer with the kids there. It was quite the workout, but I managed to score the first goal. I traded my shirt and 15 cedis (Ghanain currency: 1.4 cedis = $1) for another guy’s shirt at one of the markets. I think I may have gotten ripped off but I didn't worry about it. We got to see Jill’s host home, we had dinner there, and she took us out to the Purple Bar in town. We had a few drinks and I headed back to the ship. My friends stayed over at Jill's house. The next day I went to the slave dungeons and castles of Ghana. It was really profound to see how the triangle slave trade worked and where the slaves were kept. It was a lot of traveling during the day, but worth seeing. I met a guy that taught me some of the native language. One of the coolest things about Ghanain greetings is the snap handshake. While pulling away from a handshake, Ghanains pull the middle finger so that each hand snaps. That night I went out to a local place in Tema called Manila Bar.
The third day, after much deliberation, I decided to travel alone to attempt to get to the famous Wli Waterfalls near Hohoe. After consulting a tour company, I found the bus station and took a tro-tro to Hohoe. Tro-tros are 15-18 person vans that run daily, leaving from a station whenever they fill up. I paid 7.5 cedis for the 4-hour ride. I met a woman named Patience who worked for an NGO (non-government organization) educating the public about HIV/AIDS awareness. After we got off, I went to dinner with Patience and she helped me find a taxi to Wli, the village with the waterfalls. I got to Wli and went to the first hotel I could find owned by a German couple. The hotel was full. I got to another hotel called the Wli Waterheights Hotel and paid 20 cedis for the room overnight. I got outside and asked for directions to the border to Togo. The woman who worked at the hotel told me the border closed in 10 minutes, but I thought I’d give it a shot. I walked out the gate towards the border, some 250 meters away. I ran into a guy named Victor, who introduced himself as one of the Wli waterfall tour guides. I told him my name and he said that after I came back, I should hang out with him. He ended up accompanying me to the border, which helped a lot considering he was friends with the guards. They let us pass, and we walked into the neutral zone between Ghana and Togo. We walked further and got to the police checkpoint into the village. They asked for my passport. I gave it to them and asked them not to stamp it. “Are you a soldier?” the officer asked. “No,” I replied, not sure why they were asking. They let us go. We walked through the village. The people there spoke French. Victor helped me find a lady to exchange my cedi to CFA, the Togolese currency. That night me, Victor, and a few of his friends had some drinks at a local bar. Keep in mind friends, I will give all of you a more detailed story when I talk to you in person.
The next morning I woke up at 5am, found Victor finally by six, and started climbing to the upper falls of Wli through the rain forest. It was an incredibly difficult aerobic climb, but we made it and it was completely worth it. I got to the falls and looked up in awe. I stripped down to my suit and walked into the water. Victor told me the water was safe to drink, so I splashed water on myself and drank it. The water was sweet, pure and cool. I stood underneath the falls and fell the light sting on my back. It was wonderful. We climbed down afterwards. Victor helped me find the right tro-tro and I said good-bye, promising to return one day. I felt truly sad to leave my new friend.
On the way back to Accra, I met a girl named Mary and talked with her for a while on our 4-hour journey. She was an absolutely beautiful Ghanain woman, and she happened to be just one year older than I. As we came near to the end of our journey, I asked Mary if she wanted to get a drink with me and she told me she would like that. I took her out for a drink, then realized I only had about an hour to get back on the ship. I shared a taxi with her, then realized I was going in a different direction. I kissed her good-bye, promised to come back someday, then got in another taxi. I got to the shuttle area only to realize that the last shuttle left at 4PM. It was past 4:30. I told the driver I only had 13 cedi left and he said that he would help me, though it was very little money compared to the long drive back to the Tema port from Accra. I clocked in at the ship at exactly 6:00PM.
Ghana have fun
On the first day we arrivied in Tema, I traveled with Abbie, Nils, Alyson, and Lauren. We took the 45 minutes bus ride to Accra and met up with my friend Jillian who’s studying in the city. It was great to see her after so many months. She led us around, first to a restaurant, then some markets, then to an orphanage she volunteers at. We got to play soccer with the kids there. It was quite the workout, but I managed to score the first goal. I traded my shirt and 15 cedis (Ghanain currency: 1.4 cedis = $1) for another guy’s shirt at one of the markets. I think I may have gotten ripped off but I didn't worry about it. We got to see Jill’s host home, we had dinner there, and she took us out to the Purple Bar in town. We had a few drinks and I headed back to the ship. My friends stayed over at Jill's house. The next day I went to the slave dungeons and castles of Ghana. It was really profound to see how the triangle slave trade worked and where the slaves were kept. It was a lot of traveling during the day, but worth seeing. I met a guy that taught me some of the native language. One of the coolest things about Ghanain greetings is the snap handshake. While pulling away from a handshake, Ghanains pull the middle finger so that each hand snaps. That night I went out to a local place in Tema called Manila Bar.
The third day, after much deliberation, I decided to travel alone to attempt to get to the famous Wli Waterfalls near Hohoe. After consulting a tour company, I found the bus station and took a tro-tro to Hohoe. Tro-tros are 15-18 person vans that run daily, leaving from a station whenever they fill up. I paid 7.5 cedis for the 4-hour ride. I met a woman named Patience who worked for an NGO (non-government organization) educating the public about HIV/AIDS awareness. After we got off, I went to dinner with Patience and she helped me find a taxi to Wli, the village with the waterfalls. I got to Wli and went to the first hotel I could find owned by a German couple. The hotel was full. I got to another hotel called the Wli Waterheights Hotel and paid 20 cedis for the room overnight. I got outside and asked for directions to the border to Togo. The woman who worked at the hotel told me the border closed in 10 minutes, but I thought I’d give it a shot. I walked out the gate towards the border, some 250 meters away. I ran into a guy named Victor, who introduced himself as one of the Wli waterfall tour guides. I told him my name and he said that after I came back, I should hang out with him. He ended up accompanying me to the border, which helped a lot considering he was friends with the guards. They let us pass, and we walked into the neutral zone between Ghana and Togo. We walked further and got to the police checkpoint into the village. They asked for my passport. I gave it to them and asked them not to stamp it. “Are you a soldier?” the officer asked. “No,” I replied, not sure why they were asking. They let us go. We walked through the village. The people there spoke French. Victor helped me find a lady to exchange my cedi to CFA, the Togolese currency. That night me, Victor, and a few of his friends had some drinks at a local bar. Keep in mind friends, I will give all of you a more detailed story when I talk to you in person.
The next morning I woke up at 5am, found Victor finally by six, and started climbing to the upper falls of Wli through the rain forest. It was an incredibly difficult aerobic climb, but we made it and it was completely worth it. I got to the falls and looked up in awe. I stripped down to my suit and walked into the water. Victor told me the water was safe to drink, so I splashed water on myself and drank it. The water was sweet, pure and cool. I stood underneath the falls and fell the light sting on my back. It was wonderful. We climbed down afterwards. Victor helped me find the right tro-tro and I said good-bye, promising to return one day. I felt truly sad to leave my new friend.
On the way back to Accra, I met a girl named Mary and talked with her for a while on our 4-hour journey. She was an absolutely beautiful Ghanain woman, and she happened to be just one year older than I. As we came near to the end of our journey, I asked Mary if she wanted to get a drink with me and she told me she would like that. I took her out for a drink, then realized I only had about an hour to get back on the ship. I shared a taxi with her, then realized I was going in a different direction. I kissed her good-bye, promised to come back someday, then got in another taxi. I got to the shuttle area only to realize that the last shuttle left at 4PM. It was past 4:30. I told the driver I only had 13 cedi left and he said that he would help me, though it was very little money compared to the long drive back to the Tema port from Accra. I clocked in at the ship at exactly 6:00PM.
Monday, April 5, 2010
South Africa
The first day we arrived in Cape Town, I looked down off the ship and saw frolicking seals and a large number of jellyfish. That morning I had a class trip with my shark biology professor, Dr. Abel. We went to the Marine Aquaculture Research Center in Cape Town. We learned about some of the diseases acquired by marine life and got to touch sea urchins and some baby leopard sharks. Afterwards, me and the only other kid on the trip, Jeremy, explored a bit of Cape Town, saw Table Mountain from its base, and shopped around the markets. That afternoon we stopped on Long Street, one of the main bar areas in the city. We had a few beers and met a local named Bjorn that was happy to help us back to our ship when we asked for directions. For one of the few nights this trip, I went to sleep early to be ready for the next morning.
The next day me and my classmate Allysa were picked up at 5am to go shark cage diving. We drove two hours to a town called Gansbaii, notoriously known for its occurrence of great white sharks. We took a boat called the Megalodon II twenty minutes out from the coast. A number of other shark diving tour boats were already in the water. The large occurrence of sharks was due to a high seal population in the area. Anchored out in the water, we put on wet suits and goggles. The cage could hold 5 people at a time with our group of 23. I volunteered to be one of the first to go and slid into the watery cage. The guide threw out a bait line of tuna head and told us that he would signal us to hold our breath and dip under the water when a shark was going for the bait. When he yelled, “Down!” for the first time, we put our heads underwater. Lunging for the bait was a giant grey and white monster with its enormous jaws open and dead black eyes locked on the bait. It was incredible. Later on, during our last dives, a giant male shark, distinguished by its pelvic claspers near the tail, had its jaws open wide hurling at the bait line right near my position in the cage. I instinctively backed up as it turned away at the last second. Needless to say, my heart was racing after that experience.
The next morning I met up with Max, Nick, and Jay to go on our overnight safari. On our way to the bus, we saw a total surf bro with long blonde hair and a purple shirt that read, ‘SHRED ALL DAY.’ We were making fun of it the rest of the trip. We were saying that if this guy’s Facebook status probably says he’s shredding. Always. We took public transportation down N2, called the Garden Route. It took us at least four hours to get to our destination: The Garden Route Game Lodge near Albertinia, South Africa. We arrived at 4:25 PM just in time for the first game drive. A game lodge is a large, fenced in area with some animals living in the same enclosure, and others, like the lions, fenced off by themselves. This particular reserve was nearly 4,000 acres in area. In our open-air safari jeep during that first drive, we saw lions, giraffes, antelope, elephants, and others. When we came upon a cheetah lying in the grass by itself, the driver slowed to a halt and we observed and took pictures. Before we started to move again, the cheetah tensed up and looked off curiously into the distance. Far away was a herd of antelope, but considerably closer was a pair of full-grown ostriches, unaware of the cheetah’s presence. After waiting for what seemed like 15 minutes, watching the cheetah stalking the ostriches, suddenly the big cat took off like a rocket. We were told later that cheetahs can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in less than three seconds. The ostriches were literally running for their lives. The jeep pursued the chase as soon as the cheetah launched. We saw the cat just barely miss the two birds as it slowed to a stop after a lively attempt. The ostriches just kept running, eventually out of sight. We had an amazing buffet dinner with the most savory pork chops I’ve ever had, then we went to the bar later that night and retired around 11 to our bungalows. Before heading to dinner, we looked up in the sky to see only what I can describe as a UFO. It was an object that looked at first to be a star, but with the motion of a satellite. It was bright in color, only slightly more yellow than the surrounding stars. It soared through the sky at a good pace towards the horizon then slowly faded, like a piece of coal in a fire simmering out as it loses its heat. If anyone has any idea what it could have been (one of my friends guessed it could have been a piece of space trash), please let me know. I’m still convinced it was aliens.
The next morning we took another game drive at 7:30. We got a better look at the lions in the daylight, and came within two feet of a full-grown African White Rhino. It was amazing to be that close to wildlife. That’s one of the things I preferred about the game lodge. On a safari at a national park, there’s a chance you might not be able to see the animals you want to, but at the game lodge, the chances are much greater at seeing everything. After the drive, we had the best breakfast I’ve ever had in my life, consisting of a full buffet of omelets-to-order, crepes, sausages, hash browns, fruit juice, cereal, and croissants. Afterwards we got a tour of the reptile house and cheetah enclosure, then headed on our way. That night we went out again to the bars on Long Street, met some more locals, and came back to the ship for the night.
On our last day, I travelled with Nick, Kristina, Max, Gabe, and Danny. It was one of the best times I’ve had just because of the people I with whom I traveled. I just noticed that if I spell ‘travel(l)ed’ with one l or two, it’s still correct according to Microsoft Word. If anyone reading this is an English major, I’d like to know why. Anyway, we took a train to Simon’s Town, an hour south of Cape Town. We then got to Boulders Beach, famously known for its penguin population. We were able to go in the water and actually got pretty close to some penguins swimming around. They didn’t like to be touched however, and made sort of the hiss a Canadian goose makes when you get too close. It was called Boulders Beach for a reason and had giant stone boulders all along the sand. It reminded me a lot of the British Virgin Islands. After the beach, we got back to Cape Town and took a taxi to Langa, a very poor township area. My friend Gabe had gone earlier in the trip and wanted to go back. The movie District 9 was based on the townships of South Africa. Under Apartheid, blacks and Indians were put in segregated neighborhoods in areas where whites worked. The townships were basically shanty towns, with all of the homes built by the residents and made of scrap materials, such as dilapidated wood and used sheet metal. We met a man named Abel (not my professor) who led us around the area. Despite the conditions, people were happy. We were able to play catch and take pictures with a group of small children, and afterwards we went to a barbecue storefront that lets you pick out raw meat from the counter and cooks it for you. The food was delicious. We then paid our guide and got a taxi back to the ship. Next stop, Ghana.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Mauritius
Mark Twain once said that heaven was modeled after Mauritius. I couldn't agree more. The island was absolutely beautfiul, with high hills and breathtaking beaches. I was fortunate enough to stay at a Hilton Resort at Flic en Flac beach, one hour south of where our ship docked at Port Louis. We hung out on the beach at night, went out to the bars, and met some friendly Mauritian locals. I traded shirts with a guy I was talking to.
The next morning I went with my roommate Mike and my friend Clara to Casela Nature Park near where I was staying. We went on what's called a Lion Walk. For one hour, a group of us followed a guide and two full-grown lions on a walking path. We were able to pet the lions and take all the pictures and video we could. Near the end of the walk, the guide placed a piece of meat on a high branch and had one of the lions leap up to grab it. Afterwards, the guide led us into the cheetah enclosure, where we met two cheetahs and had the chance to pet and interact with them. It was one of the coolest things I've ever done. We walked around Port Louis the rest of the day before getting back on the ship.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
India
We arrived in India at the port of Chennai on March 11th. My plan for India was to travel directly to the state of Kerala on the southeast coast with my friends Haley, Alyson, and Dave. We agreed that we would all meet at the ship at 4:30 that evening. Initially I got off the ship with Haley, Dave, and my other friends Martin, Danny, and Peyton. Within 20 minutes of getting there, however, we got separated into two groups by auto rickshaws, small three wheeled taxis that carry three passengers. Haley, Martin and I spent about an hour and a half trying to figure out where the other three of us went, but we never got back to them. We eventually started exploring Chennai by ourselves. We ended up at the train station to buy overnight tickets to Cochin, another southern port city in the state of Kerala. Haley and I found the foreign tourist ticket counter and worked on getting the tickets for nearly two hours while Martin waited on a bench for us. The first lady we talked to was not very helpful. She told us there was a waiting list for the tickets we wanted; when we asked her if there was another way to get to Cochin that night, she told us that she only deals with trains and that she wasn’t a travel agent. Eventually, to our confusion, she left the office telling us that the next guy whose shift was next would help us. We waited another 15 minutes for the next guy. He eventually arrived and started helping us get tickets. He was much more helpful and got us on the waiting list for four tickets to Ernakulum Town near the wildlife reserve we wanted to visit. The tickets were Rs. 1,300 or around $30. Haley and I met our friends Dave and Alyson back at the ship. Luckily we were able to get on the train that night at 7:45. We had the overnight sleeper train with air conditioning which was quite comfortable. After switching seats with a few Indian friends, the four of us got beds next to each other. I went with Dave for a cigarette and met two friendly Indian men that we think may have been police officers, but we couldn’t tell for sure because their English was limited. Although smoking wasn’t really allowed on the train, one of the crew members told us that it was fine. Our slogan for India is “It’s possible” because of all the times we heard that phrase. For many of the things we did in India, it was kind of like the country telling us, “You’re really not supposed to, but go ahead and do it anyway.” We met a woman on the train, Lakshmi, who told us she was a daughter of a government official in Kerala. She told us to stop in Kotayam, which was closer to the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary where we were going. She also gave us her phone number and told us that if we lost or got anything stolen, we could call her and her father would get it replaced for us.
The next morning we got to Kotayam and took a three hour roller coaster bus ride for Rs. 75 through the hills to Thekkady Road in Kumily, about 4km from the reserve. The area is about 800m above sea level and considerably cooler than where we were in Chennai, which was a relief. Upon getting off the bus, a man who introduced himself as Osaka told us he would help us find a hotel and lead us around the area. We agreed and didn’t know it then, but Osaka would help make our trip quite unforgettable. Osaka told us he would take us to the Rainbow Hotel near the bus stop, so we started walking. Around us we saw some of the slums of India and people outside working, talking, and enjoying each other’s company. As we continued to walk we came upon a brightly colored edifice that definitely stood out among the Indian slums. The hotel had just about every color and each room was a single bright color theme. Dave and I got the blue room while the girls got the green room. Later that afternoon Osaka took us to go ride elephants followed by an ‘elephant shower’ which involved us sitting on the back of an elephant while it took water into its trunk and sprayed it repeatedly onto us. We were completely drenched afterwards. It was one of the most fun things I’ve ever done. We then went to a spice garden and got to see and taste plants like pepper, coffee, vanilla, avocado, nutmeg, and masala. We even tried an insulin leaf, which the guide told us he gives to people with diabetes. That evening we went to a local home where a family showed us how they make a traditional Indian dinner. We got to help mix ingredients and roll dough. It was the best meal I had in India.
The next day we took a Jeep into the heart of the Periyar Wildlife Reserve. It was an open-air back seat so we stood up the entire way there and took in all the sights, smells and sounds. When we got there, we took a boat ride on a lake in search of tigers. We got off near some muddy grass and saw tiger footprints, but unfortunately no tigers. Afterwards, we took an hour and a half hike to our campsite in the jungle. A moat was dug around the area to keep out any animals. At night, while I was shining a flashlight into the brush, I saw two pairs of green glowing eyes making their way through the bushes. I shined my light in another direction and saw what I thought was another pair of green eyes. Desperate to see a tiger, I imagined what I saw was a tiger and even had my friend Haley believing it. After getting so excited and calling over the guide however, we discovered that it was merely a bit of reflective material and a plastic bag. The next morning, we hiked back and saw some wild bison. The day before we had seen the national bird of India flying through the trees, as well as some wild monkeys and squirrels. After leaving the wildlife sanctuary, we took a taxi to Alleppey, where the backwaters of India are located. The backwaters are a collection of villages on the edge of a long series of rivers and canals. We stayed overnight on a houseboat that travelled around the canals and docked for the night. We were able to go into town to pick up drinks and had quite the pleasant evening.
The next day we took a rickshaw back to Cochin and dropped off Haley at the ship. Me, Dave, and Alyson explored the city and got a hotel for the night. Before we went out that night, we went to a textiles store and asked for suggestions on traditional Indian clothing. I’m wearing a dark green ‘skirt’ and green dress shirt as I’m writing this. That night we went out to the bars in our traditional clothing. We got many gestures of approval and amusement walking around the streets of the city. When we got to our second bar and we met an Indian man that spoke nearly perfect English. We asked him some questions about the culture and politics of the region and the rest of India. Later he took us to another bar and bought us a round of drinks. I bought the last round after that before we headed back to our hotel.
While Dave, Alyson and I were walking around Cochin the next day, two Indian boys called out to us to play with them. We had nothing else to do so we agreed. We ended up playing cricket in the street with the two boys. They used a piece of wood as a bat. We asked them if there was a place close to them that sold cricket bats and they led us to a local sports store. We asked one of the boys which bat he liked best and we paid 600 Rupees (around $14) for the bat. We then gave the bat to the two boys. They were in shock. As we parted ways, we saw the boys ecstatic and running across the street to show their friends. It was a good feeling.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Good Morning Vietnam
We first arrived at the port of Ho Chi Minh City via the Saigon River, which very much resembled the river in the movie Apocalypse Now. We cruised through muddy water, surrounded on either side by jungle. When we first got off the ship, I decided to go with my friends Donald, Gabi, Alex, and one other girl. We traveled around Ho Chi Minh city, seeing the sites. I love traveling with Gabi from Spain, she’s absolutely beautiful and a lot of fun. We talk in Spanish and joke that someday we’re getting married. We saw the War Remnants Museum, talking about the Vietnam War. It was covered in old military vehicles outside and powerful images and exhibits of the effects of Agent Orange, a toxic dioxin chemical, on the inside. Also at the museum, a younger man with stubs for arms tried to sell me Vietnam guidebooks and had me shake his arm. I felt awful for him and offered him 5,000 dong later but he wouldn’t accept. He only replied, “No, I only sell books.” We took motorcycle taxis around everywhere. For $1, drivers would take us anywhere in the city. Traffic is chaotic, really like schools of fish navigating around each other in a sea of pavement. For $.70 we were able to release a bird from a cage. We saw a huge collection of live turtles at the only Chinese pagoda in Ho Chi Minh. It made me think of my old pet Everest because all of the turtles were red-eared sliders. That night, we went to a bar called Apocalypse Now.
The next morning, I ran into my friend Haley and we ended up going to Vung Tau beach with Ashley, Anella, Erica, and Mariel. We took a Rex Hotel shuttle for $22 per person to the beach around 3 hours south of the city. We then tried to find a hotel. Unbeknownst to us, it was a holiday and nearly every hotel was full. We were left with the option to either pay around $35 per person to stay at the high-end Imperial, or $15 per person at the Chinese hotel. We chose the latter and got what we paid for. The hotel was not the cleanest or in best shape (mismatched comforters), but it did the trick for one night. We went out to dinner at the Imperial restaurant across the street from the Imperial Hotel, probably the most high-end hotel in the area. I can only assume that the wait staff thought we were staying at the Imperial, and gave us complimentary glasses of wine. Or that could have been because Ashley in our group ordered lobster for around 250,000 Dong, around $12 US. The waiter came out to show us the live lobster before cooking it. No one else was at the restaurant and we got seats right by the beach. I ordered spring rolls, then a large bowl of white rice for $1. I’m cheap. During the meal, I asked for chopsticks. The waitress brought me ketchup. I utilized my charades skills and made a chopstick motion with my knife and fork. She laughed and understood. We had a very difficult time paying for the bill. We tried to ask for separate checks but none of the wait staff understood. It took us about 45 minutes to finally decide to put the bill on Ashley’s credit card while we paid her cash dong. There was definitely some tension in the group throughout the two days regarding decisions about transportation, which hotel to stay in, and being on other people’s schedules. Though we almost all ended up going straight to sleep that night, I half-joking suggested getting a drink at the beach bar. Anella said she’d go with me, so we started walking there while the rest of the group went back to the hotel. Anella and I laughed about the fact that we were the stitching holding the group together with our positive attitudes. In front the high-end Imperial Hotel, we noticed some locals taking pictures in front the sculptured fountain outside. We walked by, and then asked them to take our picture. They joined in on our pictures and eventually we had one of the local girls taking pictures of us with all of our cameras. We eventually asked them to come to the bars with us after doing drinking gestures to help them understand. They told us we could take their tandem bike, so Anella and I got onto it and led them to the bar. It was a little shaky riding the thing, but we got the hang of it. At the bar, we ordered two beers and our new friends ordered drinks. Anella was able to talk to the girl who spoke some English, but me talking to the guys in the group was limited to sharing pictures and saying cheers in Vietnamese (‘Yo’). Eventually our friends left, Anella and I ordered a couple more beers, and the bartender came to give us the bill. It was for 390,000 VND (Vietnamese Dong), which comes out to about $20 US. Anella and my beers combined should have been less than $5, but the bartender explained that we had to pay for the other people that just left. I immediately refused to pay; we had never agreed to pay for their drinks. We argued back and forth with the bartender, with her saying that they were our friends and we saying back that we had only just met them. An Australian man to the left of us intervened and explained to us that in Vietnamese custom, if you bring someone to a bar or restaurant, you pay the bill. We told the bartender we were sorry, but that we were not familiar with this custom and would only pay for the beers we had ordered. She told us that was fine. Before we left the bar, I was feeling pretty bad about the situation and offered to pay for all of the drinks, but the bartender wouldn’t take it. I guess that’s one way to learn about the culture and customs of a country.
The next morning, we all got up and after waiting for a long time for Mariel, who lost her ATM card, and the other group of girls, who just took a while to get ready, we made it to the beach. We were definitely out of place. It was a crowded Sunday and the locals looked at us like we had just beamed down from Mars. We sat our stuff down after being told that we needed to pay for a cabana if we wanted to use one. We sunscreened up, and eventually went in the water. Beforehand, Anella and I went to the market across the street to pick up some Tiger Beer, a Capri Sonne, and a few other drinks. I decided to buy a ball to kick around on the beach. It was $1. Me and Anella started playing at first, then we got three little girls to play with us. They were really enjoying it. Before we left, I gave the ball to the girls. We also met two Japanese guys on the beach that happened to be vacationing. Throughout the entire trip there was some tension between the group members. Me, Haley, Mariel, and Erica took a taxi to get back to Ho Chi Minh. Haley and I were sitting uncomfortably in the back, hot from the poor air-conditioning, and exhausted from the beach. As we sat there trying to be comfortable, Celine Dion’s ‘My Heart Will Go On’ came on the radio, in Vietnamese. We both started dying of laughter. That night we went back to Apocalypse Now. We took motorbike taxis to the bar. I met a Vietnamese girl named Tam and danced with her. At the end of the night, I gave her my email address, and she promised to write. I figured I would never see her again.
The next day, I started the day with Peyton, Danny, Olivia, and others. We first stopped to buy some cheap DVDs. Then we made our way to the Ben Tham market to get measured for suits. I ordered a black suit for myself and a dark gray for John. Together they were $170. Then Danny and I split off the walk around the city. I bought a bag of leechy fruits: red, spiky balls with sweet white fruit in the middle. We got a one-hour massage for $8. It was amazing. We were eventually talked into taking a one-hour tour on motorbike taxis for $5 a person. He took us all around the city and we got to sit on a tank, in gunner seats, and in a truck that had a bullet hole in the front window where an American had been shot. That night, all of us started the evening walking around the town, eventually making our way to the Wild Buffalo club. It was a fun dance club; we partied for a while there then headed to Apocalypse Now. After the bar closed at 2:30, we headed to another bar called the GO2 club. We walked in and I saw Tam, the Vietnamese girl from the previous night. I danced with Tam until around 4 AM then decided it was time to go. We said our goodbyes and she promised to come visit me one day. I guess you could say I have a girlfriend in Vietnam.
The next day, me, Danny, Peyton, Olivia, and Brooke took a taxi to the Cu Chi tunnels. The guide first asked if we wanted to see a very one-sided 15 minute video about the war. He explained the purpose of the tunnels afterward and then led us down a path through the dry jungle. The entrance to the tunnels was unnoticeable from the surface; it’s just a wooden square cover with leaves on top. I could see how Americans would never notice it during the war. We all went down. I was the only one with a flashlight, and fortunate enough to see a scorpion and bat on the inside of the tunnels. At one point, we crawled for a grueling 30 meters from one chamber to another and were dripping sweat when we got out. After going through the tunnels, I got to shoot an M16 for five shots. I hit the deer target. That night I picked up my suits and got back on the ship.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Off the Wall
We are officially 24 hours from Vietnam. China was awesome, and Hong Kong was my favorite port so far. We stayed the first night in Shanghai and went to the clubs that night with my friend who speaks Mandarin. During the day, we had tried street food including octopus tentacles on a stick and a delicious bread item resembling a thick tortilla. Each cost only 2 yuan (6.8 yuan = $1 US) The next day, we flew to Beijing to start our six-day tour.
On our first full day, we got to see the Forbidden City and Tianamen Square (I don't think that's spelled correctly). the Forbidden City was created by the emperor of China as a place for royalty that no common people were allowed to enter. It is surrounded on all four sides by a flat, 30 foot stone wall. The emperor made sure no trees were planted around the border in order to discourage sneaking into the city.
That evening, we hiked up to the Great Wall and spent the night sleeping on it. We all felt very cold and uncomfortable throughout the night, but the experience was definitely worth it. We awoke early the next morning to see the sunrise. Later that afternoon, after hiking for several miles, we ziplined off the wall.
The next day we took a rickshaw ride through the Hutong area of Beijing. This area included many poorer neighborhoods in the city. Afterwards, we went to the Summer Palace, a place the emperor would send his wife in the summer so he could spend some quality time with his concubines.
On the last day we saw the Temple of Heaven. The morning after, we flew to Hong Kong. What an amazing city. It contains the building Batman jumped off in a scene in the Dark Knight. The city is mesh of culture and structure. Surrounded on one side by mountains, and the other by ocean, it is truly unique. Interspersed between the skyscrapers are small markets run by the lower-income members of the city. Looking at it from a distance, you would never guess that these small markets and shops existed between the towering buildings.
I've still got some planning to do for Vietnam, look for an update in about a week.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
China lies ahead
Japan was crazy. The first night, we took a train from Yokohama to Tokyo. We got our first authentic Japanese meal, and headed to an ice bar that night. Our group included me, Abbie, Amira, and Haley. Nils and Martin, also in our group explored Tokyo while we were in the bar. In the ice bar, we played a drinking game with some locals. Ich, ni, sun, shi, go, roku. That's how to count to six in Japanese. Afterwards, we attempted to get on the overnight bus to Osaka. We stood in line for what we thought was the right bus but no one understood our reservations. We went from bus to bus trying to get on. Eventually we figured the bus must have left without us. I ran. I ran to the first bus and tried for one last time to get help. He directed us to the bus ticket counter and we had to buy new tickets for the midnight bus for 5000 yen (around 50 dollars). In Osaka that morning, we walked to Kaiyukan, the Osaka aquarium, and saw two whale sharks. It was an almost spiritual experience. The enormity and grace of those animals are amazing.
We made it to Koyasan, a mountain town covered in Buddhist monasteries. It was a beautiful ride up the mountains on the train, then up a cable car to the top. We came up with a haiku on the way up:
Breathe the mountain air
Japan’s darkness awaits us
Soon to the temple
We got to the Eko-in monastery, took off our shoes for slippers, and dropped off our things. We then took a tour of the Oku-no-in cemetery, the largest in Japan and home to many buried samurais and monks. The creator of the cemetery, Kobo Daishi, is fabled to still be meditating at the end of the cemetery in a temple that no one is allowed into. The next day we stopped at some shops and I picked up a bandana that says 'Koyasan' in Japanese. We then traveled to Kyoto, found our friend Donald, and discovered that the hotel we planned to stay in was full. We made our way to 9h, a capsule hotel, completely white with spacious capsules. A capsule hotel is basically a series of small rectangular spaces stacked on top of each other. Each contains a bed. There's just enough space to lie down for the night. The next night in Kobe, me, Haley, Martin, and Mason went to a reggae bar, Jam Dung. On the way in, we saw several of the professors, hammered, making their way out I was talking to a man who I assumed worked there as he was promoting the club, and I asked him how long he worked there. He told me he was Mezraim, one of the crew members from the ship. A lot of the crew were there dancing to reggae. It was a riot.
We'll be in Shanghai in less 24 hours.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Ship Rumors
Well, 1 day left until we arrive in Japan. I won't believe it until I see at least one of the over 6,000 islands that make up the country.
We're hitting a bit of rough weather currently, and the ship's rocking pretty hard. A lot of rumors have been going around saying that this was going to be a really bad storm, but it hasn't been. Two nights ago at dinner, after a group of us agreed that the rumors were getting ridiculous, and we decided to start our own rumor. Me and four others at the table would tell people that the storm was going to be so bad that the Coast Guard was going to link up with the ship and check all of the crew's drills, secure the lifeboats, and make sure the rest of the ship was secure. Rumors spread on this ship like wildfire. Needless to say, the rumor spread fast and I overheard another student the next day asking a faculty member if he was going to be able to meet the Coast Guard.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Across the Prime Meridian
We officially crossed the Prime Meridian today. We've been gaining more and more hours of sleep, which has been nice, but we officially lose a day now that we've crossed. We will have no February 2nd. I won't miss it too much.
I've started planning my trip to Japan and created an itinerary for my group. We arrive February 9th. The schedule goes as follows:
Day 1: Travel to Tokyo from Yokohama, take an overnight bus to Osaka.
Day 2: See the aquarium in Osaka, visit a fish market, then go south to Koyasan. Spend the night in a Buddhist monastery on Mt. Koya.
Day 3: Spend the day exploring Koyasan, visiting the monasteries as well as Japan's largest cemetery, where many Japanese monks have been buried. At night, take the train to Kyoto.
Day 4: Spend the day and night in Kyoto, see some Geishas, get some sushi and sake. Overnight in Kyoto.
Day 5: In the morning, travel to Kobe and explore the city before the ship leaves at 8pm.
Be sure to email me at ejhorstman@semesteratsea.net.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Off to Japan
We've just left Honolulu and are on a course to Yokohama, Japan. This will be our longest stretch of days without seeing land, nearly 11.
In Hilo, we took an all-day trip to the Rainbow Falls, Volcano National Park, and the Queen's Garden. At night, we went to a local dive bar called Shooters. About 50 Semester at Sea students had to be served by one over-worked bartender.
In Honolulu I was fortunate enough to have lunch with my godfather Steve who's retired and lives on the island. That night several of us went to dinner and relaxed on the beach.
We're planning to stay overnight in a Buddhist monastery in Japan, a place called Koyasan.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
The work begins
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Border Control
As we took the shuttle bus from San Diego to Ensenada, Mexico, we were driven through border control. Several students were called randomly off the bus to be searched. Mexican border control employees stood outside with what I can only guess were standard MP5 automatic guns. We waited for nearly half an hour to get through, with people trailing back into the buses slowly after being searched. One kid who had sat silently with his sunglasses on and hood up the entire ride, sitting silently, finally returned to the bus. As other students looked to him for an explanation or anecdote about what happened, he only remarked, “They took all my blow,” and the bus erupted into laughter.
The first day
We pulled away from the port in Ensendada today. I've been meeting some really cool people and talking about some amazing upcoming adventures. My biggest trip so far will be sleeping overnight on the Great Wall, complete with breakfast served in the morning. I plan on re-taking surfing lessons in Hawaii, so we'll see how that goes. More to come soon, but it's late and I gotta get up early for breakfast.
