The Day Before the Day Before

Today is the day before the day before we get to India. (Can you tell I have no real concept of time and date anymore?) You know you are on Semester at Sea when you start to refer to dates as “the day after Mauritius” or “the second B day before Asia right after Africa.” Yesterday was an interesting day because we crossed the equator…again. Sadly I once again forgot to flush my toilet mid-crossing. There was no Neptune party this time because I guess they consider us all professional globetrotters by now or something. We also had to set our clocks one half hour forward last night, which I found to be very strange. I officially decided that we have about the coolest ship captain ever! He decided that he wanted to test the ship’s engines and run them on maximum speed. Let me remind you that we are aboard the fastest passenger ship in the world. We were cruising at a speed of 31 knots! It was incredibly fast and the wake behind us was out of control.
Tonight I had dinner with the two Indian inter-port students. They were a lot of fun and shed a lot of light on what it is really like to be a young person in India today. I asked them about everything from arranged marriages and dating, to dress and customs, and food and transportation. I realized that they aren’t all that much different myself. They told me that students in India all have a pre-conceived ideas about what American young people are like, just like we have of them. The thing I remember from our conversation the most was their observations that, aside from our more liberal culture, American students and Indian students have very similar interests, goals, and hobbies.

India…
This is actually the first port that I am not doing my own independent travel, so it should be interesting to see how it compares to the others. Since I don’t know if I will be posting again before India, here is some of what I am planning on doing while in port-

The first day I am signed up to go on a SAS city orientation of Chennai. Here is the description:
During your brief orientation to the fourth-largest city in India, you will drive through the city center on Mount Road, the commercial hub of Chennai. You will also drive through residential areas that present a striking contrast between rich and poor. You will drive past an important landmark, Fort St. George, which contains St. Mary’s Church and the Fort Museum – monuments reflecting the history of Chennai from the days of British India. You will continue your drive along the elegant promenade of the Marina, one of the longest beaches in the world. You will see the stately buildings of the University of Chennai, the Senate House and the former palace of the Nawab of Arcot. Upon reaching the oldest section of the city, you will visit San Thome Cathedral (where the apostle Thomas was buried) and the ancient Kapaleeshwar Temple. Along the way, you will also have an opportunity to visit a local home.

The second day I am leaving on an overnight trip-
DELHI/VARANASI/AGRA (0430 Friday, 10 March – 1400 Monday, 13 March)
This trip combines the bustling city of Delhi, the majesty of the Taj Mahal, and the “eternal city” of Varanasi, one of the most important pilgrimage sites in India. Located on the banks of the sacred River Ganges, Varanasi is the holy city of the Hindus. Often called “the heartbeat of India,” it is the oldest inhabited city in the world. Varnasi has been a center of civilization and learning for over 2,000 years. Here you can observe the ritual bathing in the Ganges at dawn, a practice that has continued virtually unchanged over the centuries.
Day 1: Depart the ship for the Chennai airport and your 3 and ½ hour flight to Varanasi via Delhi, arriving in Varanasi around 1150. After check-in and lunch at the hotel, visit the ruins of the ancient city of Sarnath where the Buddha preached his first sermon. Sarnath is as holy to Buddhists as Varanasi is to Hindus. See the stupa and ruins of the ancient monastery as well as the new Buddhist temple. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight. An optional shopping rip, with your guide, is available. (B on flight, L, D; Radisson Hotel in Varanasi)
Day 2: Depart the hotel before sunrise and drive to the banks of the River Ganges. Board a boat and sail along the river to witness a spectacle of religious practice that has continued unchanged over centuries. At dawn, pilgrims converge at the holy waters for the ritual immersion and prayer to release their souls from the cycle of rebirth. This is one for the most memorable experiences of a visit to India. Continue on a city orientation and then depart for the airport and your flight to Delhi. Upon arrival in Delhi, enjoy some late afternoon sightseeing including visits to the Memorial, Parliament House, Secretariat Building, and the official residence of the president of India. Continue to your hotel for dinner and overnight. An optional shopping trip is available. (B, L, D; Hotel Ashok in Delhi)
Day 3: Following an early morning wake-up call, depart for the train station and your two-hour journey to Agra. Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel to freshen up before proceeding to Fatehpur Sikri, with its red sandstone palaces which are remarkably preserved. Return to Agra for lunch at the hotel and then visit the Taj Mahal at dusk. Transfer to the railway station for your journey to Delhi and transfer to the hotel. (B on train, L, D on train; Hotel Ashok in Delhi)
Day 4: Depart for the airport and your return flight to Chennai. (B on flight) Note: This is a rigorous itinerary involving a lot of traveling and early morning departures.

So that is what my India trip will be in a nut shell. It should be pretty intense so I’ll let you know how it goes. We only have two days on the ship in between India and Myanmar, but I’ll do my best to get my final India blog up ASAP. It is going to be a crazy/exciting/tiring next two weeks in the life of Amber! Until then…


Thought of the Day: In India, three and a half times more people than in the United States are living in one third the amount of space. In all, some 35 percent of them live in poverty, half of those in extreme poverty.

Status Report:
02 degrees Latitude
078 degrees Longitude