India

A few days in India.

I have been to both Cochin and Goa, so this time decided to do a  side trip to Agra and the Taj Mahal – squeal!
The ship had a trip for $2000US each. But only had a few hours in Agra. So I joined a private tour. $800 AU each – far more time and better timings.

The plan.
Leave the ship ASAP as Indian Immigration allowed.
Fly to Delhi.
Straight on a bus or the 4ish hour trip to Agra. Go to the hotel and sleep.
Up at stupid o’clock for early morning Taj. Back for breakfast then more touring. Then drive back to Delhi.
Fly back to Goa and re join the ship.
Perfect.

Sneak preview.INDIA –  GOA

India is always fun (not fun) to get into. The visa application is expensive ($180 for Australians) and has a tricky form.  Not hard, just lots of info wanted. You then submit online, make an appointment, get your documents and front up to the Indian visa place.  Two days later (for Canberra people) and you have your passport back with a visa.
Then you produce your visa to board the ship.
After Thailand, India official boarded the ship and we had to all line up to do a “face to face” with them.  Royal did this really well.
Our group had a few meeting to discuss various things, and each time the goal posts had moved a bit. But all was good. There was nearly 40 in our group, so we were divided into three groups.

Suddenly the ship decided that we needed to close off our on board accounts, pay and get a clearance card. 120 guests were doing a half cruise and another 120 getting on for a second half cruise. A clearance card was the only way they could make sure people were not leaving with an unpaid bill. So we lined up to get that. Only took a few minutes but certainly caused more complaints.

After a very early breakfast the group met at the point at 6.55am.  Toa, the lovely concierge had organised with guest services to get us off as a group with priority. As we got off they took our clearance cards and sea pass cards – they already bad our passports and visas. Off we went and waited! Our buses came after about 30 minutes. Tiny little buses were the 12 of our group crushed in, with our luggage – hand luggage only but still a fair bit f it. We were all given a form for name passport number etc.
We waited about 30 minutes for our buses to arrive. Some confusion about where they were to collect us. Immigration Hall or at the ship  – doh!

We went for a 20 minute drive (a few kilometres) to the immigration hall. And we waited…  We then filed through and a Royal person gave us our passports. We marched past a long line of officials on computer – filed PAST, to two guys sitting on a chair that we handed the forms too.  They didn’t look at them, just collected them. They didn’t do anything. Not sure why this could not have been done at the gang way – but we were visitors in their country so they can do it their way!
Not sure what that was about…..but it was done. Back into the buses…. that were built when the Arc was built. We all squashed in sweated. This time we waited in the traffic. It was now morning peak hour. Sunday, but still busy!

The traffic was light but still insane. They drive on the left had side – some of the time – if it suits them better, they use it, otherwise they use the other side.
Poor Ian was in the front seat and needed clean undies by the time we got to the airport. 

The traffic was very entertaining. Best thing we saw was a scooter with training wheels. A large clip on contraption that went over the seat to the floor and has two extra small wheels. A home made quad bike – kind of.

We got to the airport after a two hour drive and checked in and waited. Comfy chairs and air conditioning.  We were happy. Some of us had applied for up graded seats – Premium X – ie an exit row. Luxury! But they cost a lot – 1200 Rupee! A whole $20 – for all three flights. Excellent. And they were lovely seats. 
The airport was fun. Very crowded with people watching Bollywood movies on phones. No ear phones, just on loud speaker. Nothing would happen for an hour then 10 flights would all be called to go within 30 minutes.

It was an economy airline, so you paid for everything. The Maggi cup of noodles were Marsala flavoured and nearly blew my head off, but it was food.
The ship tour people were also on our flight. hey had a local guide travelling with them, and one of our people asked him a question – and was quickly savaged by a member of the ship tour for daring to ask him a question “when we were not part of that group”. Funny.  Guess by this time they had found out the price difference. 

The flight landed at Hydrabad for a connection, to drop off some passengers and collect others. We were told many times not to get off. Security them came on and identified our bags. One couple from another group got off- and caused a major issue. There bags were on the plane but not them. After security running madly around the place they were found and brought back.
The cleaners came on. I can truly say I have never been on a plane while cleaners are vacuuming it. Very cool.

INDIA – Delhi
Then off we headed to New Delhi. Cochin airport has a machine gun tower on the way in. Delhi airport had so many people with machine guns. The air quality in Delhi was disgusting.  Thick and chunky. Really disgusting. Didn’t want to breath that stuff in.

(and glad I didn’t breath it in. One member of our group had terrible breathing problems by the time we got back to the ship. A visit to the Dr had her in the ships hospital for 38 hrs with lung issues.)
I guess we were really lucky – as this was the best airport in the world. Ummmm.

We joked a lot about what our transport would be like this time. Maybe a cattle truck.
But we were greeted by three 40 seater modern buses. And we split into our three groups. 12 people in a large bus. Amazing.  We had a driver, a snacks person who handed out water, soft drinks and snacks whenever we wanted, a tour guide and ….a spare tour guide. And they were all great.
Off we went on the four hour drive to New Delhi. So exciting with heaps to see. The first few hours were great. So much to see.  But then it was dark so we all slept. Lovely.
Past slums.

River beaches.

And crazy traffic. Then onto the freeway and dark.
The freeway was great. A few good bumps but great.  And so many toll booths.  There were at least six of them.

INDIA –  Agra
Our hotel was lovely.  In a secure complex with guard at the gate. We all went through security and had our bags scanned and were then greeted with forehead markings and flower lays. Orange chrysanthemums. Jon was pretty impressed to get laid within minutes of arriving.

We ate dinner (after 10 pm) then went to sleep. Sad as it was one of the best hotel beds ever. Into bed well by 12.  Back in the foyer by 5am.

But it was worth getting up.  We were going to see the Taj Mahal.  Squeal with excitement. It was dark and took about 20 minutes to get there.

The Taj is more than 350 year old. It is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Taj Mahal means “Crown Palace”. It took 22 years to build and was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Johan (a decedent of Ghenges Khan). He built it as a tribute to his favourite and beloved wife. He suffered badly for the grief of her dying so built the Taj to house her remains.
Mumtaz Maha died at the age of 39 delivering the 14^th child. They were deeply in love and he was devastated and never recovered from his grief.  One of her dying wishes was for him to build something to remember their great love.

The sky was lightning as be got off the buses and onto our fleet of electric buggies, and were whisked the kilometre to the gates of the Taj. The area was full of the mandatory ‘temple dogs’ and monkeys. Some of the dogs were in terrible condition with mange and broken legs. Others were reminding some that they were still the top of the pecking order with a few scuffles.

The buildings around the gate were stunning.  An attraction worth visiting on their own. And monkeys everywhere.

We went through the ‘Disney line’ corals that were built long ago when people were smaller.  They were narrow, and went through security. Firm security. Forbidden items included things like pens, texta pens, lip stick, eye liner – basically anything that could write on white marble. And of course anything that could scratch – mind you it would need to be an industrial chisel.
It was totally light now and the sun was starting peek out. And if we went.
Through another massive and amazing ‘gate’ aka building.And there it was.  The Taj Mahal.  One of the seven wonders of the world.

White. Shining and huge.

The grounds were amazing. Acres of grass and topiaried bushes ….. and the devastation from the monsoon that ripped through a week ago. Giant and old trees ripped out of the ground. Branches of around 400mm diameter snapped off.

We were before most of the crowds. Cannot understand why people would go in the middle of the day when the light is harsh and the sun bounces off the particles in the smog, making a smoke screen.
(In fact – the ship tour spent the night in Delhi. Got up at the same time as us and got the train to Agra. They arrived as we were leaving the Red Fort. They had the heat and the smog. We were very happy).

We had a really gentle light with great visibility.  So worth getting up early. We took photos, people posed for “Lady Diana” photos. Temple dogs were swimming in the water pools. It was beautiful.
It did glow as the light came up. So beautiful. And a beautiful building. Perfectly symmetrical.
Taking photos was difficult as you it was hard to get things square. Turns out the minarets all lean outward. In the event of an earthquake they would fall out, away from the building.

The marble is translucent and shimmers and shines.  Once a month they have a night opening for the full moon where the whole building glows.
After about an hour, we went up for our tour of the inside.

The marble work was insane. So beautiful. I thought the building was going to be a big garish shinny marble block. But the marble was not finished like a kitchen bench. It was far less polished and still had a pearl effect. Almost motley, but perfect.

And the design you see – the patterns and the writings from the Koran are actually inlay.
Sensational. Patterns gouged out of the incredibly hard marble then hand ground and tiny shaped pieces glued in. And when I say tiny I mean tiny. Like fingernail and smaller.
The inlay is a range of precious and semi-precious gems – Turquoise, jade, agate, coral, bloodstone, jasper, garnet, malachite and more were used in the flowers.
The white marble came from Rajasthan, Crystal from China, Jasper from Punjab, and things from all around the world – Bagdad, Arabia, Ceylon, Yemen.
Although he imported stone and gems, he used India artisans – regardless of cast.

The cost could never be calculated. The River Yamuna was even diverted.

The most striking thing is the perfect symmetry.  Inside are the two caskets. The only non-symmetrical thing is his casket is off to one side – added later – obviously.

This is looking back from the Taj to one of the gate houses.
The Taj is built on a high plinth. The minarets are 41.6 meters high.
To the sides are two amazing symmetrical red sandstone buildings. One is a mosque. The other was nothing. Couldn’t be a mosque as it was not facing west. But had to be built for symmetry.

But the real tragedy of the Taj happened it the final years of Shah Jahan’s life. He wanted to build a replica across the river in black marble as his own mausoleum. He got the foundations laid. But this was not to be! At the age of 65, his son Aurangzeb imprisoned him in the Red Fort at Agra. And took over the thrown (after killing his brothers). At least he was given a room where he could look at the Taj and was sometimes taken to visit her tomb.
Much of the beauty is in the perfect gardens – 16 perfect flowerbeds. Cypress trees (signifying death) and fruit trees signifying life.  The bird life was amazing.

The Taj Mahal was everything it was made out to be and more! So amazing!

Back to the hotel for checkout and breakfast then off we went to Agra Fort.
Agra Fort was almost more beautiful (am I allowed to say that).  Built of beautiful red sandstone with all the ‘hand pecked’ marks and beautiful grain and white marble.Akbar was the third Mughal emperor, crowned in 1556. He began the construction of the fort in 1565. During Akbar’s time the fort was mainly for military purposes but was later used palaces, prison etc.
It spreads over 4 square ks.  It’s surrounded by a wall 20m high and 2.5 ks long. There was also a 9m wide and 10m deep moat.

We entered through Amar Singn Gate. The entrance is up a long ramp with high walls and designed so as to really bounce sound. The cobbled path had bumps and ridges to allow horses and oxen to not slip.
At the top they (used to) had large round rocks and vats of oil. In the event of an invasion, defence was effective. Very Hollywood.

Inside were acres of lush grass and garden beds.



The pavilions and rooms were great.  So cool. Even air conditioning ducts to channel air – wind tunnels.

From one room, the guide told us to look at the size of the Taj. It was tiny. We then went to another room that had a lovely balcony. He told us to stand on a point and now look at the Taj. The power of perception! The Taj we could now see was framed by the balcony – and was huge! It was quiet staggering to see this demo of how the brain can trick us.
Naked view.

Framed view.

This was where Shah Jahan spent the end of his life. I suppose if your son was going to turn evil and over-though you then, imprison you (which is far better than the alternative), this was a pretty nice place to live out your years.
In a stunning cool building looking at you loves grave and your life’s work. 
So much beauty in this place.

Next stop was a marble working factory.  These guys were the direct decedents of the artisans who did the work on the Taj. And they were amazing. They use the traditional technique and do everything by hand.
There are two main processes. 
A design is made and someone (always men) sit and, with a hammer and chisel they peck out the design – to the correct depth. The marble is so very hard and they bang and bang to remove minute pieces. They then pass the ‘blank’ onto the next step.
These guys sit on a mat with a grind stone driven by a bow string that they pull backwards and forwards. They have the piece they are working on, with the pattern shipped out, sitting on the ground next to them. They look at the design then select a piece of gem. Firestone, Turquoise, Abalone shell etc.  The snap off a bit to the appropriate size and start grinding. 
These pieces may be 10 mm long and 2mm wide.  They grind the bottom flat, sides to fit and shape the top. Maybe flat. Maybe like a diamond.

Amazing.

We then went into the show room where they plied us with drinks. And the Chai was great.  Three cups were consumed. They offered beer, whisky, soft drinks, coffee, chai. So we knew we were in for a theatrical performance of their wares.

And we were not disappointed. The workmanship of the products was unbelievable. They had from small coffee tables with a marble top of about 350 mm from $600US. Ranging up to dining tables. Full sized tables from $60,000US. BUT… they were amazing.
We all sat around one large table. He dropped marble pieces on it. He poured coke on it. He scraped it with a knife. Nothing hurt it.
They then turned out the lights and shone a light under it. It glowed like the most wonderful pearl-ish thing you have ever seen. Then they ran a torch around on the top and the red stone appeared to be burning. Next a top light came on and patterns and colours danced on the ceiling.  It was truly magical.

The prices were based on the number of pieces in them. The large tables had hundreds of thousands of pieces and took more then 9 years to make! It really was amazing.
They also had smaller things. Boxes, platters and much more. And Yes, I did buy some.
Off to an embroidery and jewel place – Ellery Embroidery.  These guys don’t just embroider. They make rugs with jewels sown into them. And three dimensional embroidery. And with gold thread. Amazing. And they sell them to all the best people. Kings and Queens, Presidents and movie stars.

We watched some of the guys doing the embroidery. Their fingers flew in and out of the heavy fabric and they never tangled the thread. The three dimensional embroidery was not padded.  It was layer upon layer built up. The jewels are sown in with metal thread. These rugs re not for using. They are far to fancy.

Again the detail was amazing. Not my cup of tea, but amazing. And speaking of tea they didn’t offer me any chai – so why would I buy there. Hahah.

Then their jewellery.  Much of it was amazing too. One of the gems is the Star of India. A lovely rock that when polished, and light hits it, a star appears in the middle. So cool.

Then the “be-dazzled” gear. Amazing workmanship and skill, but it did look very much like the craft work Sarah used to make by gluing seeds onto turkey eggs – Faberge style.  Just a bit more valuable.
The famous be-dazzled Elephant was amazing. Hundreds of carats of diamonds for a start. The jewels along were worth nine million when it was made long ago.

And the be-dazzled dagger was something that many warriors would be proud to run into battle with.

Again amazing.

Lunch was next. Not a great lunch – tourist food not traveller food. Sad but I do understand the average person on a group tour doesn’t want authentic food.  The sitar player was funny. He sat behind us playing the same turn. When a birthday cake was brought out for one of the group he started playing Happy Birthday. Again and again.. and again.  He was still playing it as we left.

And that was the end of our time in Agra. It was then back into the bus and the trek back to Delhi. 200ks. Which we hoped to do in under 5 hours. Time for a nap – except the trip was so exciting. So many things to see and squeak about.

The first 2 hours was easy. Probably travelled 150ks.
The damage from the monsoon that hit the Taj was evident for about 100ks. Large trees and straw huts down everywhere.
I noticed many paddocks had been dug out. Some three metres deep. Others were dug out, but left a strip to make fencing. It was confusing.
Later we started to see brick kilns. As far as the eye could see. Spewing out smoke. At least I worked out why the paddocks were dug out.

I even saw a camel cart. Oh yes – I was very quiet about that one – NOT. Jumping up and down and yelling.

It was harvest time for the hay. Hand-cut and bound up into bundles. People would pick up many bundles and carry them on their heads. They would be taken to a pile. Some was used to make tool sheds. Temporary huts they may last a season or two. The walls were erected and tied into place with rope. Then a group of people would sit on the ground and weave a huge disc – a roof. It was great. 

A tractor would go to each hay pile and make chaff (hay cut into about 1cm lengths). The machine would spit out a pile of chaff and blow out huge amounts of dust. Then one of two things would happen.  It would be shovelled into bags and carried away – by hand, donkey, cart or on rare occasions tractor. The alternative was it was pushed into a tight pile and a straw hut built around it.

The closer we got to Delhi, the slower we went and the worse the air got. So much smog! But slow was good. So much more to see.

And then we hit the traffic. The next 50ks took 4 hours.  But interesting. Small stalls were all along the road side. One was a bar with beer on tap. Another sold among other things – condoms. That made us wonder how long we would be stuck in this traffic with this terrible air. Made me think of the episode of Dr Who “Gridlock” where people were born and died in the traffic lanes. 
People would jump off the buses and run to a stall then back to their bus. And the beeping horns were so funny.

We stood at the back and watched and laughed.  And also sucked in our breath as some of the so very ear collisions almost happened. Mostly motor bikes bucking and weaving, but certainly not just bikes! Wasn’t quite as funny when we saw the billboard telling us 3,500 people die a day in road accidents. I cannot comprehend that number. That s the size of a good sized Australian town! 
We arrived at the hotel, and slept.

Next morning was back to the airport and the flight home. All the ship tour people were on the same flight. We arrived in Goa and go ready to …hurry up and wait! at least this was all done in the bus. Two hours and we had our passports back and were stamped in.  We then drove back tot eh ship, joined another line – day trippers had to do immigration, we were done. But all were in the same line.

But then, just like that! we were back on the ship.

WOW. What an amazing time we had. So worth it. Of course many people were going nuts about Indian immigration…but it’s their country. They can process us ho we like. You just need to breath deeply and know it will take hours!

Then two sea days. Fun to be had. 

Progressive trivia is still going well.  We are in the top few spots after every session. But the silly changing points are annoying.

We had a Pinnacle lunch/meal with an officer for 340 points and up. I sat at a table and up came to captain to join us. We all had a fun time.

That night we sat on the big table with Millie, Head of Crown and Anchor and Taraque and Lisa, reality show stars. Again fun was had.

This class of ship originally had a two level night club. Sarah had a great time there, The Dungeon, on Navigator in Europe. But as each ship has been renovated the night club has been ripped out and replaced with internal rooms. This ship is the last one to have it – The Dragons Lair. A number of the P people had great memories of this club and asked if we could have a final party there.
So a Pinnacle cocktail party was planned for late at night. And it was fun!

Lots of drinks and food, a giant cake and many officers.  But best of all, they decided to make a fun thing of the demolition. We got to smash some glass out.  But of course it was a trick.
We had to don safety glasses and heavy gloves – then were given a teeny weeny hammer.
I got to have the first blow. The glass was all crazy cracked -so was obviously toughened. But boy! Talk about tough. My to smacks did nothing. After about 15 people hitting in the same spot it began to get foggy and show damage. Some of the guys gave it massive hits. The Captain hit it very hard. Attempt no 40 – with a foot involved got it to fall – in one solid piece.
Much fun!  We had to get out a bit after 11pm as there was to be a staff party – and who would want to slow them up!

Next morning was a talk from Millie about Crown and Anchor. Biggest thing to come out of it was that there are no changes coming to C&A, and that there are no plans to sell any more ships (at this stage) so Radiance is safe for a few more years!  Yay.

And then the final round of Trivia. We were 4 points behind, and todays points were 10 points each question. But we barn stormed it won by a healthy margin.
YAY! Progressive trivia winners. We even got a trophy  – and heap of other stuff which we all gave away to people near by  – so everyone was happy. And of course happy hour had started by this time.

We were still sitting around having a drink  when cartoon trivia came on. When doing the answers a few of us would sing out  – loud and proud – the theme song to that show. It was funny but the hilarious part was when the answer came up on screen for ‘Puss in Boots’.
A bit was lost in the translation. The name flashed up – Pussy in Boots. We all thought it was hilarious and were yelling out that we knew a stripper called that and other such comments.

Fun times at sea.  Next stop Oman.
Click below to go there.

Oman