Phuket to the Taj Mahal

Journey to the Taj Mahal – Post #1

Easter Sunday - 3/31/13 – Bangkok, Thailand

          The first leg of our Journey is completed… so here comes the first post.  The trip was long and tiring, it took 30 hours in total - departing our house at 9:00 AM on Sunday and arriving at our hotel in Bangkok at 2:00 AM on Tuesday (time changes included).  We slept a few hours and Tuesday morning we took a short flight to Phuket, Thailand… our destination.  The Phuket JW Marriott is probably one of the most beautiful hotels we have ever stayed at (thank goodness for Marriott reward points).  Sa wa dee ka – (Good Day in Thai) was never ending with everyone welcoming you (so now I also know a few Thai words and am totally confused – my Italian class buddies will be in for a real surprise when I start answering in Thai).  The Thai culture is so peaceful and calm…the people are delightful (only problem for me, but definitely not for Mike, is the women are all so beautiful and none over a size 6 – Ugh)!

          We relaxed at the resort the first day and then ventured out each day exploring the island.  It is not very large but traveling is really a challenge.  First issue was driving British style, on the left.  Mike has driven several times “on the other side of the road” and I have navigated for him, but in Phuket the roads are narrow, many motorbikes, no shoulders, and the worst part…  terrible or non-existent street signs.  We persevered, made many U-turns and got to see everything we had on our list.  Our only failure was Easter Mass, we were traveling today back to Bangkok on Easter Sunday, so we planned on attending church services Saturday night.  We drove for two hours and never found the Church (not many Catholics in Thailand).  So this morning we went to the beach, brought the IPod, played some of the music from Godspell, prayed and had our own very unique Easter Service.

          Well, every country we have visited with a large Buddhist population has a “Big Buddha” and Phuket is no different.  We saw the Big Buddha (145 feet high) and visited the largest Temple (very beautiful and impressive).  Old Phuket Town is very interesting to stroll around with buildings dating back to the early 1800’s with many local shops occupying the ground floor of the buildings.  We drove the coast road and stopped at several beaches.  The hike through the rain forest to the water fall was HOT and the falls were nearly dry.   Phuket is steamy hot and the weather has been near 100 degrees each day with humidity about 99 % – needless to say we were drenched by the time we got back to our hotel and the shower was our best friend!

          We were fortunate to be at the Marriot, as they are partners with the Mai Khao Turtle Foundation and are endeavoring to reintroduce a species of turtle, that was near extinction, back into the sea.  There was a wonderful afternoon ceremony with the Governor of Phuket attending, Buddhist Monks blessing the turtles, Thai dancers and a release of 100 turtles into the sea.  It was very exciting to be part of the festivities. 

          We also visited The Gibbon Rehabilitation Center, a facility that rescues Gibbon Monkeys from captivity.  It has a program to rehabilitate Gibbons, with the ultimate goal of reintroducing them into the jungle so they may live a normal life.  Really a wonderful opportunity to see what can be done to help the monkeys who have been abused by people.

          My only disappointment with Phuket was the lack of flowers.  Phuket is lush with greenery everywhere, but no flowering plants.  It is just either too hot or too wet for flowering plants to survive.  Who would have “thunk”???

          We are back in Bangkok and leave in the morning for our cruise.  So we will post again as soon as we have some free time.  Hope you are all well and enjoy traveling with us (you will receive your portion of the bill in the mail – LOL).

Khob-khun-ka  (thank you),

Pat & Mike

First Thai encounter 

- Ronald McDonald in Thai prayer position

Marriott's Sunset Torch Lighting Ceremony   Street in Old Phuket Town   Old Phuket Town Building   Old Phuket Town Entranceway   Fish for Sale by Street Vendor   Phuket Big Buddha Big Buddha Marble Ruffle Work Temple - Wat Chalong Thai Couple posing for their Wedding Picture Scaring the Dragon Away? Thai Garbage Containers Elephant and Trainer Strolling by the Marriott Buddhist Monks praying for the turtles Phuket Governor releasing first turtle Turtle making first trip to the Sea The Beautiful JW Marriott Relaxing at the Bar Area in the Marriott   Journey to the Taj Mahal – Post #2 Thursday - 4/11/13 – Indian Ocean – Near Sri Lanka           Well, finally some time to write the blog.  We have only had two sea days with many ports in between… so we enjoyed every bit of leisure activities Regent had to offer on the sea days and did not write.  Today we were cancelled from all tours.  Galle, Sir Lanka was a tender port (there is no dock for the ship, so it must anchor off shore and passengers are taken ashore by lifeboats), there were very large swells, and it was not safe to disembark the ship (this was a first for us).  We are now on our way to the next port, arriving early evening instead of tomorrow.  So now I will start where I left off in the last blog post.           We had been to Bangkok before and had gone to Thailand’s Grand Palace on a tour.  I felt I could not really appreciate the full effect of this incredible site, as I was distracted by the tour and could not focus on the pictures I wanted to take.  It is an amazing site, the buildings are spectacular with fabulous tile work and murals.   So, this time, Mike and I took a taxi and walked around the Palace grounds for a couple of hours and I snapped away.  I could picture Anna and the King of Siam (what Thailand used to be called) everywhere we went.  I included a few pictures in the blog… if you would like more just email and I will include another section of just the Grand Palace… it is truly magnificent!           The same afternoon we boarded our ship, Regent Seven Seas Voyager, and were warmly welcomed by many crew members who we met on previous sailings.  We also have reacquainted with several passengers who we sailed with before.  It is a very nice, warm feeling knowing crew and passengers when you set off on a new journey.           Our first port was Sihanoukville, Cambodia… a very poor country with a limited but interesting tour.  We went to a typical Cambodian farmer’s house.  I definitely could not imagine cooking in the kitchen (see the pictures).  The house is built up on stilts so no wild animals can enter the premises… like elephants and snakes.  We saw the children in school, the temple and had lunch at a beautiful seaside resort.  I was amazed at the terrific quality of the food – I am sure their kitchen was better than the one at the farm house.           Next stop Singapore – I love Singapore!  It is spotless, clean, and tidy, and has wonderful attractions.  We have been there twice before on cruises and have taken city tours and also gone off on our own to ride the Singapore Flyer (the huge Ferris wheel with amazing views of the city).  We decided to take a tour “The Way We Live”; an in depth tour including riding the Metro, walking through the local markets (Stinky Fruit really does STINK), and visiting the home of a local family in one of the many high rise apartment buildings (80% of the people in Singapore live in high rise apartments).  It is very interesting to walk through traditional markets with local fruit and vegetables, drug stores with Asian remedies like Fish Stomachs and then view a high tech hair salon featuring disposable neck towels and combs, an air washer to clean off all hair debris that is cleaned with a supersonic cleaner and alcohol hand cleaner.  Amazing contrasts!  We spent time at a Hindu Temple watching a ceremony rededicating the Temple as it had just been refurbished (a rule in Singapore – all buildings must be painted on a timely schedule).  We met a couple on the tour who had the same plans to go off to the new and beautiful Marina Bay Sands Hotel and Casino.  An amazing building complex with a boat shaped structure on top housing restaurants, hotel infinity pool and observation deck.  It is terrific; we had lunch at the top in a restaurant on the very tip of the end of the “Boat”.  We then went to the new indoor, glass enclosed botanical gardens.  It is totally environmentally friendly with cooling pipes in the floor using the garden waste to fuel the burners that help with the cooling machinery.  Gardens were beautiful with a floral garden building and another building “Above the Clouds” featuring all plants that grow above the cloud line.           Next stop Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  After viewing the Twin Towers we went to the Royal Selangor Pewter Factory, one of the main industries in Kuala Lumpur.  Interesting to see the process, but even more fun to actually produce your own pewter bowls.  We went to the “School of Hard Knocks” to hand hammer our own pewter bowls.  It was lots of fun and I will have to remember to pick up a hammer and use it when I am mad… definitely helps to get the frustration out!  We next went to the Batu Cave Hindu Temple.  It is set up high in a limestone mountain… 275 steps up and then back down.  It was a great site with wild monkeys hanging out on the steps watching the crazy people gasping as they climbed the steps.           Penang, Malaysia was our next port.  We started out at a UNESCO World Heritage Site - Chew Jetty.  In the 1800’s houses were set up on stilts in the water to avoid the land taxes and it now remains an important part of the history and culture of Penang.  It was very interesting to view and walk through the passageways with residents using minimal space to live and even having small gardens along the walkways.   There was a small but interesting museum that had some wonderful artifacts.  I was intrigued by the tiny shoes for a woman who had her feet bound (the custom is now illegal).  I did get a good chuckle from the poster above the shoes… see the pictures. We went to a Hindu Temple which is much different from a Buddhist Temple.  There is so much color and many different statues of many of their Gods (there are 30 million of them).  They even had one of the Altars adorned with LED lighting, very modern and interesting.            We were back in Phuket, Thailand the next day.  When we were there before the cruise we did not go to Phang Nga Bay to view the beautiful scenery.  So the tour we booked took us to view the beautiful Limestone Karst Formations jutting out of the water creating stunning vistas.  We spent most of the day cruising in small boats viewing the beautiful scenery and stopped at a Muslim Fishing Village.  It really was a tourist trap where they tried to sell you lots of “stuff”… as there were no giraffes we resisted all purchases.           I will end the blog now and the next post will follow soon.  We have had many problems signing on to the internet and posting to the blog.  So be patient and hopefully it will not be too long….       The Grand Palace - Bangkok, Thailand Grand Palace Rooflines - Bangkok, Thailand Grand Palace Incredible Tile Work Bangkok, Thailand Farmer's Home - Sihanoukville, Cambodia Farmer's Basic Kitchen - Sihanoukville, Cambodia A Wave From A Beautiful Cambodian Little Girl For The Shy Person Needing A Massage Sihanoukville, Cambodia Singapore Skyline At Dawn High Tech Hair Salon - Singapore Fish Stomach- "Good for Whatever Ails You" Singapore Stinky Fruit - Singapore Hindu Man at a Ceremony - Singapore Hindu Deity - Singapore Marina Bay Sands Hotel & Casino- Singapore   Looking Up - Marina Bay Sands - Singapore   Indoor Gardens by the Bay - Singapore Gardens beautifully Decorated for Easter - Singapore    View of Rainy Singapore including the Flyer    Famed "Twin Towers" - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia    Working on My Pewter Bowl - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia    Completed Pewter Bowls - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia    World's Largest Pewter Mug - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia    275 Steps to Hindu Temple in Batu Cave Kuala Lumpur,  Malaysia   Entrance to the Cave Temple - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Monkey Hanging Out at the Temple - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Chew Jetty - Penang, Malaysia UNESCO World Heritage Site Shoes for a Woman's Bound Feet Penang, Malaysia      Poster in Museum next to Above Shoes     Hindu God with LED Lighting - Penang, Malaysia    Karst Limestone Formations Jutting Out from the Water Phuket, Thailand   Limestone Stalactites Formed Over the Water Phuket, Thailand   Journey to the Taj Mahal – Post #3 Wednesday - 4/24/13 – Jackson, NJ – We are home                     Well, we made it home safely and it was an amazing trip.  I decided to break this up into two sections… so hopefully you won’t be overwhelmed by the volume of information and pictures.  India was so amazing and rich with history and current culture (or lack of it) that I had to include so many pictures to make it come alive.  So read on and enjoy (don’t forget there is post #3 & post #4 below)!           Our next stop on the cruise was Trincomalee, Sri Lanka.  We visited an ancient Buddhist Temple that housed over a thousand monks - 2000 years ago.  No one knows why it was abandoned and left to ruins, but it is being preserved as part of history and is so interesting to see.  We had drinks at a lovely hotel overlooking the sea with wild monkeys carousing in the trees.  Sri Lanka is recovering after a 30 year war and is trying, so very hard, to introduce tourism to help its economy.  The people are lovely, the scenery beautiful… but the infrastructure is definitely not ready for tourism (American anyway).  They are still using bicycles to carry firewood to light their stoves.           Colombo, Sri Lanka brought us to several Temples both Hindu and Buddhist.  There are so many rich customs with hidden meanings.  The Bodhi tree is a symbol of Buddha, as he was enlightened under the Bodhi tree.  It is customary to bring offerings to the temple in thanksgiving.  The Bodhi tree at the Temple is revered and people bring offerings of water to sustain the tree… very symbolic and yet practical.           We were then on our way to India and had to pass through waters where Pirates operate.  We received a letter from the Captain informing us of all the precautions being taken to protect us.  There were 24 hour watches stationed throughout the ship with high powered hoses and high frequency devices to deter the Pirates.  We never felt a threat but it was nice to look down from our balcony to see the crew on watch protecting us.           First stop in India – Cochin.  We had two days there and started out with a tour of the city.  We went to the waterfront and watched the fishermen lift the ancient Chinese Fishing Nets.  The nets are huge and sit along the water’s edge waiting for a tide change when nets are lifted with a bounty of fish.  The nets hang from a tripod with counter weights stabilizing them.  They are manually lifted by several fishermen to collect today’s catch.  We strolled through the market which was and is still called “Jew Town” as the original Jewish settlers traded there.  There was lots of interesting “stuff” for sale including lovely spices (I only purchased a top – I am wearing it in the Taj Mahal picture).  We stopped at St. Francis Church built in 1503 by the Portuguese who occupied this portion of India till the 1960’s.  The church had interesting ceiling fans which were suspended from the rafters of the church.  There were ropes attached to the fabric panels and passed through the windows so slaves could tug at them and create a fan action to cool the worshipers.  The trucking industry has a custom of ornately painting their vehicles… it is very colorful and many of them have religious themes.  Apparently alcoholic beverages are very popular in India but the supply (all liquor stores are government owned) is not equal to the demand so large lines form.  I’m really glad I don’t live in India… stand on line to get my wine??? The next day we took a Backwaters boat tour of Kerala (known as one of India’s most beautiful states – “God’s Own Country”).  It was lovely riding through the river and canals with colorful homes (most were very basic), houseboats (used for tourism) and constant activity.  People swam and bathed in the river; washed their clothes; scoured their pots and pans; and transported goods for their daily needs.  The Houseboat industry thrives in this area with hundreds of Houseboats from very basic boats to luxury boats including air conditioning, a cook and housekeeper.  Cochin weather was blistering hot and humid, but the river tour definitely helped cool us down. New Mangalore, India was the next port city. We started with a tour of the Cashew Nut Factory… fascinating that everything is done by hand.  The outside shells and the inner paper thin coating on the nuts are all processed manually by local labor.  We went to some very beautiful temples – they even had a kind-of play area that had large giraffes (only giraffes we saw on the entire trip).  There was a great statue of the Gods with the Elephant headed baby “Ganesha”.  Story goes… “Parvati (an incarnation of the great mother goddess), created a small boy from sandalwood soap and commanded that he guard the palace against all intruders while she took her bath.  Her husband, Shiva (the fearsome god of destruction), didn't take kindly to being barred from his own home.  Shiva beheaded the boy during the cosmic war that followed, but then, when he realized that the balance of the entire universe was at stake, brought the boy back to life by grafting an elephant's head onto his body and made him the people's intercessor against the powers of destruction.”  So interesting to hear the fascinating stories and see the temples, each one different and distinct. Goa, India really showed the amazing contrasts of India.  There had always been a Caste System in India, though today it no longer exists but there is still class distinction.  We spent time visiting a large, beautiful Portuguese home with incredible antiques; we were entertained with hors d’eourves and drinks.  Directly across the road was a really old, dilapidated hotel; each place so different and worlds apart.  Goa, India was predominately Christian and we visited several churches including one housing the relics of Saint Francis Xavier.  His body had not been embalmed upon his death and it was still fresh and incorrupt for at least 125 years after the Saint's death.  The authorities of the Church declared it as "miraculously" preserved.  His glass enclosed coffin can be viewed in the Bom Jesus Church. Enjoy the pictures below from post #3 and then go onto post #4 when you are finished.   Ancient Buddhist Temple built over 2000 years ago Trincomalee, Sri Lanka The GEICO Gecko followed us to an ancient temple He is sitting on Buddha's head Sri Lanka  Beautiful view from the hotel where we had drinks Trincomalee, Sri Lanka  Firewood being transported for stove for dinner preparation Trincomalee, Sri Lanka Very Modern Temple Colombo, Sri Lanka Traditional Buddhist Temple and Stupa Colombo, Sri Lanka   Bringing an offering of water to the Sacred Bodhi Tree Colombo, Sri Lanka   A Hindu Temple Colombo, Sri Lanka Crew member looking for Pirates with high pressure water hose to repel them Indian Ocean Chinese Fishing Net - Suspended by Tripod and lifted by hand Cochin, India Suspended Overhead Fans with pull cords were operated by Slaves to cool Church Cochin, India Spices for sale in the Spice Market Cochin, India Fishing Boats Cochin, India Highly Decorated Trucks Cochin, India Men waiting on line to buy Spirits (Alcohol) Cochin, India Backwater House Boat Cochin, India    Doing the Laundry Cochin, India   Washing Catering Pots in the River Cochin, India    Cashew Factory - Nuts are hand shelled New Mangalore, India   Hindu Gods - Note Elephant Child on knee (see blog) New Mangalore, India   Giraffes at Hindu Temple Playground New Mangalore, India   Market Goa, India   Interior of Old Portugese home Goa, India      Hotel Holiday - Directly across from above home Goa, India Relic of Saint Francis Xavier Goa, India Formal Night Indian Ocean Journey to the Taj Mahal – Post #4 Thursday - 4/26/13 – Jackson, NJ – Getting acclimated to being at home           Mumbai, India was our final port with an overnight stay before we embarked on the land portion of the trip.  Mumbai is home to the beautiful Taj Hotel… it is the hotel that was attacked by terrorists several years ago.  There is now very strict security all over India due to this attack.  We decided to see the ancient Elephanta Cave Hindu Temple.  It is a World Heritage Site and dates back to the 7th Century.  The Temple and carvings are from one solid piece of basalt rock.  To reach the caves you must walk to the top of the mountain.  Friends said we definitely had to use the palanquin chairs instead for a ride up to the top (bless those poor guys who had to carry us up – but they did it for a good price).  It was a once in a lifetime experience and we did it!  Carvings were incredible and the stories associated with them fascinating.  We disembarked the next morning for the land portion of the trip.  On the bus trip we passed many areas of Mumbai with great contrasts… huge modern looking apartment buildings with slums below them.  India has such a large population, having major problems with pollution, garbage, sewerage and water.  Our guide, a man with multiple university degrees, who lives in a gated community, told us he only has running water for one hour a day.  It seemed incredible to us that you have to gather all the water you will need for the day during that one hour.  Garbage is a real problem, as it is all over the streets and waterways, with no facility for being picked up.  India is a place that I am so glad we got to see but as someone told us the acronym for INDIA is “I’ll Never Do It Again”. We flew to Jaipur, our first stop on the land tour which along with Delhi and Agra is called the Golden Triangle.  Jaipur is referred to as the Pink City… in 1863 Jaipur dressed itself in pink to welcome Prince Albert of England and later a law was enacted that all buildings in Jaipur must be pink (actually it is almost a terra cotta color).  The buildings are beautiful throughout the town and within the Palace of the Winds.  The Jaipur Observatory (Jantar Mantar), a World Heritage site, was constructed in the early 1700’s with amazing astronomical instruments including a sundial that is accurate to 2 seconds… unbelievable technology for that period of time. Next morning we embarked on a 5 ½ hour bus trip to Agra… home of the Taj Mahal.  I usually sleep on long bus trips, but this was so different that I stayed awake the entire time snapping pictures.  All you could hear on the bus was click, click, click… everyone taking pictures.  I included several pictures; cows roaming the streets (they really are Holy Cows and have the right of way on the roads in India and may not be harmed); taxi’s with people stuffed in them, hanging out the windows; rows and rows of drying cow pies (flattened cow dung is burned and used as fuel); Indian children waving to the bus as we passed by (they are so cute and happy to see tourist).  After dinner we went to a presentation at a Jewelry store and guess who was picked to model the Royal Jewelry of the Mogul Empire… you got it right, ME!  It was AMAZING!  The next morning… on to the reason we took this trip, THE TAJ MAHAL.  It truly is majestic but with a sad love story enveloping it.  The Taj Mahal is especially beautiful at sunrise (we left our hotel at 5:00 AM) with the semi-precious stones glistening in the sunlight.  In 1631, Shah Jahan, emperor during the Mughal Empire's period, was grief-stricken when his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, died during the birth of their 14th child.  He promised her, upon her death bed, that he would build a monument to her and so he did.  Hundreds of elephants were used to carry the white marble; thousands of artisans were used to set the semi-precious stones in the façade; black marble was used for the calligraphy, embedded in the white marble with the size of the lettering increasingly getting larger ascending to the top, so when you looked up and read, all letters looked the same size.  The calligraphy on the Great Gate reads "O Soul, thou art at rest. Return to the Lord at peace with Him, and He at peace with you."   So beautiful! Driving around Agra was as crazy as with all of India.  Our bus driver would have put any NYC taxi driver to shame.  Passing other busses and trucks is so commonplace along small two lane roads with everyone honking their horns and playing “chickie” with oncoming traffic.  Trucks even have “Honk Horn” printed on the back of them.  Our tour director told us upon entering the bus that there are three speeds in India… fast, faster and Oh My God!  And he was right; there were so many “OMG” moments during the drive.  On our bus route from Agra to Delhi we again passed so many interesting sights like barber shops along the street; a barber with only a chair and scissors sitting by the road side. Our final destination was New Delhi, India (the capital of India) a very modern city with beautiful buildings and much cleaner than any other place we had visited.  All our hotels were beautiful and clean with really upscale rooms and amenities.  The food was very good quality, but mostly Indian (I know - duh - Pat you are in India) which was tiresome for me after a while (not to worry I didn’t starve).  After a long bus ride to reach New Delhi we opted for only seeing the very interesting Qutb Minar that was built after the Muslims captured the city and destroyed all the Hindu Temples.  They recycled the old stone carvings using Hindu writings sideways so it looks like scroll work rather than words. It was a very impressive site and our last stop in India. We had an incredible journey, meeting so many nice people, seeing unbelievable sites, and being blessed with good health and weather.  I hope you enjoyed the blog; it is a labor of love and helps me relive our wonderful vacation many times over.  I will leave you with a quote from the lecturer on the ship about the Taj Mahal: “Let the Splendor of the Diamond, Pearl and Ruby vanish like the magic shimmer of the rainbow.  Only let this one teardrop, the Taj Mahal, glisten spotlessly bright on the cheek of time.”   Rabindranath Tsore – Indian Poet           Namaste (Sanskrit - My soul bows to your soul),           Pat & Mike     Taj Hotel Mumbai, India   Riding a Palanquin Chair Mumbai, India   Momma Monkeys and Babies on Walkway to Elephanta Cave Mumbai, India   The only Elephant on Elephanta Island Hindu Cave Temple    Mumbai, India   Relief Carvings - Elephanta Island Hindu Cave Temple  Mumbai, India Sunrise over Mumbai Harbor India Contrasts - High Rise Housing with Slums below Mumbai, India Snake Charmer Jaipur, India Pink Buildings Jaipur, India Gate to City Palace Jaipur, India City Palace Jaipur, India World's Largest Sundial (90 feet) Built in 1730 Accurate to 2 seconds Jaipur, India     Holy Cows walk among the traffic Jaipur, India    People hanging out Window of a Taxi Jaipur, India Cow Pies stacked and drying to use for fuel Jaipur, India   Indian Children Waving as we roll by on our bus Jaipur, India   Wearing the Royal jewelry from the Mogul Empire Jaipur, India    Entry Gate to the Taj Mahal Area Agra, India    Our bootie covered feet to protect the marble at the Taj Mahal Agra, India    The Taj Mahal Agra, India    Beautiful Inlaid Tile Work with Semi-Precious Stones That Glitter in the Sunlight Agra, India    Entrance to the Taj Mahal Agra, India   Us at the Taj Mahal Agra, India   "BLOW HORN" on the back of most trucks Agra, India    Outdoor Barber Shop Agra, India    Signage for Ladies Room Agra, India    Qutb Minar - 230 feet tall built in the 13th century New Delhi, India   Decorations on the Qutb Minar New Delhi, India    Recycled Hindu Carvings used for Muslim Qutb Minar New Delhi, India   Gateway to India New Delhi, India