Beautiful MUMBAI

'Taj Mahal Hotel'

I was very pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed our visit to Mumbai!  There definitely is a crush of people and cars everywhere, but the sights are so interesting that you forget to dwell on it. You are more consumed with the colours of the saris, that cover all sections of a colour wheel and surpass it beautifully.The scents in the air of flowers  and spices are intoxicating.  The city is very lush with trees of all kinds.......in fact, I think one could grow most anything here because of the heat and humidity!!!  The one thing, that outshines the rest, are the wonderful people of Mumbai.........they are very warm and generous of spirit...so welcoming!!  I would love to have spent more time there, but perhaps in the future.
Here is a glimpse of this wonderful city:

Everywhere you go, someone is selling these peacock feather fans and I will admit that having bought one, they are a life saver when not in  air conditioning!

Banyan tree

India Gate

There were many trees in bloom and the fragrance was wonderful...............so wonderful, that hundreds of dragonflies were flying about.....you can see them better if you click on the photo  (I am so jealous ,because back on Vancouver Island, I am lucky if I see a couple of dozen in the spring and summer!)

Mumbai's version of a traffic jam but in two directions

Glimpses of  one of many beautiful homes remaining from the 'colonial period'

First glimpse of a 'fishing village' located in the center of town with highrises on either side

Our first glimpse of the 'fishing village'

The village ladies getting ready for a wedding banquet

The happy bridal party dancing

The village's open air market

The fish market

Contrasts abound in Mumbai....the fishing village to the left, shanty- town to the right and the upscale highrises in the distance

The ever present 'sacred cow'

More beautiful buildings

First glimpse of the amazing ' Victoria Station'

Inside the station, which serves 2,500,000 commuters and a thousand trains daily!!!!

The beautiful ceiling of the ticket office

The oldest apartment building in Mumbai

Beautiful ceramic ceiling of the Jain Temple

Their beautiful new hospital

One of many beaches where it is not safe to swim in

Collected laundry going to the wash centre

The main 'laundry' all done by hand and for the most part by men!

Plaque outside the home where Mahatma Gandhi stayed when in Mumbai

The beautiful but austere bedroom of Gandhi

Interesting deterrent to parking in the wrong place

This is such a fascinating place that these pictures do not do justice to it.  The contrasts of the upper and lower class is very evident but nothing compares to showing this, than this man's $1 billion (yes, $1,000,000,000 house .....................see this site to see it:
http://www.newsbeats.in/news/inside-antilla-mukesh-ambani-home
What more can I say????

COCHIN (Kochi), India


Cochin is located further south of Mumbai on the coast.....we only had time to see the small communities near the ocean while the larger city of Cochin was closed for Sunday (shops, etc).  It has a different feeling than Mumbai because  there is not such a crush of people...............the people are poorer here but the majority have jobs and seem quite happy.

Water hyacinths everywhere after the rains

Out with the family for a Sunday drive

The famous "Chinese fishing nets"

Some of the homes along the waterfront

Market day

Local taxi service

One of my most favorite animals in the world is the 'elephant' and I was so privileged to be able to pet him and give him some words of love..................but having said that, I was so overwhelmed to see him kept in a large yard by himself (except for his handlers), chained on his back leg with lots of debris, dung, etc. everywhere!  I found out that he is 26 years old and I can only hope that he has not lived this way for a long time!!  He does not look to be abused but I feel that these magnificent animals deserve to live life free with their own kind!!! If I won the lottery, I would pay to move him to an elephant sanctuary, so I will keep buying as many tickets as I can to fulfill this promise.  I still get upset when I see these photos again.

Next posting will be the final post of my cruise photos (do I hear cheers???)
Until then,
Hugs,

Next destination:  OMAN

Upon leaving the harbor of Safaga, Egypt, we began  'security mode' for our ship............blackouts of all windows every night so that night vision goggles could detect  movement of any possible 'pirate boats' .  This was to last until we were in Indian waters.  Sure makes you realize how seriously this is taken.....also sightings of naval vessels, including an Indian naval destroyer .

 

We decided not to visit Dubai because of increased visa costs for Canadian citizens!!  Also, to me, it seemed that we would be wasting our time and energies to go there just to see what extreme oil wealth can build!!!

Oman was a pleasant surprise..............a good mix of the old and the new ...........our visit was to 'Muscat', a harbour city and the capitol of Oman.

Loved these light standards, as I have a 'crown' fixation

This wonderful yacht is one of  'eight' belonging to the Sultan of Oman

Next destination:  INDIA (Mumbai and Cochin)

Hugs,

HAPPY NEW YEAR

A belated Happy New Year to everyone and hopes for a much better year for everyone around the world!

Part three of my cruise photos: 

Lovely LUXOR

Darling Bedouin children with baby goat

After driving 3 hours on rough roads, we arrived on the outskirts of Luxor and saw the start of irrigation canals

As you travel through Egypt, you will see many houses like these, that look like they are still in construction......we were told by our tour guide that as families grow, they  will build on top of the main house...............some are many stories!

Off to market

While they were building these buildings, they unearthed these sphinxes which go for many miles to Karnak Temple

A scale model of Karnak Temple is seen upon entering the site ......the temple is 55,000 sq. ft.

A closer look at the sphinxes at Karnak Temple (mentioned as well  in previous photo)

It surprises me that the city of Luxor has built up to the temple site, which takes away from the splendour of it. in my opinion

Luxor Temple as seen from our van........alas, we did not have time to go there on this trip

Crossing the Nile river, we note all the river cruise boats lying unused.  Since 'Arab Spring', tourists have stayed away .  We must say that during our trip to Egypt, we never felt, even once, that we were in danger........on the contrary,  people there were very welcoming .  My next dream cruise would be a river cruise down the Nile!

On the way to the Valley of Kings..........you can see that excavations are still underway and we are told that only about one third of ancient Egyptian sites have been excavated.

First of 3 tombs that we visited...you are not allowed to take any photos or videos inside!

Temple built by the only female Pharaoh, 'Hatshepsut'

Colossus of Memnon,

A girl needs some time for 'retail therapy', so we visited a shop that makes high quality figurines of Egyptian origin.  They are made from alabaster mostly but also other semi precious stones!

Alas, it is time to head back to our ship and only another 3 hours on the road again!!!  I LOVE EGYPT and would not hesitate to come back.  In 2009, we visited Cairo and Alexandria and enjoyed that as well.  My biggest hope for 2012 is that they manage to achieve the just government that they all deserve....

Hugs,