Dhobi Ghat

I finally got to go to the Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghat in Mumbai where they do a ton of laundry!  5000 people work here - it used to be 10,000 people, but electric washers have contributed to people losing their jobs.  About 90% of the workers are men and 10% are women - some are couples with children.  They come from all over India to work 18 hour days for 200-300 rupees a day ($100 a month)  and go home to see their families once a year. 

This is a space that 20 men share.  the tin boxes are where they keep their personal belongings and the sleep in the top in shifts. 

Each cubicle is owned by a boss and there are 5-10 employees for each box.  some one picks up the laundry, someone soaks it and gets out stains, someone washes, some one dries, and someone delivers the laundry. 

Most of the laundry is from hotels, hospitals, the railway lines, and factories that make new clothes.  The factories pre-wash the clothes before importing them to the US, UK, etc.  The said the people that work here are very well dressed although they are very poor because they take the clothes.  She said the companies treat it as an expected, acceptable loss.  If they send 10,000 pieces to be washed, they expect to get 8500 back.  

After the tour, we took the train to Churchgate station and saw the dabbawallas delivering lunches.  If you have never seen a documentary on dabbawallas, then you should! 

and I think this is the funniest sign I have seen in Mumbai!

Last days of the cruise

Our last stop was Split, Croatia.  It was a nice city and the people were glad that Game of Thrones stopped filming there.  It puts a real damper on their tours - things are closed off and tourists aren't allowed to take pictures of major sites.  They were filming earlier in the summer and now they are in Dubrovnik and things were closed off when we were there.  I went to change some USD into Kuna and the letters next to the American flag were SAD. The initials for how to say United States of America in Croatia and SAD - like USA.  For some reason I found this HILARIOUS!!

Two women came up to me and asked if I was Irish - this happens to me all the time!  I think some of it is the freckles, but several people say I sound Irish.  I didn't know the Irish had a Texas drawl and said "y'all".  They were from Ireland and we talked about my summers in Dublin and Galway.  After the tour, I went home and napped and read - seriously the best way to spend a vacation.  many of the older people I meet are shocked I travel alone and say I'm "brave" but cruises are easy!  It would be much hard to trek through Cambodia on my own!

On Saturday, the ship docked in Venice and I booked a tour so I could see some of it before they took me to the airport.  The Irish women found me and wished me well on my journey home :)

I was wearing my Goofy challenge long sleeved t shirt because Venice was chilly and this woman asked me what year I did it.  She had done it several times!  Once was enough for me! (you run a half marathon (13.1 miles) on Sat and a full marathon (26.2 miles) on sunday.  I talked to her and her husband for quite a bit - this woman is my hero.  She ran her first marathon at 50! and runs 15-18 a year!  She has done all the major marathons - Berlin, London, Dublin, Belfast, Bucharest, Vienna, Athens, NYC, Chicago.  She picks the race and her husband follows along for vacation.  Last summer she did the Camino in Spain.  All 500 miles of it in 33 days.  wow.  I can only dream of the things she has done.  They were fun to talk to and I want to be her when I grow up!!

Venice was lovely.  It got warmer and was a bright, sunny day.  we toured St. Mark's Square and saw the Bridge of Sighs and other landmarks.

When I went back to the meeting point for the boat to take us back to our luggage, a man asked me about Mumbai (he had heard me talking to the other couple) He and his wife run a NGO in Kenya called Organics for Orphans and they teach people how to grow their own food.  many poor people there depend on aid donations which is a "white diet" bread, rice, etc.  They help them create sustainable gardens and they eat the food and sell some to earn money to go to school.  They work with a lot of HIV people and their immune systems improve greatly after eating real vegetables and fruits.  He was a preacher for many years and now they run a business that funds their NGO work.  They were from the Toronto area and I was impressed they were Canadian missionaries - they are rare.  On the boat ride back, I sat with both couples and they talked about the Salvation Army. The Canadian couple now attend Salvation Army churches in Kenya since they aren't running their own church anymore. The other man was from Scotland and his grandfather was high up in the Salvation Army and he has pictures of him with William Booth (the founder).  So it was really cool to hear their stories and conversations about the Salvation Army.  I meet a lot of people traveling on my own that I might not meet if I was busy talking to friends!

day 4 Kusadasi and Ephesus

We arrived in Kusadasi, Turkey early in the morning.  I chose to go on an excursion to Ephesus.  My tour guide today was a thousand times better than my guide in Athens was yesterday.  He was very knowledgeable and loved talking about Turkey.  He had started being a tour guide in college to pay for expenses, but loved it so much, he stuck with it even after getting two degrees.  He asked people where they were from – a lot from Australia, UK, and Canada.  Apparently people were reluctant to say they were from the US and he said “My country is 95% Muslims, but we are bad Muslims because we like to drink”  He went on  about how they weren’t the kind of Muslims that you see on the news and they aren’t a threat to US citizens.  I thought it was kind of weird – I’ve been to Turkey 4 times and love it – I don’t feel the need to hide the fact I am American like I might in some other countries.  Apparently Turkey makes other people nervous and it was nice that he was trying to endear his country to other people.  He was really funny and gave us a lot of insight into Turkish history and culture. 

He said there are 4 Ephesus’s and we saw all of them.   Only 10% of the area has been excavated.  Everyone sees the same things, but he went out of order on the tour to try to spare us some of the crowds.  After the day I had yesterday, I’m glad he did.  We went to St. John’s Basilica first – He was originally entombed there, but later moved to the Vatican. When Jesus was crucified he told John to take care of Mary like his own mother so he took her to Ephesus and they lived there for a long time.  They lived there until she died (or assumed to heaven – Catholics don’t believe she died.)

baptistry

We went to Mary’s house which was basically a small chapel.  It is a major pilgrimage spot for Catholics and three popes have been there to confirm it is indeed Mary’s house.  History fascinates me.  They said that for centuries people celebrated a holy person every year – they had forgotten who, but knew they were worth celebrating.  It was on the feast day of Mary’s assumption which was a clue that this was indeed her house.

We went on to visit the city part of Ephesus which was typical Roman ruins – evidence of shops, baths, houses.  We saw the grand theater where Paul preached to thousands.  It is amazing how centuries collide – Sting held a concert there in 1991 in the same theater that Paul spoke!  The vibrations from the loud speaker causes some of the ruins to fall. No one was hurt thank goodness, but they stopped having loud rock concerts there.  They still have other concerts there, but no loud speakers J

Theater where Paul spoke to the Ephesians

They took us to eat a traditional Turkish meal.  It was this brand new tourist attraction with shops, cultural shows, and a huge buffet dining area to accommodate bus loads of tourists.  There was tons of meat!  Pork, lamb, chicken, veal, and turkey – yum!  And of course baklava which I love.

On our way back to the ship we stopped at a rug shop for then to give a demonstration.  This was a my fourth time in turkey and my fourth time at a rug store. I have always wanted one, but of course I don’t have thousands of dollars for a rug or room for a huge one.  They have wool/cotton ones and silk ones.  Small silk ones cost as much as big wool ones.  Turkish rugs are double knotted and are practically impossible to destroy unless you cut it.  They last for generations and actually gain value the more they are walked on  - walking tightens the knots and makes them stronger. The older they are, the more they are worth.  They showed a woman weaving a rug and talked about how long it would take to make one.  The skill is passed down from mothers, you can’t go to a university or somewhere to learn how to do it.  I finally decided to pull the trigger and buy a rug – a SMALL, WOOL one J  I forgot to take a picture of it before they wrapped it up for me to take home – I will post a picture later. 

I decided to go to the main dining area for dinner and was hoping to sit with others, but hey didn’t sit me with anyone so I ate dinner alone.  I was in line waiting for dinner to open and there were several pairs of old ladies – I should have asked them if I could sit with them, I guess I just assumed the server would sit us together.  This one lady seemed like a hoot. She was talking to a stranger telling her how her husband died a few months before her 50^th anniversary.  She wanted to take his ashes to Italy but didn’t know where to put them.  She was sitting in the Sistine Chapel and it was crowded and it just felt right so she pulled his ashes out of her purse and just left the bag under a bench in the chapel!  Ha!!  I wonder if people knew what they were when they found the ashes.  She seemed fun!! 

Tomorrow is a sea day!  Reading, walking and napping!

day 3 Piraeus and Athens

We pulled up to the port in Piraeus, Greece early in the morning.  I have been fortunate when I have done excursions in ports that they haven’t been too crowded.  When we were in Dubrovnik the other day, the guide said we were lucky because there were only two ships that day, but there had been many ships the day before and it was so crowded it was hard to enjoy.  That is how today was!  There were a ton of cruise ships in the ports so dozens of busses were going into Athens.  Everyone wanted to see the Acropolis and it was so crowded that it wasn’t a lot of fun.  It was warm and sunny and beautiful, but hard to see anything with so many people around. Our tour guide was not that great and seemed confused by a lot of things.  She pointed out important buildings as we drove by and then we stopped at the Old Marble Olympic Stadium. 

We drove up to the Acropolis and meandered our way through the crowds to get up there.  The walkways are so slippery and I was thankful that it wasn’t raining!  It always amazes me that people wear flip flops when touring ancient ruins.  They complain constantly about how uneven the terrain is, how hard it is to walk, etc.  Wear athletic shoes people!!  Our guide told us some things about the Acropolis (one of the most photographed and recongnizable hills in the entire world)  She told us about the Propylaea, Temple of Apteros Niki, Erectheum, and the Parthenon.  It was hard to hear her/understand her due to the crowds and her daffiness (even though we had headsets).  After she finished we had a couple hours to do what we wanted.  I walked down a charming road to Plaka, which is the old preserved district of Athens.  There were art and craft shops and restaurants.  I love Greek food and was excited to have lunch there.  The restaurant I went to was in a great area – outside with gorgeous sun and a breeze, but I was disappointed in the food. 

Athens from the Acropolis

The guide made a lot of jokes about the economy and said there was 26% unemployment in Greece.  Poverty wasn’t visible like it is in India though.  I saw one beggar in Athens and the Greek people wouldn’t let any tourists give money, said they were discouraging that kind of behavior.  At the port a woman was dragging a little girl behind her and trying to get people to put money in her cup.  No one gave her money and whenever someone turned her down she barked at them about how she only wanted 50 cents and would grumble out loud about “these people” giving her money – like she was entitled to it and the tourist were being rude to her.

According to the guide, Greece only has 11 million people and 6 of them are in Athens. I was a little disappointed in Athens.  I guess I thought it would be like Rome – lots of ruins and easy to see things, but Athens was not as nice as Rome.

I got back to the ship mid afternoon and read a book and enjoyed the rest of my evening.  The weather is absolutely perfect here and I am enjoying the sun and bree

Fall break cruise day 1

Fall break cruise day 1

 I had been up for 48 hours and it felt good to sleep.  I always get inside cabin rooms on cruises – they are cheaper, but also they are pitch black which means I can get some great sleep.  

We had the morning free since we weren’t docking into Dubrovnik until 2pm.  The cafeteria is always crowded and hard to find a seat.  I always ask if I can sit next to someone – sometimes we eat in silence, sometimes we have a great chat.  I sat next to a couple and they didn’t say much.  They got up to leave while I finished my breakfast.  Another couple asked if they could sit with me and they were delightful!  Joe and Emily from Montreal.  We chatted about a lot of things and it was nice to have company.  I walked around the ship 8 times which is 3 miles.  The weather is so nice!  This is my fourth cruise – 2 in Alaska and one in the Mediterranean Sea at Christmas so this is my first cruise that isn’t cold!  It is nice to be on the deck whenever I want without having to bundle up.  After my walk, I went to my room to read then had lunch.  Then I walked on the deck some more to see Dubrovnik as we pulled in to port.  The coast is beautiful and the Adriatic Sea is so blue!  Much different than the Arabian Sea which is what I live on. 

My excursion was to drive to a tourist town, Cavtat, and walk around there, travel along a river to have a snack, then have a tour of the old city in Dubrovnik. Our guide, Marina, told us a lot about the 1991 war and the history of former Yugoslavia.  Croatia became independent after that.  I have always heard how beautiful it was and that is true.  66% of their income is tourism.  The people are poor because they can only work for 6 months (the tourist season).  90% of the people in Dubrovnik are Catholic and 82% of the country is Catholic. Everywhere I travel, I get a magnet and a Christmas ornament (and usually ornaments for my nieces), but I didn’t manage to find one which strange in such a Catholic country.  Maybe I will have better luck in Split, or when I come back to Dubrovnik in March.

 

cavtat

Cavtat

The countryside was gorgeous and we drove up high so we could get a good view of Dubrovnik.  We drove to Cavtat, which is a suburb of Dubrovnik, and many townspeople go there on weekends (I was there on Sunday) Dubrovnik only has 45,000 people in it, but I guess they still like to get away to smaller towns.

 It was very warm – probably in the 80s even though it was Sept 28^th.  We stopped at this restaurant on the river – where it was much cooler -  they served homemade cheese and prosciutto on bread – delicious.  They also served wine  - I didn’t have any but the guide had warned how strong it was and the people around me kind of choked on it J

We drove into the old city of Dubrovnik and looked around.  We got there kind of late and things were closing, but I know I will be there again for a math conference in March. The Old city is a small area, but very interesting.  I look forward to exploring it more. 

Day two at sea

I like having “at sea” days between busy port excursions.  I slept until I woke up – no alarm!, ate breakfast, then walked 3 miles around the deck.  The weather is gorgeous, not chilly at all, but not too warm either.  I passed a lot of older couples walking and groups playing shuffleboard.  The other cruises I have got on have been in the summer or at Christmas and there were lots of families.  This one seems to mostly be older couples, which is great because they are usually chatty and have been to lots of places.

I took a nap then went to the big dining room to eat lunch.  I asked them to sit me with someone (which they didn’t yesterday, but today I hit the jackpot!) They led me to a table with a couple that had also asked to sit with someone else.  The man was older and had a big white beard like Santa Clause.  The woman introduced herself as Betty Ann and the guy said “my given name is Lesley, but you can call me Santa” I am not kidding!!  We had a lovely lunch and unlike the couple I met yesterday who were on their first cruise, this couple was on their 24^th cruise.  They told me all about how this ship compares to other ships etc.  They are retired and can go on last minute cruises and recently went for a week in Alaska for under $100 each!!!  They are my travel heroes.   I had noticed the “Santa” had a red shirt on, but it wasn’t until we got up to leave that I saw he had green pants on and whole Santa type get up.  Awesome.  I do love Christmas!

I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening reading and walking around the deck.  Heaven. 

The People in My Day

I was thinking about all the people I encounter often here in Mumbai and how it affects my day.

Jessie  She comes on Tuesdays and Fridays to cook and clean - she can read English so she cooks
food out of my US cookbooks since I vomit often when I eat Indian food.

Salam Last year I hailed a random rickshaw and the guy noticed I was out at the same time each day. I pay him a little extra and he takes me to school nearly every day.  I get to relax and not try to give directions to someone who doesn't speak English.  We leave at 7:09 and get to school at 7:25. He doesn't speak much English but knows English numbers for time and knows "tomorrow, yesterday, and next week"  so that is helpful for communication.

The Guards  When I get to school, I am met by guards at the security gate.  They say hello and check the rickshaw to make sure I don't leave anything in there. If it is pouring during monsoon,
they keep an umbrella over my head until I reach the door.

Prakash He is the copy guy.  I always tell him he wouldn't have a job if I wasn't here.  I keep him
busy copying math papers and laminating things - he tries to hide when he sees me!

Ramona she is the middle school secretary and we all know secretaries run the school.  She is
indispensable!

Random Richshaw guy  Going home from school, I just take whatever richshaw will pick me up.
they never want to drive to where I live!  I get turned down a lot so I tip big hoping if they see me again they will pick me up.  occasional one that has taken me home before will see me and pick me up because they know I will tip. I often get quiet guys who speak NO english and just spit constantly and stare at me in the mirror.  Other times I will get someone who speaks no English but will babble to me in Hindi or whatever and I just smile.  Rarely I will get one that speaks a little English and wants to ask me a lot of questions.  It takes me a lot longer to get home than it does to get to school.  Traffic is a lot worse in the afternoons and the drivers drive too fast and often drive in the wrong lane - I close my eyes a lot! Also there are a lot of beggars that bother me at the intersection of death.

Nilendra  He's my trainer.  I have a lot of bone density and muscle mass issues due to my
illnesses -and a lot of joint and movement problems.  He makes me lift weights and do strength training and stretching to combat some of my problems. He makes me work, but if I tell him it
is too much or my body doesn't want to do what he's asking, he modifies it.

Tree Guy I encounter many homeless people every day, but tree guy is special.  He keeps all his
stuff in a tree a block from my house.  He rarely moves more than a few blocks in any direction
from his tree.  He's mentally ill - talks to himself all the time. Has fights with the tree and the
fence.  I don't even know his name - he's so out of it - I've never seen him speak to a person -
ever.

Wheelchair guys  I give food to a few families that live on the sidewalk near my house and there
is a group of guys in wheelchair (very rough machine - not what 1st world countries think of as a
 wheelchair)  have a disability in Mumbai makes living in this tough city even tougher!  There
 is one guy who wheels all over my area so I see him in different places.  He speaks English so
 he's always telling me some crazy stories about how he fell out of his chair or something.  He
 rarely asks for money, but he is very time consuming!