I have written up a day and a half. We are so busy just not time to stop and post. I will try to keep up posts as we go along.

MUMBAI – BOMBAY INDIA

The customs and baggage claim was surprisingly well organized and fast. The airport was undergoing some construction so everything was very messy and not impressive at all. We met the rest of the group traveling with us. One free lance travel writer, Judy, and her Mom, Jean, and the Editor and co-founder of Travel Girl Magazine, Stephanie. Jennifer and Susan Wempe from my office traveled with Stephanie to Botswana last November. The current issue of Travel Girl Magazine features her story from that trip. All very nice people and we knew we would all get along well from the very start.

Driving to the hotel we did see the poverty that people describe when they talk about India. We also saw a very busy population going about their daily activities. The traffic was something to behold. There are no lanes it is a mass of cars, bikes, bicycles and pedestrians all fighting for their space on the road. Heavy traffic.

Arriving at the hotel we were surprised by the luxury and ambiance of the Oberoi Hotel. The lobby, flowers and furnishing could rival any Four Season Hotel. Check in was fast and efficient. Our room was great. King sized bed, TV, nice desk with every type of plug you could imagine and large granite bathroom. This was far more luxurious than I had imagined. A butler turned up with complimentary juice and checked to see if there was anything else we needed. Wifi internet is available in the room for approximately $20 for 24 hours unlimited access or about $5 an hour. This hotel has a view of the water and is located in the business district of Mumbai.

We ate lunch and again we were surprised. The menu was extensive and offered everything you could imagine. Fish, chicken, steaks, pasta, hamburgers along with a few Indian dishes. I quickly realized eating was not going to be the problem I had originally thought it might be.

That afternoon we cleaned up and rested and then went to dinner at an Italian restaurant in the Oberoi. Fabulous ambiance and food. The dinnerware and cutlery was cutting edge and the presentation of the food was outstanding. We had an incredible meal complete with Tiramsu and some the best sorbert I have ever eaten.

Food – no problem!!!

ELEPHANTA ISLAND

Next morning we left at 8.30 and took a one hour ferry ride to Elephanta Island. The ferry was slow but the seats were comfortable and the breeze and view of Mumbai from the water was delightful. On arrival at the island we boarded a small train, Disneyland style, and took a short ride to the entrance to the Elephanta caves. Being the princess that I am I took a “chair” ride up. This is four men carrying me on a wooden chair up the 125 steps. This cost about $4.00. On the way up there were the inevitable souvenir sales stalls and I was able to get an eagle eye view of the merchandise. When the rest of them arrived at the top huffing and puffing I knew I had made a wise investment. One of the others did the same thing and the ride was really quite fun. Just a short walk took us to the caves.

The caves were dug out of the mountain and carved as a temple to the Hindu God, Shiva. Many of the statues are damaged as the Portuguese invaders used these statues for target practice. The carvings and stories they tell were very interesting and we really enjoyed the visit here. Our guide was good and gave us the right amount of information to make it interesting without putting us into overload of information. She lived 2 years in Topeka, Kansas and comes to the USA to visit relatives so her English was perfect and she had a good understanding of Americans.

After our ferry ride back we visited the Taj Hotel. This is an old hotel built in 1903 with a great deal of character and is very luxurious. It is the highest rated hotel in Mumbai. It is very large with 12 different food outlets, 565 rooms and many huge suites. We saw quite a few rooms and the hotel is beautifully maintained. The hotel has a perfect location right on the harbor across from the “Gateway of India” the principal landmark of Mumbai that was built to commemorate King George V’s visit to the colony in 1911. We ate lunch here, not quite as exciting for me as it was an Indian meal and as one that does not even use pepper I was concerned about this. However, I had Ken, the official food taster, and it was not as spicy as I had anticipated it would be. By taking off most the sauce I was able to get through the meal but Indian food is not my “cup of tea”. I think this is my one and only Indian meal. However, everyone else in the group really enjoyed the food.

After this we did a city tour. The city has some incredible architecture, it does need cleaning up but the buildings are quite remarkable. Most built in the late 1800’s to early 1900’s.

What has interested me is the women’s clothing. I have seen saris and Indian outfits before but seeing them here in India and all the wonderful colors that the women wear I have a new appreciation for this type of clothing. In comparison we looked quite drab in our safari khaki clothes. Who knows before it is all over I may be seen on a REGENT ship sporting a sari on formal night.

We toured the hotel tonight before dinner. The highlight of that was going into the kitchen of the Indian restaurant and watching the chefs cook the bread and then sampling it. They actually attach the bread to the side of a huge charcoal oven and it cooks on the side. Hard to explain but fascinating to watch.

We ate at a Mediterranean restaurant in the Hilton next door to the Oberoi. I ordered pizza and it was fantastic. The food here has been the biggest surprise to me it is really quite good and the menus feature almost anything you could possibly want.

Tomorrow off to Cochin which Mary Ellen tells me she really likes. There is a huge American IT prescnce there and also back water areas where households travel the canals. Cruise ships --- my type of thing!!!

COCHIN

Totally different from Mumbai. Flying in the land was very lush, green and just teeming with palm trees. You could see the water canals they call the backwaters. Houseboats go for 3 and 4 night cruises into the backwaters to view the flora and fauna of the region. This is becoming more and more popular. This is a quieter place and quite a prosperous area. We saw some large homes flying in with swimming pools and big grounds. The state is called Kerala and there is a lot of IT investment here and many Americans are working in this area. The state boasts 100% literacy.

We are staying at a Hilton Trident that is owned and operated by the Oberoi group. A smaller hotel with a lovely layout, nice rooms and a great pool area. Two of our people enjoyed the spa in the afternoon and said it was great. We had yet another very good meal. As the adventuresome people ordered Indian curry I had some wonderful pasta with sun dried tomatoes and basil.

Last night we went to a show of the performers of KATHAKALI, the stately dance of Kerala. This is the only area in all of India you can see these performers. I expected a typical folk dance show but it was not like that at all. The show started with watching the men apply the make up. This takes literally hours to do. They paint their faces for certain characters completely. Watching this was quite fascinating. The show starts with an explanation of the traditions of the dance and that each performance tells a legend of the Hindu religion. Then they explain what all the actions and facial expressions mean. This is where we all sat up and really took notice. The way these men could move only certain facial muscles was truly fascinating, just one cheek up and down and around. How do they do that? It is said it takes four years and 16 hour days to gain the muscle skills and expertise to perform. They are able to express the emotion they are wishing to display so incredibly well it is easy to follow the story. There are no sounds from the actors it is all expressions. Like a highly skilled mine, I have never seen anything like this before. The costumes are really elaborate and the dance tells a story that you can actually follow. We all loved the show. I highly recommend this to anyone who comes to Cochin it would be a shame to miss this experience.

We did the city tour today and we saw an old church with a long history, a palace which is now a museum, and a Jewish Synagogue. Nothing here that was very exciting. The most interesting thing this morning was the chinese fishing nets that are still used to catch fish. I think they are more of a tourist attraction than really useful for catching fish these days. These nets are lowered into the water and then raised with the use of ropes and rocks. We held the ropes and did it once and caught three very small fish. Lot of work for three small fish!!!

The town itself was fun to drive and walk around. The color of India is what is making an impression on me. The saris, the trucks are all painted, everything is colorful.

Tomorrow we leave for a road transfer to Periyar to see the spice planations, the lake and wildlife of this region. On the way we are going to stop to inspect one of the houseboats that takes trips on the backwaters and go for a one hour boat ride. That should be fun I am looking forward to doing that.

Be back later.