DAYS 74/75 - 24/25 SEPTEMBER, 2013 - SEA DAYS

 

More delightful sea days and the weather continues to be on our side with smooth seas and lovely sunshine whilst we maintain a southerly course towards the tip of India.  So as we are still be in Indian waters we decided to dress up tonight in our Indian gear and ordered from the galley, a curry dinner.  It was fantastic, as usual, and we enjoyed our Indian evening. 

 

We have been very lucky with the great bands we have had on board, in particular Epithani, and the delightful Crimsom Duo…..  not so professional but also very enjoyable was the Passenger Talent Show, so I've included a picture of the boys playing together for the first time on stage, with their ukuleles – trying to get Colin to take it up as some of these guys have done just that!!  Maybe they'll get a gig one day on a cruise ship??

 

We've also enjoyed our 7^th, and second last, Culinary Demonstration with Master Chef Alfredo who showed us his way of making the perfect Bechamel Sauce, Tomato Sauce, Napoleon Sauce, Mayo, Demi-glace and Pot Roast – all so easy but with an extra touch!!

 

We enjoyed another great production show – British Invasion -with the very young and energetic singers and dancers, and hummed and bopped away with them to those great old favourites!! 

 

Photos:  One of our favourite drink waiters;  the great band Epithani;  Ukulele boys;  and our Indian dress-up.

 

 

 

 

 

DAY 73 - MONDAY, 23 SEPTEMBER, 2013 - MUMBAI, INDIA

INCREDIBLE INDIA………  OH MUMBAI!!  -  how quickly we forgot about that incessant noise – beeping, honking and tooting ALL DAY LONG!!!  The traffic is incredibly crazy and you do take your life in your hands whilst crossing the roads, even with traffic lights!!

 

It was good to be back and after watching over 100 people get off the ship to take a side trip to The Taj Mahal in Delhi,  we decided to do our own tour on foot, beginning around The Fort area of the city of Mumbai which was the stomping ground of Colin's parents who were attached to the British Army – these days all the beautiful old colonial buildings are sadly in need of restoration and a good clean up.

 

We kept walking to the Gateway of India, a monument built during the British Raj in 1924 – such an impressive structure and a huge tourist attraction.  Today was a holy day celebration so there were masses of locals, as well as the annoying hawkers!!  We enjoyed all the magnificent and vibrant colours of the ladies saris and the truly beautiful children with their huge brown eyes and the whitest teeth.

 

Right across the road is the awesome Taj Mahal Palace Hotel (which was the site of a horiffic terrorist attack in 2008) and the Tower.  The hotel is a very grand building, was built in 1903, and fortunately is immaculate, inside and out.  There was plenty of security around and we decided to have High Tea there – (we shouldn't have that early lunch of meat pies and chips on the ship).  It was really delightful and we were very lucky to be seated by the window with a great view of the Gateway and watched the buzz on the street below.  Lots of familiar faces around us, think we all had the same idea, and it was also great just to sit and soak up the atmosphere whilst pushing down finger sandwiches and petit fours, with copious quantities of tea.  We then wandered around this exquisite hotel and were blessed (second time today) by some of the hotel staff.

 

Continuing on our walking tour and refreshed, we just happened to stumble on the markets, but it was rather chaotic and was filled with women beggars with babies on their hips – actually they are everywhere.  I bought a couple more pairs of sandals to add to the collection, but they might not even last the journey!!

 

Now getting to the weary stage and it was getting dark, so we headed back – more begging women with poor little babies or small children asking for money – one got excited when I reached into my bag but wasn't as happy to take the "cookies" I had taken off the ship. 

 

Glad we survived our walk back against the blinding lights of the traffic and no footpath – just so lucky to be back to our floating hotel and time for a refreshing shower, followed by a long cool glass of wine and beer for Colin.  We did love our day in Mumbai!!!

 

Photos:  All of our wonderful day in downtown Mumbai.

 

 

 

DAYS 71/72 - 21/22 SEPTEMBER, 2013 - SEA DAYS

Another couple of seas days to amuse ourselves!!   The first morning began with our 6^th Culinary Demonstration with Master Alfredo and today we learnt how to make the perfect Gnochi, a cold meat salad style dish, called Vitello Tonnato and a chicken dish with ham & cheese, called Chicken Alla Valdostana.  All look delicious, of course!!

 

A big footy day today as the Storm play the Knights at 3pm and then the Swans play the Dockers at 6pm – both games coming through via satellite – thank you Princess!!!.......   The Knights and the Dockers coming up trumps.  It was a lovely night on deck to have our dinner watch the evening game.…. and drown our sorrows!!

 

Second sea day was rather uneventful and seemed to disappear – had a good game of cards though during the afternoon, walked a few laps of the Promenade and our usual happy crowd meeting for dinner – most of us looking forward to Mumbai tomorrow.

 

Photo:  Cheering on the Swanees!!!

 

DAYS 71/72 - 21/22 SEPTEMBER, 2013 - SEA DAYS

DAY 70 - FRIDAY, 20 SEPTEMBER, 2013 - SALALAH, OMAN

Our tour today with Joanne & co., left around 9.30am and as we have been to downtown Salalah a couple of years ago, this trip was to take us up into the hills and on a bit of a mystery tour.

 

Our guide, Ackmed was very friendly and it was going to be a fun day with very good company.  One of the first impressions of Salalah is the colour of everything – cream – and the haze!  It's arid, with homes few and far between until we approach the city centre – also very cream with boxy like buildings, decorated with ornate designs. 

 

We drove along the coast for a while and wondered what all the lovely white tents were for at one particular spot – apparently it is their equivalent of our caravan parks - as the hotels in Salalah can't cater for all the holidaymakers.  This particular one even having its very own amusement park and fun train.

 

Our first stop into the arid hills was to photograph and get up close to  a frankincense tree and learn a little about the tree and how the sap is eventually is taken away to make the lovely sweet Farnkincense perfume.

 

We then went to the Al Mughsayl Blowhole which was a lot smaller than we imagined it would be (we're used to our Kiama Blowhole in NSW), but it did the right thing for us and I managed to get a picture.

 

Then we headed in the opposite direction to more hills, but these were green as – quite incredible to see such lush greenery just a stone's throw from the baron Salalah.  Our little bus struggled long and hard up the hills, but we finally arrived at the Prophet Job's Tomb (Job was mentioned in the first chapter of Job in the Old Testament of our Holy Bible).  There were lots of sightseers here and the tomb itself was inside a small brick building with an open prayer room next to it.  The tomb itself was 4mts. long and 1-1/2mts. wide and covered in colourful cloth with just a small space to walk around or sit and pray.

 

We had a late lunch at a nice restaurant and were treated to a lavish Indian style hot feast (in air conditioned comfort) with delightful dishes, mainly chicken and rice, full of flavour and very homely, followed by fresh banana, pineapple and ice cream, washed down of course with a lovely glass or two of cold 'water' – no alcohol here!!!!

 

Running short of time to finish all on the agenda, it was off to the Souk (market), but as it is their holy day, not too many shops were open and we weren't tempted to buy – our bags are chockas already..  Then it was a quick drive past many banana plantations to the Palace Gates - can't go in only a photo stop.

 

We made it back in good time and rather hot, tired and with full tummies, we had a nanna nap - not even to surface for dinner but had a late night snack.

 

Photos:  All of a very, very interesting and fun day in Salalah.