LIVE from the Mariner of the Seas Barcelona to Dubai

[RicardoC]

I think all comments are responded...but I need some sleep now (nearly midnight here) so will try to post the "almost ready" missing updates in the morning so you'll have a nice saturday reading. Stay tuned!

[swim13]

Wow! I really don't even know what to say, you are pretty privileged to be only 19 and have seen half of the world, I'm lucky to be able to afford a cruise a year, albeit I'm 18! :p

 

I can't wait to go to Dubai, have you ever been to Abu Dhabi?

 

Excited for your pictures of the Maldives!

[RicardoC]

Wednesday, May 22 - Delhi, India

 

 

We are LIVE from Delhi, India! Well actually our hotel is in Gurgaon, a suburb where most of the hotels are located, but anyways. We landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport just before 9pm and, after quick immigration and customs, met the staff from Delhi Magic Tours. I found this company on tripadvisor; they are all over the country and offer private tours which you can choose pretty much everything. They may help you with dates, flights, hotels, and obviously tours everywhere you wish to visit. In our case India was the last place we decided to go (because we had 6 days before other plans) so we ended up just doing the tours with them (no hotels), which enabled us to only pay when we arrived.

 

The first impression was really good; the modern airport was nice and empty, everything went quickly and smoothly, and the streets were pretty well kept (as compared to Egypt, for example). Yes, traffic was (and has been) funny; I will get into details in a bit but the drive to the hotel gave us an idea of how vehicles go in all directions at the same time with a somehow natural flow...amazing. We are staying at the Marriott Courtyard Gurgaon, which was pretty nice value. The room is a bit small (as compared to other Courtyards we have been to) but it is very modern, functional, and well kept. Service has been great as everyone (in India in general) is very polite.

 

 

Our first day here was calmer because we got in very late, so Magic Tour recommended we started at 2pm the following day. Our driver (who will be with us all the time while guides change in every city) picked us up and took us to Qutab Minar, where we met Neelan, our guide in Delhi. Qutab is a very calm place where everything started in the city (though it is located in today's New Delhi). There you find the Mosque, the first of many sandstone constructions we saw, and the tower which has been a work of many rulers (including the British, who added the balconies) throughout time. Both amazing engineering features for the time considering height, carvings, and details. Around the site (which has been recently recognized by Unesco as a World Heritage) there is a park that keeps it a quiet getaway from the busy city.

 

 

 

Following Qutab Minar we headed to another site Neelan told us we should see before the Taj Mahal (she actually altered our itineraries a bit, which was great), Humayun's Tomb. Though I had heard of this place, I didn't know it's full history. It was built before the Taj Mahal as Shah Jahan's mother wanted to build a mausoleum to his dead father. Since an Islamic king could not be buried with such distinction, she waited until her son established his power to build it. As a result, Shah Jahan himself decided to use the same idea, though with much more grandeur, when his own wife died and that's what we'll see tomorrow.

 

Humayun's tomb is beautiful, though. It is mainly composed by sandstone but also has details in white marble and onyx, and a similar architecture (though more predominantly persian) to the Taj Mahal. We were impressed with how empty the monuments were here, after we found fairly busy places during the cruise (obviously, the Mariner is not a small ship), and were starting to find out why. May is one of the low seasons here because of summer, and because it is very hot tourists (those smart, unlike us) tend to avoit it. Well, we were already burning after walking around in sandstone buildings so we finished our afternoon with a drive through New Delhi where you can see all government buildings, foreign embassies, the parliment, and the Palace. This very organized area was built by the British and so it has a more European style such as the India Gate, built as a dedication to the lives lost in World War I. We also stopped at a shop nearby for my mom (off course) to look at scarves and such, but also ended up with a nice carpet and a marble plate (you know how those places work), nice stuff. We knew our day would be tough tomorrow so decided to go have dinner at the hotel and sleep early to be up at 5.

 

 

[RicardoC]

Thursday, May 23 - Agra, India

 

Today we were to be the whole day away in Agra. I originally wanted to spend a night there before heading to Jaipur (after all, the three cities form a triangle and it would be easier this way). However, the Taj Mahal is closed on fridays so we had to change the plans. Lesson: beware, as it might change your plans too. The drive can be tiring; there is a newer, faster road but it is on the other side of the city so the traffic would add more to it. We ended up taking the "old" road which was much better than I expected. It has two lanes both ways (though there were times with more cars, cars on the wrong way, cows, etc.) and pretty much buildings all the way there in small villages and what not. We got there (with a stop) in almost four hours, but I wouldn't say it was a tiring journey as there was a lot to look at and some time to nap. Our first stop, after we picked up our guide from Agra Magic, was the first of the World Wonders, as voted a couple years ago.

 

 

 

The Taj Mahal. Wow. Impressive, unique, and hot, VERY hot. Temperatures reached 47 C (~116 F) in Agra, and I can say I had never felt in an open air dry sauna in my life. Before we started really feeling the incredibly and almost unbearably hot weather, though, we were stunned with this building. In the middle of the Indian plane, in this desertic weather, a gigantic white marble tomb built for one lady only. Mumtaz Mahal was the third and (obviously) favorite wife of Shah Jahan, and to whom he built this whole complex of gardens, fountains, and the amazing building. What looks like plain marble from far away is actually detailed in hand carved patterns made of semi-precious stones. Beautiful. Legend has that Shah Jahan wanted to build another building, all in black marble, for him across the river. In fact, I have watched a tv show that explains his plan was probably to have a large fountain (like a water mirror) to reflect the Taj, so at full moon nights it would look all black. Regardless of his plans he failed as he was arrested at the Agra Fort after being overthrown by his own son.

 

 

It was hot, so before going to Agra Fort we stopped at a place that shows how they make the marble pieces the same way they made the Taj's decoration. The artwork, with semi-precious stones carved on the marble, is amazing, and they obviously had a gigantic showroom with all sorts of items, tables, etc. We ended up getting a side and a central (coffee) tables to the new house. It should arrive in 10-12 weeks once we're settled...cool!

 

 

After an hour in the ac we were (kinda) ready to stand the oven, I mean, the weather outside. We headed to Agra Fort, which is huge but only has a small part opened to the public (the Indian Army still uses it), and was found in really good conditions. The outside of the building is pretty impressive with its Indian/Persian medieval character all in sandstone...pretty different...but the inside has more "hidden" things. The fort was a work by many rulers who each added sections, so you will find different mixes of styles, materials, purposes, etc. It is, because of that, pretty much an open air museum where the buildings' rooms have the art in their walls, ceilings, and so on. Here, leaders were safe from any threat and had all luxuries we wanted while under the burning sun: mats, ventilation systems, scented water fountains, and all that good stuff we didn't have then. Sigh. It found it surprisingly interesting, though.

 

 

This is where Shah Jahan lived his last few years. Apparently he died while looking at the Taj from here.

 

It was past 2 and we had not eaten anything (besides some cakes and breads given by the hotel - which we gave part of to a hungry mother/daughter in Agra - on the way there) so we went for lunch at a local restaurant. Now, food was great, but their extensive use of spices are very different from our "mild" food and I would later have some problems. We were supposed to go to Fatehpur Sikri, about an hour further, but figured we'd arrive back very late and still wake up early to tour Delhi, so we headed back...and we were very glad later on. Turns out the last part of the road back was closed so we had to go around (through a local, very poor, neighborhood). Besides the fact it took an additional hour and something and that I was already feeling a bit sick, it was tough to see some of the scenes out there. I'm from Brazil, and we have lots of poverty there, but some of the places we drove by took it to a whole new level...very sad. A combination of the heat and the different spices left me with a terrible headache and not feeling that well, especially the last two hours of the way back, so I showered and fell asleep until the following day with no dinner or anything. Now, just to make one thing clear, I am sure my...how do I say it..."vulnerable stomach" has nothing to do with food poisoning or anything like that. The place we went was great and food overall has been really good, but I have always had a point on any long trip when the change of eating habits (from my everyday ones) gets me sick. It has happened in Italy, China, and even my own country Brazil, so I was waiting for it as we reached the 20th day of the trip...don't worry, it's "protocol".

[krev]

Still enjoying your report, how long is your trip and where to next?

[FLACRUISER99]

After getting off (it was already past 8am) we found an incredibly "messy" terminal. I mean, this is Dubai, the place where airports and malls are easily comparable, and then there's a "tent-looking" terminal whose half (the baggage collection half, our half) lacked ac? I can't lie, I was expecting a much better facility. I can't say it was terrible (though I wanted at the time) because there are many worse places, but it wasn't fun to look (and eventually wait) for bags inside a 100+ degree tent...

 

FYI, Ricardo the normal cruise terminal was Next to Mariner. I don't know why we went to the "Tent"

 

[RicardoC]

Wow! I really don't even know what to say, you are pretty privileged to be only 19 and have seen half of the world, I'm lucky to be able to afford a cruise a year, albeit I'm 18! :p

 

I can't wait to go to Dubai, have you ever been to Abu Dhabi?

 

Excited for your pictures of the Maldives!

 

Yeah I know....I'm very grateful for all these experiences and try to take the most out of them. Hope you get to do it too, if you like traveling too!

 

We were in the UAE for a week last year (just land trip, no cruises) and spent two nights in Abu Dhabi (1 in the city, 1 two hours from it at the Desert) and it was amazing. I actually liked it more than Dubai, though it was just an "extension" of our trip since we were near.

 

I'm so excited for the Maldives! India has been so tiring and hot that we can't wait to be in an empty island :eek::cool:

 

Thanks for following!

 

Still enjoying your report, how long is your trip and where to next?

 

The trip will be a little over 4 weeks for me (as it will be 4 weeks on thursday and I fly back on Sunday) and 5 weeks for my parents. We just arrived in Jaipur and will be here until monday when we drive back to Delhi and catch a flight to Male via Dubai.

 

Thanks for (still) following :D

[RicardoC]

FYI, Ricardo the normal cruise terminal was Next to Mariner. I don't know why we went to the "Tent"

 

 

That's what I thought! I remember seeing this "actual" terminal on pictures, commercials for Dubai's Port, etc...

 

Maybe Royal Caribbean didn't pay the fees :eek::p

[joandian]

Fantastic photos, Rico. I'm jealous of your visit to all these wonderful sites and especially the Taj Mahal. I'm slowly crossing all the Ancient and Man made wonders off my bucket list and the Taj is waiting :( I don't envy you the heat and it was so hot in Luxor that I don't think I could have handled India.

 

Ian has worked on jobs out of India and told people about the overwhelming poverty and said most people on the cruise wouldn't expect it to be as bad as it is. I hope you are feeling better and I can't wait to see what you do at the next port.

 

Jo

Edited May 25, 2013 by joandian

[WriterOnDeck]

Really enjoyed reading your review! I was on the same cruise (known as "the other Jo") as well as the one before it -- your descriptions are great and accurate!

 

I, too, kept a blog during the cruise -- if you or others are interested, you can find it here: http://woodenshoesailing.wordpress.com/. If you want to start in the beginning start by clicking on "April".

 

Safe travels home!

[krev]

What an amazing trip for such a young fellow. I may have told you in a previous post, my son lived in Male for six months in 2007, he was flying for Maldivian Air Taxi. The Islands look gorgeous from his photos, we unfortunately didn't get there to see him (his dad was flying radio control model airplanes at the world championships in Argentina) have a great rest of your trip.

[swim13]

Yeah I know....I'm very grateful for all these experiences and try to take the most out of them. Hope you get to do it too, if you like traveling too!

 

We were in the UAE for a week last year (just land trip, no cruises) and spent two nights in Abu Dhabi (1 in the city, 1 two hours from it at the Desert) and it was amazing. I actually liked it more than Dubai, though it was just an "extension" of our trip since we were near.

 

Travel should be part of my legal name, I am actually going to major in Hospitality & Tourism Management. Where are you going to school? I will graduate from UCF, I believe that's near where you live (based on your CC location thing on the top right of your posts)? I also plan to minor in Business Admin. with aspirations to work in the RCI headquarters! So I'm hoping I will live a life full of global travel.

 

I'm really getting excited to see your pictures of the Maldives. BTW, the Taj Mahal looks incredible!

[MavisMarie]

I have followed your posts from the beginning but didn't want to interrupt things by posting while you were on the ship. Thank you very much for all the time you've taken to give us this lovely report. You are a special young man and it is so nice to see how much you appreciate the gift of being able to travel. You don't take it for granted and you don't boast, but it is obvious how much research and appreciation you put into every place you visit.

I'm an *old* lady... but I have loved travel since I was a little girl and I am fortunate to be able to continue traveling. You have inspired me to get to India now. (I am just sick that we had to cancel the Mariner cruise you were on....but I did enjoy it through your words and photos.) thanks much.:)

[RicardoC]

Friday, May 24 - Delhi, India

 

Our tour started at 9 today, and I woke up fairly late as the only thing I could have was some cold coffee milk and cold watermelon juice, nothing else would do it (still because of the stomach). People were great at the restaurant, though, asking if I wanted anything to eat and at the end bringing me more juice and sweet lassi (which apparently is good for the stomach). We met Neelan on the way to our destination for the day, Old Delhi, where we would visit the Friday Mosque and take a rickshaw ride around the narrow streets. On the way there we drove by the Red Fort, Shahjahanabad, which is (I believe) mostly closed for tourists as parts of it is occupied by the army. I feel like the military is everywhere (as in occupying parts of fortresses and such); Neelan told us they have around 7 million people (which is still not that much considering the 1.2bi population) enrolled in it. Obviously they are pretty peaceful, but can't ignore their "troublemaker" neighbors.

 

 

We got to the Mosque just before 11. It was friday, the most important day for Muslims, and the place would be soon closed for the noon prayer. It was cool to see the several tents and rugs being prepared to soon receive all the followers as well as several people already praying or taking their spots. As I previously mentioned it's low season for tourism so it felt like we were the only "outsiders", in a good way. The Mosque is beautiful, all in sandstone and with all the Islamic/Persian "characterstics" we have seen around. I find it odd that Mosques in India are all open, while they know the summers get very hot and then are followed by moonson. We had to take our shows off to go in and I'm glad I had socks because the stones were frying under the sun. The parents had to get slippers (for a cost, obviously) and we all borrowed coverings for knees (men and women) and arms (women). Talking about "extra costs", we are finding India much better than other places (yes, Egypt, especially you) in the sense vendors are somehow friendlier and respect your "no, thanks". You will find more...insistent ones, and I know they are doing their jobs and trying to make a living, but overall people are great here. As a side note, since we are talking about vendors(all around the world), I would like to leave them a friendly reminder. Please, brother, you should know that putting a book in front of one's face won't make him get it. In fact, one might buy from the vendor standing more quietly just to try and teach you a lesson. Been there, done that:eek:. Thank you.

 

 

Back to Old Delhi! We left the beautiful Mosque and met our two rickshaws that would take us for the ride around the streets. These are also for an additional cost, and I would personally have no problem walking(you know, walking is free), but it was nice to have a breeze. During the ride Neelan and I had a nice talk about Hindu religion (which would continue in the car with my parents), the importance of horoscopes for both Indians and Brazilians, and obviously about the area we were visiting.

 

 

 

The streets of Old Delhi (which starts miles before the Mosque and cover the very ancient city walls) are an unbelievable mess. It is btoh incredible and sad how people work and live in small, wooden houses covered by electric wires everywhere. Ok, the narrow streets are from the ancient character of the neighborhood, and the businesses are located on ground level while residences are above, but how does the disorganization of the wires get thus far!? I kept thinking about it, about government duties, and how the Favelas (slums) in Brazil have been improving with their sanitation and wiring as compared to here. I also remembered Neelan's words from Wednesday that Delhi is in a sysmic region (that is the reason for very few tall buildings, as opposed to what I expected) and that a very bad earthquake is almost inevitable in the near future. Can you imagine such place? Very bad.

 

After our quick ride we got back on the van and stopped by Ghandhi's eternal fire; where the man who is considered India's first leader was cremated after his assassination. There you see many locals going to pray for him; sometimes even farmers travel to Delhi (almost as a pilgrimage) to visit this place. We were given a brief lesson on India's "recent" history of Ghandhi's ideals of civil disobedience and peaceful protest, as well as his efforts to end the caste system.

 

Our day (touring, that is) ended with a stop at a store (off course) and a quick stop to see the Lotus Temple from the outside. This Bahá'í house of worship is mostly important because it is a relatively new building (from the 1980s) as compared to most of Delhi's monuments...pretty cool. We had learned that you can't mess with the Indian summer, so we decided to call it the day and relax before our trip to Jaipur. I feel like these couple days in India (except Agra) have been really slow, but we'd rather do it this way than get sick or anything. Once again, I really didn't expect it to be so hot, so don't think I will be back here between April and October ever again...hahah. Well, it is the best season for fruits, and the mangoes and lychees we bought earlier were AH.mazing (after some time in the mini-bar, off course). I guess summer isn't that bad...

[RicardoC]

Saturday, May 25 - Delhi to Jaipur, India

 

 

Today was mostly spent in the car watching the cities, villages, and landscape pass by. The ride to Jaipur was actually much better than expected; there were 2-3 lanes each way on the new highway and it only got slower at the parts where work is not yet completed. We took sometime between four and five hours (because we stopped for a break and then at a store before heading to the hotel). Now, it is always fun to watch the road scenes here. Not so much in the highway to Jaipur but Delhi was great entertainment for me. Just to be brief, since I already mentioned the driving on the wrong side, we have seen many cows (as expected), monkeys, and elephants in the streets of all cities. Additionally, in one block in Delhi we saw a guy in a motorcycle with 30 (yes, I kid you not, thirty) plastic chairs pilled and tied to his...vehicle....as well as a "saint" walking and being followed by many in the middle of the street...completely naked. I obviously didn't take a picture but to complete the "explanation" I have some bizarre shots (I wish I had my camera ready more often...) for you guys. You're welcome. :p

 

 

 

We are staying two nights in Jaipur at another Marriott. This hotel, as most in India, is built like a "fortress" away from the streets. From the outside it looks like a giant, uniform, box shaped building; inside, this.

 

 

Not the best pictures - sorry - but you get the idea.

 

It is beautiful, almost like an "oasis". My mom constantly mentioned she felt at a resort, though we never really used the pool or anything. It has been nice to have access to more "westernized" food options, as apparently my stomach is too weak for rapid changes in spices. We had dinner at one of their two restaurants (the one that offered both Indian and other foods) and I ordered a "light" mushroom risotto. It was surprisingly great, as was everything we have eaten there. What amazed me the most was the waiters who, seeing my plate was taking longer (I didn't even pay attention as I was skyping with my sister on my phone) brought me some dim-sums from the buffet. Again, people here surprising with their appreciation of your visit and wanting to make the most of your experience.

[MrFunInTheSun]

You've done an outstanding job Rico with your first "Live" trip report! Thanks for allowing us to sail along with you.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk. Please excuse any typographical errors.

[RicardoC]

Sunday, May 26 - Jaipur, India

 

 

Today was our only day in Jaipur, or the Rose City. It is called this way because all the buildings were painted pink to celebrate the British King's (don't remember who now...so many names!) visit back in the day. Nowadays, the buildings are more like "terracotta", and the people required to maintain these façades. Just as a curiosity, another name for Jaipur is Jaypoor, or Victory City, which roots from its days before Rajastan becoming a state of India. Our guide Nidhi was waiting for us at our lobby right at 9 and we left for our half-day tour. The first stop, after some brief history of the region and a stop by the Wind Temple, was Amer Fort. It is located up in the hills (yes, Jaipur has hills!) and used to belong to the Royal Family back in the Maharajas' days. Just as a brief mention, we stopped for pictures before going up the hill and my worst nightmare (almost) happened - we saw a snake charmer. I hate snakes, I have always detested them. I always ask tour guides about them, if they are around, if there are lots of them, etc. but I knew they were here, so I didn't bother to mention. I also know snake charming is illegal in India so I was hoping we wouldn't meet any...well the guy was pretty far (about 30ft.) but we could clearly see her huge head coming out of the bag as he played for the tourists. We took our pictures and then he started heading to us...and I literally disappeared into the car. Heheh, make fun of me, but I wouldn't be any closer to that evil death machine...though a guy offered me to see another one later on and I ignored.

 

 

 

Anyways, to the fort! We actually visited the palace, as the fort surrounds it and part of it is still owned by the royal family. It was surprisingly beautiful. You can either go up on an elephant (and pay for it, obviously) or by car through the back road, and then you walk for the remainder of the visit. It is not that much, as you stop many times and it was much "cooler" (or less hot), but still lots of walking under the sun. We visited the parade court, visitors' hall, main gate, royal quarters with one "apartment" for each season, and found all in really good condition. It is amazing how they were able to build constructions with heating, cooling, etc. back in the day. More amazing how, for example, they'd import marble from Italy just to show off on a couple pillars, considering the whole Taj Mahal was built with local marble.

 

 

 

After the palace (which was the "old capital") we headed back to Jaipur, the "new capital" of Rajastan, the state. There we quickly stopped for pictures by the floating temple (which will soon be a hotel) before going to the Planetarium. This place was interesting, but probably the one we enjoyed the most as it was getting warmer out. They have several devices such as sun clocks, compasses, and other instruments related to the zodiac. In my opinion the coolest part of it was the fact a Brazilian soap opera from 2009 filmed several scenes there...heheh Brazilians are crazy with their soap opera, it's a national passion. It was a nice stop.

 

 

We finished off with a long tour around the City Palace. It still belongs to the royal family, so we contributed to their (probably sognificant) income from their Museums and monuments. Btw, pretty much all places charged a fee (usually INR200-300 per person) that wasn't included in our tour with Magic. They had given me a paper with all prices prior to our arrival, though. Back to the palace, it was interesting to know more about the Maharajas and their recent transition from power to just being titled "royal". The last ruling Maharaja died in the 1970s, if I'm not mistaken, and his son in 2011. Prior to that, in 2002, he had "adopted" his grandson so he could become Maharaja (women were/are not allowed to rule, and he only had a daughter). The result was that the boy, adopted at the age of 3, became Maharaja at a very early age and is now fourteen. It is obviously just a title but I thought it was cool. Anyways, we visited the visitors hall which is has a very preserved painted ceilings and carpet (no pictures allowed) and pictures of all past Maharajas. We also visited the exhibitions of clothes, weapons, and the local artists who apparently are supported by the royal family. It was pretty cool to see "recent" pictures of them and the beautiful building...the whole Maharaja thing (which means king) seemed so distant and such a "legend" for me that it was really cool actually being there. There is an extra ticket to see the very inside of the palaces (the more private rooms, I guess) but we thought the fare of I believe INR2500 per person was way too much.

 

Our day ended at around 3, as we had already "decided" that it wasn't worth pushing too hard with the heat. The afternoon was pretty much spent packing for our next "stop" (so many additional things bought in India!). We wanted to enjoy the hotel's facilities before a long day/night traveling but time flew by.

[RicardoC]

Monday, May 27 - Jaipur, India

 

So we woke up in Jaipur (that's the reason for the title) but spent the afternoon in Delhi and will have dinner in Dubai. We decided to leave a bit earlier to try and catch the earlier flight to Dubai. We figured it'd be nice if we could have a longer layover before the 3am flight to Malé, and we had to leave Jaipur sooner or later in the morning anyways. If it didn't work we would still be safe with time as the drive is around five hours but may take much longer with traffic. We left the hotel at around 8:15 and got to the airport just after 1pm...and then sh!t goes down.

 

First of all, the airport in Delhi looked very nice and easy when we arrived, but revealed to be very bothering, in my opinion. Passengers can only go in (as in the building in general, not security) three hours before the flights, and Emirates didn't have an office/store at the small room where all ticketing stores were. I honestly expected them to have a store there as I know India is a fairly important market and they have four daily flights there. They still didn't have a store at the airport, and we couldn't go in to change our flights. Really!?

 

A guard told me to talk to the Air India counter (who was supposed to take care of Emirates?), the counter told me to go to another one, and so on. We finally found a good soul (in another Air India counter) who called the Emirates office in the city, who told me to either call or try to go in to the check-in counter. No one likes to spend $$ on international calls so we tried again with the guard (all of them were armed and stuff) and got a "No, it is not my problem". Really!? I understand the airport would be a mess if they let anyone and everyone in: from beggars to vendors to thieves (like Brazil), but come one we are tourists, he knew we were, everyone knows we are! I got really pissed, then called the office in Delhi and was ready to pay the fee and change the flight just two hours before it...and the lady refused. We had made reservations through a TA in Brazil, so they couldn't change it even if we paid and everything. The TA was speeking, which pisses me off as airlines have to undestand about time zones and that we are still customers, in the case of an emergency or something...I don't know, just my (somehow still angry) thoughts. Sorry for it, I got really frustrated and I think my parents can't stand me talking about it anymore lol. We had five hours until the nice and welcoming guards (sure...go with that) let us in...what to do?

 

Our driver was amazing. We thought about going to a hotel or a mall on the city but it was way too far considering we'd have to drive back at rush hour. He suggested an open air mall/market but we really didn't want to stay out in the heat since we weren't sure if we would have time/access to shower before the following day. He then remembered there is a new mall approximately fifteen minutes (with no traffic) from the airport, and so we headed to Ambiance Mall. It was great, had another two buildings (also mall) right next to it, so we could eat and explore known and local brands. After having lunch at a great restaurant I rushed to Marcs & Spencer, a store I have been to in Dubai and was actually planning to go back on my last day before heading home...turns out I was the one to shop the most. Rico, the one that barely buys anything, the one the always complains about spending too much time at stores, and the angriest one with the situation turns out to be the shopper of the day...oh, the irony.

 

Five hours flew by (for me, at least...heheh) and we caught the rush hour traffic to DEL. After some trouble with luggage weights (I told the parents, they didn't listen - my bag was 8kg below...no comments on theirs) we quickly passed immigration and security. Emirates' flight to Dubai wasn't as good as the way to India; the 777-200LR was completely full and we had a brief delay because of a problem with the ac, which was fixed before we took off.

 

We arrived in India with a pretty open mind, I think. These few days were amazing, but different; I don't think one can be completely ready to face some scenes that I guess everyone sees sooner or later when there. It is a beautiful country with many problems yet to be solved, but for now people try to overcome them with their welcoming attitude and colorful saris. One thing I know for sure; India is not for everyone. No air conditioned car, luxury hotel, etc. will prevent at least some contact that may freak out many people. That being sad, I still think everyone should visit it at least for the lessons on how we all live "like kings, or maharajas", in my mother's words. We have no regret on having gone there.

 

We landed in Dubai at midnight and thank God the bags are going straight to Malé because we were tired, too tired to pick them up and do the whole check-in process again. We quickly passed through "transfers" security and got the train to the brand new Concourse A, where our gate was assigned. I knew the lounge for our credit cards was in Concourse B, so we quickly looked for a shower and found the Timeless Spa, great place! They charge $15 per person and give you 45 minutes at a changing room, but it was 1am so we had it all for us heheh. It was great, and now we're ready to fly to the Maldives!

 

The new Concourse (which I thought I wouldn't see because it was supposedly only for A380s) is awesome. It is just like the "older" Concourse B but with different venues, stores, etc. It's also pretty high-tech, as I hadn't seen the cool touchscreen tvs that show all the flights leaving from each gate.

 

Sorry, no pics/responses...on a rush:eek: Well, I will be back as soon as I can with the first insights pictures of the beautiful Maldives!

[RicardoC]

Fantastic photos, Rico. I'm jealous of your visit to all these wonderful sites and especially the Taj Mahal. I'm slowly crossing all the Ancient and Man made wonders off my bucket list and the Taj is waiting :( I don't envy you the heat and it was so hot in Luxor that I don't think I could have handled India.

 

Ian has worked on jobs out of India and told people about the overwhelming poverty and said most people on the cruise wouldn't expect it to be as bad as it is. I hope you are feeling better and I can't wait to see what you do at the next port.

 

Jo

 

Jo,

 

I hope you make it to all your list soon! Which one is next? :) Ian is right about India...I hope their future is brilliant, though, they work a lot and deserve it. I'm better (good, since we've been traveling all day and still have some hours to go...wouldn't be nice feeling sick hahah).

 

Thanks for following along!

[RicardoC]

Really enjoyed reading your review! I was on the same cruise (known as "the other Jo") as well as the one before it -- your descriptions are great and accurate!

 

I, too, kept a blog during the cruise -- if you or others are interested, you can find it here: http://woodenshoesailing.wordpress.com/. If you want to start in the beginning start by clicking on "April".

 

Safe travels home!

 

Awesome diary! I found so many similar comments, so many things I thought about and forgot to put in here, and so many (recent) memories...great! I was supposed to spend my afternoon packing yesterday...and guess what I did? Lol

 

Thanks for posting & following!

[RicardoC]

What an amazing trip for such a young fellow. I may have told you in a previous post, my son lived in Male for six months in 2007, he was flying for Maldivian Air Taxi. The Islands look gorgeous from his photos, we unfortunately didn't get there to see him (his dad was flying radio control model airplanes at the world championships in Argentina) have a great rest of your trip.

 

That's awesome! I can only imagine living in the Maldives! Did he like it? Thanks for following :)

[RicardoC]

Travel should be part of my legal name, I am actually going to major in Hospitality & Tourism Management. Where are you going to school? I will graduate from UCF, I believe that's near where you live (based on your CC location thing on the top right of your posts)? I also plan to minor in Business Admin. with aspirations to work in the RCI headquarters! So I'm hoping I will live a life full of global travel.

 

I'm really getting excited to see your pictures of the Maldives. BTW, the Taj Mahal looks incredible!

 

No way, are you a senior? I just started going to UCF (for Mechanical Engineering) in January, going to my second semester there as a sophomore. I actually want to do masters in Naval Engineering and hopefully work in the cruise ship industry. Maybe one day both of us will work for RCI, though in different departments! :D

 

Thanks for following and only a four hour flight till we land in Malé!

[RicardoC]

I have followed your posts from the beginning but didn't want to interrupt things by posting while you were on the ship. Thank you very much for all the time you've taken to give us this lovely report. You are a special young man and it is so nice to see how much you appreciate the gift of being able to travel. You don't take it for granted and you don't boast, but it is obvious how much research and appreciation you put into every place you visit.

I'm an *old* lady... but I have loved travel since I was a little girl and I am fortunate to be able to continue traveling. You have inspired me to get to India now. (I am just sick that we had to cancel the Mariner cruise you were on....but I did enjoy it through your words and photos.) thanks much.:)

 

Thank you for everything you said :)

I'm glad I could somehow take you, though it's a shame you didn't make it onboard. Well, next time!

 

Thanks again!

[RicardoC]

You've done an outstanding job Rico with your first "Live" trip report! Thanks for allowing us to sail along with you.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk. Please excuse any typographical errors.

 

Thank you for reading! I'm glad you enjoyed it! :)

[krev]

That's awesome! I can only imagine living in the Maldives! Did he like it? Thanks for following :)

 

Well, it was a great experience for a 21 year old and the first time living away from home. But it was work and not a vacation. It opened his eyes to the good and bad, one day he caught a guy trying to break into his apartment through the balcony. Other days he was staying at the "W" resort on the Islands. It did gain him the coveted 1000 hours of flight time to afford him an airline job, he has been at one of Canada's largest airlines for 5 years now, so as much as he missed home I would say it was worth it in the end.