Capes and Grapes

We were blessed with a perfect day for the sail-in to Cape Town, South Africa, a much-anticipated port considering I was meeting up with Laura and it was our last cruise!  The views from the ship were amazing as we sailed around Table Mountain, the signature landmark of the city, a flat-top mountain that pours down into Cape Town and directly in to the ocean.  What beautiful scenery for a great city!  I finished up my duties for the day after we had docked and I headed outside, where Laura was set to meet me at 5:00 in the afternoon.  I walked out into the prettiest port we have ever docked in.  It looked like a cute little harbor town from a Disney movie or something and right down the main strip I saw Laura with a man she had wrangled to carry her bags for her!  Ha ha!  Always resourceful! 

After hugs and laughs and lugging her giant bag (for coming from the African bush she sure had 2 VERY full bags!  Ha!) to the ship, I got her checked in and acclimated, showed her the cabin, and we decided to walk around the harbor.  We just went around through a mall and some shops, asked for information about the city, etc.  Around 8:30 or so we headed out that night walking to a restaurant I had found in a guidebook on the city.  It took us a little time, but we found the really fun spot, Col Cacchio, a pizza joint with crazy salads and combinations for pies.  It was so nice to just sit over AMAZING food and talk for a few hours, catching up on the insane travels we have been privileged to have lately.  It was so much fun to share adventures and know that we had plenty of time in the next 2 weeks to have some of our own.

The next day was embarkation day, but we got up early to try our hand at going up Table Mountain.  When we headed out, though, our dreams were dashed by the notorious Table Cloth, the cloud cover that lingers at the top of the mountain, obstructing the views and making it impossible to enjoy any visit to the top.  Since we had the time, though, we decided to walk around the city some and see what we could find.  We wandered around through some open markets, down Long Street, an area with funky restaurants and shops, and through Company Gardens.  This area is basically the city park with lots of paths and gardens around and some government buildings, all being looked over by Table Mountain, constantly in the background over the city. 

After embarkation we went out and Table Mountain was clear so we got a cab to the cable car station.  Our cab driver was Frank, a local man of mixed race (called “colored” here in town) who talked some about the city and the way it has changed along racial lines and the violence they have experienced in gangs.  It was enlightening and always is nice to have an informative cab driver.  When we arrived to the station he warned us that we needed to catch the first car up while it wasn’t too windy.  We took his advice and soon boarded the car.

The cable car was a big, rotating marvel and we had a blast rising the 3,000 feet to the top of the table.  It was a fun ride and had amazing views of the city and our ship sitting in the harbor.  At the top we stood just at eye level with the clouds and began walking around the strange landscape.  Somewhere between a desert and a forest (I know…they’re opposite), the mountain is covered in rocks and has some cactus, small bushes, but is mostly flat.  We finished our stay at the top with a snack at the Table Mountain Café and went back down to the ship.  That night I introduced Laura to the Compass Rose and the overwhelmed look on her face was priceless.  We had a great meal and enjoyed Karen’s cabaret, performed after dinner and then I gave Laura the grand tour of the ship. 

It was fun for me to be reminded by a friend from home how amazing this place is.  Laura was BLOWN AWAY by the ship and its many levels, lounges, corridors, its size, its cleanliness, and the 6-star feel it had!  Ha!  She said it reminded her of a jewelry box!  It was a nice finish to the day.  The next morning we met up with Elena, who had met some family of hers from Cape Town!  She had never met them before and stayed with them the duration of our time in the city, but she invited Laura and I along for the final day and we were HAPPY to head out with her and her 3^rd cousins, Isaac and Yvonne. 

Starting out they drove us out of the city, being our personal tour guides and pointing out all sorts of insider info about how the town has grown, what different areas of the city are like, what changes are having to be made for the World Cup 2010 events, etc.  It was great to learn things from LOCALS who actually knew what they were talking about.  We immediately headed into the winelands outside the city.  South Africa and Cape Town, in particular, are famous for their wines and have been growing grapes for hundreds of years.  We first went to a place called the Vineyard Connection, which was a winery, but also had a restaurant, woolshop, and gift store.  It was great fun and we looked around for a while and also enjoyed a small, private wine tasting they provided for us.

After finishing a drive through the beautiful green hills of the winelands we found out the WHOLE family was waiting for us at the beach for a picnic they had made.  Yvonne and Isaac were so funny and I couldn’t wait to meet the rest of the family, so we headed out to a beautiful beach outside the city.  There, 6 more family members and 2 dogs were awaiting our arrival with a cooler full of sandwiches, chips, strawberries, bananas, drinks, croissants, tea, and cheese with olives from the winery.  It was seriously AMAZING!  We couldn’t have been a happier bunch enjoying the sun and breeze on the beach and goofing around with Elena and her great family.  What fantastic people!  We did have to get back to the ship, though, and we were sad to sail away from Cape Town, a gem of a city.  It was a really fun port to kick off our last cruise and a fun time with Laura was certainly had!  Can’t wait to update you on our next adventures!

Love,

Tripp (and Laura)

Going on Safari

After we left Kenya the ship went to Zanzibar, Tanzania.  I had a tour in the morning that took me to the Jozani Forest, a reserve where I walked around mahogany trees that were hundreds of years old and also saw monkeys.  The most interesting part of the tour was a walk through a bunch of mangrove trees.  I had never really learned what they were, but mangrove trees grow with their roots above ground in bog-like areas.  It was all very interesting, but not much to report about.  After that we sailed to Richard’s Bay, South Africa, a port in the middle of Zulu country.  This took 3 days, which may be my limit of time at sea.  This ship is only so big and after more than even 48 hours I start to go a little crazy.  The crossing of the Atlantic coming up is going to be a true test of patience!  Ha ha! 

On our first day in Richard’s Bay I decided to go out and inquire about a safari.  I knew this would be the last port that I could make this dream come true.  After having really wanted to go in Kenya and missing out, I was not about to let that happen!  I wandered outside and found a guide who was willing to take people on safari, but I would need to call her and gather people together for the day trip.  I went downstairs and spent the next hour desperately trying to gather people and convince them to spend their money on a safari!  I was ready to pay up, but most people were a little wary.  I finally convinced Brett, Rose, and Melanie to go with me and gave Lyn, our tour guide a call.  We were off to Hluhluwe-Ifozi (pronounced Shlew-shlew-way Oof-ohts-ee) Game Reserve!

On our drive Lyn began telling us about herself and the area.  She is of Indian descent, but was born and raised in South Africa and has broken into the tourism industry with her own company.  We soon learned she had overcome many obstacles as an Indian woman in this industry and had recently been named the Tour Guide of the Year for 2009, a major achievement.  I was so excited because I could tell it was going to be a great day.  She told us all about how the Zulu people live now in the area, still preserving many of their rituals and traditions, and an hour-long drive later we arrived at the game park. 

Lyn warned us that she would do her best to find anything and everything, but that we should not pray to her, but to God, because there were certainly no guarantees of seeing particular animals.  This is a 96,000 hectacre park where the animals are not controlled in anyway.  The land is not worked, the animals are not fed, and they are completely free to live as they do in any natural area.  We all kept our eyes peeled and began driving through the park on the edge of our seats, nervously keeping a lookout for animals.  After driving around for 5 minutes I was getting nervous until we ran into a warthog!  While it wasn’t any big animal, I was so PUMPED!!!  I told Lyn I would be super-easy to please and that I was already thrilled with the experience.  We soon after saw rhinos in the distance and a herd of buffalo on a far-off hill.  Our first close animal was a zebra who had a baby with her who was feeding off her mom’s milk.  It was amazing to see and I couldn’t have been happier! 

Throughout the day we ended up seeing so many animals!  We saw 15 animals, including zebra, lots of giraffes, tons of buffalo, elephants, dozens of rhinos, nyala, impala, bush pigs, and hyena.  There were some extra special moments including giraffes right by the car, watching a rhino mark its territory (different than urinating) and seeing lots of baby animals around the park!  We had lunch at the Hilltop Camp, which was absolutely gorgeous.  Lyn was such a champ the whole day, giving us lots of great information about the animals, searching diligently, and really opening up to us.  She said we were such a fun group and that it was so nice to feel like she could just be herself and have fun with us!  We ended up being with Lyn ALL DAY LONG and 8 hours after we started she dropped us back off at the ship.  We were pooped!

The next morning I woke up at the crack of dawn for a tour!  I headed to Dumazulu Cultural Heritage Center at 6:00 am with the guests.  I was so tired that it wasn’t the most thrilling tour I’ve ever done, but I did have a good time.  The closest thing I can relate this to is their version of a Colonial Williamsburg.  The people are all dressed in traditional clothes and living in huts, making pottery, spears, baskets, and beadwork.  It was fun seeing how the Zulu people would have operated in the villages years ago, but it all felt a little Disney to me!  Ha ha!  The highlight of the tour was seeing the people perform traditional dances to drumming.  It was a really exciting show that they put on while we tasted their local beer and cheered them on!  I felt like I got a really nice taste of everything Richard’s Bay had to offer, enjoying the safari and the Zulu culture.  For the past 2 days we have been sailing through rough seas to Cape Town, South Africa where, I’m happy to report, I will be meeting Ms. Laura Cochran!  Laura is going to be sailing with me on the last cruise of my contract and I am so pumped!  I can’t believe I will be flying home in 2 weeks!  I’m excited, but certainly sad to leave behind certain aspects like my crew members and the travel.  Ugh- that will have to be a whole different post.  Until then…miss you and see you soon!

Tripp

Kenya and Harrison, my personal guide

This leg of the cruise is quite long and has a ton of sea days.  It is a 19 night cruise and we are only in port for 8 of those days.  It makes for a very different dynamic.  We are seeing these passengers a lot and really getting to know them, which is great fun, but at the same time…they begin expecting all sorts of things and wanting new, special activities so this cruise we have had many events and special game tournaments, etc.  When we sailed from the Seychelles we had 2 days at sea before reaching Mombasa, Kenya.  It was bittersweet because I was excited to see the port, but I would not get to go on a safari like most cast members did because I had rehearsal that day.  I played piano for Brett (the other male singer) whose cabaret we performed that night after sailing away from Mombasa.  I was pretty bummed, but I decided to make the best of it and use what time I DID have in the port as best as possible.

Brett and I headed out via the shuttle bus into the city of Mombasa wehre we were dropped off on a main strip that was all banks, hotels, and souvenir shops.  This was a very modern, not too nice part of town, with people trying to sell things to you and stuff.  We weren’t too impressed, but after getting some money exchanged we headed toward the area known as the old town.  (It’s not particularly old, but it’s older…I guess.)  On our way to Fort Jesus, one of the main sights of the town we had all sorts of solicitors wanting us to buy from them, etc.  Then we were approached by a young guy who asked us our names and where we were from.  He wore a badge and said that he worked for the government and as I was trying to shoo him off assuming him to be another salesmen, he explained that he was a tour guide for the old town area.  I still was wary, but I decided we might as well let him help us get situated as far as what we should see and where we should go in the town.  He walked us to the Fort and we said we really didn’t have enough money to go in, but he explained that we should walk to the gate and look in because that wouldn’t cost anything, but we could still see the thing.  Along the way he explained all sorts of historical info about the fort and I realized he seriously knew what he was talking about.

Harrison (our personal guide) stuck with us and took us along the coast of Mombasa Island where we got to see slave tunnels, were guided through markets, handicraft stores, an ancient well, a grocery, and a fish market.  We also saw kids playing a local game (kind of a variation on pool in a miniature form) and were introduced to all sorts of things in the way of Kenyan life.  Harrison loved teaching us the three key phrases in the area, “Jambo” which means “hello”, “hakuna matata” (see Lion King), and “pole, pole” (pronounced pohl-eh) which means “slowly, slowly”.  They have a great sense of community here and are incredibly welcoming.  Harrison was seriously such a lucky find for Brett and I because he knew those streets like the back of his hand.  We wove around for a few hours, finishing up at a Hindu temple where Harrison went over some of the traditions with us.  Kenya is a Christian country, but Mombasa has a large Muslim population and smaller Hindu population, as well.  Harrison is Rastafarian, but he knew all about the ways of the other religions. Ha ha!  One funny thing was that there were Obama souvenirs and posters and bumper stickers all over the place.  People would shout out his name to us and Harrison said that many of the people in town actually call him Obama because his father’s village is the same as Obama’s father’s village!  Ha ha! 

About 3 hours after we met Harrison, Brett decided to go back to the ship and I told Harrison I wanted to do a little souvenir shopping before going back. We walked back to some shops that he knew of and he continued giving all sorts of great information and discussing our jobs.  He is only one of 15 certified guides in the city and if the police catch others of trying to do his job they can be arrested.  There is a specific way of knowing what guide gets to go out at what time of the day, etc.  This was a full, legitimate operation.  We ended up going to some stores where I would look around and the shopkeepers, who all knew Harrison, would ask me to please purchase something, from their shop.  They all were so sweet and I hated to turn them down.  They were asking me to please spend 250 shillings (not even 3 dollars) in their shop so they could feed their families.  While it may have seemed like a scheme…it’s not.  These people are so poor, but so kind.  (Okay- I did have one little boy no older than 5 years old walk right up and try to grab my wallet out of my back pocket.)  I did buy some things and joked with them that I was going to end up supporting the whole continent of Africa if I didn’t stop!  Ha! 

Finally I finished up, gave Harrison a nice little contribution and he called a tuq tuq for me.  These are 3-wheeled little cars that hold only a few people and are super cheap.  Harrison felt bad because he tried to negotiate a lower price for me, but the driver insisted on 100 shillings for the 10 minute drive back to the shuttle bus stop.  That’s about $1.25, so I felt okay about it.  I thought I was finished for my adventures that day, but once I returned to the port I saw all sorts of people selling souvenirs all along the dock.  I knew I didn’t want to buy anything, but I though I’d just look.  One man approached me and said, “Jambo!  What is your name sir?”  After introducing myself he said his name was Taylor, which I informed him was my sister’s name.  He began bargaining and selling to me, but I said I didn’t have any money to spend.  He said, “We don’t need!  We will trade you something!”  He wanted my watch, my bag, my water bottle…all of which I refused, but finally I agreed to look through my bag to find some things.  I kid you not; these people would have taken ANYTHING!  I couldn’t believe it!  After offering a couple bananas from in town and an old key ring, Taylor encouraged me to add to the pot, so I pulled out 4 “Thank You” notes and a pen with no cap.  He was excited and asked for one more item.  After reaching into my pocket and offering my USED chapstick, Taylor was satisfied.  While I didn’t even WANT a souvenir, I was far too amused with the whole situation to stop now.  I ended up with a hand-carved, wooden letter opener and a clean backpack. 

At the end of it all, Taylor asked where my sister was and if I could bring her outside.  No- I explained that she was in the States and he said, “Is she married?”  I laughed and said that she was and wondered out loud if he was wanting me to trade her for something!  Ha ha!  I said she was very beautiful and before I even got the words out, Taylor came up with his offer.  “I will give you 30 camels for her,” he exclaimed resolutely.  I died laughing and said when I returned to Kenya I would bring her a long to make a deal with him so they could be Taylor and Taylor and live happily ever after!  Ha ha!  What a trip!  I had such a good time with these people and I truly cant’ wait to return and explore this part of the world more.  Hope all is well…only a couple weeks left!

Tripp

Ps- I just wanted to mention…I have discussed how much I love the crew on board.  I have gotten quite close with a number of the Filipino crew and know most of them by name, but 2 days ago I was over the moon.  I was walking down the hall at night and my friend, Wayan, said, “Hello, Papa!”  Papa is used as a term of endearment between Filipino men and I have only heard them say it to each other and one other white guy who has worked with them for 10 years or so!  I couldn’t believe it.  I am so glad to have gained such a good rapport with them to for them to trust me and respect me enough to call me Papa.  Anyway- it was a really special moment for me on board.  Talk to all of you soon!

Paradise Found: A Little More Wet than I Pictured

We continued sailing for a couple of days down to a group of islands known as the Maldives (pronounced Mahl-deevz) where we would port in the capital city of Male.  We have been looking forward to this and the ports that would follow because they were known for being some of the most incredibly beautiful beaches in all the world.  We had seen pictures and heard stories about the perfectly white sandy beaches on these tiny islands in the Indian Ocean and about the warm, clear waters where we would swim. 

Well- some things don’t work out like you plan, as we have learned, and when we arrived to Male, what do you know?  It’s POURING down rain.  Lovely.  We were super-bummed, but just decided to go on and take a tender to the island and find a café.  We did and got online for a bit before it started to rain even harder, when we decided to go on and head back out to the ship.  It just wasn’t going to be the best way for us to see this port, so we resigned ourselves to heading out.  No big deal.

The next two days were days at sea so we continued floating along and making our way toward the Seychelles (pronounced Say-shellz) where we were told we would find more of these idyllic beaches.  Along the way, though we had a big event on the ship: we crossed the EQUATOR!  Now- of course I found this really exciting…to be able to say I had gone into another hemisphere was totally cool!  Apparently, though, this is a really big deal when you are on cruise ships, though.  The ships are required to do a big ceremony and we were in charge of helping put it on.  I’ll give you the quick version…

A narrator comes out on the pool deck where all the guests have gathered and announces the arrival of King and Queen Neptune, who process down the outdoor stairs to the pool deck.  (This was a guest lecturer and our cruise director dressed in crazy outfits with crowns, tritons, and wetsuits on!)  I played a bodyguard, wearing a dark suit with sunglasses and an ear bud, protecting the royal King and Queen of the Seas!  Ha ha!  Then there are two mermaids that also accompany the king and queen and a bunch of pirates that help keep the ceremony moving along.  This was all the cast dressed up, of course.  There are little rituals that are performed like having guests and crew who have never crossed the equator dumped with nasty green slime and thrown into the pool.  It was a lot of goofy fun and I am happy to report that King Neptune gave us permission to go on and pass over the Equator safely!  Ha ha!

While we were supposed to arrive early morning to Port Victoria, our first port in the Seychelles, the weather was not very kind to us.  You have to remember: I am living on a moving vessel.  The captain did his best, but with the rain and headwinds there was just no way to get to Port Victoria on time.  We didn’t end up arriving until after dark, unfortunately, so again…no beautiful beaches.  I did head off the ship with Elena, Rose, and Brett and we found a cab and asked the driver to take us to a beach close by and he began to drive us.  Brian, the driver, was FANTASTIC, giving us all sorts of info about the islands, their agriculture, crime rate, educational system, work force, etc.  We arrived to a gorgeous resort and he dropped us off outside and we agreed to a time for a pick up.  We headed into the hotel, which was more than welcome to have us just hanging out on their beach even though it was after dark and we were not paying guests.  We played in the warm water and walked along the beach for a while.  Then we sat down and had a nice time just taking in some live music and having fruity drinks at the hotel’s restaurant.  It was such a nice respite and even though it was dark out, we didn’t even care!  It was great.  Brian came and picked us up and finished our night with more great information and we went back to the ship.

We were surprised when we woke up to not be in the next port of call, as scheduled!  The ship had been refueling and still wasn’t finished getting filled up!  Oh my word!  Seriously- you never know what is going to happen living on ships.  The guests have been pretty good sports, but having to cut ports altogether, arriving late, and canceling tours hasn’t been what they’d expected for their cruise!  Anyway- we eventually left and made it to another island, Praslin (pronounced Prah-len) in the Seychelles.  I was glad to go on tour and rode with guests to a really pretty beach.  This place reminded me of “South Pacific” with its overgrown, but incredibly lush landscape and granite mountains in the distance.  We had a nice time swimming and I enjoyed a fresh papaya the size of my head before heading back to the ship. Oh!  And the sun even came out for about 30 minutes while we were there at the beach!  Ha ha!  Who would have thought?! 

Now we are back at sea for two days before arriving to Kenya tomorrow morning.  It’s been an interesting cruise so far, but I am hoping things will begin to be back on schedule soon and that everything will get back to a routine eventually!  Ha ha!  Here’s to 24 days more on the Voyager!

Tripp

India and the Snake Boat Races

Alrighty- the second day in Mumbai was also an embarkation day, so I had very limited time to get out and see anything, but Brett decided he would brave the streets with me to go see a few more places in the city before reporting for duty by noon.  We woke up early and headed out of the terminal to the line of taxis.  The taxi union here is VERY strong and will not allow the company to have shuttle buses into the city and insists on getting all control of people leaving the port.  We knew we were going to have to bargain with them, though, for a decent price.

We picked out one of the city’s signature black, yellow-roofed taxis and started going back and forth with the driver.  We told him that we just wanted to go around the city, stopping at various places, but having him stay with us for the whole morning, which he agreed to.  We talked him down to $30 for the 2.5 hours and started on our way.  One thing that was quite different on this drive was being so low to the ground.  The previous day, having been in a tour bus, we somewhat ruled the road, but today we were just another car in the shuffle…and boy what a shuffle it was!  The traffic is truly astonishing in this city because there are NO RULES.  There are people, bikes, taxis, cows, carriages, buses, people pulling carts, etc. and the most daring driver wins.  If you don’t like the sound of car horns…AVOID MUMBAI!!! 

We headed in to the most famous landmark in the city, the Gate of India.  It is a large monument right on the water and is the city symbol.  There were, of course, hundreds of people here, including lots of Indians trying to sell cheap souvenirs.  At one point a guy came up offering to sell us a map.  We said no and then he said, “How about the good map?” and showed us some drugs!  Ha ha!  We said, “No- but we may be back tomorrow!” and headed back to our cab.  Ha ha!  Welcome to India!  Our next stop, we decided, would be the Dhobi Gat, the outdoor laundry of Bombay.  There are a few of these, but our driver took us to the largest one.  We drove for FOREVER and I thought I would never recover from the diesel fumes I had taken in, but we finally arrived to an overpass sort of spot where here were stairs that led down to a maze of laundry lines, soaking stations, and people making laundry their living.  It was quite literally a city of laundry men and women.  Seeing hundreds of people living in this spot, slamming the laundry onto stones to make it dry, scrubbing away, and hanging the beautiful, colorful saris was one of the most enduring visions I think I will take from the trip.  It was unbelievable. 

On our way back to the taxi I saw a young boy with just a pair of shorts on sort of smiling and dancing around.  I snapped a picture of him really quickly and continues walking to our cab.  He followed me, though, and all of a sudden the happy boy turned into a little beggar, holding out his palm for money and then putting his hand up to his mouth as if to ask for food.  As much as I would have loved to give him something, I knew I shouldn’t because this was his game.  This was his family’s business; send out the kids to smile and get tourists to give them money.  I avoided it until his mother came over and started talking to our cab driver who eventually gave her a couple euro so she would head off.  It is a different world than what I have been seeing in Kentucky and even in Europe.  This is a way of life only familiar to me in stories and pictures until now.  Now it is part of my life experience. 

We got back to the ship and sailed away that night, but Mumbai made a huge imprint on my heart.  These are incredibly proud people, filled with a RICH, beautiful culture and kind hearts, ready to welcome any traveler.  I must return here later in life.  The next day we were at sea, but the following morning I was up early ready to go on one more tour in India.  We docked in Cochin, at the south of the country.  India is divided into a number of different states and regions that all have specific cultural aspects unique to their area.  On this day almost everyone on the ship was on tour to a boat race.  We boarded coaches for the hour- long ride to a beautiful lake area.  From there we got on boats that took us out to a large viewing platform.  It was like a big, floating amphitheatre, with the water being the stage.

Upon arrival to the stand we watched some local drummers and dancers performing ceremonial exorcism dances and learned some of the history and tradition of what we would be seeing.  We were watching the local snake boat races.  This is a very competitive event among the different villages in the area.  Each village is represented and comes to the race with one boat to compete.  The boats are only a few feet wide, just enough to hold two people, but are extremely long, with the backs rising up out of the water, giving the appearance of a rising snake.  The boats hold 100-120 men from each village who all wear the same colored shirts to be easily identifiable and they race in a number of heats. 

I was with Rose and we picked a team to cheer for from the beginning.  The pink team won their first heat, getting them to the final round.  The teams were competing for the “Seven Seas Trophy” that one of our guests would present to them!  It was so much fun!  We were cheering and enjoyed a fresh coconut milk right from the fruit itself, ate local oranges, cashews, and tapioca chips!  All of this was given to us by the people there who were SO SWEET, wanting to explain exactly what was going on and giving us all sorts of info about how competitive these races can get.  Anyway, between races some Indian men came up to me and asked if I was enjoying the races very much and if I had been to something like this before.  I of course told them how much fun we were having and they asked if they could interview me on camera and ask these questions for a local news station!  Ha ha!  I said sure and immediately I was being filmed and had a mic in my face.  They wanted to know where I was from, if I had fun, etc.  Suddenly the questions changed from, “What do you think of these boat races?” to “What is your opinion of the economic crisis?  Has it affected you much?” and “What about the swine flu?  Are you nervous about getting infected with H1N1?”  Oh my word!  I gave quick, polite answers and got out by insisting on watching the next race, but I laughed thinking about some special report that night on local Indian TV where the little blond American was commenting on the snake boat race demonstration…and H1N1.  Ha ha!  What a riot. 

The final race was terribly exciting and all the passengers were shouting and cheering for different teams and it was a photo finish, but our team came in second!  Immediately the captains of the winning teams jumped off their respective boats to come receive their trophies.  After getting them they got back in the water, holding the trophy on their heads until they reached the boats with the rest of their teams!  Ha!  We had a really fun day and it was a great little taste of local flavor meeting some of the athletes and watching this fun event!  With that, we sailed off from India, but this country has made a huge impact on me.  I cant wait to return to this colorful land, learn more about the people, and experience even more of the wonderful hospitality the people have to offer.  I really hope everyone is doing well back home!  Miss ya!

Tripp