[Written Tuesday February 11 because of internet issues.]
We are Off-Ship from this morning until Tuesday around noon. We four are on a Ship's Tour to about 60 miles away to a series of man-made canals and lakes made untold years ago to transport rice from the fields to markets, I think. We are sometimes scarce on back ground and I am really not good at paying attention when I should.
First we had to deal with the Indian Health and Immigration officials. In case you did not know, the Indians learned Bureaucracy from the British and have spent over 70 years perfecting it! The entire ship, passengers and crew, had to parade to a set of masked inspectors in the lounge, have our temperature taken, our paper stamped and then march outside to the Immigration Building where a uniformed official sorted through our series of papers, stamped one, returned that to us and then kept our passport. Then back to the ship and await our tour. Time now 11:00 AM.
Welcome to India Folks!
Finally we were off to the coaches and to our surprise we are made aware of a two hour coach ride to our overnight boats. The ride was not as bad as it could have been other than constant horn-honking by our driver. Such is life in India!
We arrive to see several other coaches being processed and taken to their boats. But, first we had to have our previously mentioned paper scanned and only then could our trip commence. Time now 1:15 PM. A shuttle boat dropped each set of 4 or 6 off at various house boats and then a sense of relief overcame us. The boats were much more luxurious than I dared expect, or any of us.
Lunch soon appeared after a refreshing drink before which we were introduced to our three man male crew. Nice gentleman with a bit of knowledge of English.
After lunch we lounged and took in the passing sights, sounds and tried to absorb where we were and what we were doing. Or at least that is what I did, it was magical to me. We were later off loaded into a very hefty canoe of some sort with an engine, called a long tail. We just meandered through a circular canal often choked with water hyacinths for an hour: six people and an elderly boatman.
Somewhere along the line we were offered a snack of hot banana fritters. Some foods are so simple, delicious and nutritious as well. Fellette and I sometime had a very welcome shower in the bathroom that was as large or larger than the one on the ship!
I dug up my water bottle full of wine that had been chilling in the ships' ice box, and some potato chips that I brought along to enjoy as we cruised along the canals with Jim and I up very few minutes, or less, snapping pictures. The girls sometimes think we are little boys no doubt. We are and I admit it and do not want to ever lose that jest for adventure and interest in new circumstances.
Darkness came quickly and we were told the mosquitoes would come if we had lights on so we soon all tumbled off to our bedrooms that are bug proof and an air conditioner had been turned on earlier. Time now about 7:00 PM. We arranged the mosquito net for the night over the bed and I went to sleep, like that! Fellette read I believe.
We were both wide awake at 5:30 AM so I got dressed, said goodbye to Fellette and explored the ship and the land around us where all five of our group's ships had moored. It was dream-like to me to be walking in the early morning light saying good morning to the ships' crews who were also waking up and wandering around in their kilt-like wraps, most just having had their morning dip and tooth-washing in the canal. I decided to write and share my Magical Moment on the ship before the others got up.
A boat similar to ours, there must be a hundred that we saw.
Welcome aboard!
Relax time!
The lounge area, the kitchen table is about where I took the picture from. The two bedrooms are behind me the the crew area and a small kitchen at the aft end along with a generator. The boat is diesel and very, very sold. Not a flimsy boat at all.
The bedroom, complete with mosquito net canopy up top, wrapped.
A small boat dropping off school kids.
Man and wife at canal side. I believe she is cleaning off her slab that she washes clothes on.
Boatman on longtail. Photo by Jim.
Doug and Gail on canoe ride.
Passing scene.
Doug at work.
Some of these boats look like giant oversized wood-bugs afloat.
The back end of our boat just as dawn was about to break. When I went back in the cook had a delicious thermos-jug full of hot sweet milky tea for me at the table. I was able to get that blog away then.
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