From Dan again: Not my words

A still from a video on a friend's Flickr web site.

From Dan: AFRICA!!!

Setting: M/V Explorer, Deck 7 aft (pool deck), 0800 - 0915

I took my marine biology class outside this morning, and taught in full sunlight on a calm Indian Ocean with the coastline of Africa as background (about 3 miles away). I don't have any words to describe the emotional high I'm experiencing. No words. Period.

Professor Abel

Here are some pictures of Danny teaching, since that is the reason we are on the voyage. The students seem to enjoy his classes almost as much as he does. It may be hard to keep him on land after this. I know, I'll tell him he can't go back out to sea until he organizes all his sunrise/sunset pictures. That should take quite some time.

More on India

First off, my apologies for lagging in the blogging recently. I've been keeping up with attending my 3 classes, but doing all the readings and taking tests would be out of the question. (I don't know how these students get it all done, and still have time to have a good time, which they certainly do. ) Speaking of my American Politics class, how about that health care bill! After learning about all the hurdles a bill has to go through I was amazed that it actually passed. Am not sure of all the details, but just the fact that you cannot deny someone health insurance because they are sick and really need it seems quite civilized.

Back to India, we did spend one serene, enchanting day on the lake and backwaters of Alleppey. People live on the narrow strip of land between the rice fields and the canals. We passed people washing clothes, dishes, and themselves in the canals. The big houseboats are what tourists rent for 75$ a night, meals included. In the bus out of town we passed a guy on an elephant, talking on a cell phone, a family on a motorcycle, and we stopped at a spice shop. It was a lovely, enchanting day. Then we were off to Mauritius!

Population

So far we've been to Japan, 127 million people; China,1.3 billion; Viet Nam, 87 million; India-1.16 billion....Adding all the other countries we have a world population of 6.81 billion people. Oh! Add one more- Welcome to the planet Abel Zachary Thayer! We love you! Uncle Danny & Aunt Mary.

About India

Yes, I've been avoiding blogging about India. It will take me a long time to understand what we saw in Chennai and Cochin. It is jangling to the senses. The cities were crowded, chaotic, dirty and hot, but women glide by in beautiful saris, all colors of the rainbow. There are piles of garbage, and there is the Taj Mahal, (which we saw only in other people's pictures). India is the largest democracy in the world, with a president and a prime minister, but apparently little central planning. The cab drivers cheat you, but the restaurants serve a delicious feast for 2 dollars. We loved every single meal here; everything else will take much longer to digest. Such as: Women getting water, the lovely port in Chennai, the rooftops in Pondicherry( a small coastal city), the salt farms, and I give up with trying to arrange pictures on this #*&%$##@!! thing. Love you all!

From Dan: Magical, Intoxicating Southern Hemisphere Sunrise

I'm in heaven.

Homeward Bound, by way of India

We have now crossed longitude 93, which means we are heading home! Things are really heating up onboard, and not just because we are so close t0 the Equator. In economics class we've covered Smith, Marx, Malthus and many in between. The professor is also an ordained minister, who just won a big faculty award at Va. Tech. He gets some good class discussions going with statements like, "According to Mother Teresa, if you have more than you need, then you have someone else's share." Am impressed by some of the students. In Am. Politics class, another great professor, we're learning how PAC's, lobbyists,political parties and voters behave. Again, many smart students, many views, including cynicism, (not just me). Then, in global problems class, the anthropology professor,whose textbook has been translated into several languages, has opened our eyes to how the World Bank and the IMF work, and how over consumption, with credit cards, is encouraged to stimulate economic growth. It is the use of debt as a commodity that is unsustainable economically and environmentally. (am still trying to understand the concept of credit default swaps) Last night in a seminar he made the case for a debtor's strike to bring about change in our current system. We have life-long learners on board, many of whom live on interest from their investments, and students, most of whom have college loans, not to mention the scholars in business, ethics, advertising, oh, and environmental sustainability. Needless to say, lively debate will continue through the rest of the voyage. I will keep you posted as the economics and business professors have their say. Initial response of some was that individuals need to live within their means, and that we need education in finance starting at earlier age.

I am also engrossed in a book by a Viet Namese American, who left VN as a boy after the American war, then went back 20 years later. It is Catfish and Mandala, by Andrew Phan. It is exposing all that I did not see there, what with my rose colored glasses. But as I type we are awaiting Indian Immigration to let us off the ship in Chennai, where we will visit an ashram among other things, namely lunch!

Nah Trang, Viet Nam

This was a coastal city where we spent 3 lovely days touring more temples, sites with views,and an aquarium,eating great meals, and a day of swimming off a boat. It was vacation (within a vacation for me). We were with a great group of students and another faculty couple and a life long learner who was a real trouper. As I type this we are fast approaching Chennai, India. If I don't finish off Viet Nam before tomorrow morning, I know I probably never will. I am just scratching the surface of VietNam in this blog, but the book Catfish and Mandala by Andrew Pham is deepening my understanding. Now for pictures, hope the band-width forces are with me!

From Dan: South China Sea Sunset (out of order)

From Dan: Bay of Bengal Sunrise

From Dan: Simply Sublime

Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City

Either name for the city is acceptable here. Most people that live here call it Saigon, because that's what they grew up with, no offense to "Uncle Ho". The city is abuzz with motor scooters, horns honking, peddlers, and "side walk cafes". We had a great time walking around the city, first learning how to cross the street in this mayhem, then trying to capture it on video. We had coffee at the Rex Hotel, which is where the journalists and generals stayed during the American War. We also went to the Museum of War Remembrance, which is a testament, along with Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima, to the devastating waste that is war. Back out on the street the people are friendly, seem happy, and definitely now how to cook and eat. They say most of the population is under 35 years old. They sure seem optimistic about the future. Now to tackle some pictures...

On the river entering Saigon

For some reason the blog won't let me put the pictures in the order they were taken as we sailed inland up the river at sunrise. It was a lovely 4 hour journey with civilization slowly, gradually emerging, as the sun and the fishermen rose. The river winds back and forth, you begin to see structures on the horizon, closer with each bend, until finally you are in the middle of a very busy river with an even busier city beyond. The first picture shows how the boats like to optimize their cargo for each trip. Danny took lots of pictures of these low riders, and this was lowest of them all. We never saw one sink, but we didn't get to follow this one ...I'll start another post for the city, because because by my count this one is already over 6,000 words.

Sunrise at Nah Trang, Viet Nam, March 1, 2010