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.