Monday 23rd September

Mumbai, India 

The start of our overland trip to the Taj Mahal!! 

Today we dock at midday in Mumbai.  We are part of a group of 90 other passengers that are getting off the ship for 3 nights and 4 days to travel specifically to the Taj Mahal but will see many other sights as well.  We are to meet the rest of the group at 11.20am so that we can be first off the ship as we have an orientation tour of Mumbai before our flight to Delhi.  We did a quick trip around the city seeing  all the main highlights with a quick stop at the Gateway to India and the very swish Taj Hotel (from the outside anyway!!). Mumbai is said to be the city of dreams and is considered to be the commercial and entertainment capital of India.  Our flight on Indigo Air went to schedule and we arrived into Delhi at 6pm. We were allocated to Bus #1 and our guide was Baraht who turned out to be very professional, polite, knowledgable and witty... Such good jokes!!  After checking into the Sheraton we had an Indian buffet dinner before turning in for an early night as we have a 3.45am!!!!! wakeup call in the morning.  Day 1 

There were heaps of these ships off loading coal into barges alongside as we approached our berth in Mumbai.

There are a lot of these street vendors trying to make a dollar or should I say a rupee.  You can see dentists, barbers, shavers, shoe polishers, a whole range of services and food available.

The Gateway to India

The Taj Hotel with the newer extension to the side.

Local fishing boats

Pictures taken from the bus

A slum area... we saw the slum where Slum Dog Millionaire was filmed and it looked just like the movie!

Our floral welcome on our arrival into Delhi and Bus #1 as displayed on Peter's shirt.

An evening drive through Delhi enroute to our hotel.

Another street vendor baking bread which looked great.

Our arrival at the Sheraton Hotel in Delhi.

Friday 20th September

Salalah, Oman 

Today was another hot sunny day and we headed off on another private tour this time for 20 less one due to sickness.... the dreaded cough and chest infection that I have been trying to fight off too!

Our guide for the day was Ahmed and he was excellent.  Firstly we headed off to the west which is very dry and barren to see the famous frankincense trees, Job's tomb and the blow holes.

We then headed for a long awaited and much anticipated lunch via the home of Jebalis and their camel and cattle herds and a natural spring of Ain Razat at the foot of the Qara Mountains.

Lunch was at Hassan Bin Thabit Restaurant back in Salalah... a mix of Indian and Chinese which certainly filled the spot.  After lunch we had some spare time at the Souk which was mainly closed as it was their holy day but still managed to buy some frankincense and Peter some headwear.  A quick visit to the Palace and gardens before heading back to the ship after another enjoyable, hot tiring day.

Next stop Mumbai after two well earned days at sea!

The barren countryside to the west.

Limestone hills

Frankincense tree

The beach where the blow holes are.

The blow hole

Lush countryside to the east.

Job's tomb

Kneeling mats outside Job's tomb

A natural spring of Ain Razat at the foot of the Qara mountains

A cave near the spring and a caveman

Mosque at Salalah

Our lunch stop

The Souk

Long lost brothers

The Al Husan Palace

Sunday 15th September

Aqaba, Jordan

Today we are on a private tour for 8 people.  Our guide is Mahommed and our driver Mahmood.  We met as a group at 6.45am and were on our way by 7.30am to Petra to see the Lost City as featured in Lawrence of Arabia.  It is about a 2 hour drive on a very good highway with a comfort stop at a shop selling everything but the kitchen sink.  When we were leaving the shop about 3 big tourist buses arrived so at least we were at the front of the pack.... I think the guides must get paid a commission on all sales... Ours would have been very disappointed... My purchase was a 50c postcard!!  The toilets certainly got good use.

Once at Petra our guide walked with us through the Siq to the Treasury explaining the history, then up to the church and to the end of the trail.  What an amazing experience. Such history and amazing sights... Who would have thought all those years ago.  After a very hot, long and sweaty walk back we then headed for lunch which was well worth the wait.  The walk in and out of Petra is about 2.5 hours each way and around 10kms!!  I must confess the last 1km I did on horseback.... bliss!!  Our lunch was delicious... A lot of different salads and hot dishes but the best was the hommus, like nothing I have tasted before... Yum!!

No alcohol served in this restaurent but the bitter lemon was very refreshing.  Not much alcohol served anywhere here really.  After lunch we headed back to the ship which was about a 2 hour drive. A great day had by all.  Four sea days now before Salalah, Oman.

Some facts about Aqaba and Petra.  Petra comes from the Greek word for rock and was "discovered" in 1812.  The Siq is the stunning entrance into the city through a natural canyon, no more than 16 feet wide and over 650 feet tall.  Just amazing and very similar in some way to Kings Canyon and changes colour depending on the light.

The "Treasury" is actually an ancient tomb carved from solid sandstone.  Legend has it that pirates left treasure in the urn that sits on its upper level.  There are bullet marks on the urn made by treasure seekers.

The roman amphitheatre is believed to have seated 8,000 people and was carved out of rock by the Nabatean people in the 2nd century BC.

Next stop Salalah.

Scenery enroute to Petra

Our comfort stop... Beautiful pottery but quite expensive as all hand made.

He was heading in the same direction as us!!

Bab Al Siq - the gateway to the Siq

The Siq - 1 km long

Can you see the man at the front and the 2 camels behind him??

Al Khazna - The Treasury which is 40m high

The Theatre

The Great Temple - original height around 18m and constructed by the end of the 1st century.

The Church - original mosaics.  Probably built around the end of the 5th century AD.

The Siq on the outward journey

The lifesaver

Lunch

Fantastic roads.