Re-entry

Round 2 of my explorations circumnavigating the globe by ship is almost complete. Three more days at sea until we dock in San Diego, CA. I can honestly say this has been the fastest 3.5 months of my life. Either I’m getting older or the world is becoming smaller, but it really went by with a blink of the eye. It has been an amazing journey and I can’t quit tell just yet what impression it will have on me in the long run but I know it will be a big one. My fondest memories are those moments I spent with locals, from breaking the fast during Ramadan with our colleagues in Morocco to shopping for Saris with our new friends in India. I will also cherish the amazing food and what I learned about the countries I visited and of course what I learned about myself. I don’t know where I am going next, but I am already exited.

Falling for the colors of Japan

When I stepped off the train in Kyoto I emerged into an explosion of fall colors. Fall is my favorite season and having been away for the past 2 fall seasons has left a hole in my heart. That void was filled in 3 days in Kyoto. I felt like I was dreaming, having just spent 3 months traveling to mostly hot tropic climates to all of a sudden appear in this land of colorful trees and cool air. I could not have been in better company to enjoy the fall than with the Japanese. We arrived on a holiday weekend and crowds of people from all over Japan flocked to Kyoto to spend their holiday enjoying the foliage. As part of the fall celebrations select Temples in Kyoto set up lights to view the maple trees at night. Each night I was in Kyoto I went to a different Temple to see the bright red and orange leaves light up the night.

Put out the good China

I never gave much thought to why people would refer to their dishes as China. I didn’t make a connection between the ceramic dishes and the country of their namesake. That is until I found myself in Shanghai, China. The Chinese perfected the art of making porcelain and the Shanghai Museum is home to a huge collection of the most amazing collection of ceramics. They are so beautiful, well crafted and also capture so much history. Different styles were created during different dynasties and the Emperors even had their own kilns creating ceramics just for their households. It was totally random but I really enjoyed diving into Chinese history through ceramics.

A Dosa Reality

India was my favorite port before I had ever been there. It was a natural fit really, I love all things Indian, movies, music, clothes, food, and people. India is always a port that transforms people. When you step off the ship you are hit by a wave of heat and dirt as you enter the industrial port. Men walk around wearing only a garment around their bottom that resembles a diaper. So of course right away your impressions are that of a completely different world. Having previously been to India, 2.5 years ago, and already been through the culture shock, I couldn’t help but wonder what new revelations I would have on this trip. When I arrived, everything was just as I left it. The port, the school we worked with, the people I had met, the stores I shopped at and even the rickshaw driver that took us around. Where was my new revelation? Well, it didn’t happen. But what did happen was I made some amazing new friends, especially through the Rotary Club, whom we had been working with through the $100 Solution project. I think it might take a longer trip and more extensive traveling outside of Chennai to continue my India transformations. For now though, India is always a place I can call home because everyone you meet makes you feel like family. Oh and I am famous there. See below (it's my name on the sign)!

So Mauritius, So Delicious

I made my return to the northern part of the island of Mauritius, where I had been, 2.5 years ago, on my last voyage. During my short stay, on the rainbow nation island, I relaxed by the beach and with the help of a scooter and an excellent driver; I explored some of the local neighborhoods. We left the tourists strip and cruised past beautiful public beaches and lively local neighborhoods many of which had colorful Hindu temples (52% of Mauritian people are Hindu). I chowed down on excellent roti and fresh pineapple which I ate as I sat on the beach.
As we were getting ready to depart this tropical paradise, the people of Mauritius were preparing for Diwali, stringing up lights over their houses and businesses and purchasing fireworks. Needless to say, as the ship pulled out of the harbor, Mauritius was lit up like the 4th of July.




Pretty



Our neighbor, Mr. Turtle.

My Return to the Western Cape

Cape Town was the first repeat port! It was nice to go to a familiar yet foreign place. I hiked Table Mountain which made the view that much more spectacular and saw lots of wildlife without even going on a safari. I also spent time in a refugee camp where over 20,000 foreigners were relocated during the height of the xenophobic attacks. South Africa is full of so many complex issues that it’s hard to wrap my head around them all, especially in the midst of so much beauty.

The cure all soap

Jon and I set out to film in a Liberian Refugee camp. After hours of travel, we arrived at the camp only to be denied access; our run and gun GNG style failed us. We decided to take it in stride and explore the neighboring area. There we met a group of girls that worked for a medicinal beauty product company called Rexcom. The company pays their rent, provides them with a van and they also earn commissions from sales. They spend their days packaging the products in their own home and take road trips all over Ghana to sell the goods. While the girls worked in their living room feverishly packaging the products their male friends who also live with them, rent free, sat around, unemployed, not even helping. Maybe we came on their day off. It was inspiring to see this group of young females embracing entrepreneurialism, working together and supporting themselves.