Our Beautiful World - Stone - The Acropolis, Athens, Greece, November 15, 2015

I have been fortunate to see many of the world's most beautiful places - the Acropolis in Athens, Greece and the Taj Mahal in Agra, India, being among the most special.

The Acropolis of Athens, according to Wikipedia, "is an ancient citadel located high on a rocky outcrop above the city of Athens and contains several buildings of historical and architectural significance."  Seeing it always gives me chills and begins day dreams about what life must have been like in the time of Pericles and the ancient Greeks.  I sip wine in Plaka tavernas, feast on spanokapita, taramasalata and lamb and my imagination runs wild.  

I am participating in: OBW 123 ~ 123 Stone

Thursday 13 - Wonderful Places I've Seen - Septtember 26, 2013

I haven't participated in this meme before but it seems like fun.  Each Thursday,
you pick a theme and list thirteen things about it.  I can do that, I'm sure!

My very first time to participate, I thought I'd write about thirteen wonderful
places I've seen - though I don't have photos with me, here in India, to depict
all of them.

1.     The Taj Mahal in Agra, India - the Unesco World Heritage site which was
         built by Shah Jahan, for his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving 
         birth to their 14th child

from Bing Images, domain free

The Taj Mahal

An architectural treasure,
A tribute to true love,
It almost seems to glow,
From a full moon above.

Made of pure white marble,
Mumtaz Mahal lies here,
With Emperor Shah Jahan,
Resting very near.

Such overwhelming beauty,
Reflected in its pool.
Its minarets standing guard,
Over India's treasured jewel.

Built on the River Yumana,
The Taj is an exquisite sight,
Symbolic of love for centuries,
Inspiring poets to write.

Carmen Henesy

Copyright (c) 2008 by Carmen Henesy

All rights reserved.  . 

2.     The Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho, a Buddhist temple in Bangkok,

        Thailand.- he is 15 m high and 47 m long

The Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho
Bangkok, Thailand

What is that you contemplate
As the crowds go passing through?
You lie in gilded splendor,
With nothing else to do.

Is there meaning to your dreamy face.
Could it be nirvana near?
Can you hear the faithful praying,
As they bow before you here?

Though you lie alone, Wat Pho is filled,
With Buddhas large and small,
A thousand other figures here,
So you are not alone at all.

Your surroundings are exotic,
Chedi graceful and serene,
A vast temple of great beauty,
A never forgotten scene.

Carmen Henesy

Copyright ©  1997 

3.     Iguazu Falls - on the border of Argentina and Brazil, was named as one

        of the winners of "The New Seven Wonders of Nature" - rent "The 

        Mission" with Robert de Niro which shows the splendor of the falls

from Bing Images, domain free

4.     Mysore Palace in Mysore in southern India - the official residence of the 

        Wodeyars who ruled Mysore for over seven centuries

5.  The Leaning Tower of Pisa in Pisa, Italy is a freestanding bell tower that

      began to lean during construction.  The ground was too soft on one side

      to support the tower's weight.

6.     The Golden Pavilion, Kinkaku-ji, in Kyoto, Japan is officially named

         Rokuon.  It is a Zen Buddhist temple built in the midst of classical

         gardens with a reflecting pond.  It is part of a World Heritage site.

7.     The Sydney Opera House, in Sydney, Australia is also a World Heritage

         site looking out at Sydney Harbor.  It is a multiple venue site and is one 

         of the world's most famous performing arts centers.

from Bing Images, domain free

8.     Butchart Gardens is a National Historic Site of Canada, located at

        Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, near Victoria.  It receives over a

        millions visitors a year.

from Bing Images, domain free

9.     The Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California is one of the most

         internationally recognized symbols of San Francisco.  The American 

         Society of Civil Engineers named it one of the Wonders of the Modern

         World.  I crossed this bridge, as a visitor from New Orleans when I was

         eighteen.  I'll never forget the thrill I felt - because I feel it every single 

         time I travel over it - and I have hundreds of times in the 35 + years 

         I've lived in the San Francisco area.

10.   Senso-ji is the oldest Buddhist temple in Tokyo, located in the Asakusa

         area.  Next to it is a Shinto shrine.

11.    The Byodo-In Buddhist Temple on the island of Oahu in Hawaii is 

          a replica of a 900-year-old temple near Kyoto, Japan.  It is set in

          beautiful gardens, with the Ko'olau Mountains behind.  It has a

          9 foot Buddha and a three ton brass peace bell.  I see it every

          time I am on Oahu since it is in Kaneohe, about fifteen miles from

          Honolulu.

from Bing Images, domain free

12.    La Boquerria - (  Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria )  located on 

          La Rambla in Barcelona, Spain is my favorite of many markets I've

          visited about the world.  The produce and vegetables are so 

          artistically arranged and there are wonderful spots inside to have a

          quick meal of Padron peppers or calamari, or to sip a glass of

          Spanish wine.

13.    The Acropolis of Athens, Greece is an ancient citadel that looks out

          over the city, reminding all of its importance to history and the world.

I have been blessed to travel about much of the world so I could easily do

another post about thirteen wonderful places!!!

I am participating, for the first time in 

Thursday 13

Check it out and jointhe fun!

  

, 

How India Began ( for me ) - August 29, 2013

I can remember, eighteen years ago, when India, for me, was just a mysterious 
country, far down on my list of places I wanted to visit.  I knew the beautiful Taj
Mahal was there and I'd read novels about the country but I'd never even seen a 
Bollywood movie.  I had, of course, been eating wonderful Indian food for most
of my life but I didn't have even one friend from that part of the world. 

On April 16, 1995, when I boarded the Monarch of the Seas, for a seven day
cruise from San Juan, all that changed.  I stopped by the ship's library to donate
the book I'd finished reading on the long flight and noticed the Champagne Bar
across the corridor.  I decided a drink was in order and that is when I met its
bartender, Odelio Santos.  No one else was in the bar so I stayed for a glass of
wine and a chat.

Much to my surprise, Santos, as  his name tag read, was from India.  I thought
he was from the Philippines.  We chatted about Mumbai, his life and family 
there and a friendship was formed.  Throughout the cruise, I went back to that
lovely, peaceful bar and got to know him better.  Besides that, he introduced me
to at least a dozen more Indian crew.  As I wandered about the ship, I realized
several hundred crew members were from India.  I thought how difficult it must
be to leave their families for six months at a time, to work so far from home.
I learned a great deal about India, its culture, and its problems from the crew,
many of whom have remained dear friends to this day.

In February 1997, prior to cruising from Thailand to Singapore, I spent ten 
days in Mumbai, at the home of Odelio Santos and his wife, mother and family. 
 I had really not foreseen visiting India and, had I not been invited, I might never 
have come to what I now call "the country of my heart.".  It was a wonderful ten 
days, passing much too quickly.  It was exciting for me to experience living at 
Sahar Village.  I was overwhelmed by the generous hospitality of the Santos
family and other people in the village.  I also got to see two other crew members,
Edsel Toscano and Sudhir Pillai, who were home for two months on leave. 

The grand finale of that visit was a trip with May Santos, the family matriarch, 
to Agra to see the Taj Mahal, one of the loveliest events of my life.  Words
cannot describe the magic of seeing its splendor for the first time.

Over the next eighteen years, I sailed eighty times with Royal Caribbean,
renewing Indian friendships every cruise.  Those crew members felt like
family and, indeed, they dubbed me "the American mother of the Indian crew".

When I decided to come to India again after my twenty-one year forensic 
nursing position ended in massive budget cuts to Public Health, Ode 
insisted that I stay with him and his family.  I spent four months at Sahar
Village, where people still remembered my first visit.  It was great to get
to know Nick, Ode and Lorna's twenty-year-old son, and Jake, who was then 
fourteen.

I am now back in India for the third time since my stay at the Santos household.
I spent five months living in Jaipur and, this time, I will be in Mumbai for six 
months, living with Rosy and Norman Toscano, Edsel's parents.  Never did I
dream that going on a cruise would afford me hundreds of very special friends
and new ones that I've met during my India stays.

I was just over to see Ode, Lorna, Jake ( Nick is working in Dubai ) and, of
course, their dog, Skip.  I couldn't believe the welcome I got from him.  I
thought he would not remember me but he greeted me so happily, almost
doing flips.

The years have been good to us, in spite of physical changes, of course.  Ode
and the whole Santos clan are my first Indian family and I love them dearly.  
Because of that fateful day in San Juan, I have actually gotten to experience
India as my home,  a place that has firmly embedded itself in my very soul.

Namaste.

Carmen & Ode, a friendship that has spanned almost two decades!

I wish I still weighed what I did when I took my first Royal Caribbean cruise...

but I'm working on that!  After 80 cruises and thousands of meals, Love

Connections ( my favorite ship board drink ) and midnight buffets, I'm glad

I've managed to discard forty of those pounds.

With beautiful Lorna, who always worried I wasn't eating enough!  She said 

Ode told her how I used to eat on cruises!  If I had kept that up, I would have

taken two seats on my flight to India!

With my nephew, Jake, who is now in college.  When I first visited Ode

and Lorna, he hadn't yet arrived on the scene!

Father and son

Mother and son

Jake Santos

and, of course, last but not least,

Skip

Life in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India - October 13, 2012

I have one more month left of my five month stay in Jaipur, the capital and largest
city of Rajasthan, India.  Jaipur is well known to tourists as part of the Golden
Triangle ( which includes Delhi and Agra - home of the Taj Mahal ).  It is often 
called "The Pink City"  and "the Paris of India."  Maharajah Jai Singh II left Amber
Fort in 1727 and laid out the city.  The old city was painted pink in 1876 to welcome
the Prince of Wales who later became King Edward VII,  It continues pink to the
day.  

Jaipur is a city of beautiful palaces, temples, Rajasthani and Moghul architecture.
It has five star hotels, budget properties,  guest houses, autorickshaws, elephants, camel carts, cows roaming loose in the streets, a great variety of restaurants, centers of 
higher education, bazaars, festivals. monkeys here and there, and beautiful fabrics
and jewelry stores.

I have loved my time here except for the blistering summer heat and the distance from
any ocean.  Having spent the last thirty-five years with the Pacific Ocean at my
feet, I've had trouble adjusting to the desert climate.  Even monsoon season failed 
to provide adequate rainfall.

Here are some pictures I've taken of my temporary home, Jaipur.

Out grocery shopping.  People carry amazing weights on their heads!

The beautiful Hawa Mahal, or Palace of the Winds, built by by Maharaja Sawaj Pratap 

Singh in 1799.  This five story building allowed the ladies of the royal family to 

observe their city without being seen. 

Kathputli wood puppets of Rajasthan - an art tradition believed to be over a  

tousand years old. 

The bicycle rickshaw - one of many forms of transportation

Pepper and lemon talsiman are used to bring good luck - this hangs from a car bumper.

Beautiful architecture in the Old City of Jaipur

Colorful sari

Street vendors

"Fast Food"

Three little pigs ( well, adolescents ) - cows and pigs wander the streets freely.

Sweet children

Cooking chapatis outdoors

At a wedding celebration

Sunrise

The inspiration for this poem was  someone very special to me - I last saw him in April of 2003 but it seems like it was just yesterday.  I met him within an hour after I boarded my very first

Royal Caribbean cruise in San Juan, Puerto Rico.  I had finished my novel and had gone to the

library on the Monarch of the Seas to get another book to read.  The Champagne Bar happened to be right across the way so I stepped in to take a look around.  He was the bartender there and, though I am not especially fond of champagne, he delighted in telling me that they also had excellent wines.  Being a snobby Californian, of course, I was dubious so I sat down and checked out the wine list.  It was above par - with some fine wines from California as well as

other parts of the world.  On that seven day cruise, the Champagne Bar was my favorite spot and Santos became a beloved friend.  Over the next eight years, I continued to sail frequently with Royal Caribbean, as often as possible with my Indian friend and when he would transfer ships, I would sail on the new itineraries.  He, and the other Indian crew became like family to me, as did many other crew members from all over the world.  He came to California on two occasions, once for two weeks and once for another week and became part of our family.  We even celebrated Thanksgiving though it wasn't Thanksgiving then so he would see what the celebration was like in an American home.  Of course, he'd been on the ships during Thanksgiving time but he'd never been able to be part of a U. S. family!

While he was visiting us, we would take him to Napa and the Russian River to see as many wineries as possible, since his job with Royal Caribbean evolved into that of sommelier.  He was always so thrilled with whatever he saw and did.  As a surprise, one morning at dawn, I suprised him with an early morning hot air balloon ride over the vineyards at Napa.  It was such fun to see his delight.

In 1997, I had the most exciting trip of my life when I spent ten days at the home of Santos, his wife, Lorna, his son, Nick, his mother, May, and his brother in Mumbai, India.  I was treated like visiting royalty.  Two other dear Royal Caribbean crew friends were also home at that time and they came over as well to welcome me to their country.

It was a time of feasting, laughter, amazement and delight for me.  I went with Santos' mother to Agra and marveled at the beauty of the Taj Mahal.  It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life.  The memory of that day will be with me until my dying breath.  I even wrote a poem about it years later.  

Santos left his position with Royal Caribbean in May of 2003.   I last sailed with him in April of that year.  Though the miles separate us, he and his family remain dear to my heart.  I have wanted so badly to return to India.  His lovely mother died a couple of years ago so I will not see her again.  I was supposed to go for a month in mid-October of this year and even had my ticket - I had saved those frequent flyer miles for an eternity.  It was to be a really special trip because I would see not only Santos and his family but five other of my Royal Caribbean "family" who were home on vacation and several others who have since retired from the company.  Sadly, my mother became ill and I had to go to Georgia instead.  Also, my nursing job of 21 years with San Francisco ended and money became an issue.  My Indian friends assured me that I didn't need to worry about food or lodging, I just needed to get myself there.  

God willing, I will still get that chance again!  I still have the miles and I want to see all those dear friends before my life ends.  After all, I'm known in Royal Caribbean circles as the American mother of the Indian crew!

Me, Santos, & my youngest son, Jeremy, in July 2002 

( Jeremy's high school graduation present was a cruise )

I've now completed 78 cruises with Royal Caribbean - 26 on my original ship, the Monarch of the Seas.

Here I am late one night, having a couple of bottles of wine in the dining room, with my dear friends, Irish maitre d',

Seamus Mee, four Indian headwaiters and a great Indian chef!  

Sunrise

I see the dawn light up the sky,
And soon the sun breaks through,
The colors bring me little joy,
Since I am far from you.

You are on a distant shore,
Your day is at its end,
As the sun comes up tomorrow,
I will miss you, dearest friend.

The days all run together,
Brilliant sunrise, follows dawn,
All I feel is utter loneliness,
And sadness since you've gone.

When, at last, we meet again,
And never have to part,
There will be eternal sunrise,
Taking place within my heart.

Carmen Henesy

Copyright (c) 2007 by Carmen Henesy
All rights reserved.

 Lake Tahoe Sunrise by scottleeschwartz Flickr

Light at the End of the Pier - Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii - PatruckSmithPhotography -Flickr

Pre -dawn light over the Golden Gate Bridge - Oldvidhead - Flickr