Day 44. A Passage to India.

       Today was a busy day. For one, I was able to complete my last paper due before India, which is a huge relief. I had a great day in Biomedical Ethics class today. We finished watching Ms. Ever’s Boys, a factual movie about the horrors of the Tuskegee experiment in the middle of the 20th century. For those who don’t know, Tuskegee was a town in the US where 432 Black males with Syphillis were studied under the false pretenses that they were receiving treatment. In reality, no treatment was being given, and they were being watched to see how their bodies would react. To syphilis. Which had already been studied. Anyway, the disgust of the trial which killed around 300 men led to major reforms about Informed Consent and human experimentation in the United States. It was an interesting discussion.

       Another great thing about classes on the ship is the ability to do whatever whenever. For instance, our biomed class wanted to squeeze in one more class before India, so we all met up on the top deck under the stars at 7pm and had class there. I doubt I’ve ever studied biomedical ethics on the top deck of a moving ship before-haha.

       We also had our cultural pre-port on India tonight. There, our 3 inter-port lecturers (one professor and two college-aged students) told us all about the odds and ends of Indian society and culture, what to do and what not to do. Here are some interesting facts:

- India is the world’s largest democracy. With 1.2 billion people, the whole of India accounts for 1/6 of the world’s population in a country roughly 2/3 the size of the United States
-India’s made up of 28 states, each with its own language, food, culture, and dress
-The official animal of India is the tiger. It’s official bird is the Peacock
-India is 82% Hindu. Christianity, Buddhism, and Sikhism are the runners-up
- The Taj Mahal, India’s most famous landmark was constructed under orders from Shah Jahan in 1653. It was a tribute to his wife, and it took 22 years and 20,000 workers to complete. At the end of construction, the Shah didn’t want the workers to ever build anything again, so he cut off all 20,000 pairs of hands. True story.
-Bollywood, India’s Hollywood is the most productive movie-making town in the world. In 2003, they produced 877 feature and 1177 short films. That’s almost 8 films released daily.
-The Indian flag is 3 horizontal stripes and a crest, or chaka in the middle. The Saffron stands for courage and selflessness, the white stands for peace and truth, the green for prosperity and fertility. The wheel in the middle stands for justice, and has 24 spokes, one for each hour in the day
-Chennai, our port of call, has 8 million people. Its vastly overpopulated, and social scientists don’t believe a solution is yet figured out. Just to compare, Baltimore has 600,000 people in a LARGER area then Chennai. Insane.

As one of our student inter-porters told us, navigating the streets in Chennai is a “peaceful coexistance between men, women, cows, goats and donkeys. You don’t walk,”she said, “you get pushed.”


I know some of you asked to hear what I’m doing in India…so here it is below. I will be doing a SAS day trip on day 1 to a farm in rural India with my evolution class, and then a 4-day marathon through the north of India to Agra, New Delhi, and Varanasi. It’s incredible. Here is the 4-day itinerary:

This trip combines the bustling city of Delhi, the majesty of the Taj Mahal, and the "eternal city"of Varanasi, one of
the most important pilgrimage sites in India. Located on the banks of the sacred River Ganges, Varanasi is the holy
city of the Hindus. Often called "the heartbeat of India,"it is the oldest inhabited city in the world. Varanasi has
been a center of civilization and learning for over 2,000 years. Here you can observe the ritual bathing in the Ganges
at dawn, a practice that has continued virtually unchanged over the centuries. Please note: This is a rigorous
itinerary involving a lot of traveling and early morning departures.

Day 1: Transfer by motor coach to the Chennai airport for your 2_-hour flight to Delhi. Upon arrival, transfer to
the domestic airport for your flight to Varanasi. Once in Varanasi, proceed for a tour of Sarnath, located six miles
outside of Varanasi. Although the ancient city of Sarnath lies in ruins, it is as holy to Buddhists as Varanasi is to
Hindus; Buddha preached his first sermon here. See the stupa and ruins of an ancient monastery as well as the new
Buddhist temple. Then enjoy lunch at the hotel before an optional shopping tour with your guide at the Indian Art
Emporium. Later, return to the hotel for dinner and overnight. (Box B, L, D; area hotel)
Day 2: Following an early-morning wake-up call, depart the hotel and drive to the banks of the River Ganges before
sunrise. Board a boat and sail along the river to witness a spectacle of religious practice that has continued
unchanged over centuries. At dawn, pilgrims converge at the holy waters for the ritual immersion and prayer to
release their souls from the cycle of rebirth. This is one of the most memorable experiences of a visit to India. Then,
continue your city orientation of Varanasi. The oldest living city in the world, it has been a center of civilization and
learning for over 2,500 years. Visit some of the major temples and walk through narrow lanes flanked with shops
selling, among other things, the famous Benaras silk, for which Varanasi is known. After breakfast at the hotel,
proceed to the Archaeological Museum and explore the large collection of ancient art before heading for the airport
(where you will have lunch) and an afternoon flight to Delhi. Upon arrival, enjoy a city orientation. Visit the Birla
Temple and a Sikh Gurdwara. Drive along Rajpath, the ceremonial avenue, past the War Memorial, Parliament
House, and the Rashtrapati Bhavan (Presidential Palace). Dinner and overnight at the hotel. (B, L, D; area hotel)
Day 3: The early morning finds you aboard the train, heading toward Agra. A boxed breakfast will be provided. 
Upon arrival, drive to Fatehpur Sikri, with its red sandstone palaces which are remarkably preserved. An optional
shopping tour, with your guide, is available at that time.  Following lunch at the hotel, drive to Agra Fort to view the
halls and palaces of the Mughals. Then visit the fabled Taj Mahal where you will have the opportunity to view the
Taj Mahal at dusk. Return to the hotel for dinner before departing on the train for your journey to Delhi. Overnight
in Delhi. (Packed B, L, D; area hotel)
Day 4: After breakfast, proceed to the airport for your return flight to Chennai. (B)


That’s it for tonight. I’ll be back in tomorrow with final details before India!

Greg.