Panchakarma is an ayurvedic way of cleansing the body, similar to a detox. There are many different ways to receive panchakarma as they base your treatment on the dosha that you are. There are three major doshas in ayruveda; Pitta, Vata and Kapha.
They have an entire system based on the doshas from what you should and shouldn’t eat, to how much exercise someone should have. It can get quite complicated, and people to go school to study this and earn degrees.
I am considered Vata, so I’m going to go through the details of what they did to me during the treatment. Remember that people go through different treatments. Daren is a Kapha and so talking to him about his treatments, they were sometimes similar and sometimes completely different.
Panchakarma can last from one week up to a total of 53 days or about 2 months. It depends on how much time (and money) you have. The perfect world would be 53 days.
Each and every day starts with a massage. Now how does that sound every time you go to the doctor - a massage right off the bat! This is not quite the massage you are thinking of like back in the states. This massage is a foot massage, meaning the therapist uses his/her feet to give you the massage.
You start by sitting down on a stool and they give you a scalp, neck and shoulder massage using their hands. They breath a certain way over your head and make some unusual sounds with their hands while they are doing this. This part of the treatment lasts about 5 min.
Then they have you lie down, face down, on a large pad on the floor. The pad is made of vinyl, similar to the material they use to cover the seats and benches in a weight room. Then they literally pour oil all over your body. I’m not quite sure what kind of oil, but I think it is sesame oil or a blend of oils. It’s very thick, slick, and has been infused with herbs. When I say pour, I mean pour. I’m guessing that each time, they use at least 2 quarts of oil on just me. Not sure if this is a base for everyone, or if they use different oils for the different doshas. It has almost a rusty color to it, and just a faint smell of herbs.
While we are on the subject of herbs. In the states the spas, and homeopathic treatments seem to always include some kind of floral oil such as lavender or orange blossom. Here in India they use lots of spices, but the same ones that you cook with, so the center smells more like a kitchen than what we would think of as a spa or healing center.
There are ropes hanging above you attached to the ceiling, and after pouring the oil over you (in large quantities), they hold on to the ropes and begin to give you a massage using the souls of their feet. They use very large strokes that will cover say your arms and mid section or legs and midsection. Based on the way they massage you, it couldn’t be done on a table using just hands. When they are done with your back they turn you over and do the same thing to your front side.
Once the massage is over they allow you to rest for a time just laying there relaxing. I’m not sure how long they let you lay there, I’m thinking 5 or ten minutes. It’s amazing how good you feel after the massage and its very easy to almost fall asleep as your body absorbs the herbs and the oil.
Next, they put me up on a table face down again, and then began to rub what I think was an herb infused warm water onto my body. In my mind I called this the baste, like when you baste a turkey. That is what it felt like. I’m really not sure what the liquid was, but it looked like muddy water. However the smell was that of herbs, not pleasant, but didn’t smell bad in any way. At this point in time there were two therapists there one standing on each side of the table to baste you!
Then after the baste, came the rub. They had me get off the table and while one cleaned and dried the table, the other one cleaned and dried me off! Back onto the table I went, face down again, they they sprinkled me with some kind of brown powder. Once again, the powder was a plethora of different herbs all ground together. Once I was covered in this powder, using similar strokes, they pressed the powder into my skin. Starting at my feet and working all the way up to the head. Once they were done with my back side, I turned over they they did the front side.
After that it was off the table again and they brushed me off and sent me on my way for the day. This whole process takes about two hours each day. The powder was a rusty color as well, so it looked like I’d been playing in orange sand or something. Then once back at the room you showered really, really well, because the powder can and will stain any fabric it comes in contact with. At the beginning of your treatments they give you a lunghi (basically a large piece of cloth that you wrap around your self like a towel to go to and from the clinic).
They did this for the first two days of the treatment, then the process changed just a little, which I will write about soon. Remember that this is not the same process that Daren had. The only thing that was similar was the massage, and I’m not sure if it was the same kind of oil or not.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Berlin
Let me start off by saying that anybody who has lived in Germany or Berlin over the last 100 years deserves to be acknowledged as a true hero on a personal level. When ever you get a little down after watching the news, reading the paper, or on the internet and wonder why the world is the way it is, and can there ever be a bright day; my answer to that is yes. All you need to do is look at a bright and shinning star - Berlin.
We learn in the history books about great and powerful cities. Cities full of wealth and power, greed and misfortune. These cities come and go, sometimes quickly like a storm, others stand for a while, but always fall.
In only the last century has the world seen some of the most horrific events known to man. Both World Wars, terrorist attacks all around the globe and of course the religious wars currently going on right now. Just by looking at the things man has done for power and greed in just the last 100 years is sometimes hard to swallow when you look at it in this light. Cities after falling from war usually take decades if not centuries to recover.
Berlin has been the center of two of the most horrific events in only the last 80 years; World War II and The Cold War dividing East and West Germany and Berlin. I admit that during school we learned about WWII, Hitler, the Berlin Wall, the Soviet Union, etc., but how much does the average 14 year old really understand? We see pictures and hear the stories always coming from the side that is winning. We hear of the things Hitler did, and just like watching a movie our minds don’t register that this isn’t something Hollywood has created, but actual events happening.
After spending a very short 5 days in the city of Berlin, I have come to think of Berlin as that shinning star off in the distance. The light in the darkness. Not just the hope, but the reality that people are resilliant and may suffer, but will always come back stronger than before. Here is a city that was almost completely destroyed by WW II not just the buildings but the people as well. Then to add salt to the wound, the Berlin Wall went up because of the cold war, separating east and west, not just the country, but the city itself. If you lived in West Berlin, it was like living on an island.
The Berlin wall fell in 1989, I was a senior in hight school, and although I knew what was happening, I didn’t understand the impact it had on not just the people of Germany, but of the world. Berlin is now full of memorials and plaza’s and museums that share this story, so hopefully we don’t forget and repeat the mistakes of the past.
Our time was short for a city with history like this, plus trying to recover from jet lag doesn’t help. Getting around the city is very easy with the use of the train system. One ticket will get you on the underground, the elevated, the trams, and the buses. You can get anywhere in Berlin using the train system. More on this in a minute.
One of our first stops was the Reichstag’s futuristic cupola. This is what we would all parliament, or the Capital Building. This is where the German Government happens. The building was built in the 1700’s and housed the government from that time on until it was burned to the ground by Hitler in around 1936. The only thing left standing was the stone walls. During the cold war is was in West Berlin, but sat empty to my knowledge. It was after the fall of the Berlin Wall (BW) that the govenment decided to rebuild it and use it again for its purpose; the government for the people.
During the rebuild They put a huge glass done on top of the building. Think of the US capitol building but with a glass top not copper. This is a walkway that winds around and up to the top of the glass dome and then back down. From there, you can see all of Berlin and is a great way to get familiar with the city before you begin touring the rest of the city.
They even have a head set that you put on and listen to the commentary as you walk up and around inside the dome. The amazing thing about the headsets is that you have our own little box with you like many museums have, but it can tell where you are in the dome and it goes along and talks about the things you can see from that point. If you are walking to fast it will tell you to stop for a minute. Once it gets done telling you about the view then it says to continue walking.
The next stop on our tour was the Brandenburg Gate. This was also built centuries ago, and somehow managed to survive everything that has happened to Berlin. It has needed repair, but has stood the test of time. All the buildings around the Gate, including many embassies, are all new buildings. Most of the buildings in that area were destroyed during WWII and after the Cold War they began rebuilding them to look like they did before the war.
Next on the tour was the Holocaust Memorial. It is a concrete labyrinth of upright stone slabs that seem to move in each direction forever with no end. Each slab is slightly a different height and the ground is not level so at some points the slabs are maybe 3 feet off the ground and at other points they stand over 15 feet high. This “walkable” monument is to commemorate the murdered Jews and other minorities of Europe.
More to come very soon about this incredible city!
We learn in the history books about great and powerful cities. Cities full of wealth and power, greed and misfortune. These cities come and go, sometimes quickly like a storm, others stand for a while, but always fall.
In only the last century has the world seen some of the most horrific events known to man. Both World Wars, terrorist attacks all around the globe and of course the religious wars currently going on right now. Just by looking at the things man has done for power and greed in just the last 100 years is sometimes hard to swallow when you look at it in this light. Cities after falling from war usually take decades if not centuries to recover.
Berlin has been the center of two of the most horrific events in only the last 80 years; World War II and The Cold War dividing East and West Germany and Berlin. I admit that during school we learned about WWII, Hitler, the Berlin Wall, the Soviet Union, etc., but how much does the average 14 year old really understand? We see pictures and hear the stories always coming from the side that is winning. We hear of the things Hitler did, and just like watching a movie our minds don’t register that this isn’t something Hollywood has created, but actual events happening.
After spending a very short 5 days in the city of Berlin, I have come to think of Berlin as that shinning star off in the distance. The light in the darkness. Not just the hope, but the reality that people are resilliant and may suffer, but will always come back stronger than before. Here is a city that was almost completely destroyed by WW II not just the buildings but the people as well. Then to add salt to the wound, the Berlin Wall went up because of the cold war, separating east and west, not just the country, but the city itself. If you lived in West Berlin, it was like living on an island.
The Berlin wall fell in 1989, I was a senior in hight school, and although I knew what was happening, I didn’t understand the impact it had on not just the people of Germany, but of the world. Berlin is now full of memorials and plaza’s and museums that share this story, so hopefully we don’t forget and repeat the mistakes of the past.
Our time was short for a city with history like this, plus trying to recover from jet lag doesn’t help. Getting around the city is very easy with the use of the train system. One ticket will get you on the underground, the elevated, the trams, and the buses. You can get anywhere in Berlin using the train system. More on this in a minute.
One of our first stops was the Reichstag’s futuristic cupola. This is what we would all parliament, or the Capital Building. This is where the German Government happens. The building was built in the 1700’s and housed the government from that time on until it was burned to the ground by Hitler in around 1936. The only thing left standing was the stone walls. During the cold war is was in West Berlin, but sat empty to my knowledge. It was after the fall of the Berlin Wall (BW) that the govenment decided to rebuild it and use it again for its purpose; the government for the people.
During the rebuild They put a huge glass done on top of the building. Think of the US capitol building but with a glass top not copper. This is a walkway that winds around and up to the top of the glass dome and then back down. From there, you can see all of Berlin and is a great way to get familiar with the city before you begin touring the rest of the city.
They even have a head set that you put on and listen to the commentary as you walk up and around inside the dome. The amazing thing about the headsets is that you have our own little box with you like many museums have, but it can tell where you are in the dome and it goes along and talks about the things you can see from that point. If you are walking to fast it will tell you to stop for a minute. Once it gets done telling you about the view then it says to continue walking.
The next stop on our tour was the Brandenburg Gate. This was also built centuries ago, and somehow managed to survive everything that has happened to Berlin. It has needed repair, but has stood the test of time. All the buildings around the Gate, including many embassies, are all new buildings. Most of the buildings in that area were destroyed during WWII and after the Cold War they began rebuilding them to look like they did before the war.
Next on the tour was the Holocaust Memorial. It is a concrete labyrinth of upright stone slabs that seem to move in each direction forever with no end. Each slab is slightly a different height and the ground is not level so at some points the slabs are maybe 3 feet off the ground and at other points they stand over 15 feet high. This “walkable” monument is to commemorate the murdered Jews and other minorities of Europe.
More to come very soon about this incredible city!
Monday, December 7, 2009
Airports
About Airports;
You should never be surprised about what you find or run into when traveling between airports, especially large and international airports. I was curious about the airports we traveled through and where they ranked in size, etc.
We left Chicago’s O’Hare International and changed planes in London’s Heathrow International before finishing in Berlin’s Tegal. Based on the most recent information on the web (google), O’Hare is the second largest airport in the world, just behind Atlanta, and Heathrow is right behind O’Hare.
The major differences between the two is that O’Hare is a very large airport, however the majority of its traffic is domestic. The international terminal for O’Hare is not huge, and if you don’t need to change terminals or O’Hare is your originating airport then getting through O’Hare is relatively easy. The international terminal has 21 gates for about a dozen different carriers throughout the world.
Our gate was right past security which only took about 10 minutes to get through. Very simple and easy. The challenge with that terminal is that aside from snacks and bottled beverages there are no restaurants or real food vendors past security. Translation: No Starbucks!!!
After getting halfway through security and being told that, be backed out of the line to find coffee, only to realize after getting out of line that the only place that sold coffee had drip coffee only. Then we laughed because you can’t take drinks through security so back in line we went.
The average flight time from Chicago to London is about 8 hours and we did it in 6:55. That was a great flight time, which only meant we had a longer layover at the airport. The last time I passed through Heathrow for a transfer only was two years ago and we went through Terminal 4. There was much talk of British Airways new Terminal 5 that was being built. Because we were passing through, and on British Airways, through terminal 5 we went. Let me share with you what passing through this city was like.
I do use the word city, because that is what it felt like. Terminal five is huge - kind of to Las Vegas standards when it comes to hotels. There are currently two buildings that are part of T5, and a third one us under construction. Between the two buildings currently open, there are 60 gates. 60! We are not talking about the entire airport, just T5. While we were having breakfast, I counted eleven 747s lined up on only one side of the building. All gates are capable of handling the A380, which is the largest passenger plane in the world, so yes, city is the right word. They had over 30 million people in T5 alone in its first year of service.
For some reason, even though you have been through security at the airport that you left from, they make you go through again, even if you are simply changing planes. The reason I come up with is that they fly to airports that places like the United States don’t approve of. So they need the extra security to fly their planes in/out of the US.
The next airport was Berlin, Germany. The simple way to describe this airport, especially after coming from the two we just did is; baby. Even our taxi driver called it a baby airport. I think there are 10 maybe 12 gates total, and only one level. I can’t remember the last time I was in an airport that did require you to travel on at least two sets of escalators! It was however very simple. We exited the plane and at the end of the jetway was Immigrations, they simply pass scan and stamp your passport, welcome you to Germany, and send you on to luggage. Perhaps because we were all coming from London, I don’t know, but there was no Customs. We picked up our luggage in the same area as we got our passports stamped, then walked outside and picked up a cab to the hotel. The simplicity of getting into Germany was amazing. Its like they simply trust everyone and don’t worry about anything. Going to every country I have been to, there is that nice long form you need to fill out asking you all sorts of information, and then you have the travel visa, some countries like India require you to have one in your passport, other countries simply issue you one when you enter, but they almost always give you a time on your length of stay. We filled out no forms, they gave us no limits on our stay in Germany, they only said welcome! Actually they said “Willkommen!”
On the way out, each gate has its own security and once you pass through you are put in a large room to wait for the plane to board. I don’t know if they are all like this, but ours had a duty free shop and a small cafe so we could get some coffee while we waited. However, because of this setup, you could only shop or eat at those two places if you had passed through that security for this gate. I don’t know what they do when there are no planes using the gate. Close up, or sit around?
On our way to India we once again had the extreme pleasure of passing through T5, this time arriving on a small 737, and moving into a 747 for the flight to India. The airport in Bangalore is a new one from the last time that I arrived there two years ago. It is a beautiful airport, very modern and up to the most recent standards. The only thing that really stood out about this airport, especially since we were in India was that the gate we parked at had two jetways to service the 747. First class and World Plus passengers exited the first jet way, and Business and World traveler took the second jet way. British Airways uses the words World Traveler for economy and Traveler Plus for an upgrade between economy and business. World Traveler Plus is the same as domestic first class seats. They are larger with more leg room. Business class on BA has seats that recline all the way into a level bed. First class, you get your own cabin. (I wish!)
If you read my blog two years ago about when we left Bangalore and how short the runway was, well, we shall see if they improved that at all. To read it, just go back to the entry; India - Goodbye.
I will be writing about Berlin in the next day or two...
You should never be surprised about what you find or run into when traveling between airports, especially large and international airports. I was curious about the airports we traveled through and where they ranked in size, etc.
We left Chicago’s O’Hare International and changed planes in London’s Heathrow International before finishing in Berlin’s Tegal. Based on the most recent information on the web (google), O’Hare is the second largest airport in the world, just behind Atlanta, and Heathrow is right behind O’Hare.
The major differences between the two is that O’Hare is a very large airport, however the majority of its traffic is domestic. The international terminal for O’Hare is not huge, and if you don’t need to change terminals or O’Hare is your originating airport then getting through O’Hare is relatively easy. The international terminal has 21 gates for about a dozen different carriers throughout the world.
Our gate was right past security which only took about 10 minutes to get through. Very simple and easy. The challenge with that terminal is that aside from snacks and bottled beverages there are no restaurants or real food vendors past security. Translation: No Starbucks!!!
After getting halfway through security and being told that, be backed out of the line to find coffee, only to realize after getting out of line that the only place that sold coffee had drip coffee only. Then we laughed because you can’t take drinks through security so back in line we went.
The average flight time from Chicago to London is about 8 hours and we did it in 6:55. That was a great flight time, which only meant we had a longer layover at the airport. The last time I passed through Heathrow for a transfer only was two years ago and we went through Terminal 4. There was much talk of British Airways new Terminal 5 that was being built. Because we were passing through, and on British Airways, through terminal 5 we went. Let me share with you what passing through this city was like.
I do use the word city, because that is what it felt like. Terminal five is huge - kind of to Las Vegas standards when it comes to hotels. There are currently two buildings that are part of T5, and a third one us under construction. Between the two buildings currently open, there are 60 gates. 60! We are not talking about the entire airport, just T5. While we were having breakfast, I counted eleven 747s lined up on only one side of the building. All gates are capable of handling the A380, which is the largest passenger plane in the world, so yes, city is the right word. They had over 30 million people in T5 alone in its first year of service.
For some reason, even though you have been through security at the airport that you left from, they make you go through again, even if you are simply changing planes. The reason I come up with is that they fly to airports that places like the United States don’t approve of. So they need the extra security to fly their planes in/out of the US.
The next airport was Berlin, Germany. The simple way to describe this airport, especially after coming from the two we just did is; baby. Even our taxi driver called it a baby airport. I think there are 10 maybe 12 gates total, and only one level. I can’t remember the last time I was in an airport that did require you to travel on at least two sets of escalators! It was however very simple. We exited the plane and at the end of the jetway was Immigrations, they simply pass scan and stamp your passport, welcome you to Germany, and send you on to luggage. Perhaps because we were all coming from London, I don’t know, but there was no Customs. We picked up our luggage in the same area as we got our passports stamped, then walked outside and picked up a cab to the hotel. The simplicity of getting into Germany was amazing. Its like they simply trust everyone and don’t worry about anything. Going to every country I have been to, there is that nice long form you need to fill out asking you all sorts of information, and then you have the travel visa, some countries like India require you to have one in your passport, other countries simply issue you one when you enter, but they almost always give you a time on your length of stay. We filled out no forms, they gave us no limits on our stay in Germany, they only said welcome! Actually they said “Willkommen!”
On the way out, each gate has its own security and once you pass through you are put in a large room to wait for the plane to board. I don’t know if they are all like this, but ours had a duty free shop and a small cafe so we could get some coffee while we waited. However, because of this setup, you could only shop or eat at those two places if you had passed through that security for this gate. I don’t know what they do when there are no planes using the gate. Close up, or sit around?
On our way to India we once again had the extreme pleasure of passing through T5, this time arriving on a small 737, and moving into a 747 for the flight to India. The airport in Bangalore is a new one from the last time that I arrived there two years ago. It is a beautiful airport, very modern and up to the most recent standards. The only thing that really stood out about this airport, especially since we were in India was that the gate we parked at had two jetways to service the 747. First class and World Plus passengers exited the first jet way, and Business and World traveler took the second jet way. British Airways uses the words World Traveler for economy and Traveler Plus for an upgrade between economy and business. World Traveler Plus is the same as domestic first class seats. They are larger with more leg room. Business class on BA has seats that recline all the way into a level bed. First class, you get your own cabin. (I wish!)
If you read my blog two years ago about when we left Bangalore and how short the runway was, well, we shall see if they improved that at all. To read it, just go back to the entry; India - Goodbye.
I will be writing about Berlin in the next day or two...
Monday, November 30, 2009
On My Way!
Its hard to believe that it was on year ago today that I last wrote on the blog, and I was some where in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean on the Queen Mary II. So this entry is just to give you the highlights of this trip, where and how I'll be getting there, and then over the next several months I will write about my adventures this go around. Travel plans are as follows:
Chicago - London, layover only.
London - Berlin 5 days in Berlin with friend. Touring the city.
Berlin - London, layover only
London - Bangalore, India
Bangalore - Mysore by taxi 4 days in Mysore going to a Hindu wedding.
Mysore - Bangalore by train
Bangalore - Trivundrum 6 weeks practicing Ashtanga yoga
Trivundrum - Bangalore travel means to be determined.
Bangalore - London, layover only.
London - Chicago, do laundry and change out clothes!
Chicago - Seattle, layover
Seattle - Vancouver, Canada. tickets to Opening Ceremony, XXI Olympic Winter Games
Vancouver - Seattle by train, seeing friends
Seattle - Denver, seeing friends
Denver - Chicago, my god we are home!!!! Time to go to work.
I plan on writing as often as I can about this journey, please keep in touch via facebook, and I wish everyone a Happy Holiday Season!
namaste
Chicago - London, layover only.
London - Berlin 5 days in Berlin with friend. Touring the city.
Berlin - London, layover only
London - Bangalore, India
Bangalore - Mysore by taxi 4 days in Mysore going to a Hindu wedding.
Mysore - Bangalore by train
Bangalore - Trivundrum 6 weeks practicing Ashtanga yoga
Trivundrum - Bangalore travel means to be determined.
Bangalore - London, layover only.
London - Chicago, do laundry and change out clothes!
Chicago - Seattle, layover
Seattle - Vancouver, Canada. tickets to Opening Ceremony, XXI Olympic Winter Games
Vancouver - Seattle by train, seeing friends
Seattle - Denver, seeing friends
Denver - Chicago, my god we are home!!!! Time to go to work.
I plan on writing as often as I can about this journey, please keep in touch via facebook, and I wish everyone a Happy Holiday Season!
namaste
Sunday, November 30, 2008
About the Queen Mary 2
The RMS Queen Mary 2
Here are some fun facts about the QM2, most of which can be seen along with great pictures at the web site www.cunard.com
The QM2 is the grandest, most magnificent ocean liner ever built. She's a true heir to the timeless elegance, legacy and inspiration of the great Cunard liners of legend. Facts:
Length: 1,132 feet (a football field is 300 feet, that’s almost four football fields!)
Beam: 135 feet
Height (Keel to Funnel): 236.2 feet (a 23 story building!)
Gross Tonnage: Approximately 151,400 gross tones
Guest Capacity: 2,592 lower berths 3,056 maximum capacity
Crew: 1,253
Strength: Extra thick steel hull for strength and stability for Transatlantic Crossings
QM2 is more than twice as long as the Washington Monument is tall (550 ft.)
QM2 is 147 feet longer than the Eiffel Tower is tall (984 ft.)
QM2 is more than 3½ times as long as Westminster Tower (Big Ben) is high (310 ft.)
Canyon Ranch SpaClub® Queen Mary 2's 20,000-square foot health club, offers a wide array of pampering possibilities, as the sensational AquaTherapy Centre and well-equipped Fitness Centre.
Empire Casino The Monte Carlo-inspired Empire Casino offers a full variety of opportunities to tempt Lady Luck - 13 Gaming Tables, over 120 slot machines, even video poker. Also, there is the convenient Casino Bar.
Swimming Pools There are a total of five swimming pools onboard Queen Mary 2, including the Terrace Pool on Deck 8, The Minnows Pool especially for children on Deck 9, the Sun Deck Splash Pool on the top of the ship, and our most popular Pavilion Pool on Deck 12, which features a retractable dome for any weather!
So here’s the questions everyone always asks:
How many life boats are there and is that enough – after all, we do transatlantic crossings.
There are 22 life boats each able to hold 150 passengers. That’s 3,300 people on the life boats. There are then 60 inflatable life rafts. 30 of them are specifically for the crew, and the other 30 are extra, just in case. So yes, we have plenty of life boats/rafts on board.
Here are some fun facts about the QM2, most of which can be seen along with great pictures at the web site www.cunard.com
The QM2 is the grandest, most magnificent ocean liner ever built. She's a true heir to the timeless elegance, legacy and inspiration of the great Cunard liners of legend. Facts:
Length: 1,132 feet (a football field is 300 feet, that’s almost four football fields!)
Beam: 135 feet
Height (Keel to Funnel): 236.2 feet (a 23 story building!)
Gross Tonnage: Approximately 151,400 gross tones
Guest Capacity: 2,592 lower berths 3,056 maximum capacity
Crew: 1,253
Strength: Extra thick steel hull for strength and stability for Transatlantic Crossings
QM2 is more than twice as long as the Washington Monument is tall (550 ft.)
QM2 is 147 feet longer than the Eiffel Tower is tall (984 ft.)
QM2 is more than 3½ times as long as Westminster Tower (Big Ben) is high (310 ft.)
Canyon Ranch SpaClub® Queen Mary 2's 20,000-square foot health club, offers a wide array of pampering possibilities, as the sensational AquaTherapy Centre and well-equipped Fitness Centre.
Empire Casino The Monte Carlo-inspired Empire Casino offers a full variety of opportunities to tempt Lady Luck - 13 Gaming Tables, over 120 slot machines, even video poker. Also, there is the convenient Casino Bar.
Swimming Pools There are a total of five swimming pools onboard Queen Mary 2, including the Terrace Pool on Deck 8, The Minnows Pool especially for children on Deck 9, the Sun Deck Splash Pool on the top of the ship, and our most popular Pavilion Pool on Deck 12, which features a retractable dome for any weather!
So here’s the questions everyone always asks:
How many life boats are there and is that enough – after all, we do transatlantic crossings.
There are 22 life boats each able to hold 150 passengers. That’s 3,300 people on the life boats. There are then 60 inflatable life rafts. 30 of them are specifically for the crew, and the other 30 are extra, just in case. So yes, we have plenty of life boats/rafts on board.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
The RMS Queen Mary 2
Just a quick welcome back to the blog. Its Thursday night, and I'm ready to head to the airport in the morning. My flight will take me to London via Chicago, and once in London, transfer to train to Southampton where I board the RMS Queen Mary 2 for my six weeks voyage with Canyon Ranch. I'll update soon about the trip.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
India - Goodbye
I'm now back home, have found a new place to live, and begin work next week! Coming back to the US was anticlimactic. I was thankful for being back home, but because it was home, not because it was the US or something along those lines. My time spent in India was incredible, I had a great time and the friends I met and the things I learned about the different cultures was inspiring. There are parts of India I already miss, however there are parts that I would prefer never to see or hear again. The most notable was the noise (honking) of the cars in the cities - never ending. The cab ride from the airport here in the US was amazing because it was completely quiet! I could handle the dirt, and spending that much time in a 3rd World country, poverty is in the eye of the beholder. The people in India are in poverty if you compare them to us. However, they live full, complete, happy lives, and don't feel the need to go in debt to get the latest fashions or to put the pool in their yard because the neighbours did. They don't feel the need to compete with their friends and don't need the latest of whatever it may be. They are content with what they have.
While there I was reading a fiction book that was based around India and there was a paragraph in the book that I felt was perfect to explain India. It seemed like the right way to sum up my trip to India, and at the same time compare the two different worlds; ours and theirs.
"The US embodies for me what I have come to call the Western mindset, restless, driven, pushing toward some unknown future which is always assumed to be better than anything that has gone before. No one pauses even a moment to reflect on the usefulness of this ceaseless striving. India's cities are timeless, self-absorbed, rooted in a glorious past, long faded, that is presumed lost forever. Indian society paused to reflect on the process of striving and never got around to striving again. India engages in ceaseless introspection without effective action. Western society is linear, goal-oriented. Indian society is circular, inward-oriented. The West values the new, the young, the innovative. India treasures the very old, the traditional, the way things have been for millennia. Both perspectives have value. Neither in isolation adequately reflects the full potential of humanity."
This was the third time I have read this book and after being in India that paragraph couldn't have said it better - the differences between the two worlds. It took me being in India to really get what that paragraph was trying to say!
Two last adventures I would like to share. They say you always remember the first and last things you do either on a trip, or a meeting, etc. I will never forget the last few moments I was on the ground in India. We left Bangalore on schedule, Feb 20th. The airport in Bangalore is not very big, in fact is has 3 domestic gates and 1 international gate! For the most part, turbo props and planes the size of a 727 are normal there in Bangalore. We left as we arrived, on a 747-400. As the plane rolled town the taxi way I was watching outside thinking to myself, good bye for now. As the plane pulled out onto the runway, it didn't turn to face the length of the runway, but continued maybe another 100 feet to the very end of the runway, and then the pilot made a U turn! From my window, as I was on the outside of the U turn, we were at the very end, meaning dirt was under the wing as he turned that plane around. Image for a second, a 747 making a U turn. I'm almost sure if he could have put the plane in reverse he would have backed up to the edge of the pavement!
Once the plan was lined up with the runway again, with the brakes fully applied, he opened the engines up completely. This went on for about 10 seconds. So stop and count to ten. That is actually a long time to sit still and listen to the engines increase to full power. The the brakes were released. If you have ever been on a roller coaster that uses propulsion to get the train moving you know the feeling. We were all pressed back into our seats like we were headed for space. A 747 needs to be traveling about 170 mph to get off the ground. We were seated over the wing, therefore right over the back landing gear. Just as we felt the wheels lift off the ground I looked out the window and the runway ended! I am not a nervous flyer, but that was one take off I will never forget.
When I got home the last thing I wanted to do was eat at a restaurant. I didn't care what I was eating as long as it was at home and I cooked it. I would say that must have been the one thing I really longed for, was my own cooking. To just be able to eat something that was siting around and not having to go to a restaurant or order room service and wait for the food. I found it interesting during my stay in India the things that you think about most. How you compare things from the country you are in to the way it is done at home. If you have read the entire blog my comparisons seemed to follow a specific thought. I compared the taxi ride to one in New York vs Its A Small World. The rickshaws reminded me of the Doom Buggies at the Haunted Mansion, and the lights at the Mysore Palace of course reminded me of Main Street U.S.A. Once you get back from a trip of this size you want to tell the world everything, and at the same time you feel like you have nothing to say. The number one question I got from friends, family and even coworkers once I returned was; "Lance, you just spent two months in India, what are you going to do next?" ... and so I did! :)
"The Happiest Place On Earth!" is only a 3 1/2 hour drive from here, so maybe I did need a taste of good old America! Mickey says "Hi!"
While there I was reading a fiction book that was based around India and there was a paragraph in the book that I felt was perfect to explain India. It seemed like the right way to sum up my trip to India, and at the same time compare the two different worlds; ours and theirs.
"The US embodies for me what I have come to call the Western mindset, restless, driven, pushing toward some unknown future which is always assumed to be better than anything that has gone before. No one pauses even a moment to reflect on the usefulness of this ceaseless striving. India's cities are timeless, self-absorbed, rooted in a glorious past, long faded, that is presumed lost forever. Indian society paused to reflect on the process of striving and never got around to striving again. India engages in ceaseless introspection without effective action. Western society is linear, goal-oriented. Indian society is circular, inward-oriented. The West values the new, the young, the innovative. India treasures the very old, the traditional, the way things have been for millennia. Both perspectives have value. Neither in isolation adequately reflects the full potential of humanity."
This was the third time I have read this book and after being in India that paragraph couldn't have said it better - the differences between the two worlds. It took me being in India to really get what that paragraph was trying to say!
Two last adventures I would like to share. They say you always remember the first and last things you do either on a trip, or a meeting, etc. I will never forget the last few moments I was on the ground in India. We left Bangalore on schedule, Feb 20th. The airport in Bangalore is not very big, in fact is has 3 domestic gates and 1 international gate! For the most part, turbo props and planes the size of a 727 are normal there in Bangalore. We left as we arrived, on a 747-400. As the plane rolled town the taxi way I was watching outside thinking to myself, good bye for now. As the plane pulled out onto the runway, it didn't turn to face the length of the runway, but continued maybe another 100 feet to the very end of the runway, and then the pilot made a U turn! From my window, as I was on the outside of the U turn, we were at the very end, meaning dirt was under the wing as he turned that plane around. Image for a second, a 747 making a U turn. I'm almost sure if he could have put the plane in reverse he would have backed up to the edge of the pavement!
Once the plan was lined up with the runway again, with the brakes fully applied, he opened the engines up completely. This went on for about 10 seconds. So stop and count to ten. That is actually a long time to sit still and listen to the engines increase to full power. The the brakes were released. If you have ever been on a roller coaster that uses propulsion to get the train moving you know the feeling. We were all pressed back into our seats like we were headed for space. A 747 needs to be traveling about 170 mph to get off the ground. We were seated over the wing, therefore right over the back landing gear. Just as we felt the wheels lift off the ground I looked out the window and the runway ended! I am not a nervous flyer, but that was one take off I will never forget.
When I got home the last thing I wanted to do was eat at a restaurant. I didn't care what I was eating as long as it was at home and I cooked it. I would say that must have been the one thing I really longed for, was my own cooking. To just be able to eat something that was siting around and not having to go to a restaurant or order room service and wait for the food. I found it interesting during my stay in India the things that you think about most. How you compare things from the country you are in to the way it is done at home. If you have read the entire blog my comparisons seemed to follow a specific thought. I compared the taxi ride to one in New York vs Its A Small World. The rickshaws reminded me of the Doom Buggies at the Haunted Mansion, and the lights at the Mysore Palace of course reminded me of Main Street U.S.A. Once you get back from a trip of this size you want to tell the world everything, and at the same time you feel like you have nothing to say. The number one question I got from friends, family and even coworkers once I returned was; "Lance, you just spent two months in India, what are you going to do next?" ... and so I did! :)
"The Happiest Place On Earth!" is only a 3 1/2 hour drive from here, so maybe I did need a taste of good old America! Mickey says "Hi!"
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