Greetings from the Indian Ocean! We’ve been cruising from Mumbai down the west coast of India and tonight will sail for Trivandrum. The Taj Hotel in Mumbai was a great first place to stay, dramatically posed by the famous ‘Gateway to India’ where we took small boats to the legendary island of Elephanta to see the striking rock-cut temple of Shiva. With its many-columned cave sanctuary and colossal triple-faced head of Shiva carved in the living rock of the temple’s walls, this was an incredible site. The west coast has been marvelous; Goa was resplendent with palms and Portuguese churches from the colonial period. Mangalore and Cochin, too, had long contacts with the Portuguese and there were many Catholic churches and schools there as well. We even visited a cashew factory…fascinating! We saw a giant stone statue of a Jain saint at one monument, poised high on a hill. The Chinese-style fishing nets in Cochin were a highlight with their arching, elegant frames reaching to the sky along the shorelines. Our textile experts on board have helped with shopping for the beautiful textiles of India. Today, off on river boats to explore Cochin’s famous canals!