Stew, Author at See You in Italy

There yet?

Hi Stew and All,

DATELINE. SOMEWHERE IN THE INDIAN OCEAN BETWEEN SRI LANKA AND THAILAND– Stew, and all, Yes, flattery will get you everywhere. Please send and let me see if I can do it. Today and tomorrow are sea days en route to Thailand so I have plenty of time to relax on the promenade deck and work. Wink.

Virginia, I had planned to spend a lot of time in the spa, but after a $175 mani/pedi decided I’d rather do STV stuff instead!

Yesterday we went to the elephant orphanage in Sri Lanka. Pix to folo.

Kiki

Stew note: we are building a new STVreeland company website and in our minds, we just can’t do it justice without Kiki’s words of wisdom. So, we raved on her photos and then segued seamlessly selfishly to “oh, oh, btw, could you help us? pleeease?”

Videos from the streets of Cochin, India. Going Ape. Italian icon daily part of Indian life. Buckle up.

Apes and Vespacars have been being made in Italy for decades. But not rare to see any kind of “old” apes in India. They call them tuk-tuks bee-cause of the sound?

DATELINE, THE APE-FILLED STREETS OF COCHIN, INDIA. – Apes and Vespacars have been being made in Italy for decades. The ultimate is the Ape Calessino which is sometimes found picking up passengers at the train stations or beach side ports of call. It is based on older 1980’s version of Piaggio’s Ape. Its rare to see one. But not rare to see any kind of “old” apes in India. They call them tuk-tuks bee-cause of the sound? Regardless, India got the concession to build this model of ape/tuk-tuk years ago and i think we heard they’ve been turning out 600 a day for years over there to meet the demand and keep the streets abuzzing. (Ape means “bee” in Italian. Because of the sound. Vespa? Wasp.

Ape at speed:

Ape, Kiki asked the driver to slow down to shoot his buddy’s ape coming up on them.

Incredible India. Dance Video.

DAY 25 DATELINE, COCHIN, INDIA- We disembarked to music and bare-chested men and assorted gods and goddesses dancing, had a harrowing ride (is there any other kind in India?) in a tuk-tuk and saw beautiful Hindu temples.

Many Vreeland/Italy connections here: the tuk-tuks are like your Italian Ape, right? Your cousin Max Holden who stayed with us in Panicale, was my Cochin travel consultant. And our Panicale buddy Diletta Cuccinetti did a yoga retreat here!

A big thrill just now: watching the little pilot boat speed alongside to let two Cochin pilots disembark. They did it by ladder as the huge QM2 powered out into the Indian Ocean. It looked harrowing but they were sharp in their white Bermudas!

Stew note: We’ll get to the crazy good Ape videos in the next blog!

Men in White. With whips & falcon.

DAY 19, DATELINE ABU DHABI – The QM2 makes its maiden call and is greeted by fireboats, ceremonial food and (the best part) dancing men with camel whips. That squawk behind the women in the bazaar: Hawks? That falcon?

Not your momma’s burka

DAY 18 DATELINE DUBAI – It’s as over the top as they say. Vegas with more money. Not all the women wear veils. (When they do it’s with a designer handbag and fabulous make up). changeisgonnacome

Also the world’s tallest building and luxury malls with chic W.C. signage.

Stew note: ah, a change is gonna come.

Oh, btw, yes, that IS the tower Tom Cruise was climbing in the latest Mission Impossible movie: Mission Impossible 4 Ghost Protocol. Check out the link. If you have a strong heart. Gulp.

This is a meeting of the Titans. The boat Kiki rode in on, the Queen Mary 2 is the largest Cruise Liner in the world. And the building Tom Cruise is climbing is the tallest in the world.