1 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:07,640 'Hamriyah Dock, Dubai, 2 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:11,160 'an ordinary place with a special significance for me.' 3 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:18,480 It was on this spot 20 years ago that myself and my film crew 4 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:24,880 stepped aboard a wooden dhow called Al Sharma, which took us down the Persian Gulf and across to Bombay. 5 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:28,840 It was day 18 of our series Around The World In 80 Days. 6 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:39,040 It was a journey that was to become one of the most unforgettable 7 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:40,640 in my 20 years of travelling. 8 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:44,800 This traditional sailing ship known as a dhow was my home for a week. 9 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:49,240 It had no radio, no radar, and no cabins. 10 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:53,680 We slept on deck and steered by the sun and the stars. 11 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:59,600 We ate what the crew ate, augmented by the occasional fish caught on the end of a hook and line. 12 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:02,920 'Just my luck the day I'm off my food, I got two of the biggest fish caught.' 13 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:08,280 Our crew, all Indians from Gujarat, soon became friends, 14 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:13,960 laughing with me or more often at me, showing me how and what to eat, 15 00:01:13,960 --> 00:01:17,400 even looking after me when I was ill. 16 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:20,720 HE GROANS 17 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:24,800 'It certainly makes me forget the pain I had.' 18 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:27,920 It was only when the time came to say goodbye 19 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:31,320 that I realised how much I was going to miss them. 20 00:01:31,320 --> 00:01:36,560 I've often wondered what happened to the Al Sharma and her crew and her captain, with whom we shared so much 21 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:41,360 during that eight-day voyage, so I've come back here to try and find out. 22 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:25,360 Dubai, where our journey began, has transformed itself in 20 years, growing literally by the minute. 23 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:32,280 This is an offshore property scheme to be built on sand and shale regurgitated from the seabed. 24 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:36,640 It's a new world, at least, that's what the developers are calling it. 25 00:02:36,640 --> 00:02:38,520 Let me explain. 26 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:42,560 I'm in the Persian Gulf but I'm standing on Great Britain, 27 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:44,960 but this Great Britain is man-made. 28 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:48,000 When it's connected up with over 300 other islands, 29 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:52,760 it's going to be part of a mind-boggling property complex called, modestly, The World. 30 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:55,800 This being Dubai, they're not stopping there, they're already 31 00:02:55,800 --> 00:03:00,280 building a neighbour out there, which is going to be called, equally modestly, The Universe. 32 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:05,360 The dredgers and graders still have plenty of work to do on this new 33 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:10,800 world and so far, I can't see much resemblance to anything in my atlas. 34 00:03:10,800 --> 00:03:15,200 But the higher you go, the more it begins to make sense. 35 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:18,720 Isn't that South America down there on the left, 36 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:20,600 and Antarctica below it? 37 00:03:23,640 --> 00:03:28,280 When it comes to fantastical schemes, Dubai already has four. 38 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:32,960 The newly-opened, 1,500-room Atlantis Hotel resort 39 00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:36,280 is only one of the properties built on a giant palm tree. 40 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:46,640 To find out what life's like on a palm tree, I visit John Kelly Quinn, 41 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:51,920 a Liverpudlian who lives tax free in a gated community on Frond D. 42 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:54,920 This is the family room, which leads out to the garden, 43 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:58,280 which is obviously a beach, as you can see, and the pool there. 44 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:02,840 You've got your pool and the sea, choice of bathing. That's incredible. Fantastic. 45 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:06,560 Yeah, that is the sea, isn't it? Yeah, that's not man-made. Everything else is. 46 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:09,680 That's quite natural. Yeah. And all this sand, that's... 47 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:12,120 This has all been dredged up from the seabed. 48 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:14,920 As you can see, all the signature villas over the water there. 49 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:18,640 Yes. They're rather grander. You've got a lot of stars who live here. 50 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:20,480 Footballers? Lots of footballers. 51 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:22,320 Yeah? Beckham. Beckham? 52 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:24,360 I believe he's got a villa here as well. 53 00:04:24,360 --> 00:04:27,240 Simon Cowell, I believe has got one here, Madonna. Oh. 54 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:29,000 I've never seen them. 55 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:30,840 Yeah. I'm looking forward to it. 56 00:04:30,840 --> 00:04:34,560 Probably no Sheffield United players. I'm sorry, Mike. 57 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:40,160 Modesty is not a word you hear much in Dubai. 58 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:42,960 In the 20 years since I was last here, 59 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:46,680 this has become a city hooked on superlatives. 60 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:50,360 Anything the rest of the world can spend, Dubai can spend more. 61 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:54,160 Anything the world can build, Dubai can build bigger. 62 00:04:54,160 --> 00:04:59,880 This is the tallest building in the world, about 700 metres right now. 63 00:04:59,880 --> 00:05:01,920 That's about 2,200 feet, 64 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:04,000 and most people are speculating 65 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:08,000 that it's going to get up about 3,000 feet or about 900 metres. 66 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:14,040 Dubai has been called Las Vegas on steroids. 67 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:16,960 There seems no limit to its vaunting ambition 68 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:20,000 as it sets about creating the city of the future. 69 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:27,240 In Dubai, nothing is impossible. Whatever you want, you can have. 70 00:05:29,280 --> 00:05:32,400 The last time I skied was ten years ago in America, 71 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:36,160 but who needs the Rockies when you can have a metre of fresh-laid snow 72 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:37,680 every day of the year, 73 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:41,760 even when the temperature outside is hot enough to fry an egg. 74 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:55,400 They don't manufacture much in Dubai but snow they do make, 75 00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:59,000 30 tons a day, 10,000 tons a year. 76 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:04,920 Is this a miracle or a flagrant waste of the earth's resources? 77 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:07,560 I'll think about that as I go shopping. 78 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:15,560 The Emiratis love shopping. 79 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:18,920 They've turned their traditional souks and bazaars 80 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:21,760 into state of the art temples of consumerism 81 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:26,000 to which foreigners and locals alike are irresistibly drawn. 82 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:31,280 Dubai hopes to attract ten million tourists a year by 2010. 83 00:06:32,840 --> 00:06:34,320 The symbol of their ambition 84 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:39,280 is the iconic and exclusive Burj Al Arab Hotel. 85 00:06:39,280 --> 00:06:44,600 At its gala opening, Tiger Woods hit a golf ball off the helipad. 86 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:51,200 Forget five star, the Burj Al Arab is a seven-star hotel. 87 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:55,560 And they should know, they awarded the stars themselves. 88 00:06:55,560 --> 00:06:58,680 Of course, there is a price to pay. 89 00:06:58,680 --> 00:07:00,720 Welcome to your Presidential Suite. 90 00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:04,200 Fantastic. This way is the living room with the private cinema. 91 00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:06,920 Hm, private cinema. Indeed, yes. 92 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:10,560 How much would this...? Ha! There's a bar in every room. 93 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:13,520 How much would a place like this set you back 94 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:15,800 if I wanted to stay for a week, say? 95 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:18,400 It is �10,000 a night. 96 00:07:18,400 --> 00:07:21,040 A night? �10,000 a night, mm. 97 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:26,440 And if I wanted to stay an hour, do a special rate? 98 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:27,800 No. 99 00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:33,120 To get over the shock, I head for the bar... 100 00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:35,960 high on the 27th floor. 101 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:41,280 It seems a bit unexciting to have a beer here, I know, because 102 00:07:41,280 --> 00:07:43,480 I've just seen the Presidential Suite. 103 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:48,040 Yeah. At �10,000 a night, so people have something a bit more exotic here, do they? 104 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:52,400 People actually what having here is the world's most expensive cocktail 105 00:07:52,400 --> 00:07:54,640 we have on offer. 106 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:57,440 I would expect you would in a hotel like this. 107 00:07:57,440 --> 00:07:59,600 It's a very Dubai thing that, isn't it? 108 00:07:59,600 --> 00:08:04,160 To have the biggest and most expensive, so what's in the world's most expensive cocktail? 109 00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:08,400 It's made with 55-years-old McClelland single malt Scotch whisky, 110 00:08:08,400 --> 00:08:12,760 and the idea behind is to have a really outstanding extraordinary 111 00:08:12,760 --> 00:08:15,920 cocktail and the name, for instance, is 27-321. 112 00:08:15,920 --> 00:08:20,400 That symbolises the height of Burj Al Arab, 321 metres, 113 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:23,840 and it's served on 27th floor where we're sitting now in our bar. 114 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:26,240 So the name is the price and the price is the name. 115 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:30,400 The price is the name, that's �27,321? 116 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:32,520 Dirhams. Oh, dirhams. Oh, well. 117 00:08:32,520 --> 00:08:35,800 In pounds, it's about �3,800. Yeah? 118 00:08:35,800 --> 00:08:37,520 For a 55-year-old Scotch? 119 00:08:37,520 --> 00:08:39,560 I mean, that's daylight robbery. 120 00:08:39,560 --> 00:08:44,200 In the heart of the city by the waterway they call The Creek, 121 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:47,920 I'm relieved to find that there is something left of the Dubai 122 00:08:47,920 --> 00:08:49,280 I remember 20 years ago. 123 00:08:51,640 --> 00:08:54,720 Although the new city shimmers in the background, 124 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:57,800 I've chosen to stay at one of oldest hotels in Dubai, 125 00:08:57,800 --> 00:08:59,560 it's been here over 30 years. 126 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:07,520 It's from here that I shall plan the next step of my mission 127 00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:10,960 to track down the Al Sharma and the crew I got to know so well. 128 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:19,680 I've brought the original film out with me, and it's here that there are some important clues. 129 00:09:19,680 --> 00:09:25,560 'And you, everyone here, is from the same part of India.' 130 00:09:25,560 --> 00:09:27,840 'Same country. Kutch Mandvi, yeah.' 131 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:31,560 Kutch Mandvi, that's the nearest thing to an address. 132 00:09:31,560 --> 00:09:35,800 I know that Kutch is in the northern part of India, 133 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:37,760 and Mandvi is a town on its coast. 134 00:09:38,760 --> 00:09:42,200 That evening, I find myself thinking about my old friends. 135 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:45,840 Do they still live in Kutch Mandvi? Are they alive or dead? 136 00:09:45,840 --> 00:09:48,000 20 years is a long time. 137 00:09:49,640 --> 00:09:53,400 I have a useful lead. 138 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:57,760 Close to the public beach on the downmarket side of the Burj Al Arab 139 00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:02,560 is the offshore sailing club where I'm to meet a Captain Bill Nelson. 140 00:10:02,560 --> 00:10:06,080 As head of Ports And Customs 20 years ago, 141 00:10:06,080 --> 00:10:08,320 Bill helped me find a dhow. 142 00:10:09,920 --> 00:10:13,240 Captain Nelson is now 86 and in poor health. 143 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:16,160 Despite all that, he agrees to talk to me. 144 00:10:16,160 --> 00:10:20,440 Captain Nelson, I think you didn't find us the dhow directly, 145 00:10:20,440 --> 00:10:26,720 you got someone to help us. That's right, Kamis, Kamis Mohammed, 146 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:31,760 my assistant at the time. I remember Kamis, very good, helped us get provisions. 147 00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:34,080 He's a very good fellow. Is he still around? 148 00:10:34,080 --> 00:10:35,680 He is still around. 149 00:10:35,680 --> 00:10:40,520 In fact, he's the boss at the control station at Port Dubai. 150 00:10:40,520 --> 00:10:47,560 So, how would I get hold of him? Er...3-4-5-1-2-4-0. 151 00:10:47,560 --> 00:10:50,440 That is the operations room. 152 00:10:50,440 --> 00:10:56,200 3-4-5-1-2-4-0. OK, ops room. 153 00:10:56,200 --> 00:10:59,640 They will find him for you, of that there's no doubt. 154 00:10:59,640 --> 00:11:02,360 He helped buy me a blow-up bed, I think. 155 00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:09,000 Odd thing to go around with an Emirati buying an inflatable bed the first day you meet him. 156 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:11,360 Yes. It was very comfortable. 157 00:11:11,360 --> 00:11:14,640 'My contact Kamis, who works at the port, 158 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:16,080 'tells me the trading season 159 00:11:16,080 --> 00:11:18,280 'has just resumed after the summer monsoon. 160 00:11:18,280 --> 00:11:20,720 'There are dhows heading all over the Gulf 161 00:11:20,720 --> 00:11:22,480 'down to Somalia and Zanzibar, 162 00:11:22,480 --> 00:11:25,880 'and he's found one going my way too.' 163 00:11:32,120 --> 00:11:39,400 I associate Kamis with the old port of Dubai where we took on last minute supplies before setting out. 164 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:41,640 It still fizzes with life. 165 00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:50,000 I take an Abra, a water taxi, across the Creek. 166 00:11:51,760 --> 00:11:56,040 This is one of the few pleasures left in Dubai that's still cheap. 167 00:11:56,040 --> 00:11:58,280 The journey costs only a few pence. 168 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:06,880 I'm heading for the office of Ports And Customs 169 00:12:06,880 --> 00:12:10,160 to meet Kamis again after 20 years. 170 00:12:10,160 --> 00:12:12,200 I have high hopes. 171 00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:14,920 His HQ is right on the neck of the Creek. 172 00:12:14,920 --> 00:12:18,080 If Al Sharma has passed this way, he should know. 173 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:21,040 Ah-ha, could this be the man? 174 00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:23,120 Kamis. Michael. 175 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:24,920 Hey! Welcome back. 176 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:26,840 How are you? Long time. How are you? 177 00:12:26,840 --> 00:12:29,480 Fine, thank you. How are you? Well, I never! 178 00:12:29,480 --> 00:12:31,240 You don't look a day older. 179 00:12:31,240 --> 00:12:34,040 Thank you very much. You've got to say the same to me now. 180 00:12:34,040 --> 00:12:36,720 No, no. I'm all grey and old. Great to see you. 181 00:12:36,720 --> 00:12:38,840 You're running the customs now, I gather. 182 00:12:38,840 --> 00:12:42,560 I do. I do, and I'm an advisor now in Dubai... 183 00:12:42,560 --> 00:12:46,440 Yeah. And I hear you're married now? Yeah, enjoyed it. How many children? 184 00:12:46,440 --> 00:12:49,280 Two. Two boys. Ah, very nice. 185 00:12:49,280 --> 00:12:54,040 Do you know what happened to Al Sharma, is it still sailing? 186 00:12:54,040 --> 00:12:56,760 And more importantly, what happened to the crew? 187 00:12:56,760 --> 00:13:00,280 Unfortunately, I don't know what happened. 188 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:03,960 That was the last time, I've seen Al Sharma and the crew. 189 00:13:03,960 --> 00:13:09,840 Right. So that day 20 years ago when we sailed away from Dubai 190 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:12,760 was the last you saw of me and the last you saw of the boat. Yeah. 191 00:13:12,760 --> 00:13:15,200 Do you know where they were from? From Gujarat. 192 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:18,680 Gujarat, I remember that. You will have to go to Bombay. 193 00:13:18,680 --> 00:13:23,920 Then from Bombay, you have to go to Gujarat to ask for the family by the name of Haroum. 194 00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:28,000 They are the owners. Ah. So they will remember their name. 195 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:30,600 Probably you will be able to find... 196 00:13:30,600 --> 00:13:33,040 OK. Whatever you are looking for with them. 197 00:13:33,040 --> 00:13:35,480 OK. Well, that's good. 198 00:13:35,480 --> 00:13:38,920 I suppose I shouldn't expect the pieces to fall together 199 00:13:38,920 --> 00:13:42,600 just like that but I can't disguise a touch of disappointment. 200 00:13:46,280 --> 00:13:50,440 Maybe sensing this, Kamis has laid on a surprise. 201 00:13:50,440 --> 00:13:55,520 Using his influence, he's persuaded the crew of a dhow leaving Dubai 202 00:13:55,520 --> 00:13:57,440 to take me along for a ride. 203 00:13:57,440 --> 00:13:59,240 Oh. Ah. 204 00:13:59,240 --> 00:14:00,840 Hey. Yes! 205 00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:06,880 They're Iranians, carrying a full cargo across to Bandar-e Bushehr on Iran's Gulf coast. 206 00:14:07,920 --> 00:14:12,400 For a few hours, I can relive what once took me a week. 207 00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:19,920 'Will you write down...will you write down...?' 208 00:14:19,920 --> 00:14:21,840 Me. When I was a baby. 209 00:14:25,800 --> 00:14:29,760 Well, this dhow isn't quite as pretty as Al Sharma 210 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:32,000 and I'm only on it for an afternoon, 211 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:34,960 but already it brings back intense feelings, 212 00:14:34,960 --> 00:14:38,560 the feelings of being away from the rest of the world... 213 00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:42,080 And these guys I've only just met, very cheerful, very friendly. 214 00:14:42,080 --> 00:14:45,760 And it was extraordinary on the other dhow during the eight days, 215 00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:49,600 how mutual incomprehension in the beginning gave way to friendship 216 00:14:49,600 --> 00:14:53,680 and then genuine affection by the end because we relied on them. 217 00:14:53,680 --> 00:14:56,680 With all our technology and our gadgets, 218 00:14:56,680 --> 00:15:00,000 we depended on their seafaring skills to get us to Bombay. 219 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:02,800 And I've never really had a relationship like that 220 00:15:02,800 --> 00:15:04,600 with any other group of people, 221 00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:07,680 quite different from my own, at any other time on my travels. 222 00:15:07,680 --> 00:15:10,920 It was a unique relationship and that's why I want to try 223 00:15:10,920 --> 00:15:14,240 and find out if some of those guys that we got to know so well 224 00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:16,040 at that time are still around. 225 00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:32,680 My next destination must be Mumbai, Bombay as it was then, 226 00:15:32,680 --> 00:15:35,960 and after that, Kutch Mandvi is a strong possibility. 227 00:15:35,960 --> 00:15:37,840 But I don't want to go all that way 228 00:15:37,840 --> 00:15:40,920 unless I'm pretty sure the captain and crew are there. 229 00:15:40,920 --> 00:15:44,480 Whatever happens, I need a few more answers. 230 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:51,640 '20 years ago, I spent my first night in India 231 00:15:51,640 --> 00:15:56,240 'here at the Taj Hotel, grubby and unshaven after a week at sea.' 232 00:15:56,240 --> 00:15:59,320 Welcome to the Taj, sir. Thank you. 233 00:15:59,320 --> 00:16:02,640 'This time I'm greeted with the full VIP treatment, 234 00:16:02,640 --> 00:16:04,280 'garlanded with marigolds 235 00:16:04,280 --> 00:16:07,840 'before being shown to the Rajput suite, which has a famous history.' 236 00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:10,760 The Rajput suite has had quite a few celebrities 237 00:16:10,760 --> 00:16:12,840 who've stayed in it over the years. 238 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:15,720 In fact John Lennon and Yoko Ono stayed there, 239 00:16:15,720 --> 00:16:20,120 and for five full nights they didn't leave the room even once. 240 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:25,200 Please, after you. Yes. Not like any hotel door I've ever known. 241 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:27,560 Oh, right. It's quite grand. 242 00:16:27,560 --> 00:16:30,000 It is too actually. HE CHUCKLES 243 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:32,920 I can see why he didn't want to come out for five days. 244 00:16:32,920 --> 00:16:37,480 The entire suite is in a very Indian decor, as you can see. 245 00:16:37,480 --> 00:16:40,000 Yeah. The Rajput was a dynasty in India, 246 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:43,160 so the entire suite is designed to give that feel. 247 00:16:43,160 --> 00:16:44,760 Yes, it does, doesn't it? 248 00:16:44,760 --> 00:16:49,200 So, it's unlike a hotel room, it's like a palace, isn't it? 249 00:16:49,200 --> 00:16:53,120 It's absolutely fabulous, and the swing is very reminiscent 250 00:16:53,120 --> 00:16:56,960 of the old days when queens liked to sit and look at the ocean. 251 00:16:56,960 --> 00:16:59,160 Oh, lovely, lovely. 252 00:17:00,920 --> 00:17:03,760 That's amazing, I'll look forward to that anyway. 253 00:17:03,760 --> 00:17:05,640 So my bags will be sent up, will they? 254 00:17:05,640 --> 00:17:08,960 No. You're in room 276. Oh. 255 00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:10,720 All right. 256 00:17:12,240 --> 00:17:15,480 'News from room 276 is mixed. 257 00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:17,840 'I've drawn a blank with Kamis' contact Haroum 258 00:17:17,840 --> 00:17:20,720 'but I've had a piece of luck.' 259 00:17:20,720 --> 00:17:24,760 I have got a lead which comes from the BBC files 260 00:17:24,760 --> 00:17:29,040 of Around The World In 80 Days and they tell us 261 00:17:29,040 --> 00:17:33,480 that Dukaran Murji And Sons were...the brokers 262 00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:36,760 who organised Al Sharma's cargo. 263 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:41,480 I talked to a man there called Digant Joshi and he had inherited 264 00:17:41,480 --> 00:17:45,720 this business from his father, and he reckoned that he could find out 265 00:17:45,720 --> 00:17:47,840 some information about Al Sharma 266 00:17:47,840 --> 00:17:52,200 and about whether the crew are still around, which is very good news. 267 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:55,560 He said it'd take a couple of days, he's got his business to run. 268 00:17:55,560 --> 00:17:58,280 But that was, I thought, a very good bit of news, 269 00:17:58,280 --> 00:18:01,160 and hopefully something will come through from him 270 00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:02,720 in the next couple of days. 271 00:18:02,720 --> 00:18:05,560 Very, very nice, it gives me time to look around. 272 00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:14,400 'This is Churchgate Station, one of Mumbai's busiest commuter terminals. 273 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:17,720 'A lady called Jyoti Namasti has agreed to meet me here 274 00:18:17,720 --> 00:18:20,240 'and throw me into the city at the deep end.' 275 00:18:20,240 --> 00:18:23,040 How many people cram on these trains every day? 276 00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:26,960 6 million to 6.5 million people travel every day 277 00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:29,200 from north Bombay to south Bombay 278 00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:32,120 and the same number back home in the evening. 279 00:18:32,120 --> 00:18:35,280 We've been described as sardines in a box. 280 00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:38,760 'But believe it or not, this is the quiet time of day, 281 00:18:38,760 --> 00:18:41,840 'the time to see the tiffin wallahs in action. 282 00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:45,120 'They carry on their heads a half million lunchboxes 283 00:18:45,120 --> 00:18:48,200 'containing hot meals made by beautiful housewives 284 00:18:48,200 --> 00:18:50,080 'for their husbands in the city.' 285 00:18:50,080 --> 00:18:54,120 They will collect it, push it on the trains in the suburbs. 286 00:18:54,120 --> 00:18:56,560 It takes about half an hour or an hour for it 287 00:18:56,560 --> 00:18:59,320 to come to Churchgate Station that you see here. 288 00:19:00,880 --> 00:19:04,200 Outside the station, the daily miracle begins. 289 00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:09,120 The tiffin wallahs carry the lunches across a busy road to be sorted. 290 00:19:09,120 --> 00:19:11,680 How they're sorted is a mystery, 291 00:19:11,680 --> 00:19:15,000 for the lunchboxes bear neither names nor addresses. 292 00:19:16,080 --> 00:19:18,720 The second counterpart will take it out, 293 00:19:18,720 --> 00:19:22,560 and the third man will reshuffle all the tins away out. 294 00:19:22,560 --> 00:19:26,120 That's what they're doing, that's what the systematic chaos is. 295 00:19:26,120 --> 00:19:28,880 The third man that reshuffle, he puts two tins there, 296 00:19:28,880 --> 00:19:31,520 one there, and he takes three from there, four from there. 297 00:19:31,520 --> 00:19:34,280 So they've been brought from different suburbs, 298 00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:38,160 they've been reshuffled here, and they go to different offices. 299 00:19:38,160 --> 00:19:41,440 But don't they lose the tiffin every now and then? Not at all. 300 00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:45,200 One in a trillion. One in a trillion is lost? 301 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:49,640 American magazine Forbes says the accuracy rate is 99.999%. Fantastic. 302 00:19:49,640 --> 00:19:53,400 They have been given the Six Sigma accuracy rate, as much as Motorola 303 00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:57,120 and General Electric, and only in Mumbai, nowhere else in the world. 304 00:19:57,120 --> 00:20:00,640 They tried to call them to Italy to have a system put there, 305 00:20:00,640 --> 00:20:03,880 and they said, "Your trains are not on time, so we can't do it." 306 00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:09,520 Prince Charles was here, he wanted to see them in action, 307 00:20:09,520 --> 00:20:13,600 and he was so happy. He gave three of them a free ticket 308 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:16,280 to come to his second marriage to England. Really? 309 00:20:19,120 --> 00:20:22,200 Do you think it's a bit selfish of the Indian men 310 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:25,960 to expect a hot meal every lunchtime delivered to them? 311 00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:28,760 Well, it's still a woman's privilege to cook, 312 00:20:28,760 --> 00:20:30,400 and men in India... 313 00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:33,960 this is a male-dominated country, to a certain extent. 314 00:20:33,960 --> 00:20:35,880 Times are changing very fast, 315 00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:38,520 but then they would love to have a hot meal. 316 00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:40,680 They are a little spoilt, Indian men, 317 00:20:40,680 --> 00:20:42,800 so they expect a hot meal from the wife. 318 00:20:42,800 --> 00:20:45,880 Like, I am working, he still gets a hot meal. 319 00:20:45,880 --> 00:20:49,200 It's an example of the paradox that is Mumbai, 320 00:20:49,200 --> 00:20:53,400 a state of chaos in which everyone knows what they're doing. 321 00:20:53,400 --> 00:20:57,440 Like this laundry, to which Jyoti has brought me 322 00:20:57,440 --> 00:21:00,160 for practical as well as scenic reasons. 323 00:21:02,480 --> 00:21:07,440 It's quite an extraordinary place. This is the biggest open-air laundry 324 00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:08,680 unique to Mumbai, 325 00:21:08,680 --> 00:21:12,480 where the dhobis or the washermen wash the clothes here. 326 00:21:12,480 --> 00:21:17,320 There are 500 of them and this is the biggest laundry in Mumbai. 327 00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:27,160 The stone is supplied to him by the government. 328 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:29,520 It's passed on from father to son. 329 00:21:29,520 --> 00:21:34,920 They pay nothing for the stone. He uses a cake of soap, not of a very high quality, but see the clothes. 330 00:21:34,920 --> 00:21:36,840 They're sparklingly white. 331 00:21:36,840 --> 00:21:39,440 I actually had this quite good pair of trousers 332 00:21:39,440 --> 00:21:41,560 and we were filming in Dubai on the dhow 333 00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:45,120 and the dhow's absolutely covered in tar and they're a real mess. 334 00:21:45,120 --> 00:21:47,400 Could they do them here, do you think? 335 00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:50,240 Oh, yes, the dhobis do an excellent job. Yeah. 336 00:21:50,240 --> 00:21:54,080 You will see them, see the whiteness of the clothes, see the dirty water, 337 00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:57,480 and they will wash it. In five minutes, it will dry in the hot sun. 338 00:21:57,480 --> 00:22:01,360 And they iron it for you and send it back to your hotel. 339 00:22:01,360 --> 00:22:05,360 Let's see how the mark is. Here they are, shall I show them to you? There we are. 340 00:22:06,640 --> 00:22:08,360 You see it's on the back there. 341 00:22:09,920 --> 00:22:12,080 No problems. That's oil, isn't it? 342 00:22:12,080 --> 00:22:16,440 It is oil. The washing machine will not take it out, but the dhobis will do an excellent job. 343 00:22:16,440 --> 00:22:19,880 I thought I was going to have to throw them away. 344 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:22,600 Hello, hello, erm... 345 00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:24,760 Look at that, oil, I think. 346 00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:28,240 Oil, tar, is it possible to save the trousers? 347 00:22:28,240 --> 00:22:30,720 Yes, he will. There he goes... 348 00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:33,000 Giving them a go, yeah. 349 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:35,520 With the brush, with the cake of soap. Yeah. 350 00:22:35,520 --> 00:22:37,640 And he will hit it. 351 00:22:41,840 --> 00:22:48,480 We've got at home, we've got a whole cupboard, my wife's got stain removers...every kind of stain. 352 00:22:48,480 --> 00:22:50,440 Oh, they don't work in India. 353 00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:52,960 No. This works. This works. 354 00:22:55,240 --> 00:22:57,680 So, he's washed them now, and now he's... 355 00:22:57,680 --> 00:23:00,680 Hitting it on the stone, the dirt comes out. 356 00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:07,400 The buttons are broken, your wife will have to redo the buttons. 357 00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:10,920 Don't say that, I'll do them myself. Yes, I know what you mean. 358 00:23:10,920 --> 00:23:13,920 So, that's the price you pay for getting them really clean. 359 00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:17,280 Has he done it? Yes. He's putting it in the clean water now. 360 00:23:17,280 --> 00:23:19,280 He's dipped it in the clean water. 361 00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:22,000 Brilliant. I wish I'd brought all my laundry. 362 00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:23,760 None of the clothes are lost. 363 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:27,920 Maybe a few buttons are broken, that's the only thing. Yeah. 364 00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:32,360 I tell you, never better. Thank you. 365 00:23:32,360 --> 00:23:34,280 They've never looked cleaner. 366 00:23:37,480 --> 00:23:39,920 'I return to the heart of Mumbai, 367 00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:45,640 'crisp and spotless in the trouser area to the Cafe Leopold. 368 00:23:45,640 --> 00:23:49,280 'It's cheap and cheerful, and I'm told is a favourite haunt 369 00:23:49,280 --> 00:23:53,720 'of talent spotters looking for Western extras for Bollywood films. 370 00:23:56,360 --> 00:23:59,760 'Ah, my luck is in. 371 00:23:59,760 --> 00:24:05,360 'All I need now is to make myself look irresistible, but...subtly.' 372 00:24:27,080 --> 00:24:29,360 Hello. Hi, there. Hi. Michael. 373 00:24:29,360 --> 00:24:30,920 I'm Wasim. How are you? 374 00:24:30,920 --> 00:24:34,160 I'm very well, very well. I'm sitting waiting to be discovered. 375 00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:36,760 You are? Yes, I'm told that's what happens here. 376 00:24:36,760 --> 00:24:38,800 I'm actually a coordinator myself. 377 00:24:38,800 --> 00:24:43,520 Ah. Yes, I'm coordinating for some extras in a Bollywood movie. And what pay do they get? 378 00:24:43,520 --> 00:24:46,920 They would be paid around 1,000 rupees for an eight hours' job, 379 00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:48,480 normally six to eight hours. 380 00:24:48,480 --> 00:24:50,440 �10? 381 00:24:50,440 --> 00:24:51,960 That's slave labour. 382 00:24:51,960 --> 00:24:54,880 That's 1,000 rupees and that's a lot of money in India. 383 00:24:54,880 --> 00:24:57,520 What if you have a dialogue part, what if you've got words? 384 00:24:57,520 --> 00:24:59,800 It's the same thing. Is it? More or less, yes. 385 00:24:59,800 --> 00:25:04,560 So what kind of part would you see a 65-year-old man like me playing? 386 00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:08,680 Maybe a manager, a big cog in a big office, you know. Really? 387 00:25:08,680 --> 00:25:11,120 CEO of a big company, like Microsoft or something. 388 00:25:11,120 --> 00:25:14,560 CEO, now you're talking. CEO, that's right. 389 00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:17,000 Right on. I usually only do vicars. 390 00:25:18,040 --> 00:25:20,640 'I don't get the part, our dates clashed, 391 00:25:20,640 --> 00:25:22,640 'but I do get something better, 392 00:25:22,640 --> 00:25:26,480 'the chance to meet one of the legendary figures of Bollywood, 393 00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:29,400 'writer producer and director Mahesh Bhatt. 394 00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:31,640 'He's currently shooting a new film 395 00:25:31,640 --> 00:25:34,160 'at a beachside villa outside Mumbai.' 396 00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:35,960 Hello, Michael! Come, come. 397 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:38,800 Ah, Mahesh, what an honour to meet you. 398 00:25:38,800 --> 00:25:40,480 Thank you very much indeed. 399 00:25:40,480 --> 00:25:42,760 Hello, nice to meet you. Hello, how are you? 400 00:25:42,760 --> 00:25:45,200 How was your journey, a long drive? 401 00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:48,520 Yes, yes, yes. Come into my parlour. 402 00:25:48,520 --> 00:25:52,920 Come into my parlour said the spider to the fly. Ah. 403 00:25:52,920 --> 00:25:55,160 The fly will be on camera. 404 00:25:58,680 --> 00:26:02,640 'Mahesh Bhatt's latest film is called Jashn, Celebration.' 405 00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:06,480 The sea will not have an animal... 406 00:26:06,480 --> 00:26:10,320 'The picture features Bollywood starlet Shahana Goswami 407 00:26:10,320 --> 00:26:13,520 'and Pakistani heart-throb Humayun Saeed.' 408 00:26:13,520 --> 00:26:19,160 Do you know your fellow actors? No, we've all met for the first time...the first time we've met. 409 00:26:19,160 --> 00:26:24,280 In fact, one of them has just been killed. Terribly sorry, you got the part. 410 00:26:24,280 --> 00:26:27,680 Oh, dear. Nothing to do with us, was it? 411 00:26:34,080 --> 00:26:36,880 It's become quite a fad to be in this industry 412 00:26:36,880 --> 00:26:40,840 and people are leaving their investment banking jobs 413 00:26:40,840 --> 00:26:45,360 and coming into, you know, being ADs for 10,000 rupees 414 00:26:45,360 --> 00:26:47,200 from the 20 like jobs. 415 00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:51,560 So, it's quite inviting and I think everyone wants to be kind of 416 00:26:51,560 --> 00:26:55,920 in the field, if not necessarily an actor or an actress, but yes, 417 00:26:55,920 --> 00:26:59,440 there's a huge influx of people coming into this world. 418 00:26:59,440 --> 00:27:00,840 Silent, silent. 419 00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:06,520 'Mahesh may be a Bollywood veteran but his appetite for film seems undiminished.' 420 00:27:06,520 --> 00:27:07,640 Action. 421 00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:14,760 'He's seen Bollywood evolve from escapist song and dance spectaculars 422 00:27:14,760 --> 00:27:18,720 'to more realistic dramas like the one they're shooting today.' 423 00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:23,240 Cut it...very good. 424 00:27:24,280 --> 00:27:28,440 'In an industry where an on-screen kiss was taboo for years, 425 00:27:28,440 --> 00:27:32,640 'Mahesh has been a liberating, often controversial figure.' 426 00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:34,880 I am one of those film-makers who's been accused 427 00:27:34,880 --> 00:27:39,440 of introducing soft porn to Bollywood, and I plead guilty to that, if you call it soft porn. 428 00:27:39,440 --> 00:27:45,280 If we had to seduce the consumer into the cinema halls, we needed to change the way we were making movies. 429 00:27:45,280 --> 00:27:48,760 So we kind of eroticised our movies, 430 00:27:48,760 --> 00:27:54,040 we put in this sexual component a little more stronger 431 00:27:54,040 --> 00:28:00,080 than it was used by predecessors, and we kind of raised the bar. 432 00:28:00,080 --> 00:28:02,200 Can you give me an example of this, 433 00:28:02,200 --> 00:28:04,920 like you see a couple in bed together? 434 00:28:04,920 --> 00:28:11,920 Yeah, I mean you had passionate kisses now and you also had... 435 00:28:11,920 --> 00:28:13,920 premarital sex. 436 00:28:13,920 --> 00:28:16,800 You also had live-in couples. 437 00:28:16,800 --> 00:28:23,280 We also had a man and woman getting into multi-partner relationship, 438 00:28:23,280 --> 00:28:25,560 so all that started happening, 439 00:28:25,560 --> 00:28:29,000 and that was what the young felt comfortable with 440 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:31,000 because that was their life. 441 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:33,880 And I would say that the younger generation 442 00:28:33,880 --> 00:28:37,280 is less hypocritical than the earlier generation. 443 00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:41,320 The earlier lot wanted sex but it wanted it through the back door. 444 00:28:41,320 --> 00:28:44,120 The mantra of our predecessors 445 00:28:44,120 --> 00:28:48,040 was good people fall in love, bad people have sex. 446 00:28:58,640 --> 00:29:04,160 Back in the city, I've had a call back from my contact Digant Joshi. 447 00:29:04,160 --> 00:29:10,200 He runs the biggest dhow operation in Mumbai from his HQ in the busy streets near Princess Dock. 448 00:29:14,600 --> 00:29:20,120 His head office, I eventually find it, is hardly what you'd expect of a shipping mogul. 449 00:29:20,120 --> 00:29:23,760 Digant's information is not at first encouraging. 450 00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:25,640 What news of Al Sharma? 451 00:29:25,640 --> 00:29:30,080 Al Sharma, when you were there 20 years back, 452 00:29:30,080 --> 00:29:33,200 the owner was Taled Mohammed. 453 00:29:33,200 --> 00:29:38,040 They went bankrupt and he cannot maintain the launch. 454 00:29:38,040 --> 00:29:43,920 So, just eight months, nine months back, he sold it to someone else, 455 00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:48,440 and that person was taking the launch from Veraval, 456 00:29:48,440 --> 00:29:51,640 Gujarat to Jamsala for the repairing. 457 00:29:51,640 --> 00:29:54,160 Hm. During that voyage, 458 00:29:54,160 --> 00:30:00,080 Al Sharma sank into the waters, six to eight months back. 459 00:30:00,080 --> 00:30:01,920 So I just missed seeing it. 460 00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:05,920 Just missed. And did the crew survive? 461 00:30:05,920 --> 00:30:08,920 Crew were saved by another launch... 462 00:30:10,520 --> 00:30:14,000 ..which was plying along with Al Sharma. 463 00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:18,560 Would this be the same crew that I sailed with 20 years ago? 464 00:30:18,560 --> 00:30:22,080 Different crew because the owner sold it to somebody else 465 00:30:22,080 --> 00:30:23,960 and all the crew were changed. 466 00:30:23,960 --> 00:30:26,760 Any news of Captain Suliman and the crew? 467 00:30:26,760 --> 00:30:29,440 Captain Suliman is in Mandvi. 468 00:30:29,440 --> 00:30:31,000 Kutch. Mandvi. 469 00:30:31,000 --> 00:30:35,880 Mandvi has two portions, one is a Mandvi and one is a Salaya Mandvi. 470 00:30:35,880 --> 00:30:39,240 Right. Which is near the sea. 471 00:30:39,240 --> 00:30:42,240 So you can go to Salaya Mandvi 472 00:30:42,240 --> 00:30:45,960 and ask anybody about the captain of Al Sharma, 473 00:30:45,960 --> 00:30:49,760 Suliman, and you can easily get about. 474 00:30:49,760 --> 00:30:52,320 What's the best way of getting to Mandvi? 475 00:30:52,320 --> 00:30:58,000 You can take train from Mumbai which goes to Bhuj. Yeah. 476 00:30:58,000 --> 00:31:00,520 The train name is Kutch Express. 477 00:31:00,520 --> 00:31:06,040 You can go to Bhuj and from Bhuj, the Mandvi is 60 kilometres away from Bhuj. 478 00:31:06,040 --> 00:31:10,640 'One thing Indians take very seriously is astrology. 479 00:31:10,640 --> 00:31:14,160 'Before I leave, there's someone I'd very much like to meet again. 480 00:31:14,160 --> 00:31:17,480 'Janjit Upall was the hotel's resident astrologer 481 00:31:17,480 --> 00:31:21,680 'and when I consulted him 20 years ago, he was uncannily accurate.' 482 00:31:21,680 --> 00:31:26,760 Can you tell me now what lies in store for me in the next two or three months? 483 00:31:26,760 --> 00:31:30,400 As it's boat sailing, it's a pleasant journey and on schedule. 484 00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:33,480 If not you may even try to complete it ahead of schedule. 485 00:31:33,480 --> 00:31:37,840 If you've lost some time, there are more possibilities of your recovering that time. 486 00:31:37,840 --> 00:31:40,040 You are full of a spirit of adventure. 487 00:31:40,040 --> 00:31:43,360 He's agreed to give me an update. 488 00:31:43,360 --> 00:31:47,960 We're hoping to try and find the crew of Al Sharma. 489 00:31:47,960 --> 00:31:51,480 Have you any idea from the charts and what you find out 490 00:31:51,480 --> 00:31:54,920 whether we will find them, whether we'll be lucky? 491 00:31:54,920 --> 00:31:56,760 Yes, you will, you will. 492 00:31:56,760 --> 00:32:00,600 You will find them and you will get interesting input too. 493 00:32:00,600 --> 00:32:02,440 Will they be pleased to see me? 494 00:32:02,440 --> 00:32:05,080 Very much pleased to see you. 495 00:32:05,080 --> 00:32:06,640 Very much pleased to see you. 496 00:32:06,640 --> 00:32:11,600 I was going to ask you about, you know you saw me 20 years ago, 497 00:32:11,600 --> 00:32:13,240 and with chart like that, 498 00:32:13,240 --> 00:32:16,080 can you tell enough to talk about my character? 499 00:32:16,080 --> 00:32:19,720 Do you have any sort of feelings about that? Yes. 500 00:32:19,720 --> 00:32:23,200 According to your chart, you come over as a very emotional person. 501 00:32:23,200 --> 00:32:27,000 Very emotional, family oriented, 502 00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:29,560 I would say even a spiritual person. 503 00:32:29,560 --> 00:32:34,200 I mean you read more meaning to life than what is apparent. 504 00:32:34,200 --> 00:32:36,120 You question life, 505 00:32:36,120 --> 00:32:38,800 and I must say that your work, the journeys around the world 506 00:32:38,800 --> 00:32:43,400 to the mountains, to north world, Himalayas, Tibet, 507 00:32:43,400 --> 00:32:45,400 it was not only a journey 508 00:32:45,400 --> 00:32:48,160 to make something spectacular which you have made, 509 00:32:48,160 --> 00:32:50,080 but it was a journey within the self. 510 00:32:50,080 --> 00:32:52,040 It was rediscovering yourself. 511 00:32:52,040 --> 00:32:55,960 So do you think that this travelling that I've done in the 20 years 512 00:32:55,960 --> 00:32:58,680 since I saw you, which I never expected to do, 513 00:32:58,680 --> 00:33:00,840 is that part of an ongoing process? 514 00:33:00,840 --> 00:33:03,560 Do you think I'll ever just say, "Stop, that's it?" 515 00:33:03,560 --> 00:33:05,640 No, it's an ongoing process. 516 00:33:05,640 --> 00:33:08,520 Journeys will carry on and you will keep travelling. 517 00:33:08,520 --> 00:33:10,720 That's part of your nature. 518 00:33:10,720 --> 00:33:12,880 Do you hear that, Helen? Sorry. 519 00:33:14,360 --> 00:33:15,760 The journey goes on. 520 00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:20,280 'The journey goes north now. 521 00:33:20,280 --> 00:33:26,200 'I find myself booked on the Kutch Express under the name of Mr Polin. 522 00:33:26,200 --> 00:33:27,720 'I only hope that's me. 523 00:33:36,200 --> 00:33:40,360 'The overnight sleeper will take me northwest via Ahmedabad in Gujarat 524 00:33:40,360 --> 00:33:45,440 'to the terminus at Bhuj, capital of the old princely state of Kutch, 525 00:33:45,440 --> 00:33:49,320 'close to the Pakistan border.' 526 00:34:00,800 --> 00:34:03,360 I think I'm up there. 527 00:34:03,360 --> 00:34:05,720 Hello, can I squeeze in? Thank you. 528 00:34:05,720 --> 00:34:09,400 No, no. Thank you very much, that's very kind. 529 00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:12,400 Sit with the little girl. A boy or girl? 530 00:34:12,400 --> 00:34:14,280 Girl. A girl, yeah. 531 00:34:14,280 --> 00:34:16,920 And what's your name? 532 00:34:16,920 --> 00:34:18,720 Vanya. Vanya. 533 00:34:18,720 --> 00:34:20,240 She loves trains. Yes. 534 00:34:20,240 --> 00:34:22,720 Very good, yes. 535 00:34:34,600 --> 00:34:38,880 Thank you, very good. Thank you very much. 536 00:34:38,880 --> 00:34:40,720 Five. Five, thank you. 537 00:34:40,720 --> 00:34:42,800 Anyone else want one? 538 00:35:03,320 --> 00:35:05,480 'As dawn breaks, we're in Gujarat, 539 00:35:05,480 --> 00:35:08,360 'home state of the hero of Indian Independence, 540 00:35:08,360 --> 00:35:13,200 'Mahatma Gandhi, and hopefully the crew of Al Sharma as well. 541 00:35:13,200 --> 00:35:18,120 'We've come a long way north in the night to a part of India I don't know.' 542 00:35:31,640 --> 00:35:37,560 This is Gandhidham Junction because Gandhi was born very near here 543 00:35:37,560 --> 00:35:39,800 and of course he died. 544 00:35:39,800 --> 00:35:44,680 He was assassinated exactly 60 years ago, the Father of India, 545 00:35:44,680 --> 00:35:49,160 so, a rather important man from the Gujarat point of view. 546 00:35:49,160 --> 00:35:51,800 It's also why Gujarat is dry, a dry state. 547 00:35:51,800 --> 00:35:55,520 He encouraged the men not to drink cos it was bad for them. 548 00:35:55,520 --> 00:36:00,840 So it's dry, and from what I hear, largely vegetarian as well. 549 00:36:00,840 --> 00:36:03,080 The people are supposed to be very jolly. 550 00:36:04,640 --> 00:36:07,320 'The Kutch Express is running over an hour late, 551 00:36:07,320 --> 00:36:11,360 'but we're up country now and no-one seems in much of a hurry. 552 00:36:14,720 --> 00:36:18,880 'Nor does it help that stretches of the railway are single track, 553 00:36:18,880 --> 00:36:21,680 'though still maintained with meticulous zeal 554 00:36:21,680 --> 00:36:25,360 'not a little reminiscent of the old days of the Raj. 555 00:36:47,120 --> 00:36:50,400 '20 stops and 15 hours after leaving Mumbai, 556 00:36:50,400 --> 00:36:53,680 'we reach the end of the line at the town of Bhuj. 557 00:36:59,760 --> 00:37:05,840 'Bhuj is the capital of Kutch, and I take a couple of hours to look around before going on to Mandvi. 558 00:37:10,560 --> 00:37:13,040 'There are some fine buildings to see in Bhuj, 559 00:37:13,040 --> 00:37:16,880 'but few of them escaped the devastating earthquake 560 00:37:16,880 --> 00:37:20,520 that shook the town on January 21, 2001, Republic Day, 561 00:37:20,520 --> 00:37:22,320 'when the people of Bhuj, 562 00:37:22,320 --> 00:37:25,400 'like the rest of the country, should have been celebrating. 563 00:37:32,880 --> 00:37:36,760 'There was a colossal loss of life and no-one was untouched. 564 00:37:36,760 --> 00:37:40,240 'The Mahara of Kutch lost three-quarters of his palace, 565 00:37:40,240 --> 00:37:44,680 'and what remains standing looks as if it could fall down any minute. 566 00:37:47,560 --> 00:37:51,080 'Now the only occupants of its marble halls are birds 567 00:37:51,080 --> 00:37:53,440 'that nest in the rotting ceilings. 568 00:38:01,160 --> 00:38:03,640 'Portraits stare into the void, 569 00:38:03,640 --> 00:38:07,480 'and dust covers the trophies of an era long past. 570 00:38:13,920 --> 00:38:18,280 'Out in the centre of Bhuj, optimism has returned to the rebuilt streets 571 00:38:18,280 --> 00:38:21,240 'and people don't talk much about the earthquake. 572 00:38:21,240 --> 00:38:22,760 'But no-one's forgotten. 573 00:38:22,760 --> 00:38:26,640 'Manjana Maycha has not forgotten.' 574 00:38:26,640 --> 00:38:30,400 They started shouting, "Earthquake, earthquake," and I came out. 575 00:38:30,400 --> 00:38:32,520 Yeah. As soon as I came out, 576 00:38:32,520 --> 00:38:34,480 the shop was collapsed. 577 00:38:34,480 --> 00:38:37,600 The shop you'd just been in collapsed behind you? Behind me. 578 00:38:37,600 --> 00:38:41,800 You were a second away from being crushed yourself. Yes, yes, yes. 579 00:38:41,800 --> 00:38:44,960 And what was the scene outside here, were just people... 580 00:38:44,960 --> 00:38:50,120 They started running and crying and shouting. 581 00:38:50,120 --> 00:38:56,000 People, animals, dogs, just running here and there. 582 00:38:56,000 --> 00:38:58,040 What did you do, did you just run? 583 00:38:58,040 --> 00:39:00,680 No, I just went and stand in the corner. 584 00:39:00,680 --> 00:39:02,920 Oh, you must have prayed, did you pray? 585 00:39:02,920 --> 00:39:06,320 Yes, yes, of course. SHE LAUGHS 586 00:39:06,320 --> 00:39:09,840 Well, your prayers were answered cos you're still here, 587 00:39:09,840 --> 00:39:12,280 but it was awful for the town, wasn't it? 588 00:39:12,280 --> 00:39:15,920 I mean, it was a big loss of life. Yes. 589 00:39:15,920 --> 00:39:18,440 Nearly 100,000. 590 00:39:18,440 --> 00:39:20,000 Nearly 100,000? 591 00:39:20,000 --> 00:39:22,480 All the locals. All over Kutch. Yeah. 592 00:39:25,240 --> 00:39:28,760 'The one thing I miss as I walk these hot streets 593 00:39:28,760 --> 00:39:31,360 'is a refreshing glass of cold beer. 594 00:39:31,360 --> 00:39:34,560 'I'm told there's only one place I might get one.' 595 00:39:34,560 --> 00:39:37,840 Gujarat is the only dry state in the whole of India 596 00:39:37,840 --> 00:39:40,960 but if you're a foreigner, you can get an exemption, 597 00:39:40,960 --> 00:39:44,640 and I'm told that I have to turn up with a copy of my passport, 598 00:39:44,640 --> 00:39:47,200 which I've got, a little note of that, 599 00:39:47,200 --> 00:39:50,240 and also a certificate of where I'm staying. 600 00:39:50,240 --> 00:39:53,760 So I'm going to see if I can get a permit for the time I'm here, 601 00:39:53,760 --> 00:39:57,440 see whether the system of exemptions really works. 602 00:39:57,440 --> 00:40:00,640 'The surroundings aren't exactly convivial.' 603 00:40:00,640 --> 00:40:02,400 Give me your passport. 604 00:40:05,720 --> 00:40:11,320 He's writing down the place where I shall be staying in...Mandvi. 605 00:40:23,240 --> 00:40:25,280 Getting thirsty. 606 00:40:46,400 --> 00:40:48,840 Still get a stamp in your passport. 607 00:40:48,840 --> 00:40:50,840 You will sign here. OK. 608 00:40:56,080 --> 00:40:59,680 What do I do now? Where do I buy the liquor? 609 00:40:59,680 --> 00:41:02,360 Just here. Oh, right, I'm sorry. 610 00:41:02,360 --> 00:41:07,440 I didn't see that at all. OK. Hello. 611 00:41:07,440 --> 00:41:09,520 What do we think? 612 00:41:09,520 --> 00:41:11,840 Ten beers, one spirit? 613 00:41:11,840 --> 00:41:15,040 OK, fine. The spirit's for him. 614 00:41:17,760 --> 00:41:21,040 'Well, at last I have the beer, but I'm not allowed to drink it 615 00:41:21,040 --> 00:41:25,280 'until I'm at my hotel, and that's another 40 miles away. 616 00:41:30,840 --> 00:41:34,640 'Mandvi, coastal town, 45,000 inhabitants, 617 00:41:34,640 --> 00:41:37,280 'main business, shipbuilding. 618 00:41:37,280 --> 00:41:42,280 'Best-kept secret, resort hotel right by the beach.' 619 00:41:43,840 --> 00:41:46,000 You can see it, yeah. Good afternoon. 620 00:41:46,000 --> 00:41:48,280 Good afternoon, thank you. 621 00:41:48,280 --> 00:41:51,800 Thanks very much, I hope that will cover it. 622 00:41:51,800 --> 00:41:53,600 Thank you. 623 00:41:53,600 --> 00:41:56,800 Good. It's a dangerous ride. 624 00:41:56,800 --> 00:42:00,480 'The grandly-named Mandvi Palace Beach Resort 625 00:42:00,480 --> 00:42:02,240 'may turn out to be a row of tents 626 00:42:02,240 --> 00:42:06,800 'but these are no ordinary tents, these are five-star tents. 627 00:42:06,800 --> 00:42:10,200 'Possibly even seven-star tents. 628 00:42:10,200 --> 00:42:14,240 'Each one has a double bed, en-suite bathroom and loo, 629 00:42:14,240 --> 00:42:15,880 'and air conditioning. 630 00:42:15,880 --> 00:42:18,000 'Oh, it's a tough life.' 631 00:42:18,000 --> 00:42:20,720 Thank you very much. Oh! 632 00:42:20,720 --> 00:42:23,480 Cool, cool, lovely, cool. 633 00:42:25,840 --> 00:42:29,400 'And in the evening with the sun well over the yardarm, 634 00:42:29,400 --> 00:42:32,840 'I finally get around to that beer. 635 00:42:41,440 --> 00:42:44,280 'Now, what exactly am I doing here? 636 00:42:49,120 --> 00:42:51,240 'This tented camp was first set up 637 00:42:51,240 --> 00:42:55,080 'by the Mahara of Kutch to accommodate those private guests 638 00:42:55,080 --> 00:42:57,960 'who'd come to visit him at his country palace, 639 00:42:57,960 --> 00:43:00,360 'which is right next door to the camp... 640 00:43:00,360 --> 00:43:02,320 'and open to the public. 641 00:43:05,000 --> 00:43:09,280 'Having never met a Mahara before, I decide to pay him a visit. 642 00:43:27,760 --> 00:43:31,120 'By the time I reach the palace, I'm getting a bit twitchy, 643 00:43:31,120 --> 00:43:32,920 'but my gosh is it worth the walk!' 644 00:43:37,560 --> 00:43:40,040 Did your family have this specially designed? 645 00:43:40,040 --> 00:43:42,920 'The Mahara, or to give him his full title, 646 00:43:42,920 --> 00:43:45,960 'His Highness Sri Pragmalji Mandansinji III, 647 00:43:45,960 --> 00:43:49,520 'couldn't have been more friendly as he invites me in. 648 00:43:51,640 --> 00:43:54,840 'He is descended from a very old Kutch family, 649 00:43:54,840 --> 00:43:58,920 'and talks nostalgically of the days of an independent Kutch 650 00:43:58,920 --> 00:44:01,520 'before it was absorbed into Gujarat 651 00:44:01,520 --> 00:44:04,200 'and had to accept a less relaxed regime.' 652 00:44:06,440 --> 00:44:11,320 Do you think that there's any good reason why people shouldn't buy alcohol in Kutch or Gujarat? 653 00:44:11,320 --> 00:44:14,920 There is a slight problem here. 654 00:44:14,920 --> 00:44:17,360 Kutch is a part of Gujarat state, 655 00:44:17,360 --> 00:44:21,720 which we were not a part of Gujarat state ever in the history. 656 00:44:23,280 --> 00:44:28,080 And Gujarat state unfortunately is Gandhian in the sense 657 00:44:28,080 --> 00:44:32,600 that they believe in prohibition and things like that, 658 00:44:32,600 --> 00:44:37,000 which is not necessarily very congenial to tourism. 659 00:44:37,000 --> 00:44:43,600 Mahatma Gandhi probably thought that a lot of people wasted their income 660 00:44:43,600 --> 00:44:46,920 on unnecessary things like alcohol, 661 00:44:46,920 --> 00:44:49,400 and which is not very healthy. 662 00:44:49,400 --> 00:44:52,280 But I'm sure, I am sure... 663 00:44:52,280 --> 00:44:54,760 I have had the pleasure in my life 664 00:44:54,760 --> 00:44:59,240 of meeting Mahatma Gandhi and getting his autograph etcetera. 665 00:44:59,240 --> 00:45:01,120 I'm sure if he was alive today, 666 00:45:01,120 --> 00:45:07,520 he would have relented on that, but I'm sure that in due course 667 00:45:07,520 --> 00:45:11,880 er...the change will come. 668 00:45:13,440 --> 00:45:16,320 'I wouldn't want anything to change here, 669 00:45:16,320 --> 00:45:19,360 'not at sunset and not on this fantastic beach, 670 00:45:19,360 --> 00:45:23,480 'which is by the way owned by the Mahara, as is the sea. 671 00:45:23,480 --> 00:45:27,360 'Or at least it is at high tide when the waves break onto his beach. 672 00:45:34,560 --> 00:45:39,640 'But now it's back to business. Today is the day I must track down the captain.' 673 00:45:39,640 --> 00:45:44,600 Well, now we've got this far, I actually found out where he lives. I'm going to see him. 674 00:45:44,600 --> 00:45:46,640 I think it's probably just as well 675 00:45:46,640 --> 00:45:50,160 I'm just going to have one last look to see what he looks like. 676 00:45:51,840 --> 00:45:54,360 And this is where I'm introduced to the captain. 677 00:45:59,560 --> 00:46:02,000 'Hello, hello.' 'Good afternoon.' 678 00:46:02,000 --> 00:46:04,360 Very eager, that's right... 679 00:46:04,360 --> 00:46:08,200 'Very well, do you speak English?' 'Yes.' 'Good. 680 00:46:08,200 --> 00:46:09,880 'Where are you going to? 681 00:46:09,880 --> 00:46:11,480 'Are you going to Bombay?' 682 00:46:11,480 --> 00:46:13,160 'I'm going to Bombay, yes.' 683 00:46:13,160 --> 00:46:15,560 'Good, I need a boat.' 'Yes.' 'To take me to Bombay.' 684 00:46:15,560 --> 00:46:17,440 'Yes. Why not? I take you to Bombay.' 685 00:46:17,440 --> 00:46:23,640 Yeah, that's fine, that's fine. I think I should remember him. 686 00:46:29,600 --> 00:46:31,720 Well, I'm in the centre of Mandvi 687 00:46:31,720 --> 00:46:35,760 but it's not the sort of place that has maps or street plans, 688 00:46:35,760 --> 00:46:38,000 so I know I've got to get to Saliya 689 00:46:38,000 --> 00:46:41,280 cos I was told that by Digant in Bombay, 690 00:46:41,280 --> 00:46:44,560 so I'll just have to go and ask for Saliya. 691 00:46:46,440 --> 00:46:48,480 The end of the journey begins. 692 00:46:50,000 --> 00:46:56,280 Excuse me, er...Sal... Saliya. Saliya. 693 00:46:58,680 --> 00:47:00,360 Oh, it's over there? 694 00:47:01,640 --> 00:47:04,400 Saliya. 695 00:47:08,960 --> 00:47:10,440 Can you tell me... 696 00:47:12,920 --> 00:47:15,880 Where is Saliya? 697 00:47:15,880 --> 00:47:18,680 Saliya. Where? 698 00:47:18,680 --> 00:47:21,160 Mandvi. Mandvi, yeah. 699 00:47:21,160 --> 00:47:26,280 Mandvi, Saliya. It's over there? THEY SPEAK NATIVE TONGUE 700 00:47:28,200 --> 00:47:29,520 Thank you. Aabhaar. 701 00:47:31,360 --> 00:47:36,440 'Salaya or Saliya, and I'm still not quite sure which it is, proves to be on the other side of the creek. 702 00:47:36,440 --> 00:47:41,320 'It's served by a distinctly no-frills ferry service.' 703 00:47:41,320 --> 00:47:42,880 Here I come. 704 00:47:44,440 --> 00:47:45,920 Ooh. Thank you. 705 00:48:12,480 --> 00:48:14,600 Hello, boys. 706 00:48:14,600 --> 00:48:16,200 I'm going to Saliya. 707 00:48:18,160 --> 00:48:19,800 Hey, nice outfit. 708 00:48:22,960 --> 00:48:27,720 'Once in Saliya, I've a chance to show off my few words of Gujarati. 709 00:48:27,720 --> 00:48:33,080 Excuse me, sirs, Captain Hassan Suliman 710 00:48:33,080 --> 00:48:35,720 Kya rey che? 711 00:48:35,720 --> 00:48:37,600 Up here? I follow this? 712 00:48:37,600 --> 00:48:42,120 'As Digant Joshi had forecast, here in Suliya everyone I talk to 713 00:48:42,120 --> 00:48:45,960 'seems to know the captain, or be related to him.' 714 00:48:45,960 --> 00:48:50,760 Excuse me, Captain Hassan Suliman, OK? Kya rey che? 715 00:48:52,680 --> 00:48:54,000 Thank you. 716 00:48:55,000 --> 00:48:56,360 Thanks. 717 00:49:01,360 --> 00:49:05,120 'All directions lead to the waterfront, and extraordinarily, 718 00:49:05,120 --> 00:49:09,440 'there's a dhow being built right outside the captain's front door.' 719 00:49:14,720 --> 00:49:15,840 This is the one. 720 00:49:15,840 --> 00:49:22,200 'This won't be such a surprise for the captain, he knows I'm in town, but it'll be a surprise for me. 721 00:49:22,200 --> 00:49:25,680 'I've no idea how he or I will react.' 722 00:49:25,680 --> 00:49:27,840 Will it be him? Will it be me? 723 00:49:29,360 --> 00:49:31,840 Hey! Michael, how are you? 724 00:49:31,840 --> 00:49:34,880 How are you, Michael? It is you! I recognise you. 725 00:49:34,880 --> 00:49:36,680 How are you, Michael? 726 00:49:36,680 --> 00:49:38,680 Oh, I'm very well, very good indeed. 727 00:49:38,680 --> 00:49:42,040 Yes. Come in, come in. Oh, yes. Mikel, you used to call me, Mikel. 728 00:49:42,040 --> 00:49:45,680 OK, you come in. You've become a big man, a very big man. 729 00:49:45,680 --> 00:49:47,640 And I've become a grey haired man. 730 00:49:47,640 --> 00:49:49,840 But you now very big now. Very big, pah! 731 00:49:51,440 --> 00:49:56,280 'We catch up with each other as he takes me on a walk through the shipbuilding yards.' 732 00:49:56,280 --> 00:49:58,600 How big was Al Sharma? 733 00:50:01,560 --> 00:50:07,400 'Al Sharma was tiny compared to some of the 2,000-ton dhows they're building here now. 734 00:50:07,400 --> 00:50:10,280 'But still they build them in the time-honoured way, 735 00:50:10,280 --> 00:50:15,000 'by hand and eye and physical strength.' 736 00:50:15,000 --> 00:50:18,800 This is good strong wood. Where's the wood from? Malaysia. 737 00:50:18,800 --> 00:50:21,520 Malaysia. Malaysian, ah. 738 00:50:21,520 --> 00:50:23,640 The wood is coming from Malaysia. 739 00:50:27,760 --> 00:50:29,440 You have now... 740 00:50:29,440 --> 00:50:32,160 Only one girls. One girl, yes. Yes. 741 00:50:32,160 --> 00:50:34,040 Married with Anwar, you know Anwar? 742 00:50:34,040 --> 00:50:35,680 With Anwar? Yes, that's right. 743 00:50:35,680 --> 00:50:38,560 And the marriage was at a big, big thing. Yeah, yeah. 744 00:50:38,560 --> 00:50:41,400 A lot of big party, big feast. 745 00:50:41,400 --> 00:50:43,080 Big feast! You pay. 746 00:50:43,080 --> 00:50:49,560 Yeah! Many times, it'll be for 18 years we are married. 747 00:50:49,560 --> 00:50:53,240 Yes, that's good, yes. Whoops. 748 00:50:53,240 --> 00:50:56,920 'Often in these last few days, I've tried to visualise where the captain 749 00:50:56,920 --> 00:50:58,760 'and his crew might live, 750 00:50:58,760 --> 00:51:02,520 'and this location is right out of central casting. 751 00:51:02,520 --> 00:51:04,240 'I ask the captain if he'd heard 752 00:51:04,240 --> 00:51:06,240 'about the programme we made together.' 753 00:51:06,240 --> 00:51:07,880 So did people... 754 00:51:07,880 --> 00:51:12,520 All over the world, you know the BBC World Service? 755 00:51:12,520 --> 00:51:15,040 Yes, BBC World Service. 756 00:51:15,040 --> 00:51:17,720 Famous in the world. And what do your friends say? 757 00:51:17,720 --> 00:51:19,640 Yeah. They like it? Yeah. 758 00:51:19,640 --> 00:51:22,320 Like it, I like it. Good. Very good. 759 00:51:22,320 --> 00:51:24,960 20 years from now, another 20 years. Yeah. 760 00:51:24,960 --> 00:51:27,840 We maybe see each other again. Yeah. 761 00:51:27,840 --> 00:51:31,200 I'll be very old man, you'll have to push me. OK. 762 00:51:34,400 --> 00:51:39,160 How many years after, you come next time to Mandvi? 763 00:51:39,160 --> 00:51:41,120 Oh, I don't know. 764 00:51:41,120 --> 00:51:43,200 I don't know. I have to ask my wife. 765 00:51:47,080 --> 00:51:50,320 'Later in the day when I come back to the captain's house, 766 00:51:50,320 --> 00:51:53,600 'I bring my DVD player and Hassan, in turn, 767 00:51:53,600 --> 00:51:57,640 'brings together some old faces from Al Sharma's crew.' 768 00:51:57,640 --> 00:51:59,640 Hi, thank you. Thank you. 769 00:52:03,600 --> 00:52:06,200 I might just have to... Oh, no disc. 770 00:52:06,200 --> 00:52:09,920 'We gather round, the chief engineer, the second engineer, 771 00:52:09,920 --> 00:52:14,080 'the cabin boy Anwar now married to the captain's daughter 772 00:52:14,080 --> 00:52:18,320 'and father of three boys, and of course the captain himself.' 773 00:52:18,320 --> 00:52:20,760 You see, I have to wear glasses now. 774 00:52:20,760 --> 00:52:24,200 Yeah. When I last saw you, I could see very, very clearly 775 00:52:24,200 --> 00:52:27,720 and now I have to wear these. Where are you? There you are. 776 00:52:27,720 --> 00:52:29,520 Oh, there we go, look. 777 00:52:29,520 --> 00:52:33,840 'I board our dhow, Al Sharma, which means candlelight in Arabic.' 778 00:52:35,440 --> 00:52:40,000 Look at me, look at my silly socks and the funny hat. 779 00:52:40,000 --> 00:52:42,240 There you are. 780 00:52:42,240 --> 00:52:46,760 'The captain has made sure the place is scrupulously clean, he assures me...' 781 00:52:46,760 --> 00:52:49,120 Yes, there you are. 782 00:52:49,120 --> 00:52:51,520 Anwar was a very small boy there. Yes, yes, yes. 783 00:52:51,520 --> 00:52:53,520 We've got some more here of Anwar. 784 00:52:53,520 --> 00:52:55,720 Now he's captain, big captain. 785 00:52:55,720 --> 00:52:59,920 Are you a captain now? For 14 years. Fantastic. 786 00:52:59,920 --> 00:53:03,000 There we are, that's right, going out. 787 00:53:05,960 --> 00:53:08,280 HE LAUGHS 788 00:53:08,280 --> 00:53:13,240 Sad. Yeah. Sad to see the ship. Sad that it's no longer around. 789 00:53:13,240 --> 00:53:15,560 And who's that? 790 00:53:15,560 --> 00:53:18,520 THEY SPEAK NATIVE LANGUAGE Dead. He's dead? 791 00:53:18,520 --> 00:53:23,320 Kasim. Kasim, yes, expired. Yes, expiry. 792 00:53:23,320 --> 00:53:27,840 Is this Dejilanti? Yes, ex-man. 793 00:53:27,840 --> 00:53:31,760 Chief Officer, dead. Ah, right, chief officer. Now dead, yeah. 794 00:53:31,760 --> 00:53:33,520 He for four years dead. 795 00:53:33,520 --> 00:53:38,400 Oh, right, yeah. Salimamman, Ramsey-mamman, and er... 796 00:53:38,400 --> 00:53:43,360 Kasim. Three men is dead. Oh, yes. 797 00:53:43,360 --> 00:53:45,840 THEY LAUGH 798 00:53:45,840 --> 00:53:50,360 'The plumbing is basic, they favour the hole in the barrel system.' 799 00:53:50,360 --> 00:53:53,560 THEY LAUGH 800 00:53:53,560 --> 00:53:58,120 'The boat is scorchingly hot by day and suicidal at night, 801 00:53:58,120 --> 00:54:01,480 'but once installed one enjoys direct contact with nature. 802 00:54:01,480 --> 00:54:06,120 'This is rather a shock and causes my bowels to lock solid for three days'. 803 00:54:06,120 --> 00:54:08,680 Oh, yes. THEY LAUGH 804 00:54:08,680 --> 00:54:11,800 I didn't know how to use that at first. 805 00:54:13,360 --> 00:54:15,400 Ah, there you go! 806 00:54:15,400 --> 00:54:17,680 It was very useful. Look at that there. 807 00:54:17,680 --> 00:54:19,640 Look at the chillies, yeah. 808 00:54:23,200 --> 00:54:28,920 'Whilst Ali Mamoun, the cook, produces three meals for 22 people every day.' 809 00:54:28,920 --> 00:54:32,480 He's making chapattis. THEY LAUGH 810 00:54:32,480 --> 00:54:36,520 He's making so many chapattis, look at that. Expecting company? 811 00:54:36,520 --> 00:54:40,040 There must be 40 chapattis there. Stop it! Stop making chapattis! 812 00:54:46,680 --> 00:54:48,560 Very good food there, very nice. 813 00:54:48,560 --> 00:54:50,960 Kedgeree, kedgeree, you know kedgeree? 814 00:54:50,960 --> 00:54:54,120 Yes, that's right. Kedgeree. 815 00:54:54,120 --> 00:54:56,160 Mohammed is coming. Mohammed Suliman. 816 00:54:57,600 --> 00:55:00,440 'Mohammed was Al Sharma's bosun. 817 00:55:00,440 --> 00:55:03,200 'He's the captain's brother and Anwar's father. 818 00:55:03,200 --> 00:55:06,360 'Both of them had told me that he wasn't well, 819 00:55:06,360 --> 00:55:09,400 'so I'm doubly happy that he's come to join us. 820 00:55:15,080 --> 00:55:17,920 'He does seem to perk up a bit when he sees himself on film. 821 00:55:17,920 --> 00:55:22,840 Yes, good crewman and all together. 822 00:55:22,840 --> 00:55:25,320 Here is Kasim listening to the music, 823 00:55:25,320 --> 00:55:27,560 listening to Bruce Springsteen. 824 00:55:27,560 --> 00:55:33,320 LAUGHTER 825 00:55:37,440 --> 00:55:41,640 Now this is putting the sail up, I remember. 826 00:55:41,640 --> 00:55:43,920 SINGING 827 00:55:47,480 --> 00:55:49,600 For the open sail. Yes. Pull up there. 828 00:55:49,600 --> 00:55:52,280 Yes, and you sang your song. 829 00:56:05,560 --> 00:56:10,280 THEY SPEAK IN NATIVE LANGUAGE AND LAUGH 830 00:56:13,160 --> 00:56:15,280 Yes, very sweet. 831 00:56:15,280 --> 00:56:18,920 And strong. Now Anwar is captain. I know, I know. 832 00:56:20,960 --> 00:56:23,080 But he's not changed. 833 00:56:23,080 --> 00:56:25,200 'Very good.' 834 00:56:25,200 --> 00:56:29,320 There's me saying, "Very good." Fat lot you did, Palin. 835 00:56:29,320 --> 00:56:31,840 Yeah, "very good." Oh, yes. Ha ha. 836 00:56:31,840 --> 00:56:36,360 'So we sit and watch ourselves when we were 20 years younger, 837 00:56:36,360 --> 00:56:39,920 'until we come to the final sequence of the voyage 838 00:56:39,920 --> 00:56:43,400 'where I bid them all farewell for the last time.' 839 00:56:43,400 --> 00:56:46,800 Ah, yes! LAUGHTER 840 00:56:48,800 --> 00:56:50,520 Yeah, lovely smile. 841 00:56:58,200 --> 00:57:01,000 'Bye bye.' Ah, look. 842 00:57:01,000 --> 00:57:02,920 Goodbye. There you are, goodbye. 843 00:57:02,920 --> 00:57:06,000 'I'm very sad to leave Captain Hassan and his crew. 844 00:57:06,000 --> 00:57:08,640 'We entrusted our lives to these people, 845 00:57:08,640 --> 00:57:09,920 'and they responded 846 00:57:09,920 --> 00:57:12,840 'with unquestioning generosity and openness. 847 00:57:12,840 --> 00:57:17,000 'I know I shall never again on this journey enjoy such simple and 848 00:57:17,000 --> 00:57:21,760 'straightforward friendships as I've made with the crew of the Al Sharma. 849 00:57:21,760 --> 00:57:25,440 'At this moment, it's almost impossible to accept 850 00:57:25,440 --> 00:57:27,960 'that I shall never see them again.' 851 00:57:27,960 --> 00:57:31,280 There we are. I didn't believe I would never see you again, 852 00:57:31,280 --> 00:57:34,000 and it's just as well, because I've seen you again! 853 00:57:34,000 --> 00:57:36,480 Excellent, there you go. 854 00:57:36,480 --> 00:57:40,360 Well, now we do another programme together. Other one? 855 00:57:40,360 --> 00:57:42,480 Yeah. We get another boat out. 856 00:57:42,480 --> 00:57:45,200 We'll do it all over again. OK. OK? 857 00:57:47,240 --> 00:57:50,720 'Then after tea and all manner of hospitality, 858 00:57:50,720 --> 00:57:53,120 'it's time for another farewell.' 859 00:57:53,120 --> 00:57:56,280 Thank you so much, it's great to see you again. 860 00:57:56,280 --> 00:57:59,520 OK, how many years you thinking you come here? 861 00:57:59,520 --> 00:58:02,000 Shall we leave it another 20? More 20? 862 00:58:02,000 --> 00:58:03,680 Real mature men. OK, sir. 863 00:58:03,680 --> 00:58:05,840 Thank you, good luck to all your family. 864 00:58:05,840 --> 00:58:09,240 It was lovely to meet them all, and great to see the shows again. 865 00:58:09,240 --> 00:58:11,800 OK, goodbye. See you soon. 866 00:58:11,800 --> 00:58:13,600 20 years will go by very quickly. 867 00:58:13,600 --> 00:58:15,640 OK, sir, bye, goodbye. Goodbye. 868 00:58:15,640 --> 00:58:19,280 OK. Goodbye, sir. 869 00:58:19,280 --> 00:58:21,480 'Whatever plans Hassan and I might make, 870 00:58:21,480 --> 00:58:24,200 'I'm pretty sure that both he and I know 871 00:58:24,200 --> 00:58:28,640 'that this time the chances are we shall not see each other again. 872 00:58:28,640 --> 00:58:31,040 Goodbye, sir. Careful, please. 873 00:58:48,160 --> 00:58:51,240 Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd 874 00:58:51,240 --> 00:58:54,240 E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk