Jan 2016 World Cruise live report

[2552phxcrzr]

Smart to write bits and pieces ahead of time ... now I just need to find time to that in between planning for this year's travels and the 2017 RTW :)

[canuck.qc]

Hands down one of the best travel diaries I've read here in years!

Thanks for all the work you are putting into your posts, totally entertaining.

L

[gbp]

And congratulations for getting caught up! Your travelogue writing, combining facts, personal experience and reflection is informative and a joy to read. The thought of the day is a nice finale for your posts. I look forward to your future entries!

[RachelG]

Very much enjoying your posts as I dream of a round the world cruise sometime in the future.

[Waynetor]

The Togolese Republic is a long, skinny country that extends north from the Gulf of Guinea. Togo is one of the smallest countries in all of Africa. The official language is French, with many other languages spoken.

 

Togo means the other side of the river. Following Germany's defeat in World War I, the country was divided into 2 territories, 1 British and the other French. When the French part officially gained its independence under a dictator on April 22, 1960, its complete name became the Togolese Republic. (Independence was declared in 1958 but was postponed for 2 years due to a lack of infrastructure). The major religion is Voodoo. The official language is French, with many other languages spoken. Coconuts are the major export - June 1 is the day that every citizen is to plant a tree (at one time slave trading was the major export). The annual per capita income is less than $500.

 

Lomé with a population of 837,437 (Metro population 1,570,283), is the capital and largest city of Togo. Located at 6° 8′ 16″ N on the Gulf of Guinea, Lomé is the country's administrative and industrial center and its chief port. The city exports coffee, cocoa, copra, and palm kernels. It also has an oil refinery. The city's population grew rapidly in the second half of the 20th century. The city had approximately 30,000 inhabitants in 1950: by 1960 (the year Togo gained its independence from France) the population had reached 80,000, increasing to 200,000 by 1970.

 

As in most equatorial climates, the city has two rainy seasons, the first starts in April and ends in July, then a second 2nd rainy season starts in early September and ends in late November.

 

The heat is constant, the average maximum in the shade is on average 30C (86F) in the afternoon. The heat is stable, without excessive peaks, and the wind coming from the sea, makes it quite pleasant.

 

Lomé is a typical African city in the sense that many styles, influences, and traditions are mixed. There are some remnants of colonial architecture from the turn of the 20th century, such as arcades and galleries and the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart designed in the German Gothic style. With the rapid expansions of the city there are also many modern buildings.

[Waynetor]

Except Egypt, this is our first time in Africa.

 

Nice to see land again – Just like yesterday at sea, today was very hazy so there was not much to see until we were actually in the port area. The port is a large shipping port that is being expanded so not much to see anyways. We docked on time but clearance took awhile and we did not get off until 9:20

 

Last night Oceania put on a diner in the 2 specialty restaurants for those doing the full voyage. After having an open bar at the Oceania Club party we continued with wine freely floating at dinner. They offered Salmon and Tuna Tarter, Aritichoke Ravioloni, and a choice of Sea Bass or Beef Tenderloin. It was a very nice diner and we were part of a very nice table of 8.

 

We were greeted getting off the ship by a colourful musical/dance group that included a few on stilts.

 

For today’s and tomorrow’s tours we had to pay in US$ ($250US/person for the 2 tours) in advance back in November. The company as part of our payment conformation sent us a 9 pg. pdf document giving many details about Togo, and an 8 pg. one for Benin – very interesting. We also had to prefill out a waiver document.

 

Our tour today was very interesting. Our driver spoke English and we had an air-conditioned vehicle which is often not the case here but was important for those of us used to it. The tour organizer warned us about rustic washroom conditions and heat but to expect a great time which I certainly did. We were also advised we would not do a lunch break in order to save time and avoid any concerns over locally prepared foods I brought some bottled water and snack food.

 

Most of the drive to Togoville was on a paved road but I think our bus has long lost its shocks. Along this road there were many small stalls selling a wide range of good including furniture. Some of the stalls had small gardens behind there where vegetables were grown and sold right there.

 

The lake we crossed to get to Togoville is quite shallow and there were a lot of fishing nets/traps on place in the lake. The dugouts had no motor but were propelled but pushing a long pole into the water and using the lake bottom. As we landed a large group of men surrounded the dugouts. Although the water was only about a foot deep, these men would carry passengers to the shore for a tip. The town of Togoville was very rustic including the washroom.. The cathedral there had been previously visited by Pope John Paul II in 1985.

 

The Fetish market is a traditional drug store. It is very strange by any North American standard – there were about 20 stalls with animal bones or dead animals including snakes, turtles, and birds (many types and sizes). For most of the time the 30 of us were the only people there and some young children were very eager to sell small voodoo dolls. We were told all the animals died naturally. .

 

We were the only people at the Museum of African Art (had to be buzzed in). This museum featured carvings and figurines of various types (no painting) from many African countries.

 

Again we were the only people at the National Museum. We had a very good guide describe each of the displays. On the way to the museum we passed several nice hotels along the beach area along with some consulates

 

The Grande Marche is a very large market area where you can buy just about anything – did not see a lot of fruit, veg, or fish. You have to be extremely careful there – It was quite crowed with locals doing there shopping but car and motorcycles were also using the road at the same time. Some of the motorcycles were moving quite fast and you had to look before changing your walking direction. The guides gave us a walk through but it was hard to do any shopping as we were a group of 30 moving through a crowd and you had to keep up. The guides did make a few short stops but they seemed to be in a hurry.

 

The first thing people do when they get a job in Togo is to acquire a loan and start to build a house because not owning a house is a shame. The house is built bit by bit as the owners acquire the money necessary to continue (we passed a lot of partially completed buildings).

 

Motorcycles are more common that cars and they weave in and out of traffic.

 

We were back in time for Freda to get off and do something but there was nothing near the ship. Oceania provided a shuttle to the Grande Marche.

.

As we are just north of the equator we were expecting hotter temps. As we got off the ship there was a stand with the forecast saying high of 34C/92F – but it did not feel close to that.

 

We pulled away from the dock on schedule, but only went a short distance, when we pulled up to a refueling ship. The refueling process took a few hours. The show for tonight was John Ekin, the assistant CD. He is on his first Oceania contract. He has been in the entertainment business for many years including 30 performances at the white house and extensive work with Disney. His show was a mix of comedy and magic.

 

Despite the short distance, once again we lost an hour overnight.

 

Today’s thought for the day - The past is a guide post, not a hitching post – L Thomas Holdcroft

[RJB]

Thanks for your continued posts. It is nice to be along for the trip and would like to do it myself sometime in the future. Will keep looking every day or so.

[Waynetor]

The Republic of Benin (formerly Dahomey) is bordered by Togo to the west. Like Togo it is long and mostly skinny but the northern area expands to be wider. The official language of Benin is French. In 1960, Dahomey gained full independence from France, bringing in a democratic government for the next 12 years. A Marxist Leninist state called the People’s Republic of Benin existed between 1972 and 1990. In 1991, it was replaced by the current multi-party Republic of Benin.

Together with Tonga, the area was named "the Slave Coast” due to its part in supplying slaves for around 300 years to the new world.

Cotonou is located on the coastal strip between Lake Nokoue and the Atlantic Ocean. The city is cut in half two by a canal which joins the 2 bodies of water. The Port of Cotonou is one of the largest ports in West Africa.

[Waynetor]

Like yesterday, there is not much for someone with mobility issue here so I again did a private tour as a single.

 

We had the same washroom, heat and lunch issues as yesterday along with a great guide and air-conditioned vehicle.

 

Like yesterday, we had a hazy sail into the port. Our tour guide said the haze is common from Dec. to Feb. but it has been solid this year for a month+ - it is caused by sand in the air.

 

The ship had a forecast of 33C (92F) but our guide said it would be 23-25C – only mid 70’sF.

 

Also like yesterday, we were greeted by a colourful music/dance group, just no stilts this time. To help keep dust down in the port, they watered down the sandy road all around the port, this made for a bit of a muddy area getting to the buses. In Cotonou the port is the biggest business. There were no taxis or tour companies looking for business in the port. There was a shuttle offered by Oceania to the town centre (not sure where that was), but otherwise you had to prearrange your visit.

 

Shortly after leaving the port area we passed the French consulate and then a very large, modern government complex.

 

The drive to Kpasse Sacred Forest was mostly a paved highway. Motor cycles outnumbered cars by a large margin. Drivers with yellow shirts are taxis drivers. Both passenger and driver are required to wear helmets but not enforced for passengers. In one of the roundabouts we went through an 18 wheeler had flipped on its side spilling its load (it was only partially picked up when we came back to port). Like yesterday, I saw no sign of any chain stores – most would just have 1 or 2 people running them – some a bit bigger but nothing major.

 

Kpasse Sacred Forest is in the city of Ouidah (pop 110,000). The sacred forest used to.be the private residence of the King of Ouidah. There were several large groups of local children in the forest on tours. The forest was full of statue representing various things such as fertility. The forest included a massive, sacred tree that was about 400 years old. There were also a lot of large, flying bats there.

 

Across the road was a local primary school. Even though it was a Saturday, they brought the students in to greet us. The children loved to have their pictures taken and then having the picture image shown to them. Some of the passengers in our group brought some gifts that were given to the teacher to hand out. The students welcomed us and did a song and bit of a dance with the guide doing interpretations.

 

The Temple of Pythons a small attraction was next. You could have a 1 metre+ (4ft) python placed around your neck for a photo. There was a pit with a dozen or so pythons and a small area were ceremonies are done.

 

Our next stop was the history museum. Again there were large groups of local children doing tours when we got there. The museum is on the grounds of an old fort where slaves were brought and sold before being marched at night 4km (2.5mi) to the sea for their final voyage. We could take photos outside but not in the buildings. A few souvenirs stands were set up. Items were mostly jewelry and carving – the carving looked mass produced, machine made to me. We had a guide take us through the main building, describing the exhibits and photos but unless you were near the front of the group, you could not see or hear him. We were told most of the slaves shipped from here were prisoners of tribal wars but some were kidnapped by European slave dealers. At the end of our time there 2 large O excursion buses showed up.

 

Then we drove down the road the slaves were walked to where the ships picked them up (door of no return) – they had to use the equivalent of tenders to get to the slave ships. At this place there were monuments and a lot of souvenir stands but nothing in the way of the slave history. Just before we left two very large groups of local children showed up (over 100 kids in each) – they had walked over a mile from their buses to simulate what the slaves had done.

 

Our next stop was a very busy market where we boarded a motorized dugout. We took about 25 minutes to cross Lake Nokoue visit Ganvie, Africa’s largest village on stilts. About 30,000 people live in homes built in shallow water. The history goes back to tribal wars.

The town has a few small islands but is mostly just water. It includes schools and cemetery. Fishing is the main activity. Men do the fishing and women take it ashore to the market. Most do not have motors but use the very slow method of pushing off the bottom with a pole. We were getting behind schedule and only had about 15 minutes to stop on an island with a souvenir stand and small bar - $2US for a nice cold bottle of beer. The stop was not really important – it was just seeing everything from our dugout that was the best part. Not all, but many of the women in their boats did not want their photos taken and as soon as they saw an boat load of ‘whites’ coming would turn away or cover up.

 

We were in a major rush to get back to the ship in time and just made it at the 4:30 all aboard time – The ship ended up doing additional fuel loading so we did not leave until 7PM.

 

The passenger that had been to Togo and before did an excellent job with the tour company putting together these 2 days – everyone on the tour enjoyed themselves and the tour guides were excellent (the term ‘everyone enjoyed’ has an unfortunate exception – one group member stepped in a hole make by some animal in a sandy area and injured her foot – now in a cast and there are no wheelchairs available onboard– using a crutch).

 

The People of Benin, even in their very poor living conditions, were all truly most gracious and so very friendly, young and old alike. Nobody seemed under fed or obese.

 

Nowhere on today’s tour was good for anyone with trouble walking – maybe those using a cane would get by but no condition requiring more assistance. Most sidewalks were in good condition but there are no cutouts for wheelchairs.

 

I did not see any sign of an organized local public bus system. Some vans and small buses seemed to be used that way and were very crowed but they did not look official.

 

Several people on our tour picked up some souvenirs but I like to collect shot glasses for each country we visit. Haven’t seen anything close to that in either Togo or Benin. Probably just as well as I’m running out of space to put them.

 

Tonight at dinner we were the first ones at our table, after a bit we were joined by a single man and a bit later by a single lady who sat next to him. The gentleman trying to be a charmer asked her “Does Oceania charge you extra for sitting next to a good looking man?” She was quick to reply, “Yes, but I was not willing to pay.”

 

Today’s thought for the day - One knows that the first joy can never be recovered, and the wise traveler learns not to repeat successes but tries new places all the time. Paul Fussel

[Waynetor]

We awoke today to another hazy day which has continued through the afternoon.

 

We had one of those unusually events overnight. Even though we are heading south-east, we went back an hour to the same time as Togo. Nice to get an extra hour sleep, but it will be short lived as we will give it back after our next port tomorrow.

 

Everything posted here is in a word document – at the end of the cruise I can send it to anyone wanting a record – please don’t request now but if I don’t say anything remind me later.

 

I mentioned earlier that I had computer problems to start the voyage. I am now borrowing someone’s computer when available to do these posts, which makes it hard to add any photos – I was hoping to do that but time wise it takes too much.

 

Today Oceania put on a Sunday Brunch in the main dining room from 10 to 1:30. There were 2 sandwiches, fresh egg items or banana pancakes that could be ordered but most items were buffet style. The buffet had a great selection of bakery items, cheeses, cold meats and salads, various seafood, hot roasted turkey or Salmon Koulibiac, hot vegetable and a very hard to resist dessert selection.

 

After having a much larger brunch than normal we will eat a light dinner up in the Terrace Café for the first time tonight. We have a new guest entertaining on board for a show tonight – international entertainer Bettine Clemen doing a ‘Journeys around the world’ show featuring classical, pop, jazz and ethnic music with stunning photography from around the world added

 

We shared a table at brunch today with a gentleman. I asked him if he was travelling alone to which he confirmed he was. He said marriage was grand and then after a brief pause added “but unfortunately divorce is at least couple100 grand!”

 

Today’s thought for the day - The great difference between voyages rests not with the ships, but with the people you meet on them. -Amelia Barr

[deus]

Sorry to hear that you don't have your own computer - must be very frustrating for you. I am so glad you are continuing posting as I am thoroughly enjoying your writings.

[globevest]

High on our bucket list is an east and west coast cruise(s) of Africa....so we are following your report closely. Thank you.

[TraceyB]

Just loving reading about all of the adventures you are having. Just to keep you up on weather in TO, +7 and sunny. Nothing like what you are experiencing but thought you might like to know. Thanks again for wonderful daily updates.

[jaxw17]

Cant wait for the next instalment thanks for posting

[wally_bushy]

I am using some of your jokes.☺

I am enjoying your mix of ship details, port stops, humour and sayings.

Appreciate the effort to keep it going after big days

Edited January 31, 2016 by wally_bushy

[Waynetor]

The Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe is a Portuguese-speaking island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. It consists of two archipelagos around the two main islands: Sa Tome and Principe, located about 140km (87mi) apart and about 250 and 225km (155 and 140mi), respectively, off the northwestern coast of Gabon. Both islands are part of an extinct volcanic mountain range. With a population of 163,000 (2010), São Tomé and Príncipe is the second-2nd smallest African country (Seychelles is the smallest). It is also the smallest Portuguese-speaking country.

Over 90% live on Sa Tome. The population is estimated to be about 80% Catholic, 15% Protestant, 3% Muslim, and 2% atheist. The islands of São Tomé and Príncipe were uninhabited before the arrival of the Portuguese sometime around 1470.

São Tomé is 50km (30mi) long and 30km (20mi) wide and the more mountainous of the two islands. Its peaks reach 2,024m (6,640ft). Príncipe is about 30km (20mi) long and 6km (4mi) wide. Its peaks reach 948m (3,110ft). Swift streams radiating down the mountains through lush forest and cropland to the sea cross both islands. The equator lies immediately south of São Tomé Island, passing through an islet Ilhéu das Rolas.

This poor island economy has become increasingly dependent on cocoa since independence in July 1975. However, cocoa production has substantially declined because of drought and mismanagement. The resulting shortage of cocoa for export has created a persistent balance-of-payments problem. São Tomé has to import all fuels, most manufactured goods, consumer goods, and a substantial amount of food.

English is not widely spoken.

The dry period is December to February.

[Waynetor]

29 M - Feb 1 Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe –- 8am – 4pm

We are now in the exotic and beautiful islands of São Tomé and Principe – I had never heard of it before booking this voyage.

 

We finally got rid of the haze –today was good old fashion cloudy with a good touch of grey

There are many wonderful thrown in. This helped to keep the temperature quite nice considering we are a stone’s throw from the equator. We will cross into the Southern Hemisphere not long after setting sale. We are a few degrees east of being at both 0 degrees longitude and latitude.

 

We were told not many places accept credit cards and that Euro was the preferred foreign currency although US may be accepted.

 

I took the tender ashore and met up with 2 other passengers looking to do a tour. The 3 of us decided on a driver with a Pathfinder that was comfortable. We choose him because his vehicle look to be in good condition and he spoke passable English. Most of the drivers were asking for $100US for 4 hours but one said $80 so we negotiated that also. The other couple had a list of places they wanted to visit that was fine for me – one of the locations was too far away but the driver agreed on the rest.

 

Oceania provided a shuttle to town where there was a large outdoor market.

 

Most of the excursions offered here involved going to a plantation (coffee or cocoa) or bird watching.

The island is home to over 130 bird species. All the tours included a fair bit of walking and were not wheelchair accessible.

 

We headed out of town on roads that were for the most part quite good. There seemed to be a lot of people not doing very much, especially children that were not in school. We passed a few foreign consulates. Here cars and motorcycles are about equal but a lot of people walk. Many women use their head for carrying large baskets. Each river we passed had large number of people using the water and the rocks for washing clothes. There were no vehicles near these rivers so the people must have walked a fair distance to get their washing done.

 

Our 1st main stop was an area with great view of a beach and an area with waves crashing on the volcanic shore. From there we went to a coffee bean processing plant – it was only partially in use (not even 10% original capacity) but we were given a bit of a guided tour of what was being done. From there we went up a very nice road up high into the mountains. Once past the last house the road turned into a very poor dirt road. After about 2 km we reached a very beautiful waterfall. At that point the mountain had very steep valleys and we were above the clouds in the valleys. The rainforest here has a wide range of trees, but coffee shrubs were very common. From the waterfall we walked further up the road to an abandoned processing plant (not sure if cocoa or coffee bean). Each place we went, we met different Oceania tour groups. The groups in this area were there not just for the waterfall but for bird watching. I could hear a lot of them but only got a brief glimpse of some. The other couple I was with owns a coffee business in the US that imports fair trade coffee from several countries and they really enjoyed seeing all the coffee plants here.

 

In town we saw a few churches/cathedrals along with mostly two-story-high, pastel-colored colonial-era buildings with arched windows and ornate balconies. Many of the homes we saw were in quite poor condition especially outside the main core.

 

On the way back we skipped the market in town but did a quick stop at the president’s office. The last stop was at the fort near the port. It is now a museum. It is only a couple hundred meters to the port so the other couple got out there and paid their share while I returned to the port in time to make shuffleboard and have a late lunch. At this point the driver insists the price was his original $100. He was going to get $90 with a tip and I could not be bothered arguing

 

It seemed odd that this was first settled by the Portuguese – other than the vans and taxis with tourist, there were very few people living here that looked to have European heritage. At least 99% seemed African heritage.

.

Depending on how you look at things, we are either 4 months late or 4 months early for viewing the Humpback whales that come to the sea around here.

 

Tonight we have Eric from the CD staff doing Michael Buble music from 6-6:30 and then Alex Fillimonov, the pianist usually in Martinis bar doing the main show at 9:15. Both of these gentlemen are leaving the ship in Capetown.

 

We have been informed that the US Super Bowl will be available starting around 12:30AM or a single repeat at 9 the next morning. - I know which I will be picking.

 

Today’s thought for the day - To see once is worth more than hearing a hundred times. -West African proverb

[vickila]

Very interesting reading and appreciate all the references to limited walking and scooter/w/c accessibility. Great information for all. You have a great style of writing, mixing it up with humor. Hope the folks warm up....going to be a long cruise. V.

[Waynetor]

Today is Groundhog Day – for some strange reason there is no special events planned onboard, nor did we hear anyone in Sao Tome talking about their plans for the day, but, like in the movie today was very much like previous sea days we had crossing the Atlantic.

 

Today is on the hot side – started out mostly sunny and became cloudier. The sea with just a meter or so swells.

 

We could spend most of the day today in the main lounge listening to people talk. It started off with a Q&A session with the Captain, Senior Engineer and General Manager. They talked a bit about their background and the career path they took to arrive at Insignia plus the question they get most often. Then it was opened up for questions. Couple points, Insignia uses about 20,000 gallons of fuel a day while at sea, stabilizes are in use most of the time for passenger comfort even though adds to fuel use, items like tins, glass and plastic are compacted and off loaded in port while liquids from food are drained then the food and paper are burned (no smoke) on board, the next generation of ships will likely be powered by natural gas and on the question of what various port fees are it was noted that they vary greatly depending on the services and the location of the port – Miami cost about $100,000 as an voyage end port and extra cost can be like when we were recently in Fortelaza, the captain said he received a message the night before we arrived that a freighter was in the dock we were to use and it would cost $30,000 to have it moved so we could have the spot – pay or keep sailing.

 

Lectures today include ‘Natural and Cultural history of Angola’, ‘Movers and Shakers of Ancient Astronomy’, and Photoraghy Editing your pictures’.

 

Today at lunch we enjoyed the company of CD Andy and his wife. The talk turned towards trivia on the ship. I asked about if he had ever had a Jeopardy player on board – yes, a passenger had won 3 games way back before her cruise. He mentioned that he had tried out and explained some of the process he had to go through. – like the morning Q&A, all very interesting.

 

Tonight’s entertainer will be Brenda Cochrane a vocalist covering all genres of music with a unique sense of humour.

 

Today at the bar I met another passenger that had a bit of a bruise on his chin. I asked him what happened. He told me his wife had been standing in front of the cabins full length mirror, taking a long, hard look at herself.

“You know, dear,” she remarks. “I stare into this mirror and I see an ancient creature. My face is all creased and tired, my skin is wrinkled, and my eyes have more bags than a porter handles in a day, my arms and legs are flabby as jelly and my back end looks like several deflated, popped balloons...My body has just gone to pot.” He said she turned to face him and said “Dear. Please tell me just one good thing about my body so that I can feel good about myself. He went on to say that he studied her for a moment and then said to her in a gentle, thoughtful voice, “Well there is nothing wrong with your eyesight.” Then gently rubbing his chin, he adds “It turns out she has a pretty good left hook as well.”

 

Today’s thought for the day - One of the gladdest moments of human life, methinks, is the departure upon a distant journey into unknown lands. Shaking off with one mighty effort the fetters of habit, the leaden weight of routine, the cloak of many cares and the slavery of home, man feels once more happy -Richard Burton 1821-1890

[socrafty]

LOVE your posts! Such a great effort and much appreciated!!

The only problem is that now I am more anxious than ever to get onboard for the Sydney-Miami segments. Wonder if they will be repeating some of the classes and activities (photo, etc.) later in the cruise.....? Sounds like we're missing SO much!!

[jaxw17]

If i cant be there then this will be the next best thing. Really enjoying it

[RJB]

Good Job !!!! Please keep posting. Just wonderful

[Waynetor]

Luanda is the capital city of Angola, and the country's most populous and important city, primary port and major industrial, cultural and urban centre. It has a metropolitan population of over 5 million and is the world's 3rd most populous Portuguese-speaking city. Luanda is 8º48´ south of the Equator.

Portuguese explorer Paulo dias de Novais founded Luanda on 25 January 1576 as "São Paulo da Assumpção de Loanda", with a hundred families of settlers and four hundred soldiers. In 1618, the Portuguese built the fortress called Fortaleza São Pedro da Barra, and they subsequently built two more: Fortaleza de São Miguel (1634) and Forte de São Francisco de Pendo (1765-6). Of these, the Fortaleza de São Miguel is the best preserved.

By the time of Angolan independence in 1975, Luanda was a modern city. With the advent of independence and the start of the Angolan Civil War (1975–2002), most of the white Portuguese Luandans left as refugees. Slums called musseques began to grow out of proportion and stretched several kilometers (few miles) beyond Luanda's former city limits as a result of the long civil war, and because of the rise of deep social inequalities due to large-scale migration of civil war refugees from other Angolan regions.

Around one-third of Angolans live in Luanda, 53% of whom live in poverty. For the poor services are not very good but for the wealthy the city is currently undergoing a major reconstruction, with many large developments taking place.

For decades, Luanda's facilities were not adequately expanded to handle this massive increase in the city's population. After 2002, with the end of the civil war and high economic growth rates fueled by the wealth provided by the increasing oil and diamond production and other natural resources has the government investing heavily in and around Luanda, including large social housing highrises to replace slums and existing dilapidated highrises; extensive repaving; the construction of several 6 lane highways leading out of the city; the reconstruction of railroad lines leading out of the city; and a large new airport.

 

Almost everything in Luanda has to be imported. Heavy import duties, along with high taxes and monopolized supply chains linked to the powerful political elite further drive up the price of goods and services to astronomical levels. Then there's institutional corruption, which creates high prices through price fixing and price collusion. The result of this is, despite large slum areas, Luanda is one of the most expensive cities to live comfortable in.

 

The Baixa de Luanda (old city) is situated next to the port, and has narrow streets and old colonial buildings.

 

The average high temperature in Feb is 29.4C (84.9F) and the rainfall average is 35.6mm (1.4in).

[Waynetor]

The port does not have a dedicated Cruise Terminal. We docked in the middle of the cargo port. Oceania provided a shuttle to the start of the town area. The shuttle was a van holding about 20 people. When I got off at 10AM there was one person holding up a sign offering a taxi.

 

This was the first port in some time it was easy for Freda to get off – we used deck 3 with no ramp steps, and only 2 steps in the van. With the weather being very sunny, with a high of 33C (91F) and a lack of exciting sites to see, she decided to stay on board while I got off for about 2 hours.

 

A valid yellow fever vaccination is required here before being all owed to go ashore –everyone on board had to have one in order to originally embark.

 

Along the harbour there is a palm tree lined boulevard about 4km (2.5mi) long. The boulevard is named ‘4th of February’ after the date the war for independence started in 1961. On the harbor side there is a very smooth walking path, a cycle path and some spots for kids to play, basketball court and spots with exercise bars. Across the road are some shops, restaurants and cafés. This area is considered the safest for tourist. Both sides of this road seemed good for wheelchairs.

 

Sites to see include Fortaleza de São Miguel, Augostinho Neto Mausoleum (1st president of Angola 120m/393ft tall), several museums including National Museum of Slavery (18km/11mi south), National Museum of Natural History, National Museum of Anthropology (free) and several interesting churches.

 

I decide to do a self-walking tour staying along the waterfront passing by some museums gong as far as Fortaleza de São Miguel.

 

The Fort is on a bit of a hill overlooking the city and harbor. Unfortunately at the base they are building a very large building which based on the signs appears to be a future shopping centre. This seems very poor building decision – it really destroys the view of the fort which appeared to be in great condition and from the fort it would also take away from the view.

 

The water in the harbor was very calm. It could use a bit of a cleanup but I’ve seen a lot worse. I saw several large heron and several times I could see schools of fish splashing at the surface for about 15 seconds as if they were trying to escape a predator. There are about 2 dozen small freighters out in the harbour waiting their turn.

 

Traffic here was nothing like at home. If there are any traffic rules, they are not given much consideration. Drivers’ don´t stop at signs and drive over sidewalks. I saw many cars and vans double or triple park. You basically force yourself into the traffic flow. I can’t imagine how they would ever determine fault in any accident.

 

The downtown area is very mixed – there are several new building around 20 stories, plus several more under construction but there are also older apartment building that would fit in quite well in any slum area. While nowhere as many as our other African ports, there are street vendors here. They do not have stalls but just sell whatever they can carry in a large bowl/basket and sell from that. The most common item sold this way was bananas. Shoe shines, manicures and lottery tickets are also very commonly offered on the street.

 

A lot of the buildings are banks – each with a security guard outside. The only US Company I saw was an Ernst and Young office.

 

Heading in the opposite direction from the ship are the suburbs. The harbor on this side is surrounded by a hill around 30-40M (100- 130ft) and this is where most of the homes are. The port continues along this direction and includes oil storage.

 

We were warned not to drink the local tap water, no problem for us but good to know for anyone going to a restaurant.

 

This is not a big time cruise port – there were 5 ships in 2015 and we are the 1st of only 3 scheduled this year. Although there were several hotels, I imagine they serve business people much more than tourist.

 

There did not seem to be very much English spoken here.

 

Last night’s show was very good – full house again. Tonight, again we have another new entertainer. This time Dave Kristian Vocal and comedy talent).

 

There is a saying ..."Everything in moderation including moderation" – while we try to eat somewhat in moderation there are times when the excellent chefs on board make creations that callout just a bit too loud.

 

Today’s thought for the day - "Be curious always! For knowledge will not acquire you; you must acquire it." - Sudie Back

[Waynetor]

There will be art classes all the way back to Miami - not sure if same person running it.

 

The lectures will change each segment or 2. There is no list I have heard of so I assume the range of topics will continue to vary.

 

Most of the CD staff and senior staff on board will be changing along the way also.

 

We are just pulling out of port - off to watch it.