Jan 2016 World Cruise live report

[Waynetor]

Like yesterday, we were greeted in port by some drummers and dancers. It seemed all the stall owners of where the shuttle went yesterday, had set up here right by the ship - the art and everything else looked exactly the same.

 

Today I did another private group tour. The tour was with Zanzibar Different Tours the cost for each of us (11) was $50 and we prepaid half in December. The tour description was:

 

“We meet you on arrival, then take you on a guided walk around Stone Town. The ancient city is well worth exploring, and your guide will introduce you to the history, architecture, culture and way of life on our beautiful island.

 

Afterwards, a half hour’s drive will take you to the spice plantation, where you will see, smell and taste the variety of fruits, herbs and spices Zanzibar is famous for.

On the way, you will visit the Mtoni Palace, (home of the first Sultan of Zanzibar and birthplace of his famous daughter, Princess Salme) and the Persian Baths in Kidichi.

After the Spice Tour, we’ll take you to the restaurant at Serena Inn for lunch (at your own expense), and you can spend the rest of the afternoon exploring Stone Town some more and shopping for souvenirs. The harbour is only a few minutes’ walk away, so you can choose to return to the ship anytime.

 

It includes your personal guide, transfers and entrance fees to the Mtoni Palace and the Persian Baths in Kidichi.”

 

We had a beautiful day for our tour – mostly sunny, with a high of 33C (91F).

 

Stone Town is the area around the port. We spent about 2.5 hours walking around in a rough rectangle pattern ending up back by the port. While there is a main road, much of the area is made up of narrow lanes not much wider than a cart. It is made up of small shops, markets and some apartments. There are 50 mosques in Stone Town but they are just places to pray, nothing really ornate and it would be easy to go past most of them without any notice. We saw areas here with more of a Middle East influence with many of the women having their faces and heads covered. Christians only make up about 5% of the population but the Christian churches are much larger.

 

A lot of the buildings are well over 100 years old –nothing looked like it was built in the last 50 and had not seen paint in that time. One thing that was done in early buildings is starting the building with a very ornate door as a sign of wealth. Most of these large double doors and frames remain in excellent condition.

 

The fruit and vegetable and the spice markets were fairly nice with a very large selection of fruits, vegetables and spices. The fish market was quite the opposite - dirty with a terrible odor and flies on many of the fish. The fish was fresh but there is no refrigeration. While we were there in one room an auction was going on for more fish. The markets were typical of what we have seen in the rest of Africa – almost everything for local consumption but I did manage to find a shot glass for my collection. Other than groups from the ship, there did not appear to be a lot of tourist but as we passed a ferry unloading I noticed quite a few backpackers arriving.

 

The chef on Insignia bought fish for a special in the Terrace Café tonight – hope he did not pick from some of the tables we saw.

 

After the walking tour we drove to Mtoni Palace. This large building was built in the 1840’s and destroyed by fire in the early 1900’s. Just the walls remain but it is clear the building in its prime had everything a sultan, his concubines and children needed.

 

Our guide gave us a tour of the property and explained a lot of the history of the Sultan and his family’s relationship with Zanzibar.

 

From there we drove to the spice plantation. We were treated to a variety of fresh, locals fruits including coconut, green bananas that were ripe, a variety of grapefruit, orange, pineapple and mango. We also had a wonderful cup of lemon grass tea. One of the plantation helpers gave us a demo on how they pick the coconuts - they use a twine of coconut fiber tied in a figure 8 and tied to their ankles about a foot apart to give them help in balance and positioning and climp using their hand and feet - he made it look very easy but none of us volentered to give it a try.

 

From the sampling area we walked through the plantation where the guide and local helpers showed us various plants. These included cardamin, red bananas, clove, cinamon (made from the bark, the roots smell like Vicks vapor Rub and leaves like clove), tumera (the root - rub on a cut for quick healing), hemna, ginger, currey leaves, black pepper vines, vanilla vine, ylang-ylang, all spice, rubber fruit (the insdie looked and tasted like the melon we tried from the desert in Walvis Bay), star fruit, jack fruit, nutmeg, guava, and lemon grass - a very educational tour.

 

The Persian Baths were where we came out of the plantation. These baths were used by the Sultan and his circle of people. They were quite large and well preserved.

 

Instead of going to the Serena Inn for lunch we had lunch at a home near the baths prepared by one of the local ladies - It included tuna, rice, a flat bread, sweet potato stew and a couple other items -very nice. By the time we finished it was nearly 3pm and we heded back to the ship.

 

Right by the port entrance is an area where dwoh boats were unloading. I went there with a couple others from the tour. It was packed with these wooden boats and there was a lot of activity. We were alright being there, just had to be careful not to get in the way.

 

Zanzibar is mostly flat which is helpful in getting around. Our tour had a lady with a cane and a lady with a crutch and they both managed alright but any condition requiing any more support would have been hard. Stone Town was not a complete write off but just enough trouble spots to make a wheelchair use a challenge.

 

At the end of trivia in the afternoon, the captain came on and announced some kind of problem with the swimming pool and chlorine. I did not get all the details but he said it would be smell on deck 8. Well we went to our cabin on 7 - the hallways were bad and as soon as we opened our cabin door our eyes watered. We left immediatly and did not come back until after evening trivia. By then there was only a slight smell.

 

Tomorrow morning we be off early for another adventure to see more African wildlife. We will heading out in open 4x4's each with 6 passengers. Will give a report tomorrow night.

 

Today’s thought of the day - The closest we become to perfection is when we write our resumes.

[Waynetor]

The Republic of Kenya is a sovereign state in East Africa. Kenya lies on the equator with the Indian Ocean to the south-east, Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the west, South Sudan to the north-west, Ethiopia to the north and Somalia to the north-east. Kenya covers 581,309sq km (224,445sq mi) and has a population of about 44 million in July 2012. The country is named after Mount Kenya, the 2nd highest mountain in Africa. The official languages are Swahili and English. Kenya offers a unique mixture of teeming wildlife and memorable cultural experiences.

Mombasa is the 2nd largest city in Kenya, with a population of over one million. Located at the southern tip of Kenya, it is a regional cultural and economic hub. Mombasa has a large port and an international airport, and is an important regional tourism centre. Mombasa is centred on Mombasa Island, but extends to the mainland. The island is separated from the mainland by two creeks, Port Reitz in the south and Tudor Creek in the north. Mombasa has become popular for its exotic beaches, diverse marine life and world-class hotels. The city traces many of its cultural traditions to former Portuguese, Arab and British settlers – all of which have left a lasting influence on the city’s food, architecture, and people.

Edited February 23, 2016 by Waynetor
typo

[Waynetor]

We had a very nice weather day in Mombasa, mostly sunny, high of 32C (90F) with slight breeze.

 

We had been looking forward to our private group tour today very much as it would be the best chance to see wild animals in a natural setting for the 2 of us together. Unfortunately I screwed up and had the wrong meeting time and we missed the tour.

 

The tour had originally been booked to go to Tsavo East National Park but after Oceania cancelled their tour to there, our group changed to Shimba Hills reserve which is quite a bit closer. It sounded great and I am ticked off that I screwed up as this is our last port on the African continent.

 

After messing up, I did not feel like doing much and stayed on the ship except a short walk around the port. In the port there is a Duty Free store. It had snacks, toiletries, liquor, wine, beer, luggage and some clothes and other items. We are docked in a large industrial port area with nothing special around it to see for a tourist. The harbour seemed very quiet – I only saw one small boat and a small ferry that kept going side to side across the harbour.

 

Yesterday I heard our noro-virus numbers have been going up and today at 5PM we heard we are 1 case below the red alert. At lunch they had removed salt and pepper from tables and condiments from the table in the Wave Grill. Other steps are being taken including a lot of staff cleaning table, railings, elevators and others places that are often touched. The captain announced just after 6:30PM we had reached the 2% level for mandatory reporting and steps will be taken until under control. Dinner was slowed a bit by the extra service required not not a great deal.

 

From east Africa -Goodbye = Kwa herini and Goodnight = Lala salama.

 

Today’s thoughts for the day - Success comes before work only in the dictionary.– Anonymous

and"God gave us two ends--one to sit on and one to think with. Success depends on which one you use. Head you win, tail you lose."--author unknown

Edited February 23, 2016 by Waynetor

[RJB]

Just read that the World Cruise was code red for Noro. Is that correct? Hope not.

[Travelcat2]

Just read that the World Cruise was code red for Noro. Is that correct? Hope not.

 

According to the last post, they hit code red at 6:30 p.m. last night. Hopefully it is contained quickly.

[m1k2s3]

Thanks Wayne for your interesting posts. I didn't think this was the kind of cruise I would be interested in but after reading your posts, I think I might just put this on my bucket list.

[Waynetor]

This is the start of a nice, relaxing stretch as we move from Africa to Asia – over the next 8 days (including today) we just have 2 ports.

 

Today is mostly sunny with just a few cirrus clouds. The seas remain quite calm giving the ship just a relaxing rock and roll.

 

It is now 14 days since we left Cape Town so we had another mandatory muster drill – not sure if planned this way but only the crew had to go to their positions while passengers just had to listen to the drill over the intercom for about 5 minutes. This may have been planned this way or more likely have to do with our small noro-virus problem. Some of the steps being taken include: In the Terrace Café after a table was used, it would be sanitized, a process that took 10 minutes, in shuffleboard we all had to sanitize our hands before passing the stick round, in trivia the pens are sanitized after each game, in the elevator there is a plastic sheet over the buttons that will be easy to clean, and after each event in the main lounge each table is sanitized.

 

As Cythina (CBB) said in her thread, our room steward went from the joy of having a child to losing the day old child and he is stuck at sea continuing to do an excellent job.

 

I talked to 2 couples that went on 2 different game drives yesterday and both felt they did not see much. As it was just a short stay in port the viewing time becomes around mid-day which is the worst time for game drives – they are usually done early morning at day break and again late afternoon heading towards sun set as this is when the animals are most active.

 

As we sailed up the coast of east Africa there were passengers coming and going on Oceania and private overnight tours. These are the best ways to experience the game parks. For those doing private tours arrangements had to be made through Oceania ahead of time where it involved crossing borders. In the next couple weeks there will be similar trips to the Taj Mahal and later to Anghor Wat.

 

We have a new lecture on board who did his first presentation this afternoon. Peter Guttman has travelled to over 220 countries on photo assignments. He took us on an around the world slide presentation in an hour – very interesting.

 

At dinner tonight one couple at our table told us they were celebrating their 40th anniversary. A divorced single lady at the table reminisced and told us “when I married my Mr. Right, I didn’t realize his first name was Always!”

 

It’s been awhile since I worked for a living but here are some work related thoughts for the day –

"There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all." - Peter Drucker

“The harder you work, the luckier you get.” - Gary O Player

“There is no future in any job. The future lies in the man who holds the job.” - George Crane

“I am only an average man, but I work harder at it than the average man.” – Teddy Roosevelt

[Emma Chisit]

...........I talked to 2 couples that went on 2 different game drives yesterday and both felt they did not see much. As it was just a short stay in port the viewing time becomes around mid-day which is the worst time for game drives – they are usually done early morning at day break and again late afternoon heading towards sun set as this is when the animals are most active.

 

As we sailed up the coast of east Africa there were passengers coming and going on Oceania and private overnight tours. These are the best ways to experience the game parks.........

We were on one of those “game drives” in Mombasa that Wayne mentions - to Shimba Hills National Park. We wanted to get out of Mombasa and see something of the Kenyan countryside, and it was an entertaining drive there and back. However, as he said, if you take a day safari off the ship the animals will most likely be quite sensibly hiding in the shade during the heat in the middle of the day. In Port Elizabeth we took the ship's excursion to Shamwari - for three days/two nights - and would recommend this experience highly for seeing game.

However, while it was disappointing not to see many animals at Shimba Hills, it was still interesting. We did see the rare and endangered sable antelope which can only be seen here, as well as a few other animals. The elephants alas were elusive apart from their dung. Enjoyed the Shimba Hills Lodge, our lunch stop - it is a picturesque wooden building, owned by the people who also own the famous Treetops Lodge, which it resembles a little. The lodge overlooks a waterhole, and two magnificent fish eagles put on quite a show for us while we had lunch.

[Waynetor]

As we continue to sail almost straight east we had another very calm day at sea – I’ve seen bigger waves in a bath tub. Today started mostly sunny with some puffy clouds but clouded over and we had about an hour of rain through lunch time then the sun returned. Temp was a pleasant 29C (85F).

 

Not much else to report – Staff continue to be busy sanitizing the ship and passengers are going about their activities with minimal distribution. We did our usual activities plus went to a very good lecture on tomorrow’s port – Mahe Island. Looking over the side near the bow we could see lots of flying fishing. From deck 11 they look just like the ones we have seen in many other areas on this voyage.

 

The theme for dinner in the Terrace Café tonight is Mexican.

 

For today’s thoughts, here are a few on personal values.

“In matters of style, swim with the current, in matters of principle, stand like a rock.” - Thomas Jefferson

“It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.” - Roy Disney

“Real unselfishness consist in sharing the interest of others.” – George Santayana

“Just because something pops into your head, it does not mean it needs to pop out of your mouth.”

[Waynetor]

The Republic of Seychelles comprises 115coral and granite islands occupying a land area of 455sq km (172sq mi) and an Exclusive Economic Zone of 1.4sq km (.5sq mi) in the western Indian Ocean. It represents an archipelago of legendary beauty that extends from between 4 and 10 degrees south of the equator and which lies between 480km (298mi) and 1,600km (995mi) from the east coast of Africa. Of these islands, 41 constitute the oldest mid-oceanic granite islands on earth while a further 74 form the low-lying coral atolls and reef islands of the Outer Islands. Seychelles is a comparatively young nation which can trace its first settlement back to 1770 when the islands were settled by the French, leading a small party of whites, Indians and Africans. The islands remained in French hands until the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo. Seychelles was ceded to Britain under the treaty of Paris in 1814. Seychelles achieved independence from Britain in 1976 and became a republic within the commonwealth.

Seychelles is a living museum of natural history and a sanctuary for some of the rarest species of flora and fauna on earth. With almost 50% of its limited landmass set aside as national parks and reserves, Seychelles prides itself on its record for far sighted conservation policies that have resulted in protection for the environment and the varied ecosystems it supports. Seychelles is also home to two U.N.E.S.C.O World Heritage Sites.

There are 3 official languages - French, English, and Seselwa Creole French.

BE WARNED! It is a criminal offence to change money with any person or business other than those authorized to do so. Like many other areas around the world, collecting shells is prohibited in nature reserves, marine parks and reserves in Seychelles. The unique and unusual tropical flora is beautiful and for it to remain so, it is important that you admire it, but leave it for others to enjoy.

With its beautiful, unspoiled beaches, fauna and flora found nowhere else on earth, the Seychelles have been described as the Galapagos of the Indian Ocean, the Garden of Eden and Mother Nature’s finest work.

 

Mahé, measuring 28km (17mi) long by 8km (5mi) wide is the largest island and cultural and economic hub of the Inner Islands, and the international gateway to Seychelles. It is home to the international airport and the nation’s capital, Victoria.

The island is home to almost 90% of the total population (approximately 72,200 people) reflecting Seychelles' diverse ethnicity and descent from African, Indian, Chinese and European populations, and is the seat of government and the chief centre of commerce.

With a backdrop of towering 1,000m (3,300ft) granite peaks, Mahé is an extraordinary treasure trove of flora that has evolved over centuries of splendid isolation.

[Waynetor]

The weather here was near perfect- mostly sunny with a forecast high of 29C (85F) but felt bit higher with the humidity when not near a beach. Clouds moved in later in the day over the mountains.

 

At the port there was a small market set up and some drummers and dancers. The town was an easy 15 – 20 minute walk so there was no shuttle offered here.

 

Today I did a private group tour with Discovery Agri for $62 US pp. There were 13 from cruise critic and 4 others that had contacted the company. Freda was going to join the tour but due to her chest congestion, changed her mind. The description was:

1. Pick up at the port at about 8.30 a.m.

2. Tour of Victoria, including a stop at the market

3. Stop at the Mission Lodge to see the slave ruins and panoramic views

4. Visit Le Jardin du Roi Spice Garden to see giant tortoises, fruit bats, and various spice and fruit trees including the Coco de Mer (double coconut) palm tree. (fee 110rs per head extra). (About $9us)

5. Visit the Domaine de Val des Près Craft Village, which includes a plantation home, a typical working class home, a house built of coconut products, and 12 craft workshops.

6. Return to the port no later than 3

7. Lunch stop to be limited to 15 minutes - snack only (Maybe this could be done at one of our beaches)

 

As is often the case with these tours the actual stops change but we did have a great tour.

In Victoria we saw the island's most famous landmark the Clock Tower, a replica of a clock erected in London in 1897 and other important landmarks. We spent about 20 minutes at the main market. This market was similar to others we have seen on this voyage offering mostly local fish and produce. On the second floor there were a few tourist shops – one had a shot glass that I was looking for but at $10US I passed on that. While not perfect, the market was much cleaner than many of the other markets we have visited.

 

Our guide says Victoria is the smallest population national capitol in the world (this would be not including Vatican City).

 

This cleanliness continued the rest of the day. This is a much more developed country than any of the mainland African counties – there was no sign of slums and most of the homes and other buildings were in good shape. There are some road side vendor stalls but the percent of business done in stores vs on the street is much higher here. Another difference is no tuk-tuk taxis and I did not see any motorcycles.

 

We made a stop at a restaurant where the guide brought out a huge sample of the Coco de Mer (double coconut) for us to see – this coconut is shaped like certain female body parts.

 

We made a stop where there were about 80 giant tortoises in an enclosure. These are heaviest land tortoises in the world, and the symbol of the islands. Our guide told us there are none roaming freely.

 

After a stop a nice, nearly deserted beach where I got to go in up to my knees (very warm), we headed into Morne Seychellois National Park. Near the peak is the original site of Venn's Town, a mission that closed in 1889 (not much left). From near there we had breathtaking vistas of much of the coast and surrounding islands. We could see a few very large bats flying around, I think they were flying foxes similar to those seen in the Botanical gardens in Sydney.

 

The guide pointed out a huge mansion on the hill that was owned by the King of Saudi Arabia and told us the door handle on the front door was pure gold and the King planned to install a cable car to travel up and down the hill (not done yet). The home is only used a few weeks a year. To thank the people of Mahe the King has sponsored a $35 million hospital, 5 coast-guard boats, a turbine to generate electricity and radar on the island to maintain privacy and prevent piracy. The jail here has many Somalia pirate prisoners – a new jail is being built in Somalia and they will eventually be transferred there. The pirates used to attack smaller boats holding people hostage but their activity has greatly dropped due to greater patrols.

 

We passed by mangrove forest, and stopped at another nice beach for a washroom break.

 

Our guide pointed out a resort that was built on a cliff on a peninsula. Each room was a separate unit with thatched roofs – he said prices start at 2,000 euro per night – makes the grand suites on Insignia look cheap.

 

The craft village was nice – The plantation home had period furniture and it was free to tour. Each of the other buildings on the property housed a separate local craft person selling items they had made. We could see a pottery worker making items and another person working on large replica wooden sailing ships. I got my hand painted shot glass here for $5. At each shop we were greeted friendly with no high pressure sales approach.

 

What was supposed to be a short lunch break did not work out that way. We stopped at a beach with a restaurant. We added some extra time so some people could have a swim. We had scheduled 1hour 45 minutes. Some people brought their own food and 7 of us cc members sat at 1 table and the other 4 from the ship at another table. There were no other customers at the restaurant. We got a round of drinks quick and a second round while we waited – the food took just over 2 hours from the time we ordered. The other table had long been served and finished – at least we saved money on a tip. Our waitress told us at the beginning that it was her first day – a little later we saw her head out of the restaurant and down the beach – looked like she may have had a short career.

 

On the way back to the port we made a stop at the Botanical Gardens. Only 3 of us got off there while the others returned to the ship. Entrance to the garden was $10US. The garden has a flat, smooth path up the centre but it is up or down hill depending if you are coming or going – tough for anyone not able to walk well. It was mostly various tree variety, and not garden plants. There were more large bats flying around, an enclosure with a couple tortoises as well as a waterfall and lily pond. It was nice but over-priced – it came with a map but it was not easy to follow – a few more signs would have helped a lot.

 

This was a beautiful island – too bad it’s so far for North Americans to visit. I very glad I got some nice photos to review we needed an imaginary vacation for a few minutes to relieve stress.

 

Although the island is very mountainous, the city is mostly flat – one could get around in a wheelchair but many sidewalks don’t have ramps so one would have to use the road. This sounds dangerous but outside the city many roads have no shoulder (steep drop off without guard rail) and people walk on the road and generally survive. The best thing here for someone in a wheelchair would be to hire a private car that would take you around to places that offer great views without having to get out and go too far.

 

Some friendly thoughts for the day - Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together." - Woodrow Wilson

The best vitamin for making friends: B1

“A true friend knows your weaknesses but shows you your strengths; feels your fears but fortifies your faith; sees your anxieties but frees your spirit; recognizes your disabilities but emphasizes your possibilities.” - William Arthur Ward – Educator

"The only exercise some people get is jumping to conclusions, running down their friends, sidestepping responsibility, and pushing their luck!"—Anonymous

[Waynetor]

The seas are very calm today. The weather started out hot and sunny and turned cloudy late afternoon with some showers. We are sailing almost exactly north-east and will cross the equator tomorrow.

 

A special presentation today was done by the assistant CD, John Ekin today on the 36 times he has performed at the White House in his role as a comic/magician. Lots of interesting insight.

 

I talked to one of our waiters a recently, he said normally they work 10 -11 hours per day but now with the extra work required due to the noro issue they are working 13 – 14 hours a day.

 

I recall seeing post in the past about what people wear to the specialty restaurants so when at Toscana a couple nights ago we had a table near the entrance and I did an mental note of what the men were wearing as they came in – 3 wore golf shirts, 3 short sleeve dress shirts, 7 wore jackets with no tie, and 13 wore long sleeve dress shirts. The ladies all wore nice outfits, but nothing to formal, generally something a bit nicer than what they would wear to the main dining room.

 

This evening as we left one of the lounges, a gentleman that had been sitting at the bar and had clearly put away a number of drinks was also leaving at the same time. He said to us “I’m on the way to listen to a lecture about the effects of alcohol and drug abuse on the human body.”

I said to him, “Really? And who’s going to be giving a lecture at this time of night?”

“That would be my wife”, came his reply.

 

Today I have 3 related thoughts for the day –

Seasickness – “At first you fear you will die, then after it has a good hold on you, you fear you won’t die.”– Jack London

“A sure cure for seasickness is to sit under a tree.” – Spike Milligan

"One of the best temporary cures for pride and affection is seasickness." - Henry Wheeler Show

[cwn]

Thank you for taking the time to post about your trip. I am really enjoying reading about the cruise. Glad you took a tour that showed you some of the island's beautiful beaches.

 

We spent two nights on Mahe Island, Seychelles (beach resort just outside of Victoria) on our trip last year. We had a car and driver one day and also had a very long lunch, but our driver acted like that was par for the course. You are right it seems to be a very clean and well kept island. Too bad it isn't closer to the US.

[Waynetor]

We started today with another time change. Today started as another mostly sunny day but in the afternoon we passed through some showers. The sea is a bit more choppy than yesterday but still no real issue.

 

Around 4:30 this afternoon we crossed the equator. We will be in the northern hemisphere until late April. At 11 this morning they held the ‘Order of the Shellback’ ceremony that commemorates a sailor’s first crossing of the equator. Sailors, or in our case passengers, who have crossed the equator are called Shellbacks, or sons of Neptune while those who have not crossed are called Pollywogs. In the days of yore these ceremonies were designed to prove a sailor was capable of enduring long voyages and were often very tough or brutal. Today’s was all in fun for the 1st timers and not compulsory. Part of the ceremony is giving a fish a kiss – to make sure the fish did not catch anything from a passenger the fish was wearing a surgical mask.

 

Yesterday and today they held the Captain’s party for those that had sailed on Oceania before. We went to today’s.

 

No reports on any noro status changes.

 

At lunch today we eat with another couple. They were so impressed with Seychelles that they went into a local travel agency to inquire about package deals. The agent told her most of their business is outbound but they do “sell Seychelles down by the seashore".

 

Today I again have 4 related thoughts for the day –

“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” - Milton Berle

“You have not failed. You have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Albert Einstein

“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” - Albert Einstein

"When you are curious, you find a lot of interesting things to do." - Walt Disney

[Waynetor]

Today is another first for us – the first time we have been at sea for Leap day – a beautiful bonus day. The daily Currents doesn't have anything planned in honour of Leap Day. The highlight activity for the day was a boat building contest. Teams had about a week to build a boat out of any materials as long as it did not involve damaging any ship property. The boats had to be able to float in the pool and be able to hold cans of Coke without tipping over. 4 teams entered and they all did very well.

 

Another day of sun/cloud mix, swells only a metre or so and a nice breeze with a temp around 29C (85F). Yesterday we 12:01 of daylight and today we get a few extra minutes at 12:08.

 

Sanitation efforts continue all over the ship with the crew working extra hard. Even small things like not being able to exchange ‘O’ points cards in for larger values has been stopped as it is too much to sanitize all the cards. The passengers for the most part seem to be accepting the situation and doing their part to help.

 

Not only has there been no sighting of pirate ships yet, we have only noticed one other ship in our 3 days at sea and no birds following us along.

 

On this voyage we don’t really get close to the area where pirates are a real big concern but this is about as close as we do get. I am reminded of a story I heard when we last sailed off the coast of Yemen.

A pirate walks into a bar and the bartender says, "Hey, I haven't seen you in a while. What happened, you look terrible!"

"What do you mean?" the pirate replies, "I'm fine."

The bartender says, "But what about that wooden leg? You didn't have that before."

"Well," says the pirate, "We were in a battle at sea and a cannon ball hit my leg but the surgeon fixed me up, and I'm fine, really."

"Yeah," says the bartender, "But what about that hook? Last time I saw you, you had both hands."

"Well," says the pirate, "We were in another battle and we boarded the enemy ship. I was in a sword fight and my hand was cut off but the surgeon fixed me up with this hook, and I feel great, really."

"Oh," says the bartender, "What about that eye patch? Last time you were in here you had both eyes."

"Well," says the pirate, "One day when we were at sea, some birds were flying over the ship. I looked up, and one of them shat in my eye."

"So?" replied the bartender, "what happened? You couldn't have lost an eye just from some bird sh*t"

"Well," says the pirate, "I really wasn't used to the hook yet."

 

Today’s thought for the day - Warning, humour may be hazardous to your illness - Ellie Kotz

[Waynetor]

Mar 1 – Male, Maldives - 6am – 6pm (T)

The Republic of the Maldives (also referred to as the Maldive Islands) is an island nation in the Indian Ocean consisting of a double chain of 26 atolls (1,192 total coral islands), oriented north-south. The chains stand in the Laccadive Sea, about 700km (430mi) south-west of Sri Lanka and 400km (250mi) south-west of India. The Maldives archipelago is located on top of a vast submarine mountain spread over roughly 90,000sq km (35,000sq mi), making this one of the world's most dispersed countries. It lies between latitudes 1°S and 8°N. The Maldives is the smallest Asian country in both population and land area. With an average ground level of 1.5m (4ft11in) above sea level, it is the planet's lowest country. It is also the country with the lowest natural highest point in the world, at 2.4m (7ft 10in). Rising sea levels is a major concern here. The government has started a fund to be used to purchase a territory in a foreign land in case the need to abandon the islands becomes necessary.

The islands gained independence from Britain in 1965 and became a republic in 1968 ruled by a president and an authoritarian government.

Malé (pronounced Mah-lay), is the capital and most populous city. It is located at the southern edge of North Malé Atoll. Slightly less than one third of the nation's population lives here, and the population has increased from 20,000 people in 1987 to passing 100,000 in 2006. It has become one of the world's densest populated cities. It is near totally Muslin.

Activities around beach and sea life are big draws on most of the islands but not so much here. There is a national museum, national art gallery, Sultans park and some historical sites such as the Hukuru Miskiyy, (Friday Mosque) built in 1656 which contains finely fluted coral block walls, and intricately engraved beams.

Average high temperature in March is 31C (88F).

[Waynetor]

Kihineh / hello from the beautiful Maldives and from our first Asian country on this grand voyage.

 

For most of people following along here, today is the start of Daylight saving time – this close to the equator there is no need for it. Another mostly sunny toady around 30C or 86F.

 

We had been warned that the waters near the port can be very rough, making it very difficult for anyone not stable on their feet as well as causing delays in tendering, which can snarl a plan to meet a private tour guide. The tender today was about average and took about 10 minutes. As a tender port, Freda stayed on the ship while I decided to just walk around and take in the sites.

 

I asked the local tourist agent on board for a map and where the swimming areas were – he reminded me no bikinis allowed on the beaches and that it would take about an hour to walk around the island. (with the stops I made I took over 3 hours).

 

By the tender dock there were a few people offering tours – I heard one offering a boat tour to an all-inclusive resort for the day starting at $100.

 

Within easy walking distance of the port, just to the right of the tender dock, is one of the major attraction spots; the Male fish market. Being the hub of commercial activities, the fish market we were told to expect it to be overcrowded with people and that was the case. I only went up and down a couple aisles and all the fish I saw were already dried.

 

The fish market area is where dhonis (Maldivian boat) unload the fish, fruits and vegetables collected from the various atolls. The pace of activity picks up during the mid-afternoon, when fishing dhonis come back with their day's catch (mainly consisting of tuna). The fish catch is taken across the road to the another market, where they are laid out on the tiled floors. The locals are waiting to purchase them as soon as they are displayed. The fish market is kept very clean – With large fish being dragged along the floor and other fish being washed, the floor was wet and slippery. I expect our chefs will no doubt purchase fresh fish for tonight’s dinner.

 

The indoor produce market is across from the fish market. The shops were stocked with a wide variety of products; some of them quite unusual. Fresh products, such as vegetables and spices such as curries, saffron and chillies need to be imported, mainly from India or Sri Lanka while most fruit come from the other islands in the archipelago. Maléitself is too built up to grow anything. I saw several places where coconuts were being offered as a nice refreshment. The vendors cut them or simply hammer a hole into the shell for a refreshing, fresh juice drink. This was in areas mostly used by locals.

 

To the left of the tender dock area is the main post office where a very nice variety of beautiful commemorative local postage stamps can be bought. When sending a card it is always interesting to see how long they take to make it to their destination.

 

Next I passed the first swimming area. This seemed very new. There were only 3 people swimming. There were an outdoor gym, BBQ pits, and hammocks. There were several signs asking to keep your park clean with additional rules such as no smoking, spitting or urinating.

 

Beyond that I was the only tourist. Next was a long, thin marina that was built by just making a wall off shore. The marina was mostly tour boats, ferries and other business boats. Work was being done on the entrance to this marina and it looks like there will be a nice sculpture at the entrance when finished. The water here was very clear and I could see some small, tropical fish.

 

At the end of the marina was the 2nd swimming area. This one had a frame made of interlocking blocks in a rectangle shape. Along one side there were 8 diving platforms. This pool was meant for swimmers doing laps.

 

After that I would be about half way around the island. In that area there is a lot of construction along the waterfront. As I came out of the construction I passed the 3rd area to swim. This beach area included a volleyball area and children’s play area plus restaurants (no sign of any kind of alcohol at any restaurant I passed). There was a change room there with a western style washroom and showers.

 

As I got back towards the tender area I passed the very old Friday Mosque – it was closed last October indefinitely for repairs but there were several other mosque in the area.

 

Another of the highlights I came across was the nearby Grand Friday Mosque which is the largest Mosque in Maldives and was built with the support of Saudi Royal Family.

 

On a side street I saw a cafe with a lovely enclosed space offering free internet (there were likely other places also).

 

There are very few of the traditional old buildings left in Malé, but Mulee Aage (an official residence of the Maldives president) is one of them and it’s beautifully maintained. While no admittance is allowed, this very photogenic building is well worth a look through the gates – sure looks like it would be spectacular inside. It had a very nicely landscaped front lawn.

 

A few blocks from the dock is a wonderful local museum, with natural artifacts and items of historical interest. It is not very big but does give some interesting insight to this small country. It cost about $3 to go to the National Museum. Also, the local library has a gallery with changing exhibits.

 

Malé is getting overcrowded, there is almost no space left so old buildings are coming down and larger ones replacing them. There is one park (Sutton Park) but it is only about an acre but it acts as a quiet, shaded place for locals to get away from the noise for a bit. Across the road from the park is the November 3 memorial marking those that died in the 1988 terrorist attack.

 

The whole island is surrounded by seawalls. The city is quite modern with many tall buildings.

 

Even with the paved roads and no hills getting around in a wheelchair would be hard because sidewalks don’t have ramps so you would have to use the road with the wild traffic.

 

The main transport for the locals to get around the island are motorbikes and one has to be careful not to be knocked down by a speeding local as they shoot by. Trucks and taxis make up other traffic but there are not a lot of passenger cars. There are crosswalks but few drivers slow down for them.

 

There is not a lot of excursions offered just on the Male island but there are several options for trips to other islands offering diving, sailing, fishing trips, discovering the beauty of resort islands and uninhabited islands etc. These activities are the main draw for tourist coming to the Maldives. There are even aerial excursions by helicopter or seaplane offering a birds-eye view of these other islands. The airport is on another island not too far away but a water taxi or ferry is needed to get to it. We could see several large planes for longer flights and many small planes heading to the outer islands.

 

With most items being imported at a fair expense, this is not a shopper’s paradise. I heard a few comments about how expensive Malé was. There was one street near the tender dock that had several souvenir shops, some offering various local hand-made crafts for those looking for a nice souvenir but that is about it for shopping.

 

About 60 passengers got off early today for a multiple overnight trip to see the Taj Mahal and New Delhi. This is not a trip for those that like to sleep in. They got up early today, they have an early sunrise trip to the Taj Mahal and again to for the flight to Cochin India where they will rejoin us. This gives some of the room stewards a small little brake and makes it a bit easier to get a specialty dinning reservation.

 

For passengers coming here or Seychelles, Oceania offers free water bottles – it would be great if passengers bring the empties back to the ship as there is not a lot of room for garbage processing.

 

By the time we sailed tonight it was getting too dark to enjoy any viewing of the other nearby islands.

 

Around 6:30 the captain gave us a noro update. There has been a new case every day or other day since the CDC reporting period began. We need 72 hours with no new cases before conditions on board can start to go back to normal.

 

Tonight we were again sitting in the lounge when a very attractive lady passed by with a very stylish leather outfit. After she had got out of hearing range, a gentleman sitting near us said “When a woman wears a leather dress near him his heart beats quicker, his throat gets dry, he gets weak in the knees, and he begins to think irrationally.” A brief pause and then he adds, “Of course, that is because she smells like a new golf bag!”

 

Today’s thought for the day - Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but, by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends. -Maya Angelou

[no fuss travel]

Thank you for your write up. I just got caught up on the RTW postings after getting home from my holiday. I look forward to reading your quotes and your funny stories.

[Waynetor]

We are now sailing almost straight north but despite that overnight we had one of those unusual time changes – this time only 30 minutes.

 

The seas were a bit choppy last evening but we woke up to very calm conditions. The sun is out in all its glory and the temp is around 30C (85F). Overall a relaxing day on Insignia.

 

Tomorrow we have a tour planned in Mangalore. Payment must be in rupees. For ease of getting in and out Freda and I will have our own private car and English speaking driver but will follow other group members in a van. The itinerary will be:

Both Kudroli and Kadri Temples (Have to take off shoes and wear pants that go below knees)

Central Market

Alorpuis Chapel

Mangalor cuisine lunch (seafood, meat, vegetarian)

Tour of Cashew processing factory

4pm. – Return to Ship

 

Yesterday on one of the channels we get on the TV here there was a doctor offering simple advice to find inner peace. The Doctor proclaimed the way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you have started. So I looked around my cabin to see what things I started and hadn't finished.....

I started by finishing organizing the photos I had taken so far. Then looking around for what to do next I noticed the near full bottle of rum, that soon was finished off followed by similar bottles of Spice rum and a case of beer.

Considering how I felt when I got up this morning, I think I will pass on this whole inner peace movement.

 

Today’s thought for the day - “The sea is emotion incarnate. It loves, hates, and weeps. It defies all attempts to capture it with words and rejects all shackles. No matter what you say about it, there is always that which you can't.” Christopher Paolini

[Waynetor]

A situation has come up on board that has me somewhat ticked off.

 

When we originally booked the 2015 w/c, Freda was still waking and going up and down stairs, although with some difficulty so we decided not to book a handicap room. When the 2015 cruise was cancelled, our room on the 2016 was already booked so we were assigned a guarantee cabin. After a few months as her conditioned worsened we asked to be on the wait list for a handicap cabin even though it would be a 1 category downgrade we were not concerned about the price difference.

When we got on the ship in Miami we asked if there was any way that we could switch with anyone in a handicap cabin not needing it but were told that they were all booked and there was nothing they could do. A couple days ago Freda got talking to a lady that asked if the front desk had ever called us about switching. Turns out she booked the cruise quite late and was given a handicap cabin for the Cape Town to Shanghai segments. Once on board she went to the desk and let them know she was willing to change if anyone needed the handicap room.

It bothers me that a handicap was available for segments while we were on a wait list but not offered the chance to have it – We would rather have the handicap for part of the cruise and move cabins than to stay all the time in one cabin that is difficult to manage.

It bothers me that a lady said she was willing to move out and the front desk did nothing to investigate if there was a need, especially after we had inquired.

It bothers me that the ship can’t do anything now that there are willing parties known to them. They have to work through head office to do anything.

It bothers me that Oceania lets anyone book the handicap cabins and once booked, those people can’t be moved. Freda is the only person on board using a wheelchair full time on the 3 segments so far. (Other people that use a wheelchair part time have had balcony cabins on deck 7 and 8). Other lines note that a passenger not needing a handicap cabin may be moved out if there is a need.

[Floridiana]

That is not good at all. Switching should have been initiated immediately and not a hassle. This front desk should get a major reprimand.

[LHT28]

Maybe you should tell them switching from segment to segment would not be a hassle for you

 

Some people may find packing up every few weeks once settled in for the long haul would be inconvenient

Talk to the GM & let them know you do not mind packing up & re organizing your cabin as needed

Maybe ask to see a H/C before you decide though

 

If you do not speak up then they may not be aware

[Waynetor]

Mar 3 - Mangalore, India 8am – 6pm Intro

India gained independence in 1947 from the British colonial rule. India covers 2.4% of the land mass of the world but comprises 15% of the population of the world.

 

According to recent statistics, there are currently 6,912 living languages in the world. India has 780 giving it the highest number of any country we will visit. The only country with more languages spoken than India is actually Papua New Guinea with 820 living languages.

 

Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges on India’s west coast. It is situated 717km (445mi) by air south of Mumbai and 369km (207mi) north of Cochin. Mangalore derives its name from the local Hindu Goddess Mangaladevi. It is a major port in India. Two rivers effectively encircle the city, the Gurupura flowing around the north and the Netravti flowing around the south side of the city. The city's landscape is characterized by rolling hills, coconut palms, freshwater streams, and hard red-clay tiled-roof buildings.

The Mangalore Port is India's ninth largest port, in terms of cargo handling. It handles 75% of India's coffee exports and the bulk of its cashew nuts. It receives about 95% of its total annual rainfall within a period of about 6 months from May to October, while remaining extremely dry from December to March. The city’s population is just about a half million.

The city is blessed with several beautiful sandy beaches, the Seemanthini Bai Bejai Museum, ancient temples and mosques and the lighthouse with its surrounding gardens making it a perfect destination for tourists. Vegetation in Mangalore is dominated by coconut trees, Ashoka trees and palm trees along with others found along its avenues and on the rolling hills around the city.

Mangalore’s sister cities include Hamilton Ontario (near Toronto) and Delta, British Columbia.

Edited March 4, 2016 by Waynetor
wrong heading

[Waynetor]

India is one of those rare places that have time zones that are a half hour off from most others – not sure the history behind the decision but it seems to work fine for them. Newfoundland in Canada is another place that has this setup.

 

Everyone on board had to go through a face to face inspection to start the day. It went faster than expected and we were done a half hour earlier than planned. For the 1st time this cruise there was local money exchange on board. Two people came on and had a sign with the rates they gave for about 8 currencies’ (good rates).

 

Our tour was with Magic Tours – We had a large Toyota and a driver and guide -they did very well.

 

Our 1st stop was Kudroli temple – it was built in the early 1900’s. We had been told before that no shorts would be allowed but I saw some men from an Oceania tour with shorts. Our guide said the 2 temples we are visiting are not as strict as others in this manner. (They were strict about the no shoes rule.) The temple was quite elaborate, not world class tourist type, but still very special. Most of the area was marble flooring but there were a couple steps. Freda was offered a lift of her chair down but chose to take it all in from a shady spot.

 

Alorpuis Chapel was part of a college built in the 1880’s. The draw here is the wall and ceiling paintings that are reminiscent of the Sistine Chapel. The painting here were done by one person over a 2.5 year period. Unfortunately, photos were not allowed in the chapel. We had a priest give us a nice 5 minute history lesson. There was a wheelchair entrance so Freda could enjoy this stop. Just as we were leaving a large ‘O’ group showed up so our timing was good.

 

Next we stopped at Kadri Temple. This temple complex was built in the 11th century. It was not as elaborate in the tourist sense as the first. It included a pond area where Hindus could do a cleansing. Like the first temple, there was a price list on the wall for having a priest do various prayers for you. The main square was wheelchair friendly but some areas had stairs.

 

On March 7 (this year) it is the Hindu festival Sheri Rethri (sp?). This brings more people out to temples leading up to the festival than would normally be there.

 

I asked about seeing where the fish are brought into port – they took us to an area where many, many boats were tied up and unloading fish. I could not see either end of this long line of docked boats. I was blown away by the number of boats, people, trucks and mostly the fish. The large size fish are caught at a different time of day so most of what was going on then was smaller fish of many species, crabs (large buckets of them still alive), and prawns. Some fish were being sold right on the dock retail but most were going wholesale (mostly to the local state but some exported). There were even truck-loads of shaved ice available for sale to those shipping the fish. Some birds in the area were having a grand feast.

 

Next we were off to 1 of the 3 main markets in Mangalore. One section had fresh fish retail, another had dried fish and another area was mostly fruit, vegetables, some prepared items as well as some household goods. Fresh fish not sold that day is then dried. This market area had some steps and narrow aisles so Freda stayed in the vehicle.

 

The Cashew processing factory was interesting. It takes quite a few steps to get each cashew. The majority of work is done by hand, sometime with a bit of help such as a large clamp to crack each nut individually. It was hot inside – (more than outside). Freda probably could have made it around with just a few obstacles but she preferred the air conditioned car. They had finished half pound bags for $5US – we passed on that.

 

Our understanding was that we would have a Mangalore cuisine lunch but the guide said it was not included so we decided to keep going. I asked about if there was any beach near the ship. There took us to a beach that was only about 5 minutes from the port (near where the port area meets the sea). There were not too many people there but they were filming a dance routine for some movie. The beach was nice but the sand a bit coarse and had some crushed shells in it.

 

From there back to the ship around 1:20 in time for lunch and then shuffleboard.

 

We are beat from today's all day touring in the heat and humidity! Usually I can handle hot days like this quite well but the humidity takes its toll while pushing a wheelchair– still beats the winter in my books, but it would take some getting used to these conditions while trying to accomplish any kind of work.

 

Although we did not stop at any the city has many other interesting churches and temples some of which are near 1,000 years old.

 

We had been told ahead of time that Mangalore is not a traditional cruise port, and it is definitely not a city set up for tourists. A traveler here gets to see real life in an exotic place, not a scene staged to satisfy western tastes. The city has over 5 million people – our guide called it a small Indian city. It seemed quite spread out with no major traffic issues where we went. Local buses are the main way to get around followed by the very common tuk-tuk taxi. There is no local train system.

 

Serious crime here must not be too big a problem – we passed a van with wire netting over its window – our guide said it is used to delivery money to ATM machines – very different than the Brink trucks back home.

 

Most signs we saw had some English on them. Gas cost a hair under a dollar US per litre which is extremely expensive considering people’s income. We passed a large multi-story, modern shopping centre – I think it was where the Oceania shuttle went to.

 

As we sped down the highway today our guide sensed we looked concerned about the driver’s performance. She tried to assure us by telling us that they took the vehicle into the garage yesterday to have the brakes looked at. When I picked it up the mechanic said: "We couldn't fix your brakes so we've made your horn louder!!"

 

Today’s thoughts for the day –“Travel like Ghandi, with simple clothes, open eyes and an uncluttered mind.” - Rick Steves

“We know only too well that what we are doing is nothing more than a drop in the ocean. But if the drop were not there, the ocean would be missing something.” - Mother Teresa

[no fuss travel]

Myanmar also is a half hour later than Thailand. You will have another half hour time zone to deal with on your cruise. Enjoyed your writing on India.