Live from the 2022 Grand Africa

[RuthC]

Even though you are no longer positive for Covid, you will be tired for a while (I was needing naps and extra sleep at night for 2-3 weeks). 
This might not be a good time for very long tours, or tours very early in the morning. 

[SusieKIslandGirl]

Thanks for the report and photos. We'll be there in December, so this was very helpful. Can't wait! And glad you could get a nap on the bus ride.

[rkacruiser]

23 hours ago, Scrapnana said:

I had chosen the tour, "Ultimate Morocco - Casablanca and Rabat"

 

The description of your tour reminds me of what I experienced what I visited these two cities.  My tour was long enough that when we returned to the ship, there was not enough time to do more individual touring of Casablanca.  

[12cruise2]

Scrapnana, I tried to get your blog but it wouldn't load. Could you give us the address within a post?  I'd love to read more.  Thank you.

[SusieKIslandGirl]

Did you try the link in the 1st post on page 1?

[Julia’s Journey’s]

I’ve had 3 cruises booked that go to Morocco and every time something happens so still haven’t gotten there. Glad you enjoyed.

[SusieKIslandGirl]

@Julia’s Journey’sWe've tried several times to get to Morocco too. We're finally getting there next month (hoped I haven't jinxed that) on the Island Princess-Rome to FLL. I couldn't find any HAL cruises that included Casablanca as a stop.

@ScrapnanaKathi, did your tour provide plenty of water or should we plan on taking a couple of larger bottles with us? Thanks!

[whogo]

14 hours ago, 12cruise2 said:

I tried to get your blog but it wouldn't load. Could you give us the address within a post?  I'd love to read more.  Thank you.

https://2022-2023hal.blogspot.com/

[Ruthenium]

Funny that they’d show “Death on the Nile” a few days before going down the Ne but then I did notice there was a book on the Titanic in the library….

[12cruise2]

3 hours ago, whogo said:

https://2022-2023hal.blogspot.com/

Thank you, this worked!

[Scrapnana]

21 hours ago, SusieKIslandGirl said:

@Julia’s Journey’sWe've tried several times to get to Morocco too. We're finally getting there next month (hoped I haven't jinxed that) on the Island Princess-Rome to FLL. I couldn't find any HAL cruises that included Casablanca as a stop.

@ScrapnanaKathi, did your tour provide plenty of water or should we plan on taking a couple of larger bottles with us? Thanks!

We were offered bottled water twice during the excursion.

[Scrapnana]

A Quiet Sea Day - October 23

 

I went to Sit and Stitch but the Judys were not there.  I sat and worked on a shawl until just after 11 when I returned to my cabin.  Today was the first day that I filled my thermos with my tea to take to lunch.  It worked well except for the fact that I had to crack the ice to get some tea.

 

After lunch I went to 1pm trivia.  The couple (Ozzie and Lucia) with whom I played yesterday were there so we teamed up again.

 

Today's craft was to make a card with a handkerchief in it.  I had decided yesterday that I was not going to battle the hordes to get a place.  Instead, I decided to spend the afternoon in the sun.  The Sea View Pool was closed (and drained) because they were putting in the new ladders which I had seen them doing to the Lido Pool (mid-ship) the other day.  I wanted sun and the movable roof over the Lido Pool was only open a small bit so I sat on the back deck.  It was entertaining watching the people installing the ladders.  It looked like two were local (not HAL staff) and they were doing the work.  There were two others who were HAL staff and they were not happy with the way the tiles had been set around the railing.  Eventually the local guys had to take up the yellow tiles they had laid and change them with blue ones.

 

After an hour in the sun, I switched to the Lido pool.  There were too many people in the pool to swim laps (two people were attempting it, unsuccessfully), so I did some water aerobics for about 15 minutes.  I really do not like the new ladders they have installed.  The old ones were more like steps that were staggered, the new ones are just ladders with one rung above the next (harder on arthritic knees).

 

Then time to change for 4pm trivia (have I mentioned how much I dislike the trivias so close together?).  All the teams I could see had six people (the maximum) so I played with dismal results on my own.

 

Another trip to guest services.  I wanted to ask someone else about yesterday's questions but the same young lady was there, so I went with today's inquiry.  I think I have mentioned that the fridge in my cabin freezes everything.  If I take my iced tea pitcher out when I wake up, it will have defrosted sufficiently to actually pour some tea by lunch time.  The young lady said she thought there were no more fridges (likely why I got the "freezer" when they forgot to put one in my cabin at the beginning) but she would send someone to look at it.

 

It was a lovely day so I took four laps around the deck and got in another mile+.  The sun was beautiful so when it was time for it to set (5:43 today) I went out to take some pictures.

 

Worked on the blog before getting ready for dinner.  I was able to get yesterday's pictures up fairly quickly when last night they would not upload at all.

 

All five of us were back tonight (Sherry and Pete were not there last night).  The entertainment was a pianist which I skipped since I have an early tour tomorrow. I did do a lap around the deck.

 

The forecast for tomorrow is for 90 degrees and sun.  The Captain said that was rather unusual for late in October (Tunis is a little farther north of the equator than Raleigh, NC and the average high for October is 80).  I have an eight-hour tour.  Why do those long tours sound better at home when I book them???😖

 

1pm trivia - we had 10/18, the winners had 13

1.  In what city were the 1972 Summer Olympics held?

2.  What was Sonny and Cher's first hit song?

3.  Who directed the first Star Wars movie?

4.  How many Grammys did Elvis win?

5.  What does the medical term "intergluteal cleft" refer to?

6.  What is the actual name of the pound/hashtag character?

 

1.  Munich

2.  I Got You, Babe

3.  Spielberg

4.  three

5.  butt crack

6.  octothorpe

 

4pm trivia - I had only 4/17, the winners said they had all correct

1.  What is the best-selling item at Wal-Mart?

2.  What does "kosher" mean in Hebrew?

3.  What company was originally called "Cadabra"?

4.  What is the only body part which is fully grown at birth?

5.  What U.S state's constitution is the longest in the world?

 

1.  bananas

2.  proper

3.  Amazon

4.  eyes

5.  Alabama

[Damcruiser]

We were on N Statendam in September and we had a lovely young woman hosting the daily trivias.  She was one of the best ever in handling the passengers and asking intelligent questions.  We were hoping to see her again this November on NS but she told us she was transferring to the African cruise.  She might not remember us but please say hello from an avid trivia couple on the Quebec to Boston cruise and back.

 

[Scrapnana]

Tunis, Tunisia - October 24

 

I was up early because I had a tour that met at 8:15.  On my previous excursion we ate very lunch late and I was starving so I made a point of getting something to eat for breakfast.  I settled on a bagel and it did the trick.

 

Our tour finally got started just after nine.  There were five buses for "The Best of Tunisia" and we stayed together.  We had a police escort which was explained to us as a way to get us through traffic faster (did not have to stop at lights, had the right-of-way at traffic circles, etc.).

 

As we rode from the port at La Goulette into the city center, our guide Hoda stressed how women and men were equal in Tunisia - were paid the same, had equal educational opportunities, 50% of doctors were women, 40% of judges, etc.  I wonder if she did this because of all the news lately about the inequality in some Muslim countries.  

 

The word Tunis means "the key" and 2 million of the 12 million in the country live here. We had a quick drive through the new city before heading to the medina (the old part), which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where we took a walking tour and visited the souk in the area.  The medina is full of a maze-like warren of small walking streets (mostly, a number of motorbikes zoomed through as we were walking).  

 

As common in souks in this area, there were dozens of small jewelry stores (how do they all stay in business?) as well as rug shops, local crafts, clothing, shoes, some food, souvenirs, and many other things.  We had about 15 minutes to shop and I bought a magnet.  It was a dollar and the very first thing I have purchased!

 

We were late leaving the medina for lunch because one of the buses (remember we had to travel together) had three people who had mobility issues and it took them a long time to get back to the bus.  When we were all ready, we headed to lunch (which was very good) in a local restaurant on the road to Carthage. 

 

We visited two sites in Carthage (which is also a UNESCO World Heritage site).  First, a short history lesson.  Carthage was settled by the Phoenicians and was an important city-state in the first millenium BC and had control of a number of areas in the Mediterranean, including Malta, present day Algeria, and Sicily.  Carthage and Rome fought three wars, called the Punic Wars.  Likely, the only Carthagenian you might have heard of is Hannibal, who took elephants over the Alps and beat Rome in the Second Punic War.  Carthage was defeated in the Third Punic War by Rome, Carthage was burned, the people enslaved, and it became part of the Roman Empire.  OK, lesson over and back to today.

 

Our first visit was to an archaeological site showing how the Romans had built their city over the previous one.  The second visit was to the remains of the massive Roman baths.  We walked past an area which was a Punic necropolis as well as some sarcophagi from human sacrifices (they would throw the person into a fire and put the ashes into the sarcophagus).  The Roman Baths were the largest built in Africa and had one side for women and one for men.  We had time to wander through the remains.

 

The final visit was to the pretty town of Sidi Bou Siad.  It is known for its white buildings with blue trim.  We had about 45 minutes on our own.

 

We returned to the ship late (all aboard was 5pm) but since it was a HAL tour they waited for us.  There was a sail-away party by the Sea View Pool which was not much.  There was music played by one of the entertainment people and some of the female staff were leading some line dancing.  I stayed only to watch us leave the port.  It seemed like the main reason for the party was to sell the drink of the day.

 

After dinner, I went to see the singers and dancers perform "Encore" which had music from movies and musicals and was quite good.

 

There is a sea day tomorrow and we lose an hour again.

[Scrapnana]

8 hours ago, Damcruiser said:

We were on N Statendam in September and we had a lovely young woman hosting the daily trivias.  She was one of the best ever in handling the passengers and asking intelligent questions.  We were hoping to see her again this November on NS but she told us she was transferring to the African cruise.  She might not remember us but please say hello from an avid trivia couple on the Quebec to Boston cruise and back.

 

Was she American/Canadian, Argentenian, or South African?

[vhoudy]

I need help from you experienced travelers.  We booked the Valley of the Kings ship excursion in Luxor, but I am worried about the level of difficulty.  It says it is strenuous, but I am wondering what makes it strenuous?  Is it the very long day, a lot of walking, a lot of steps and difficult walking surfaces, all of the above?  I am mobile but I would like to enjoy the tour and not be exhausted and having to be overly vigilent about my footing throughout the tour and not be able to see what I came to see.  Many thanks for your input!  P.S. I asked the Excursion Desk and they had  no idea except what was in the description of the tour.

[Scrapnana]

6 hours ago, vhoudy said:

I need help from you experienced travelers.  We booked the Valley of the Kings ship excursion in Luxor, but I am worried about the level of difficulty.  It says it is strenuous, but I am wondering what makes it strenuous?  Is it the very long day, a lot of walking, a lot of steps and difficult walking surfaces, all of the above?  I am mobile but I would like to enjoy the tour and not be exhausted and having to be overly vigilent about my footing throughout the tour and not be able to see what I came to see.  Many thanks for your input!  P.S. I asked the Excursion Desk and they had  no idea except what was in the description of the tour.

I have not done this from a ship but have been to the locations.  It is a long day with a fairly long bus ride.  The ground is uneven at the Valley of the Kings and most of the temples in the Luxor area.

[Ipeeinthepools]

On 10/20/2022 at 4:23 AM, Scrapnana said:

I am officially negative and free to leave my cabin.  Heading outside for fresh air right now!

 

Congratulations on testing negative.  Enjoy your freedoms.  Can you clear up a couple of questions?

 

1.  How did you end up testing positive?  Did they pass out tests at the beginning of the cruise and you had to self-report the results or did medical do all of the tests?

 

2  Are there any more tests scheduled during the rest of your cruise?

 

3.  Did I understand you correctly in a previous post?  Is the shrimp cocktail really $8.50?  Do you have any idea if this is fleetwide?

 

Thanks

[Just Travelous]

3 hours ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

 

Congratulations on testing negative.  Enjoy your freedoms.  Can you clear up a couple of questions?

 

1.  How did you end up testing positive?  Did they pass out tests at the beginning of the cruise and you had to self-report the results or did medical do all of the tests?

 

2  Are there any more tests scheduled during the rest of your cruise?

 

3.  Did I understand you correctly in a previous post?  Is the shrimp cocktail really $8.50?  Do you have any idea if this is fleetwide?

 

Thanks

Hi…we are on the 69-day S. Pacific/Australia circumnavigation and are doing the Grand Africa next year and following Scrapnana and the roll call—and, in answer to your question on the shrimp cocktail…yes, it is $8.50 on the Noordam as well.

[SharonN]

19 hours ago, Damcruiser said:

We were on N Statendam in September and we had a lovely young woman hosting the daily trivias.  She was one of the best ever in handling the passengers and asking intelligent questions.  We were hoping to see her again this November on NS but she told us she was transferring to the African cruise.  She might not remember us but please say hello from an avid trivia couple on the Quebec to Boston cruise and back.

 

Was her name Ericka? We were on the N Statendam in Aug and really enjoyed the days Ericka did the trivia. she was one so the best we ever had. She almost always as a "group of animals" question as her final one. 

[Damcruiser]

16 hours ago, Scrapnana said:

Was she American/Canadian, Argentenian, or South African?

American.

[Damcruiser]

18 minutes ago, SharonN said:

Was her name Ericka? We were on the N Statendam in Aug and really enjoyed the days Ericka did the trivia. she was one so the best we ever had. She almost always as a "group of animals" question as her final one. 

That's her.  I finally guessed one right A group of starfish is called a galaxy.  (According to one source.)

Absolutely fantastic.  I hope she makes it to Cruise Director or whatever the position is called on HAL.

[SharonN]

44 minutes ago, Damcruiser said:

That's her.  I finally guessed one right A group of starfish is called a galaxy.  (According to one source.)

Absolutely fantastic.  I hope she makes it to Cruise Director or whatever the position is called on HAL.

You could tell she spent time getting ready for her turns. I hope she's on the World Cruise 🙂

[Scrapnana]

12 hours ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

 

Congratulations on testing negative.  Enjoy your freedoms.  Can you clear up a couple of questions?

 

1.  How did you end up testing positive?  Did they pass out tests at the beginning of the cruise and you had to self-report the results or did medical do all of the tests?

 

2  Are there any more tests scheduled during the rest of your cruise?

 

3.  Did I understand you correctly in a previous post?  Is the shrimp cocktail really $8.50?  Do you have any idea if this is fleetwide?

 

Thanks

The fifth day of the cruise we were each given a test in the morning and we had to report negative results (by way of photo) to our cabin steward.  If you were positive, there was a number to call.

 

There was another test at the third port (Agadir) required by the port authorities in order to go on land.  It was implied that there would be further tests. 

 

After hearing from someone about the cost of the shrimp cocktail, I asked in the dining room and he told me that it was $8.50.  It was on the menu for free on a formal night and a dressy night.

[Scrapnana]

7 hours ago, Damcruiser said:

American.

She did the 1pm trivia today.  She is good.  I will let her know next time I see her.