Join us, Bill and Mary Ann, on our 128 day epic journey around the world in 2009

[WCB]

Report # 107 April 19, 2009 Sunday Victoria Falls and Elephant Ride Day Two

 

We got up early to enjoy the included buffet breakfast in the hotel's open-air restaurant. They opened at 6:30 am, so that's when we arrived. Breakfast selections were numerous, such as fresh fruit, cereals, hot and cold, omeletes made to order, meats, eggs made to order, and various dishes we did not recognize. There was a separate area for sweet rolls, pancakes and waffles with every topping imaginable. With ample servings of juice, coffee, and toast, we would not be hungry until dinnertime! The service was excellent, with waiters continually filling our coffee, and refolding our napkins when we made a trip to the buffet line. They were also on watch for the vervet monkeys that were lurking outside the restaurant. When they snuck in, the waiters chased them out, clapping their hands.

 

We were properly dressed with 3/4 length light-weight waterproof jackets we brought with us for just this occassion. Steven, our friendly driver from yesterday, met us in the lobby at 8:30 am, then drove us to the start of the trail. We had two ladies and one cute young girl, all from Australia, join us for this morning's walk. Steven provided us with hooded capes that were not necessarily waterproof. We doubled up by using them too. We also wore waterproof sandals, while the others wore leather shoes and keds. Guess no one told them about the flooding water on the trail and walking bridge.

 

Before we descended the walkway, Steven led us up the river for some spectacular views of the rushing river. While we walked, Steven gave us some interesting facts about the river and falls. These falls were created by a volcano eruption milleniums ago, creating the deep gorge we see today. The 300 foot cascade of water empties into a gorge, then flows at a right angle away from the falls. This is what causes the blowback of 500 feet of water and mist. With the river at maximum capacity, the rise of the mist was also at its highest. Just magnificent!

 

We asked if any animals or people had fallen over the falls. He said yes, both. Recently, two elephants, four crocodiles, and some hippos were rushed over the falls to their deaths. People crossing the river during the dry season, when the river is lower, have fallen off of the rocks, and gone over. No one can survive the fall, or the turbulence of the water that keeps you under. We promised to stay clear of the river's edge and the plunging cliffs we were about to walk!

 

We stopped by the statue of Dr. David Livingstone, with a new plack describing his work here. Dr. David Livingstone was the first European to see these wonderful falls in the mid 1800's. He stayed here with the natives after his wife died from malaria, and continued his exploration and missionary work until his death. Concerned for his wellbeing, Dr. Stanley came to search for his friend. Upon finding him, he did not recognize his collegue because of his deep tan, loss of weight, and soiled skin and clothing. This is where the saying, "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" came from. There is so much more detail to the story, but since we did not visit the David Livingstone Museum in town, we missed a lot of the facts and memorabilia of the famous explorer. Many books have been written about the traditional living, medicines, and witchcraft of those earlier days. We hope to catch up on that once we're home, especially now that we have visited this spectacular area.

 

The trek through the steep hillsides and slippery trails was exhilarating. The views of the falls was stunning. At one point, the spray was pounding us from the front and back, like being hit with a firehose! Walking across the footbridge was dangerous, because there was three inches of water flowing over it! The mist was so heavy, we could not see the bottom of the gorge we were crossing, but that's probably a good thing!

 

Once we reached the trail's end, we walked back via a dryer trail. By then, the young Aussie girl had emptied her keds at least three times! Her mom and grandmom didn't bother with their shoes. We're sure they were ruined forever, but they sure had fun.

 

We walked back to the van, where Steven drove the ladies back to the hotel. He showed us where to walk halfway across the border bridge that links Zambia to Zimbabwe. We had wanted to get photos from that bridge, but had no desire to cross over the border into Zimbabwe during this time of civil unrest there.

 

It wasn't long before some seedy-looking Zimbabweans approached us trying to sell trinkets and paper money, of all things. We just took our pictures, and slowly started walking back. Steven picked us up at the other end, and drove us back to the craft market near the falls trail. We negotiated for a few carvings, jewelry, and salad forks before we walked back to the hotel. It was a great 3 hour tour!

 

Our next excursion did not start until 2:30 pm, so we had some time to further explore the higher trail of the falls that we had spotted while walking with our guide. We peeled off our jackets to discover we were completely dry! Thanks LL Bean for such good waterproof gear! We put on our better walking shoes, and started off on an hour's trek for more photos.

 

We had an added bonus of running into large baboons and many babies playing in the trees along the way. They are just too funny to watch. But the males are better viewed from a distance. With those impressive canine teeth, we kept our distance and let the camera do its close-up work.

 

As we neared the border bridge, a fellow came to us and offered us the chance to bungee-jump off of the bridge. Oh yeah, not in this lifetime!! That's when we saw a pair of jumpers dive off the bridge, and fall all the way down to the roaring river. They bounced up and down for many minutes before they were pulled back up. Gosh, we can think of many better ways to spend $80.!! But we did get some very good video footage of the whole jump.

 

Once back at the hotel, we continued our walk to find more animals. We ran into the zebras, or they almost ran into us! These animals were so tame, we crossed within a few feet from them....carefully. A guard from the hotel was on watch, keeping the guests aware of the possible danger from approaching these animals. We did know better not to walk behind the zebra. Their kicks could be lethal!

 

Further up the trail, we saw the herd of impalas, the bucks obviously in rut, chasing the does in circles. They were barely aware that we were there, as they went about their business.

 

From there, we made our way to the greens behind the Royal Livingstone Hotel. Several vervet monkeys were swinging from the high tree branches, or chasing each other in play. We could have spent an hour here, but we were running out of time, and headed back to get ready for our 2:30 pickup.

 

We met at the Activity Center of the hotel for this excursion. We were driven to the Zambezi Elephant Trails, a complex about a 30 minute drive away. There was a group of 10 for this riding trip. We were greeted by the manager, who welcomed us with a refreshing drink of juice, then explained what the ride involved. First of all, we had to be able to ride on the elephant's back, or we had to ride side saddle. We considered the side saddle ride, but thankfully changed our minds. That may have been more stressful on a tender back, then riding regularly. Of course, we had to sign a release of liability to do this activity. This was not the first time we had to "sign our lives away"!

 

With that done, we were all ready to go meet our elephants and their trainers. We were given "Marula", a very large and beautiful female elephant. A wooden platform had been built, which we climbed to the top, then gently sat on Marula's back, with the help of the handlers. It wasn't as uncomfortable as we anticipated, never having ridden an elephant before. Our feet were secured in stirrups, while I held on the the saddle, and Bill sat securely behind me. Edwin, Marula's trainer sat in front, fully in control of this huge, but gentle beast.

 

Edwin told us about the origin of our elephant's name....Marula. He said it was a special tree called marula. It produces fruit that when ripe, is a particular favorite of the grazing animals. The riper it is, it becomes like alcohol, making the animals drowsy and almost drunk. Marula loves them so much, that's what they named her. Gosh, could that be considered "drunk-driving" for the elephant? Hopefully, not today!

 

Our hour and a half ride took us on several trails through the bush, where Marula helped herself to leaf and limb snacks all the way. A very funny thing happened on this ride....a fellow in front of us dropped the sun shield of his camera on the ground. In seconds, his elephant reached his trunk around, and picked his shield up. The elephant handed the part to the trainer, then quickly put up his trunk over his head, and begged for treats! The elephant knew that a bag of molasses-coated pellets were hanging on his saddle. The trainer grabbed a handful, filled the elephant's trunk, and he was happy! That had to be the most amazing thing we have seen. Since elephants do not have eyes in the back of their heads, we asked how did he know where to find the camera part. Edwin, our trainer, said the elephant found it by smell. That's how sensitive their trunks are. Just amazing!

 

We saw a troupe of baboons and one mean-looking crocodile on the riverbank. We actually rode into the river's edge while heading back towards the compound. Two young elephants, one two years old, and the other four years old, followed along for the walk. They were fun to watch as they zigzagged between the older bulls and females we were riding. Then the 2 year old dove in and out of the river, with her ears pinned back tightly, and her little trunk sticking out of the water. I wished I could have taken video of this ride, but I did not trust being able to hold onto the camera and hold on to the saddle at the same time. My next purchase is going to be a neck lanyard for this camera!

 

Our wonderful ride was over way too soon. Now we had to figure out how we were going to get off of this animal! And do it gracefully. Marula was slowly guided into the wooden slot at the raised platform. Then the owner helped us off one at a time. It wasn't as hard as we thought, and we would definitely do this again! It was way more exciting than riding horses or camels!

 

Our last interaction with the elephants was being able to feed them the sweet treats, take a photo with them, and actually sit on their lowered leg. Each handler had their elephants wave goodbye as we left the staging area.

 

Back at the compound, we were served hot snacks and cold drinks of sodas, waters, and beers. While we had been riding, an employee had been filming us during the time. He was busy creating videos that everyone had the chance to purchase for $40.

Once the film was ready, we sat in front of the flatscreen to watch the very humerous flick. It was well done, but we don't think anyone sprung for the $40. We did find a neat t-shirt to buy, though. And the proceeds went to an organization that help protect the elephants from poachers, a big problem in most parts of Africa.

 

It was almost dark by the time we got back to the lodge. We cleaned up quickly, and were surprised that our clothes were not soiled at all from the ride. These elephants were cleaner than most people! Since we have another early morning start, we ate cheeseburgers and drank cool beers at the pool's edge once again tonight. We poured ourselves into bed, and slept the sleep of babies!

 

To be continued........

 

 

Mary Ann & Bill

 

PS Just a quick thought about the drinking water here. We were told not to drink the water, or even brush our teeth with it. Even though we brought 2 quarts of bottled water with us from the ship, we took every opportunity to add to our stash when we were given more bottles. That happened often enough to get us through the four day stay.

[SDHALFAN]

Hi Mary Ann & Bill:

 

Gosh, what amazing adventures you two are having. I am soooo envious and I do thank you so much for taking me along with you on this incredible ride. You have such a gift for writing of your adventures and taking the reader along with you.

 

Haven't seen you since Alaska but I do hope that we will meet again soon on some "dam" cruise.

 

Thanks again, I really am enjoying seeing the world through your eyes.

 

Valerie:)

[DeepWaterMariner]

Amazing! You really have a talent for putting us in the moment. Thank you so much for taking your valuable vacation time to write such detailed and well thought out descriptions. It's the next best thing to being there.

[WCB]

Report # 108 April 20, 2009 Monday Chobe National Park, Botswana Day Three

 

After eating a hearty breakfast at 6:30 am, we departed the hotel lobby with Steven, our driver, for an hour's ride to the border crossing on the Zambezi River. Along the way, we saw some waterbuks and a few vervet monkeys near old villages and the flat plains. Once we were out of the town of Livingstone, the countryside went "native". We got to see the huts in the small villages where the people live like they did generations ago.

 

We came upon a roadblock, where the police were checking each vehicle. After Steven talked to the guard briefly, he let us continue. Other cars were being searched. Why? We didn't ask.

 

Turning down a long stretch of road, we came upon big rigs and their drivers, lined up on both sides of the road for a mile or more. Steven drove right up the middle, and stopped to let us off. He said that because there is only one ferryboat, these drivers may spend a week or two waiting in line for their turn. Luckily, we did not have to wait, but Steven would not be allowed to drive us in the van on the ferry. He would stay behind, and wait for us until we came back later in the day.

 

First of all, we had to have our passports checked in the small office near the river. Then we were led to a little speedboat, where we climbed over the rocks, and jumped in the boat. We sped across the river in less than two minutes. We were now on the Botswana side, where we had to fill out arrival forms and get our passports checked. For a change, Botswana had no visa fee.

 

When we were processed, we got into a different van with a new guide, but not before we had to walk over a disinfectant-soaked mat. Every truck coming across on the ferry had to drive through a pit full of the disinfectant. There was a sign warning against hoof and mouth disease, as well as other nasty maladies. Six, our new driver, and one elderly lady and a couple from the United Kingdom joined our group. He drove us all to the Chobe Marina Lodge, where we boarded a riverboat for game viewing. It was just big enough for our small group, which was nice.

 

Each of us had a chair at the railing, but could move around to take all the pictures we wanted. At one point in the river, we crossed the point where four countries meet - Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia. Now we can say we were in Zimbabwe without having to pay another visa charge!

 

The first wildlife we saw were black comorants, sunning themselves on bare trees branches. They almost didn't look real, until we got too close for their comfort. As we trolled the riverbanks, we came across many impala and elephants getting water. We spotted an eagle perched high in a tree, and several colorful small birds hiding in the shrubs.

 

While we sailed further up the river, we were served sodas or waters and gingersnap cookies. It hit the spot!

 

There was a large green moniter lizard on the bank, trying to eat a dung beetle. Near him, was a very big and mean-looking crocodile, sunning himself. Near him, was a smaller croc doing the same thing. They did not stick around very long with two or three more boats coming alongside the banks. We soon noticed that the large croc was watching an impala as he drank by the river. Silently, the croc slipped into the water, and followed the grazing impala. We continued on before we saw any action.

 

While we were filming more water birds, we came across a large pod of hippos. They looked more like large boulders sticking out of the water, until they started moving. Gosh, those animals are big! They can be the most dangerous animals in Africa when they are irritated. More natives die from hippo attacks than from any other animal in the game reserves. One large male did charge into the water, when we got too close to his territory.

 

The boat driver took us back to the landing, where we gathered at the Chobe Marina Lodge for lunch. They had a nice buffet set-up with a large variety of dishes. The salad selections were beautiful, but we knew better than to eat produce. What a shame to have to pass this healthy food up, but again, it was not worth the chance of bad bacteria. We had a full plate of rice, stew, chicken, and chop suey! That was the best, and least expected. The desserts of cheesecake and puddings were good with our Coke light drinks.

 

We checked out the lodge's souveniers, but found them very expensive, so we passed. We were all ready for the next safari ride in the open air 4x4 vehicles. Our driver took us to the nearby Chobe National Park, where we followed the river we had just cruised. Now we got to see the other side of the riverbanks, filled with elephants, impala, warthogs, red condors, kudu, guinea fowl, giraffes and baboons. A huge Cape buffalo was laying in the tall grass under a tree, so silent, that we were lucky to get a good photo of him. It was neat to see the impala bucks fighting over the herds of females. The seasons are reversed down in this part of the world. They are just starting their winter season in late April. That's why the bucks were rutting.

 

After an hour's game drive, Six drove us back to the customs and immigrations building at the Zambezi River. We had to get exit stamps in our passports now that we were leaving Botswana. Then, we boarded the small speedboat that took us across the river and back to Zambia, using our last visa entry allowance.

 

Most of the same big rigs were still parked there, waiting their turn to cross. Steven met us with his van to drive us back to the hotel. But before we could get into the van, vendors rushed over to sell us carvings. We already had most of them, so they held up money to sell. Can you believe we bought a 100,000 Trillion Zimbabwe bill? And it only cost us 45 Zambian cents! We should be very rich people, but we doubt it is worth the paper it is printed on! Still, it is a good souvenier.

 

We were really exhausted by the time we got back to the Zambezi Sun. A quick dinner was in order by the lovely pool that we never had time to use. Again, we had cheeseburgers and Mosi beers, and went directly to bed, since we have another busy day tomorrow.

 

Until then,

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 109 April 21, 2009 Tuesday The Mukuni Village, Zambia Day Four

 

After we enjoyed our final buffet breakfast at the hotel, we snapped the last of the ground's photos before our 8 am drive to see a local village.

 

According to our printed itinerary, we just noticed that we were supposed to visit the Maramba Market, a bustling venue where the local Zambians come to shop. However, for some reason, we bypassed that stop, and headed right for the Mukuni Village, a short distance drive out of Livingstone. This village, one of several that houses up to 5000 Leya people, gave us an overview of how local natives live traditionally in basic huts with no modern-day perks.

 

An attractive, brightly dressed young Leya woman greeted us upon our arrival to this working village. The most modern buildings had a few small stores that sold some necessities like cold drinks, some food, and basic medical supplies. Everything else was built with thatched roofed and mud-walled huts. The first highlight was seeing their local 2 room jail, a place no one would want to spend a night. Our guide explained the structure of the Leya tribal system. They had one chief and several sub-chiefs. If this chief was proven to be bad, such as not sharing the money, or hoarding food, the tribe could kill him by poisoning or burying him alive. And it has happened in the recent past. This keeps the chief honest and generous with his people!! And lucky for him, the tribes people like him!

 

As we toured some of the local family huts, we witnessed the women working either cleaning the grounds, tending to the children, cooking, shopping, washing clothes, and doing most of the menial work. That is expected from every girl and woman. The men, on the other hand, were carving wooden bowls and animals for sale, smoking strange-looking cigarettes, or playing checkers. They were also the animal tenders and vendors for the souveniers. In the old days, the men probably hunted for meat, but nowadays, the tribes are vegetarian, not allowed to hunt without expensive licenses, with just special occassions saved for meat consumption. When they do eat meat, it is lamb, chicken, or beef. During the growing season, they harvest their own produce and millet used for beer-making.

 

Most of the young children attend school within the village until 5th grade or so. Only those that are deemed smart enough to go beyond that grade level, are sent outside of the village to continue their education. Few of them qualify for that, since it does cost money to send them to private schools. As far as we could determine, their main source of income is from tourism and donations made to their orphans and aids patients. By purchasing several of their crafts, we contributed to this fund. Now we just about completed our set of African animals to bring home to add to the menagerie we already have!!

 

Steven brought us back to the hotel, where we gathered our stuff, and met him in the lobby. We had a rather small bill from the few dinners we charged to our credit card, which was great. We paid cash, with either Zambian money or the US dollars for the few items we bought in the hotel's shop. Carole, our friend from the CS group, staying next door at the Royal Livingstone, had left some money with us yesterday evening, with the hopes that we would be able to purchase two necklaces she put on hold on the previous afternoon. They were leaving their hotel very early, and she would not have had the chance to buy her jewelry. So, we had just enough time to complete her mission, and also buy one of the necklaces for myself. They were unique, made with thousands of little colorful beads on a long string necklace. And I promise not to wear it on the same night Carole wears hers!! She's so sweet, she wouldn't mind anyway!

 

It was time to get us to the airport, so Steven rounded us up, and drove the short distance to the Livingstone airport. We checked our bag, which we would have to retrieve in Johannesburg this time, then sat and waited for our flight that left the airport at 1:15 pm. We had enough time to browse in the three stores at this little airport, having success at finding a baobab tree made from banana leaves, and a pair of beaded earrings to match the beaded necklace from the hotel.

 

We had been prepared to pay a Zambian exit tax of $30. each, but that did not happen. Again, the fees must have been dropped since we last checked on the internet prior to leaving home in January. Of course, that was fine with us!!

 

Boarding the planes in this part of Africa was simple. We simply walked out of the building right on the tarmac, and climbed the portable stairway to the plane's door. This two hour flight was on time, and we were off towards Johannesburg, South Africa, once again. A meal for lunch was served, chicken or beef stew with seasoned rice. We had South African white wine again. It was very good.

 

The flight was bumpy, due to thick thunderclouds under us, but it cleared up a bit by the time we arrived to Joburg, as the locals call it. At the Joberg airport, we picked up our luggage, passed easily through customs and immigrations, answering a few basic questions, then proceed to find our check-in point. This airport is rather large, with construction happening in the older sections. It was good to be able to stretch our legs and walk the distance from one terminal to the other. We had about a 2 1/2 hour layover before our flight to Cape Town. That gave us the chance to pick up a few necessary items like batteries, a camera lanyard, which was given to us for free, and a shotglass, and a pair of neat earrings. Good choices, since they take up little room in packing.

 

We happened to run into Ellen and the CS group, waiting for their plane which was flying out ahead of ours. They told us that they got news that the Rotterdam was unable to dock in Cape Town, due to massive winds blowing down the mountainsides. We weren't sure that we would have a place to go when we got back to the pier!! Oh well, no need to panic, we would just have to be patient and hope for the best. The ship was supposed to have a three day, two night stay in Cape Town, so we are sure they would be able to dock somewhere in that span of time. We could always stay in a hotel until they docked.

 

The flight was comfortable, but as dinner meal served again with fine wines. Once we landed, it was simple picking up our one bag. This time there was a driver holding up ours names to meet us after we landing in Cape Town at 8 am. That was a relief after having no driver in Durban! And this was the same company picking us up, just better organized. The driver assured us that the ship was indeed docked in the industrial shipyard area, but had arrived late on their first day there. He said that the winds preventing her docking were a rare occurence, only happening a few times a year.

 

Our driver had a bit of a problem finding the gate to get into the wharf. It was then that we realized that perhaps he had been enjoying a few drinks prior to our pickup. When he finally found the entrance, a funny thing happened. The gate guard handed him a breathilizer to check his alcohol intake! Detecting that he may have had a few, the guard let him by with a stern warning to drive carefully. We were sure glad we got there in one piece!

 

Happy to be back onboard, we hastily put our things away, ordered room service salads and burgers, and went straight to bed! Tomorrow would be our last full day of touring Cape Town starting early in the morning. And again, we hoped the guide would be on time!

 

To be continued..............

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[ger_77]

I can't begin to tell you how much I'm enjoying your writing. It is like reading a National Geographic travelogue; I can envision everything you're describing. Thank you for taking the time to put so much detail into your experiences. I look forward to reading this post daily.

 

Smooth Sailing! :):):)

[WCB]

Report # 110 April 22, 2009 Wednesday Cape Town, South Africa

 

We began our day in Cape Town by meeting with our private guide, Rudie, at 8 am sharp on the pier. It was a cloudy day, but still clear enough to see nearby Table Mountain, soaring at 3570 feet above the city. As long as the fog stays away, we may be successful in seeing this mountaintop this morning.

 

Cape Town is the 3rd most populated city in South Africa, and it is the capital of the Western Cape Province. There are several major industries here, such as oil refining, food, chemical, and fertilizer processing, automobile manufacturing, leather and plastic goods, and finally clothing. Their chief exports are gold, diamonds, and fruit. Tourism and the production of fine wines are also top on Cape Town's list.

 

We visited Cape Town in 2005 while on the Prinsendam. Our tour today will be similar to the one we did back then, with the exception of going to Table Mountain. So, that is where we headed first.

 

According to Rudie, the mountain had been closed for several days, due to the high winds that prevented the Rotterdam's docking. By the time we drove to the base of the mountain from the pier, the cable car had opened for business. We were able to get our tickets, and proceed up the elevator to the platform to board the cable car.

 

This cable car is unique in the fact that it offered a 360 degree panoramic view of the city below. We just thought that meant that we could turn our heads to see 360 degrees. But no, it really meant that the floor of the cabin turned a full circle by the time we reached the top. Another interesting fact about this cable car is that it holds 4000 liters of water in a tank under its floor that gives additional ballast for higher stability, especially in windy weather. This water is then pumped out to the Cafe on the top, supplying fresh water for the visitors. Many types of cable cars have been over the years used since this operation began in 1929.

 

Table Mountain, called that for its flat top formation that resembles a tabletop, is believed to be six times older than the Himalayas, and five times older then the Rockies. We explored the wide mountain terrain that had many trails leading to views of important landmarks. We could see the top of Lion's Head, a peak resembling the head of a lion, Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela had been imprisoned for 20 years, and Signal Hill. We could see the Rotterdam, docked in the harbor, appearing to be the size of a toy boat!

 

There are animals that live up here, like the dassie, a squirrel-like rock dweller, porcupines, mongooses, lizards, snakes, and butterflies. We believe the only wildlife we saw were the butterflies. The last lion in the area was shot in 1802, and the last leopard was seen in the 1920's. Native bird species include redwinged starlings, eagles, and rock kestrels.

 

With its unusual plant life (over 4000 species), animal life, and stunning views, it is easy to see why this park is part of a World Heritage Site.

 

Our time was swiftly going by, so we headed back down to the bottom to do a little shopping and join Rudie to continue our journey.

 

We drove to the other side of the mountain towards Camp Bay and Maidens Cove. These are a series of small towns that are havens for beaches, shops, and restaurants. The views were pretty darn good too.

 

At Hout Bay, we stopped to take pictures of the beautiful beach down below. This area was once a sleepy fishing village. Now it looks like it is THE place to be. The hillside roads were full of people riding bikes, jogging, or walking their dogs. If we lived here, we'd be doing the same thing!

 

We drove towards Chapman's Peak, which had numerous look out points for spectacular scenery. At one part of the cliffs, the road was closed due to a landslide that occurred here recently.

 

We then continued on to Constantia, an area of wine production. The estates we drove by were just drop-dead beautiful.We understand that the wineries in the outlying areas of Cape Town are worth while touring. If we ever come back to this part of the world, we will definitely put that on our calendar.

 

Leaving the inland road, we came to Muizenberg, situated on False Bay, which is part of the Indian Ocean.

 

We passed St. James Church near Kalk Bay, then went on to Simon's Town, where a panograph train ran the length of the bay alongside the water. We stopped briefly at a boat harbor, where several vendors had set up business in the parking lot. It sure would have been nice to have lunch here, but if we wanted to get to the capes, we just did not have the time to spare.

 

A really fun place we stopped was at The Boulders, where we entered the penguin colony to hike down the wooden boardwalk to see the nesting and feeding African penguins. Because of their distinctive donkey-like braying, they are also called ***** penguins. Their diet is squid, pilchards, and anchovies.

 

Several of the penguins were sitting on eggs in burrows dug in the sand. Others had full grown chicks with them. The rest were either sunning themselves or diving for food. They shared this area with thousands of brown comorants, also diving for the same diet of fish. Their antics when they walk in the sand never fail to amuse us, and obviously it amused all the other tourists around us. We noticed several plastic shelters where the birds were being monitered while incubating their eggs. Of the 1.5 million penguins that existed in 1910, only 10% remained at the end of the 20th century. Many sites, such as this one, are sanctuaries for this species, with hopes of increasing their numbers over time.

 

From here, we drove down to Cape Point, where we took the funicular railway to the top where the lighthouse sits. This cape faces the Indian Ocean, with breathtaking views from its dramatic cliffs. A short ride from here was The Cape of Good Hope, which faces the Atlantic Ocean. On the scenic ride there, we saw a family of ostrich and a few bresbuks. We were on the lookout for the Chacma Baboons that frequent this area. They are known to be quite pesty and aggressive, but we only saw a few of them after we left the park.

 

The most important point of The Cape of Good Hope was the sign depicting the exact spot for photo-taking. We waited our turn, while dozens of tourists from all over the world were posing for pictures. This cape is notorious for being dangerous, causing shipwrecks and loss of life for centuries. Today the weather and seas were fairly calm and just right for the perfect picture!

 

Mission accomplished! We finally saw the main attractions this area has to offer, and it was time to head back. We drove north on a different rode to the towns of Scarborough, Sweet Water, and Kommetjie. In contrast to the nice homes we had seen today, we spotted the hillsides dotted with shanties of the native people. Closeby, was a large stone carving complex with all sizes of sculptures for sale. Some of the animal stone carvings were life-size, and probably weighed a ton.

 

Rudie cut through the peninsula's center and picked up the freeway that took us quickly back to Cape Town. Today just happened to be election day in South Africa, and it was actually a holiday. As a result, there was little traffic everywhere we went. There were lines of citizens waiting to vote in every town, since this was an important election.

 

We reached the Rotterdam by 4:30 pm, thanked Rudie, then went to the sailaway at 6:15 pm. It was good to be back! Many fellow passengers caught us up on the delayed docking the first day the ship arrived. Since they were so late in coming to shore, all of the tours had been cancelled. The group of people that had gone overland to Victoria Falls had come back a day before us, only to find that the ship was not there. From what we heard, they were taken to a hotel, checked in, and asctually gone to bed, when they were summoned back to the lobby. The ship had just docked, and they were cleared to board! At least there was no charge, which did not matter to the passengers, because HAL was footing the bill!

 

We joined our Crow's Nest buddies, each with a story to relate for the past four days. And we finally had something other than cheeseburgers for dinner tonight! Yes, it was good to be back!

 

And we had the added bonus of one hour back on the clocks as well. How sweet it is!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 111 April 23, 2009 Thursday Day at Sea

 

Finally, a day at sea! This will be a perfect "lay low" day, since all we heard during the night was the fog horn blowing every 10 minutes or so. George, our tablemate, said he and his Rosario buddies went outside at midnight, but could not see more than 10 feet because it was so foggy. Gosh, this looks like San Francisco! As it turned out, there was no sun until late afternoon.

 

It was good to get back to our routine of an early morning walk and breakfast by 9 am. It did not matter in the least that it was so darn cold and windy!

 

Since Bill had a gazillion pictures to download in the laptop, I met Millie for lunch at noon. We spent an hour catching up on the last few weeks of the cruise. By the time I got back to the room, Bill was still not done.

 

While emailing on deck five, near the CS chat talk, Ellen, our host, asked if she and Tom could join us for dinner. We were more than happy to have them.

 

New exploration speakers have joined the ship in Cape Town. Melvin Foster talked about the Cape of Africa and Bill Harris lectured on celebrities - show and tell.

 

The Wajang Theater was showing the movie, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. That's one that we have not seen, and it will be on TV tomorrow. We hope to watch it later in the day tomorrow.

 

We were included in the Crow's Nest party, along with our friends, at 7 am. This was the last welcome party for the 300 new passengers that boarded two days ago. Some of them are getting off in Ft. Lauderdale, then some more in New York City, but several will be continuing all the way to Rotterdam where the ship repositions to Europe for the summer.

 

Captain Olav paid us a visit after his greetings were completed. We thanked him for allowing us off of the ship in Durban before we got the official clearance. He was glad to have been a help for all of us overlanders.

 

Dinnertime was fun with a full table of eight. Tom and Ellen seemed to enjoy all of us. And an added surprise happened. Pulung, our head waiter, brought Bill a belated birthday cake......a reallly good chocolate cake with cherry filling, frosted with whipped cream. Many waiters gathered and sang the Indonesian birthday song, that we have come to memorize by now!! We were really touched that the staff remembered.

 

The entertainer tonight was Cheryl Sinclair, a very talented vocalist, we later heard from many guests.

 

We should be in Luderitz, Namibia, early tomorrow morning.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[WCB]

Report # 112 April 24, 2009 Friday Luderitz, Namibia

 

We arrived to the foggy port of Luderitz, Namibia, at 7 am. Due to the low tides, Captain Olav decided to anchor offshore, and tender us in to the jetty. And, can you believe that it started to rain? Precipitation here in the desert is next to none. It's like 2 to 10 milileters, which is .08 inches to .4 inches of rain a year! Lucky us, we brought the rain with us once again!

 

The name Luderitz, surely doesn't sound African. That is because it is German, the area being indirectly purchased from a local Nama chief by Adolf Luderitz in 1883. Begun as a trading post, its economy was based on fishing and fertilizer harvesting. But once diamonds were discovered in 1909, this area enjoyed a burst of popularity and prosperity. It lasted until the 1930's, with the diamond town of nearby Kolmanskop being abandoned ten years later.

 

The buses used to take us to the Ghost Town of Kolmanskop were probably the local school buses. We all had to sit sideways, because our legs were way too long to fit. Luckily, the ride was short.....only eight miles uphill from the tiny settlement of Luderitz.

 

We passed the local cemetery on the way, but had a hard time seeing it, because the windows had steamed up!

 

Once there, we gathered outside the bus, where a local guide came to take us on a short tour of this deserted town.

 

Our group entered into the shop and cafe area, which led to the large theater/gymnasium with kitchen facilities. Built in 1906, the wooden oak floors and walls were well preserved.

 

However, the shopkeeper's house, buthcher shop, and the cold storage room showed the ravages of wind, sand, and time. In fact, our guide said that yesterday, the winds had been blowing at 80 klms (about 50 mph), closing the ghost town for the day. Winds such as these are common, filling the buildings over time, threatening to erase them from history forever.

 

The miners even had a bar, a skittle alley (bowling), and a casino. The nearby 2-story houses were built for the wealthy managers of the diamond mines. While up to 800 workers and their families lived in longhouses further down the hill. They had their own cooks, doctors, hospital, church, and school, which had up to 59 students at one point.

 

The workers who handled the diamonds were forced to wear scarves over their mouths to prevent smuggling. Our guide told us a story of a way some people tried to hide the diamonds. They had a small cut made behind their necks, then hid the diamonds under the skin, which eventually healed over the stones. Yuck! Eventually, they were caught and severely punished.

 

The Gallery, which originally housed the shopkeeper, has been turned into a small museum. Here they displayed the miner's tools, old mining equipment, their clothing and shoes, and even an old industrial sewing machine. Outside, stood the mule- drawn train that brought water up to the town in barrels.

 

After our guided tour, we were supposed to have time to explore the rest of the delapitated buildings on our own. But since we were never given a time to meet our bus, we waited for directions. Our sign carrier, a photographer from the ship, had disappeared on a photo shoot for himself. We were the "blind, leading the blind"!!

 

Our tour had mentioned a game where we could try our luck, for a small fee, at finding a "diamond" in a bucket of gravel. Of course the diamond was a crystal that could be exchanged for a real one in the store. But that never happened for any of us. We'll have to complain about that, for whatever good that will do!

 

Shortly, our driver arrived and took us back to the pier. We stayed in town, checking out the local small shops and the 1912 Luthern Church. Willie, a friend of ours, had found a driver to take him to Kolmanskop along with a ticket he bought in the local shop, all for the astounding price of $12.00!! Yikes, we had paid $74, each for this tour. Something was not right here......

 

We ended up buying a few items in a nice craft shop, then went back to the ship by 3 pm. The sail away party was fun as always, but by dinner time tonight, we were so tired, we decided to have room service instead. This time we ordered the club sandwich, a chicken sandwich with honey mustard, and two salads. So far, the room service has been prompt and very good.

 

Tomorrow.....Walvis Bay, Namibia, and another adventure in the desert!

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[WCB]

Report # 113 April 25, 2009 Saturday Walvis Bay, Namibia

 

The Rotterdam arrived at the port of Walvis Bay, Namibia, around 7 am. The skies were sunny, and the temperature was in the low 70's. Just perfect! Too bad the day would not turn out as perfect for all.

 

Here's some history in a nutshell. Walvis Bay, having passed from the hands of the Portuguese in the 15th century, to the British in the 1800's, to the Germans in the late 1800's, eventually ended up under the rule of the Union of South Africa. In 1990, the entire area became the independant country of Namibia. Its location is valued for the sea route around the Cape of Good Hope, among other things.

 

Today, most of the 50,000 residents work here, producing a sizable fishing industry and salt extracting for export.

 

We visited Walvis Bay while on the 2005 world cruise. There were not many tours available then, except for a 4x4 desert vehicle adventure, or a very expensive flight over the Namib Skeleton Coast, a graveyard for many ill-fated ships and whales in the far distant past. Back then, we chose a tour to a town called Swakopmund, a German colonial settlement, 20 miles north of Walvis Bay. Prior to World War One, this town was a transshipment point for Windhoek, the capital of German South West Africa. So today, we are going back there again, but with our CS group.

 

We joined Ellen and Tom and around 50 of CS passengers for a 7 hour tour with Akorn, a South African subsidirary of Abercrombie and Kent. The tour began with a drive that took us out of Walvis Bay to the Lagoon, which normally boasts flocks of flamingos, pelicans, and other seabirds. Today, we saw a few flamingos, since they have flown north to their nesting grounds. Figures! We also saw seagulls and pelicans, but it was still a pretty photo stop.

 

A graveled road led our two buses towards Dune # 7, the highest sand dune in the world. All of the sand dunes in this desert were created from the rivers that carried sand from the Kalahari Desert, hundreds of miles away in neighboring Botswana! It was a pleasure watching several of our group trying to half-way climb this dune! One friend of ours, Shirley, made her way up, layed down to do sand angels, then rolled like a log all the way to the bottom. What a sport! She and Don had brought some empty jam jars we get at breakfast to collect some Dune # 7 sand. She gave us one bottle to take back. How sweet is that?

 

Continuing on, we drove towards the Namib-Naukluft Park to see the pre-historic welwitschia plants growing in the desert sands. Named after the Austrian biologist who discovered them in 1859, some of these ancient unattractive plants date back 2000 years. Our guide let us collect some seeds from one female plant. This may not have been the smartest move, since just a few yards away, someone spotted a horned adder snake slithering across the sands. It headed right for the ugly plant for cover! Never thought about that when we were scooping up those seeds!

 

While we were there, we noticed some droppings of an animal. Our guide said it was from springbok. Apparently, these animals roam the desert, grazing on the water-bearing weeds growing in the sands. Also living out here are nyala, oryx, and a large variety of snales and reptiles.

 

It was after we left this area that we noticed something was wrong with our other bus. They had stopped at a different spot to see the plants, but when they went to leave, they discovered the bus had died.......permanently! A decision had to be made by the drivers and our hosts to wait for help, or take most of the passengers on Ellen's bus. Since help did not seem to be arriving, we ended up taking on 20 of the stranded people on our bus. All the fellows on our bus gave their seats to the ladies, except one fellow, who works on the ship. He should have been the first to give his seat, even to the elderly men that had to stand for the rest of the ride.

 

Anyway, our bus driver did not want to take everyone. He was fearful of being stopped and fined for being overloaded and violating safety laws. So, we had to leave ten volunteers out in the hot desert sun, waiting for help to rescue them..We knew a distress call had been made for a mechanic to come from Walvis Bay. We hoped their wait would be short.

 

This is where the story gets complicated. The mechanic, who was driving out to the stranded bus, saw our over-filled bus pass him. He assumed everyone was onboard. Then, he turned around and went back to town, with his shop closing early because it was Saturday! Guess modern-day communications aren't so good in this part of the world. As a result, these poor fellows were truly stranded in the desert.......for the rest of the tour!

 

We made a short stop a little further north, taking photos of the "moon landscape", an eroded valley created by rivers that flowed to the sea milleniums ago.

 

Our bus was merrily on its way to Swakopmund, the village resembling a Bavarian village, built between the desert and the sea. Lunch was on our itinerary next. We assumed that our standed fellows would meet us there.

 

Driving through this isolated town, we saw the Art-Nouveau-style buildings, which were built in the late 1800's. It looked just like we remembered it four years ago, with the exception of some newly built houses and mini shopping malls.

 

We went to the Hansa Hotel for a delicious 3 course served meal, with wine, beer, or sodas. Brown and white bread were brought to eat with the first course of consomme soup with herb pancake strips. We chose the poached filet of kingklip fish in a cream sauce, rice, and sauted veggies. It came with a small side salad. Following the meal, was dessert...an orange cream on a berry fruit pulp. Too bad the rest of our group never made it to this best lunch yet! They were eventually picked up in a van, but were driven straight back to the ship by 3 pm. Tom later told us that their guide told them stories and sang them songs while they waited and waited for help to arrive. It was a good thing that water was on the bus!

 

We spent the remainder of our time shopping at the native craft market, a block away from the hotel. All of the local shops had closed for the day at noon. So this was our last chance to get African goodies. We bargained for a few more must-have wooden items before it was time to leave.

 

This time, our driver took the scenic coast road back to the ship. In the past, the vendors were set up near the pier behind a gate. But where we were docked today, the vendors were a long walk away. So we just boarded the ship, happy with all we had gotten already.

 

The ship left one hour late at 5 pm. We learned that the ship's dentist had a 4x4 dune buggy accident leaving him with a broken collarbone. He was taken off of the ship in an ambulance to the local hospital. Gosh, the desert heat must have gone to his head to undertake such an excursion! He wasn't exactly young either.

 

Looking forward to some sea days now.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

PS There was a charity give-away held at 2 pm...the recipients being the Bernard Nordkamp Center for Aids Orphans. The amount that was gifted was from the collection sold from the passenger's White Elephant sale a few days ago. This presentation will probably be shown on our room TV, since most everyone was off the ship at 2 pm.

[Aussie Gal]

Mary Ann and Bill,

 

I have been enjoying every installment of your wonderful cruise especially from the time you have been in Africa as we will be there next year.

 

I was interested in reading of your private tour in Capetown and your guide Rudie. Would you mind giving me the name of the company you used in that city as we will be spending a few days there before boarding our ship in May next year and we prefer to use private guides if we can.

 

Jennie

[WCB]

Report # 114 April 26, 2009 Sunday Day at Sea

 

We woke up to a beautiful clear day, but so much warmer than yesterday. It was hard to stay inside working on backed up reports, but we rewarded ourselves with an afternoon of swimming and sunning on the aft deck. This is also the ideal spot to catch up on reading the good books that have been passed on to us from friends, and/or napping!

 

The ship is hopping with the new group that joined us in Cape Town. Did we mention that 280 left, but 300 newbies embarked in Cape Town? We believe that most of them are either from South Africa or Holland. We are positive that some good incentives were offered for the local South Africans and European travel agencies. They have kept the ship's stores and casino quite busy this first day at sea.

 

A new exploration speaker came onboard in Cape Town too. Bill Harris will talk about the fun facts of the Hollywood crowd. Barbara, our port lecturer, will give a talk on both St. Helena and Ascension Island.

 

At cocktail time, we met with Leslie and Handler, and figured they and their friends Rich and Ginny would like to join us one evening for dinner. Our table can seat ten, so that's the plan for May 6th.

 

Tonight the dining room was decorated with pink and white streamers and balloons for the "Pink Panther" theme. Only it wasn't for the lion, but for the elusive pink diamond. At the 10 pm ball in the Queens Lounge, one lucky person will win the prize. We are not sure what the prize is yet. Last year, friends John and Diane were the fortunate ones, winning a beautiful golden globe pendant from the ship's jewelry store. How lucky was that? Great prize!

 

And because tonight was formal, we had presents waiting for us on our bed. The presents tonight were 4 world cruise logo luggage straps with sturdy metal clasps. Very nice and very useful!

 

And we had a reminder to set the clocks back an hour!

 

One more day at sea until we reach St. Helena.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 115 April 27, 2009 Monday Day at Sea

 

Surprisingly, the weather was different this morning with cloudy and overcast skies. It is still warm though. It was a great morning for walking the promenade deck. We're always on the lookout for sea life, but so far have had no sightings. Seeing a whale or two would be nice!

 

Captain Olav said the tides and calm seas will make it possible to anchor in the bay off the island of St.Helena tomorrow. Sometimes the elements are against that happening.

 

Explorations speaker, Melvyn Foster, a biologist, will give a talk about whales, dolphoins, and porpoises today.

 

Again, we worked on our diary a big part of the day, emailed twice (the speed has been OK), and printed some photos to enter into the contest advertized in today's newsletter. This must be something new the ship is doing, since we sure don't remember being able to do this before. We usually don't enter these types of contests, but if you don't try, you'll never know. It's all in good fun, although some people take it much more seriously.

 

We watched a movie, "Bedtime Stories" until 5:30 pm. It was entertaining and funny, in a kid sort of way.

 

After dinner, we decided to go to the show in the Queens Lounge.. Highly recommended by friends, The Unexpected Boys put on a good show, singing a musical tribute to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. They were pretty talented, delivering a high energy show.

 

If all goes well, we will be in St. Helena tomorrow.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[Johnny B]

Hi Bill and Mary Ann,

This time last year was very sad - John kept reminding me that we had to pack, and all I wanted to do was cry. Actually, we ended on April 27, and then flew home to California on the 28th.

 

We were VERY lucky to win that gold pendant - I still wear it and think about what a wonderful time we had. We're really looking forward to next year - glad you'll be joining us for at least the first segment.

John and Diane

[WCB]

Hi Aussiegal,

 

If you would like to send us your email address for the African information, we can send you the guide's name and contact email.

 

Bill and Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 116 April 28, 2009 Tuesday Jamestown, St. Helena

 

The tides and seas were in our favor this morning as the Rotterdam approached the small island of St. Helena, a British Overseas Territory. Located 1200 miles off of the west coast of Africa, this volcanic island reaches the altitude of 2700 feet. The island is 47 square miles, with a population of 6000 residents, most of them living in Jamestown, its chief port. Jamestown is built in a narrow v-shaped valley, and only accessible by using the tenderboats to shore.

 

But what really put St. Helena on the map is the fact that Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled here from France in 1815, four months after the Battle of Waterloo. It was felt that his escape from this island was near impossible, since it is one of the most isolated places in the world.

 

We were lucky to have visited this island in 2005. At that time, we did not take a tour. We just walked the town, and made our way to the top of Jacob's Ladder, via the hillside road! So today, upon the suggestion of friends at home, we booked a tour to see Napoleon's tomb, the Longwood House where he lived, and the impressive Plantation House, where the current governor lives, as well as six huge resident tortoises.

 

The tendering to shore was dicey, due to the rolling swells that are common this time of year. The tenderboat seemed to dip four feet below the ship's platform, before the boat stabilized a few seconds for us to enter it. With help from the crew, we were loaded one by one, until the boat was almost full, maybe 80 of us.

 

Luckily, it was a short ride to the small landing with cement steps. Crew members were waiting on the slippery landing to help us off safely. In the past, we have seen some bad accidents (broken arms, legs, etc.) on landings such as this.

 

We happened to be on bus # 1. For some unknown reason, I did not want to be on the first bus, and should have paid attention to my "6th sense". Bus # 1 was not the lucky number today!!

 

Twenty-five of us boarded the ancient small school bus, with Angie, one of the ship's personal trainers, in the lead. She's always fun to have as an escort on our tours, so that was one good thing.

 

However, once our driver began climbing the steep cliffside road, which took us up and away from Jamestown, we knew instantly, that this bus was not going to make it. With the smell of burning belts, and an overheating radiator, the engine died! DEAD. We were now stuck on the steep hillside, at least two miles from the town.

 

We had no choice but to get out of the bus, and sit or stand on the roadside wall, and wait until our driver could fix the bus, or get another one. With no cell phone, the driver waited until some of the locals drove by on their way to town. He sent a message with them to find help for us. A couple of residents did come with a bucket a water to help cool down the radiator. But it was a futile attempt. No other help came, at least for an hour. All we could do was enjoy the view, and appreciate the fact that we were out of the hot sun. At least, the ship was not leaving until 5 pm, so we had time. Everyone, but one, was a good sport about the wait. Hey, when things turn to lemons, "make lemonade", as the saying goes.

 

It was rather amusing waving at each minivan, numbered 2 through 15, as they drove by us! They all thought we were on a photo stop! NO.... not exactly......

 

Eventually our driver came down the mountain with a newer bus. Hurray! We were on our way once again. The rest of the tour went like clockwork.

 

After a quick roadside stop to see Napoleon's first residence, Briar's Pavilion, we drove uphill to the path that led to the site of his tomb. While riding his horse, Napoleon himself picked out this serene spot for his final resting place, which came in 1821. Although his remains were returned to France in 1840, this site is still revered by the natives of St. Helena. We had to walk a grassy road downhill for 1/2 of a mile to see the gravesite, but it was well worth the walk.

 

Continuing on, we drove to the Longwood House, once a barn that had been converted to an impressive 9 bedroom dwelling for Napoleon and his immediate staff. From what we saw , the "Little Emperor" did not lack for comfort and attention in this beautiful house and its surroundings. Each room was small and had a fireplace. One room was large enough to house his billard table and cues that Napoleon used while playing with his officers.

 

We also saw his canopied bed, where he died, and the customary "deathmask", a face casting made when a famous person died in those days. The docent mentioned that this mask was not the original, since most of the originals are in museums around the world.

 

Displayed on the walls of his office, were the hand written pages of his last will and testament, which were followed to the letter when he died at the age of 52. That was just a mere six years after he was exiled to St. Helena.

 

We walked the extensive gardens in the front and side of the home. But we learned later that these gardens were created many years later, creating a nice setting for the tourists that come here every year.

 

We rode further on to the other side of the island, winding back and forth on the hairpin turn road. We stopped at a vista point for the dramatic scenery of the arid volcanic landscape. The hillsides had been taken over with flax, a plant that was used in cloth-making, we believe. In the distance, we saw the volcanic peaks, named Lot and Lot's wife.

 

Our next stop was at the stately Plantation House, built in 1792, for the governor's residence. The property of the plantation measures 109.5 acres planted with silk oaks, eucalyptus, acacia, and swamp cypress trees. Some of these massive trees are over 100 years old.

 

Siituated in front of the Plantation House was a fenced paddock containing six giant tortoises. "Jonathon", the largest tortoise, was brought here as a gift from the Seychelles in 1882. He is estimated to be about 177 years old! His friends are David, Emma, Myrtle, Fredricka, and Speedy, all weighing from 120 pounds to 440 pounds. And they all loved having their necks scratched! It's funny that after all the years these animals have been together, no offspring have ever been produced.

 

Our final stop was at the top of Jacob's Ladder, with 699 very steep steps from the town below to the soaring cliffs above. Built in 1829, this near-vertical 900 foot long staircase was used to haul ammunitions and supplies to the garrison atop Ladder Hill.

 

Many of our brave HAL cruisers were climbing these stairs today, including friends Bill and Leta. We were so proud of them! Gosh, too bad we don't have enough time to climb them, then buy a certificate ($4.00 in the museum at the bottom). Is that certificate proof that you actually accomplished the climb? No, anyone can purchase it!

 

Our tour ended at the post office, where we got off and thanked our driver for such a nice adventure! It wasn't his fault that the darn bus broke down.

 

We had just enough time to check out the shops in town. And we did find two nice t-shirts at the museum, then boarded one of the last tenderboats back to the waiting ship.

 

The sail away party was on deck seven again. We watched the small island disappear on the horizon as we sailed northwest towards Ascension Island, our last South Atlantic port before we get near the coast of South America.

 

Dinner was great as usual. It is always fun sharing the exploits of the day with each other. Everyone always has a different story to tell at our table.

 

The entertainment tonight was the Rotterdam singers and dancers performing "On the Air", a TV variety spectacular. And "Mad Money" was the movie in the Wajang Theater. Too bad it was another rerun!

 

We have one day at sea now to rest up for Ascension Island!

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[Aussie Gal]

Mary Ann and Bill,

 

Thanks so much for that. Here is my email address: jennielynton@hotmail.com

 

Jennie

[WCB]

Report # 117 April 29, 2009 Wednesday Day at Sea

 

The weather could not have been more perfect when we woke up this morning. We did the usual morning exercise, followed by breakfast, and more exercise. We did see a few flying fish dashing away from the ship. That's not exactly the whales we wished to see, but they are better than nothing.

 

We're noticing that if we eat a substantial breakfast, we can easily bypass lunch. When we eat even a light lunch at 3 pm, we still are not hungry for dinner. And for tonight, we want to save our appetites for this evening's Pinnacle Grill dinner.

 

We worked in the room still trying to catch up on photos and reports. We are making progress slowly.

 

At 1 pm, we took a break and went to the pool to relax for a while. There seems to be more people taking advantage of this nice weather, especially the new passengers.

 

Other activities today included the new exploration speaker Pat Pearson, an internationally-known author, speaker, and psychotherapist. She is now a motivational speaker that seems to draw a big crowd. Her theme for today's talk is "You Deserve the Best". Actually, that's what we have had for the last 114 days!!

 

The other guest speaker, Bill Harris spoke about Hollywood again for celebrity show and tell, part two.

 

Another kitchen tour was conducted for the new guests. This must have been the 5th one so far this trip. The crew is also giving tours of the navigation deck upon request. And the engine room tours have resumed we heard.

 

Tai chi, watercolors, dance classes, sports of call, card games, arts and cratfs, and Bingo all continue every sea day.

 

This afternoon, Captain Olav announced a possible problem with tomorrow's port of Ascension Island. He had been in contact with the island's officials, and they said the conditions for landing the tenderboats may be too dangerous to attempt. If things did not improve by tomorrow morning, it will be a "no go" for this island. It would be a big disappointment, but we would understand.

 

That was the topic of conversation at cocktails in the Crows Nest this evening. Since we had a group of eight, we moved to more comfortable seats near the windows. We got the chance to get to know Leslie and Handler's friends, Ginny and Rich, that we had met briefly in 2007. In fact, they are all coming to join us in the dining room next Wednesday. We all agreed to keep our fingers crossed for smooth sailing into Ascension Island tomorrow.

 

Our dinner in the Pinnacle Grill was excellent. We had the arugula salads with the best bacon dressing we have ever tasted. We had specifically ordered the "bone-in" rib eye steaks, but when our entrees arrived, they came without the bone. Realizing that he had made a mistake, our waiter took them away, apologizing profusely. However, it took another 25 minutes before they brought us the right steaks. Well, they were worth the wait! The grilled mushrooms, sauted onions, and creamed spinach were very good side dishes. Except for the scalloped potatoes....they're not as good as the baked potato with all of the toppings. We tried our best to finish our plates, but just couldn't do it. We did leave a small space for cheesecake and bread pudding. Sure glad we went without lunch!!

 

The entertainment was different tonight. It was called Pieces of Seven, referring to the seven members of the HAL orchestra. Each musician revealed talents of their own, as well as playing together. We heard from friends that this show was one of the best yet.

 

Well tomorrow is Ascension Island, we hope!!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 118 April 30, 2009 Thursday Georgetown, Ascension Island

 

We woke up early to watch the Rotterdam sail into the bay of Georgetown, Ascension Island. The tides and waves appeared to be OK to us at 8 am, but things could change at any moment, according to Captain Olav, who announced that the ship was cleared, and tender procedures were ready to start.

 

We packed our cameras and bag, then headed to the Queens Lounge to collect our tender tickets. We were handed number 6, so would have to wait a while before we were allowed to go to the gangplank. Tickets 1, 2, and 3 were called first. They boarded the tender boat, and headed towards shore. We watched from the promenade deck as the boat bounced up and down in the 6 foot swells. They were stopped near the shore landing, obviously not going anywhere!

 

A decision was made to return them to the ship, and suspend the transfer until conditions got better. So much for that!

 

No surprise there, so we went to breakfast in the dining room just before they closed the doors at 9 am. With no rush to go anywhere, we enjoyed our pancakes, eggs, toast and coffee. Did we mention they serve the best pastries in the morning?

 

This turned out to be a good opportunity to pack our three ice chests with the more delicate treasures we purchsed. Since they were empty now, we packed most of the ship's gifts, wooden carvings, along with t-shirts for padding. We were just about finished, when an announcement was made that we could resume tendering to shore. Captain Olav, himself, went over on a boat to test out the landing, and said it was safe enough for those who considered themselves able-bodied.

 

OK, here we go again! Steve, the assistant cruise director, called for tickets 4, 5, and 6. Grabbing our stuff, we ran down the stairs, passing all the passengers with tickets higher than number six. We ended up on the second boat to shore. That's when we noticed that an elderly man, with two crutches, was going on the boat with us. The security guard that records our room key asked him if he was sure he could board the boat. He must have said yes, because he continued on. There must be a law that allows the disabled to participate in such activities, even if it is dangerous. This man could not get into the tenderboat by himself. He needed to be lifted by the crew members. Lucky for him, he did not get injured.

 

At the landing pier, we had to carefully jump on a flooded step to get out of the boat. With help from the crew, we had to time the jump right. Bill ended up getting his shoes wet, but I did not. Just lucky, I guess. Anyway, we were here on the island in one piece!

 

In the early 1800's, this tiny island was a dispatch port for naval ships that intercepted slave ships. Ascension played a large role in ending the trafficking of African natives being brought to the Americas. Also during the time of Napoleon's incarceration on St. Helena, a large contingent of naval personnel were stationed here just in case they were needed to prevent Napoleon's rescue or escape.

 

The Royal Navy used the island as a supply depot during World War Two. And in 1982, Ascension was used as a British staging post for the short-lived Battle for the Falklands off the coast of Argentina.

 

The ship, RMS St. Helena, visits the island once a month linking the island to Walvis Bay, Namibia and to Cape Town.

 

We visited this 35 square mile island four years ago while on the Prinsendam. Our plan for walking the island is the same one we did back then....stroll Longbeach, shop in the few stores, and find the bar where we enjoyed the ice cold beers. A local woman did offer us a tour at $15. each. But we really did not want to see the top of the barren mountainside. The only thing we would probably see from there, was a beautiful view of our ship!

 

We shopped first. Knowing that the souvenier items were limited on this small island, we explored the shops first. There was not too much to buy here, except for nice t-shirts, a wallet, and a shotglass. Their money is the pound, so the first shop we stopped at had the proper conversion written on the wall over her register. We were using the US dollar, so her rates were the same as the ship's rates.

 

With the change we received, we stopped at the air-conditioned post office to mail a postcard home with the neat Ascension Island stamp. Besides limited tourism, stamps are the island's specialtities.

 

The one and only hotel on this island was the Obsidian Hotel. We checked out their souveniers only to find that they charged double the pounds in US dollars. That's not nice. They would, however, give you a better price if we used our credit card. Thanks, but no thanks, since they're not the only store in town.

 

It was pretty hot by the time we walked to the beach. We took our shoes and socks off, and walked in the soft sand. It was evident that the large green turtles had begun to lay their eggs in the sand dunes. What looked like ATV tire tracks, were actually the prints of the turtle's flippers as they left the surf to lay thier eggs. Many depressions in the sand dotted the shoreline, and were probably filed with fresh eggs. We could see where some small turtles hatchlings had already made their way to the water. Some never do make it, getting eaten by birds and other critters on the beach.

 

The pounding surf was quite impressive, but obviously dangerous. Despite the large sign at the start of this beach prohibiting swimming due to treacherous undercurrents, one of our HAL passengers was attempting to swim anyway. Foolish, we thought! We watched him nervously as the undertow pulled him right under the big waves. He had one heck of a time getting out of that water, since the beach itself was very steep. Thank goodness he changed his mind on doing that swim! If we tried to save him, we'd be three people floundering out there!!

 

We had a pretty good workout just making our way to the lava rocks at the end of the stretch of beach. We saw one large fish, probably a tuna, that had washed up on the sand. Then we saw one lone crab, who tried to evade us and our cameras.

 

While taking photos of some frigate birds, we were surprised by sudden waves that tried to take us out to sea! Come to think of it, that was another warning on the beach sign. We got a little wet, but saved the cameras!

 

Our quart of water was gone by the time we finished our beach walk. Being so near to the Equator, dehydration is dangerous. So our next destination was the local watering hole, the Anchor Inn, next to the Obsidian Hotel. The beers were around $2.25. That's more than half of what we pay on the ship! The outdoor patio bar was crowded, but we found a nice table with an umbrella to give us some shade. We were happy to share our table with friends Carole, Yoshiko, John, and Martha. Our tablemate George came through the gate with his Rosario friends. It was great to see him so happy. They went to the bar, ordered drinks, and sang some songs they all enjoy. Now where else can you do this?? Only in Ascension Island!!

 

By the time we had 2 or 3 beers, we had just enough time to make the last tenderboat back to the ship. The tide had gone down somewhat, so entering the boat was much easier. Carole and Yoshiko had told us that a window had popped out of the tenderboat on their way over. At least it didn't explode like the one did when we were on the Mariner's tenderboat last year.

 

The ship left the bay by 4 pm, a bit later than originally planned, since we had a late start this morning. Captain Olav treated us to a sail around the island for all to see it. And since our room is on the port side, but had the best view right from our balcony. We kept our eyes peeled for the Wideawake Airstrip, the 18 hole "brown" golf course, and the NASA station built for tracking space shuttles. It is now closed. We did see the shortwave relay station built by the BBC to serve South America and Africa. After he sailed around most of the island, he headed northwest once again into the sunset.

 

We were so tired, that we decided to stay in and order room service for dinner. Besides, the dress code was informal, and there was no way Jose that we wanted to get dressed up tonight! The salads and sandwiches were good as usual!

 

We now have four days at sea before we reach Devils Island off the coast of French Guyana.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 119 May 1, 2009 Friday Day at Sea

 

Today was going to be great for relaxing. Of course, we did get an extra hour of sleep last night, due to the hour back on the clock last night. We could get used to this all the time!

 

It was much warmer and humid this morning, since we are just 6 degrees below the Equator.

 

The day progressed like usual with the addition of exploration speakers Bill Harris talking about Bob, Bing, and Dorothy Lamour, a few of the big movie stars, and Melvin Foster lecturing on the salty Atlantic Ocean and the sweet Amazon River. Don't know if you could call those muddy waters sweet, but they are not salty.

 

While at the pool today, Sandy and Frank urged us to enter one more "special" photo we had the opportunity to take while in Tsavo East, Kenya. Guess you could call it "elephant love". Anyway, when we went to submit the picture at the photo gallery, they could not locate our previous entries. After three of the photographers checked every cabinet and the contest's list, they finally located them behind a locked closet. Since they had not printed them ($4.00 a photo), they were put aside to be cropped to the 8 x 10 size. Thank you, Sandy and Frank! If we had not entered this picture, none of our photos would have been displayed.

 

There is a $10,000. snowball jackpot bingo to be won soon. The blackout card has to be filled in 46 numbers or less. Want to bet that no one wins it today?

 

The TV movie was " The Yes Man" with Jim Carrey. It was funny with the quirkey Jim Carrey type of humor.

 

We had another dinner in the Pinnacle Grill tonight. This time Bill ordered the filet mignon hamburger, yes a hamburger! He said it was very good and very big with 1/2 pound of meat. I had the porterhouse steak, which was bigger than the plate! It's only possible to eat half of this steak, although it was tasty. We kept the dessert light with a single scoop of strawberry ice cream.

 

Showtime had been early for us at 6:30 pm with the Rotterdam singers and dancers doing a short skit. Then Janine Gardner, a comedienne, finished the show with her funny jokes.

 

At 10:15 pm, a performance was given by the Filipino Crew Show. They always put on a good show once during the world cruise, just like the Indonesians do. That was a bit late for us, but we hope to watch it on TV tomorrow.

 

Three more sea days to Devils Island.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[jmac565]

DH was watching CNN for the latest update on the current pirate situation, waiting for the arrival of the ship Alabama in Mombasa. He believes he saw a HAL ship in the background.

 

That would have been the Rotterdam. We were on this cruise, a leg of the World Cruise - Singapore to Cape Town. We left Mombassa around 5:30 on April 11 and the Alabama was supposed to be in port at about 7:30

[WCB]

Report # 120 May 2, 2009 Saturday Day at Sea

 

Today we heard some gossip concerning the informal dress code for the evening that we had been in Ascension Island. To be fair, usually an informal dress night is on a sea day. So, many guests may not have noticed the required dress code for that night. For the first time since this cruise began, we heard that several guests were turned away from the La Fontaine dining room, because they came dressed smart casual (no jacket for the men). These fellows could get their jackets, and come back, or eat in the Lido, or have room service. We are certain that the head waiters ruffled some feathers, but it's nice to know they can and will enforce the dress code from here on out. And we think that because it was Dutch night, and also Koninginnedag Day (Queen Beartix birthday), it was a good reason to respect the required dress code.

 

After breakfast, we attended the last Cruise Critic meeting from 10 to 11:30 am. Everyone took a turn sharing some of their favorite new treasures with the group. But the best information was about packing hints. We all seemed to have bought many large wooden carvings, not thinking at the time how we would get them home. We're not talking about the 6 and 7 foot giraffes, that's a problem in itself, but the smaller 4 foot ones that just won't fit in a typical suitcase. Dorothy and George had the best idea.....ask the florist onboard for his flower boxes. They are just right for the 42 inch giraffe we bought. However, we are on a waiting list at this point, because others beat us to the boxes. We have to wait now until he gets new deliveries in the upcoming ports.

 

Bruce, our cruise director, paid our Cruise Critic group a visit, asking us all how we have enjoyed the cruise. He got a positive reply from all. Many of our members had questions concerning the customs declaration forms we will be filling out. More specifically, what do we have to declare, and how much is the allowance for this entire trip. He suggested we attend the final disembarkation talk, and our questions would be answered. He also said to keep a detailed list with all of our purchases and the cost involved. He mentioned that ship's purchases over a certain amount get reported to the custom's agents, so if you bought something expensive, like jewelry, you had to declare it. With that, he wished us a good day, and exited the lounge.

 

There was a Mongolian cookout at the Lido pool. You could smell the garlic cooking all over the ship!

 

The skies were cloudy, and it looks like we are going to have passing showers all day. It may be another good day to resume packing, or not! Spending a few hours at the pool sounds better!

 

Another reminder that we will be going home soon are the sales being promoted by the ship's stores. The photo gallery is selling a world cruise voyage DVD, with limited stock available. And the future cruise consultants are putting the pressure on to book the GWV 2010 now to get most of the perks. And lastly, the shore excursion office is selling tours for Ft. Lauderdale and New York if you have a later flight home that day.

 

Barbara, our port lecturer, talked about Devils Island and Trinidad. Port of Spain, Trinidad, is a new stop for us, so we'll have to watch her talk on TV.

 

Melvin Foster also lectured on Devils Island and its inmates, the political prisoners exiled from France.

 

Pat Pearson talked about relationships, communications, and connections.

 

We were finally back to our dinner table, after a three day absence. We ordered the pot roast and gravy, with green beans, carrots, and mashed potatoes. It was a super good ol' home-cooked meal!

 

The show this evening featured Motown singer, Bobby Brooks Hamilton, an impersonator of Little Richard, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Nat King Cole, and Sammy Davis, Jr. We are sure we have seen him on other ships on previous cruises. If it is him, his show was very good.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 121 May 3, 2009 Sunday Day at Sea

 

Guess what? We woke up to rain............big time rain. This storm is going to stay with us all day, we're afraid. Of course, this is a normal occurrence as we crossed the Equator for the fourth time this trip at 7:30 am. It was a quiet crossing, with no King Neptune ceremony planned. The newbies just got the official document confirming their initiation, which was left on their mail slot outside their rooms. If we wish hard enough, maybe King Neptune will help ease up on this rain!

 

Oh well, this will be a good day to resume packing. Bagus, our room steward, offered to deliver some of our stored bags to our room, but we already have six bags stashed under the bed. We should start on those first.

 

As it turned out, packing those six bags took us until 2 pm to accomplish. It looks like we will have plenty of room to pack the rest. Well, except for the 42 inch tall giraffe, and the Luganville walking stick. If we have to buy boxes to put it in, it will end up costing as much as the giraffe and walking sticks combined!

 

We took a break by 4 pm, and watched the movie, 7 Pounds, with Will Smith. We found the acting to be very good, but did not like the sad ending.

 

Before we knew it, it was time for cocktails, so we got dressed in our formal threads. Most of our Crows Nest buddies had kept busy all day, despite the rain. They attended some lectures, ate lunch, read books, and had a nap!

 

Formal dinners for us were the entrees of.............meatballs and spaghetti!! They offered the usual caviar (George had 4 servings in Barbie's honor), lobster, and filet mignon steaks. But our favorite is the Italian specialty. They prepare it so well, so if it's on the menu, we order it.

 

We also had company for dinner.....Lara, the spa manager once again. She said this was the first time on this cruise that she came back to the same table twice. We took that as a compliment. It was a pleasure having a 25 year old spreading her energy around the table!! And we also enjoyed the South African wines!

 

The entertainment this evening was the fun group, The Unexpected Boys, singing their favorite songs from Broadway.

 

The clocks went back another hour, and we also had a present on our bed. It was a commemorative plate, in the Amata collection, with the map and date of this year's world cruise. We were a bit surprised that we only got one. Not that we really need two, but in previous years, we did receive two such plates. We suppose it is in the same category as the one globe we received several weeks ago. There is one more formal night left on next Sunday, so we are betting as to what the final gifts will be.

 

Until tomorrow,

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[DFD1]

You have no idea how much I've enjoyed reading your posts. Great fun! Thanks so much and have a safe trip up thru the islands and home.

[RuthC]

That your voyage is nearing its end is clear---not only because of the date, or your descriptions. The mention of ports on this side of "The Pond" drive the point home! How I have enjoyed sailing along with you.