We really did well at trivia as Thomas backed off from finding the most obscure facts. What is the green substance invented in 1926 to keep a car’s cooling system from freezing? (Antifreeze) Which company had the slogan “Don’t be Evil” but changed it to “Do the Right Thing”? (Google) Name of the book that was about “Big Brother” (1984) Which musical group was the first to record “Proud Mary” (CCR) Which MLB was referred to as the Great Bambino? (Babe Ruth) Which city would you find the Spanish Steps? (Rome)
We arrived in Puerto Rico at 2 pm and it took one hour for us to be cleared to go ashore. Since we are in the USA, everyone must get off of the ship and no one can get back on until the ship reaches a 0 count.
We needed some packing tape and zip lock bags to finish packing so we stopped at Walgreen first.
We proceeded to go to the Don Collin’s cigar shop where we went last time we were here. We sampled some rum and had a cigar. We chatted with a young marine. 23 years old from Long Island. After we talked to him we felt so much better about the future of our country. The marines are one branch of the military that the leaders haven’t messed with. Uh-Rah!
Matt has been a marine for 4 years and has travelled to many places in the world that many his age have not. He assured us that there are many people his age who feel the same way we do about government and political environment. They are just quiet and we hear only the loud ones.
We spent about 90 minutes here, bought some goods and then went to find a restaurant.
We enjoyed some great food at Princesa Restaurant and walked back to the ship. All aboard was 10:30 but we were beat.
Friday is the last day of our cruise and we arrive early Saturday morning. We will have an early breakfast and we are scheduled to debark at 7:45 am and board the airport shuttle at 8:15. All of our bags will be in color coded section of the port. We will find our bags, carry 4 to luggage forward and will each have a carry on, a backpack and the golf clubs for the flight.
If you enjoyed following along. Great. I enjoy looking back on our trip but I’m not sure how I would feel following someone else. These longer cruises are so different from the standard Caribbean Cruise that we probably all have been on. There is no rush to visit all 18 bars on board or to party until the sun rises.
We will be back to blogging on our trip around Iceland in the summer of 2025.…
One more stop remains on the trip. San Juan Puerto Rico. Unless something interesting happens after Wednesday I am going to end the blog and pick it up next summer on our way to Iceland.
Today was the mariner luncheon that recognized all 4 and 5 start mariners. Presty said they expected 500 for each of the two luncheons but there were only about 375 at each. The dining room was packed. I haven’t seen it this full during the entire cruise. This tells me that a lot more people are eating at the Lido Buffet where there is really no portion control. The gift that they will take home is the extra wide waist.
Team trivia was with Victoria. What is the main ingredient in hummus? (Chick peas or garbanzo beans) What frozen gas makes dry ice? (Carbon dioxide) What is the measure of electrical resistance? (Ohm) What does it mean when someone is canonized? (They are made a saint) Which Italian cheese means “recooked”? (Ricotta) Which color is the second from the top in a rainbow? (Orange) Which is the second largest Portuguese speaking nation in terms of area and population? (Angola) Which state is closest to Bermuda? (North Carolina) Who wrote the Hobbit? (Tolken) Which creature produces a gossamer? (Spider(web))
We packed one bag this afternoon. We will do the rest after Puerto Rico.
After dinner trivia with Thomas. The Rolling Stones. 10 clips of music. Luckily I am a fan and could name almost all of them. Paint It Black, Satisfaction, Ruby Tuesday, Heartbreaker, Angie, Start Me Up, Gimme Shelter. Brown Sugar was played backward. We missed that. 18 out of 20
Cards to finish the evening. Tomorrow morning before we port is the ship talent show. This should be interesting.…
We are traveling almost directly west to San Juan at top speed. The Atlantic continues to cooperate. Looks like rain in San Juan. I think golf is definitely out.
The gym was packed today. Folks have lot’s of lbs to lose before we get back to Ft. Lauderdale. The gym is one place where there is not a HAL employee standing there holding a plate of muffins or cookies.
Almost every day at lunch is a new “theme” at one of the stations. Today it was the “Shwarma” station. People will line up for this as they would for ice cream. Food is found everywhere. Discipline is key to stay healthy.
Team trivia. Just the two of us. The rest of the team were in the Pinnacle for some event. Which zodiac sign has the goat? (Capricorn) What is the largest fruit? (Jackfruit) Who is the fastest man in the world? (Usain Bolt) How many valves does a trumpet have? (3) What is sonography? (The study of ultra sound) What is the capital of Austria? (Vienna) What color is the 5 ball in pool? (Orange)
We went to a presentation on the top ten astronomical events in the past year. We lasted 20 mins or so. Too slow. Too much repetition. I am fascinated by this kind of presentation but I am not patient enough for the presentation. I’d rather read about it.
We met Nancy and Stan for dinner. We shared stories about the safari we each took. We both had pictures and stories to share. We also agreed that the worst stop was The Gambia. I’m sure HAL will reconsider this location.
Our dinner went long and we missed group trivia. The evening entertainment was a group called the String Fever.
2 brothers, a sister and a cousin. Three played 5 string electric violins and one played a 5 string ‘cello. The cellist played the bass parts and provided the drum set by making sounds into the microphone. They were outstanding. By far this was the best group of the trip. They did a few medleys. One was a medley of 40 different movie themes. Another on was a medley of 10 operas. Great stuff. Very accomplished players and the humor was good. They did one vocal number because it was necessary in the piece that showed off their instrument technique. Singing was a 2 but the performance by far made up for it. The tune was “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”. I gave them a 10!…
The crossing of the Atlantic is nice. I don’t remember a crossing this smooth.
Often times after the room stewards have finished with your room they will leave behind a towel creation. Today around the Lido pool there were many creations. Probably a competition amongst stewards.
It is time to consider packing options. Laundry service ends tomorrow. We should be ok with delicate items. The ship folks manage luggage carefully. The Ft. Lauderdale Port folks are very rough with items.
Team trivia. What is the largest island in the world? (Greenland) Which company used the slogan “A diamond is forever?” (De Beers) Which Martin Scorsese film dropped the F-bomb more than any other? (Wolf of Wall Street) What is known as a “Sea Cow?” (Manatee) What is the most Ed used flavor enhancer? (MSG) How did Joan of Arc die? (Burned at the stake) What is the three word motto of Rice Krispies? (Snap, crackle, pop)
Today we were being recognized for earning a silver medal. This has to do with the actúa number of days on a ship. We have been HAL cruises for a total of 351 days when this cruise ends. Free drinks and a picture with the Captain took place in the Crow’s Nest.
After dinner we went to group trivia. The topic was Queen. None of the team was a fan of Queen but we assumed there would be history questions involved that we might be able to answer. No such luck. Thomas played clips of 15 different tunes by Queen. Clare and Susie got up and left. The three of us managed to get 9 correct. We Will Rock You was played backwards but we still figured that one out. Other folks left in a huff also. This age group doesn’t know enough Queen to make it fun.
The evening entertainment was vocalist Suzanne O. Davis. The show was tunes from the Carol King songbook. She was a strong vocalist and great pianist. She did a medley in the middle of her set that didn’t go as well as the rest of her act. I gave her a 9. Terri had a good nap.…
We are on our way across the Atlantic Ocean. The crossing looks like it will very smooth and we are going top speed to get to San Juan. The Captain says we will probably arrive one hour early.
I did the promenade deck and Terri did the treadmill. Great view and nice weather on the deck.
Team trivia. Which country had the most VCRs in 1990? (Japan) Who was on the cover of Time magazine the most times? FDR, Churchill, Stalin (Stalin) Who won an Oscar for best supporting actress in the Miracle Worker? (Patty Duke) Which fabric was used on the seats of the Gremlin in 1973? (Denim) What play was Lincoln watching when he was assassinated? (Our American Cousin) How long does an Olympic basketball game last? (40 mins) What is the best selling brand of Gin (Gordons) Which character from Leave to Beaver became a police officer? (Eddie Haskell)
After trivia was a Kentucky Derby event. 5 HAL employees dressed in costume with a horse on a stick. Kimberley rolled a die and the horses moved that many places. All of the passengers could “vote” for their favorite and the winners would receive a complimentary drink. It was hilarious!
There was also a Derby Hat competition. There were about ten folks that created hats. Some brought them from home and they were nice but the winner of the hat competition was a woman that wore a HAL duffle bag on her head with decorations on it. The winner was decided by the amount of applause.
We had dinner in the Pinnacle with Joe and Ann. We talked about future cruises and meeting up in Michigan this summer.
The evening entertainment was a performance by the Flyrights.
We arrived and were cleared to go ashore at 7 am. Golf is out of the question and going on a tour is not really reasonable given the all aboard time of 2:30. We have been here before and decided just to walk around town. We went to the gym first and were on our way by 10 am.
We walked around and decided to stop in a grocery store to price coffee and Ponche. We made some notes and then walked to the outdoor market. We passed people selling fish on the street. Flies everywhere. Not too appetizing but they will end up on a plate for someone.
We decided on a place for lunch. We had a few drinks on each had a salad. Nice place with good food.
Cards played hereGrogue and punchLunchGrocery
We finished our lunch and went back to a grocery store that we had gone to on our last trip. We picked up some coffee beans from Fogo Island and also some Ponche and Grogue. We hopped on the shuttle bus and went back to the ship. It was about 1:30 and all aboard was 2:30.
Upon boarding the ship and putting our bag through the scanner the attendant asked if we had any bottles. I said yes and he directed me toward another attendant. I told him it was after shave. He didn’t buy that but I did convince him that the one bottle was just punch. Ponche is punch in Portuguese. He let that one go by and just confiscated the one.
There was a sail away at 2:30 with complimentary wine and cheese. We went up to the Lido pool and grabbed a table. The Captain announced at 2 pm that the fuel was taking longer to load on the ship and he was extending all aboard until 6 pm. What a waste as none of the people who are still in town would learn about the change until they got back and none of the folks aboard were going back out.
Folks consumed massive amounts of wine until 5 pm. The Captain announced that he would need to go full speed across the Atlantic to get to San Juan at the correct time.
We left the port during dinner and were already going top speed while we went to group trivia.
Who was the first person to sail in to New York Harbor? (Hudson) Who lives in a pineapple in the sea? (Sponge Bob) What was originally called the Blue Ribbon Sports (Nike) Where are the Crown Jewels? (Tower of London) What is the body of water that separates New Zealand and Australia? (The Tasmanian Sea) Where was Barbara Streisand born? (Brooklyn, New York) The same team usually wins this game. It is good for some laughs.
We decided to watch movie to end the evening. We boarded the elevator and joined 3 others on our way up to deck 6. We stopped on 5 to pick up another couple. We have seen this couple before. She is almost as wide as the hallway and he would be the same if he turned sideways. Friends of ours have nicknamed this couple “A lot of real estate”. They boarded the elevator and the lights began to flash. “Car Overweight, Car Overweight, Car Overweight”. This was a first for us but the couple just got off as if it has happened before. I took a look at the maximum weight and passengers posted on the elevator. 18 passenger max. 1350kg maximum weight. That is over 2975 lbs. None of the 5 on board were over 200 lbs each in my estimation. Terri and I weigh 300 lbs combined. You do the math.
I’m guessing that everyone on this cruise is taking home a few extra lbs both in their suitcases and themselves. We have a lot of wine to figure out how to get home.…
I had booked a round of golf in Cape Verde weeks ago. Unfortunately, the course is not on the island where we port and there is not enough time to travel to the other island, play a round and return by all board time of 2:30.
Golf in Puerto Rico is not looking good. The course that is close enough to the port of San Juan is closed because of huge amounts of rain. We would only have enough light for 9 holes as we don’t arrive until 3pm. We are hoping they may open when we arrive.
One day at sea and then Mindelo, Cape Verde. It will be a short day and I think we will just spend time around the downtown area.
Group trivia. What was the Indy Pace Car in 1964? (Mustang) What did Leonarda Nimoy need to replace every 3 days in the 1960s? (Ears) In which sport would you meet the undertaker? (Wrestling) Where was India ink developed? (China) Which author said fear and death were a human constant? (Stephen King) Which island was returned to the Japanese in 1972 (Okinawa) How many spaces on a Monopoly board? (40) What was the original name of the Ed Sullivan Show? (Toast of the Town)
We watched a fashion show hosted by the shops on the ship and featured ship passengers. It was fun. Some of the folks on the runway we knew. Terri would have done well here. We have to stay informed!
We had dinner with Janet and Brian. We have a lot to talk about and have a lot of laughs. We talked about getting home. We have a direct flight to Detroit from Ft. Lauderdale. 2.5 hours. Janet and Brian are going to Atlanta and then Calgary. Long day for them.
Are dinner went past trivia time so we missed that. The entertainment is essential done for us. The Zuiderdam singers and dancers just don’t cut it for us. The comedian who drove around Africa wasn’t very funny. There is a passenger talent show tomorrow night. That could be fun!
We arrived at the Banjul port at 7 am. We have a HAL tour and the meeting time is 7:45. The title of this tour is the Makasutu Culture Forest and Canoe Adventure. The title of the HAL tours rarely communicate what will actually happen on the tour. This tour was a replacement tour for one we had scheduled before the itinerary change. It was also a complimentary tour for booking the cruise before a certain date.
Our imaginations said we would be hiking through the bush and paddling some canoes. It sounded like fun.
We boarded a bus and took a 45 minute ride to the park. The road appeared to be the only paved road in this area. The Gambia is the smallest country in Africa. It may also be one of the poorest. Along the way we noticed dilapidated buildings along both sides. Garbage appears everywhere. It reminds me of weeds back home. If you don’t stay on top of them they get out of hand. Here, the old Pepsi bottle is like a weed. The difference is there isn’t anyone who cares enough to take care of it. The guide on the bus told us that The Gambia is very poor but you will always see the people smiling. No one was smiling on the bus. It appears that no one has a care in the world here. Maybe there is some kind of message here. It was difficult getting photos along the road. These do not convey what we saw.
We arrived at the culture forest. I don’t know what I expected but this definitely wasn’t it.
Two English men bought this property back in 1992. It was almost completely deforested by locals looking for food and timber. The men planted 15,000 trees and tried to bring the forest back and to create an Eco-Retreat. This is the most expensive resort in the country. That tells you everything you need to know.
You can make your own judgement on this photo. The man in front of the cart was smiling as much as the children were. They were all waiving at the folks on our bus. They looked very happy and very well taken care of.
After we arrived we made a pit stop.
We then climbed in to two canoes. I guess we weren’t going to paddle. We went up and down the river. There wasn’t much to see. Lot’s of mangrove on both shores. When we reached the resort lodges we turned around and came back.
Oysters attach to mangrove rootsLodges
Lunch was next. We were entertained by a man playing a Balafon. He had the instrument backward and seemed to only know one tune. He did have a “bad” look though.
There were remnants on the property of things that may have been nice at one time. A built in swimming pool (now empty). A four story platform to get a view of the area. I did manage to climb up. The stairs were made of steel and all were rusted. Some had spots where it was obvious that a foot went through.
After lunch we were led to a market area where people tried to sell you things. We didn’t spend much time here.
This tour just reinforced why we don’t do the ship excursions. They are really geared towards 85 year old folks. We are moving closer to that age but right now we can get around quite well. There wasn’t much to see. The ride through the city was probably the most educational.
We did get back early enough for dinner and then met the folks for trivia. What man helped the Lone Ranger both on TV and radio? (Tonto) Which pianist had a TV show in the 1950s and 1960s with his brother George? (Liberace) Which Gene Autry tune became a famous Christmas Song? (Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer) Which famous Soviet leader died in 1953? (Joseph Stalin) What is a fight between two rival gangs called? (Rumble) Which Ayn Rand novel described her philosophical system that included libertarianism? (Atlas Shrugged) Which television series featured Herman, Grandpa, Lily, Eddy and Marilyn? (The Munsters) Which dog food makes its own gravy? (Gravy train) Which group had its all time hit Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin) Which famous quote is attributed to Joe Friday of the Dragnet TV series? (Just the facts ma’am)
The ship is rockin’ and it is windy. Too windy for cards out on the deck.…
Another hot day as we travel along the coast of Africa. It was raining at breakfast and the seas are a bit rough.
The ship has a few photographers that try will take photos of folks on formal and dressy nights. I rarely see anyone posing. No one really wants to see themselves growing old. They are also out on the port capturing photos of people as they get off of the ship. These are displayed for everyone to see and if you like them they are for sale. Times have really changed since most folks carry a digital camera on their cellphone.
There is a photo contest for passengers. Best photo in a few different categories. Best animal, place, person taken during this cruise. Terri submitted her leopard photo. It looks like it came right out of an encyclopedia. The current submissions are displayed on the wall next to the photos taken by the professionals.
On our 2022 Africa trip, we had to miss Banjul, Gambia. The Captain made this decision right out of the port in Ft. Lauderdale. After looking at the tide tables he said that the tides will not support docking there. Today the captain spoke of similar issues but thinks we can make it to Banjul as long as the wind subsides. His clearance from the bottom of the ship is only 4 ft in the Banjul port.
Team trivia. How many legs does a lobster have? (10) Brontology is the study of? (Thunder) Which SE Asian country is completely landlocked? (Laos) Wing levers and screw pills are what? (Wine bottle openers) What are the three Greek Column types? (Corinthian, Doric, Ionic) What did Fonzie have a secret fear of? (Liver) What does it mean to nictate? (Blink)
Today we had to choose how will leave the ship on May 11. We are going to carry off 2 bags, send the clubs with the ship staff to be collected at the port and 4 bags to be shipped home by luggage forward. We will pick those up in the port, carry them past customs and put them on a FedEx truck. The clubs and 2 bags will go with us on the plane. A HAL shuttle bus will take us to the airport. It is so well organized and they make it so very easy.
Lightning trivia was with Victoria today. She does have an accent but not as bad as Thomas. What is the official language of Austria? (German) Who was the wife of Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten? (Nefertiti) How many bones does a shark have? (Zero, all cartilage) What does a yellow flag signal in a car race? (Caution) Where is Wembley stadium? (London, England) What boy band was Justin Timberlake a part of? (*NSYNC) The Sun is about 91% Hydrogen. What is the second most abundant gas? (Helium) How many feet is a fathom? (6ft).
We finished the day with some cards up on the Lido deck. Tomorrow will be a long day.
One more day until we arrive in Banjul, Gambia. We have an all day HAL tour in this port. Temperature is supposed to peak at 101 F. We are doing a canoe paddle as a part of the trip. Maybe this will keep us a bit cooler.
We received an invitation to the Mariner Awards event on May 5th. We each will be recognized as Silver Medallion Awardee. This is in recognization of 300 days sailing with Holland America. Gold Medallion is awarded for 500 days and Platinum for 700 days. I’m not sure there is any benefit other than a handshake and the Silver Medallion. This program is different than the star program. We are already at the highest 5 star status and do receive benefits from this status. Priority boarding, free laundry, discounts on internet and drink package’s and others.
Breakfast can be fascinating to watch what and how much people consume. I’ve noticed that the folks that are the most particular in the way their breakfast is prepared seem to carry the most weight. We have breakfast at the same time and sit at the same table as most other folks do. There is a rather large gentleman with a waist size of I would guess at 80 in. His first round (his words) is generally a stack of pancakes with seems like a stick of butter and a generous slathering of syrup. His second round is a carefully ordered preparation of eggs, bacon, potatoes, and sausage. He places his order and stands back to observe the preparation and will “help” the cook prepare if needed. The third round consists of pastries. Croissant’s, cinnamon buns, bagels (toasted just right)and maybe a bowl of fruit. Kind of a dessert to top off the breakfast. He does get some exercise at breakfast by traveling up to the food counter for every round. It is a real effort carrying all of those extra pounds with you where ever you go. He represents what I see as the larger folks ordering their breakfast. I have a bowl of Raisin Bran with milk every day. I used to have blueberries pancakes once a week but that was back when teaching was a hobby while my real job was construction. Times have changed.
We have lunch near the main pool on the Lido deck everyday. The service folks in this area work very hard satisfying all of the passengers and cleaning the tables when they leave. It is important that they get recognized and that is easy to do that on the Navigator app that is used onboard for all kinds of things. I believe that all of the workers work by contract for a period of time. Much like a self employed person back home. I know that when a passenger makes a positive comment, they are recognized by the ship staff and the corporate office.
Group trivia. The Spanish Islands near the coast of Africa are called? The greatest race horse of the 20th century was? (It wasn’t secretariat). The motto at the end of Merrie Melodies was? The only sport that allows player substitution during play? What color was the White House before it was white? What was the name of wooden plane that Howard Hughes owned? What film depicted Loretta Lynn’s life story? We are realizing that the teams that consistently win have members that have been playing this for years. I guess there is only so much trivia to learn.
The waiter and assistant waiter at our table or the two Francis’s as they are known have changed a lot since they have come aboard. The first one has stopped sweating so much and the second one no longer wears makeup and nail polish. The first Francis is really in over his head. The second Francis is turning out to be a great waiter. Very fast and very good.
Lightning trivia after dinner. Who wrote Le Quattro Stagioni? What byproduct does Coca Cola sell to pharmaceutical companies? Who was the youngest president? (No to JFK) What is the day after Christmas called in England and Canada? What is another name for a mouth organ? How is the speed of computer mouse measured in?
We finished the night on the back of the Lido deck playing cards.…
Today we enjoyed more very hot weather. I did laps around the promenade and Terri did the treadmill. There are three more stops but the talk amongst many passengers is packing, number of bags, exchanging contact info, exchanging excursion photos and the next cruise or stop in the endless tour of retirement. It is difficult to relate to the younger people who are on “sabbatical”. I think that was a result of the pandemic. Lots of “work from home” people lived a very lonely life and want to get out and enjoy it now. It’s difficult to “enjoy the journey” when you are working alone. Gone are the sarcastic comments at the water cooler or teachers lounge.
Today I took a tour of the galley. Very large. Very clean. Fascinating from dishwashing to preparation. It is hard to imagine that the ship goes through this much food.
The galley tour started in the dining room which is located at the back of the ship and goes all the way to mid-ship.
Chefs officeWhat every dish is supposed to look likeWaiters pick up orders hereList of passengers in isolationBio-digesterCoffee serviceClean itemsDishwashing area
Fascinating tour.
Today we did a wine tasting instead of trivia up in the crow’s nest. Terri set up a dinner for everyone that was on our Shalati Train tour. Bill, Chris, Kathy, George, Marcus, John, Anita sat with us. Only Eve did not make it. We had some laughs and traded some photos. Oscar made sure we had pazcki’s for dessert.
Today we arrived in Ghana at around 8 am. We had no plans for the day and decided we would go out to the port area where locals set up some shopping. Takoradi is a city we visited in 2022. Nothing to see other than poverty.
It was near 90 degrees when we went outside. The shops along the port area all carried similar items. Bright colored clothing, strange hats, handmade jewelry. We spent about 30 minutes here and were ready to go back to the ship. This is the first time that we haven’t gone to visit something in the city. There really isn’t anything here. I would love to see the $75 that every passenger and crew member had to pay to the government go directly to the people. There is also a port fee that HAL has to pay and I know it is expensive. There are port fees and piloting fees. Fees for this and fees for that. Fees to keep the port running I can understand but the Visa fees are ridiculous.
At lunch, the immigration officials were in line for food. They crowded around one of the counters like they have never eaten before. There were 16 officials. I’m sure these were the folks doing the visa stamping aboard the ship. Muffins during stamping were probably not enough. I’m sure that the promise of lunch made everything go very smoothly.
No team trivia after lunch today but I am guessing from what I saw, most passengers stayed on board or just visited the market set up on the port.
Looking ahead, we have a HAL tour in Banjul, golf set up in Cape Verde and nothing yet in Puerto Rico. These are the final stops on the tour.
Lightning team trivia after dinner. All of the questions had to do with the Netherlands. Which countries border the Netherlands? What Hollands the most famous beer? Which 4 countries make up the Netherlands? What is the Netherlands longest running airline? 2 paintings were show. One was Van Goghs Starry Night and the other was a Rembrandt. What did the King do as a part time job with his King duties? (He was a pilot for KLM)
The evening entertainment was comedian Mark Sampson. He was billed as a comedian that would take us around Africa clockwise. I thought it would be fun to see him. We arrived 20 mins early and he was already in the audience with a microphone chatting with folks. His show started at 7:30. He began to show us a trip that he took around Africa with his family that took 6.5 years. He traveled in a motor home and he said he didn’t use a drop of fossil fuel. He ran his vehicle on used frying oil. It turns out that this trip was all about climate. I’m not sure how burning frying oil helped the climate. What I remember from his trip is that he rebuilt his engine 3 times, his kids hated him after the trip and his wife divorced him. Great trip? If we didn’t have seats in the middle of a row, we would have left mid-show. He has never been to these United States yet he spoke with some negativity towards them. I don’t mind HAL bringing aboard these kinds of folks but adjust the playbill to reflect who they are and what they are presenting. George Carlin does a similar kind of show but I know that going in. We couldn’t get out fast enough.…
The excitement aboard today was racing to find “null island”. This is an island that doesn’t actually exist. It is the intersection of the grand meridian and the equator. The Captain or “it’s me” said we will arrive at about 2 pm. He is going to stop the engines when we arrive. I’m not sure how this is exciting. Folks were crowding in the Crow’s Nest where there a display of our location. All were trying to take a picture of 0 lat 0 long. It doesn’t get much more exciting than this. Imagine telling your friends that you were at this location! The heck with Manchu Pichu or the Pyramids of Giza.
There was also a celebration of King Neptune coming aboard since we crossed the equator. It would be fun if the grandkids were here.
We spent the morning in the gym which was a good use of time. We are trying to book a round of golf at our last stop. Puerto Rico. We don’t arrive until 3 pm. It will be difficult.
Team trivia. Who was Sherlock Holmes archenemy? What alloy is made from copper and zinc? “Think Different” is used by which company? What is the center of the earth called? Who director the film 2001: A Space Odyssey and what was the name of the computer? The seeds of which fruit have the greatest amount of cyanide? What is the name of the stick used in a relay race?
Dinner was great as usual. We will be home in 2 weeks and we are enjoying not shopping for food, not preparing the food, and not cleaning up afterward. It is easy to get used to living like this and it will take some getting used to when we get back home.
The cruise seems to have gone by fast but when we think about Brazil we realize it has been a long time. We have seen a lot and it is easy to forget. Only this blog and photos can jog the memory at times.
Lightning trivia. What was a living room called in the 19th C? What does TCAS refer to in airplane speak? What do the letters BBC stand for? Which decade was a poodle skirt worn? What was the name of Beethoven’s only opera? Who founded Motown? What color are professional football goal posts? What makes a martini dirty? Who was elected prime minister of England in 1999?
Cards to finish the evening. We arrive in Takoradi, Ghana at 8 am tomorrow.
Seas are moderately rough but we are really moving fast which makes it much more stable aboard.
We have set up a dinner for those that were on the last overland excursion on April 28. Oscar promises to bring pazcki’s.
We received more travel bags from Holland America. These are large duffel bags with wheels. I think we will pack one of these and include them with the other three packed bags that we brought. We will take our clubs on the plane and check them.
We went to the port talk this morning hosted by Kimberley. She spoke about our next port of call, Takoradi. We didn’t learn anything new and it confirmed for us that this is a very poor country and they is very little of interest to see. It is not easy to blend in with the community to be on the safer side. People from the cruise ship stick out here more than any other country that we have been to. Most of the folks we spoke with are staying aboard the ship if they do not have a HAL excursion. There is very little in the positive sense on the West Coast of Africa.
We will cross both the prime meridian and the equator tomorrow. We will move one hour closer to the time at home and will be only three hours ahead.
Group trivia. What was the most popular boy’s name in 1960, 1970, and 1990. Which bird is the state bird for 7 states. Which ingredient makes up 60% of Velveeta? Which Elvis Presley racing movie has Ann Margaret saying “I want you to check my motor, it’s whistling”? What is 37.8 C in F? The numbers at afternoon trivia seem to be down. People generally like to do trivia to learn something but Thomas has different views on this. I think he gets irritated that everyone teases him on pronunciations. His first language is Dutch. Some pronunciations are hilarious.
We sat out on the promenade deck today. Our balcony didn’t have much airflow and was getting too warm. We like sitting out here and on our next cruise we will have a lanai room that opens to this deck. Much like our cruise in 2019.
We keep seeing people that look like they just got on. Probably in Maputo or Zanzibar. It’s not that you can recognize everyone but newcomers seem to stand out because they are not used to how things run. Every ship runs a bit differently.
There was a display of artwork and other things on the Lido deck last week. They were there to raise money for a charity. All of the items were auctioned off. Some of things were unusual. One was to co-host team trivia with Tomas. The opening bid was $25.00. I bid $26 but the winner bid $80. Today, the co-host did the evening group trivia. Thomas made up all of the questions and they took turns. Thomas made questions for himself that were ridiculously easy. Which day follows Saturday? The cohost, which he referred to as Thomasina had very difficult questions, some were in Dutch. The trivia event was a mess. The co-host didn’t know how to use a mic, could barely pronounce or mis-pronounced some common words. Can I get my life back? I wanted 45 mins back.
The evening entertainment were the Zuiderdam singers and dancers. We skipped that and played cards.
We did breakfast and the usual abdominal class at 7:30 am. Some interesting exercises but there is a lot of moaning and grunting from the group. Many if not most can’t do the exercises correctly. Maybe they should do a a fewer number of reps. There is no pressure from anyone to do anything but I think they feel doing the same number of reps as the instructor is the most important thing. I think the form is the important thing.
I sent a note to a golf course in Cape Verde and we were able to book a tee time for 8:30 am. We arrive at 7am and leave at 2:30 pm. Strange schedule but we probably have to get the ship out of port for another ship.
The Captain is heading toward “Null Island” which is not an island but a location in the sea. It is at 0 degree longitude and 0 degree latitude. Exciting stuff.
We are passing many unfriendly countries on the way to Ghana. These countries are missing the opportunity to host a group of people that are more than willing to buy locally made junk.
Group trivia. Which tiny European nation is known as the sunny place for shady people? Which Aussie made it to the finals in Wimbledon Singles finals two times, twenty years apart? What is the C word in military speak for a prematurely cancelled flight? Which city offers 24 hour weddings? What was advertised as the cosmic candy car bar ? Which celestial body appeared as a good luck charm for William the Conqueror?
Dinner was to be a taste of Paris. I thought maybe a croissant would be a starter. No such luck. The menu was good but didn’t remind me of Paris. The piano trio played and that made it nice. It would be nice if they played in the dining room every night.
After dinner lightning trivia was al about mixed drinks. A few of the drinks we have never heard of. The questions were along the lines of the main ingredient. What is the main ingredient of a Tom Collin’s? A Margarita? What is the main drink of Jamaica? We did quite well. I think one group got a perfect score.
We finished the evening with some cards on the back of the Lido deck. It is getting a lot warmer as we head closer to the equator.…
ProjectLinus is a non-profit organization that provides handmade blankets to children 0-18 in the United States who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need. Folks on the ship have been knitting blankets since we started the cruise back in early January. The number produced on the cruise is over 500. Today they were on display on the Lido deck.
We did the gym, lunch and then group trivia. Thomas did settle down a little bit after all of the complaints yesterday. General knowledge is what people want. No one wants a specialty question such as which key signature has four flats. That is not any fun. What is a funambulismo? Who was the star of “The Fugitive” television series? What does IMF stand for? Which country grows the most fruit? Which acid is found in a car battery? Who composed Madama Butterfly? Which movie did Robin Williams appear in drag?
We began researching our next few stops for golf. Takoradi, Ghana does have a course but no one answers the phone. We have been in this city back in 2022. We are guessing that the course is closed. This is a very poor country and we are considering staying on the ship. This is one of the countries that charges for a Visa even if passengers do not get off of the ship. 2 years ago it cost us $85 each. I would rather go into the city and spend the $85 so the people of the community can benefit. If it weren’t for the tours about slavery, no ship would ever stop here. It is another country that should really develop a relationship with the cruise lines.
Mindelo in Cape Verde appears to have a course. We will investigate that. There aren’t many stops left and we are starting to prepare to come home. May 11 is the day we arrive in Ft. Lauderdale.
At dinner, Oscar surprised us with ship made Paczki’s. Delicious!! What a treat. He spoke with the chef weeks ago about making these for us but they didn’t now how to spell it and couldn’t find any information on them. We have found no crew or passengers on the ship that have ever heard of these. There just aren’t enough Polacks in the world. The chef made enough for Roger and Kathy who share our table. They aren’t the 20lb pazcki’s that I grew up on but they were great.
This kind of treatment on a world cruise is not unusual but it is still very nice. There is no request that goes unnoticed and most of the times the request is honored.
Victoria did lightning team trivia after dinner.. Which group did Brigham Young lead? What instrument does the concert master play? Where was check point Charlie? Which constellation is Polaris a part of? Who is on the 2 dollar bill? Which track and field event has a participant throwing a spear? The only country that begins with an “O”. 26 out of 30 for us.
We played a game with Clare and Susie called Rummikub. It is the same game I knew as a kid called Rummy-O. I think we used the scoring rules of Rummy O. The winner is first to use all of their tiles.…
Walvis Bay is another stop we did on the Africa trip in 2022. The most exciting excursion here is to see the coast line and ride a jeep up all of the sand dunes. Stunning photos from the dunes when we did this.
We tried to book a round of golf. I did discover that the course is closed on Sunday and Monday. We thought about going on the course anyway and walking.
When we arrived there was a very dense fog. I’m surprised the ship was even able to dock. The fog eliminated the chance for any golf. We decided to take the shuttle bus to a shopping mall at the edge of town.
Walvis Bay is really a desert. Where the small city ends, there is nothing but sand. The main industry in Walvis Bay is the production of salt. Outside of the city, besides the sand dunes, there isn’t much to see other than huge piles of salt.
On the way to the mall we passed the driving range that was next to the golf course. The range was all sand. I don’t remember any grass on the tee box. I’m sure the course was similar but it was behind some buildings and it couldn’t be seen from the road.
The shopping mall was nicer than I thought it would be. The houses in this city didn’t give me the sense that people here purchased anything high end but some high end stores did exist.
The exchange rate here was great for the USD 1 USD = 19 Namibian. This made things incredibly cheap. We wandered from store to store and did make several purchases. Lot’s of goods made in South Africa and also from China.
We stopped at restaurant in the mall for lunch. When a great tasting 20 oz beer costs $2.12, you know you have arrived in the right place.
Confirming the price of the bill. 2 beers, 2 glasses of wine, one large burger with fries, fried cheese balls and the big salad. $24 USD
Even with the 15% VAT and tip, the lunch was incredibly cheap and the food and drink great. We took the shuttle back to the ship and we passed a large group of people selling souvenirs from a street corner just outside the port. We did stop and enjoyed the haggling.
Back on the ship, it was time to go through the customs agents again to turn in our exit form and get our exit stamp. Waste of valuable time but I guess it is a job for someone.
All aboard was 5:30 pm. This was a change from 4:30 pm that was scheduled months ago. This change really doesn’t give anyone more time as excursions have been planned weeks or months ago. The cruise director constantly pestered people to see the port agents to turn in their forms. Once you turned in your form your passport was taken by the ship and you couldn’t go back into the port. I’m not sure why all of the pestering before 5:30 as some of the folks could have been enjoying their time ashore. The hurry, hurry, hurry was really wasted. We didn’t leave until after 9 pm
We did team trivia after dinner. Hardest yet. What city is considered the birthplace of jazz? What is the full name of Eminem? What is the greatest selling album of all time? What year was Woodstock? Who is the lead guitarist of Guns and Roses? Lead singer of Aerosmith? Year and month Elvis died? Which guitar did Jeff Buckley use? Who sang the tune “One of these nights?” We did fair.
The evening entertainment was musician Gary Sletcher. Gary was from South Africa and played the penny whistle and the saxophone. He also sang. South African Music was his thing. The music was interesting but he was only a fair entertainer. He really had trouble communicating with the audience. Many folks left before he was finished. I’m always willing to see it through. I’m glad I went to his show but we won’t be doing a repeat. 5 …
Luderitz is name for Adolf Luderitz, founder of the German Southwest Africa Colony. Diamonds were discovered in 1910 but today the mining has moved to a different area of the country.
The area off the coast is shallow and rocky and this is a tender port. The ship arrived at 8 am. Customs officials boarded the ship and every passenger needed to have a face to face meeting with an official. This of course was done in the dining room so the people of importance could have their cookies and muffins.
Every country has their own method concerning immigration and visitation. The United States probably has the strangest of them all. Try to immigrate legally and it is one hassle after another. However, cross the border illegally and you are invited to fly to different cities in the US where you will be given food and shelter.
A city like Luderitz should be paying the cruise ship company to have its ships stop here. Instead they hassle them and require forms to be filled out. Question #17 on the official Immigration Control Form is “Kindly state the amount of money you intend to spend during your visit?” Who comes up with this stuff? Of course I put 79 cents.
We waited in line to hand in the forms that went into the pile. A trash can should have been the place they were placed. After turning in the form it was time to get the “official stamp”. 2 official stamps in the passport book. I ordered the book with the extra pages. It is actually possible to be refused entrance if one does not have enough blank pages in the passport book to receive the official stamp and my book is getting quite full.
We are making two stops in Namibia. Tomorrow we stop in Walvis Bay. When we are done with the day we have to turn in our official departure form. Another form that will go directly into the trash.
Today we planned to have lunch at the Barrels Bar and Restaurant and also visit the Premium Namibian Cigar Shop. I visited the web site of the Cigar Shop but I wasn’t able to check out prices as every time I clicked on a cigar type I received a “sold out” message.
The tender ride was a little longer than most. The port had a narrow walkway when we got off the tender. Lot’s of sand in this town. Winds keep shifting the sands all over. The roads were covered in sand. We were able to visit today because there was little wind. We missed this port in 2022 because of the winds.
Some of the buildings had some great architecture. I’m not sure who actually lives in this little town. We started our walk into the town and stopped in a small store to buy a few items. Things were very cheap. Most things were made in South Africa, not China.
We went to a store and Terri found a much needed baseball cap. The clerk said they only take Namibian Dollars. We decided to stop at an ATM for some local cash and come back later.
We found the place that sold cigars. I asked the clerk where the cigars were. We are completely sold out, she said. The store doubled as a local art store also. We need nothing here. We went to the restaurant we had planned to stop at. It was only 10:30 but there wasn’t much to do here. The restaurant was closed on Sunday.
We passed other ship people up and down the streets. We saw Richard from our trivia team and he was with Mike, a friend he met on the ship. We decided to go to the Portuguese Fish Market Restaurant and have a drink and maybe some food.
It was a nice place that had tables outside. We sat and had some drinks. A beer was $2.62 USD. Hard to beat that price. We decided to have some lunch also.
We sat and chatted with Richard and Mike. Richard was lawyer and Mike a doctor. The usual banter between these two professions took place. The talk then turned to wine and our wine tour. Two young ladies sat down and decided to join us. One was curious about why I get a headache from smelling wine. I tried to tell her that I can smell the wine and know that it will give me a headache if I drink it. The whole talk of the table seemed to turn to wine and sulfites and the cause of headaches. I told everyone that I just didn’t have any interest in wine.
The one young lady called the men uncle and the women aunt. She told us that she was angry that her father died and left her. He had pancreatic cancer but didn’t fight hard enough, she said. She also told us about all of the racism and tribalism in the USA. It was clear after she spoke that she was very racist. The Germans killed almost all of her people. The Germans represented white people. She didn’t care for white people but here she was chatting with them.
Many more people from the ship joined us at the other tables. The owner was there and he seemed happy with the turnout.
We finished up with lunch and said our goodbyes. We stopped in a few stores on the way back as I had a $200 Namibian bill (about $10) to spend. The store with the baseball cap in it was closed. At another store, I found a cotton sweatshirt that said “Detroit, Michigan” on it. It seems that South Africa has capitalized on the USA branding. Lots of NYC apparel and I saw other Michigan apparel also.
We took the tender back and the pilot had trouble with the motor. Seems that the gas tank was empty. He started and stopped the tender many times and did make it back to the ship. No way to maneuver the tender when he was near the ship so he just gently crashed into the docking area of the ship and threw over the ropes. Interesting tender ride.
I’m not sure what time we pulled out of port last night but I know it wasn’t 9:15 as the captain had planned. Announcements were being made for a couple that still hadn’t had their passports stamped prior to leaving the country just before 9 pm. The captain did speak at noon and all I could understand was that he would not wait for anyone who was not on board at the given all aboard time.
Tomorrow we are scheduled to stop in Namibia. The city of Luderitz is the first stop. On our Africa trip in 2022, we had to bypass this port because of the high winds. It is a tender port and the captain has already warned us that it is a difficult stop. He is getting into port at 6 am because of this. I’m not sure how that will help things.
We do have 20 more days on the cruise but it is evident that it is coming to an end. The luggage forward service that we use has already given us notification of packing and shipping. I know from previous cruises that the laundry service will be stopped soon. The laundry service has been good and bad. Service is fast. In before 9 am, back by 6pm. Whatever machinery they use to wash is very hard on the clothes. Anything with elastic in it no longer has the same cling. Maybe this is intentional to help those that are constantly in line for ice cream. I’m going to dump many of my t shirts and socks. No elastic left in the socks and many holes in the t shirts. It is just the cost of cruising. No big loss.
We did group trivia after lunch but it Susie was the only other person on our team that showed. We still did rather well. What does a numismatic study? Who wrote the Brandenburg Concertos? Which city is Notre Dame located in? What is the official language in Iran? What year did the allies launch D-Day?
We had dinner with Janet and Brian to help celebrate Brian’s birthday. We shared photos and stories of our excursions of the past week. Talk of seeing the “big five” game animals is becoming a kind of competition. I know on our game drives, several of our fellow travelers wanted to see the big five over the 6 days we were gone. Then they wanted to see them in one day. Then it was a race to see them in one drive. I guess that is human nature. Everything becomes a competition. It was no longer “I saw them”, it was “look how many I saw”.
The evening entertainment was pianist Elio Rojas. Elio is formerly from Cuba and now lives in London. He presented a program of composers that have influenced him in his short 27 years of life. He did a bit of the March from the Nutcracker but then he broke into the NutRocker by Emerson, Lake and Palmer. I haven’t heard that in years. He also did a mixture of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and Mambo no. 5. I guess since they both had the number 5 in them it was a good mixture. I enjoyed the show but I would have enjoyed it more if he just ripped through a set of great tunes. His English isn’t very good and his explanations of what he was trying to do weren’t very good either. Definitely a 10 on the keys but I gave the show an 8.…
Today we had a wine tour scheduled. The tour was advertised as a Hop On, Hop Off tour that used a tram and busses. There were pick up locations all over Cape Town and we had to select one. Once picked up, guests were taken to the Waterfront Terminal where they boarded a bus. The Waterfront Terminal was about a mile from the ship and we decided we would walk there. The meeting time was 8:30.
We left the ship at 7:30 because I was a bit unsure of the location and the amount of time it took to get there. The extra time would be used to get us out of a jam if we needed it.
We arrived at the terminal at 8:00 am. We were given an explanation of how things worked. We were on the Franschhoek Wine Tram. This tour used busses and a tram and we would be on the tram in the morning and busses in the afternoon.
We boarded the bus for the Groot Drakenstein Terminal. A large, double decker bus. The ride would be one hour and there was an audio tour on the way. It was a nice ride and the time went quickly.
At the terminal we boarded a waiting tram. And we went off to the first winery. I was impressed by the whole operation. No waiting. We would be able to visit 3 wineries in the morning if we kept our visit to one hour for each. It was possible to spend more time at each winery visited but that would cut down on the time left for the others. We were given plastic wine glasses on the tram and given our first sample. A sparkling rose. Not bad.
Our first winery was the Plaisir Estate. The wineries in the morning all were founded in the 1600s. We were able to sample wine and gin here.
We sat in the tasting room that was formerly the storage room. The walls were obviously hundreds of years old. Terri found some wine she liked and I bought some gin. When a purchase is made, one only needs to give it to the driver of the tram or bus and they will take it the Drakenstein Terminal where it can be retrieved at the end of the day.
We spent an hour here. Our next stop was the Vrede en Lust estate. We decided that lunch was necessary after all of the gin and wine we tasted. We didn’t sample any wine here.
Back on the Tram was the final estate on the tram line. The Boschendal Estate.
We spent an hour here also. No wine from here was worthy of our purchase. We were dropped back at the main station where we boarded a bus. Next winery was Allee Bleue.
Another tasting here. Another few bottles back to the bus. We had 4 more wineries to pick from but we only had time for one. We chose the last one on the list but decided to get off on the first one when our guide said they specialized in red wine.
The Camberly Estate. We were the only visitors at this winery. The owner sat with us and kept bringing samples. He had some very fine wines. He also shared some great stories. He told us how when he and his wife toured the USA in a Pinto in 1980. Every stop they made they would tell people that they were Australian. They hid their South African roots because of the endless press on the Apartheid that the ruling class had instituted. People all over the world were for the elimination of this practice and people assumed that if you were from South Africa that you were a part of this.
We sampled a barrel that he discovered in his cellar that had the type and vintage that was printed on the barrel turned against the wall. The only way to know exactly what was in the barrel was to turn it around. It was full and extremely heavy and he called up a friend of his and they manage to turn the barrel enough to see the label. 2015 Cabernet. Delicious!
We did talk briefly about politics. He referred to the people running South Africa as gangsters. Lots of corruption. I’m ashamed to say that ours is no different. Corruption at all levels.
We enjoyed our hour here the most. Terri found many bottles worthy of the trip home. The bus picked us up and we were taken back to the terminal and boarded the bus back to Cape Town. There are many different routes that one can take and this tour can be done many times to visit all of the wineries.
Back in Cape Town we had a mile walk back to the ship with many bottles and cases of wine. We did manage to make it and had to go through customs with our passports. No confiscation by HAL officials this time. The wine ended up in our room.
We have such a better sense of South Africa after this visit. South Africa is more like Europe than it is Mozambique or some of the other African countries. Even the Northern African countries on the Mediterranean are less like Europe than South Africa. There aren’t the endless open markets of people bartering just to survive. No abandoned or vacant buildings. It really is a very beautiful country.
