Cruising the WorldDay 37

Hell-ville, Madagascar

November 15, 2022

Today we arrived in Madagascar at about 10 am.  

The HAL tour we booked was moved to tomorrow and today we were winging it. 

A tender was sent out to get port authorities and bring them back to the ship to process passports.Jeremy spoke on the PA system and announced they we would be delayed in getting to port. The area where the tender pulled up is about 2 feet lower than the tender exit. The ships carpenters were sent out to build a ramp for guests. Impressive I thought. They would need 30 minutes to complete the task. Even more impressed. 

We had lunch and the boarded a tender. The water was a little rough and it took a while to load the boat. 

The trip was about 15 minutes to the shore. I couldn’t wait to see the impressive ramp that the carpenters built. The port was busy and the tender full. 

It took a little time to unload the boat. A woman was nasty to me because I didn’t have a mask on. I ignored her and she said to the folks around them, “they are probably from Florida”.

I worked my way over for a look at the ramp. Wow, I thought. A sheet of plywood and two wooden stairs that they regularly use on the gangway. Nothing attached. Nothing actually “built”. I’m not impressed anymore.

Once of the tender we started to walk into town. At least 4 taxi drivers followed us and offered “good price”. They were relentless and I finally had to get quite stern with them to let us alone. They got the message.

It was just afternoon and we passed a few prostitutes. I don’t know why I’m surprised but I am.

We found our way to the tourist office. We learned that nothing is really open between 12 and 3 because of the heat. It was hot. We found a French restaurant called Papillon. We decided to enjoy a drink or two and use the wifi.

Later in the afternoon, Richard joined us for a beer. We chatted about his career as a lawyer and I shared some rental property stories.

We left and decided to walk into town since it was now after 3. Nothing here we were interested in.

We tendered back in time for dinner. Our entertainment was the series Yellowstone. I was able to download an episode while in Papillon’s. …

at Sea

November 14, 2022

We have passed the halfway point on our trip. It has gone by very quickly but it also seems so long ago when we were in the Canary Islands.

We had breakfast with Jim and Bill. We chatted about Tanzania and our experiences. They took their wives on a few HAL tours and agreed that the bus loads of people complain and move slow. We shared ways that we thought this could be improved. Most of these people think that they are in better shape then they and just refuse to admit that there are things they can’t do anymore. The word “strenuous” on the tour seems to have little meaning. We all wished there was some way to get the more fit and active people on one bus. One idea would be to have ice cream and cookies leading the less able bodies to other busses. Just a thought.

Jim and Bill said that they are going on HAL excursions on the two days we will be in Madagascar. When planning this trip months ago, we opted for a HAL tour the second day only. Day 2 ends at 2:30 pm. There weren’t any third party excursions that met this time frame. Day 1 we arrive rather late. 11 am. It is a tender port. Tough to book a tour when the arrival time is uncertain. We did think about playing a round of golf but decided it would be to difficult to get to. We are going to wing it tomorrow. Let’s see what happens.

Back to the gym. After my workout I got on the tread mill. JAWS was playing. The effects were lame compared to today but back in 1975 the film kept most of the country out of the water. The politics in the town would still happen today. The great music kept me going at a brisk pace.

We did quite well at trivia. Richard has dropped out permanently. We all have guesses why. He knows a lot of trivia but his hearing is not up to it. We knew the most deadly creature in the world. We missed the technical name for a fingerprint. The tall young lady from Indiana who does the trivia speaks very clear and makes it fun. Two of the other hosts do not speak English as their primary language. Frustrating as there are two games being played. Deciphering what they say and then coming up with the answer.

The evening entertainment was Mentalist Michael Abrahsmson from South Africa. His show began with a video clip of him reciting the first 2000 numbers of PI in record time to make the Guinness Book of World records. Impressive but less than exciting.

Michael did some mathematical wizardry on paper in front of the audience. He also was able to get people to say which playing card he had in an envelope by asking them questions. Not a very tough thing to do as each answer leads to another question that eliminates more possible cards. Entertaining. I gave him a 6. Terri flashed me the two after she woke up.

Tomorrow is Nosy-Be Madagascar. Lots of wildlife and things to see. Economically very poor. Only two other stops have a lower GDP than this Country.…

Zanzibar, Tanzania

November 13, 2022

Our second day in Tanzania. Today we had booked a private tour. Amour, our guide, contacted me on WhatsApp yesterday. We were to meet at the old fort at 9 am. Tendering was no issue and we were off about 7:45 am. The tender pulled into port and we took the short walk to the old fort. Lots of Jambo. The people are very friendly and want to help.

We started our tour by boarding a small boat. Prison Island was our first stop. We boarded a boat called “Italy”. No particular reason for the name. I saw a boat called “Mr. Cheap”, Mr. Bean”, etc. I did ask amour about mambo and Jambo. He said mambo was used between natives of Tanzania. Jambo was used between natives and visitors.

Stone Island was about a 30 minute ride. A prison was constructed here but was never used for its intended purpose. There was what looked like a nice resort on the island but it closed 15 or so years ago. It was a wet landing but we only had to walk a few feet in the water. High tide brought many starfish now trapped on land. The tour guides picked them up and placed them back in the water.

The thing to see here were tortoises and peacocks. One tortoise was 193 years old. The biggest tortoise was nickname Mike Tyson.

The prison never held criminals but it was used to house slaves during the slave trade period. One former quarter was now used as a bar. An iron ring was still on the floor where slaves were chained.

We spent about an hour on the island. The great thing about a private tour is that you can go at your own pace. Those on group and ship tours have a lot of time waiting for others.

Our boat ride back was uneventful. We continued on our tour with a walk to stone town. The name refers to the stone buildings built by the Portuguese. Lime stone and coral was used to construct these buildings.

Freddie Mercury was born in Zanzibar and our first stop was the apartment he was born.

We continued through the narrow streets of stone town.

We did learn in Dar es Salaam that a motorcycle is called a bodahbodah. Border to border. It takes you from one area to another.

We stopped in a few shops, I purchased some coffee, and then we proceeded to the slave market.

Tippu Tip was the nickname of the slave master of Zanzibar. He was given the name because of the sound his gun made.

We saw where slaves were held until they were sold. The slaves came from many different countries in East Africa. Tribe leaders would sell off people they couldn’t manage after taking over another tribe. The Slave Master in Zanzibar would sell them to countries around the world.

Lots to learn here. I don’t remember learning about the slave trade on the eastern coast of Africa. Written on the wall in one of the cellars one can see that 75 slaves and children could be chained in one room. A room that you could barely stand in. Where the slaves were chained was a slab of concrete about 4 feet from the ceiling.

We came out of the slave holding area and Amour spoke to us about the slave master. The white man wasn’t even a part of this business. This was an Arab man from Oman selling slaves to any purchaser. Most went to India.

We worked our way back to the port.

We walked through the old fort. The theater area is a newer addition. Periodically they hold live concerts here.

We ended our day here in The Mercury Zanzibar. I wanted to tried the Monica Lewinsky but opted for a Kilimanjaro.

Getting on the tender is quite amazing. There is the noise, and hustle of the city. Cross the HAL security and you are once again in first class service. Cold towel? Glass of lemonade or iced tea? Chairs if you would like to sit and wait. Once back near the ship the service is the same. Line on the gangway? You will be served something to drink in line.

Dinner in the dining room as the ship began towards our next port. Outstanding dinner each nite.

The evening show was saxophonist Axos Laki. Axos told the audience that he is from a country that doesn’t exist anymore. Yugoslavia. It is now Serbia.

Axos played the tenor and he was very good. He helped the not so good stage band stay together. Good show of popular tunes. 8…

Zanzibar, Tanzania

November 12, 2022

Today we arrived in Zanzibar, an island off of the coast of Dar es Salaam. We only traveled about 40 miles overnight but we were still moving when I awoke. I saw the pilot boat come in and shortly after I heard the ship’s anchor being lowered. Zanzibar appears to have a port deep enough as I can see large container ships docked but the area is not that large and we will have to remain anchored.

This is the first port on this trip where we will have to take tenders ashore. The tenders on the ship double as lifeboats. They are lowered when needed and a gangway is used to board them.

We went to the dining room, grabbed a tender ticket and waited for our tender to be called. 5 tenders were being used to shuttle passengers back and forth. 75 in each tender and the wait was not long.

Yesterday we were able to speak with someone from the Sea Cliff Resort on Zanzibar and we made a tee time for golf at 10:30.

Our tender pulled in to port about 9:30. It was going to be tight to get there at 10:30. I sent a note to the resort and the response was no problem. Hakuna Matata.

Getting off of the tender I heard lot’s of “Jambo”. Isn’t it Mambo? I had to look up the Swahili word and it is definitely Jambo. I guess Dar es Salaam has its own pronunciation as it is Mambo or Hello over there. A lot of Hakuna Matata also.

Zanzibar seems to have a larger Arabic influence than Dar es Salaam in the way people dress and the way some buildings look. Dar es Salaam has experienced some tremendous growth and it is the financial hub of Tanzania. Looks like Zanzibar has been left behind.

The port area was very crowded. People always seem to be in your way when you are in a hurry. There are many seasoned travelers on the ship but few are in shape enough to get around as we do. We snaked our way through the crowd and made our way to the shuttle. The shuttle would take us to the Serena Hotel near Kelele Square. Better chance of finding a taxi there.

Once off the shuttle we heard lots of Jambo. We found a taxi and negotiated a price. I always start with offering half of what the asking price is. I may have to change to a quarter as there was no discussion. I asked Mohammed (it’s so easy to remember names here) if he took credit. Yes, Yes was the response. I did have some USD just in case.

The resort was about 7 to 10 miles out from the town. About 30 minutes with the traffic. Speed bumps are used to control speed. Lots of horns, weaving, near death experiences along the way. Both sides of the street were lined with businesses selling all kinds of merchandise. Most had corrugated metal roofs. Some rusted, some galvanized. Some looked like they might keep water out. Most didn’t. Living is different when it doesn’t rain much and the temperature doesn’t change. The ride out reminded me of Indonesia. Maybe Bali minus the Hindu influence. Obviously very poor. In some ways it reminded me of San Francisco and the many homeless encampments with a major difference. The people here were working to improve their lives. They were not sleeping on the sidewalk waiting for a government handout. People here were very friendly and happy that you were visiting. Come back to Zanzibar. We heard this over and over.

We arrived at the resort about 30 minutes late. Hakuna Matata. We were already checked in and our cart and clubs were waiting. I needed balls since I already lost the ones I brought from home. (I donated them to the course in Jordan). News balls? $30 for a package of 3. I don’t play well enough to justify that. 5 used balls for $10 is what I purchased.

We did meet some young boys along hole number 1 sticking their hands full of balls through the fence. Another purchase here.

Golf was fun. On hole 16 I called Mohammed to come get us. We would be waiting on hole 19.

We had a HAL tour this evening and the meeting time was 4:15 back at the port. Mohammad’s got us there at about 4:05. Perfect timing. This tour was a bus ride with a guide through stone town and then dinner at the Serena Hotel under the stars with live music.

Dinner was great but the music never happened. There are so many disclaimers on this tour that I’m sure that HAL has relieved themselves of any financial responsibility but we have been pleasantly surprised time and time again.

Our guide spoke English with a heavy Swahili accent. Usually it is that the wrong syllables are being emphasized in a word and when spoken rapidly it is difficult to understand. The stone town tour was rather meaningless but we are doing a private tour of the area tomorrow.

Tender back to the ship and preparations for tomorrow. Tour at 9am.…

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

November 11, 2022

Our second day in Tanzania began when our guide, Erik, picked us up. We had booked this tour months ago on trip advisor. This was a private tour with driver and guide.

First we were off to the fish market. This is the same market that I saw when we cruised into to port yesterday. Wow. What an assault on the senses. The smell was overwhelming. There were different stations for different types of activity. Station 1 for auctioning. Station 2 for cleaning of fish. Station 3 for cooking. Smells, flies, ice, butchering. I saw a man eating raw octopus off of a wood plank.

We spent about 30 minutes in the market. People were hard at work and very friendly. Mambo means “what’s happening” in Swahili. The response is Pua. Lot’s of Mambo here.

Our next stop is as museum. It was nice to learn some of the history here. The city was founded by Majid Bin Said in 1865 who was the first Sultan of Zanzibar. The Arabic name means Peaceful Home. This was the main administrative center of German East Africa. After The Great War, the British took over and it became British Tanganyika Territory. In 1961, Tanganyika gained independence from Britain and merged with Zanzibar to become Tanzania.

Next stop was the woodcarvers market. Unbelievable craftsmanship.

Our next stop was lunch to experience traditional Tanzanian food. We stopped at an open air restaurant and sat inside. We picked our food from about 4 choices. It was all steaming hot so we felt confident that we would not get ill. Flies were everywhere in the restaurant. A young lady came around and gave us a squirt of soap and poured hot water over our hands so we could wash them. The customers in the restaurant didn’t seem to mind the flies. They drove me bananas. The food was great. Eat fast and the flies go somewhere else.

After lunch we stopped at a bar to try some local gin.

After our drink, we went to an area that had homes from different tribes in Africa. These tribes still maintain connection with their people. Different tribes constructed homes in different ways.

We finished the tour with a trip to the War Memorial Cemetery. Stones were erected to remember those who gave their lives in the Great War.

Erik brought us back to the port and we were just in time for dinner.

[travelers-map]…

Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

November 10, 2022

Today we arrived in Tanzania and our first stop is Dar Es Salaam. I can’t say this country has ever been on my bucket list. I’m not even sure if I even knew it existed before we planned this trip.

We picked up the pilot about 7:30 am and began the journey into port. Impressive looking city from afar. I would have never guessed a city like this existed in this area of Africa.

According to our cruise director Jeremy, this city has experienced tremendous growth in the last few decades. As we pulled in, a few groups of entertainers played for us. The ship has been docking on the starboard side most of the trip. This gives us a great view right off of our balcony.

We have no tour scheduled today and our plan is to take the shuttle into downtown and walk to the golf course that we were unable to contact. Maybe we can play. Shuttle was only a few minutes and we were dropped off at the Sheraton Hotel. The walk to the course was 1.5 miles. It was hot and humid. Upper 80s. Lots of vehicle traffic complete with the required horn honking. Few if any sidewalks. Infrastructure on the poor side but trash management seemed to be better here. People everywhere. Most dressed nicely. Suits, colorful African dresses, school kids in uniform. Lots of people. Tuk-Tuk vehicles used here too. I did see some women carrying stuff on their heads. Looked like a picture from a National Geographic magazine.

The golf course was a bust. Looked like it had been watered last year sometime. Obviously closed.

We decided to walk to the Kerikoo market. Streets full of people selling everything. We stopped in a little store to purchase some water. Lucky for us, English is also an official language along with Swahili. My Swahili is just not up to where it should be. I asked the woman behind the counter if she took credit. No. US Dollars? No. “What are you looking for”, she asked. Water, was my response. I can help you, she said. She went to the cooler and gave us a bottle of water each. Free. She also gave a bottle each to two ship people who decided to follow us because we had a map to the market. Hospitality. I like this place.

The walk to the market was a struggle. Everyone is on the rode at the same time. Bikes, motor cycles, people pushing carts, cars, trucks. Horns, horns, horns. You don’t wait for anyone because you will wait forever. It is never ending. Want to cross the street? You go. Never mind that 2 tuk-tuk’s, 3 bicycles, and 6 cars are coming. This was definitely an example of old world meeting new. You would have never guess this market existed in such a modern looking city.

The couple that tagged along with us were completely lost. They had a map from the ship but it was not detailed enough to get you anywhere. John and Teen. John said this reminded him of Saigon. I told him I was just thinking the same thing but only from pictures. He was quite fearful of getting robbed either by force or lack of haggling skills. He was obviously a Veteran and asked if I was military. He reminded me of other Vietnam era veterans that I have met. It is not possible to “un see” what was done over there and most seem to be carrying that around with them.

We worked our way back to the Hilton and sat down and had a beer and a glass of wine (glass of ice on the side please).

We spent some time here chatting with John and Teen and enjoyed the free wifi. John was in the Navy and Teen was Vietnamese. She was adopted by a couple in Minnesota in 1972. I helped her download the maps.me program I use to navigate. I was surprised by her heavy Vietnamese accent after being here for 50 years.

I was surprised by the number of ship people hanging out in the lobby. They obviously had no tour scheduled and I guess this is “getting off” of the ship. Lots of people do not have cellular service nor do they purchase the ridiculously priced package on the ship. Having free wifi is like being in a candy store for them.

We had lunch on the ship and relaxed in the room until dinner. I was completely soaked from the experience out in the heat.

The evening entertainment was a local Tanzanian group. The Tanzanian Boys Circus. 5 young men that I guess were under 30. 4 of them did most of the show. The fifth one was a soloist.

I can’t remember the last time I was so entertained and impressed. Amazing acrobatic moves showing shear strength. If Ed Sullivan were still around, they would have made it to his show. I suggest that you look up this group on YouTube. They are really unbelievable. The 5th member is what I would call a contortionist. I can’t even believe what he was able to do. You guessed it. 10

…

at Sea

November 9, 2022

Last day at sea before our four day stop in Tanzania.

We attended a meeting for those who are going on the overnight to Victoria Falls and the Chobe Game Lodge for a safari. This is a 5 day, 4 night excursion off of the ship. It was a very informative session that included things like malaria protection, insect repellent, visas, passports, etc. We start in Maputo and take a flight to Johannesburg. We stay at the 54 on Bath Hotel in Soweto. The next day we fly to Victoria Falls where we stay at the Victoria Falls Hotel. The next day we go to the Chobe Game Lodge where we spend the next 2 nights. 2 flights to Capetown where we meet the ship. We begin this excursion on November 19.

Another wine tasting today. I like to do wine tastings but find the other folks there to be a bit pretentious. If you like a wine, great. Does anyone really care if you notice a hint of carob or the color happens to be bright? What happened to less filling, tastes great? The sommelier, Rod, is very knowledgeable and does a great presentation. We tasted 4 “old world” wines. They would have gone well with a side of aspirin. I didn’t have a favorite this time. Terri liked the Merlot from Romania. Papa Ruda. 100% Merlot.

The cheese and grape plate went down rather easily.

We had dinner with Jim, Lois, Bill and Nancy again. We had planned this Monday to celebrate the midterm election. I didn’t bring the fireworks I had planned on bringing.

The evening entertainment was Paul Stepien. We saw him a few nights ago and this was supposedly a new show. Many of these entertainers only have one show to present and Paul was no exception. He relied on many things he had already done. We were disappointed.

…

At Sea

November 8, 2022

Today was the day we crossed the equator. Without delay, here is the picture you are looking for.

There is a tradition of this ship and maybe others, employees that have never crossed the equator on the ship are “guppies” and they must go through a ritual in front of King Neptune. Employees that have gone through the experience assist in the ritual. In this sense, it reminds me of band camp. Students that were most afraid of band camp made sure that “newbies” had the worst experience possible. Thereby relieving themselves of the guilt they had for their own fear. Here, experienced employees ordered underlings around wearing pirate costumes.

The pictures show King Neptune with his Queen. The Zanzibar singers and dancers are in front of them. After admitting to their sins of bad performances they are directed to the other end of the pool where they are covered with what looks to be cake frosting. The ships officers then give a thumbs up or down if the slathered group can enter the pool to wash off or be sentenced to bake in the sun. I saw a thumbs up.

We received a notice of poor internet in the coming days. Not sure how it can get any worse.

…

At Sea

November 7, 2022

Another day of perfect weather. 

We did team trivia and lightning trivia. In lightning trivia, 30 seconds are given after the question and then the answer is given. We are full of meaningless facts but there always seems to be room for more. Everyone in our group seems to be able to contribute and that makes it fun.

It is hard to get news in the location we are in. The internet is not stable enough to download anything. The ship provides access to some free online newspapers but the latest edition is almost a week old.

We had dinner with two couples we met early in the cruise. Jim and Lois and Bill and Nancy. We met them in a game of trivia. I know that Jim is a retired surgeon but occupations really didn’t come up. Both couples live in Cincinnati and Bill and Nancy have a second home in northern Michigan.

We did talk politics for almost half of the dinner. We discussed how it is nearly impossible to talk with those that play for the other team. We decided to meet for dinner on Wednesday night to celebrate the Tuesday midterm election results. Needless to say, they play for our team.

Dinner went later than we planned and we missed the evening entertainment.…

At Sea

November 6, 2022

Another great day at sea. Beautiful weather and water as far as the eye can see. We are traveling about 500 miles from the coast of Somalia. Far enough that to avoid any problems. We are heading slightly southeast. The sun rises on the port side of the ship and sets on the starboard side

We made it to Sunday Brunch today. The food just kept coming. Nothing to order, there are samples of many dishes on the many courses. Outstanding.

We had another time change last night and we are 8 hours ahead of home. In a few days we will be passing he equator and there is a ceremony for all ship staff that have never crossed the equator on a ship. It involves the swimming pool, King Neptune and kissing a fish.

We are considering booking a round of golf in Tanzania but it appears to be difficult to do from the ship. None of the courses have a page on the internet for setting up a time and calling them doesn’t seem possible from our location. At least not a wifi call. The internet is much too unstable and a call will not go through.

We continuously have more than 6 members in our trivia group. 6 is the limit but 8 doesn’t to seem to provide any additional help. There are no prizes given to the winning group. I would be happy with a muffin. At the music trivia, I was the only one that had answers to any of the recordings that were played. Most of the group said they never listened to music from the era that was played. Foreigner, Styx, Pink Floyd, Alice Cooper, Queen. I recognized all of the tunes but one. Titles didn’t come as fast. We scored in the middle of the pack. One of groups said they got them all right.

During the general knowledge trivia no one appears confident enough in their own answer and many times our scribe will write down an answer that someone else gave. The confidence level is very high when the answers are given and they happened to be correct. We all have the same reaction. Hands in the air, “That’s what I said”. Why didn’t you write it down?

We made dinner plans with a few couples we met on the ship for Monday night.

The internet is unbelievably slow. It isn’t stable enough to do anything that requires two factor authentication like logging in to your bank account. A text message and security code will be sent to your phone to verify it is you. Unfortunately it does not arrive soon enough to use.

The water appears to be very calm but it still has large swells. It makes sleeping great but workouts at the gym fascinating…

at Sea

November 5, 2022

Today we headed northeast through the Gulf of Aden. There is a shipping lane that is monitored by local authorities and also by the U.S. Navy. These keeps us far away from

Somalia which is our biggest threat. The Captain said we wouldn’t be turning South until sometime tomorrow.

It’s amazing how quickly the days pass. I can still remember the days in elementary school. It seemed like hours between 3:00 and 3:15. The second hand just didn’t move as fast as it should. Now I want it to stop moving so fast. When did this change?

Today is my grand daughters 4th birthday. Wasn’t she just born yesterday? We did manage a FaceTime call late afternoon which was early morning back home.

Today we received forms that need to be filled out for entry into and out of Tanzania. Paper forms that haven’t been adjusted to indicate that the sex check box is optional nor a spot asking about my pronouns. I’m not sure what to think.

There is a meeting of our tour to Victoria Falls where our Safari begins. The tour is in a few weeks but the meeting is Tuesday. All these days at sea is a good time to take care of these things.

Tonight’s entertainment was Paul Stepian. Paul was from Poland and was billed as a “multi instrumentalist”. By his own admission, he was a flutist that also carried around a midi-controller in the shape of a clarinet. This instrument has a reed and senses pressure changes to manipulate the tone. The tone generated is controlled by a switch on the instrument and the user is able to play any of the standard midi sounds. He demonstrated a tenor sax, harmonica, and a few other instruments. He began his set with his standard flute covering a few Michael Jackson tunes. Very impressive. He took out the midi controller covered some Stevie Wonder. He did a medley of movie soundtracks where he used is alto and piccolo flute. Great performance and fantastic musician. Maybe some of the weaker acts make me give him such a high rating. 10

…

at Sea

November 4, 2022

Today we continued on our way through the Red Sea and I could see some land as we passed through the strait that separates Jabouti from Yemen. Upper 80s and very humid. The Sea is relatively calm. I did hear about some excitement that happened early in the morning as two small watercraft were near the ship and security watched them carefully and were ready to react. Captain Smit said nothing about this at his noon announcement.

I attended an informational talk about our next stop Dar Es Salaam. Not a typical tourist stop and the guides may or may not be language proficient and knowledgeable about the area. They do accept USD and Euros but small denominations are needed.

Average day with team trivia. What part of the body has the most gold. It’s not teeth. What musical is “We’re in the money” from. I have conducted the musical twice but had no answer. Shame. I should have been paying more attention. I did know what kind of acid is found in an automobile battery.

We had dinner next to a mother traveling with her son. They were from Florida and Terri asked what they thought of their governor. We are huge fans. I had already sized them up as Libs and wanted no part of the conversation. Mom didn’t like him because he is taking women backwards. How? Abortion was her only answer. Son said he doesn’t like immigrants. He mentioned the statue of liberty and the welcoming message. No response on legal immigration. New friends made.

The evening entertainment was vocalist Maria Campos. She sang songs from musicals that made it from stage to screen. We sat next to Jose and during the first number I already knew Jose was on his way out. Terri kept flashing 2 fingers. I gave her a one and Terri came back with a zero. Our dissatisfaction with her performance had nothing to do with her ability to sing. She can sing very well. The music was canned and I can’t even rate the band. The songs she sang would be fine during a musical as the words provide the storyline. When you hear one of these tunes outside of the musical, especially one you haven’t seen, the words become rather meaningless. Fans of musicals probably gave her a ten. We left to play some cards.…

at Sea

November 3, 2022

Breakfast is quite amazing. There is so much variety it can be difficult to decide. Yogurt? Greek, plain or flavored. Fruit? All kinds already cut for you. Baked goods? Sticky buns, croissants, chocolate croissants. Bagels of all kinds. Toasted? Just asked. Cream cheese, jelly, or some other spread? Eggs. Any kind you want cooked to order. Omelets? yes. Bacon, sausage, links or patties? pork or turkey? Potatoes? yes.Cheeses and cold cuts of all kinds. Waffle station. Pancake Station. Pasta station. Breads of all kinds. Cereal? Only 6 varieties. Can you see why people complain?

Miss muffins is now sitting with a couple that is obviously from Germany. After each complaint I hear. Yaw, yaw, yaw.

We are quite disciplined. Raisin bran for me and Terri has oatmeal. Sometimes I’ll have a few boiled eggs. Today I had 2 over medium. Discipline isn’t as hard as you might think. A look at fellow passengers can put you on the correct path quickly. Lot’s of extra flesh here.

Very warm today as we walked by the open area by the pool. Upper 80s is my guess. We are almost exactly in the center of the Red Sea, 100 miles from each coast. No cell service and the satellite internet is poor. That is something I could complain about.

Group trivia usually provides some good laughs. At what age did King Tut assume power? At what age did he die? The Valley of the Kings was in a town originally called Thebes. What is it called today?

Music trivia was very difficult. 60s and 70s but there were at least two tunes that no one recognized. Our host is from Colombia and her selection of tunes could have been influenced by that. We were one short of 6 so we called over a woman who was sitting alone. She tried to contribute but her insistence of having a mask over her face made it impossible to understand.

The sun is setting at 4:45 and by the time we get into the dining room it is dark.

Evening entertainment was impressionist Robbie Howard. A former Las Vegas headliner, Robbie began the act with some Frank Sinatra. Spot on! He continued with Tom Jones and She’s a Lady. Great rendition. He spoke after singing the tune and sounded just like him. I expected to see panties being thrown on stage but none appeared. He continued with short selections of famous artists doing their hits. He stopped at one point and did a Johnny Carson monologue. Fantastic. The highlight of the show had to be 3 men that he pulled out of the audience and had them each in front of a mic. He of course did a short interview of each man asking what they did in life. Consultant, accountant, farmer. He told the audience that no matter where in the world he is, he can always make three men sound just like the Mills Brothers. Their part? On cue they were to sing something like doot doot doo be wah, doot doot wah. The tune was Cab Driver. The band started, Robbie sang and then pointed. I can’t remember when I have laughed so hard. Of course the farmer, Pete, sounded like a seal barking for some fish. Robbie went over to his Pete’s mic and moved it closer to him so the audience could enjoy it even more. He told Pete that there was an agent in the balcony that would be interested in him. A sea world agent.

What a show but band that accompanied him was really weak. We heard them play ballroom dancing tunes last week sometime. The pianist was in his own world and didn’t work with any of the band members. Robbie did a great job cueing but he was out to lunch.

Leaving out the band it was a great show! 10

…

at Sea

November 2, 2022

Today we begin an eight day stretch at sea. Through the Red Sea and around the horn of Africa. Today we received this:

Captain Smit said that there hasn’t been terrorist and piracy in this area for some time and this High Risk warning is to be cancelled January 1 of the coming year..

8 days is required to get to Tanzania, our next port. We will be passing Somalia, and Ethiopia. I can’ say these countries are on my bucket list. Tanzania requires a Visa. All countries but the USA $86.50. USA passport holders $136.50. Someone doesn’t like us.

Back to the routine of workouts. At least the view is nice. I wish there was a way to remove the TV screen on these.

The team trivia team we have adopted is still in the middle of the pack but we have fun. Jose was correct with the element on the periodic table with the shortest name. I knew what http stood for. Terri knew what the game that was originally titled “Conquer the World” was. Richard knew the largest Gorilla species. Richard thought the longest running play in Britain was the Phantom of the Opera. I told him that is not a play but a musical. We never came up with the right answer.

After the game LJ complained that her 2010 Toyota Prius would start all by itself and some people have died from carbon monoxide poisoning. I suggested that she have a mechanic put a kill switch in. She keeps it outside of her house because she is afraid it will start and she will die from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Jose said that he saw a woman complaining to a chef that there is not enough variety in the cookies that are available. She also wanted raisin bran without raisins. 2 women this morning complained that the oatmeal was too runny.

I guess I find this complaining entertaining. Miss muffins had two at her table today. They shared complaints about all kinds of things from Nordstom’s to the tour at the Valley of the Kings. They are quite loud and it is difficult not to hear them.

Dressy night at dinner. My date.

We skipped the Zaandam singers and dancers tonight and opted to watch a movie.…

Safaga , Egypt

November 1, 2022

Today we docked in the port city of Safaga. Nothing to see here but there are side trips to Luxor. We did a cruise of the Nile years ago and have been to Luxor. We decided to take a bus ride into Hurghada, about an hour away. We collected our passports again yesterday as Egypt is requiring that we carry them.

Our bus leaves at 10 am and instructions were to meet out on the pier. We showed up on time and were led to the appropriate bus. We selected our seats carefully. One unwritten rule about bus tours is there is no switching seats. Once a seat is selected, it is yours for the remainder of the trip.

The bus led us to the customs area where we were instructed to get off of the bus. Some carried bags. I left mine on the bus. Inside customs there was a conveyor belt for bags and a scanner. Bags were loaded onto the scanner. Mine remained on the bus. We walked through the scanner. Lights flashed, beepers sounded. Some passengers made a fuss. The customs agents didn’t move much. One had his feet up on a table. Everyone walked through and then grabbed their bags. The fuss over passports was for nothing. No one asked. No one cared. The sawed off shotgun I carry in my back pack was safe in the bus.

We use an app called GPsMyCity and follow walking tours in cities all over the world. Most of the tours are outstanding. I don’t believe there is much to see in this city but maybe some shopping and fun haggling.

The bus was a HAL tour and the complainers were in full force. “Are there maps? We were told there would be maps.” Marco was our guide on this trip. ”We can’t hear you back here”. This is the kind of behavior that drives us insane. Most act like they are 8 years old but do not listen like an 8 year old. They don’t listen. Period. I like 8 year olds.

Fortunately we had strong cell service the entire route. There was a lot to see on the way if you like sand. Plains of sand, blowing sand, ripples of sand, sand mounds. Exciting. We arrived in town and were off the bus first and on our way.

Our walking tour only had 6 stops. We decided to stop for something to eat since it was already past lunch time. We found a restaurant that had a 4.5 star rating on trip advisor. We sat down and placed our order. Language was limited. Any questions we had about the menu that involved any detail were met with a confused look. I ordered the Chicken Schwarma and Terri the Spring Rolls. Nothing like some good Egyptian food with an Arabic touch. We waited and waited some more. After about 30 mins someone came in and went right into the kitchen. I guess the chef was still in bed. We waited some more with more apologies from the waiter. Finally the food arrived. Chicken Schwarma with french fries. Something new. Terri had some rolls. She had me taste one. Still cold from the freezer. No use complaining to people who can’t understand us. We finished and paid our bill. Chicken Schwarma, Spring Rolls, bottled water, two glasses of wine. $13.50. Nothing to complain about here.

Our first stop on the walking tour was the marina area. The city reminded us of Cairo. Failing infrastructure. Bad sidewalks, buildings in extreme disrepair, lots of trash everywhere. Lots of open businesses selling tourist junk. The marina area was very nice and people entering have to past through security. Lots of beeping through scanners but no one paid much attention. I guess this is the Egyptian way.

This are was very well maintained and it was obvious it was strictly for tourists or those with money. The shops were nice but they sold the same junk as the ones out on the streets.

We were off to the next stop which was a shopping area that sold all kinds of nice things. The walk along the way was rough terrain. Nice paving brick sides walk half torn up. Bolts sticking up in the sidewalk where a street lamp used to be. A donkey pulling a cart. Lots and lots of traffic. People here drive with the horn first, steering wheel second. Beep, beep, beep beep, beeeeeeeeeep. It was non stop.

This is the country that probably had the greatest culture in the world 5 to 6 thousand years ago. They left us the greatest artifacts ever found. The pyramids, the great stone statues, mummified remains. All that is left is people hawking souvenirs of a culture that they have no connection to and cities that are a crumbling mess.

I guess some things are fair as I live in the State of Michigan with the worst roads in the world and I do remember having my pickup truck over filled. Maybe not quite as much as the gentlemen below.

The walk was 1.5 miles. When we arrived there were no signs of anything shopping area as pictured. Another victim of Covid 19 shutdowns is my guess. We had very little luck with the other sights on the app. It really needs some updating but my guess is they can’t find anyone who wants to work. We did pass 2 nice looking mosques along the way.

Pick up time was 5 pm. We stopped in a hotel for a drink and then boarded the bus. The one hour trip went by quickly. Back in the port there were more games with customs. Get off of the bus, go through the security screening area and then back on the bus. Same dumb look on the customs agents. I probably had a similar look I my face. We are learning the system. This time we took our bags, put them on the conveyor and let the lights flash and sirens sound, grab our bags and then we walked the several hundred yards to the the ship We probably saved 30 mins as all of the passengers …

Aqaba, Jordan

October 31, 2022

Today we are playing golf at the Ayla Golf Club. I booked a teetime about 6 weeks ago for 9am. Hasan arrived about 7:45 and he had us go with a different driver. Probably more port issues.

The club was only 10 minutes away. Beautiful course. Large incentive for not hitting off the fairway as the course was built on sand. Only the irrigated areas had grass.

We hit the driving range first and then played 18 holes.

Great course and we had it to ourselves the entire day. The manager told us that Thursday through Sunday it is packed with golfers.

We had lunch at the club and returned to the ship about 3.

Halloween party in the mainstage theater. We chose to skip it but could hear the band playing in our room. Good group and they covered some difficult tunes. Some Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Wonder. All “spooky” music. Rhythm section was solid and vocalists pretty tight.Since we weren’t at the show I won’t rate.…

Aqaba, Jordan

October 30, 2022

Aqaba is the Port city of Jordan. If you arrive by ship to Jordan, this is the cruise ship port. The most popular tours in Jordan are; overnite at Wadi Rum, Petra, and the Dead Sea. When we were here in 2019, we did these three. I have kept in contact with our guide, Morad, over the years and he is going to take care of us today.

More customs silliness today. Usually, the ship staff takes all of the passports to customs to get them stamped. Port authorities now want to have a “face to face” with each passenger. This means that the ship has to have passengers pick up their passports and take them with them to the port. Everyone, regardless of whether they are leaving the ship for a tour, has to be off the boat by 10 am. Morad called me earlier in the morning and said that Hasan was going to pick us up at 10. We left the ship, went to the customs tent where a HAL staff member collected our passports. No port authority looked at my passport and it was never opened. More “no binoculars” calls out to passengers. I guess the King is worried that you may see him on his luxury yacht. Just a guess.

Our cruise director told us that in order to return to the port, we had to take the shuttle bus. No private drivers allowed. We made a note of that but Hasan said he can take us by car. We met with Hasan and he took us to a glass bottom boat to do some more snorkeling. Our pilot was Captain Morain. We went out for a 3 hour tour. Why does that make me think of something? The Captain had a fishing line with a lure attached. He let it out as we traveled. It looked like the string you get at home depot when you tie lumber to the roof of your car. Twenty minutes into the trip he had a large tuna. Perfect for his dinner. The boat was slow moving but we were able to see interesting things that were out in the ocean for divers. A huge Iranian airliner. A German tank, ships of various kinds. Fascinating to see.

About an hour in to our tour, we stopped at a reef for some snorkeling. Just the two of us, no hoards of people. Spectacular views. The water was extremely clear. I kept asking the Captain how deep the water was before I jumped in because it looked so shallow. 300 meters, 400 meters, were his responses. My head never even went under water when I jumped in.

We did three different areas and then headed back to the dock. Hasan was there to pick us up and he took us back to the ship. No problem getting into the port. He yelled a few Arabic words at the Port Police and away we went. We had a quick lunch in the Lido and then took the shuttle back into town. We needed to get some items from the pharmacy. One thing we failed to consider was protection from Malaria. We purchased Hydroxychloroquine over the counter from the pharmacy.

We hopped on the shuttle again and went back to the ship. Hasan was going to take us to a restaurant for traditional Jordanian food. He arrived at the ship at 5:30 and was talking with police. We started to get into his car and then he said you are going to have to go in this van and I will meet you outside the port. ??? The new driver was stopped at the port gate where he argued for almost 30 minutes. Something about having permission……

The restaurant was simple and full of patrons. The food was great. Lamb, rice, and something called Mansaf which we used as a gravy. Delicious. As you can see, street animals like it too.

As Hasan approached the port gate, the police were there and he said he would have to take us to where the shuttle bus pick up is. We went and waited. One of the pictures shows a gypsy boy trying to sell me water. He didn’t like no.

15 minutes went by and no shuttle. Hasan said we would try the port again. This time, no police and it was a breeze.

Tomorrow we have a teetime for golf at 9am. Hasan will take us.

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Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt

October 29, 2022

Today we arrived in Port about 8 am. Immigration authorities kept changing their minds on what to do. We left the ship after 9 am and were in line for security check. No binoculars allowed. A passenger next to me said to me “what’s the difference, a telephoto camera lens or binoculars? When it was his turn, “no telephoto lens on cameras allowed”, said the officer.

Most of the folks had a HAL tour and boarded busses. I think most of us were going to the same place but paid different prices. Out tour was one quarter the price of the HAL Tour.

Today is snorkeling in the Ras Mohammed National Park and a stop to White Island.

Pickup for us was outside the Port gates. We walked there and had a bit of trouble finding our bus. When we found our driver, we sat and waited for an additional 4 passengers. 4 folks who looked completely lost finally boarded the bus. We weren’t in the bus for 5 minutes when a woman asked if she could be brought back to the ship at 1 pm. This was an all day tour, all aboard was 4:30. Good thing our driver understood little English. The other 4 passengers were quite concerned that the tour was not going to be able to drop them back at the ship in time to get on before departure. I was starting to question why they even chose the tour.

When we got on the boat the crew introduced themselves. Each crew member had the same name. Mohammad. Easy to remember.

An hour or so out we stopped for our first snorkeling experience on this tour. There must have been 40 other boats with 40 or so passengers each tied off here. It was obvious that the boats were here every day and many boats tied off to each other.

The snorkeling provided views of some great coral reefs. The downside was the numerous people out doing the same thing.

The pictures are not necessarily in chronological order. You will see a picture of the young chic I married almost 20 yrs ago. Some photos of the coral reef. White Island is nothing but a sand bar in the middle of the ocean. One of the Mohammads told me it is much bigger in the middle of Summer and in the Winter it disappears.

It was approaching 3 pm and I knew we would be cutting it close to all aboard time of 4:30. The woman who wanted to leave by 1 pm asked me if I thought they were going to get us back by 4. I told her no, they will get us back to the port by 4:30. “How do you know”, was her response. I told her that I have done enough of these trips to know that they do not want to spoil their reputation by delivering us late. I also told her the ship would wait. HAL does do a fair job at convincing folks that the ship will leave without them. I learned from our cruise director on the world cruise that this is not the case. The hassle of leaving people behind without would be something they do not want to deal with.

We pulled into port about 4:20. I could see the look of worry all over our fellow HAL passengers. I was in constant communication with the tour company using WhatsApp. Most of the world uses this to communicate. They assured me that they would call the ship if need be. I wasn’t worried but Terri was getting concerned and she tried to call the ship. She gave up when the connection would be at $7.95 per minute. We could see the ship from where the tour boat docked. I know from watching the ship leave, port after port, that the Captain leaves 30 minutes after all aboard. The mooring lines aren’t even touched until the gangway is hauled in. I wasn’t the least bit concerned but couldn’t convince others.

Our driver was waiting when we got off of the ship. We sat in there while he waited for other passengers going to their hotel. Obviously he didn’t know he had concerned ship folks aboard. It was 4:35 before we left for the ship. 5 minute drive. At the port gate we needed to get out and walk through customs and security. It was intense security. Officers waived you through if you had a passport in your hand. Opening it wasn’t required. The metal detector sounded constantly as we all walked through. Not a concern. As we walked out of the customs building, there was a van waiting for us. The ship was at the pier and was still several hundred yards from us. The custom officer said that the van would take us back out of the port gate where we would board a bus to take us to the ship. Is this the epitome of ridiculousness? The van was pointed the way we just came in. We would go back out of the port to just come right back in. We got out and started to walk to the ship. This kind of thing is hard to take.

Probably a five minute walk for the two of us. The bus was still on the other side of customs.

We went to dinner and then played some music trivia with Jose and Clare. Motown! Wish we would have done better. 9 out of 16. Some of the tunes weren’t Motown but the young woman doing the trivia obviously knew none of the tunes or the artists anyway.…

October 28, 2022

Today we entered the Suez canal. It was 5 am when we started moving into the canal. Ships are grouped together and move as a convoy from each end and pass when the canal widens at the Great Bitter Lake. The 120 miles takes 10 -12 hours. Completed in 1869, the canal cuts about 5500 miles off of the journey from the Red Sea to London. That’s about 10 days of ship travel.

One of the photos shows a swing bridge that connects a rail line to the other side. A matching bridge on the other side and connects in the middle. The deck you see is next to the gym. The treadmills have the same view.

One of the things I remember about this area were the numerous biting houseflies. That really kept us from sitting outside for too long.

We have kept the same group for the past few days in group trivia. We had some laughs talking about the complainers aboard. Jose said he met a woman that complained about the lack of variety in food. Hard to believe. Day 18 and I haven’t had the same thing for dinner yet. I mentioned miss muffins from breakfast and Jose said she is probably lonely and is seeking attention. It isn’t working for her as I see her sitting alone everyday. I think her travel partner gave up.

We tried the music trivia and had a perfect score. Short cuts from pop tunes of the 1950s. Name the tune and artist. The guitar solo from Rock Around the Clock. Piece of cake. Tammy-Debbie Reynolds, Volare-Dean Martin, Mack the Knife-Bobby Darin. Much too easy.

General knowledge trivia didn’t go as well. We did get the largest country in South America. We missed the country that the pretzel was invented in. No, Germany isn’t it.

Egypt changed its mind about passports. We need to have them when we leave the ship and had to pick them up. Normally the ship holds on to them.

Our tour tomorrow was booked through Viator. They contacted me today through WhatsApp. Pickup time at 8:45 am. They did confirm they will have us back by all aboard time of 4:30.

4 busy port days ahead. Snorkeling in Egypt, snorkeling in Jordan, golf in Jordan, sightseeing in Safaga, Egypt.…

At Sea

October 27, 2022
Today is our final day cruising through the Mediterranean Sea. The Captain said that in order to enter the Suez Canal, ships have to arrive the day before by 11 pm. We will arrive by 10 pm and drop anchor until canal authorities give permission to enter the canal. The Captain suspects we will be on our way at about 5 am but anything is possible.

Another sunny day with temps in the 70s. Workout, lunch by the pool and then we had a Port and Sherry tasting in the main dining room at 2 pm. There were about 8 of us seated.

from right to left….

Graham’s Six Grapes Reserve Port, Warre’s Ottima Tawny Port (10 yrs), Tio Pepe Palomino Fino Sherry, Emilio Lustau Pedro Ximenez

We visited the Sandeman Port winery during our visit to Porto, Portugal back in 2019 so we knew a bit about port. Port is a fortified wine that has alcohol added to it top stop the fermenting process. This leaves the wine sweeter and it travels well. The British wanted to bring wine back home with them and they discovered that adding brandy to it would give the wine more stability to travel in harsh conditions aboard ships.

Portugal has 250 grape varieties but only 6 are used for Port. Graham’s tasted good. My second favorite. I gave Warre’s a 5. The Tio Pepe is rough. We had a bottle back in the room and it is definitely an acquired taste. It is used to cleanse the palate before a meal. Mine needs no cleansing and I am able to start a meal with no help. The Pedro Ximenez was my favorite. The sweetest of all. Good for after dinner.

The other tasters tried to appear that they were experts on this subject by constantly correcting, interjecting, and questioning the sommelier who gave the presentation. ”There is no standard in taste of wine, poetry, prose, art, cigars, and etcetera. Each man’s own taste is the standard, and a majority vote cannot affect the supremacy of your own standard.” This was printed at the top of the tasting event letter. I didn’t feel this was the atmosphere. We had a good laugh about it.

We did the 4 pm group trivia and met Jose, Kathy, Clare, and LJ. We scored fairly well finishing with an 11 out of 17. We missed the rarest type of blood and the name of a group of sharks. The group was insistent on Steamboat Willie as Disney’s first film. I said Snow White. The answer? Snow White.

We invited Jose to join us for dinner. He has traveled and worked around the world teaching. His favorite countries are Turkey and Vietnam. We agreed that Turkey was nice but haven’t been to Vietnam yet. He seems to be happy being a loner. 2 marriages, 28 years and 9 years probably have been enough. He does have a daughter who lives in Texas near his first wife. We compared notes on the excursions we have done. Jose agreed that the HAL tours are safer but slower. The tours are marked with the amount of effort required to participate. Easy, moderate, strenuous. The last two tours we did were marked strenuous. On one tour, a woman sat on the bus the entire tour because she could barely walk. I guess the definition of strenuous means different things to different people. We had a nice dinner and thanked him for joining us.

The evening entertainment was vocalist Magali Dahan. Her show was ”An Evening in Paris”. Magali was born in Luxembourg but her roots are Egyptian. She speaks at least 5 languages fluently. I guess I expected a French accent when she spoke. She sounded like she was from Ohio. She is a very good vocalist but I thought her show needed work. I’m not sure how covering Can’t Help Falling in Love and also My Way into her set of French standards added anything. Elvis and Sinatra are tough to cover. Both of them were long gone before she was even on the planet. Terri kept waving 2 fingers at me the entire performance and then upped it to a 4 at the end. With a good programming coach, she could do very well. Her show tonight was a 5.

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