Report #89 Day at Sea March 30, 2018 Friday Partly cloudy & 82 degrees

Today was a special day for many as it was Good Friday and the evening for the Seder Dinner in the Lido.  That means that Easter is around the bend.  And we will not be here.  So we will wish everyone a most Happy Easter ahead of time.

 

Today there was a special presentation and a Question/Answer session with Orlando Ashford and Gerald Bernhoft in the Queen’s Lounge at 2:30pm.  We had spent some time at the Seaview Pool, and were having our Dive-In Grill lunch at that exact same time.  Knowing that the entire talk would be televised later, we felt it not necessary to squeeze into the lounge.  We heard later that the folks filled deck five after 1pm just to get seats. 

 

So we did get second-hand reports about the news of the day as delivered by Gerald, Captain Mercer, Orlando, and Henk Mensink.  The most interesting details were given about the 2020 world cruise.  We understand it will be the itinerary that goes down to Antarctica again and also include South Africa.  This has not happened on the Amsterdam since 2012.  That’s nice, and we think everyone was happy about it.  It will be a long one with 120 plus days.

 

We spent the afternoon packing for our overland trip to Kruger National Park.  We are leaving tomorrow in Maputo, and returning on April 4^th, the second day that the ship will be docked in Cape Town.  This will not be our first time going to this camp, so we are excited to go back.  But there is not any internet there, so we will do our best to keep up with the reports and pictures, then post when we get back.  Hopefully, we will be able to share some good adventures with everyone.

 

Around 4:15pm, we went to the front desk to mail some cards.  We heard applause coming from the lounge, and realized the talks were still going on.  Gosh, that was almost two hours for the presentation.  Guess the questions kept coming to the panel.  Since we always take the big seats in the atrium, we happened to catch some of our buddies who attended the big show.  For an hour, we got the low down on some of the questions that were asked.  Some were pretty funny.

 

Tomorrow, we should be able to gather our passports once the Mozambique officials have cleared the ship.  This has been one moment that we have had some worry about.  Now we are very glad that we had gone the mile and gotten our visas ahead of time.  Now we keep our fingers crossed that all will work as planned.

 

Dinner originally had empire chicken on the menu, but it was changed to whole roasted chicken.  Darn.  You would think chicken is chicken, but the empire one is far superior, we think.  It was still good because we added lots of cranberry sauce.  Two of our tablemates were missing tonight.  Ken had attended the Seder Dinner, and Brenda was not feeling well.  Seems she has been under the weather ever since her Indian excursion. 

 

We will be back soon…….so stay tuned.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

Happy Easter to all!!

Report #88 Day at Sea March 29, 2018 Thursday Partly cloudy & 85 degrees 23 Pictures

Some days are just full of things to do, and today was one of them.  Once again, the dining room breakfast was held in the upper level, because the second of the special lunches for the Mariner’s Society was held at 11:30am.  This group included those with 500 to 899 pure sea days sailed with HAL.  That was somewhere around 240 guests.  A special event was reserved for those of us with 1400 or more days, but more about that later.

 

Although the forecast called for clouds, there were none.  The sky was perfectly blue, and the seas were choppy.  There was a following wind, with occasional winds blowing across the decks.  It was most pleasant once again, sitting at the back pool.  Visiting with friends was even better. 

 

While we were taking in the sun, ship life continued with lectures, jewelry unveiling, a Test Kitchen session,  and the daily movie.  Ads for the photo gallery, the casino, and future cruises are first and foremost things for folks to check out.  The Greenhouse Spa offered so many treatments, it is hard to keep up with it. 

 

After a Dive In Grill lunch, we spent some time putting our things together to take on our upcoming overland adventure.  Thinking we might use our new pieces of luggage we got on this trip, we changed our minds.  There will be a large number of guests going to the airport for a flight to Johannesburg, like us.  Better believe many of them will be using the same bag.  Without a doubt, this could be a problem at the airport.  As long as we keep the one suitcase under 44 pounds, we should be fine.   We do have a hand-held scale, but if we did not, there is a digital scale outside the Housekeeping office for all to use.

 

Our 2 week delivery of sodas appeared this afternoon for our President’s Club amenity.  Perfect timing, since we were running low.

 

Our day had to wrap up early, because we had been invited to a special cocktail party and dinner. Despite the fact that the dress code was casual, we knew from past affairs like this required a gala theme.   Beginning at 6pm, we joined the line of President’s Club guests for a royal reception at the Piano Bar, which had been closed off to traffic.  Greeted by Orlando Ashford, the President of HAL, we met his wife Samantha once again.  The annual photo was taken with this nice couple, who we have gotten to know a little better for the last three years.  Further down the receiving line was Captain Mercer, who was practicing his Dutch welcome with the three kisses on the cheek.  His wife Karen laughed as she said he was having the most fun tonight.  Next to them were Arnold Donald, President and CEO of Carnival Corporation and his wife Hazel, who we have known on the Amsterdam for the third year now. Handshakes were appropriate here. Next was Gerald Bernhoft, the Director of the Mariner Society, who was also practicing the Dutch welcome.  Pamela, his assistant remarked that we had cleaned up nicely.  Finally, we entered the Piano Bar where we made our way to the bar to order our beverages.  At least five types of canapes were offered, and rather quickly. 

 

What made this party special was the fact there were 14 new inductees to the President’s Club.  The total number of members is now 118 well-traveled people.  Not all are active, but the majority are.   Most of the new inductees we knew, some personally, like Susie and Woody, Jim and Jessica, Dorothy, and Martha.  But we did not expect there would be a new member that will be turning 100 years old towards the end of this cruise.  They plan to have a birthday party for him, which is really nice. Even nicer that he and his wife are still active cruisers. 

 

Each and every new member was “pinned” with the President’s Club gold ship logo, and had their photos taken with Orlando, Gerald, and Pamela.  With the formalities done, we were invited to toast the new members.  However, something appeared to be wrong, when Martha approached Orlando and Gerald, and reported that they missed one person.  One single Australian lady had been invited, but expected to be pinned tonight.  The records on the ship showed that she had already gotten into the club.  Oops, their mistake.  Henk quickly retrieved a pin, and the task was done.  She did get a round of applause, avoiding an embarrassing moment for her.

 

Then we all paraded down to deck four and the Pinnacle Grill, which had been reserved for our group exclusively.  With every table hosted by officers, including the head honchos, our group was seated at a window table.  That would include Barb, Don, us, and Peter, the purser.  Our usual tablemates for these events.  Lucky us.

 

Dom Perignon Cuvee Brut was served first, along with a muse of smoked salmon or for one of us, a cheese appetizer.

 

The menu for this evening included a farm beets salad, a minimal portion of orange, pistachio crumbles, and cheese puree.  A cream of parsnip soup was a bit sweet for most of us, although the truffle shavings made it interesting.  We had a choice of beef tournedos or Maine lobster.  This was served with the best rolls, especially the cheese stick.  We all liked them so much, we ordered seconds for the table.  The best was the dessert of mango palette with almond meringue. 

 

Throughout the meal, wines flowed freely.  They were Silvermist sauvignon blanc and Waterford Kevin Arnold shiraz, both from South Africa.  Barb and Peter raved about them, as they were undoubtedly the best that has been served here.  For us, we are not wine drinkers, so we did appreciate the offer. 

 

We have to take the time to mention that the table flower arrangements were over the top.  Created by Eddie and Calista, they used the tall vases we had seen on one of the gala evenings.  They were filled with cascading bearded tulips and orchids, resembling a weeping flowering tree.  Also on each table were votive candles created for the occasion.  Each had the HAL logo and were specially made by Tiffany.  Orlando mentioned that each of us would receive one in our rooms tomorrow as a memento from tonight’s special event.  And special it was.

 

Upon the return to our room, we discovered that an 8 x 10 photo of us with the Ashford’s was waiting on the bed.  That is a first.  Not only complimentary, but almost instant.

 

Another gift was one hour back on the clocks tonight.  Most welcomed by all.

 

Bill & Mary Ann    

 

 

Samantha and Orlando Ashford with Bill & Mary Ann

 

The Piano Bar filled with guests

 

Allan, Sandra, and Mary Ann

 

Gerald and Pamela “pinned” the awardees

 

This was our new almost 100 year old member

 

Henk M handing the pins

 

Report #87 Day at Sea March 28, 2018 Wednesday Partly cloudy & 85 degrees

Today’s weather was as close to perfect as far as comfortable goes.  The heavy humidity seems to have abated, and the temperatures were more in the low 80’s.  This must have something to do with the ship heading southwest now.  Whatever the reason, we sure appreciate the break from sticky and way too hot.  The seas have been smooth-looking, but there is a definite swell causing some rolling and pitching.

 

Yesterday, we forgot to mention that there was a medical debark right before we were due to sail out of Reunion.  It delayed the ship by almost an hour waiting for the ambulance to arrive.  Few people noticed because of the sail away party going on.  Some of the guests did witness a lady getting off in a wheelchair, but there was no luggage.  Always a mystery, we will probably learn more later on.  As always, we wish this passenger well.  It could happen to any one of us. 

 

While we are thinking about it, we are still experiencing a problem with posting the photos.  We have not changed anything on our end, so the problem seems to be with the site we are using.  It is being investigated, and hope it is solved soon.

 

Yesterday, we noticed some people on our deck had a note regarding the yellow fever vaccinations required for this trip.  One of us got the shot, while the other could not due to medical reasons.  The document declaring the medical exception was never asked to be seen by HAL.  So in order not to experience any problems the day we debark in Maputo, we thought it best to bring this letter to the front desk.  Upon looking at the passport, they did discover they made a mistake, because the last shot had expired three years ago.  Now we are not certain which country will require this vaccination, but it may be for other future African countries.  They are always thinking ahead.

 

The Mariner Appreciation Day events have begun.  This morning, we had to go to deck five for breakfast,  as the center dining room on deck four was being set up for a Mariner Brunch.  This group of 84 guests were the Mariners with 900 to 1399 days sailed.  The largest tables had been chosen for assigned seating, and hosted by Orlando and ship’s officers.  The head dining room staff were making sure everything was perfect, to the shiniest silverware to the centerpieces of bright orange flowers.  Turquoise and beige chair covers were used.  This lunch started at 11:30am, while the regular lunch seating was moved to deck five.  But it began at 12:30pm instead. 

 

As for us, we spent a lovely afternoon at the aft pool of course.  As long as the sun was out, we would be out with it.   Being out in the fresh air has helped keep us healthy so far.

 

We were invited to a cocktail party hosted by Orlando Ashford, another smaller affair for the folks that will be getting off the ship in Maputo for overland safaris.  This was added recently, and more than likely by request from enough folks that complained they would be missing the parties while we were away.  Our time for late seating guests was 7pm.  Not certain who we would know there, we did run into many folks we know that are either going with HAL, travel agency tours, or independent.  Peter, the purser, joined our stand-up table, and answered as many questions as he could regarding visas and procedures.  Since many of us are on the same flight at 11:30am, we all hope everything goes smoothly.  And we also hope that if there is a next time to visit Africa, they will stop in Durban, South Africa, where no visas are required.   

 

There was also a surprise letter in our mail slot today.  Months before this cruise began in January, we had read on Cruise Critic that there was a rumor that Archbishop Desmond Tutu was going to be a guest once again on the Amsterdam.  These things are always highly guarded as secrets, but wherever the rumor started, it was true.  He will be coming on as a guest and recipient of an award for shared humanity in recognition of a lifetime fighting for equality and peace.  He will not be speaking, as he is retired from public life.  As this will be a travel day coming back to the ship after our safari, we highly doubt we will be here for this presentation.  But we will certainly hear about it.

 

Following cocktails, we went to dinner at Bill and Leta’s table.  It is always a pleasure to visit with them.  Today they had been invited to the Mariner Lunch, and sat at the large table next to Orlando.  We were surprised to learn that every table was hosted by a big wig or an officer.  Sometimes there are no hosts.   So it depends on the voyage and the ship, as they all do some things differently.

 

Another South African group called the Muses played two violins, one viola, and a single cello in the Queen’s Lounge.  We chatted so long at dinner, we missed the show.  Bet they will be back for an encore.

 

Bill & Mary Ann   

Report #86 La Possession, Reunion March 27, 2018 Tuesday 90% Chance of rain & 72 degrees Part #1 Of 3 80 Pictures

Reunion is an island of 972 square miles, located in the Indian Ocean and is an overseas department of France.  The capital is St. Denis, and the population of the island is 798,000 French-speaking people.  The island is sheer and lush, and appears to have risen dripping wet from the ocean.  Technically, it did, as it is the tip of a massive submerged prehistoric volcano.   

 

French culture dominates every part of daily life here with coffee and croissants in the morning, and many varieties of wine at dinner.  The French atmosphere of the island has a tropical twist with traces of Indian, African, and Chinese cultures.  As well as Christian churches (mostly Catholic), you will find Hindu temples, a Muslim mosque, and a Chinese temple.  

 

Only four tours were offered through shore excursions today.   They ran from 4 ½ hours to 8 ½ hours for $110 to $180.  The short hour excursions took guests to the mountainous regions to see the plantations of sugar cane, geraniums, and tamarinds.  A visit to a geranium distillery taught folks how the oil is extracted.  It takes 1400 pounds of leaves to make one liter of essence.  The other tour was quite different, since it went to one of the southern beaches at St. Gilles.  The last time we visited here four years ago, it was on a Sunday and most everything in the capital city was closed.  So the free shuttle bus brought us here for the day.

 

The longer tours went to the mountains to see vanilla plantations and villages.  Waterfalls can be seen everywhere up at the 6000 foot level.  Both tours offered a local lunch.  We have been to the top previously, and recalled how cold and foggy it was at that elevation.

 

The Amsterdam arrived quietly in the harbor around 7am.  Now we remembered that there was a very commercial port and dock area with only tents for a terminal.  Nothing much had changed since 2014 as far as this pier was concerned.  It was still busy as ever, and it did not look like we would be allowed to walk to those tents from the ship.  A small shuttle would be available for that ¼ mile walk.

 

After a dining room breakfast, we waited until 9:30am before we ventured off of the ship.  By then, all of the tour groups had boarded their buses.   Shuttle buses were waiting for the rest of us to take the 30 minute ride to St. Denis, the capital city. We had been advised that all of the bus drivers may take a 2 hour lunch break, but as far as we know, this may not have occurred.  No one had to wait for a bus for two hours.  Before we got on the coach, a local gal handed each of us a map of St. Denis.  The ship’s map was of La Possession, which was not easily accessible to us anyway. 

 

The scenic ride along the rugged coastline took about 30 minutes.  This road follows the bottom of a very steep cliff that was covered with a lot of wire fencing.  With so much rain, we could see the deterioration taking the hillsides down.  It is a natural occurrence, so eventually the road might be disappearing into the ocean.  So the locals have begun building a bridge-like highway over the surf here.  We saw the beginnings of it four years ago.  Much of it is done, but they still have a long way to go to complete it. 

 

Following our maps, we navigated our way uphill on Avenue de la Victoire.  Besides many wooden buildings, original structures from the 1800’s are still there.  Most have been kept in the original shape, but house other businesses now.  We went inside one of the Cathedrals (St. Sauveur), past the Monument aux morts, then turned left on a main pedestrian avenue, Rue Marechal  L’erclerc.  This avenue was lined with cafes, shops, boutiques, a mosque, and a Hindu temple towards the end of the six or seven block street. 

 

One of us was looking for a souvenir with the white-winged tropicbird on it.  Finding just the right item in a small fabric shop, we decided to come on the way back to purchase it.  The store keeper was busy helping local customers.  Besides, we wanted to compare shop for the next six blocks, as we like to do.  We did get a lot of photos of the colorful fruit stands, selling the healthy items fresh to all.  Prices were steep in most all of these boutiques from what we saw.  Being French, the stores seem to sell some quality clothing.  The one thing we did notice was that most of the vendors here were either Indian or Arab. 

 

The one thing we did not see up here were small cafes or bars.  On the way back, we did go into a McDonald’s  for a pit stop.  It was noon by now, and the place was filling with customers.  Most of them from the ship, who were searching  for free internet.  We did not bother lugging the computer off today.  

 

We figured that the restaurants might be situated on the water, and we were correct.  At the bus stop, we could not see that they wrapped around the corner.  After walking some of the sea wall, we found a suitable café with outside seating, although covered from possible rain.  Even with a 90% chance of rain today, it looked like it would stay up in the mountains.  The name of the café was L”Abradeli’s Brasserie where we ordered large ½ liter Leffe draft beers in chilled mugs.  Sharing a salad with ham with a generous bowl of crispy, hot French fries, the meal was even better with three sourdough rolls.  Vanilla ice cream with that intense flavor from local vanilla bean paste was a nice way to finish the meal.  A resident gold cat insisted on joining us, even jumping on one of our laps to beg some tidbits of ham.  Before we left, we did save a few pieces to keep her happy.  In the meantime, another diner was sharing her fish entrée with her at a nearby table.

 

Having relaxed for 1 ½ hours, it was time to move on.  That’s when a funny thing happened, when we found that right behind this café was a larger restaurant called Vapiano, and they served pizza.  If we come back, we will remember to try this place for our Margherita pizza.

 

We had to wait 10 minutes for the next bus, where we found several of our ship buddies and crew members were waiting under the shade of the trees.  All aboard was 5:30pm, so no one was willing to chance missing the ride back.  Barbara H had mentioned that this ride could cost up to 35 to 40 euro if a taxi had to be used.  That computes to $50 USD.

 

The ride back provided unexpected vistas of waterfalls that appeared from the rainfall from the mountains.  These powerful falls must be responsible for the erosion we noticed as we rode here earlier.  One of the waterfalls was so strong, it turned the sea waters brown quite a ways out to ocean. 

 

We cooled our heels in our room working on photos of course.  A special event was planned for the first Mariner Appreciation Days celebration.  To thank us for sailing with HAL, a complimentary sail away party was held in the Lido Pool area.  Beginning at 5pm, it soon became impassable as the guests helped themselves to the glasses of wine and specialty beverages set up on side tables.  Music from the Station Band livened up the place.  Watching from deck nine, we got some good photos of the conga line that formed with guests and crew members.  Barbara H joined us, since she said her “conga” line days were best left back years ago. 

 

Instead of fighting the crowd to get a drink, we went to the Seaview Bar, like we normally do, to get complimentary sodas.  However, we were told that it was not available there.  We would have to fight the crowd in the Lido Pool only, since all of the inventory was coming from there.   Really…..only 2 sodas?  Not wine, beer or anything else?  Nope. 

 

All was not lost, when friends Bill & Leta joined us until well after sunset.  Knowing us as they do, they  knew we would be back here instead of the crowded melee 1 ½ hour drink fest.  They remarked at the lack of canapes offered there.  In the past, tables of very lovely treats were there for the taking.  But now with  the new regulations, none of that food can be served that way.

 

The actual sail away was delayed due to a medical disembark.  Must have been a last minute event. 

 

By 7pm, we passed by the Lido dinner set-up, and found this venue was more crowded than ever.  So we knew that by 8pm, the dining room would be almost empty of guests.  On our way back to our room, we stopped to listen to the band in the Ocean Bar.  We were joined by Gerald B and his assistant Pamela.  Seems like just yesterday we were having dinner together in Ft. Lauderdale, and here we are almost three months later and ¾ done with this world cruise.

 

Susie, Woody, and Barb arrived, pulling chairs up around the railing.  We visited for the remainder of the time before dinner, then we left.  We all agreed we needed to make one day a week to dine together…….just the five of us.  That would be just fine with us.

 

Dinner went by quickly as most all of us were tired from a full day of Reunion.  Looking forward to three days at sea as we sail towards Mozambique and the African continent. 

 

Cul’Arika was the entertainment for tonight.  A South African foursome, they performed African music for all.  The best news was that the clocks went back one hour.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

Sunrise at 6:24am

 

Arriving to the island of Reunion

 

Start of a warm day

 

Sure doesn’t look like rain

 

Blue skies in the morning

 

Gare Maritime Port of Reunion

 

Room for one cruise ship

 

Parking lot for a busy pier

 

Docked well before 8am

 

A waiting ambulance is never a good sign

 

Buses for tours

 

 

Report #85 Day at Sea March 26, 2018 Monday Partly cloudy & 85 degrees

As the Amsterdam gets closer to the island of Reunion, the sea swells and winds have both picked up.  It was noticeable when we woke up this morning, and felt the ship pitching and rolling.  Nothing like we had back in Tasmania, but enough to make walking a little difficult at times.  During his PM talk, Captain Jonathon mentioned that it has been raining in Reunion the last couple of days, so perhaps we are getting some residual waves from it. 

 

Doing our morning walk, we thought we were going through some isolated rain showers.  Odd since the skies were mostly blue and the sun was shining.  Turned out it was extreme deck and window cleaning starting from deck nine all the way down to deck three.   People sitting in the teak lounges were not happy about it.  Nor have they been pleased with the week’s-worth of sanding and painting on the lower promenade deck.  Yes, this is always an ongoing project, but right now it seems that the entire ship has been scoured more than usual.  Good reason……the “big” guys are coming tomorrow.  The top head honchos from Seattle that is.  Every nook and cranny has been polished and dusted, so the ship appears to sparkle.  We can only hope it remains that way for the rest of the voyage.

 

A few days ago, we got a reminder to sign up for reservations for the Easter Sunday Brunch.  So far, 700 passengers have put their names on the list.  We remember when Easter Brunch was a fabulous display in the center of the lower dining room, where trays of food were displayed in a most artistic way.  Ice sculptures were centerpieces to trays of prawns, lobsters, sliced prime rib, lamb chops, etc.  In the mix were carved melons, veggies “animals”, and the best creations made from bread.   There were platters of fruit with a flowing chocolate fountain, and desserts to die for.  Chocolate Easter eggs, bunnies, and highly decorated cakes finished the meal.  Those days are gone forever.  Shut down by safety measures and regulations that could not be fixed on the ship.  So now, it is Sunday brunch, also nice for those who like it.  With such a huge reservation list, we think a “monster” has been created.

 

At breakfast this morning, we asked Asep, one of the head waiters, if he knew how many folks will be going overland out of Mozambique.  He only knew the HAL guests on overland tours.  That number was 150 guests.  That does not count the travel agencies that have groups, or the independents like us.  Asep promised to find out and give us that total tomorrow.  He also added that 22 people left for African overlands in the Seychelles.  They will be coming back in Cape Town.

 

Back at our room, we found an invitation to a Mariner Appreciation Cocktail Party designed just for the folks that will be missing the special events while they are off of the ship after March 31^st.  Orlando Ashford will host this party at 4:30pm and also at 7pm on Wednesday the 28^th.  Since this affair was not on the original list, we feel enough people have asked about it, and it was graciously added.

 

Spending the afternoon at the Seaview Pool was pleasant,  even more so since the temps had fallen somewhat.  What we did not anticipate were the winds.  You had to secure the towels or they would be overboard.  The heat and humidity have dropped a bit since we are heading due south now, and further away from the Equator.  Suits us just fine.

 

Lunch was Dive In burgers, which we ate while watching Barbara H’s talk on Reunion.  It would be so nice if her talks were rerun on one station only.  No, they are mixed with the lecturer talks.  So if you miss it, it is a 2 hour wait.  We had missed it all morning.  Since we have been here before, we knew there may be shuttles.  We learned that there will be some buses to take the folks to St. Denis, the capital.  Last time, we were taken south to one of the beaches.  We are not certain what we are doing, since the Captain mentioned it might rain all day tomorrow.  In fact, the newsletter for tomorrow mentioned the chance of rain was 90%.  Guess we have been lucky with little rain during this voyage, so we shouldn’t complain. 

 

The dress code was gala tonight.  Most dressed for it, some did not.  We had company tonight with John (aka copperjohn on Cruise Critic) the head security officer. He joined the ship in Singapore, and already hosted our table once.  However, we were in the Pinnacle Grill with Barb that evening, and missed him.  We asked Philip, our dining room manager, to send him back, if John wished, and he did.  We also  invited him a couple of days ago when we finally ran into him on the Lido.  We all enjoyed his many stories he shared of his career with the police department and also working on the ships.  There are so many things that none of us know that goes on behind the scenes. Especially in the area of security with the pirate areas of the world.  John said we will be in relatively safe waters now, but once we head up the west coast of Africa, the preventative measures will probably go back into effect. 

 

Colleen Williamson was the performer in the Queen’s Lounge tonight.  A versatile voice, she sang her interpretation of classic pop, film favorites, and hits from Broadway.   

 

Tomorrow, a little taste of France.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

Report #84 Day at Sea March 25, 2018 Sunday Partly cloudy & 87 degrees

Another day at sea finds that we have headed due south, and are closer to our next port of Reunion. The seas have remained relatively flat, and the heat and humidity are about the same.  We could see clouds heavy with rain on the horizon, but they were mostly staying on the horizon.  An occasional sprinkle may have been welcomed.

 

Sunday at sea was also Sunday Brunch Day in the dining room.  We have come to realize that it is a love or hate event.  Many passengers have been really impressed with the small servings, while others are thumbs down.  You can never please everyone.

 

This morning Barbara H had a talk on what to see and do in Reunion.  We have been to this remote island in the Indian Ocean at least twice, and found it quite charming.  The first time, we had to tender ashore.  But on the last visit, there was a new pier for cruise ships.  Good thing we had a complimentary shuttle, or we would have had to take taxis to go anywhere.  Or take a tour.  So we shall listen to her talk to find out if one will be provided there.  We were chatting with friends Eddie and Lee, who are in their 90’s.  Without a shuttle, they will not leave the ship.  That 1 mile walk in the Seychelles was too far for them, especially in that heat.  Even dangerous for us, at their age, it could be much worse.

 

There was a silent auction held in the Atrium with watercolor art displays from 11am to 2pm.  Selected arts and crafts from the enrichment classes were up for bid to benefit Mondesa Youth Opportunities.  Our buddy Susie had painted several cards with her signature dotted artwork.  We know she was able to sell most everything

 

Lectures continued with Indian Ocean trade network and Portuguese and Dutch explorers.  And the dance class was all about learning the fox trot.  The majority if folks were enjoying afternoon tea in the dining room.  We have yet to make it to that affair, since it is around lunch time for us.

 

The Wajang movie was Crooked House, a twisted Agatha Christie tale.  This will rerun on TV tomorrow. 

 

While listening to the band in the Ocean Bar, Susie, Woody, and eventully Barb joined us at the railing.  Sharing stories of our stay in the Seychelles, we found that all of us did something different.  It wasn’t in our imagination that the heat of the day kept many folks close to the ship.  We are betting that the vendors in those tents made out quite well that day.  This afternoon, Barb had been invited to a special “ladies” lunch in the Pinnacle Grill with the ship’s “first” ladies.  They included CEO and President of Carnival Corporation’s wife, Hazel, the Captain’s wife, Karen, and a few very high day President Club members that are onboard now.  She did admit the lunch was nice, but the selects wine were even better…..the best, in fact.

 

Dinner for us was in the Pinnacle Grill at 8pm.  We got our usual table for two at the window, with the best servers in there.  We shared a shrimp cocktail, ordered lamb chops with sides of French fries, mushrooms, and mashed potatoes.  Dessert was Cherry Garcia ice cream, just the right amount too….small servings. 

 

The comedy and variety of Goronwy Thom was the entertainment this evening.  A favorite in the UK, he is described as having years of experience in his field.

 

Going for a late night walk, we found that the fire hoses were gone on the outside deck, and the lights were back on.  So at least for the time being, we must be in safer waters.

 

Bill & Mary Ann  

Report #83 Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles March 24, 2018 Saturday Partly cloudy & 86 degrees Part #1 Of 4 80 Pictures Sail-In

Our port of call for today was an island of the Seychelles called Mahe.  The city was Victoria, the world’s smallest capital in the world.  The population of the 115 islands comprising the Seychelles is 87,500 people.  Since there is a blend of British, French, Indian, African, Chinese, and Arab, the main languages are English, French, and Creole.  Many of the foreigners were brought over as slaves to work in the spice, sugar, and cotton plantations.  So today, the influences of these cultures are reflected in the music, food, and architecture.

 

The Seychelles are considered a tropical paradise in the Indian Ocean with white sand beaches, intoxicating waters, swaying palms and exotic fruit.  The best time to visit is March to May and September to November.  What you will find here is the rare coco de mer palms that produce suggestive fruit.  More about that later.  The Aldabra Atoll is home to 150,000 giant tortoises, and the entire area is famous for abundant seafood.  Besides diving, snorkeling, boating, and spending time on the most gorgeous beaches, it is recommended to do “nothing” if you wish.  As long as it is sitting on lounges on one of the remote beautiful beaches. 

 

What is there to eat?  Two items called trouloulou and teck teck are local varieties of shellfish.  Trademarks are giant tortoises, coco de mer palms, fairy-tale beaches, and coral atolls.  The local drink is called calou, a potent palm wine. 

 

Five tours were offered through shore excursions today.  Three of them were island tours, while the other two were boat excursions.  They ran from 3 ½ to 7 ½ hours for $115 to $200.  And we have taken most of these over the years.  We had a good idea where we wanted to spend most of our time today.  but we would do it on our own.   

 

The Amsterdam sailed into the port off Victoria somewhere around 9:30am.  Nice, because we were able to watch the sail into the harbor from the lower promenade deck for a change.  Seems like we were just here, although we think the last time we stopped here was in 2014.  Not much had changed, except for more communities built near the water. 

 

Greeted by a band and a team of island dancers, we went off of the ship right behind the first groups that were going on an all day tour.  There was no shuttle today, because the downtown was a favorable distance from the dock location.  The bad thing was that it was going to be a most humid and hot day, and a shuttle bus would have saved the folks at least a mile of walking in that heat.  There were a number of taxis to take the independent guests anywhere they wished. 

 

Taking two bottles of water with us, we headed for the Botanical Gardens, turning left at the roundabout.  It was perhaps a ¼ mile up the road and through a gate.  The fee to get in was 100 Seychelle rupees, or $20 USD, or 15 euro for both of us.  At 13 rupee to the $1 USD, we feel that the fee taker took advantage of that transaction.  Or the rate for the rupee to the US dollar had changed since they printed our port guide.  Compared to what people were paying for the tours that included this garden, we realized that we were getting a bargain.

 

The Botanical Gardens is built on a steep hillside and has well over 200 species of indigenous plants and trees.  Some of the unusual ones has to be the elephant apple tree, the octopus tree, and the coco de mer palms.  Some of the animal life we saw were white-tailed tropicbirds, fruit bats, a hawk, terns, and geese.  We did spot a few interesting lizards.  But the best sighting was the group of tortoises in a new enclosure up higher in the park.  At the old tortoise site, a handful of them were in a pit.  We were welcomed to walk among them, and even feed them.   We remembered that well, since if you were not quick enough to hand them a leaf, they would chew on your clothes, or even nip at your legs.  Today, we watched the males “chase” the females to mate with them.  When motivated, these large tortoises can move pretty fast.  When they connected, they would let out a grunt that drew laughs from the crowd.  No privacy at all.  If you wanted to hand feed these animals, you had to pay 50 rupee (about $5USD) to do that.  Otherwise, you could not go into the enclosure with them.  We did get some good photos of the man that did go in.

 

Following the map of the layout, we went up as high as we could go, then worked our way down to each segment of the park.  By the time we spent over an hour here, we were totally soaked from the heat.  Seriously over-heated was more like it.  There were many benches everywhere, so we took advantage of most of them just to cool down. We passed by many people we knew from the ship, as they were led in groups of 20 by a guide.  Many were struggling as this part of their tour was not for wimps.  Considering the age and ability of some of the guests, the guides took them on the easier paths.  We were so glad to be here with time to explore and take any path we chose,  Even of it turned out full of  steep and uneven stairs or tree roots.  We saw it all.

 

A few things stood out among the sites.  It had to be the birds we saw.  Although they were small in number, we did spot a couple of white-tailed tropicbirds.  They are so pretty and graceful in flight.  So are the white tern, which are more abundant.  One tree that was the highest in the canopy housed dozens of large fruit bats, most of whom were cooling their bodies with spread wings while hanging upside down.  One hawk soared overhead, and we saw two dark chubby lizards under our feet.  The heat was so intense today, even  the lizards barely moved out of our way.

 

The thought of cold beer and perhaps a pizza stood out in our minds.  So we made our way downhill towards the center of town.  Passing the National Library Building, we noticed several cruise passengers talking on their cell phones.  Not so much on computers though.  Later we learned that they did get some free internet, however, after ½ hour they were cut off.  This is the area that has a row of wooden shacks offering a variety of island souvenirs.  Treasures like pareos, hand bags, t-shirts, and everything “seashell”, we could have been in the middle of Honolulu, and be seeing the identical items.  And just about as expensive.

 

We came upon the Clock Tower (1903) called Little Ben, as it is a replica of the clock tower outside the Victoria Station in London.  This conservative clock was erected to celebrate the Seychelles becoming an English colony.  All of the streets in central downtown house some of the pastel-painted wooden houses with corrugated tin roofs and wrought-iron balconies.  Walking further, we saw the Old Courthouse and the Museum of Natural History.  Many modern buildings dwarfed the old structures. 

 

The biggest disappointment of the day was finding that the second-story restaurant/bar we had found pizza and beers was closed.  There was no sign suggesting that it would open later in the evening either.  Looking up and down every street, we found no cafes or bars anywhere.  Darn…….

 

Following the map we get from the ship was a waste of time.  Where a pub with food was listed, there was a new construction going up, fenced for an entire block.  And since today was a Saturday, most all of the shops had closed for the day at 12:30pm.

 

At this point, we decided we needed  more to drink than the two bottles of water we had brought with us.  Remembering there were a couple of places near the small boat marina near the Jardin des Infants, we located one quayside bar to get a Seybrew beer.  They were ½ liter size and cost 5 euro each.  The only food available was take-out Chinese, and only the locals were ordering it.  In fact, the only guests here were local fishermen.

 

We made our way back to the ship and the wonderful cool air-conditioning.  But not before going through the few tented tables of Seychelle souvenirs.  The vendors had a few t-shirts left, but mostly in all of the wrong sizes.  Seeing a cotton pareo with the print of tropicbirds on it was also a possibility.  But when seeing at closer inspection that it had a hole in it, the vendor would not go down any more than $1 less. She added that she had dyed the fabric from beige to turquoise, because it was soiled.  Really?  Once it was washed, the color would probably fade once again.  Nope, she was welcomed to sell it to someone with less than perfect eyesight.  So we walked away with nothing.  By the way, the very same silk-like poncho tops were being sold here for $16USD.  These were $5 in Phuket.

 

The best bet for lunch was an order from the Dive-In Grill.  It was a burger and hot dog for us again, eating in the coolness of our room, and catching up on photo sorting.

 

Going up to deck nine at sunset, we found it had cooled down a tad, but the breeze had stopped.  Not one of the eight wind generators were operating now.  Guests were arriving back from the all day tour, and heading straight for the souvenir tents.  Few folks were walking towards town, mainly because most everything was closed for the day.  While we were taking the last of the photos of the day, we heard a nearby mosque sounding their minarets with the daily prayer.  A reminder of the varied religions of this region. 

 

All aboard was 10:30pm, so there was no sail away festivities.  Dinner found only five of us present.  Brenda had returned from her epic journey to the Taj Mahal, but did not come to dinner.  Understandable, she had been traveling non-stop by bus and plane for 6 days.  It’s hard work traveling.

 

There was a local performance called Creole Cultural Cabaret in the Queen’s Lounge at 9:30pm, one show only.  It showcased the culture and tradition of the Seychelles.  Nice again, we had not finished dinner, so most of us missed it. 

 

The message of the evening read:  Of all the books in the world, the best stories are found between the pages of a passport.  Author: Unknown.  This may have to be amended since with the introduction of electronic scanning, most stamps in a passport book are not stamps anymore.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

Coming into the Seychelle Islands

 

Possibly Praslin Island in the distance

 

Islets near the island of Mahe

 

Island in the distance

 

Good place for snorkeling

 

We were still an hour away

 

Coming into the harbor of Victoria

 

Wind generators are fairly new to Mahe

 

A mountainous region

 

 

 

 

Report #82 Day at Sea March 23, 2018 Friday Partly cloudy & 85 degrees

It was a lazy day at sea for us.  Having the extra hour on the clocks last night has really re-charged our batteries, so to speak.  The biggest job of the day was turning in the form for Mozambique, letting the staff know if we needed the visas for that country.  Having already gotten these visas ahead of time, we do not need to be charged for them onboard.  Long story short, we did not want to be worried about getting these visas before we fly to South Africa.

 

The next job was purchasing some Euro, which should be accepted in the Seychelles.  We think the last time we were in the Seychelles, it was in 2014.  And we seem to recall that we used US dollars to buy lunch.  Since we will be going to some other countries that accept the Euro, if we don’t spent it here, we can later on in the trip.

 

Last but not least, we had been credited with refunded port taxes from missing Port Arthur in Tasmania. This was cashable without the 3% fee, so we cashed it.  Three jobs done, we set off for the outdoors.

 

It was still very humid and warm today, but there was a good wind blowing.  Clamping down the towels to the lounges was the only way to keep them there.  At least we were not baking like yesterday.  We lasted until 2pm, then left for lunch.

 

The Dive In Grill provided one cheeseburger, and a hot dog.  And both good.  Also a good time to catch a movie.

 

Prime rib was on the dinner menu, and we both ordered it.  Once again, the meat was excellent,  and the best choice from what we saw.  We were done by 9:15pm, and most all of us were glad to call it an early evening.  Tomorrow will be a long hot day in the Seychelles for sure.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

Report #81 Day at Sea March 22, 2018 Thursday Partly cloudy & 84 degrees

Today marked the third time the Amsterdam has crossed the mighty Equator around 1pm this afternoon.  This time we are heading southwest in the Indian Ocean towards the islands of the Seychelles, truly a paradise from what we recall.  Usually when the ship crosses the line, there is a celebration to assure safe passage by all.  Guess King Neptune was asleep for the third time, because we will not have the wild and crazy ceremony until we cross it for the fourth time on our way back to Florida next month.

 

We have to say that the seas have been tame, smooth as silk, without swells or whitecaps.  We are still on the lookout for sea life, but have had no luck.  It could have been our imagination, but we spotted one white bird today, flying over the ship.  It picked up the strong breeze and was gone in a flash.  It may have been a tern or even a tropicbird.  Captain Mercer did mention that we were within 400 miles of the Maldives, so perhaps a bird could venture out this far.  Who knows?

 

While talks were on going about the next port in the Seychelles, and the America’s Test Kitchen was cooking flavors of the Med, we had gone to the Seaview Pool.  The water is beginning to look murky, not exactly the way we like it.  And there still must be problems with the temperature, since the error notice is still in effect.  Best to use the showers instead.  Just about when we got situated on the lounges, the ship sailed under a very black cloud.  Without warning, it began to rain lightly.  That turned to driving rain, that about flooded the decking in seconds.  To tell the truth, it felt wonderful.  We had enough spare towels to cover our heads and the beach bag full of books.  By the time the rest of the sunbathers ran for cover, the cloud was behind us.  The sun came out, and the deck was steaming.  This is typical equatorial rain showers, and to be expected.  This went on later in the afternoon into the evening.

 

Guest speaker Kate Ross has switched to talks about the Mughal Empire and the Taj Mahal.  Tablemate Brenda should have made her visit to the Taj Mahal, and be touring Jaipur tomorrow.  We really miss her, and look forward to her return in the Seychelles.   Barry Dreyer, the other lecturer, spoke about the Indian Ocean, the body of water that covers 25% of the world’s ocean’s water. If we heard correctly, Captain Jonathon said the sea temperature was 86 degrees today – about the same as the air temps.  It is no wonder that they are having trouble keeping the ship cool in all the zones.

 

A good place to stay cool was in the Wajang Theater watching the movie of the day – The Commuter.  There are three movie times, 3pm, 6pm, ad again at 9pm.  It is a nice substitute for those who don’t go to the Queen’s Lounge entertainment. 

 

Dinner time has been a mixed bag when it comes to menu choices.  Some evenings there are four things that may tempt us.  Other nights, it is difficult to find one favorite.  One of us ordered the meatloaf, and the other a Caesar chicken salad, even if it was not on the menu as such.  The chefs are most accommodating when it comes to customizing an entrée.  We both agreed that the appetizer of breaded and fried cheddar cheese was tasty.  And desserts of no sugar added coffee fudge ice cream and an apple tart were a good ending to the meal. 

 

We did not need to attend the show tonight, because we heard the entire practice of the Jukebox Rogues around 4pm.  Good songs and powerful voices made a rousing performance for sure.

 

Walking outside after dinner, we found the deck to be totally in the darkness, except for lights in the bow and aft sections.  Being out in the middle of the Indian Ocean, seemingly all alone, is a sobering feeling.  The plus side of few lights is that the stars were shining brightly, something we rarely see that well with the lights on.

 

One more hour went back on the clocks tonight.  Up until this change, we were exactly 12 hours ahead of Pacific Daylight Savings Time.  Whatever the difference, we are always glad to take the extra hour of sleep.  The crew agrees as well.

 

Another day at sea was promised to be about the same as today.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

Report #80 Day at Sea March 21, 2018 Wednesday Partly cloudy & 85 degrees

A day at sea is just what we all needed.  It was obvious that many folks slept later this morning, because the dining room was half empty.  Perhaps some were at the 50% off HAL apparel sale in the Lido dome at 9am.  Or at the Coffee chat with Hamish, who was interviewing the entertainer from last night.  His name was Craig Richard, a sax player who has toured with Kenny G. 

 

Kate Ross, a new lecturer, talked about Sinhalese Kings of Sri Lanka, still interesting history even though we have left the country.  Out of Africa was the topic for the afternoon speaker, Barry Dreyer.  We shall be in the first port of Africa very soon.

 

Barbara H did a change of talks, and switched to a lesson on sari tying.  Every year when we approach India, she always has flyers at her desk with directions on how to wrap yourself up in the 6 meters of fabric.  Since this evening was switched to an Indian Theme Dinner, she felt the ladies would need some extra hints.  Also, she passed out some 400 safety pins to keep the ladies “together”.  Unraveling at the table would not be such a great experience.  We have seen it happen.

 

It took some of the morning, and part of the afternoon to catch up on yesterday’s photos.  For some unknown reason, the photos are unable to be sent to the site we have been using.  Our son is trying to figure it out as we write.  In the meantime, we still are maintaining all the info and pictures, and will resume if it is possible.

 

Today, the waters were almost like waves of satin.  Not a whitecap to be seen any way you looked.  Going to our spot on deck eight, we found it was very warm, but there was also a nice breeze blowing across the decks.  Most people had not moved back this far, so chose not to go out at all.  This particular voyage has found the smallest amount of true sunbathers we have ever seen.  Not that we are complaining, because when the Panama Canal cruise begins, there will not be an empty lounge out here.

 

Lunch for us was in our room with a Dive In burger and one hot dog at 3pm.  There was no waiting for the order either, since few people were ordering food by then.  Also a good time to start a movie we can finish later.  We still have to ask why the movies are being repeated since January.  There was supposed to be a new set delivered in Hong Kong, but it must have gotten lost. 

 

Since tonight was “sari night”, we set out to see how many people would adhere to the dress code.  A few days ago, we got a message saying that this theme dinner was moved forward.  Originally the Indian Dinner was a gala night, as it always has been.  Guess we all assumed that March 19^th remained a classic gala night, that this evening would also be gala or formal.  Not so, as the dress code was smart casual.  For us, it was not going to happen, because the sari we brought was jeweled and very formal.  Not one man was dressed “formally” tonight to match any Indian dress for the ladies.  So for us, we skipped it, and attended the dinner in smart casual clothes.  The ones best dressed tonight?  All of the waiters in Nehru shirts, and the head waiters in satin brocade jackets to their knees.  They looked great, but were so uncomfortable as they were hot.  The ship has been having some problems with cool air distribution since day one in Florida.  With the extra mood lights and the window curtains closed, the dining room was really warm on top of it.  The multi-colored lights were so bright, that Barb had to get her sunglasses to cut the glare.  We teased her saying she looked like Audrey Hepburn, the actress from Breakfast at Tiffany’s.  All she needed was the long cigarette and white gloves.  Actually, we think she liked the comparison.

 

Dinner choices were mostly Sri Lankan/Indian with many spices we are not really fond of.  Good thing they had a strip sirloin steak on the menu.  Barb, who mainly eats the fish entree, said they have not been the best choices.  We all sampled one of the dessert items, that was made from mung beans, palm sugar, and sweet condensed milk.  It resembled pudding with lumps, but tasted gritty and overly sweet.  Our waiter Slam had said the same thing.  Guess it is an acquired taste.  Better choices were the strawberry shortcake and biscotti ice cream.

 

The performer this evening was Lizzie Ball, the violinist…back with an all new show.   

 

Walking on the lower promenade deck after dinner, we found that the pirate measures were back in place.  Kind of expected this to happen as we are sailing in some dangerous waters once again.  This was confirmed when we got back to our room to find a letter explaining our current position in the Indian Ocean.  More security guards have been brought on as extras, and we have a new head security officer now.  He is “Copper John” from Cruise Critic fame.  He often follows the blogs with HAL, and frequently chimes in with some expert information.  Correct information.  He had been assigned to our table on the last gala night, but missed us because we were in the Pinnacle Grill that night.  Meeting him finally today in the Lido, he promised he would come back again and join us on another gala night.  We look forward to it. 

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

    

Report #79 Colombo, Sri Lanka March 20, 2018 Tuesday Mostly sunny & 89 degrees Part #1 Of 4 80 Pictures

The population of the small country of Sri Lanka is 21,325,000 people that speak Sinhalese and Tamil.  The capital is Colombo, the port of call for today.  Described as a tropical Buddhist Island, it is filled with political turmoil.  It is a land of sand and cinnamon on a tear-drop shaped island at the tip of India.  Another name for Sri Lanka in the past was Ceylon.  These days we associate the name Ceylon with tea.  And for good reason.

 

The steamy tropical air is the best for growing tea and cinnamon.  The interior of the island is dedicated to numerous tea and cinnamon plantations, and both are still processed by hand at many of them.  We have visited each of these venues a few years ago while exploring the southeast part of the island, around the bottom, and back to Colombo.  Tea leaves were hand-picked by young and older women, and the cinnamon bark was peeled with fine cutting tools by the men trained in the art.  Fascinating.  Gave us a much better appreciation of both favorite products.

 

The best time to visit is from December through March, mostly to avoid the southwest monsoons.  When it rains here, you know it, as it can be torrential.  Last year right before sail away, we saw rain so heavy, we could not see the pier.  We also had a massive thundercloud pass overhead, with unbelievable lightning strikes.  Even got some photos of the jagged lightning as it nearly struck the ship.  Not so this year.  It remained hot and sticky all day.

 

There are a lot of things to do and see in and around Colombo.  Museums, monuments, the colonial sections of Colombo, palace ruins, and the Dutch colonial buildings in historic Galle.  Two years ago, we spent a wonderful night at the Amagalla Hotel in Galle, exploring that unique island/fort.

 

At that time, we had an extended stay in Yala National Park to see the leopards and other exotic wildlife out of the safari camp.  In luxury tents, no less.  Would have been a perfect experience had it not been for the unreal heatwave they were having across the entire island.  You have no idea how a tent will heat up during the day.  Even with the help of overhead and stand fans, we slept very little.  Good thing the staff kept all of us out most of the day and early evening in the safari vehicles.  We would highly recommend it.

 

Another interesting, but fun trip, was to see the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy.  The downside was a most long ride in a train to get there, and a heart-stopping bus ride getting back.  Speeding down a narrow two-lane road, we passed by locals out to dinner by then, and even witnessing family funeral ceremonies at roadside restaurants.  Seem to remember that the ship had to wait for us to come back that evening.

 

Another fun excursion was to see Pinnawela, the elephant orphanage, a three or more hour ride to get there.  We had gone on the vintage train the first time, and it took even longer, but what a ride.  Learning about these wonderful animals, then watching them parade to the river for a washing was priceless.

 

What is there to eat here?  Try a favorite treat called hoppers, which are pancakes made with fermented rice and coconut milk, with anything you like added to the batter.  The drink of the day is a toddy, a fermented palm sap wine. 

 

Trademarks are Ceylon tea, Tamil Tigers, and cinnamon.  It is a spice that Sri Lanka gave the world since at least 2000 years ago. 

 

There were 16 tours offered through HAL’s shore excursion staff.  The most expensive was a tour overland to see the Taj Mahal and Jaipur in India.  Our tablemate, Brenda, was one of the few that booked this 4 day 3 night tour.  It cost from $5500 to $6500 each.  Glad we went to see the Taj Mahal in 2007, because back then, we did it for $1800, with a $400 credit refunded back from our travel agency.  We do expect Brenda to come back with lots to tell.

 

The other expensive tour was a flight to Kandy to see the Temple of the Tooth.  This tour would set you back $2000, and took most of the day.  Not sure how many signed up for this one. 

 

The rest of the tours were mostly city tours from $40 and up.  We have done most of these at least once. 

 

We were on our own today, choosing to take the street out of the gate to the commercial part of the city and the international hotels.  It takes a strong resolve with both of us to navigate our way through the persistant tuk-tuk drivers, who seldom hear the answer “no thanks” to their ridiculous offers of $1 to $5 a person ride to see the city.  Been there, done that……just want to take a walk.  Unheard of, they say no one walks in this city…..it is too dangerous. 

 

The first hotel we ducked in was the Kingsbury.  What a beautiful property.  And the best thing is that once you are on their property, the tuk-tuk and taxi drivers are not allowed to harass anyone.  This is where we ran into friends Harvey and Barbara, a couple that has had a dining room table close to ours over recent years.  They shared a story about getting into one of the those tuk-tuks for what they thought was a short ride to the hotels.  Turned out the driver took them for a ride to places unknown….not where they asked to go.  Then he would not stop to let them out, unless they paid lots of money.  Frightened, they actually called police for help, refusing to pay the driver any more money.  This is not the first time hearing scary stories about these seemingly harmless rides.  Some have been taken to their destination, but had to fight over sudden changing prices.  Never believe $1 a person will get you very far, because they lie.  Sad to say, it is a way of life here, so that is why we choose to walk instead.  Yes, you can negotiate a civilized taxi at the pier, like we saw Captain Mercer, his wife, and a close friend did this morning.  Paying more here can be the  wisest choice.

 

Cooling off in the Kingsbury, we located the patio/pool café where we did find pizza on the menu.  However, it was only 10:30am, and way too early for beer.  This would be an option later in the afternoon though.

 

Continuing on, we followed the main road where we passed the colonial buildings that house the seat of government of the capital.  Heavily guarded by armed military, we did get some good photos of the mid-19^th century buildings, now surrounded by towering skyscrapers. Speaking of high rises, more and more are in the process of going up in this area.  Construction cranes could be seen everywhere we looked.  

 

From the pier area, a massive land reclamation has been ongoing since we have been stopping here over the years.  With funds from China, according to the signs, a most modern complex will be built here eventually.  Appeared to be apartments, shopping malls, entertainment, and small boat and yacht harbors…..all on a big scale.  We are only guessing, but it looked like cruise ships may have a spot here as well.  What an improvement that would be, if we could be removed from the commercial zones.  

 

Did we mention that another cruise ship was in port with us?  It was Regent’s Seven Seas Navigator, a lovely small ship of 28,550 gross tons.  Launched in 1999, it holds from 490 to 530 passengers.  It is a premium, all-inclusive ship for all cruisers.  We have had the chance to sail on her several times years past, and found the accommodations to be most pleasing and spacious.  It wasn’t until recently, that this ship has begun more world-type voyages.  The only downside we recall, is that there was one heck of a vibration in the aft areas, which has been addressed in 2009.  They were docked in a remote pier, that required a shuttle ride to the gate only, we think.  On the front of our daily newsletter, it was mentioned that due to very strict taxi and tuk-tuk union organizations, shuttle bus services were not permitted. 

 

So our hike continued past the Galle Face Green, along the Laccadive Sea.  This used to be an area where this grassy promenade stretched for ¼ mile, and was used as a horse racing and golf course venue back in 1859.  Today, there is only patchy grass with vendors set up along the way.  Snack food and drinks are sold, as well as occasional locals with baskets of cobras or little monkeys you can take photos of.  Naturally, these photos will be met with a charge or else.  We have learned not to take any as these fellows can be nasty.  And the snakes are something to avoid….de-fanged or not.  Some of the carts had the pancakes with crab meat or fruit sitting under glass in the hottest het of the day.  You would be crazy to sample any of it.  The locals were buying and eating it right on the spot. 

 

At the end of the greens was the famous Galle Face Hotel, a blast from the past.  Colonial in nature, it was not the typical modern high rise that will be dotting this coastline soon.  Going into the marble-clad lobby was pure pleasure, as the coolness of the air-conditioning hit us in the face.  Finding the doors to the outdoor patio, we took seats on the veranda where a breeze blew from the ocean below.  Open-air and overhead fans helped cool us down.  But the large Tiger beers even did a better job.  We ordered a ham and cheese panini to share, and it was more than we needed, because it came with a pile of seasoned potato chips and a side salad.  Guess the pizza will have to wait until the next port. 

 

While we dined, three or more little chipmunks ran across the folded shades and balcony at eye-level.  Baiting them with crumbs from the chips, we got some very good close-up photos of them as they munched away.  But at one point, a crow charged them, and we ended up with the smallest chipmunk on one of our laps.  Took both of us by surprise.  And they have sharp claws.  When they started coming too close to our heads, we stopped feeding them. 

 

Time to move on, we explored the beach and the grounds around this hotel.  We wonder how time and the creeping modern facilities will affect the elegance of the past like this hotel.  We spoke to one British couple sitting near us, who were also laughing with the antics of the chipmunks.  They were here to re-live their experiences of vacationing here from England as children.  In particular, they were looking for black and white photos depicting the hotel back in the old colonial days.  They would have loved visiting the Amsterdam, where those very black and white pictures line our hallways on most passenger decks.  

 

Walking back was not so bad regarding the heat.  A nice breeze had appeared at our backs, as could be seen by the kites that were being flown from the grass of Galle Face Green.  By the way, there is no swimming here, as there are signs that say to stay out of the water due to poisonous species.  Due to amount of garbage we saw at one end, pollution may be extremely bad here too.

 

We survived the many “touts”, well dressed fellows who will try to sell you a ride to see the elephant procession that may or may not be taking place at the Gangaramaya temple nearby.  We have been advised not to believe any of them, so we don’t.  The pressure is not so bad going back, because they know the ship would be leaving after 5:30pm.

 

Having a little bit of rupee left, we walked quickly through the marketplace at the pier.  The change we got at the hotel was equal to 78 cents USD (120 rupee), so it would not purchase much, if anything.  Adding one dollar, we got a satin pill case.  Finding one more silky top for dinner wear was a deal at $5.  The vendors were most happy to take the US dollars as long as they were fairly new and not ripped.  Can’t blame them, as the local banks will not accept ripped or old money.  Their wood carvings were nice, but the vendors were asking way too much.  Good thing, because we have run out of room at home for any of it.

 

The sail away was shortly after 6pm.  It was interesting watching the cranes loading or off-loading containers of the ship behind us.  This goes on day and night here, as Colombo is probably the largest port in the island.  The best thing was watching a couple of raptors flying overhead.

 

Dinner came and found six of us there.  Two were missing, and we were done by 9:30pm.  The clocks went back ½ hour which was nice.

 

By the way, we have run into problems posting photos.  But it is being worked on, and we hope to be back to normal soon.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

Port of Colombo, Sri Lanka

 

View of downtown from the port

 

Cranes that load and off-load container ships

 

Watching the process that goes on all day

 

Giant Buddhist stupa at the port

 

Part of the pier marketplace

 

Many bargains if you shop smart

 

Early buyers

 

Sri Lanka dancers

 

Girls dancers were pretty