We are beginning to hear some grumblings at breakfast time with our "fancy" group. Seems the natives are getting anxious to reach land, and the general question is: Are we there yet??? Day five at sea began a bit differently because we had blue skies and sun. Now it really feels like we are in the Indian Ocean, with balmy winds and warmer temps. It appears that the showers are staying away for a while. Flying fish sightings were numerous.
Today's job was filling out paperwork for the upcoming ports in Mauritius and Reunion. We always like the fact that the front desk had already filled out the immigration papers for Mauritius. All we had to do was verify the info and sign them. No visas required in both of these ports. There was a visa required for Mozambique, which was $85 per person. But this time, we had the choice of staying onboard the ship while docked there, or pay the money and go off. We have never done this in any port, but we have seen Maputo so many times, we feel we will not miss anything this time. Many of our buddies did the same thing.
Another form to fill out concerned our Covid 19 vaccinations. They wanted the type of vaccine and the dates of the initial shot and following boosters. These papers were then turned into the front desk people on each passenger deck during 9 to10 am. No line, and no waiting.
We are still not 100% sure we will be going to Tolanaro, Madagascar. There are some obstacles in the way, and things we do not know that are ongoing behind the scenes. The weather may be a factor as well. Time will tell…….
The port of Durban is of particular interest to us, since we will be leaving the ship for a six day safari to Kruger National Park. We were requested to bring a copy of our complete itinerary and our letter of deviation from HAL to the front desk at least 4 days prior to leaving the ship. Why wait?…..today was a good time to do this. They made copies of each, then confirmed the fact that the ship should be docked at 7am. As long as they take all of the overland groups off ahead of everyone else, we should have no problem getting to the Durban airport on time. There was a message that all of us will be getting our passports back the day before we arrive in Durban. Then there will be face-to-face inspection with the local authorities…..overlands first we suspect. This is almost two weeks away, so it will give us time to pack wisely and lightly.
Ian gave the port talk on both Port Louis, Mauritius and La Possession, Reunion. Most everyone must have attended the lecture because the deck was empty of walkers. We like it better that way without people running around us and at us. The mirrors that Henk had installed in the forward and aft sections of the promenade deck, have worked well. No head-on accidents…..
Then we went up to deck 10 and found two lounges to relax in the sun. Real sun today, and very warm. And nobody hosing. Depending on the direction the wind is blowing, these upper decks get a dusting of ash from the stacks. We have learned the hard way that this black soot can stain clothing, so it is necessary to use towels on the chairs. Today there was one towel left. Within the hour, an attendant did arrive with clean ones. Staying only an hour, we decided any longer….we may be sunburned. Not worth it.
There was yet another Block Party, where you can meet up with your neighbors and meet the officers and crew for complimentary wine and cheers. This happened at 4pm, however, we did not participate because the folks on each side of us are sick. Hard not to miss the coughing and sneezing. It seems that a virus is traveling rapidly among the guests and crew. Not Covid, but a serious cold. Honestly, it is almost unavoidable no matter how many times you wash your hands, sanitize, or wear masks. It will run its course.
Our potted narcissus are growing rapidly now, sending out some flower stalks. The marigolds are small, but will probably never do much. Still, it is fun to watch. Also fun to watch was another sunset, although they have not met the "spectacular" description, they have been a touch of color on the horizon most nights.
We had a surprise guest at dinner this evening. Don McD, a long time friend of all of us, joined our table. He usually has a table for one at the railing, but will occasionally join other guests. For some reason, the noise level in the upper dining room was especially high. One table had some guests that were having a jolly fine time, due to Have-It -All we suspect. Once again, they had it all and more…… The appetizers were good with Grandma's chicken noodle soup, shrimp (always a shrimp starter, sometime two) and salads. A cold soup as well as two hot soups were on the menu too. Mains were questionable. We all asked what lobzter a la vodka was, and found it was the vegetarian entrée. One of us had the trout (no bones), and the other a pasta with pork ragout. Never having tried this before, I found it tasty and the pork was sauteed sausage. Despite the extra noise, we all had a fine time.
No time change tonight…..thank goodness. That does tend to catch up with you after three days of changes. This is something strange. A few evenings ago, we got "foot towels" alongside the bed for the first time this trip. Asking our room stewards provided no clues as to why these showed up. We did not see them tonight, and figured they were something else for the folks to trip over. The following morning, two pairs of cloth slippers were left for us. Why now? Maybe they were just found in the storage area? We'll have to ask……
We asked Greg and Heo about last night's entertainer, which was a comedian yo-yo man. He did not give the performance a high mark. But the fellows did go to the show tonight to listen to Elijah Rock, a singer, hoping he will be better.
Bill & Mary Ann
