Report #90 Thursday March 30, 2023 Service Call Dakar, Senegal 8am-6pm Docked Portside To Pier Overcast With Sea Haze And Afternoon Sun Warming To 95 Degrees

 

You know funny things can run through your mind when you least expect it.  For example, the thought had crossed our minds like what other surprises are up HAL'S sleeve in regards to this voyage?   Our first clue was the fact that the ship had docked in a far different slip in Dakar this time, and definitely not where the extensive street craft market was located on the 2018 GWV.  And last night, we were made well aware of the fact that the ship would be receiving 8 forty- foot containers of much needed food and supplies while here.  Also, what about the free shuttle to downtown?  There was no mention of that either.

Our suspicions were confirmed when Captain Frank came on the speakers at 8am during our breakfast time.  He began by saying he hopes we are enjoying our voyage BUT…..  There had been a change in our scheduled itinerary.  Long story short, today's visit had been cancelled and no guests or crew would be allowed to leave the ship.  We would stay docked until the containers were loaded, as well as two or three medical debarks were completed.  The first set of passengers taken off in an ambulance had to be around 9:30am with a ton of folks watching from the promenade deck.  This seems to be happening at every stop now.

Anyway, the reasons for the abrupt cancellation was due to recent political developments in Dakar with a degree of unrest in the city.  The Captain relayed his fear for the safety of the passengers, especially those on the HAL shore excursions. Looking up the recent info on this situation, we went to Google and discovered really bad things have been occurring here for a while.  Recently a bus was burned, tear gas was used to break up demonstrations, many arrests made, people injured, and protests were promised by political opposition groups. Stun guns were used by police to disperse protestors.  There was heightened security around all government facilities.  Today the schools and banks were closed down, as were many of the businesses.  Needless to say, none of us wanted to be in the middle of that volatile situation. 

We had a long discussion last night at dinner regarding our last visit here in 2018, where guests and crew had gotten robbed of money, cell phones, and jewelry ripped off of lady's necks.  What part of do not bring valuables off of the ship did they not hear?    At the time, we had taken the shuttle to Independence Square, got off the bus, looked around, and re-boarded for the ride back to the ship.  To be perfectly honest, we may not have even gotten off of the ship today, except to check out the huge street market across from the gangway.  It's too bad, because Dakar had the biggest and best wood-carved African animals and figurines.   Prices were good too.  Those that waited until today to buy some of their treasures will be disappointed for sure.   On the plus side, we did not have to pay for visas here, and we will all be refunded the port taxes back to our shipboard accounts.  Once again, the tours will be credited back, except those who had independent excursions.  They are on their own and understand booking this way is taking a risk.  Especially knowing that the itinerary is not set in stone.  Far from it…..

We wonder how long the people in charge knew about the cancellation of this port?  A commercial ship was already in the slip we normally use, and no vendors of any kind were present.  Funny they knew we were going to be kept on the ship.  Why would they wait until 8am this morning to inform everyone, when all of the tour groups were waiting in the World Stage to be stickered for their buses?  

The ship was docked portside today, so we had a birds-eye view of container ships being off-loaded.  For us, it is a fascinating work in progress.  Right now, it's 10:30am and there is no sign of any containers being delivered on the pier.  We suspect we will be here very late today.  We have to add that the temperatures in the morning were cooler, about 74 degrees, but eventually heated up to over 95 degrees.   Oddly enough, the outside decks and verandas were soaking wet at dawn, due to sailing in heavy fog last night.  We were told the foghorns blasted all night long. 

We kept plenty busy working on photos and reports as always.  Reading on the veranda was pleasant while keeping a watch out for those containers.  By 1pm, they still were not there.  One pickup truck did arrive with several cases of soda.  We watched as some people left the ship with a few suitcases, perhaps entertainers.  The Grimaldi Line vessel across from us continued off-loading containers and taking on new vehicles from the parking lot.   No work cancellation for them.

At 3:30pm, still no containers in sight.  We think we have been "stood up".  In the meantime, another ambulance arrived taking away another seriously ill patient at 4:15pm.  We expected to be leaving the port by 5:30pm, but so far, there had been no announcement from Captain Frank.  There was a sail away party held on the promenade deck at 4:30pm, but the ship was going nowhere. 

It was a good time to watch Ian's talk on the upcoming ports in the Canary Islands, but the TV continued to stall at times, and the sound could not be turned up beyond halfway.  Even though we reported this back in January, nothing has been done to fix it.  We took a walk after Captain Frank finally came on the speakers and announced that we did not get the 8 promised containers.  Duh, we knew that.  A note we got after dinner indicated that the political unrest was responsible for our containers not being approved by the local customs.  They hope to get replacement orders to be delivered in Tenerife and beyond.  In the meantime, we may see some shortages of fresh produce, such as lettuce and other delicate veggies and fruit.   We will survive, no doubt, because they promise we will NOT run out of toilet paper and wine.  Guess it's a joke….

The ropes were dropped by 6:20pm, and we had a naval escort vessel follow us out of the harbor.  We should be on time for the next stop in Tenerife, Canary Islands. 

Now what did we miss today?  Senegal has a population of 14.5 million people that speak primarily French.  It is the most western country and city on the continent of Africa.  It is promoted as the Land of Hospitality….really?  Not today that's for sure.  They have coastal beaches, mangrove forests, savannahs, and woodlands.  Bird-watching is big here, like in The Gambia, it is the route for a large number of migratory birds from Europe.   They eat rice cooked in tomato sauce with fish and spicy veggies. Favorite drinks are hibiscus juice, ginger beer, and baobab juice.  Here is a random fact:  Senegal has one of Africa's largest pilgrimages.  Two million people will do it.  

Tours offered here were to the Island of Goree- all about the slave trade (restaurants and beaches are there now) for $300, 8 ½ hours with lunch.  Or the same shorter tour without lunch for $130.  Dakar and the Pink Lake was $270 for 8 ½ hours, while Bandia Wildlife Reserve for 4 ½ hours was $150.  Dakar highlights was $130 for 4 ½ hours and a tour to an abbey was $140 for 4 ½ hours.   Of course, none of these took place. 

At dinner we had a good discussion about being in this part of the world.  All of us agreed that a return visit to this part of Africa was highly unlikely to happen with any of us.  Oscar paid us a visit, promising peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for tomorrow's night dinner, teasing of course.   We both ordered tuna niçoise but it came without lettuce.  OK, but needed extra dressing, since it was mostly potatoes and deviled eggs with a little tuna.  Our mains were a traditional turkey dinner with lingonberry sauce.  Dessert was rocky road ice cream….finally.

Hoping for a couple of better days at sea now as we sail northwest to some pretty nice islands off of the coast.

Bill & Mary Ann

76 Pictures

Report #89 Wednesday March 29, 2023 Banjul, Gambia Docked Starboard Side To Pier 7am-5pm Sun With Sea Haze 90 Degrees

 

And here we thought today was going to be spent onboard with the biggest event being another veranda cleaning.  Boy, were we wrong or what?  As we had stated a few days ago, we had no intentions of leaving the ship in Banjul, The Gambia.  But that changed once the locals decided to charge all of the US citizens the $155 visa fee regardless of staying onboard or getting off.  We would make it a point to get off and explore.

But a few facts first.  The Zuiderdam began sailing into the Gambia River around 5:30am, and one of us did snap some shots in the dark of moored vessels that were passed on the way.  The Gambia happens to be the smallest country in mainland Africa with a population of 2 million people that speak English as well as many African dialects.  This country attracts sun-seekers and bird-watchers from Europe, but mostly during the migration season in November.  This migratory route begins in Europe and ends in South Africa. Even beyond as the terns will fly to Antarctica.   It has as many as 600 species of birds. Hippos, crocodiles, colobus monkeys, and even manatees can be found up the massive river.

What is the special dish here?  A peanut stew with rice and baked fish and veggies.  The favorite drink is Julbrew beer.  We had it and liked it just fine. 

The coastline has only 80 kilometers with some nice resorts.  Banjul, our port of call for today, is the capital of 31,000 people, where 96% of them are Muslim.  A huge portion of the population is under 14 years old.  That is about 45%.  It is also among the poorest of the countries in Africa with mostly old towns and decrepit colonial buildings. 

Some of the tours offered today were Roots Experience, a riverboat ride to a slave trading island with lunch for $150 for 8 hours.  Another long tour of 7 hours was Gambia Adventure Drive in open-air trucks where you climb the ladder to get in for $175.  Banjul highlights, a tour we did 5 years ago, was $150 for 4.25 hours, while Abuko Nature Reserve was $130 for 3 ¼ hours.  Makasutu Culture forest and canoe ride was $185 for 5 ¾ hours.

It was actually sunny, but with a foggy haze by the time the ship was docked up the river.  Our thermometer read 82 degrees with humidity at 36%.  That makes the heat a lot more tolerable.  After another great breakfast, we went outside on deck three to watch the frenetic activity on the dock.  The ship had docked starboard once again.  There were a ton of vendors that had set up an instant street market right off of the gangway.   This was nice for the folks who chose not to take the shuttle to Albert Market, a short drive away.  We would check out these items when we got back from town. 

Scheduled for another veranda cleaning, the fellows showed up at 10am and began hosing.  This was a good time to leave the ship.  One shuttle had just left for town, so we waited until another came back.  The next vehicle happened to be a 6 passenger mini van, which was tight, but had a lot of knee room.   This driver took us on a little tour on the way to the marketplace which was an all-in-one shopping place for the locals.  The majority of the nicer souvenirs would be found on the pier.

This place was an eye-opener and at times, an assault on the senses.  One area of this corrugated tin and cloth-tented market housed ladies selling produce, spices, and everyday necessities.  Where the shuttle dropped us off, there were some typical souvenirs for sale.  This is where Bill had purchased a very nice t-shirt 5 years ago, and he was wearing it today.  The locals liked that, or least most of them did. 

Deeper into the complex, we saw the "sweatshop" of men selling a variety of fabrics from cottons to silks.  We saw many more young and older men sewing and ironing clothing using a low bench and a sewing machine.  Recognizing the stall where we purchased some fabric five years ago, we stopped and looked again.  Not intending to buy more, we did purchase 1 ½ meters of 60 inch wide heavy cotton.  The price was right at $10 USD. 

The aisleways in this maze were quite narrow, but it did not stop the vendors from pushing their wheelbarrows down them.  Move aside or get run over.  We can see why these vendors really do not like it when cruise ships stop here.  As curious tourists, we crowded their already mad marketplace. 

Not all of the locals were friendly as we have seen in other recent ports.   Most of the older women would sooner hide their things for sale and even themselves when they see a camera.  We mean no disrespect , but photo-taking seems to ruffle their feathers.  The local men do not mind at all.  Best to ask first, especially when you see young children. 

Venturing into the fish market was a trip.  Heaven only knows what we tracked on our shoes by stepping in the little puddles on the floor.  Some of the catch was huge, things we did not recognize.  Hundreds of smaller fish lined their counters.  So did hundreds of flies, which you just had to ignore.  We have to say that this was the only place the fishermen were happy to show off their abundant catch and photos were welcomed.  However, due to the pungent smell, we were out of there in about 60 seconds.

The more colorful section of the market had fresh produce for sale, along with sacks of staples like rice from Thailand, and spices from everywhere.  It is customary for them to dry veggies like okra to add to soups and stews.  Lots of fish had been cooked or smoked and left in baskets in the open air.  Flies were extra.  All types of clothing were in each stall, as well as Muslim-style robes for both men and women.  We saw few t-shirts for sale, but a whole lot of shoes and sandals were available. 

Finding our way out to where we had been dropped off was tricky, because we had been let out at a different spot.  We did finally locate the real Albert Market portal with the broken cement and muddy drainage ditch, where some guests had fallen 5 years ago.  It was still not fixed, and we doubt it ever will be.  

A quick drive through town found us back at the pier by 12:30pm.  We ran into friends Pauline and Mike who told us all about their overland trip in South Africa.  They had seen a lot of Africa they had never toured before as it was a land trip by bus mostly.  Now today, they had organized a tour for themselves and some friends.  It had to be cancelled when they realized the visa fees were so high.  Now that we were paying anyway, their tour was off.  Hope they are able to get their money back. 

We did a speedy look-over of the pier treasures, finding one small purse made with fabric and leather.  Suitable for dinner, it will work well with beiges and browns.  The vendor was most willing to play the bargaining game and would have been disappointed if we did not barter.  The friendliest of the vendors were here and had no problem asking too many questions of us.  Usually it is where are you from, where have you come from, or is this your first time here?  One vendor lady asked me how old I was?  Really?  Bill spoke up and said I was strong and could still pack firewood at home.  She was most impressed, but her bottom line was to sell us something…anything.  Even a local cop working the pier wanted to give us a private tour later in the afternoon.  Why he was interested in getting our email address confused us.  Of course, we would never give that info to anyone we don't know.  We thanked him for the tour offer, but since we have been here before, we had seen all we needed for one day. 

As you know by now, the dining room is always closed on port days.  So we had another cozy lunch delivered by room service.  Our meal began with chicken noodle soup (which Susie is trying to have them add real noodles instead of spaghetti).  Sharing one cheese quesadilla and a BBQ pork sandwich was plenty to tide us over until dinner. 

Spending some down time on the freshly-cleaned veranda found the temperature had climbed well over 90 degrees, but being that we were facing the river, we were in the shade.  It was comfortable and the best place to watch ship traffic and birds flying overhead.  Oddly enough, we got shots of one Dalmatian pelican, a small flock of gannets, possibly a peregrine falcon, and one African white-back vulture was spotted extremely high in the sky.  We went up to deck 10 to see more red kites attacking the local crows.  Some terns were dipping into the waters, testing the floating plastic items that had blown off of the pier in the river.  Several herons and egrets from the mangroves perched on the ship's ropes.  Seeing these birds was icing on the cake for us. 

We did spot friends Gyl and Howard who were spending time in the smoking section of the Seaview Pool.   We exchanged our shared ideas concerning the recent events that have combined the President's Club members with the Neptune folks.  We all agreed that with the larger number of P. Club guests, we do not need the extra people there for a shared cocktail hour.  Too crowded and noisy, we wish they would keep the groups separated.   For them , it is killing two birds with one stone.

Sail away should have been around 5pm, but it was delayed due to late tours arriving or missing people.  It did give us time to watch the vendors cleaning up their goods and packing it all away.  Bet they made a ton of money today.  By 4:55pm, we could hear the minarets going off in the city, a reminder for the call for prayer.  The ship finally left after 6pm, headed west, the finally turned north to our next stop in Dakar, Senegal. 

Dinner was good.  We both ordered the chicken satay with peanut sauce with a kick.   Caesar salads were next, followed by the mahi-mahi entree and a chicken parmigiana with lots of spaghetti- enough to share.  Desserts were Heath bar frozen yogurt and a strawberry sorbet.  Excellent. 

Like we said, today was unexpected, but worth making another memory to share with everyone.

Bill & Mary Ann

343 Pictures

Report # 88 Tuesday March 28, 2023 Sea Day Enroute To Banjul, Gambia Overcast With A Sea Haze And Some Afternoon Sun 75 Degrees And Cooler Sea State Flat

 

Another day at sea brought with it slightly cooler temperatures of 75 degrees, but still some humidity.  The skies were overcast, but there was also a fog-like haze everywhere, keeping the breeze on the cool side.  It could be that the water temps are changing as we travel northwest and creating this high mist.  Anyway, we are happy to have things more comfortable.

There was an interesting Q and A with Ian and Nyron this morning at 10am in the World Stage.  Our friend Bob happened to be passing by the doors when he heard the question asked regarding the excessive amount of the visas The Gambia was demanding.  In fact, one person said why are we even going there?  With that said, everyone in the audience clapped in agreement.  What none of us knew at the time, was that the option of not going ashore and not paying the $155 visa charge had been rescinded.  We knew that option was too good to be true, as it was not an option in 2018, the last time we were here.  Later in the day, like at 5:30pm, we all got a message in our slots that the Gambian Immigration Authorities said that all visa-required nationalities, whether going ashore or not, MUST be issued a visa.  This applied to mainly the USA citizens who are the majority of guests onboard.  Some other nationalities such as the Australians, Canadians and other commonwealth countries will not have to pay.   We would love to know the actual number of guests that had opted out of buying the visa.  Our guess it was a substantial number and the local government would have lost the easy revenue.   In addition, the shore excursion office would stay open until 7pm for any last- minute bookings for Banjul.   Lastly, they apologized for this late change that was beyond their control and thank you for your understanding.  Yeah, we get it, but it should have been sorted out much sooner than the last minute.  Almost sounds like extortion to us.

On the last stops in Africa, we have heard there has been some trouble with loading the buses for shore excursions.  In the "old days", those on tours had to enter the Mainstage, get "stickered" for their tour, and wait (seated) in the lounge until your tour was called.  It was much more controlled back then.  There was no running ahead to get the front seats in any bus, as there were guards at the lounge's exit.  This had changed we guess, so now, in the interest of safety and security, people will be dispatched at the control gate exit of the World Stage.  You will not be allowed to leave the lounge until your tour number is called.   The shore excursion crew urgently asked for the guest's understanding and compliance with their assigned tasks.  We are SO glad that we do not take tours anymore.  Once again, knowing that this voyage is such a long one, and not 7 or 10 days, the staff should have known better to get so lax with their operation.  Lesson learned we suppose.

We did listen to the port talk on Gambia and Senegal on TV, but when we looked for today's Q and A, it was not there.  Perhaps they did not want everyone to know the reaction they got concerning the visas in The Gambia.   It had been rumored that the excursions in Gambia had been reduced, but they remained the same.  That would have caused another fiasco had they done that.  Don't know why, but we continue to get the impression that they are flying by the seat of their pants with this particular cruise.

After our late morning walk, we went up to deck 10, and checked out the activity around the Seaview Pool.   Other than a few folks waiting for lunch to begin in the Lido, there was no one in the pool or the spas.  The lounges had perhaps 6 people using them at the most.  We relaxed up on 10 with a couple of ladies sunbathing up there.  Even though we are close to the Equator, the intenseness of the sun has gotten much less.  With a very strong breeze blowing, it was more than comfortable up there.

Back together at dinnertime, we were happy to try out some of the new appetizers.  Some of the regular items are now seasoned differently (African spices, etc.) and called something different.  They must have run out of the variety of fish entrees they offered.  Now the everyday salmon is the most offered fish plate.  We were most happy to see the veal chop on the Club Orange menu, and we both ordered it.  However, everyone had their entrees, and we waited.  Telling them all to go ahead, and not wait for us, we got our meals 20 minutes later.  We really did not complain, but Barb sure did.  She does not like it when things do not go smoothly as they usually do.  Had we known it would have taken that long, we may have ordered something different.  Oscar, our head waiter, came running with our meals, apologizing all of the way.  But let us tell you, it was worth the wait.  The over-sized chops were freshly-cooked and hot.  So good we savored every bite.  Woody had not liked his undercooked meal, so he also ordered a substitute.  The three of us dined, while everyone waited for dessert.  Crème Brule was the special, so Barb had two of them, and one to go.  We were about the last of the tables to leave, but it was only 9:25pm, and time for all to go to the show.  Oh wait a minute…..there was no show tonight.  At 7pm, there was a game, Call My Bluff Game Show, but it was not repeated at 9:30pm.  Greg and Heo call this show "DARK", which means nothing, and it does not make them happy.

Tomorrow instead of spending the day onboard, we will now be taking the complimentary shuttle to the Marketplace in Banjul.  As long as we are paying the visa fee, we may as well make the most of it. 

Bill & Mary Ann

No Pictures

Report # 87 Monday March 27, 2023 Day At Sea Enroute To Banjul, Gambia Overcast With Some Sun In The Afternoon 82 Degrees Sea State Slight

 

It was one of those near perfect days at sea, as the Zuiderdam continues its travels up the West Coast of Africa.  Despite the overcast skies, the temperature of 82 degrees was tolerable as was the nice breeze that came along with it.  The humidity had dropped to 75% and we could feel the difference.  Sailing within 12 or more miles off of the coast, the seas have been smooth with little to no swell.  The sun did appear in the afternoon, but it was not as intense as it had been for the last several days.  Pretty soon, we will be complaining that it is getting cold, so we had best enjoy the warmth while we can.

This morning Ian had Q and A with Henk, our hotel manager.  This was the place for the guests to inquire about some things we have all been wondering about such as, what got so many people sick?  His answer confirmed our suspicions that it was a food-borne illness, possibly brought onboard with produce shipments while in South Africa.   That could be lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, carrots and fruit.  The most contaminated fruit products are the melons.   They can harbor bacteria on the outside skin or rind, and it can be transferred with the simple cutting of the fruit with a knife. Same applies to oranges and apples, which are abundant on the ship.  The old saying goes like this:  If in doubt, throw it out.  And according to Henk, that is exactly what they did.   Being in the food service industry for 20 years, one of us knew that a little bleach in the rinse water solves most all of the bacteria problems.   Henk reassured everyone present that the problem seems to be better, and will be gone soon. 

Other questions involved the upcoming events that will occur while we are in Amsterdam on April 18^th, celebrating their 150 year of its inception.  Our buddy Rich, who went to the talk, said that our group of President's Club members, those who will be inducted, and the two Pinnacle suites will be spending the evening in the city of Rotterdam.  We assumed that affair was just a cocktail party with a drive back to the ship.  Now we are hearing that we will be guests at the Holland America Line building for cocktails and dinner.  Gus Antorcha, the new CEO of HAL will be our host, along with several others from corporate we are guessing.  We will arrive back to the ship by 9pm, where there will be another event held in the Lido poolside for everyone.  As stated on our invite, more details will be forthcoming.

Ian also gave a port talk on Banjul and Dakar, one of which we will not be visiting, since we are not getting the visa.  Greg and Heo, being Australian citizens, found out today that they do not need visas for The Gambia, so they will be getting off of the ship that day.  It will be a new port for both of them and they are game for exploring.

The usual events took place on the ship, while we worked on photos and reports.  Looking ahead, one of us needs to prepare well ahead of the port stops in order to keep up.  Greg pointed out that once we reach the Canary Islands, there are few sea days in between.  Port intensive is the word for it, so the more than can be done now, the better for all.

We enjoyed a light lunch splitting two sandwiches.  They have run out of potato chips, heaven forbid.  Or at least, they are going to be doling them out carefully.  We are not sure when the next big delivery will be, but rumors have it that it may happen in Senegal.  Bet they will be most careful when ordering local produce as the contaminates are odorless and tasteless.  

Tonight there were four of us for the dressy dinner.  It had been such a lazy day, we did not feel up to dressy, but we did go dressed nicely.  Greg and Heo had gone to lunch in the Pinnacle Grill, and were not overly hungry.  One of the entrees was surf and turf with lobster thermidor and a slice of tenderloin.  They both agreed it was good.  One of us had the chicken, but with the sides from the salmon.  The other had beef rib meat with mashed potatoes and green beans.  Both were ample.  One of our friends, Linda, had a birthday tonight, earning her a specially-made cheesecake.  Before they left the room, they had sent some slices our way.  It went well with the strawberry jello and sorbet we had ordered.   It was nice to have only the four of us, making conversation much easier for a change.  Barb, Susie and Woody had gone to the Pinnacle Grill, but two of them will be madder than wet hens since they had calves liver on the menu tonight and they missed it. 

The show tonight was "Dream", a performance by the Zuiderdam's singers.  Better than another movie we guess.

Another day at sea tomorrow is working for us.

Bill & Mary Ann

No Pictures

Report #86 Sunday March 26, 2023 Abidjan, Ivory Coast Docked Starboard Side To Pier 8am-5pm Overcast, Hot And Humid Becoming Sunny In The Afternoon 92 Degrees

 

Today we are in Abidjan, Cote D'Ivoire, a new port for us and many others we know.   The population is 23.4 million people that speak primarily French as well as several African native dialects.  The capital is Yamoussoukro in the interior of the country.   Also known as the Ivory Coast, this country has a similar history of civil war as the previous stops.  However, these days, it is making a comeback.  The coastline is reportedly full of starfish-studded sandy beaches with palm tree forests and roads of orange soil.  It is said that the soil resembles bronzing powder.  Funny that should be mentioned, because the more you drive on these dusty roads, the more orange sands you will be wearing.  Some of the country's hidden secrets are nut-cracking chimps in the forest of Parc National de Tai. There are beach resorts outside of Abidjan with lagoons, skyscrapers, cathedral spires and surf beaches.  Nightlife is said to be unmatched.  Exactly where, we are not sure.  We never saw the downtown area today.

What do they like to eat?  Grilled fish with grated cassava, which we believe to be manioc root, or chicken and guinea fowl simmered with veggies are some of the favorites.  The drink is Flag beer although we read that Tuborg has a brewery here.  A random fact is that fewer than 300 elephants are in the Ivory Coast due to poaching many years ago. 

The day began with the Zuiderdam sailing into the estuary where several docks were located.   The one assigned to us was an empty sand lot with a new berth.  Nothing else was there.  We did see a sign saying that a new terminal is in the works for this spacious property.  It was overcast once again and the temperature was 84 degrees.  High humidity is always present.  When the sun did peek through the clouds, the heat was brutal.  One bad thing was seeing rafts of garbage, mostly plastic bottles and wrappers floating by.  They even had herons walking on top of the piles, looking for food.  One lone red kite flew over the floating raft of trash.  Suzanne, who had recently completed the Grand Africa voyage in the fall, said their dock had been covered with so much garbage, it had to be cleared before anyone debarked.  Luckily, we were in a different spot today.

Five excursions were offered and all of them had lunch included.   Akwaba Abidjan was $170 for 6 hours, while both Colonial Grand Bassam and a taste of Ivoirian cuisine and culture were $210 for 6 hours.  Finally, a trip to Banco National Park was $220 for 6 hours, and Abidjan and the Botanical Gardens of Bingerville was $280 for 6 hours as well.

Right off the bat, there was a switcheroo with the shuttle stop.  Originally we had been informed that the free bus would take the guests to the Pullman Hotel.  But the Daily Program listed the shuttle as going to an Arts and Craft Market outside the city center.  For those of us that researched the area in and around the Pullman Hotel, we'll have to start over.  And today being a Sunday, we have been warned that most everything will be closed.  And yet another incentive to book an excursion on the ship perhaps?

There were shuttle bus problems from the start.  Too many people, not enough buses.  It was up to a thirty minute ride each way to this market, and for what it appeared, there was only one bus.  When the guests began pouring off of the gangway at 9:30am, Ian had to announce for them not to wait outside in the hot sun, but go for a cup of coffee as the bus would not return for a half hour.  Buses held up to 55 guests, and there was a line 100 deep.  Doing the math, we might as well wait until noontime before leaving.  We had a lot of computer work to do anyway to stay caught up.  By the way, none of the crew members would be allowed off of the ship today, as if that should make everyone feel better about the lack of buses provided?  We cannot begin to imagine the grumblings going on where the folks were waiting for those shuttles near the gangway.  Bet it was not a pretty sight.

In the meantime, we could hear some pretty strange music or chanting coming from across the estuary.  Could be church services or tribal gatherings – nothing we recognized.  We stayed onboard until close to 12:30pm, then went off of the gangway right into the waiting bus.  At least we were grateful those tiny shuttles were not being used like yesterday.  The ride to the Arts and Craft Market took us away from the downtown area to a more industrial part of town.  The further we drove, the worse it looked. 

Turning down a narrow one-way dirt road, we were dropped off at the "hidden market", entering through an unadorned opening.  Some folks, especially the single ladies, never left the bus when they saw this entrance as we could not see the market for the tightly squeezed tents.  We had come this far, and decided not to back out now. 

Deeper into the maze of covered stalls, we felt like we had entered the identical market we saw in Banjul, The Gambia, 5 years ago, only on a smaller scale…and no produce or meat market.  The treasures resembled those of the Gambia as well or even Senegal.  Anyway, there were souvenirs galore here, which included wood carvings, trinkets, woven baskets, masks, some costume jewelry, hand-made batik dolls with matching bags, fans, and purses.  Being careful not to point,  we did look everything over and decided there were some possible things to buy.  One was a leather (?) purse, but they were asking too much.  Four times too much.  We passed on it. Other items were cute African dolls dressed with the colorful batik.  This worked for $6 and will be easy to pack and weighed little.  The last purchase was a pair of beaded sandals in the correct size, which is difficult to find.   No Cinderella slippers for me.  The price was right at $22. 

After about an hour of exploring, we boarded the waiting bus for the ride back to the pier.  We did notice that some of the entertainment crew members were on this shuttle, so they are allowed to leave over the regular workers.  We were back onboard the cool ship by 2pm after being greeted by Nik our dining room waiter.   Room service lunch arrived by 2:15pm, indicating there is no problem once again with them being overwhelmed.  We ordered beef paninis and a shared Caesar salad.  The size of the salad has been reduced because we suspect they are running out of the produce.  Only green apples are left, so we had better stock up for a few days before they run out.  

All aboard was 4:30pm, and before leaving, the Captain mentioned something about confusion over the time.  Yesterday, GMT had observed daylight savings time, putting their clocks ahead one hour.  The ship did not spring ahead, but many of the guest's computers, GPS watches, cameras, and other devices had done it.  No sense going ahead to go back in a day.  So they did nothing.  So confusing, as long as we were not late to dinner we joked.  

The ship sailed out of the huge estuary and past the bulkheads with scores of locals watching us leave.  Something tells us this was a special event, and not many cruise ships stop here on a regular basis.  Once outside the harbor, a breeze picked up and it was actually comfortable on the veranda again. 

Tonight's attire was suggested as "sporty".  What did that mean we asked.  Reading the program, it tied to a sports themed evening of events such as trivia, majority rules game, and a sports commentary challenge.  People were encouraged to wear sport team colors or t-shirts, jeans, and baseball caps.  A few even came dressed to dinner that way.  Not our tablemates, we are just happy to figure out the menu and what a lot of descriptive words mean.  Barb discovered that jambalaya meant a pile of rice and mixed boiled veggies dotting the rice with a few spicy shrimp.  Next time if she orders the dish, she will request to have half the rice, no veggies, and only a pile of shrimp.  Susie did contribute her little ear of corn from her BBQ rib plate giving it to Barb.  We had one trout dish, which really looked just like salmon, and one prime rib meal medium rare.  The horseradish was so hot it burned the lips.  Both meals were good.  Only orange slices, honeydew melon, and mangos were available for the fruit plate, so we ordered jello instead. 

We have two sea days before reaching The Gambia, which will become just another sea day for many of us.

Bill & Mary Ann

353 Pictures

Report #85 Saturday March 25, 2023 Takoradi, Ghana 8am-5pm Docked Starboard Side To Pier Overcast Skies Hot And Humid 92 Degrees

 

The country of Ghana is one of Africa's success stories, and our port of call for today.   Their economy has been stabilized with fast-paced developments as well.  It is full of coastal forts, beautiful beaches, rich culture, and vibrant cities along with much wildlife.  Cape Coast Castle was once the site of the world's most important slave-holding areas.  Horrors of the trade are revealed in an hour long tour to see the dark and damp dungeons where the natives were brought two to twelve weeks before being transported overseas.   On the other hand, the governor's house was blessed with floor to ceiling windows with panoramic views of the ocean.  This excursion was not offered today.

What kind of food to they like here?  Hot fiery sauces for one.  Oily soups with rice, mashed cassava, baked plantains and yams are some of their favorites.  There are lots of Chinese and Indian foods served here.  The most common dish is ground nut stew, a spicy dish with ground nut paste and ginger over meat or fish. 

Mole National Park offers the cheapest safaris in Africa with 300 species of birds, and 94 species of animals.  Large numbers of elephant are there from December through April.  You must go with an armed ranger to see them though.  Too far for any of us to see from the port of Takoradi.

A random fact is that Ghana produces one-fifth of the world's cocoa beans, making it the world's 2^nd largest producers.  Does anyone know who is number one?  We are not sure.  Tours here included a visit to a cocoa farm for $200 for 4 ¾ hours.  Twin cities of Takoradi and Sekundi was $280 for 3 ¾ hours, while Kakum Forest Canopy walkway was $390 for 7 ¼ hours.  A very long day.

The Zuiderdam arrived late to the port of Takoradi today, like about 8am.  It was already 84 degrees with very cloudy skies and humid as can be.  The ship was docked starboard because there was an extensive safety drill involving the tender boats, which were dropped in the harbor.  It is always interesting for us to watch these drills, knowing how qualified the crew is in case of an emergency. 

Breakfast has become more fun as the days go by, because so much information is shared among us.  It seems that the more precise details have come out involving the recent outbreak of the illness.  Sadly, some of the elderly guests have been hit hard, due to dehydration.  It can be deadly especially in this Equatorial heat.  We also heard a story regarding one of the "foodie" tours in Luanda.  One of the tasting items happened to be grubs….yes bugs.  Those that indulged were very sick by the time they returned to the ship, and that was most everyone on the tour. 

We left the ship after the safety drill finished at 10:30am.  A craft market had been set up on the pier, contrary to what we had been told yesterday.  This was much better, since many guests were able to find treasures within a short distance from the ship and did not need to take the small shuttle to downtown.  One such lady had purchased a huge wood-carved elephant, then had it loaded on her motorized scooter and drove it up the gangway into the ship.  She must either have unlimited shipping or lives in Florida near the pier.  We will have to price that one out on the way back from our ride and check out all of the other offerings.

The small free shuttle needed two more customers, so we hopped in and squeezed into the last two seats.  The ride through several gates took us out to the main road.  Thank goodness it was a short ride.  There were no taxis outside the gate as we had been told.  And there was no stop at any hotel in town.   The ride ended in the downtown area where a massive central market used to exist.  The entire complex had been demolished since it had been condemned due to unsafe construction.  It had been an accident waiting to happen we were told.  A new stadium-like covered structure is being built, but it will be a long time before it is completed. 

So the vendors that were once housed in the market, are now located outside in the streets with their wares partially covered with large umbrellas.  Most of it is open-air.  "Helter skelter" was the only way to describe the area once we left the shuttle.  But wait…..there's more.  Before being allowed to exit the bus, a local taxi boss announced that he could supply a $15 to $20 taxi ride for four people to Sekundi, a nearby fishing town.  And there was no need to pay your driver until you returned to the shuttle stop.  We don't know if he got many customers, as we wandered up the street to the outdoor market. 

Perhaps not as bad as "squalor" as Greg described the town, this marketplace was a beehive of activity.  And not the cleanest place we have ever been.  We're guessing we hit this produce and clothing market at their busiest time – a Saturday where most locals shop for the weekend.  It was an attack on the senses watching the most colorfully-dressed local ladies selling everything from veggies and fruit to already cooked chickens and fish.  Nothing was covered and the meat and fish were full of flies.  Seeing a pile of partially cooked and parted meat, we guessed it may have been goat meat.   Perhaps the locals buy the meat, then cook it all day in a soup or stew. 

For the most part, the ladies objected to having us take photos of their fish and chicken on display without being covered.  They balked and waved their arms as we walked by.  Meaning no harm, we better ask first before filming anything.  Many of these young women were nice, but those that objected were quite rude to all of us that walked past them.   I felt that I might be wearing one of the smelly fishes unless we dropped the camera in our pocket.  Now the local men pretty much sat on the sidewalks watching, saying nothing. 

Except for some banks and pharmacies, the buildings we were passing were empty shells. Everything for sale was in the streets.  We also had to be most careful of the car traffic because the drivers do not stop.  They just slow down and keep going while beeping their horns.  They missed us by inches if we did not move out of their way quickly enough.   Or perhaps, they were aiming at us…..

Wandering up the streets, we could have easily gotten lost.  We did notice that the things being sold here were not the same items we saw on the pier.  Not even close.  Running into Gyl and Howard, we all agreed that this was an interesting experience, but it was time to head back to the ship.  Even they nixed the idea of taking a taxi to nearby Sekundi, expecting to see more of the same, but 7 miles away. 

Locating the shuttle pick up spot, we squeezed inside  and got back to the pier by 12:30pm, where we looked over the souvenir tents.  An ambulance had its back doors opened, waiting for another guest to be taken to a hospital we assume.  This seems to be happening way too often. 

The only treasure one of us purchased was a pair of beaded earrings to match a necklace bought while in the safari camp.  The wood carved elephant was $100, but the vendor may have bargained more if we were really interested.  Believe us, it would have been a "what were we thinking" moment once we got home.  And besides, it weighed a ton.   The closer we looked at these souvenirs, we realized they resembled what we saw while in Dakar, Senegal five years ago. They will travel a long distance to sell their treasures to the cruise ship crowd… it's easy money.  

The air-conditioned ship felt so good.  We had expected rain, but it did not happen.  What a mess that would have been in town.  We ordered room service lunch with soup and a sandwich.  There was no lunch out today, and there probably will not be any in the upcoming ports either.  Come to think of it, we never saw one restaurant, café, or bar in town today.  The hotels must be located out of town as are the coastal beaches, central forts, and more vibrant cities.  It sure was not here in Takoradi today. 

There was a mandatory muster check between 3 and 5pm, and all guests had to attend.  That took all of five minutes….so easy these days.  Then we had to watch the safety drill in our rooms, or else the TV would not work.  We are good for another 30 days now. 

Relaxing on our veranda, we watched as red kites, a bird of prey,  flew overhead.  They are partial migrants, and measure 26 inches from beak to tail.  They weigh under 3 pounds, but are capable of eating small mammals, worms, and scavenge dead animals.  There were two of them, but eventually we saw a dozen.  They can soar up to 82 feet high in search of food. 

All aboard was 4:30pm but the Captain said we were waiting for a pilot to board, or even waiting on a late tour.   In the meantime, two tugs positioned to assist the ship.  It seemed to be taking forever, so one of the tugs began turning on a dime and also playing the Star- Spangled Banner loudly on a speaker.  No kidding.  People applauded and cheered them as they repeated it a few times.  We were lucky to see this from our veranda.  The Captain also announced the sunrise and sunset was 6:15, which remains the same on the Equator.  There are 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness.   And always hot and humid.  It did cool down once we left the harbor at about 6pm, passing numerous rudimentary fishing boats.   

Dinner had all present.  There was a Ghana fish stew on the menu, but after seeing this fish in the open air today, that stew sounded not so good.  We had one wiener schnitzel and one salmon dinner, with starters of breaded shrimp and a Caesar salad.  We did not notice any difference with the menu as far as missing veggies.  Whatever can be peeled and cooked well should be fine.   Ice cream seems to be the most ordered item at our table.  We are holding out for rocky road, which seems to be hidden in the deep depths of the freezer.

Another new port for us tomorrow…..Abidjan, Cote D'Ivoire. 

Bill & Mary Ann

257 Pictures

Report #84 Friday March 24, 2023 Day At Sea Enroute To Takoradi, Ghana Crossing The Equator Day And 0 Degrees Latitude & 0 Degrees Longitude Overcast And Muggy With Rain Showers 85 Degrees 4-5' swell

Today began heavily overcast with slight seas, a gentle swell, and rain predicted.  The temperature was 84 degrees at 11 am, but would eventually cool down due to passing squalls.    We even had some thunder and lightning on this special day of crossing the Equator at the Prime Meridian or 0 degrees North 0 degrees East.   But more on that later.

The King Neptune Ceremony took place at 10am in the Lido poolside with many onlookers.  A maritime tradition, those in charge had skipped this event the first time the Zuiderdam crossed the line back on January 16^th.  The usual shenanigans took place, but as always, it was the crew members only used as the pollywogs and the shellbacks.   And not to be missed was the "kiss the fish" penalty with the ugliest fish that could be found.  Within an hour after the event, we received personalized certificates proving we did it…….once again.

The more interesting fact about this event today was that we would also be crossing the Prime Meridian at the exact same point as the Equator.  Try as we might, we could not locate the Ocean Data Acquisition System Weather Buoy, which is named the "Soul".  It is supposed to be permanently anchored at those co-ordinates, but we never spotted it.  Captain Frank reached these precise co-ordinates at 11:14am then he blew the horn.   Now just for fun, we suspect, he stopped the ship and turned until we reached a four corners situation.  He was able to position the ship where it was in four difference zones at the same time.  This was quite a trick to get the portside on the west side of the Prime Meridian, and the starboard side on the east side of it.  In addition, the bow of the ship was in the Northern Hemisphere, above the Equator, while the aft section was in the Southern Hemisphere, below the Equator.  When the numbers were exact, he blew the horn again.   How cool was that? 

Perhaps the excitement in the Captain's activities today will help lift the heavy mood that has descended among the troops (the guests).  The more we talk to many of our long- time fellow cruisers, the more we are hearing the disappointment with their comments regarding the changes with this world cruise.  The general consensus is that the heart and soul of the experience has been taken out of the equation.  With the recent health issues affecting so many people, the mood has dropped even more.  We agree with everyone that the wonderful crew has been over-the-top with their attempt to please everyone, but they can only do so much.   It's not their responsibility to carry the load.  Perhaps being on a different ship has some of the longtime guests feeling off as this particular class of ships is not as conductive to seeing people as being on the Amsterdam, for instance.   It's a hard thing to put your finger on all of the reasons, we just know that many folks are not coming back to next year's grand voyage.   HAL has come out with more voyages that are of a longer duration, and that is appealing to many of these seasoned cruisers.

Despite the fact that the dining service has returned to normal (more or less), more guests are becoming ill.  We are hearing many conflicting stories about the source of this illness, which was originally explained as a derivative of the Noro-virus.  Now the scuttlebutt has it that the bug is bacterial, such as a type of food poisoning.  At least three of our close friends have been treated with different antibiotics to combat the symptoms.  Something like E-coli comes to mind, God forbid.  For the first time ever, we all got a notice tonight that some of the ships fresh fruits and vegetables have been reduced (or eliminated) in an abundance of caution for the health and well-being of all onboard.  Are they saying we have been sickened by eating local produce that was tainted when received in some of the last ports?  That would not be the first time this happened on a cruise ship.  Princess comes to mind over 20 years ago, when contaminated lettuce was the culprit.   And the source happened to be the Imperial Valley in California.   

So we will have to do without some of the usual fare until we reach the southern part of Europe at the beginning of April.  Of course, we are to continue with the compliance with the health and safety protocols……..washing hands and sanitizing frequently.  Don't have to tell us twice.

Both Greg and Heo were at dinner tonight, as were the rest of us including Susie, Woody, and Barb.  Heo had been ill for six days, and Greg 5 days.  It was nice having them back, but they are still being quite careful with any community food such as the crudites and rolls.  For dinner tonight, one of us ordered the salad made with kos, a different type of lettuce.  It came with romaine, not kos.  Hmmmm, wonder if that was one of the contaminants?  They will never tell us.  Mains were fish for both of us…one everyday salmon and one hake with mussels and clams on the side.  Both were good as Nik our waiter said they would be.  No bones, no smell….that's all we ask.  Now that the fresh fruit has dwindled down to slices of mango and melon, we both ordered the lemon jello.   By the way, there were even fewer diners this evening, but then they may have over-done it at the Lido Seafood Lunch today.  Greg and Heo said it was really nice for a change.

The entertainer this evening was Naomi Tagg, the violinist, performing a brand new show.   Only the guys were going tonight as they have missed this favorite activity of theirs.

Tomorrow's port is Takoradi, Ghana, a new one for us and many others. 

Bill & Mary Ann

No Pictures

Report #83 Thursday March 23, 2023 Day At Sea Enroute To Takoradi, Ghana Overcast And Muggy With Rain Showers 85 Degrees 4-5' Swell

 

After breakfast this morning, we had another mandatory visit to make on our residential decks to hand off the Ghana arrival and departure cards, The Gambia visa application, and endure a temperature check.  Previously, we had received a form where we had a choice of purchasing The Gambia visa for $155 each, or opt out, and stay onboard the ship that day.  We are so glad we have been given the chance to opt out, because we have been to The Gambia in 2018, toured it, and did not feel the need to return.   All of our friends did the same thing, and remarked about the price they were asking.  Way too high they said.   The Ghana visas will cost us $85 each, whether we get off of the ship or not.   Guess we will be getting off there, even if it will be a drive to a craft market.    The temperature check revealed that we were both 36.5 degrees C.  Suppose that is acceptable. 

Last night's Daily Program had been delivered, then taken away abruptly.   A new one was added after dinner.  Normal activities had been resumed with permission from Seattle headquarters.  Comparing the programs for the last few days, we really did not notice many differences. 

We worked on photo captioning for a while this morning.  It was warm once again with temps in the mid 80's outside.  The skies were overcast and muggy and we could see rain on the horizon.  We went for our morning walk and ran into two fellows who joined the ship recently in Cape Town.  We did not know them, but we had a mutual friend, Konnie H, who had sent a hello to us from Facebook we guess.  Konnie – we wish you were here!

Captain Frank gave his noon talk and confirmed that the seas are rather calm with a swell of 1 ½ meters, causing the ship to roll a bit.  Then Ian followed as he always does, and mentioned that the port on Sunday will have most everything closed.  When these itineraries are created, why would they schedule a stop at a place where all of the attractions are all closed?  This will occur again when we go to Cadiz, Spain on Easter Sunday.  That is a huge holiday there, and we expect nothing will be opened.  But we could be wrong.  The speakers are still bad on the outside deck, because we could have sworn that Ian said Ghana was closed down, but that is on Saturday.  Time will tell.

Watching the videos on Ian's port talk for Takoradi, Ghana and Abidjan, Ivory Coast are not very enticing to say the least.  Much of the area seems to be under construction, or the sites are far from town.  Of course this promotes shore excursion sales for sure.  There will be no one allowed to walk in the dock area, so shuttles will be provided to the port gate, or to a nearby hotel.  But this is pretty much what we expected, especially after following the blogs from the Grand Africa voyage last fall. 

We shared an avocado-bacon burger and a plate of Bolognese spaghetti for lunch.  During the afternoon, the outside temps seemed to drop and we knew we might be headed into some squalls.  By 5pm, we went for our usual walk, and the rain began in earnest.  One time around the deck, it was flooded, so we gave up and went back home. 

This is a good time to address a "mystery" noise that has been occurring this week.  Mostly in the evening, we have heard loud noises that sound like a plane landing down the hallway.  It starts slow, then builds to a loud windy noise, then subsides.  It may be coming from the ceiling vents we suspect.  While sitting here writing, the noise began at 9:50pm, and has continued off and on.  Ellen and Aart are two cabins from us and have also reported this strange occurrence from the beginning.  We are thinking it is a problem with a relief valve letting off excess air, but it only a guess.  So far, there has been no concrete answer.

Anyway, back to dinner where all of us were present except Heo, who is still not feeling great.  Greg looked perfectly fine after his ordeal with the bug and we welcomed him back.  Ginny, a friend to all, joined us since her husband is either sick or got injured according to Barb.  Ellen joined us as well, as Aart is still recovering from the bug.  Nice to have a full table as the conversation flows much better.  Most all of us ordered the tomato/basil crostini, and remarked we were glad they skipped the hot oil they have been adding to too many dishes.   We agreed we do not need the hot sauce, and if they insist on adding it to unsuspecting dishes, we need to know before ordering them.  For more times than we care to count, some of the appetizers have been ruined with sauces that burn our lips off.

Mains were meat tortellini with red sauce, and red snapper fish with the same red sauce.  It was puttanesca, which has olives which one of us does not like.  The good thing is that Nik remembered to put the sauces on the side, which worked well.  The same went for the turkey entrée with gobs of gravy….all on the side.   Once again, the dining room was less than half full, and despite the fact that the regular dining service was back, we think the bug is still around.  We are not passing anything around the table yet, and not encouraging the use of sharing cell phone photos at the mealtime.  It stands to reason that those phones are the most contaminated items we can use these days. 

We have a new pianist onboard by the name of Christof Van Der Berg who will perform at 9:30pm.  He was listed as a piano bar entertainer who will play tunes from Gershwin, Porter, and Sinatra.  Ellen and Greg were eager to attend, so we called it a night before 9:30pm.  We were about the last of the guests to exit the upper dining room.  Appeared they were preparing for another spraying.

One more sea day crossing the Equator and we will be in Ghana, a new stop for us.

Mary Ann & Bill

No Pictures

Report # 82 Wednesday March 22, 2023 Sea Day Enroute To Takoradi, Ghana Cloudy With Rain Showers Very Humid 85 Degrees

 

Today is the start of three days at sea on our way to Ghana, another new port for us.  At least we have a break now and can do the research on the upcoming stops.  The outdoor temperature was 85 degrees with 83% humidity at 11am.  The skies were heavily clouded and it sure felt like rain was ahead.  And it did rain by 1pm, when the ship could not avoid passing through the isolated clouds. 

Processing photos took some time, as always, as did catching up on yesterday's activities.  We are close to being on time now and it feels great.  Taking a long walk this morning, found few people doing the same thing.  Many walkers were out and about while we were eating breakfast, which is smarter since it was slightly cooler.  We are beginning to see more flying fish, but absolutely no birds.  Even though we are sailing about 20 miles off the shore, the birds are not here.  We have not seen any local vessels at all, like we did on the way to Angola.

Ian had his lecture on both Takoradi, Ghana and Abidjan, Ivory Coast.  We shall watch it after dinner or tomorrow morning when it is rerun on TV.   Then the speaker, Dr. Dean Allen, spoke about Invictus the famous game that united a nation.  

A big event this morning was the Project Linus Blanket Showcase held in the Lido poolside from 9 to 11:30am.  Select blankets were being sold to raise money for more yarn, either for this cruise or next year's cruise.  The number of blankets were way more than we could have imagined.  The colors lit up the entire pool area.  Some of these quilts were professionally created, in our humble opinion, by very talented people.  We are certain that the 10am sessions will continue, since the participators love it so much.  

A film called 5000 Blankets was shown in the World Stage at 1pm, and sounded like it was relative to the knit and crochet project here.  Arts and crafts continued as did most other social activities.  We are sort of surprised since so many people are sick and quarantined.  We would think twice about joining these activities until the virus has been eliminated.  Judging by the amount of cleaning and saturating spraying taking place, we hope that to be very soon. 

There was another call for medical personnel to go immediately to the Lido restaurant after 1pm.  This trip has had the most medical calls than we can remember in a long time.  Having this virus hit, we think it is most dangerous for the elderly folks.   Severe dehydration can cause all sorts of complications.  One of us had a follow up with the doctor for an improving ear infection, which was cancelled and re-booked in two more days.  Just as well, since we don't want to be within a mile of the medical facility.

We did room service lunch sharing a cheeseburger from the dining room menu, as well as a Caesar salad.  We had requested delivery by 2pm, but it arrived at 1:30pm.  Perhaps they are getting back to normal.  Everything was good, and they probably did us a favor forgetting the two cookies we ordered.  We'll survive.

Time for the evening walk, we witnessed deep cleaning of the lounges and chair pads on the promenade deck.  Not one surface has gone unsanitized inside and outside.  The same thing would happen after dinner this evening in the dining room.  Every table stripped and sprayed after all the guests had left.  All of the chairs will be sprayed as well.

Dinner found all of us there but Greg and Heo.  Still under the weather, we suspect they had not been released yet.  They are extremely cautious and will not leave the room until they feel it is safe.  The entrees were less than appealing.  Two types of lamb were served, both not up to par with either Susie or Barb.  The chicken cordon bleu was the best, as was the strange sounding Angolan fish plate.  Desserts were jello and a sticky date pudding.  We were done by 9pm, and noticed the tables were being stripped quickly.  Time to go.

The show tonight was comedian Martin Beaumont, who we saw while on the Nieuw Statendam last year.  He kept the folks laughing.  We are not sure how well attended this performance will be, since dinner participation was cut in half in the upper dining room.  Many no-shows.

Bill & Mary Ann

No Pictures

Report # 81 Tuesday March 21, 2023 Luanda, Angola Docked Starboard Side To Dock 8am-7pm Cloudy, Hot And Humid With A Rain Shower 94 Degrees

 

One hour back on the clock had us up bright-eyed and bushy tailed as the saying goes.  Sometimes that extra hour does help. 

So today we are visiting another African country, Angola.  The capital is Luanda and the population is 25.8 million folks that speak a variety of native languages including Portuguese.  One thing we should mention is that we did not need to buy visas here. 

Angola is a land of traumatic history with startling natural treasures.  Its past history is all about civil war than peace, but it is also about huge oil reserves and "blood" diamonds, which stirs up bad memories.  It doesn't seem like that long ago when the horrors of the trade were first and foremost in the news.   On the other hand, Angola houses the continent's second largest waterfall by the name of Kalindula Falls, hidden within its wild borders.  Nagging political issues plague the country as well as government corruption for the last 50 years.  For that reason, most of the country is closed off to travelers.  Wasted oil revenues and starving people are still stories in the back round. 

It is said that you will sink into the sands of a Luanda beach while drinking capirinhas, a Portuguese treat.  Locals eat fish stew and drink "white" coffee, which is really coffee with a lot of milk.  Random fact:  not long ago, Angola had more land mines than children.  That speaks volumes once again. 

Tours here were not cheap.  A two hour drive took folks in small vans for a tour through the city to see the sights for $150.  The changing faces of Luanda for 3 hours was $220, while a city tour with a boat ride to Mussulo Island, the local high end resort area, ran $430 which included lunch and a day on the beach or in a pool for 8 hours.

Arriving to Luanda in the darkness of the morning, we were surprised that the ship had cleared by 8am, despite the fact that the Zuiderdam has gone into Code Red with a Noro virus type bug.  Just what we didn't need.  Many of our friends have been affected, as well as four of our tablemates.  Knock on wood, we are OK, but many are being quarantined, but on their own honor.  That does not always work.

Watching from the promenade deck at 9am, we saw four Angolan dancing girls with two marimba players.  Guests were pouring off the gangway, stopped, and took many photos.  Many left money in their bowl.  One thing for sure was that it was going to be one very hot day despite clouds floating overhead.  We may even get some rain.

While I stayed in the room typing, Bill went to watch the dock activity.  The kitchen has run out of so many items, we were curious to see if we got deliveries today.  Sure enough, two containers were dropped off, and one crew member conducted the off-loading.  Bill had to laugh since three local fellows did the work, while 33 others stood by watching.  By then, the local dancing ladies were finished with the performance so they picked up the money bowl, and danced their way out of the dock area along with the band of two.  They were happy as could be it appeared.  By the time he returned, I was done.

Recalling how dangerously hot it can get here, we packed two bottles of water when we left the ship by 11am.  A commercial vessel was off-loading some kind of grain, and it put a terrible smell in the air.  There were several complimentary shuttle buses taking people to the port gate, although we walked it before, we decided to do it again.  Our main reason was that was we did not want to ride in a crowded bus at this time.   We zig-zagged our way out of the port area, following directions from the port workers.  That gate wasn't too far away, but far enough.

Guess this is a good time to mention the warnings about our visit here today.  Only the craft market would accept US dollars.  The hotels may not accept US dollars or even credit cards we were told.  Then you take a risk using your cards here as there can be a lot of fraud, even in the best hotels. 

It was suggested not to exchange money for local currency which is kwanza ( 504.80 to 1 USD).  It is often a practice of locals to sell you old paper money that is no longer accepted as currency.   How would you know the difference?  The same applies to buying something of value.  You can pay with their money, but receive bogus bills for change.  Then the usual warnings were don't go anywhere alone, don't wear jewelry, even our watches, or flash money in your wallet.   Do not eat the food or buy bottled water, even in the better hotels.  And we had not considered kidnappings, which Linda reminded us of the next day.   At least this is the complete info we got 5 years ago.  And from here forward, these same warnings will apply to every African port on the West Coast.

One aspect of stopping here is the fact many ship tours had been sold.  At least the guests are guaranteed safety as well as safe food and drink with a ride in air-conditioned buses and vans we assume.  

Directly across from the gate, we crossed the busy road and came across the craft market which had been set up for today only.  It was located in the center of a spacious square, but was a quarter of the size that was here 5 years ago.  Many tents of souvenirs were set up, but it was mostly clothing and cloth being sold.  No wood carvings like we bought last time, there were a few vendors with small items such as key rings and tiny animals.  We did buy one piece of a batik cotton, useful for chair pads.  It was 6 yards of wide heavy cotton for a mere $10 USD.  A few artists displayed their colorful oil paintings which were pretty, but also expensive.  Our travel hosts had just purchased some postcards where they were handed a small Angolan flag.  Luisa gave it to us for a souvenir.  Now we are owners of a red and black flag with a half a gear, a star and a knife on it.

Continuing on, we hiked to the huge lagoon that the downtown area faces.  It is a long stretch of walkways and bike lanes lined with palm trees and lot of lawn areas.  The best thing is that there are several varieties of shade trees most useful in this part of the world.  It actually rained a bit and it would have felt wonderful if it continued.  It stopped and never came back.  This esplanade had much more of a police presence 5 years ago, compared to today.  Of course, looking around, there were only six passengers from the ship that we saw walking like us.  Too frightened or too hot – take your pick.  Despite this, we were not hassled.   There was one exception – a young boy dogged us from the craft market and stayed on our heels for a ways.  We stopped, let him pass, then he disappeared.  There were dozens of school kids here, all with uniforms from private schools.  They were from seven to seventeen and were more than likely on a lunch break.  They loved it when they said "hi" to us and we waved back, especially the cute little girls who giggled as little girls will do.

Some older local guys were net fishing in the lagoon using make-shift mattress-like floating beds catching the small fish that the terns and egrets were eating.  We saw only a few of these birds today , so we highly suspect that this lagoon may be polluted as it had a funky smell and also garbage like plastic bottles floating on the top.

We slowly made it to the old fort and the Shopping Mall towards the end of the lagoon.  This was as far as one of us would go, since we were burning up.  No matter how much water we had, it still was not enough as we stated earlier. We went from palm tree to palm tree for the shade and a breeze.  A cop on a motorbike followed us halfway back to the next set of officers.  Can't say we minded.  We did notice at the very end of the lagoon, a homeless camp was hidden behind some concrete walls.  We stayed well clear of that area.

Finally back at the craft market and clocktower,  we noticed that few guests were there buying things.  Perhaps they were still on tours or felt it too hot to come out here.  We decided to tough it out and walk back to the ship even though the bus was there.  We were back to the gangway at 1:30pm, when the bus arrived at the same time.  The air-conditioning was lifesaving at this point.  We ordered a room service lunch, which arrived 2 hours later.  No doubt, the room service kitchen was slammed.

Relaxing on the veranda with a breeze and several ice cold sodas, we waited for the all aboard time at 4:30pm and subsequent sail away by 5pm.  It was not to be.  Greg had called to give his regrets for dinner as he and Heo are still not well.  They hope to be cleared to leave their room by tomorrow. He had also heard from 15 more of their friends that had caught the bug.  This one is bad.   In the meantime, he told us about a last minute debark of an ill passenger who needed to be hospitalized.  He also added that their room service meals had been arriving 3 hours late with no tray pick-up.  Oh boy….this is worse than we think. 

The ship left the port 2 ½ hours late with the medical debark and other ship traffic blocking our way.  The sun had set, but we did get a few shots of downtown in the after color.   It sure looked far nicer in the dark all lit up.  Dinner had six of us there.  Barb had invited Cecile, and Woody and Susie showed up.  Our mains were one lasagna, which was shared, and one snapper which was very good.  Cooked properly, the fish dishes have been tasty.  Calves' liver was on the menu, which is Barb's and Susie's favorite.  Except Barb's was too rare and they had to bring her another one.  It was sliced so thin, they had only heated it up.  Glad she likes it……

It had been a long day for us,, so we were content to end dinner by 9pm.  Barb had taken the shuttle with Ellen, saw what was there, and stayed on the bus for the ride back.  Too warm for them, they were better off on the ship staying cool. 

There was a movie, Death on the Nile in the World Stage, but who could stay awake for 2 more hours and seven minutes?  Not us…..

Bill & Mary Ann

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Report # 80 Monday March 20, 2023 Sea Day Enroute To Luanda, Angola Another Hot And Humid Day 92 Degrees Sea State Slight

 

Our fears are confirmed – a gastrointestinal bug is onboard the ship, like Noro virus, and it is spreading like wildfire.  We spent the day doing our usual things, beginning with breakfast.  Danu and Andri have to serve us everything now, including doing the peppermill.  We are not allowed to have anything communal on the table.  It is easy when it is just the two of us, but dinner is a different story.  So far, masks are only recommended, not mandated.  There are some folks who still wear them while inside the ship. 

Going outside, we noticed a definite change in the temperature.  On our veranda, the morning reading was 78 degrees, but by 4pm, it had climbed to 92 degrees.  Now that we are heading due north, we get the sun in the afternoon, and that is why our deck was so hot.  The good thing is that we will get some nice sunsets now.   The flying fish have returned indicating that the water has warmed up as well.  

Ian and Nyron had a Q&A about the upcoming African ports.  Although we did not attend the show lounge, we did pick up his lecture on TV later in the evening.  Some of the questions seemed to skip ahead  way beyond our next port.  It was hard to keep track of where they were talking about.  Also, if you ask questions too far in advance, they will not have the answers.  That refers to shuttles mostly.  Some of the ports are still in negotiations regarding complimentary shuttles.   We were more interested in the port of Luanda, Angola, just to fill in the blanks since we were here last in 2018.  Not many questions were asked for that port.  Back five years ago, we had been forewarned about the safety in this area of Africa, and wondered if it was the same now.  Guess we shall find out.

Our room service lunch was 20 minutes late today, most unusual since they have been really good about being on time.  Thinking I had given the incorrect room number, the food finally arrived after a call to the dispatcher in room service.  We bet this has something to do with the recent breakout, and our guess was correct as we found out later. 

There were three of us at dinner this evening.  Greg had called and left a message that both he and Heo were down for the count.  The bug had found them, and they were not doing well.  They expect to be quarantined for 2 or 3 days.  Susie and Woody were no-shows, probably also not feeling well.  This virus must be getting worse, because the dining room seemed half empty.  Anyway, we had small appetizers, then mains of one very large veal chop (on the Club Orange menu) and one halibut plate.  Barb also had the fish.  Bill's was slightly underdone, so I was more than happy to share my delicious tender chop.  There was plenty for both of us.   We were done by 8:30pm and asleep by 10pm. 

Showtime featured electric violinist Naomi Tagg from South Africa.  We have attended her show in the past and found her to be energetic and most talented. 

Ready for tomorrow's port of Luanda, Angola, a very controversial place in Africa.

Bill & Mary Ann

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