Hitch a Ride with Bill & Mary Ann on Holland America's 2018 World Cruise - 113 days +

[WCB]

Report # 91 Safari Day Two April 1, 2018 Sunday Hot and humid & chance of rain

 

First of all, Happy Easter Sunday! Or, is it April Fool’s Day? We all thought it might be April Fool’s Day,especially if the sudden rains canceled the morning drive. As it turned out, once the sun rose, the rainstopped. As for us, we thought it was anEaster miracle. At least the dust hadsettled, the ponds were full, and we will not be eating dirt during the drive.

 

As promised, we had a wake-up knock on our screen door at5:30am. Although both of us sleptthrough two alarm clocks, we still had time to spare before the 6am meet time. One of the guides arrived daily with a largethermos of boiling water. Inside each ofour cabins, we have instant coffee and tea , and are welcomed to make a cupourselves. As much as we love coffee, wethanked him, but did not even think about having a cup. The only restrooms out in the bush are treesor shrubs.

 

Our driver and guide was Tinyko, who we remembered from 4and 5 years ago. He is native Shangaanand Zulu, and also speaks fluent English, since learning the language in thefourth grade. The tracker was a youngfellow, James, who is the son of Dale, the owner/manager. We recall James when he was a teenager backin 2013. One of us took the seat high onthe back of the Land Rover, while the other one took over as “shotgun” sittingnext to the driver. We kept thesepositions for the entire time. The goodthing was that one of us could keep a diary of every sighting, and actuallyhear everything the guide was telling us. The higher position in the vehicle allowed for the best possible photos,and ended up a seat for one. The vehiclewas never over-crowded.

 

The very first thing we got to see was one long discardedquill left from a porcupine. Never knewthey were so thick and lethally sharp. Amedium-sized cat crossed in front of us so quickly, a photo could not betaken. It was our only sighting of thissmall cat.

 

Being up in front was the best place to monitor the incomingcalls from other guides in the area. Ourlodge communicates with at least one other adjacent lodge to share viewingspots. That increases the total square milesfor animal sightings for both camps. Some other lodges are not so friendly, so crossing over their borderscan lead to legal problems. This goesback for years of in house fighting over boundaries. Considering the massive size of the SabiSands Game Reserve, the concentration of wildlife is dense.

 

The highlight of the morning drive was to find a femaleleopard, who had made a kill the previous evening. Within 10 minutes of leaving the camp, wecame upon a treed leopard guarding her kill, which happened to be a grey dika, thesmallest of the antelopes. Two ratherlarge hyenas were parked under the tree, waiting for any tidbit of meat thatmight fall down to them, since they are not capable of climbing. The cat was smart, because if she had notstashed her kill up high, these hyenas would surely steal it from her.

 

After taking 100 or more photos of her, we watched as theleopard came down the tree. Following her, it was 10 minutes later that wefound the little three month old cub (sex unknown) hiding in tall grass, wherethe mom had left it. Knowing that thosehyenas, among other animals, could kill her baby, she wisely keeps the cub outof sight. For some unknown reason, thecub will stay hidden, obeying the mother, unlike human kids, that might stray. The mother leopard led her cub to awaterhole, where they drank carefully watching for those hyenas. Both of them eventually found some cover, andlaid down, the cub playing all the time, as babies do. During the warmer parts of the day, they willmostly lay low and sleep. This would bethe final time we saw them together. Very lucky, indeed.

 

Continuing on the ride through the trees and brush, we saw amultitude of birds and animals including the goway birds, lilac-breastedrollers, and the comical yellow billed hornbills. The smaller of the animals were dwarfmongoose, squirrels, and many impalas. With the markings of an “m” on their backsides, they called the “McDonald’s”of the savannah. Sort of like fast foodfor the lions, leopards, and cheetahs. The larger animals were the kudu, wildebeest,zebra, water buck, elephants, and white rhinos.

 

Another surprise find was the young male cheetah, who wassitting atop a high termite mound. Thiswas our very first time to see this beautiful cat in this area. Usually, they will not be around the largercats, but at times, they will migrate from other areas in search of prey. He had no fear of us in the Land Rover atall.

 

By 8am, Tinyko stopped for us to enjoy coffee or hotchocolate with biscotti biscuits. Surewas good to stretch our legs, but we did not wander far. After 10 or 15 minutes, we continued on theride back towards the camp. Passing awhite rhino, we notice he was limping. An injury to his foot or leg had slowed him down. That could make him vulnerable to attack bythe cats, a sad thought, but it is the way life goes on in this part of theworld.

 

By now, we had worked up our appetites for breakfast at thelodge. That began around 10am. Two more vehicles had come back to camp, andwe all sat at individual tables…..families together, and couples at tables fortwo. Since it was Easter Sunday, weall had chocolate Easter eggs and bunnies as decorations on each table. The first meal of the day was an ample one.And because it was a holiday, we were served mimosas with our food. The cold part of breakfast was a tray full offood like strawberry and plain yogurts, sliced fruit, cheese and crackers, twomuffins and 2 slices of sweet bread, anda tray of sliced meats and salmon. Thiswas more than sufficient, but there was more to come. One of the kitchen staff came and took ourorder for the hot food. We both ordereddifferent omelettes with one piece oftoast, which arrived within minutes. Totallydelicious, we headed back to our room to relax until later.

 

That only lasted until 10:45am, when we had the chance to takea bush walk with Tinyko, armed with a powerful rifle. Only one of us went, giving the other one achance to catch up on reports. Andperhaps to sneak a tiny nap on the veranda. Bill was back in time to shower with the help of daylight, then go tothe dining room for afternoon tea by 3pm. Turned out, this was another meal of lunch. And not sandwiches. We sat down to a meal of pea soup, tuna salad,fresh bread, and cheese with crackers. We had dessert as well. Now we were ready for another game drive, orif we sat still too long, a nap.

 

This was a good time to clean up. You don’t realize it, but without lights inthe room, it is difficult to do anythingin the dark. Taking advantage of thedaylight is a must here. We could haverequested a lamp, but that would have been the sissy thing to do. Using the camp’s LED lantern, along with theone we brought did just fine once that sun disappeared.

 

At four pm, we walked to the entrance and took our seatsonce again for the evening safari ride. Two pretty young ladies, Sha andCynthia, had just arrived at the camp,and became our travel mates for the next couple of days. They had flown from China, but barely showedsigns of jetlag. Nice to be young….. Wesure enjoyed getting to know them, and shared in their enthusiasm for findingthe Big Five and more. They already hadan encounter at lunchtime, when a camp monkey slipped over the edge of thedining room roof, and stole a piece of bread off of their plate. They literally jumped a mile when the monkeyhit. All of us had a chuckle overthat.

 

Our ride began well as we saw a fish eagle at the pondnearest the camp. A few years back, as ascience project for school, a younger James (our tracker) tried introducing smallfish to some of the ponds. Some of themsurvived, and now there is a thriving supply of fish for the ponds. One variety is the tilapia, which areexcellent eating. The fish eagle thinksso too.

 

We did see the mother leopard, but she was sleeping off fromgorging on her kill. She barely liftedher head when we drove past her hide in the tall grasses. Another unusual sighting was of ostriches, atleast nine of them. Elephants and rhinoswere nearby. We know that elephants arein herds, and rhinos in a group are called a crush of rhino. We asked Tinyko what a flock of ostricheswere called and he did not know offhand.

 

We stopped for sundowners, drinks and snacks at the settingof the sun. There were wines, beers,hard drinks, and sodas or water. Some ofthe fellows wandered off into the brush for a pit stop. The ladies chose to wait it out.

 

Back at the camp, dinner was served at 8pm. More cocktails were offered with even moresnacks. This evening the dinner wasserved in the dining room at a long table. A hot soup always begins the meal, followed by a salad of somesort. The entrée was a buffet withmasala chicken and braised oxtail in a savory gravy. Sides included fresh sauteed veggies, potatoes,and rice. Fresh rolls were in baskets onthe table. Wine flowed or bottle waterwas available. Dessert of cake finishedthe meal. But wait…..we were not doneyet. A server came around the tableoffering a most delicious liqueur called Amarula. Similar to Bailey’s Irish Cream, it is madefrom the fruit of the native marula tree. This treat ended every evening meal during our stay.

 

Escorted back to our rooms, we all looked forward to a goodnight’s sleep. It was a tad bit cooler,but taking a cold shower helped. In fact, for one of us, it really helped shampooing the hair, and lettingit air dry. Yes, I could have plugged inthe hair dryer, but access to the plugs was not to be, as every outlet was usedfor charging batteries for tomorrow. Staying damp actually was better.

 

During dinner, we had witnessed the almost full moon appear,but by now, it was gone. Clouds hadtaken away the view of the bright stars, and it was raining lightly once again. Oh well, it would be a good thing, because itkept the dust down for tomorrow’s drive. Listening to the sounds of thenight, we drifted off and slept soundly. What a day…….it was almost over-whelming, but there would be two moredays to see even more.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

PS We are stillhaving issues with the photos. Only afew are getting through, and we hope to have it solved soon. It remains a mystery.

[Krazy Kruizers]

What are a wonderful safari day you had.

They certainly feed you well -- everything sounds grand.

Hope you figure out what is causing you to have problems with the pictures.

[bennybear]

Wow, it sounds absolutely magical!

[WCB]

Report # 92 SafariCamp Day 3 April 2, 2018 Monday Still hot & humid

 

Before beginning today, we have to fill in one of the eventsfrom last night that we failed to add to the report. It was the awesome sundowner meeting of allof the guests at the end of the afternoon game drive yesterday.

 

Our guide, Tinyko, had mentioned we were in for a surprise,and we sort of knew what was coming. Somewhere on a rocky bluff, a campfire had been lit and a BBQ was inprogress while we toured the reserve looking for wild game. Once it began to get dark, we headed for thedesignated spot where snacks of tender steak, impala, and sausages were passedaround. We had our choice of beverages,while Joseph, the senior Shangaan driver and guide prepared to entertain us allwith calls of the wild. Seated around acrackling hot fire, he imitated the lion, hyena, cheetah, and several otherunusual, but distinct sounds of the night. Gave us chills how closely he got the sounds. Then he added that if we hear these calls atnight, it won’t be coming from him, as he will be sound asleep in his bed. Wrapping it up, we loaded back on thevehicles, and headed back to camp. Surewas exciting, despite the fact we have done this twice in the past.

 

Anyway, we began the day by meeting once again at 6am at thelodge. Once in our seats, Tinyko askedwhat we would like to see today. Ofcourse, Sha and Cynthia requested to find the lions. They felt lucky today, so we agreed thatwould be great. On the way, we checkedthe tree where the leopard had her kill yesterday. As she had been feeding all day and night,there was little left of the small dika…only the legs were hanging from thebranch. The two hyenas were waiting forthose to fall down. They are capable ofchewing the bones and all. The femaleleopard had moved to another tree close by, where the hyenas followed. We hung around here for almost an hour.

 

So on the way to the lion search, we came upon at least 25elephants. This group is called a memoryof elephants, and had mostly females, babies, and a couple of 15 year oldmales. They were literally ripping thelow branches of the trees apart, causing a lot of damage. Some of the males were pushing the saplingsover to the ground, just because they could. Tinyko said they were being bad boys, and getting ready for the breedingseason.

 

Passing small herds of zebra and kudu, we came close to fourrhinos with red billed oxpecker birds dining on insects on their bodies. Gosh these white or wide mouth rhinos werebig. If one of them chose to charge atthe Land Rover, we would be toast. Morethan likely, their eye sight is not so good, and they see us in the vehicle asan animal much larger than them. Theytolerate all of us taking photos, while they stayed resting in the spot theyspent the night.

 

Hitting the road again, we noticed a trail of large clumpsof elephant dung. Our driver swervedaround the piles, avoiding rolling through them. He said quite often there are dung beetlesunder it, rolling the poop into balls. They literally use their back legs to transport the still good fertilizerinto holes in the ground. Since theyserve a purpose, he does not want to crush them with the vehicle.

 

We saw a field full of wildebeests before stopping formorning coffee and biscotti cookies. This could be a hard habit to kick, since those homemade cookies are sogood. A male giraffe wandered by, not atall spooked by us. The rest of the driveback was for the birds. As in seeing alot of various species of African birds. There are many predator-type birds here, such as the black shoulderedkite and the tawny eagle. They perch onthe highest trees, usually the ones that are dead. They have eyesight unmatched by even the bigfive. If anything moves down here, theywill see it.

 

Passing the herd of impala close to camp, we snapped a few photosof the lilac-breasted rollers as they posed for us. They are among the prettiest birds in SouthAfrica.

 

So at the end of the morning drive, we did not see thelions. It was reported that they hadmoved out of the area during the night. Our only hope was that they come back to hunt. Maybe tonight…..

 

Back at the lodge, we went to breakfast, enjoying a varietyof yogurts, fruit, cereal, and a hot entrée. Hard to keep the meals light here. But they are healthy. And one ofus would have a chance to walk some of the calories off this morning.

 

So another hike was in order for one of us, while the otherlaid low for a couple of hours. It hadwarmed up once again, and the heat was taking a toll with most of the guests. One of these afternoons, we will have to tryout that inviting swimming pool.

 

Having access to internet here was not a factor the last twotimes we stayed here. Except foremergencies, there was none. It’s niceto be able to keep the updates coming in, but with the slowness of the speed,it did take up precious time. Not havingmuch time to write the journal has been sort of nice, although we are making upfor that now.

 

Lunch was served at 3pm, and was more than ample. This time they served the best calamari andwhite fish one of us ever had. A platterof cheese and crackers was served with a mixed salad and a spinach quiche. A plate of melon, grapes, and sliced appleswas presented with slices of chocolate cake. The misbehaving monkeys were back to harass the guests, stealingwhatever food they could get away with. Nowthe camp ladies are armed with a paintball rifle with no paint. Just the sight of it makes them scatter. Pretty funny.

 

We had a new-comer for our afternoon drive. James, the manager’s son, had to go home, andKenneth, a familiar tracker took his place. We met Kenneth the last time we were here, and found him to be a verynice young fellow. Once again, our ridebegan with our safari mates Sha and Cynthia. We spotted more birds such as a black headed yellow oriole, a crested redand yellow barbet, a batelur starling, a magpie shrike, and three lilacrollers. Despite the heat, they areactive in the midday sun.

 

There was a lone male rhino that appeared to belimping. Their only chance to get healedis to go into the mud wallows and cover the injury with a coating of slimydirt. Helps to keep the flies off. If the animal gets sick, he will be prey tothe big cats. There is a graveyard nearbywith a pile of white bones from the larger animals that have died here. Not sure why they are kept in a pile, butthey do provide nourishment for the smaller critters that eat bones for thecalcium. Nothing goes to waste.

 

Crossing over a rocky creek, we saw a monitor lizard sunningitself. These are the smaller version ofthe Komodo dragons we have seen in Komodo, Indonesia. Continuing on, we passed by kudu, wart hogs, andinteresting weaver’s nests. Hanging fromthe power lines, these nests are woven by small birds that lay their eggs inthem. Takes a clever bird or a snake toaccess the openings.

 

Elephants and male nyalas crossed the road. The nyala are a strange-looking anteloperesembling a horse with a mane and a horse tail. A few waterbuk and a herd of Cape buffalokept our attention for a while.

 

Driving towards a large pond below the big lodge of SabiSabi, we watched two hippos fighting, then submerging in the murky waters. They are most strange creatures as they rolland warn each other with their massive opened jaws. Their teeth can cause much damage, and theseanimals are responsible for killing more people in Africa than any otherpredator. The danger from them comeswith their massive bulky bodies, which they use to ram or charge anything theydon’t like in their way. Tinyko pointedout that these animals can maintain their weight by being vegetarian. Come to think of it, three out the Big Fiveare grazers…..they all dine on grasses and trees. They would be the elephant, rhino, and Capebuffalo. The meat-eaters would be thelion and leopard.

 

A small flock of Egyptian geese were ringing the pond, whilea male leopard laid low in the grass. Hewas about 13 years old according to our driver. Shortly after we drove off, an elephantappeared and the big cat ran off suddenly. It was getting dark, so off wewent to find a spot for sundowner cocktails and snacks of chips and nuts. The lions had eluded us once again.

 

On our way back to camp, Joseph stopped and plucked a greenchameleon from a branch to show all of us. It was one of those chameleons with the buggy eyes that rotated 360degrees. Fun to watch him watching us. This little critter seemed comfortable withbeing handled. The lights they put onthe little guy did not slow him down.

 

We went directly to our room, and came back for dinner at8pm. Tonight the dinner was served inthe boma area, down a flight of stairs. Onelong table was set, and we were served whatever beverage we liked, and startersof soup and a delicious shrimp and avocado salad. The buffet table had the usual items ofsalad, roasted veggies, and potatoes. The last station was the grilled lamb and the sliced roast beef. Chocolate mousse was the dessert, whichfilled all of us up. Amarula was pouredfor those of us that are liking the liqueur.

 

We slept like rocks tonight, but prepared to be up earlyonce again tomorrow morning.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Krazy Kruizers]

Love reading your reports of all the wild animals you are seeing.

And your meals sound wonderful.

[WNCtourist]

I am greatly enjoying your trip reports and appreciate you taking the time to share them with us. Best wishes for continuing to have a wonderful adventure!

 

Sent from my QTAQZ3 using Forums mobile app

[Hflors]

Just wanted you to know how much we enjoy your reports. I can't wait until you are able to add your pictures to your blog. This is another "amazing" journey you are so wonderful in allowing us to share!

[sppunk]

Bill and Mary Ann, by chance would you mind sharing what safari camp you stayed in this year?

[madera1]

Thank you for sharing your adventures with us!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[WCB]

Report # 93 SafariCamp April 3, 2018 Tuesday Warm and humid

 

It has gotten easier getting up so early for these gamedrives. By 5:30am, we have alreadyworked on photos for an hour, and set up what we need for the game drive. The first thing we always remember is whatJoseph, the head guide told us five years ago. The very first thing you do when you get up in the morning is check yourshoes. Little critters like scorpionscould have crawled in them during the night. Not a good way to start the day if you getbit.

 

So off we went on the last drive we would share with thegirls, Sha and Cynthia. They would beleaving camp after breakfast. So today’swish was to see the lions. And the girlswere really feeling lucky today.

 

Driving up around the pond, we found that a young hippo hadmoved into it. He was about three yearsold, and having a fine time swimming with the fish. Zebras and elephants were on their way hereto drink. The two male elephants weremildly fighting, practicing for the real thing when the females are ready tomate. At that time, the guides will givethese guys a wide berth.

 

A little grey dika ran by, but most of us did not seeit. Neither did we all see the Africangreen pigeons as we drove by. A gnu, ora blue wildebeest, was far away watching us.

 

It would be hard to miss the three giraffes on the road,especially the one with an injured foot. It appeared that a thorn had penetrated the hoof between the toes, andcaused the poor animal to limp. Onceagain, this could be bad for this giraffe. Perhaps the big cats will go after the herd of zebras we saw instead.

 

While on our way towards the boundary, we ran right into aneighboring camp vehicle with people we knew. The odds of this happening are small, since the distances covering aremassive. At least two familiar couplesfrom the Amsterdam were sitting in this jeep, after just coming from a majorlion sighting. Our drivers shared theinfo, and soon we were dashing off towards that area. Wishing each other continued luck, we partedways, never to see them again until we were back on the ship.

 

Sure enough, we came upon 10 lions laying almost hidden inthe grass. Most of this pride were sevenyoung 3 – 4 year old males, while theother ones were 3 females. We stayedwithin watching distance of these big cats until 8:30am. Tinyko said that this pride had not made akill last night, but would eventually would have to be successful if theyexpected to survive. A couple of theyounger males were pretty thin. We stayed here until it was time to make roomfor another jeep. At least we did seethem, and a lot of them.

 

Coffee and cookies were served until 9:10am. Then we headed back to the camp, passing bythe herd of kudu and impalas.

 

Breakfast was good, and the visiting monkeys thought sotoo. The tables had been set away fromthe veranda railing, so the little marauders could not hang from the roof tosteal some food.

 

And again, one of us took a bush walk, and the other stayedbehind to make an attempt to catch up on the continuing adventure. Having a few hours left this afternoon beforethe drive, we opted to try the swimming pool. Sure was nice slipping into the cold water, cooling off to thecore. Two families were taking advantageof the pool today as well. It is largeenough where everyone had their own space. Lining the pool, were over-size wooden chaise lounges. A supply of towels were under the coveredpatio with plush pillow-covered couches and chairs. When the sun appeared from the occasionalclouds, it was quite intense. So we didnot stay too long. But it sure was nice. By the way, there was a separate spa to use,and a massage hut where you could have paid for a variety of relaxing services.

 

By 3pm, we ate a lunch of cheeses, pesto, and crackers. A crispy mixed salad was served with chickenlegs, honeydew melon, and veggie wraps. Bread was on the table with lots of butter.

Dessert was a slice of frosted banana bread. Once again, we were full and ready to goonward.

 

The internet was working better, so we accomplished somedownloads before preparing for the 4pm drive. Dale had suggested that we use the stoolbehind the shop’s counter for the best hotspot. He was right.

 

We said goodbye to the girls, who were packed and ready tomove to another camp somewhere. They hadbeen fun safari mates, and we were sad to see them leave. Exchanging email addresses, we promised tokeep in touch. We all had photos toshare.

 

At the jeep, we met our new safari mates, Nancy and Mikefrom Georgia. Up until today, we werethe only Americans here. Now we hadcompany. No other new guests had arrived,so it was just the four of us to spread out in the seats. Nice. The drive began well with many sightings of giraffes, zebra, elephants,and birds.

 

Something we always find interesting are the hanging grassynests made from the lesser masked weaver birds. They appear to look like ornaments on a Christmas tree. Under these trees with the nests, were severalbirds and a leopard tortoise. He neededto stay in the grass, or would be a target for someone’s dinner.

 

We spotted the same monitor lizard in the creek bed from theprevious day. The drive continued formany miles, but we did not realize we were heading back to the border onceagain. We discovered another herd of 30Cape buffalo, vying for a spot in three mud holes. We were so close, you could smell them. There were some babies among the herd, butthe youngest was about one week old. Itwas well-protected with all of the adults surrounding it.

 

One large predator, a reddish colored hawk or eagle wasperched on a limb. Obviously ready tokill anything it saw. Nice to know wewere not on their menu.

 

Continuing on, we saw a brown snake eagle flying withsomething in its beak. We could seethrough the lens of the camera, that the bird had a big snake. It flew high ina tree, and prepared to dine on it. Bynow, the sun was beginning to set, so Tinyko suggested we try for the sundownerdrinks and snacks. If any of us had tomake a pit stop, we would need some light to do that. We got a call that the lions were on the move,so we quickly finished our beers, and hopped back into the Land Rover. Taking the time to snap some photos of afabulous sunset, Bill did not even have a beer, although they offered to saveit for him. By now, darkness was minutesaway, and we were all concerned we would not see the big cats coming.

 

Finally, we spotted them coming down the road right towardsus. Several vehicles had arrived by now,and left a space so the cats had to walk between all of us. One after one, they passed right by the jeep,only yards away. Counting them, we cameup with eleven. More than we saw thismorning. They were on a mission, and thelights the guides had put on them did not stop their progress. Have to admit, it did get our hearts beatingfaster. Close up, these animals areimpressive, as well as intimidating.

 

The drivers jockeyed with the vehicles, following the prideas they passed by us in a single file. Literallysix feet away, they paid little attention to the lights on them. They were on a mission, and we suspectedsomething was going to die tonight. Westayed with them until almost 9pm, then headed back home.

 

On the way, we had a couple of surprises. First were three small rabbits that crossedin front of us in the dark. Thensuddenly, we spotted a male leopard coming right at us, passing within a fewfeet of Kenneth, our tracker. Tinykoturned the jeep, and followed this leopard until he veered off into thebrush. Bet he was tracking those rabbits.

 

Suddenly Kenneth let out a loud yell, and almost went airborne. He had seen a puff adder come across theroad right under where he was sitting. Thesesnakes are among the most venomous in Africa, and if you are bitten, you mostcertainly will lose that limb. Tinykostopped on a dime, and we got a chance to take photos of this totally camouflagedviper. We were all relieved when the snake crawled away, out of sight, especiallyKenneth. He talked about that all theway back to camp.

 

We sure had a lot to talk about at dinner. Lions and snakes all in one night…..prettyawesome. Dinner would be down in theboma area tonight. Our new jeep mates, Nancy and Mike, joined us at the longtable, asking about our stay so far. They had come from another camp, where things were done differently. So we shared about everything we could. As always, we began with a soup with freshbread and all the wine you wanted. Abuffet table had been set once again with mixed salad, baked potatoes with allthe toppings, zucchini and squash, rice, and finally grilled steak. We could have it any doneness, as Dale, themanager, was the chef, and he served the meat. And it was excellent….tender and medium rare or medium.

 

Dessert was a tiramisu on a plate that was printed “goodnight” in chocolate sauce. And ournightly portion of amarula was served. Seems to taste better every evening.

 

Tomorrow would sadly be our last day here. But there was time for a shortened morning game drive, so we were off to bed by10pm. The night air had finally cooleddown, and we were sleeping much better.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Krazy Kruizers]

Love reading about your adventures in Africa and all the wildlife you are seeing. Only thing I don't like are snakes -- especially since I was bitten by one when I was a child.

[WCB]

Report # 94 Last Dayat the Safari Camp April 4, 2018 Wednesday Warm and humid Part #1 Of3 80 Pictures

 

 

This morning would be our final game drive of our excellentvisit. Yesterday, we took the time topack our bag, so we did not have to do it in the dark last night. We needed to keep the bag at 44 pounds forthe flight today. With that job done, wewere free to go this morning at 6am.

 

Our new safari mates, Nancy and Mike were already waiting atthe lodge for their second drive. Wethink they had one more night here, before moving on to another camp. We all wondered if those 11 lions made a killlast night. Tinyko seemed to think theymay have, but no reports had come in yet. He seemed to think that he couldhear some lions roaring, but it was too far away to be sure.

 

We did hear the helmeted guinea fowl, as they are the firstto wake up. They are much like chickensin their behavior. They are good witheating those small and large ants that run around the ground everywhere. They share the termites with the magpieshrikes, who were picking the insects off from the big mounds. These insects can be very active early in themorning before the heat hits.

 

Giraffes were walking up the road towards us. Our vehicle never seems to deter theirpath. At times, they will block theroad, and we had to drive around them.

 

Off in the denser brush, a troupe of baboons werefrolicking. Hard to get good photos, asthere seemed to be a family of them with females, babies, and a couple ofmean-looking males. There is not anover-abundance of them, but they may migrate out of here when their source offood is gone. That may be the berriesand marula fruit that is a favorite of many animals.

 

Reports came in about a sighting of a cheetah with hyenas atthe airport strip on the border. So offwe dashed to find it. We passed a busfull of workers on their way to a large safari camp in Sabi Sands. They entered through the Shaw’s Gate, wherethey are searched. This occurs againwhen they leave the gate at night. Weremember from past visits here that the workers are inspected to make surethere are no smugglers of illegal animal parts. It has been one way for the smugglers to get most valuable things out ofthe park. Sad, but these things stillhappen.

 

Anyway, once we hit the runway, we saw the hyena that hadbeen tracking the cheetah. This was ayoung male cat, who was really skiddish. We followed him slowly, as he put some distance between him and thehyena. Once off the runway, he wanderedover to a tree, and marked it with a strong spray of urine. Typical cat behavior, he saved some to sprayanother tree trunk. After that, he founda good spot to lay down. The entire timehe watched 360 degrees for that hyena to appear, which it never did while wewere here.

 

Our time was running out, so we headed back to Shaw’s Gate,passing some more animals and birds along the way. Our coffee stop was around 8am, and this iswhere we met with the other camp vehicle for an early ride back to camp withthe family of four. All of us wereleaving this morning.

 

Back at the lodge by 8:30am, Dale was waiting for us withhis dogs. They were Rhodesianridgebacks….all four of them. And allvery friendly. We had to laugh when wesaw the big male go right into the fountain and walk around like it was hisprivate swimming pool for dogs. Whynot? He was smart.

 

We finished the last of the packing, and headed off for ourfinal breakfast. We ordered omeletteswith bacon and toast, since we did not know what we would have to eat the restof the day. Heaven knows, we would notdie if we missed a meal, so we enjoyed this one.

 

Saying goodbye was hard, but we plan to come back in twoyears, God-willing. That is when theship will do Africa once again in 2020. Although we had handed out the tips with thank you notes, Dale, themanager, was not present when we got into our jeep for the transfer to theSkukuza Airport. We had left camp andgone a few miles when we all heard a buzzing noise coming up the road behindus. Surprised, it was Dale who rushedout on his motorbike to say a proper goodbye. Shaking hands, we promised to be back, as we had another wonderful timehere. He promised to pencil us in whenwe send him the dates we will be there.

 

This time we had a much shorter ride to the airport, but allon dirt roads. We were cutting acrossthe game reserves to get there. Ourflight to Cape Town was scheduled for 11:20am, and getting there by 10:15am wasgood enough. Actually, that was justright since it was a domestic flight, all in South Africa.

 

This airport has to be the smallest we have ever seen. It was basically three large huts….one forarrivals and one for departures, and a common check-in area with one smallsouvenir shop. At the counter, there wasone desk and one scale. Of course ourbag was right on at 43.50 pounds, and we were asked about our carryons. Instead of asking to weigh them, they simplylooked at them, and said they were OK. These could have weighed 18 pounds, give or take a few ounces. As long as they fit in the overhead bin orunder the front seat, they were acceptable. Once again, there was no charge for the bags.

 

The last step was going through the one xray check with ourhand carrys. Our shoes could stay on ourfeet, but the jacket had to come off. Then we went to the waiting area, which was an open-air patio withpicnic-like tables and stools. A verysmall cubbyhole cafe had refrigerated food and drinks for sale. Our tickets said lunch was served on theflight, so we figured that would be sufficient.

 

While we were waiting, four gals we knew from the shiparrived. They had been gone since theSeychelles, and had visited Victoria Falls, Chobe, and Kruger for the last 10days. They had such a fabulous time,they were not looking forward to joining the ship again. Guess being younger, they feel that thecommunity on the ship has been too elderly for them. Can’t say we blame them, because sometimes it does feel like a rest home. This has to be true for any long voyage onmost other lines as well. Younger folkscannot miss that much time away from work.

 

This flight was in a commuter jet that seated 36people. The actual air time was only abit over two hours, which suited us fine. Time enough for a lunch of a chicken or vegetarian salad and a beverage,however. We love these South African Airflights that give you good food. Evenhad a dessert of chocolate candy. Flying over the area surrounding Cape Townwas shocking. Looking down, all we sawwas scorched-looking fields and rolling hills. Obviously suffering from lack of rain, we saw first-hand the stress fromthis drought. We have been hearingreports of this for a long time now, but seeing it really drove it home. California has had problems in recent yearsas well, but we don’t think it ever looked this bad. Several people at the camp had told us abouttheir hotel stay in Cape Town. Nancy andMike had said that the hotel asked them to take only 90 second showers, andonly use the bathrooms facilities carefully. Sinks had very little water, as they were using restrictors on thevalves. Public restrooms were eitherclosed or had no water in the sinks. Hand sanitizer replaced soap and water. Good thing we were staying on the Amsterdam, where we can make our ownwater through the desalination process.

 

The landing was smooth as silk at about 1:30pm. Deplaning was right down to the tarmac, theninto a waiting bus to the terminal. Within a few minutes, the luggage was spinning around the belt, and wewere off and running. Since we hadarranged and paid for a private car, we found our name on a driver’s ipad. In fact, a rep from the agency that we bookedthe trip was also present, asking us how everything went. We did have some communication issues priorto the trip, but that may have originated with our travel agent. We will sort that out later, and although itdid not affect our actual travels, we are certain it won’t occur again in thefuture.

 

The limo had us back to the ship by 3pm, where we weregreeted by many officers and staff members. They had lined up to welcome some visiting guests, and we happened to beright at the beginning of that receiving line. Hey, it worked for us. Also thenew passengers were joining the cruise today, somewhere in the neighborhood of37 newbies. About the same number ofguests had left the ship.

 

Sure was good to be back “home”, but oh so sweet to comeback with such fantastic memories of our recent safari. The two of us will be talking about theadventure with our best buddies and those who are really interested for therest of the trip for sure. And ofcourse, we will learn about all of the ship’s activities we missed while wewere off in the savannah.

 

Today was the second full day the ship was docked in CapeTown, but we were exhausted, and never left the ship. We would have the better part of tomorrow togo exploring. So we took advantage ofthe rest of the afternoon unpacking, and sorting through the pile of mail forthe last four days. We had been giftedwith a bottle of wine - Haute CabriereChardonnay Pinot Noir 2016 from Franschhoek, South Africa. It was compliments of Orlando Ashford formissing the Mariner activities while we were gone overland. Specifically, we had missed the South AfricanSpringbok Festival. The bottle came bundled with colorful pieces of plastictubing with an orchid in water among them. We would discover later what the tubing was all about.

 

In addition, we had two sets of Seattle’s Best candy barsfor Easter gifts. And the nicest giftswere two crystal Waterford candy bowls, engraved with the HAL logo onthem. Very nice keepsakes.

 

By the time we filled two laundry bags, and stashed ourstuff away, the time had begun for the special award being given to ArchbishopTutu. We did peek into the lounge for afew minutes, but realized that this was way too crowded, and Tutu would nottalk anyway. He had someone speaking forhim. And we remembered this would betelevised later on the TV, and that was a much better way to listen.

 

That’s when we found the use of the plastic tubes in severalcolors. They had been used asdecoration, resembling fencing, on deck five. Each set of colors had matching strip lighting under them. Very colorful and inventive. Sitting in our favorite chairs across fromthe Ocean Bar, our best buddies joined us. They were quite happy to share ship info.

 

The dining room was not full, because when we are overnightin a port, people tend to go out to dinner. At 9:30pm, there was a local group performing in the Queen’sLounge. We did duck n to watch part ofthe show, which was energetic and entertaining.

 

Even though we have thousands of photos to sort through,tomorrow would be another day. It willprobably take us the better part of a week to catch up.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Krazy Kruizers]

Your safari trip sounded wonderful.

Glad you didn't have any airplane problems.

Nice gifts you got upon returning to the ship.

Love your reporting.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Also got caught up on your pictures which are wonderful.

[WCB]

Report #95 CapeTown, South Africa April 5, 2018 Thursday Partly cloudy & 70 degrees Part #1 Of 3 60 Pictures

 

The port of call for three days has been Cape Town, SouthAfrica. The population is 49,053,000(2012) and there are three capitals. Pretoria is the administrative capital, Bloemfontein is the judicial,and Cape Town is the legislative one. Thereare several languages – Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, Sepedi, English, Tswana,Sesotho, Tsonga, Swati, Venda and Ndebele.

 

South Africa excels in the entire continent with itseconomy, its influence, and turbulence of its history. A diverse place, you can share drinks intin-roofed shebeens (illegal), see a township school, or sip a glass ofexcellent wine at various wine estates. Or do like us, sit in a safari vehicle at dawn in any national park suchas Kruger. Sobering, challenging,fascinating, and inspiring, we can say that touring in South Africa has kept uscoming back for more.

 

The best time to travel here is year round, or now, which isApril to May, their autumn. Things tosee are Cape Town, Table Mountain, Robben Island, and the two oceans that meetnear the Cape of Good Hope. Things todo, for us, was a safari adventure in Sabi Sands, where we sampled dried andcured meats at a braai (BBQ), and tasted some of South Africa’s fine wines.

 

Random fact: Onlyhalf of South Africa’s wealth is concentrated among only 10% of thepopulation. The haves and the have nots.

 

Cape Town, our port of call, has a population of 3,740,000(2011). It is a most beautiful city,mostly due to its location at the tip of Africa. Famous for the iconic Table Mountain as theirbackdrop, it can be reached by a rotating cable car that climbs up the 3560foot flat-top mountain. Up there, youmight see 1500 types of proteas, the national flower, and an assortment ofanimals. There is are little critterscalled dassies run with the lizards, porcupines, mongoose, snakes, tortoise, andfrogs. Among the birds you might seeeagles, buzzards, hawks, and peregrine falcons.

 

The remainder of the city offers museums, cathedrals,churches, galleries, mosques, and gardens. Getting out of town, you can seethe Cape of Good Hope, the southernmost point in Africa. Boulder’s Beach houses a small colony ofAfrican penguins. There is an ostrichranch that has peacocks, emus, rheas, as well as ostriches. Wineries are numerous, but the most visitedare Stellenbosch and Franschhoek.

 

The Amsterdam was docked at E Berth in Duncan Dock, whichwas quite close to the Victoria and Albert Waterfront complex. Looking out our window in the morning, wewitnessed the most seabirds we have ever seen in one place. The harbor must have had ten million shrimpinvade, and the birds were having a party. Mostly gulls, terns, and cormorants, you could barely see the water. It was a feeding fest. In a short time, the shrimp had beenconsumed, and the birds dispersed. Thiswould occur off and on all day.

 

A shuttle was running there from the ship, but it was closeenough to walk there. Since our one dayhere was short, we took the waiting shuttle to save some time. It dropped us off right at the side entranceto the main mall. One could easily getlost here. Luckily, we have been hereseveral times over the years, so we headed for one store that we knew had someunique African treasures. Of course, itwas full of ship people, buying a lot of things. Checking out the limited supply of clothing,we located a neat t-shirt to buy. Good timing, since there was only one in thecorrect size.

 

Since we did not need anything in this modern mall, wesimply did some window-shopping on our way to find the restaurant where weusually eat lunch. It was still tooearly, so we continued to stroll outside the mall. That led us to the ferry landing and fur sealresting spot. At this spot in the basin,you could catch the local boat rides. One was a catamaran trip for 90 minutes for $33. Another little red boat toured the harbor orthe canal for 30 minutes. The cost forthat was only $5. Helicopter rides wouldrun a lot more, like $209.

 

An easy way to get around this huge city is to take the HopOn, Hop Off bus. A one day pass was theequivalent of $17, and a 2 day pass was $26. If you planned it right, it was possible to cover many sights.

 

It was interesting watching the swing bridge operate to letthe boats into the inner basin. Foottraffic was stopped, and the metal bridge swung from one end. Several vessels would be let through, thenthe bridge swung back for the crowds waiting on both sides. This is the same area where the pink clock towerstands. Not only did it tell time, it gave tidalconditions back in the 1800’s. Surrounding this square is a restaurant called the Fish Market. That is where our buddies swear to having theabsolute best calamari in the world.

 

Back-tracking from here, we passed by a rather large groupof young singers, who were quite good. Many people were leaving rand, the South African money, in their boxafter watching the group sing. Rightaround the corner from them, was a large shop with the most unusualsculptures. They were animals likelions, giraffes, rhino, baboons, and zebra, but made with differentmaterials. Some were metal, otherswooden, a few were fabric-covered. Butthe best had to be the totally beaded elephant, which had even the tusks beaded….tinybeads. A rhino was created with piecesof old tires stitched together. By theway, these animals were full-size. Wedid not even ask the price……

 

After walking the entire area of sheds, shops, andrestaurants, we made our way back to an Italian restaurant by the name ofBalducci’s. They make great pizza andserve excellent ice cold beers. We hadto be back onboard before 3pm, so lunch had to happen soon. By 1pm, we were happy as clams with ourspecial pizza. We even added a dessertto share – a frosted brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The price for all of this? Try under $20 USD. Incredible.

 

It was easy walking back to the mall. We had intended to spend the rest of oureuro, but the store was mobbed with a huge long line to pay. We decided we didn’t need the chips thatbadly.

 

Once back at the ship, we had to go through the line withour passports and exit papers. The linewas already getting long, as many tours had just arrived. Once we had our passports stamped, we turnedthe name card to the waiting crew members that filed them. We would keep our passports for the next portin Namibia. It is much more complicatedgetting in and out of these African countries.

 

Working on photos, it was time for the mandatory musterdrill, the last one for this cruise. Itwas held at 4:15pm, and it went well, as usual. Sail away would be held in the Lido pool area, but we would not bethere. The best views of leaving CapeTown would be from the Seaview pool.

 

Expecting to leave by 5:30pm, we were delayed due to thefact that the dock workers were not present. They were held up at a container ship nearby. So we did not leave until 6pm. Once out of the confines of the harbor, wepicked up more wind and deeper swells. Theview of Cape Town was fantastic as we headed out to sea, and eventually northtowards our next stop in Namibia. Despite the chill in the wind, we stayed on the aft deck to watch thesunset. It did not disappoint us.

 

It had been a most busy time the last several days, so webarely remember dinner tonight. Great toget back to our usual routine.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Krazy Kruizers]

Glad you enjoyed your day in Cape Town and got to have your special pizza.

Great report.

[WCB]

Report # 96 Day at Sea April 6,2018 Friday Partly cloudy & 71 degrees

 

A day at sea was most welcomed today by most everyone weknew. The temperatures remained on the cool side, but that was also mostwelcomed. We know that in a few days, we will lose the coolness in thebreeze, the low temps, and almost cold interiors of the ship.

 

After breakfast, we took our deck walk, finding most all ofthe teak lounges full of cruisers. It had been several days of touringand exploring for everyone, whether in port or overland, and now we hadsome time to do nothing if we chose.

 

We are so far behind with reports, that we went back down toour room to work on that….and photos. For some unknown reason, only sixof the pictures are getting posted to each report. We sure hope this getsresolved soon.

 

Lunchtime came fast, so we went to the dining room for achange. Susie and Woody were at their table for two, and we waited forBarb, who joined us at 12:15pm. She is on a trivia team, and the gameends about then. The menu is always good for lunch, not justsandwiches. The starters can be the best such as breaded chicken tenders,and crispy salads. There might be fish and chips, a burger, or a pasta. All in small portions. Or even smaller, if you order the mini-version.

 

There was an article for the Mondesa Youth Opportunities,the charity that the passengers raised money to donate to. The finalamount came to $9,738.50. This will be presented to the group of childrenand their sponsers at a special concert while we are in Walvis Baytomorrow.

 

Barbara H gave her talk on what to see and do in Walvis Bay,Namibia. Even though we have been there on past trips, we still like tolisten to her lectures. She gives many little tips, something new atevery port, and we can never learn enough.

 

New speakers are onboard. George Sranko, who spokeabout the deserts, and Valerie Mock, who dealt with the whaling industry.

 

Having made some progress with our homework, we relaxedacross from the Ocean Bar to listen to the Ocean Trio. Susie and Woodyjoined us, while Barb trotted off to Name That Tune with piano man, Jamm. She has the best time there.

 

Dinner for us was in the Pinnacle Grill. The theme wasTamarind, the Asian inspired menu. Last year on the world cruise, theyoffered a one page Tamarind meal with limited choices. This year, theyhave the full menu that you can find on any large HAL ship. We do hopethat they will see fit to continue this venue on next year’s worldcruise. Anyway, we ordered several appetizers to share, and thewasabi-crusted steak. It just about melted in our mouths. The stackof tempura onion rings was a nice change from the usual potatoes. Dessertwas great too. One fortune cookie and one chocolate special filled us tothe brim….again. This was the final evening this venue was offered, andit was sold out.

 

There was one problem with our reservation tonight. Wehad reserved our usual table by the window, but it was still occupied. This couple had begun their dinner at 5:30pm, and were still there at8pm. We waited for 15 minutes, then Tina, the manager, seated ustemporarily nearby at a small table. It wasn’t until 8:30pm before ourtable was vacant, and we were transferred there. Now, we wonder if thereis a time limit for diners at high end restaurants anywhere else? Thereseems to be a hesitation to say anything to people who drag their feet. It’s one of those “rules” that is understood, but not written.

 

The entertainer this evening was Brett Cave, back with anall new show. Since we missed his performance the first time, we assumehe is a comedian. However, we were still eating dinner when his showbegan, so we missed it again.

 

Tomorrow, we will be in another African country…..Namibia.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Krazy Kruizers]

It is always nice to have a sea day after several days of tours.

When we are on the Amsterdam, we also always sit at the table by the window -- watching people walk by and trying to see what we are eating.

[WCB]

Report #97 WalvisBay, Namibia April 7, 2018 Saturday Partly cloudy & 74 degrees Part #1 Of 3 80 Pictures

 

The port of call for today was Walvis Bay, Namibia. The population is 2,109,000 ofEnglish-speaking people. The capital isWindhoek. This country is far differentfrom South Africa, since we have sailed to the west coast of thecontinent. The best way to describe whatwe see is unmerciful harshness. Afeeling of life and death. Gone are thecool breezes and green mountaintops. They are replaced with a sea of sand, with dunes unmatched anywhereelse. You can find rocky canyons, theSkeleton Coast, and a desert that houses adapting elephants, rhinos, lions, andrare mountain zebra. In the surroundingwaters, there are great white sharks, seals, and at one time, whales. “Walvis” means whales. Besides cart-wheeling spiders and desertside-winder snakes, you will discover a hardy native people.

 

This was a thriving place for the whaling industry in thepast. The town became part of EnglishCape Colony, until WW I, when Namibia gained independence. The area remained in limbo until it was givenback to Namibia by South Africa in 1994. Today, the locals thrive on shipping, salt processing, and fishing. Although we learned from Captain Jonathon atlunch, that all of the smaller fish have been depleted by the Chinese andJapanese, who over-fished the waters. Asfor the salt industry, they produce over 400,000 tons a year. We could see the mountains of this coarsegrain salt being loaded into big rigs for delivery to the port area.

 

Lucky for us, Namibia is a bird paradise, specificallyflamingos, terns, pelicans, egrets, herons, and waders year round. If you had patience, you can spot sea lionsand even dolphins in the lagoon. TheWalvis Bay Lagoon is one of the most important wetlands in southwestAfrica. During the peak of themigration, the number of flamingos is stunning, creating a sea of more pink andwhite than the color of the water.

 

Shore excursions offered here include tours to see thedesert up close and personal. They began at $140 to $270 for 5 to 7 hours induration. The highlight of these tours include a visit at Dune 7, a 426 foothigh sand dune that has become a popular place for sandboarding. We have seen many energetic folks evenrolling down the steep slope, oblivious of the gritty sand in the hair andclothing. Better to take photos of this,than do it yourself, we say.

 

A drive through the surrounding desert is interesting. We had done this trip more than once. A most unusual “tree” grows here – theWelwitschia mirabilis plant, the world’s smallest and oldest tree. They have been judged to be over 1500 yearsold. The root system is deep, but thetop is minimal, and ugly. They existnear the dry bed of the Swakop River, which runs only during the wet season inthe mountains. Here you might findsidewinder adders, springbok, palmetto geckos, sand-diving lizards, chameleons,and beetles.

 

A short drive out of Walvis Bay is Swakopmund, founded in1892 near the Swakop River. It has beendubbed the “slice of Germany”, since that is who settled here after the waryears. It is basically built in the artnouveau-style with a small community of people that offer museums, galleries,and shopping. There is a huge craftmarket in the streets, where you can find Namibian treasures. However, we think they are more expensivecompared to the souvenirs that can be bought at the port gate.

 

There is a dolphin and seal boat cruise in the lagoon. We heard that the fur seals actually followthe boats, because they are being fed. Sightings of bottlenose dolphins is common. Of course, you can see the multitude of birdsfrom this boat, mostly at Pelican Point.

 

Lastly, there was a flight over Sossuslei for a 2 hour 10minute journey. That would take you overthe tallest shifting sand dunes in the world with shades of apricot, orange,and red sands. Two ship wrecks from theturn of the century can be spotted on the Skeleton Coast. Probably a fun flight, but it would set youback $1700 per person. Not sure how manypassengers did this one.

 

Getting clearance to get off the ship today wascomplicated. The Namibian immigrationofficials arrived late to have a face-to-face meeting with each and everypassenger and crew member. Yesterday, wehad received our pre-printed entrance and exit papers, along with a letter withour group stamped on it. Being that weare President Club members, we had an “S”, which meant that we had prioritywith the suite folks. It really annoysmost people that these letters or numbers are not always checked. There are always those who sneak into thelong line to get off first. Different ifyou are on an organized tour with others, we guess, but without having someplan, it is chaos. Hotel director Henkand Christel know most of us, so the letter check was not necessary. Later in the morning, we heard they didindeed look at those numbers. By thetime we were getting ready to leave the ship, they were calling # 8 group. So it took until near noon before the folkswere cleared. Later in the day, we wouldhave to do this once again before the ship left port.

 

All aboard was 10:30pm. We figured that we were here that late to give the overland tour groupsa chance to arrive here on time. Many 2night and 3 day tours had left from Cape Town, and ended here.

 

With no rush to leave, we left about 10:30am. There wasa free shuttle bus that was dropping folks off at a shopping mall and thelagoon. Assuming that the first stop was in the center of town, we weresurprised to see that our destination was at a brand new mall called the DuneMall on the outskirts of town. Since wedid not need anything, we stayed on the bus with four other guests looking forthe lagoon. However, if you wished tofind anything, there was a Woolworth’s and a supermarket here, as well as manyother mall shops and some restaurants. And besides, it was air-conditioned.

 

So we back-tracked passing the riding stables and newhousing tracks along the way to the Lagoon Waterfront. The driver said he would be back on the halfhour for a pick-up, but heard later on, that this stop had beeneliminated. Didn’t matter to us, as weplanned to walk back to the ship anyway.

 

The lagoon area has a wide walkway along the water’s edgefor a couple of miles, we estimated. Ourmain purpose to come here was two-fold. This is a most wonderful place to see the birds that use this lagoon duringtheir migration from the north…even as far as the Arctic. The most numerous are the flamingos, whichare the greater variety (roseus). Theyeat small shrimp and crustaceans that are sifted from the mud in theirbeaks. It has been reported that duringthe peak of the season, up to 7,791 flamingos have been spotted in each squarekilometer, which computes to less than ½ square mile. Incredible. Especially when viewed from the air.

 

The next migrater are flocks of the great white pelicans,which can measure up to 69 inches from beak to tail. They are huge, but consume only about 2 ½pounds of fish daily. Intenselygregarious, they fish in groups. Thesegroups can comprise of 30,000 pairs during the peak season. Although we saw fewer today, they are most unusual birds to watch.

 

During our leisurely hike, we spotted ruddy turnstones, piedavocets, red knots and blacksmith plovers. All of these birds are waders, which prefer sifting through the mudflatsat low tide. Cape cormorants and capeboobys also are here. We were in “photo”heaven, and will have fun sorting through all of these pictures later on.

 

Walking back, we watched as some families began to arrivefor the afternoon picnics with their kids. At sunset, this whole grassy area will be full of locals cooling off inthe evening breeze. Lunch was on ourminds, specifically pizza. There is anover-the –water restaurant we always go to, so we headed there as it is locatedat the end of the lagoon.

 

It was already full of customers, but only the barside. The formal dining room was beingsaved for dinner folks only. Seeing aspot become available in the corner by the window was perfect. Turned out a couple we knew was also sittingthere…..Captain Jonathon and his wife, Karen, were just finishing theirmeal. Not intending to crash theirparty, they welcomed us, even ordering more wine to extend theirlunchtime. Since Jonathon cannot be awayfor more than two hours, they maximizedtheir time here. Also spent somebargaining time for Namibian carvings at the gate. Both of them are regular folks, and yourealize that even more when you are one-on-one. They were on their way to check out the kayak race that was happening atthe nearby small boat marina.

 

Of course, we ordered the ham and cheese pizza with twolarge local draft beers, Hansa. Sure wasgood, especially after such a long hike. What was more unbelievable was the price of our meal. Adding a shared dessert of berry-toppedcheesecake, the bill came to less than $19 USD. Hard to beat that.

 

The walk back to the port gate was short. There was a fence full of vendors with mostlythe same stuff. We have many of theiritems in the way of wooden bowls, salad forks, masks, animal carvings, baskets,and costume jewelry. All of these itemswere placed on blankets on the ground. Most of the vendors were high-pressure salespeople, pressing us tobargain for anything…interested or not. We did purchase two necklaces made from small round pieces of ostricheggs. Two sets of bone earrings alsocaught our eye….a small reminder of our time here. And easy to pack. Hundreds of tall wooden carvings werepurchased by the passengers, because we saw them packing the newspaper wrappedgiraffes, elephants, and Namib warriors back to the gangway.

 

Starting at 4pm, the departure immigration procedure startedin the Explorer’s Lounge. A mandatoryinspection, we went around 5pm, and found the line very short. We turned in the last form we had, then ourpassports were stamped next to the morning’s entrance stamp. At the end of the line, our passports werecollected to be kept for the next port.

 

The lido featured an African Braai Dinner with an assortmentof African cuisine. We prefer to dine atour table, which usually has some of the same items on the menu. Except in the dining room, we don’t have towait in line, and the food is piping hot.

 

At 9:30pm, there was a one showing by the NamibianLocals. There was a choir-singing groupwith old folk songs, and a presentation highlighting the customs ofharvesting. Once again, our dinner ranovertime, and we missed it.

 

Taking our usual walk on the outside deck, we spottedseveral debris bins full of the decorations they used for the MarinerAppreciation Days. The colorful tubingused as fencing and the extra-large PVC piping all was being discarded. We always thought these props would be savedfor another occasion. Guess we werewrong.

 

The ship ended up leaving the pier at 11:45pm, obviouslywaiting for the last of the overland folks to arrive.

 

We will have two day at sea to rest up for a new port formost of us……Angola.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 98 Day atSea April 8, 2018 Sunday Partly cloudy & 75 degree

 

This morning we all got a letter from the Captain concerningthe upcoming ports in West Africa…… specifically, Angola, The Gambia, Senegal,and Cape Verde. HAL has analyzed thesafety and security factors recently, and has come up with some guidelines forus to follow. We will be required tohave a high level of vigilance and awareness of surroundings, as we alwaysshould.

 

In a nutshell, these warnings are:

 

Travel with others, avoid large crowds

Dress conservatively – leave the jewelry at home

Watch handbags, back packs, cameras, phones, and money

Be aware of surroundings

Be careful handling cash by separating the bills beforehand

Money & valuables can be replaced – let it go ifconfronted

Main tourist areas can be “pick pocket” havens

Avoid shortcuts through parks, vacant lots, & desertedplaces

If a local speaks good English, be aware

Do not give out personal information to strangers

If traveling alone or in a group independently, let GuestServices know your location on shore

 

Now, after reading all of that, we ask, “Why are we goinghere?” Because we can, and other thanthe regular stops coming in this direction, these must be the most civilizedports we can visit on this coast line. Crossing the South Atlantic from Namibia, our stops would have been St.Helena and Ascension Island. Our secondchance to stop in West Africa a few years ago was dashed when ebola hit thearea. So, here we are….well-warned andnot knowing what to expect.

 

This afternoon, Barbara H gave her lecture on what to do andsee in Angola. After listening to hertalk, we think she may have scared many folks off from even taking tours inLuanda. Specifically, she was mostadamant about going anywhere near the shantytowns that are here, there, andeverywhere in the big city. Not onlyunsafe, but tourists are most unwelcome there. We have not booked a tour in Luanda, mostly because we hate theconfinements of tours, and here, they are the most expensive we have everseen. Fueled by oil revenues, Angola hasthe dubious honor of being labeled as the “most expensive country in theworld”. For instance, a half-gallon of ice cream in the supermarket can cost$31 USD. In addition, she warned all ofus about the sensitivity of the government with tourists taking photos incertain areas. That could be nationalmonuments, government buildings, police activity, or military areas. Off limits to us. Restrooms could be non-existent, even whileon organized tours. Also, we have theadvantage on hearing firsthand stories about visiting here from a dear friend,who was recently here on another ship. He did not recommend going off on our own. We shall assess the situation once wearrive. One good thing is that there wasno charge for visas in Angola, so nothing gained or lost if we go onshore ornot.

 

Other lectures continued about African trade with caravansand caravels of the old days, and Africa, when the sea saved humanity. America’s Test Kitchen has continued withdemos in the Wajang Theater on sea days. However, there has been no “hands on” cooking at all. Hope that still is happening on the other HALships. We will find out this fall whenwe go back on the Eurodam.

 

It was Sunday brunch day, but we skipped it, and had a DiveIn burger and a hot dog. Far less food,and far less waste.

 

The day evaporated for us, since we are still deep intocatching up from the safari trip. Thiswill continue for at least a week before we can close the gap, and beup-to-date.

 

The entertainer was vocalist Jo Little, a petite gal, but ahuge voice and personality.

 

One more day at sea, and we will be in a very different partof Africa.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 99 Day atSea April 9, 2018 Monday Partly cloudy & 75 degrees

 

Seventy-five degrees sounds comfortable, right? Well not in this part of the world. What is missing is the humidity factor, whichmakes the air sticky the minute you walk outside. Since we left Cape Town, the temperatures andthe humidity have increased. So much so,that our room has soared to almost 80 degrees. It is inevitable, since the sea water has gotten warmer, as well as theair temps. What we consider asair-conditioning problems, is simply the fact that this is as good as it gets. We have to remember to keep the heavy curtains in our room closed duringthe late afternoon, when the sun is going down in the west. It really does help keep the roomcooler. So does the rotating fan.

 

We met up with Barb in the dining room for lunch. Sometimes we think the menu is even betterthan at night for dinner. We bothordered the Swiss steak with mashed potatoes. It was most delicious. Barbusually has the fish entrée, unless it is tilapia, which she does notlike. Dessert was a small slice of lemonmeringue pie for all of us.

 

During his PM talk, Captain Jonathon told a story of aspecial request of many guests. Thisrequest was presented to him in the form of a petition, and it was regardingthe upcoming crossing of the Equator in a few days. It had been noted that the ship would notonly be crossing the Equator, but very close to the Prime Meridian Line aswell. Therefore, if he could take us offcourse a little, we could claim the rights to saying we crossed the O degreesouth and 0 degree east. This issomething perhaps few of us have ever done….maybe not even the Captain. So he agreed to do this, and will even gifteveryone with a certificate saying we did it. We would have gotten the Equator one anyway, so this is a specialdistinction. The actual time of thecrossing would be around 11:30pm, so no one figured it would be attended ifsomething took place to commemorate it. Guess they were wrong.

 

One of us has a birthday this month, so a gift certificatearrived, compliments of Henk M, the hotel director. He will use it very soon, for a much-neededhaircut. Out of the kindness of hisheart, Henk passed another one to me too. Perhaps a deep-conditioning treatment would be useful.

 

There was a guest talent show sign up today. The categories were singing, dancing, shortstories, or “clean” jokes. The actswould be limited to 3 minutes….no more. We used to enjoy the bird lady, who actually did some decent birdcalls. Others told jokes that went onlike forever. Many years ago in 2005,one of our favorite travel hosts did a merengue dance with another ladyfriend. They brought the house down withapplause. Wonder what is in store forthis year?

 

Out of Africa was the theme for the gala dinner thisevening. Flat-screen TV’s with the movie,Out of Africa, were placed at each entrance to the dining room, and the waiterswere all dressed like safari guides, complete with the vests and hats. With the ship retaining the heat of the day,they must have been mighty hot. Nevercomplaining, they stayed that way until all of the guests had left theroom……well after 10pm.

 

We had a host at our table tonight. He was Mark, the chief electrician fromEngland. He had been on leave until wegot to Singapore, and will be on the ship until it goes to Alaska. For some unknown reason, the dinner servicewas delayed tonight. It seems that ourfirst course did not arrive until 8:45pm. The entrees were brought well after 9:15pm. By the time we finished, two of ourtablemates had left the table, heading for the dance floor. Part of the reason was that it was also toohot.

 

Too late for the show, we all missed Bruce Parker, theentertainer tonight. He did a musicaljourney with hit songs of Lionel Richie and the Soul and Motown hits of thepast.

 

The clocks went back one hour tonight, which is always nicefor everyone. That way will be rested upfor our day in Angola tomorrow, whatever that may be.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report #100 Luanda, Angola April 10,2018 Tuesday Chance of rain & 85 degrees Part #1 Of 4 80 Pictures

 

This is an odd way to begin a profile, but the descriptionof Angola says the citizens are fighters. The press has labeled this country as a haven for havoc, civil wars,blood diamonds, wasted oil revenues, and starving people. As we recall the history of the past fortyyears, we remember Angola in the news reporting just what was written.

 

However, a religious society, they still embrace romance andan unwavering desire to dance like there is no tomorrow. Some see it as escapism, while others call itresilience like no other.

 

The Portuguese discovered this area of Luanda in 1575, andestablished a slave trade in Central Africa. The Dutch interrupted this trade in 1640, but the Portuguese took itback 8 years later. Eventually slaverywas outlawed, and the country survived by exporting wax, rubber, copper, ivory,and timber. Their independence wasgained by 1975, but at a price. Decadesof civil war decimated the infrastructure.

 

It is a different story these days, ever since 1975, whenoil was discovered. It launched aneconomic boom by 2002. Workers from allover the world have come here to work in the oil industry. And we would guess that the high rises housemany of those workers. There were cranesall throughout the city center with new skyscrapers going up everywhere. On the other hand, we heard that 53% of thepeople are starving. Not good numbers.

 

The best time to visit here is June through September whenit is the cooler drier season. Thecapital is Luanda and the population of the country was 12,800,000 people,which could have changed since 2012. Thelanguage spoken is Portuguese, with very little English.

 

There are many things to do and see here, but today they arenot all accessible to us. City tourswere 2 to 3 hours for $115 to $200. Thelonger tours included lunch for 6 ½ to 8 hours for up to a whopping $400.

 

What is there to eat here? Try calulu, a fish stew. Drinkcaipirinhas, a Portuguese and Brazilian favorite. White coffee is a special drink that isserved with milk. Angola is the largestproducer of this bean. But don’t eatanything washed with the local water…not even in the hotels, which is usuallyOK anywhere else.

 

Trademarks are blood diamonds, diamond diggers, oil, civil war,landmines, de-mining campaigns, beautiful beaches, dance, and music. A random fact is it was not long ago thatAngola had more landmines than children. The average age for a man is 58, while a woman can make it to 62. There is a high rate of mortality forchildren in this country.

 

Angola and its capital, Luanda, has been said to be the mostexpensive city in the world. Not abargain-hunter paradise. For instance, a½ gallon of ice cream can cost $31 at the local supermarket.

 

Besides all of the warnings we quoted yesterday, we havebeen told not to buy bottled water or have anything with ice. Not even in the higher end hotels. No computers or ipads should be brought onshore. There are no ATM’s, and if you see one, thereis no money in them. The locals will notaccept foreign credit cards. It isillegal to get local money, but they will accept euros or US dollars. There may be no public restrooms.

 

The capital of Luanda has 5 million people. They sell artisan items like wood carvings,masks, jewelry, pottery, and textiles. If you are interested in higher quality carvings, then you would need toget an export stamp for proof it is not an antique item. Barbara H recommended that we do not buyivory or anything that resembles it. That could be bone if you don’t know the difference. Fabrics, baskets, and beading or paintingswould be a better bet.

 

The ship was scheduled to arrive and be docked by 8am. According to the Captain, he did the docking,but not with the aid of a local pilot. He failed to show on time, and the Captain decided to bring the ship inby himself. As he was pulling alongsidethe pier, the pilot showed up on the dock. He would come back later when we left.

 

The ship was cleared by 9am, and we left to go ashore by10am. A shuttle bus had been added thatwas supposed to be for the most disabled of the passengers. However, most everyone we know rode it. They supplied two buses for the one mile driveto the port gate. For us, it was quitedo-able, despite it being rather warm and humid. There was a chance of rain in theforecast, but that never happened. It was obvious that it had rained yesterday,as there were deep puddles everywhere.

 

Right across from the port gate, we found a localmarketplace had been set up just for us, as we were told by the Captain’s wifelater on. This was sure not what we had been expecting. This market and the vendors were as politeand friendly as they come. Of course, apolice presence might have made a difference too. Several umbrella-shaded tables were set upwith numerous souvenirs that included appliqued t-shirts, native clothing madeout of cotton prints, and costume jewelry. Handbags were the most colorful and useful….all hand-made. We did buy two small clutches made with thenative fabric and leather strips for $5 each. Necklaces were made from fabric, and woven with rings with a clasp. Earrings were also fabric-coveredbuttons. So of course, we bought a setjust to figure out how it was made. Bright primary colors are their specialty.

 

The paintings were stunning, also done in tribalcolors. They use a lot of orange andgold shades with black. If we had spaceon the walls at home, we may have been tempted. Nothing in this market was overly-priced, considering Luanda is the mostexpensive city in the world. Come tothink of it, we figure this was an attempt to please us tourists, so we canspread the word to those we know.

 

We did see a table or two with wood carvings, but not asmuch as we expected. We did find somefabric – the waxed cotton that is sold with 6 yards of repetitivepatterns. That was only $20. Matchingheadbands that the local ladies wear were also being sold. Bet we see a lot of these on the passengerslater on. Somehow, they look great onthe locals, but on the passengers? Wellthat is another story….. Our final purchase was a small papier mache black andwhite guinea fowl. Always wanted one ofthose cute figurines. He was $9. So we were happy, and on our way for a walk.

 

Crossing the highway, we walked a wide well-paved stripalong the Luanda Bay called the Marginal. We suppose calling it an esplanade would also be the same. Recently completed, this pathway is flankedwith a grassy area and planted with many palm trees. There are cement benches along the way whereyou can sit and watch the tiny fish jumping in the water. A few egrets wereperched on the wall, waiting for their chance for breakfast or lunch.

 

Very few people from the ship had attempted to walkhere. Guess the warnings had scared mostfolks into staying on the ship. And manydid take the tours. What we discoveredwas a well-guarded pathway with some shade and a few portable restrooms alongthe way. Who said there were no publicrestrooms? These must have been addedwhen it was learned the ship was arriving today. Something tells us that few cruise ships stophere.

 

One thing one of us neglected to bring was a bottle ofwater. This type of humidity isdehydrating as heck, and one of us was feeling the heat. Just then, we spotted our hosts, Steve andWendy, and a gentleman that goes geo-caching with them. Stopping to chat, they admitted to findingthree already, but were done for the morning due to the heat. When admitting we forgot water, we said wewould look for a soda up at the Shopping Fortaleza Center we could see by thefort. Wendy said forget it, the center wasstill under construction and not opened yet. So with that, the nice man with them offered to give us his spare bottleof water he had. Pulling out three smallboxes of Cheerios to get to it, we all laughed. Never know when you might get hungry on a hike. We thanked himprofusely, since that water may have saved one of us from dehydration. We owe him.

 

Continuing on, we did get some good photos of the downtownarea, but never crossed the wide boulevard. Hidden between newly-built tall skyscrapers, we did spot the NationalBank of Angola, housed in an impressive colonial building with colonnadedbalconies. It was painted pink and whitewith a huge round dome.

 

Towards the end of this esplanade was the San Miguel Fort,built in 1575 with ramparts and cannons facing the bay. Wendy and Steve had hiked up that road to seethe miles of shantytown that was built all the way down the coastline. Beautiful beaches were there, right next tothe worst poverty you can imagine. Wewere told that there is no sanitation in these areas also. Not sure about running water either.

 

On a hilltop behind the fort, we could see the obeliskmarking the grave of Angola’s first president, Agostinho Neto. It was built with funds from Russia, whoreportedly had close ties to the president.

 

Normally, we would be looking for a good place for lunch. After all of the warnings, we knew we did notwant to chance getting sick. So weheaded back to the ship, having walked at least six miles. Several glasses of ice tea with lemon wassounding really good by then. We made itback, without taking the shuttle, by 12:30pm. As always, the air-conditioning on the ship was wonderful. So was the lunch, which we shared with ourbuddies. Barb and Woody had stayedonboard, but Susie ventured into town, and made a successful visit to the craftmarket. At least we can say that we havesome small treasures from Angola, since it may be a long time before theAmsterdam comes back here, if ever.

 

Staying onboard for the rest of the afternoon, we worked onphotos. Sail away came quickly after4:30pm, the all aboard time. Many fellowpassengers shared stories of the day with as at the back railing. It seems that one lady had a bad experiencewhile she was on a private tour with a small group of friends. A local thug attempted to rip her camera offof her neck, and would not let go. Herfriends stopped the guy, and held him for the police to take away. Guess it could have been worse had it not been for the extra policeforce out today.

 

It was taking a long time for the ropes to be dropped, asthe dock crew were having problems doing the job. That gave us the chance to take pictures ofsome passing egrets, harbor traffic, and panoramic photos of the cityitself. With the good camera, we couldsee the many sections of the city that held the slums. They were numerous. Talking to one of our friends who had gone inland with her groupfor part of the day, revealed a story different from what we experienced intown. They had been questioned, andstopped by police, even having their tour guide’s driver’s license taken andphotos taken of them. The interest wasin the fact that they were taking pictures of the sites, which happened to bethe moonscape of all things.

 

Just as we were talking, a drone appeared about eye-levelwith the aft pool deck, scanning the passengers like us, watching the sail awayprocedures. Assuming it was beinghandled by a local, we soon figured it was being done by the local policeforce. Then we recalled that a cameracrew had been set up at the craft market, filming every person there today. Perhaps this was an attempt to film us forthe local news. Whatever the reason, itwas unnerving for most of us. The dronesuddenly zoomed up high, and dipped over to the gangway side. As much as we all tried to connect thismachine to an owner, we could not. Eventually, it went back to the heart of the city.

 

The local pilot must have arrived, and we were finally readyto sail out of the busy harbor. Weavingaround a flotilla of fishing vessels and trawlers, the winds picked up as wesailed out into the ocean. Staying outuntil the sun went down, we did get some good sunset pictures. Off in the distance, over the higher grounds,we spotted the end of a rainbow. It mustbe raining in some part of the atmosphere to create this, because it was notraining where we were.

 

We had a wonderful dinner with friends Bill and Leta attheir table for four. So nice to be ableto catch up with their travels in the ports, which has been limited to shortwalks and exploring close to the ship. Theywere also put off of seeing this port due to the scary warnings we gotrecently. Wonder what the next two stopswill be like? They are also new to us.

 

After dinner, we walked the outside deck like we usuallydo. We saw a bright fire that lit up thesurrounding sky, but it sat out in the water. We assumed it was a gas platform, with the excess being burned off. It was mesmerizing, and we did learn it wasjust what we thought…..a gas platform.

 

We will have five days at sea now as we head towards thenext port of The Gambia.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WNCtourist]

Thank you for your reports. What a fascinating trip!

 

Sent from my XT1254 using Forums mobile app

[Krazy Kruizers]

Wonderful reports.

Know that the ship is having Internet problems -- something about an antenna.

[ON cruiser]

Your reports of your adventures continues to be most enjoyable, so thanks for all the time and effort to that end! Re your cabin A/C, frankly, it should be better. Have you asked the Engineering dept. to check it out (perhaps clean out the vent in the ceiling)? With your ongoing loyalty to HAL, I hope you can be comfortable in your cabin!

 

Continued happy travels and thanks for your most entertaining reports.