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Whisper Cape Town to Greenwich - a segmenters view


Silver Spectre
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47 minutes ago, Silver Spectre said:

Breezy outside and the temperature is still dropping.

The Internet still crawls along - 17 minutes to upload this

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That'll never do...by that time, you'll be in a totally different spot and I'll never be able to find you! 

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So goodbye Banjul, we are now whispering our way to Dakar and a 5+ hour bunkering operation that will not allow us on or off the ship, which makes the port visit a complete waste of time for those who are not on excursions.

 

Luckily, that means a much needed lie in.

 

Oh, and the Internet is still complete rubbish.

Edited by Silver Spectre
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Update.  Captain just announced refueling operations started late.  Thus, we won’ t return to the port pier until 4:30 pm instead of 2:45 pm.  Our original 4 hour tour had already been extended to almost 6 hours and now will be nearly 8 hours.  Welcome to Africa.

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A very deep and honest apology from Fernando just now from SS about the bunkering disaster this morning and for the guests who were on the pier this afternoon after the port agent failed to send anyone to tell them what was going on. I think he said sorry 5 times!

 

Now off to Goree Island and the Gates to Nowhere for cocktails and dinner.

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38 minutes ago, Unibok said:

My goodness, it sounds like quite a challenge for the crew! I hope you enjoy your well-deserved cocktails and dinner.

We had a wonderful evening, great food, great music and topped off by fireworks. Well done SS!

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Yesterday was a day of stark contrasts, marooned during the day for 7 1/2 hours by the bunkering debacle, but then treated to our best ever SS event with dinner in the Fort on Goree Island. Wonderful organisation and a superb meal.

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While I am not an apologist for the slave trade, I do find it rather strange/odd/queasy that Silversea should throw a lavish, frivolous party on the island of Goree, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a monument to the millions of Africans forcibly exported to the New World.  

 

There may be circumstances of which I am unaware - which SilverSpectre might reveal - but I'm not sure I would have attended this event.

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4 hours ago, Fletcher said:

While I am not an apologist for the slave trade, I do find it rather strange/odd/queasy that Silversea should throw a lavish, frivolous party on the island of Goree, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a monument to the millions of Africans forcibly exported to the New World.  

 

There may be circumstances of which I am unaware - which SilverSpectre might reveal - but I'm not sure I would have attended this event.

An interesting, perhaps alternative, take on the event, and one which most of the WC’s would probably not comprehend (IMHO). I suspect it was here because of a lack of adequate facilities elsewhere on this WC segment. To a certain extent it was also a celebration of Africa and of local culture, and that makes it worthwhile. This was the event description:

 

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1 minute ago, Silver Spectre said:

An interesting, perhaps alternative, take on the event, and one which most of the WC’s would probably not comprehend (IMHO). I suspect it was here because of a lack of adequate facilities elsewhere on this WC segment. To a certain extent it was also a celebration of Africa and of local culture, and that makes it worthwhile. This was the event description:

 

441331B6-EB85-4CA0-B1F2-88CA5A5E9B80.jpeg

 

Thanks for that. Mmmm . . . Silversea are being more than a bit coy I think, regarding the dark history of this place.  Forgetting for a moment the logistics,  I'm sure Ghana would not allow such an event to take place at Elmina or Cape Coast Castle.  Perhaps I'm now going to push things a bit too far, but ditto Poland and Auschwitz?

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4 hours ago, Fletcher said:

While I am not an apologist for the slave trade, I do find it rather strange/odd/queasy that Silversea should throw a lavish, frivolous party on the island of Goree, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a monument to the millions of Africans forcibly exported to the New World.  

 

There may be circumstances of which I am unaware - which SilverSpectre might reveal - but I'm not sure I would have attended this event.

 

I have been pondering this post and have mixed reactions.  

 

First, having several years ago spent some time at Goree, I was very sympathetic to your perspective.  This hardly seems an appropriate venue for cocktails and a lavish, festive dinner.  Nor would it seem appropriate to have lectures, etc., over the pudding reminding the guests of the horrors that took place there.

 

On the other hand, apart from luxury hotels, I cannot readily think of other likely spots in West Africa for such a dinner -- a place where the caterers are accustomed to dealing with such guests in style, etc.  To my mind, nearly anything that will contribute to the economic development of Africa is permissible.

 

So, briefly, I am torn.

 

Thanks for your thought-provoking post.

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Interesting discussion. I've been to Goree Island on a couple of occasions and am deeply moved by the place each time. It is one of the great  parts of any visit to Africa for me.

 

I too think it would be totally inappropriate to hold a party in Auschwitz and many other sites of crimes against humanity.  This function took place in the Fort D'estres which was built around 70 years after the slave trade ended from Goree Island. It wasn't held in the Slave House which is a couple of hundred metres away or in any other slave place. Aside from the fact that the Slave House is unsuitable, it would be deeply inappropriate. 

 

I know that some of the people of Goree benefitted from this event by way of employment and I imagine Silversea paid a goodly sum for our presence in the Fort and on the forecourt. I have no qualms about being there and am glad that, in a small way,  my presence helped the local community of this beautiful place. If, because of the history, they can't make a living, that is very sad to me.

 

As the whole visit to this part of the world is moving I am happy to help in any way I can without diminishing the awful events that occurred here.

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2 hours ago, turtlemichael said:

Interesting discussion. I've been to Goree Island on a couple of occasions and am deeply moved by the place each time. It is one of the great  parts of any visit to Africa for me.

 

I too think it would be totally inappropriate to hold a party in Auschwitz and many other sites of crimes against humanity.  This function took place in the Fort D'estres which was built around 70 years after the slave trade ended from Goree Island. It wasn't held in the Slave House which is a couple of hundred metres away or in any other slave place. Aside from the fact that the Slave House is unsuitable, it would be deeply inappropriate. 

 

I know that some of the people of Goree benefitted from this event by way of employment and I imagine Silversea paid a goodly sum for our presence in the Fort and on the forecourt. I have no qualms about being there and am glad that, in a small way,  my presence helped the local community of this beautiful place. If, because of the history, they can't make a living, that is very sad to me.

 

As the whole visit to this part of the world is moving I am happy to help in any way I can without diminishing the awful events that occurred here.

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