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Live from the 2022 Grand Africa

Scrapnana

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Scrapnana "Live from...." Rare

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Good-bye Autumn, Hello Spring - November 8

 

Today was the day we crossed the equator so this morning was the King Neptune Ceremony.  King Neptune and his Queen came aboard to address the pollywogs (those who have not sailed across the equator) as to their crimes.  The MC is usually the Cruise Director, and Jeremy was ours today.  Once the pollywogs were convicted (they always are), they had to kiss the fish and get slimed.  It was then up to the top officers (including the Captain) as to whether the convicted had to sit on the side of the pool and let the slime dry in the sun or jump into the pool and wash it off.  Eventually all of them are in the pool and become "shellbacks".  It is fun to watch even if you have seen it numerous times before.

 

During his noon update, the Captain said there had been a few more cases of Covid and upped the mask status from "recommended" to "strongly recommended".  We are wondering if another ship-wide testing will take place soon.

 

During lunch I ate with one of my new knitting friends, Marlis.  After she left for the afternoon lecture, I read until it was time to leave for trivia.

 

After trivia I went by to check if the Sea View Pool was cleaned yet after all the slime from the ceremony.  It had been drained and was just being refilled.  I decided against swimming because I don't like doing laps in the Lido Pool.  I came back to my cabin and worked on a few things.  During this time, my safe was replaced.  I had gotten a note yesterday they were coming today and everyone has been getting theirs replaced.  I wonder which big wig in Seattle thought replacing perfectly good safes with new ones was a good use of money.

 

I played "Lightning Trivia" with two of my teammates.  In this, the question is read, you have about 30 seconds for an answer, and then the answer is given.  We did not do too bad.

 

Afterwards, I did something I haven't done before.  I sat out on the Promenade deck in one of those old-fashioned, wooden deck chairs.  I now understand why I see so many sitting there during my walks.  It was very pleasant with a light breeze and just a bit of sun.  I even saw a number of flying fish!  (They "flew" too fast for me to get a picture.)

 

Around five, I started my four laps around the deck as the sun was setting.  At 5:39, the Captain tooted the horn to signal we had officially crossed the equator.

 

Tonight was a dressy night with "Under the Sea" as the theme although other than a number of seafood items on the menu, I did not see any decorations to carry out the theme.  There was not a "Gala" menu but I had a tasty steak and shrimp meal.  Only three of us for dinner again tonight.

 

The show was Maria Campos, a singer, for her second show.  Afterwards I did a lap around the deck before retiring for the night.

 

So far the internet is working as normal.  We'll see what tomorrow brings.

 

1pm trivia - African trivia - we had 12 out of 18, two teams had 17

1.  What is the sea that separates Asia and Africa?

2.  What is the largest city in Africa?

3.  What is the southernmost city in Africa?

4.  What is the narrow feature that separates Asia and Africa?

5.  What is the name of Nelson Mandela's autobiography?

 

 

1.  Red Sea

2.  Cairo

3.  Cape Town

4.  Suez Canal

5.  Long Walk to Freedom

 

4pm Lightning Trivia - We had 21 out of 30, the winners had 25

1.  What is the only country that had two Nobel winners who lived on the same street?

2.  What is a pig over 120 pounds called?

3.  How many eyes does an earthworm have?

4.  How many Oscars did Titanic win?

5.  What is the name of the sun god of ancient Egypt?

 

1.  South Africa

2.  hog

3.  none

4.  11

5.  Ra

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love2travel&photograph

love2travel&photograph

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Just discovered your posts and thank you for all the updates.  I was signed up  the cruise for over a year and a half, then had to sadly cancel because of (ball of the ) foot surgery.  Hope you have a wonderful rest of the cruise!  I will look forward to your posts and photographs!

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Scrapnana "Live from...." Rare

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One last sea day - November 9

 

Although I had my typical morning (Sit and Stitch and lunch), the afternoon was very different.

 

Trivia was back to 1pm.  Four of my teammates were doing something else, so the two of us left were invited to play with the team that sits next to us.  Although billed as "General Knowledge" it was actually about Tanzania (where we arrive tomorrow).  Luckily, the others knew some of the answers because I only knew about two answers.

 

After dropping my things in my cabin, it was time to go to a wine tasting.  I received the notice yesterday about this which is a benefit for four- and five-star Mariners.  As some of you know, I am a cheap drunk.  After drinking two of the glasses and a half of each of the other two, I was loopy (even eating the cheese and crackers provided).  Since I was not going to be able to do my normal four laps of the deck at 5pm, this was a good time to do it and it would also sober me up. (It worked!)

 

There were many people out on the deck because today was our mandatory Safety Drill (have to have one every 30 days).  This is so much easier than before because you only have to go out on deck 3 (anytime between 3:15 and 5:15), have your keycard scanned, and watch a short video on the cabin TV.

 

Then it was time to get ready for dinner.  The travel agency I use always has a dinner in the Italian restaurant, Canaletto, for their customers on Grand cruises.  So, tonight I ate at 5pm rather than my usual 7:30.  I ate with Judy (Lee) and her husband, Rich, and it was quite good.

 

I was finished in enough time to go to 7pm trivia (there was no 4pm one today).  There were five of us playing and we sat and talked afterwards and I found out that the two couples on the team will be on the 2024 GWV.

 

One more lap around the deck and then it was time to work on the blog.

 

Dar es-Salaam tomorrow.  I do not have an excursion but will take the shuttle into town and walk around.

 

1pm trivia - We had 13 out of 17 and the winners had 15.

1.  Multiple choice - Lake Tanganyika is the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd largest lake in Africa.

2.  Multiple choice - How old is the oldest baobab tree?  600 years, 6000 years, or 60,000 years?

3.  What does Dar es-Salaam mean?

4.  What is the main language of Tanzania?

5.  What is the capital of Zanzibar?

 

 

1. 2nd

2.  6000

3.  Abode of peace

4.  Swahili

5.  Zanzibar City

 

7pm trivia - we had 13 out of 18 correct, 4 teams tied with 16

1.  What is the world's most popular ice cream flavor?

2.  Which sport uses the lightest weight ball?

3.  What movie was Robin Williams' first animated film?

4.  What is the capital of New Zealand?

5.  As of 2019, who has won the most Olympic medals?

 

 

1.  vanilla

2.  table tennis

3.  Fern Gully

4.  Wellington

5.  Michael Phelps

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Scrapnana "Live from...." Rare

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Tanganyika + Zanzibar = Tanzania – November 10

 

I can remember when I was in school (even though it was a million years ago) that I had a hard time learning about African countries because their names kept changing.  Many of the countries received their independence from European colonial rule during the 50s and 60s and became known as something else.  Some have changed names a few times in the intervening years.  Tanganyika was a British colony until its independence in 1961.  In 1964, Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged and became Tanzania. 

 

We arrived after 9 am and I had a quick breakfast (pancakes were delicious again) since I wasn’t sure when I would get back to the ship.  I didn’t have a tour today but took the shuttle into the city and wandered around on my own.  There was a welcoming committee with dancers, music, men on stilts, and a huge snake as we left the ship.  The shuttle into town did not take long and we were dropped off at the Hyatt Regency Hotel at around 10:30. I had no idea where anything was (they don’t give the port maps like they used to) so I walked for a bit and took some pictures.  I met lots of friendly people (Jeremy had said in his port talk that people would say hello and to be friendly back).  It was very hot (we are close to the equator) and I was about to come back to the ship when I met some ship people who said I should walk to the fish market.  It was at least a half mile, but it was right along the water and I was intrigued since Jeremy had also mentioned this in his talk. 

 

I could smell the market before seeing it.  It was amazing with fish being cut up, cooked, smoked, and hundreds of people were doing their shopping.  Across the street was a local marketplace where they sold shoes, used and new clothing, household items, drinks in recycled plastic bottles, dried starfish, and many other things.  It was not as busy as the fish market but there were still many locals shopping.

 

By this time, I was really hot and started back to the shuttle.  I purchased a banana at a local stand (bananas have to be about the safest fruit to eat in a foreign country) and could have had a whole bunch for the dollar I paid them.  The whole family thanked me again and again as if I had given them a huge amount.  I enjoyed the banana on my walk back.

 

I was back onboard by about 12:30 and had to peal all of my wet clothes off of me (even my face mask was soggy).  I put on my bathing suit and went to the Lido to have lunch and then a swim.  There were too many people in the pool to swim laps (four is too many) so I did water aerobics.  I sat in the sun for a while and then back into the pool.

 

Caffeine was needed so I headed to the Crow’s Nest for Happy Hour after showering and changing for a cold Diet Coke.  I tried once more but still could not get onto the internet (the whole day had been like that).  Although I already had 6 miles for the day, I decided to do one more lap around the deck and ended up doing two after talking with a friend from the 2018 and 2020 GWV.

 

Only three of us for dinner so we finished quite early.  I did a lap around the deck and then went to the World Stage.  For the first time this cruise, we had local entertainers, The Tanzanian Boys Circus.  I had heard from friends that had seen them at the 7 pm show, that they were fantastic.  And they were right!  The acrobatic skills, juggling, etc. were amazing.  They got a standing ovation.

 

A final lap around the deck and back to work on the blog.  Excursion tomorrow.

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We arrive in Tanzania next week and I was looking forward to your post.  It doesn't sound like Dar was your cup of tea.  We will be traveling a lot of Tanzania in 10 days and I look forward to the report of your excursion tomorrow.  Cherie

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Day 2 in Dar - November 11

(The locals call it Dar)

 

Today was Veterans Day/Armistice Day/Remembrance Day in honor of the cessation of fighting in World War I.  Many people were wearing the poppies given to us earlier in the week and there was a Sunrise Wreath Service at 6am by the Sea View Pool.

 

Since I had a tour, I went to the Lido for breakfast.  I got an aged pancake that was so tough I gave up after one bite and got a tasty blueberry muffin instead.

 

When I got to the World Stage, the tour had already been called so I got in line with everyone else.  I liked the smaller buses they use here that hold about 18 because it is so much easier getting on and off a number of times (which we had to do today).  We started off to our first stop through a part of the city I had not seen before and headed out into the suburbs to Kijiji cha Makumbusho (the Village Museum).  It is an open-air museum that has huts from 16 of the different ethnic groups in Tanzania.  We had about 45 minutes to look around and do a little shopping before heading to our next stop.  

 

Our second stop was to Mwenge Makonda Carvings Market.  The write up said "the market allows you to witness the entire carving process."  In fact, it was more of a craft market and I only saw one person actually carving wood and he was in the back of a shop.  Still, we are tourists and shopping is an element of being a tourist, so we did our part.  I finally broke down and bought a bag (I love bags) - hey, I held out for a month.  I also got a small basket to hold my pens on my desk and a magnet.

 

As we were driving around we saw numerous people selling items to people in cars when they stopped at a red light.  Some of the things I saw being sold included plastic containers, aprons, earbuds, soccer balls, belts, key chains, flags, bicycle tires, CDs, car floor mats, towels, coat hangers, maps, snack food, and ice cream bars.

 

Stop number three was to the Tingatinga Arts Cooperative.  Edward Tingatinga was an artist that started a style with bright colors and distorted figures.  The following quote is from TanzanianFineArt.com.

"Each Tingatinga picture has a story. The stories in the pictures illustrate the natural beauty of the Tanzanian environment and the day to day activities of the people of the rural and urban areas. Thus, through Tingatinga paintings, many people are learning about the importance of preserving the environment and Tanzanian Culture. Edward Tingatinga established the Tingatinga style of art and handed it over to other Tanzanians who are now producing new paintings inspired by his work."

I liked many of the things but didn't need anything.  I did buy a beaded necklace and earrings outside of the building for a whopping $5.

 

Our final stop was at the National Museum.  We were shown a number of different exhibits including prehistoric bones found in Tanzania.  We spent much longer here than planned.  Our guide said 30 minutes but we actually spent about an hour being guided around the exhibits.

 

We arrived back at the ship after 2.  After dropping my things off in my cabin, I headed to the Lido for a late lunch.  I sat by the Lido pool and worked on today's pictures for much of the afternoon before my four laps around the deck.

 

Pete and Sherry were back to the dinner table but Judy and Bob chose to have an early dinner in the Lido.   The show tonight was called "Chart Toppers" by the Singers and Dancers and featured songs by 4-member groups such as the Beatles, ABBA, Queen, and the Four Tops.  One lap around the deck and back to my cabin.

 

Zanzibar for the next two days.

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Zanzibar - November 12

 

Zanzibar is a group of islands in the Indian Ocean just off the coast of the rest of Tanzania.  It was controlled at various times in its history by Portugal and England.  It is also the place where the shortest war in history took place.  In August of 1896 the Anglo-Zanzibar War took place.  The British won in under 45 minutes.

 

I had a very lazy morning because my tour was not until 4:15. I tidied my cabin, packed my laundry bag, had lunch, sat out on deck, walked a couple of laps around the deck, read, and knitted.  

 

This was our first tender port.  We were told the ride over would take about 15 minutes but you never know how long you might have to wait for a tender or for a tender to leave.  Being one who is always early, I left for shore at 3pm.  There were only about 10 on the tender.  Once we got to the pier there was a little confusion as to where to meet but we were finally directed to wait in the "VIP Lounge" which had comfortable recliners and sofas and air conditioning.

 

The tour I chose was the Stone Town Evening Walking Tour.  Stone Town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.  It is the oldest part of Zanzibar City and was a center for the spice trade and the slave trade in the 19th century.

 

We were driven to the edge of Forodhani Park where we saw people setting up for the Street Food Market that would begin at 6pm.  Our guide talked about the area (while I was getting friendly with a cat) and then we started our walk through the narrow streets.

 

We were taken through the winding streets and shown some of the building techniques and architectural features.  We went into the Hamamni Persian Baths which were built between 1870 and 1888 by the Sultan for use by the people (for a fee, of course).  There was one day a week when it was open for women - the men had the rest of the week.  There were changing rooms, a shaving area, toilets, and even a restaurant.

 

Continuing our walking tour, we went through more of the maze of streets to the Freddie Mercury Museum.  He was born in Zanzibar in 1946 and lived in the house where the museum is located.  After having a few minutes to look around (it is not a huge museum), we walked to the Serena Hotel where we had a snack and watched the sun set over the water.

 

We had to wait some time for the tender to pick us up, but I was back on board by 8.  The Lido was open late tonight so I had time to get dinner.  The entertainment was two different movies - one in the theater and one on the World Stage.  If you didn't want to do either of those, there was something different tonight "Glamp Out Under the Stars".  The Ocean Bar Band played "classic camp fire hits" and there were snacks.  I dropped in for a few minutes and found that they had put a canoe in the Lido Pool and there were two people (I didn't recognize either) paddling around.

 

I think I will take the tender to the shuttle tomorrow and walk around a bit - there were no stops for shopping on today's tour, so I would like to look at what they have.

 

Since there has not been any trivia recently, here is a question for you.  What do the letters in "UNESCO" stand for?

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Zanzibar - November 12

 

Zanzibar is a group of islands in the Indian Ocean just off the coast of the rest of Tanzania.  It was controlled at various times in its history by Portugal and England.  It is also the place where the shortest war in history took place.  In August of 1896 the Anglo-Zanzibar War took place.  The British won in under 45 minutes.

 

I had a very lazy morning because my tour was not until 4:15. I tidied my cabin, packed my laundry bag, had lunch, sat out on deck, walked a couple of laps around the deck, read, and knitted.  

 

This was our first tender port.  We were told the ride over would take about 15 minutes but you never know how long you might have to wait for a tender or for a tender to leave.  Being one who is always early, I left for shore at 3pm.  There were only about 10 on the tender.  Once we got to the pier there was a little confusion as to where to meet but we were finally directed to wait in the "VIP Lounge" which had comfortable recliners and sofas and air conditioning.

 

The tour I chose was the Stone Town Evening Walking Tour.  Stone Town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.  It is the oldest part of Zanzibar City and was a center for the spice trade and the slave trade in the 19th century.

 

We were driven to the edge of Forodhani Park where we saw people setting up for the Street Food Market that would begin at 6pm.  Our guide talked about the area (while I was getting friendly with a cat) and then we started our walk through the narrow streets.

 

We were taken through the winding streets and shown some of the building techniques and architectural features.  We went into the Hamamni Persian Baths which were built between 1870 and 1888 by the Sultan for use by the people (for a fee, of course).  There was one day a week when it was open for women - the men had the rest of the week.  There were changing rooms, a shaving area, toilets, and even a restaurant.

 

Continuing our walking tour, we went through more of the maze of streets to the Freddie Mercury Museum.  He was born in Zanzibar in 1946 and lived in the house where the museum is located.  After having a few minutes to look around (it is not a huge museum), we walked to the Serena Hotel where we had a snack and watched the sun set over the water.

 

We had to wait some time for the tender to pick us up, but I was back on board by 8.  The Lido was open late tonight so I had time to get dinner.  The entertainment was two different movies - one in the theater and one on the World Stage.  If you didn't want to do either of those, there was something different tonight "Glamp Out Under the Stars".  The Ocean Bar Band played "classic camp fire hits" and there were snacks.  I dropped in for a few minutes and found that they had put a canoe in the Lido Pool and there were two people (I didn't recognize either) paddling around.

 

I think I will take the tender to the shuttle tomorrow and walk around a bit - there were no stops for shopping on today's tour, so I would like to look at what they have.

 

Since there has not been any trivia recently, here is a question for you.  What do the letters in "UNESCO" stand for?

 

Is it United Nations Education, Science and Culture ??

Is the O organization?

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 Stone Town Revisited - November 13

 

I slept late again but was out of my cabin by 10:25 to go to the tender.  I was in town before 11 and then took the shuttle to the same hotel where we were yesterday.  I did a little walking in Stone Town, making sure I took a picture of every turn I made, so I could find my way back.  I bought a few souvenirs for friends and was back on the ship by 1:30.

 

I read and knitted after lunch and basically had a lazy afternoon.  There was a sail-away party by the Sea View Pool.  Most of the music was by Queen (no surprise there) and there was a good turnout.  I stayed out until about 5:40 when I had to get ready for dinner.  

 

There was a trivia at 7 pm.  The team I am on usually does not play in the evening, so I played alone.  Then to dinner where it was just Sherry, Pete, and me.  I did not go to the show.

 

Sea day tomorrow.

 

7pm trivia - I had 11 out of 18 and the winners had 14.  Since it has been a while since the last trivia, I am adding a few extra questions.  

1.  Name the largest dam in the world.

2.  The grapes grown to produce cognac are grown in which country?

3.  Artwork that tells portions of a story is called what?

4.  What city has the most taxis in the world?

5.  In what city was Jim Morrison buried?

6.  What are the points at the end of a fork called?

7.  Amethyst is the birthstone for what month?

8.  What is the fastest living animal on two legs?

 

 

 

 

1.  Three Gorges Dam

2.  France

3.  narrative art

4.  Mexico City

5.  Paris

6.  tines

7.  February

8.  ostrich

 

Answer to my UNESCO question yesterday - United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.

 

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Enjoying a sea day - November 14

 

A usual sea day until after crafts.  During his noon update, the Captain said we had just hit the halfway point in the 21,969 miles of the cruise.

 

The travel agency I use  had a cocktail party in the Crow's Nest from 4 to 5.  Since it was a formal night and early diners would already be dressed up for dinner, I didn't want to go in what I had worn all day.  I changed for the cocktail party (where I had two strawberry daiquiris), then changed back to do my afternoon walk.  I really needed the walk after those two drinks and I needed five laps around to sober up (remember my low threshold with liquor).  I then changed back into my evening clothes for the evening.

 

This was the first time in days that all five of us were at the table.  We had a special menu (that was really good) and Captain Ane Jan Smit came and spoke for a minute or so (I think that was the third time I have seen him).  

 

Tomorrow is Pete's birthday but they will be going to the Pinnacle Grill, so Sherry arranged for the stewards to sing "Happy Birthday" and get a birthday cake.

 

The show tonight was a memory expert and mentalist, Michael Abrahamson, who did amazing things.  He said he was going to do a talk with ideas about how to remember things.

 

In the Crow's Nest there was a Casino Royale night with the Ocean Bar Band playing.  I looked and left for my nightly lap around the deck.

 

We received a pillow gift - the plate for this cruise (each "Grand" cruise has a commemorative plate).

 

Madagascar tomorrow (keep your fingers crossed).

 

 

1 pm trivia - we had 13 out of 18 and the winners had 15

1.  Which fruit has the highest fiber content?

2.  What is the common name for a dactylgram?

3.  The name of which hat comes from the Greek for "gift of God"?

4.  Who is given credit for the term "nerd"?

5.  What board game gets its name from the Persian for "King"?

 

 

1.  raspberry

2.  fingerprint

3.  fedora

4.  Dr. Seuss

5.  chess

 

7 pm trivia - I did a dismal 4 out of 18 and the winners had 15 

1.  What do the initials "HB" stand for on a pencil?

2.  What did Popeye eat for strength before spinach?

3.  A normal human body has 46 of what?

4.  What is mageiricophobia?

5.  "You press the button, we do the rest" was the slogan for what brand?

 

 

1.  hard black

2.  garlic

3.  chromosomes

4.  fear of cooking

5.  Kodak

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Third Time IS the Charm! - November 15

 

I was supposed to visit Madagascar on the 2018 GWV but they were just coming out of pneumonic plague and the port was canceled (long in advance).  The 2020 GWV was also supposed to go to Madagascar, but Covid stopped that from happening.  Finally, today, I made it!

 

The reason I wanted to visit Madagascar so much was to see lemurs where they live in the wild.  My tour today was called "Nosy Komba: Isle of Lemurs" and I was worried it wasn't going to happen.  The problem?  Once we were cleared by authorities, a tender went over to Nosy Be to set up for us.  When they got there, they found that there was a two-foot difference between the dock and the tender.  Too dangerous to allow passengers on shore.  

 

We were waiting in the World Stage for the excursion which was supposed to leave at 11am.  At 10:53, Jeremy announced that the ship's carpenters were heading to shore to try to correct the problem.  We were told we could leave the room and do something else - get a snack, walk around, go to your cabin, etc. but to be back by 11:50.  

 

Around noon, we were told that they could fix the problem and finally were sent to the tenders.  The tour I was on was one the first to be sent down and we were the first tender with passengers to leave the ship.  We also had some pieces of wood, tools, and a couple of carpenters onboard.

 

Once we arrived, the carpenters took their equipment and worked to make a safe plank on to land.  It was really hot waiting on the tender and we all had our masks on (the Captain announced yesterday that everyone should wear a mask on the tender), which made it worse.  Eventually, everyone got off safely.

 

Since we were going to a different island, we only had to walk a few steps to get on another boat to go to Nosy Komba ("nosy" is the Malagasy word for island).  When we arrived, we had a "wet landing" meaning we had to get out of the boat and wade through the water to the beach and then make our way up to Ampangorina, a fishing village.

 

We wound through the village and then headed up to the lemur sanctuary.  The lemurs here are used to humans and many would come down from the trees to get the fruit the guide was offering them.  As we walked, the guide showed us some large turtles (and how to tell the males from the females), a chameleon, and a large snake (that you could have draped around your neck - I passed).  

 

The ground was very uneven, and the path was like a cobblestone - a very bumpy one.  A very nice gentleman on our tour held my arm as I walked down until we got to even ground (I might still be up there if he hadn't helped me).  We were then set free to shop.  There were stalls all along the walk with many things to buy.  The women of the island are known for their embroidered tablecloths which were beautiful but for which I had no need (I did see a few people who bought them).  I did pick up a few items and once I was back to the village, I went to pick up my included drink.  It was called "World Cola" and it was tasty.  They also had some food set out but I only ate a couple of pieces of pineapple.

 

When it was time to head back, we waded in the water again and onto the boat.  When the head count was made someone was missing.  The guide swore we had 40 coming over and now only had 39.  We waited about 30 minutes but they could not find the person.  Eventually, we left with the guides from other groups on the lookout for the missing person.  We came back very fast and everyone was anywhere from wet to soaked from the spray.  As I write this, it is six hours after our return and my clothes are still damp (and I got less wet than most of the rest of the group).

 

Once back on board, I was starving and dinner was still two and a half hours away.  I went to the Lido and got a piece of pizza (that tasted wonderful).

 

I walked about three miles on the island so I did not need to walk the deck.  Instead, I sorted through my pictures.

 

Judy, Bob and I were the only ones at dinner and I went to the show afterwards.  It was called "Under African Skies" performed by the trio named "Shades of Africa" from South Africa.  I enjoyed the show.

 

One lap around the deck and then back to write the blog.

 

Tomorrow I am going to go into town since we saw nothing of Andoany, the port town on Nosy Be.

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newbie53

newbie53

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, Scrapnana said:

 When we arrived, we had a "wet landing" meaning we had to get out of the boat and wade through the water to the beach and then make our way up to Ampangorina, a fishing village.

 

How were you able to keep shoes dry?  Did they give you something to wear over them?

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