Day 89, Tuesday April 3, 2018, Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town,,,, I had no idea what to expect, but this port really excelled far above what we were expecting. It didn’t start out to promising, as there was a tanker ship in our way, some major snaf-foo on the part of the port authority. And the captain kept coming on explaining what was going on, even though he really didn’t have any understanding as to why or birth, was compromised. They finely moved the ship a bit so we could squeeze in, two hours late. 

For Ed and I, it didn’t matter much as we did not have a tour booked for our first day, but waiting around, wishing we could get going is not fun. When we finely could get off, it was almost noon, and we still had to do immigrations, face to face, boy what a hassle. This would not be the end of what South American officials had to dish out, but more on that later. 

So finely we were off, they had a shuttle bus from the ship to the V&A Waterfront Mall and back. This was again a huge mall, and waterfront area. It was an indoor Mall, and an outdoor area, that had a big Farris Wheel ala EYE and an aquarium a hop on hop off bus a big hotel called Victoria and Alberts, which we had been told to go and partake in there English high tea, but it wasn’t serving tea on the day we were there, so,,,,, we had lunch instead!  That turned out to be a great choice. 

 

On our walk about, then it was lunch time, yum this was a one person lunch, but we shared it, and there was still almost too much,,,, almost LOL. It was wonderful and since we had skipped breakfast, we were hungry at two pm. 

Then we moved on to what was named “The Shed” this was a huge building with lots of artisans of all types. From fine art to, cooky things they didn’t want you to photograph there work, so I didn’t but Ed took a photo of me and the girl that made the necklace I bought. 

 

I didn’t buy the one I’m wearing here, but probably should have. There were so many things I could have bought, in here and other shops, but the suitcases are already going to be VERY full.  And we already spent enough, and Ed was tired of carrying all the goodies we did buy, so it was time to walk the long walk back to the shuttle, all in all we walked over five miles and we still had the walk onto the ship. 

 

What a beautiful day it was, table mountain, didn’t look like this, the next two days. 

Back on the ship, we decided to have dinner in the Lido, out on the Aft, pool area, and watch the sunset, forgot the camera. :(

Quote: Never STOP wondering. Never stop WANDERING.”  - Anonymous 

Day 88, Easter Monday, April 2, 2018 At Sea

Today was another busy sea day, we didn’t have watercolor class, but Ed had Ti Chi and I made a rose quartz chip necklace. That was a real pain, as the stones were so small, and the quartz’s were very light in color, so it was hard to see the holes, to get the fishing line through. Fishing line was used as wire would have showed through. 

So when I finely finished, at 4 PM it was time to go to the South African Springbok Festival! This is how they wrote it up:

What better way to celebrate our upcoming days in and around Cape Town then to party like the “Rainbow Nation” does! Join us for a feast of the senses by springbok lounge-hopping our modern-day “boma” stockade and Rugby inspired upper promande deck. Or find yourself in a whole different ambiance amidst the styling of a game of cricket in the Crows Nest. Either way we’re serving the best South Africa has to offer in local wines, drinks and appetizers galore from “Afrikaans resepte”  Topping it all off for this 3.5 hour party, we have local and resident musicians lighting up this unique festival like never before. As we say in South Africa “dis lekker by die see” or in English- have a great time!”

   

 

It was a great party!  All the free drinks we wanted and great appetizer, was dinner for me. I passed up dinner and went to bed, two martinis were my doing in! 

So now we are waiting for Imagration to let us off the ship, it is 12:30 and we were suppose to be docked at 8AM, but a container ship was docked incorrectly docked so we were over two hours late docking, now imagration is holding us up. Ed and I did not have a tour on this first day, good thing!

But we have a gorgeous day, there is nary a cloud in the sky so you can see the top of table mountain! 

 

Easter Brunch, with friends

 

What a day, this is as clear as you will ever see Table Mountain 

Quote:       

                         

TRAVEL. 

“As much as you can. As far as you can. As long as you can. Life is not meant to be lived in one place.”

- The things we say

Day 85,86, March 30/31 And day 87, Easter April, 1, 2018

It has been a very busy few day, some I didn’t list as they were sea days, with the things you’ve heard befor. Painting and making jewelry can get pretty intense, especially when the instructor really through’s you big challenges you weren’t expecting. Then add a couple good lectures and the test kitchen and befor you know it, it’s time to get ready for dinner!  Ed and I were discussing this, and we likened a world cruise to a semester in collage. Everything is planed out, you can’t go home,,,,,, etc. Which brings up one of the things that took up the afternoon and much discussion that evening and, we are all still discussing it. 

On Good Friday, Orlando Ashford, the CEO of Holland America had a presentation on what was going on for HAL in the future. And then people were allowed to ask questions, most of those were pretty lame. But the big news was the 2020 world cruise itinerary which looks interesting if it stays the way they have it right now, and  it is 128 days!  Sorry the map is not more readable, I had to take it from the TV. 

Yesterday we went in to Maputo, Mozambique 🇲🇿,  very interesting place, once again we see evidence of the Chinese take over. This is a very poor country, that has been abused by the Portuguese and the British, and now it is the Chinese, who are in the night buying the land, from unknowning farmers, and clear cutting the old forests, and sending the wood to China! They are building a big bridge in town to connect the town to the town across the river, and we found out that the Chinese were doing the construction, and rather than hiring the locals they have imported Chinese labor.  Now one could argue that the imported labor is more skilled, but how hard is to teach people, to mix cement?

 

The bridge, not finished yet, craft village, nice stuff, but we didn’t bring the right money. They would not take one roller bills, seems the bank has been taken over by the Chinese and they rip off the people on the exchange rate, of a one dollar bill! 

 

Our guide and me, ed in the natural history museum, they had the largest cole toon of elephant fetuses, I’ll spare you. 

 

The Queens pet lion. And more evidence of the Chinese taking over. 

 

The train station. They have a train to Cape Town once a week. 

Happy Easter! 🐣 

We have a full day today, first it was the Easter Sunday brunch, at 11: am, actually, the day started with sun rise service, we didn’t go. We did go to brunch, it was very nice. 

 

All decorated for Easter, and good company makes for a good time. 

 

 

Menu:

Tonight we have the  Mariner’s appreciation day cocktail party, and then a big Gala night dinner, and we already received our Easter candy this morning, when our room Stewart cleaned the room and made the bed. All very nice, but we wish we were with the kids and grand kids. 

So more tomorrow, another sea day. 

Quotes: “ TRAVEL is FATAL to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.”  - Mark Twin

              “ TRAVEL is about the GEORGEOUS feeling of teetering in the unknown.”  - Anonymous