OH..... THE ISLANDS !
World Cruise 2015
Two-thirds of our world is covered by water. In my mind, there is no better way to 'see the world' and visit many interesting and intriguing places.
I love the 'days at sea', particularly when the weather is good with the ship cruising along at a gentle pace; there are activities to enjoy if you wish, new people to meet and old friends to reminisce, and delicious foods to savor.
SOUTH PACIFIC ISLANDS --------
We had 7-1/2 'days at sea' from Los Angeles, CA to Nuku Hiva, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia. The ship anchored in Taiohae (ty-o-hi) Bay which lies below a majestic cliff; and to quote Jack London
"One caught one's breath and felt the pang that it almost hurt, so exquisite was the beauty of it."
Just to 'put our feet on the ground', we walked along the waterfront then enjoyed a local lunch with cold Tahiti beer. Welcome to paradise! The local dancers gave us a very nice show aboard the ship.
The next stop, Rangiroa, in the Tuamotu Islands, French Polynesia is the world's second largest atoll and often called "God's aquarium". Here, we walked along the beach to enjoy a swim / snorkel in the warm lagoon waters and spotted two small sting rays in the shallow water. Back at the pier, we cooled down with cold Hinano beer; of course.
Cruising west in the South Pacific Ocean, the ship anchored in Cook's Bay of Moorea, Society Islands, French Polynesia below the jagged peaks and soaring spires
of the extinct volcano. We wandered around the market stalls and into a few local shops before heading to the Sofitel Moorea la Ora Beach Resort where we took a swim in the warm waters before a delicious lunch (and Hinano beer). This is a beautiful resort with a view of the island of Tahiti across the water.
That evening we sailed to Papeete, Tahiti. Sadly, we were greeted by rain showers which kept us on the ship for the evening. Rain, all through the night and
the next day, yet we were able to explore this big commercial city ("take paradise and put up a parking lot", lyrics from Joni Mitchell's Big Yellow Taxi song), shopping in the central market and enjoying a cold Hinano beer.
Before departing the harbor, the local dance group performed for us.
Bora Bora, Society Islands, French Polynesia is described by James Michener as "the most beautiful island in the world; the South Pacific at its unforgettable best." YES! I agree. The dramatic peaks covered in lush green stand high above the refreshing blue lagoon waters. Randy and I always loved Bora Bora which we visited in 1991 (on a sailboat charter) and again in 2011 (during our World Cruise).
I felt that this was the perfect place to scatter some of Randy's ashes. The lagoon is so serene and peaceful.
This is the place for a boat ride to see the fish, swim, scuba, or Aquabike. Colleen took the glass-bottom boat ride to see fish from above the water. Phil and I rode an Aquabike to see fish under the water.
This is an electric motorized 'bike' where we sit 'in a bubble of compressed air' (water up to our shoulders and heads out of the water) and motor through the water about 20 feet below the surface. This picture gives you some idea of what this looked like but watch my movie of Adventures to see what we saw underwater.
We had planned to visit Bloody Mary's (a well known hangout) for lunch but discovered that they are closed on Sundays. Oh well.... maybe next time.
Cruising west, three days 'at sea', and crossing the International Dateline, our next island was Tongatapu, Kingdom of Tonga. About a month earlier, we heard a 'new island' was created (from a volcano erupting about 40 miles northwest of Tongatapu (a local lady described how bizarre it looked at night thinking it was a nuclear explosion). Yet, when we arrived, the volcanic activity had died down and the new island had not yet been named. We were greeted by drummers, conch horn, dancers, and Police band.
I went on a kayak tour to a small island close-by: 60-minute kayak, one hour to swim or walk around the island, lunch at Big Mama's Yacht Club, then another
60-minute kayak back. I enjoyed it! One thing missing at the end of that adventure was a 5- or 10-minute neck or shoulder massage.
More local dancers and musicians for our 'sail-away'.
Another two days 'at sea' and another time zone later (or should I say earlier), we arrived at New Caledonia, an overseas territory of France. What a stunning sunrise!
My adventure was a power catamaran trip to Signal Island for snorkeling: the weather was great; the water was clear; lots of fish; but not too much live coral (it's hard to beat Bonaire). I snorkeled away from 'the group' to see the fishes before other people scared them away (snorkeling and scuba diving are not 'group' activities, in my opinion). It was good to be in the water.
SOUTH PACIFIC ISLANDS --------
We had 7-1/2 'days at sea' from Los Angeles, CA to Nuku Hiva, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia. The ship anchored in Taiohae (ty-o-hi) Bay which lies below a majestic cliff; and to quote Jack London
Just to 'put our feet on the ground', we walked along the waterfront then enjoyed a local lunch with cold Tahiti beer. Welcome to paradise! The local dancers gave us a very nice show aboard the ship.
The next stop, Rangiroa, in the Tuamotu Islands, French Polynesia is the world's second largest atoll and often called "God's aquarium". Here, we walked along the beach to enjoy a swim / snorkel in the warm lagoon waters and spotted two small sting rays in the shallow water. Back at the pier, we cooled down with cold Hinano beer; of course.Cruising west in the South Pacific Ocean, the ship anchored in Cook's Bay of Moorea, Society Islands, French Polynesia below the jagged peaks and soaring spires
That evening we sailed to Papeete, Tahiti. Sadly, we were greeted by rain showers which kept us on the ship for the evening. Rain, all through the night and
This is the place for a boat ride to see the fish, swim, scuba, or Aquabike. Colleen took the glass-bottom boat ride to see fish from above the water. Phil and I rode an Aquabike to see fish under the water.
We had planned to visit Bloody Mary's (a well known hangout) for lunch but discovered that they are closed on Sundays. Oh well.... maybe next time.
Cruising west, three days 'at sea', and crossing the International Dateline, our next island was Tongatapu, Kingdom of Tonga. About a month earlier, we heard a 'new island' was created (from a volcano erupting about 40 miles northwest of Tongatapu (a local lady described how bizarre it looked at night thinking it was a nuclear explosion). Yet, when we arrived, the volcanic activity had died down and the new island had not yet been named. We were greeted by drummers, conch horn, dancers, and Police band.
I went on a kayak tour to a small island close-by: 60-minute kayak, one hour to swim or walk around the island, lunch at Big Mama's Yacht Club, then another
More local dancers and musicians for our 'sail-away'.
Another two days 'at sea' and another time zone later (or should I say earlier), we arrived at New Caledonia, an overseas territory of France. What a stunning sunrise!My adventure was a power catamaran trip to Signal Island for snorkeling: the weather was great; the water was clear; lots of fish; but not too much live coral (it's hard to beat Bonaire). I snorkeled away from 'the group' to see the fishes before other people scared them away (snorkeling and scuba diving are not 'group' activities, in my opinion). It was good to be in the water.
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Now... enjoy my movies (copy the link and paste into your browser):
SOUTH PACIFIC ISLANDS (1-1/2 minutes)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_dcWu22YunB384vDM-T0Z1xyEuj5bzOESg/view?usp=sharing
SOUTH PACIFIC WATER ADVENTURES (almost 8 minutes)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Bsat7-HfpEmaaJfqPTjor738uwsUeREFBg/view?usp=sharing
SOUTH PACIFIC DANCERS (just over 4 minutes)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xbmEGl_o2bTs-x6YP6xkg49YchPPCeXS4g/view?usp=sharing
If those links do not work, try to copy and paste into your browser.
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We headed southwest from New Caledonia; and after crossing the Tropic of Capricorn (23-1/2° South latitude), we entered the Tasman Sea. The barometric pressure was falling, the seas were building, it was raining. We learned how to do the Tasman Dance - walk low and wide to maintain your balance. With winds (40-50 knots), seas (12-feet), and current (5 knots) on our nose, it was a rolly 2 days to get to Sydney (but nothing like our Tasman Sea crossing in February 2011). We still enjoyed dinner at the Pool Grill Hot Rocks, hiding under the awnings with heat lamps and blankets. I watched Mars 'dancing' (it looked like dancing from the rolling of the ship) in the sky as the salt spray splashed and was blown over the ship's smoke stack. There was a half Moon to the Northwest; winds ~50 knots; 75° temperature; and salt everywhere! The worst weather we had across the Pacific Ocean.
AUSTRALIA (it is classified as a continent, but you could call it an island) --------------
Due to the weather, we were slightly behind schedule for arrival, yet still awe-struck when entering Sydney's fabulous harbor at sunrise - the sun brightly shining on the cliffs and the high-rise buildings downtown. It was clear and sunny after two days of heavy rain in Sydney, New South Wales.
66° and chilly in the wind but hot coffee and pastries in the Observation Lounge. There was a 'jacket fitting party' with mimosa's the prior day, so all of the World Cruisers had an insulated vest to wear.
The Smoots and I went to the Aussie Wildlife Park (about an hour West of Sydney in the Blue Mountains). This was a very nice, well run and maintained wildlife park with koalas, kangaroos, birds, crocodiles, wild dogs, snakes, spiders, bats, just to name a few of the critters that we saw.
That evening was a World Cruise Event - Night at the Opera. It started with a bay cruise at 4pm (our ship was docked in White Bay Terminal, almost an hour bus ride) which leisurely guided us under the 'coat hanger' Sydney bridge to the dock at the Opera House.
After canapes, champagne, wine, we enjoyed a delicious dinner under a canopy roof while a group of aboriginal people performed several short dances. As showtime neared, we entered the world-renowned Opera House to our assigned seats (Q23 was mine, just about in the center). The opera was 'La Tosca' - an adaptation set in the 1940's of love, murder, suicide - in three acts. (I'm not a fan of opera and if I knew it was going to last so long, I would have left at the 1st intermission, when Captain Corsaro left; he was smart). We got back to the ship at 11pm - long performance, walk and wait for bus, traffic through town. I ordered tea & honey as I was feeling a cold coming on. A wonderful event!
My 2nd day in Sydney, I stayed aboard with chills, fever, headache; I tried to sleep through the crew fire drill; Chan and Marlon, my butler and housekeeper, kept checking to make sure that I was comfortable.
I went to the sail-away party on the pool deck and then dinner with friends, I had 'nothing'. Outside Sydney Harbor, we were once again in the Tasman Sea with strong winds and big seas. We had an interesting boat show right outside the Restaurant window of the pilot jumping from our ship for pilot boat.
Our cruise continued 'around the bottom' of Australia.
In Melbourne, Victoria, I visited with friends that we met on our Seabourn cruise around South America in 2013. Elaine took me to several sights around town - National Gallery and Federation Square - then a snack at the Botanical Gardens.
Late in the afternoon, Elaine joined me for Afternoon Tea on board the Silver Whisper. The next day, Elaine emailed that she left her frilly brolly (umbrella) on the ship. I got it from 'lost & found'.
Adelaide, South Australia, is an interesting city surrounded by parks and in the heart of Australia's wine country. We traveled into the hillside to visit Hahndorf, a small town originally settled by Germans in 1838. Returning to Adelaide, we walked along the busy streets before finding a small place for lunch.
My plan was to find the post office and mail Elaine's brolly to her; the post office was right on the corner. Success! She received the brolly about 3 days later. You can see why she didn't just say 'keep it'; actually it was a gift from a dear friend.
Sunday, we had an informative tour of Fremantle - The ANZC (Australia New Zealand Corps) monument, the Convict's Prison, Cottesloe Beach (to stick our toes into the Indian Ocean), and the maritime museum
(one of the best I've ever seen).
It was a good day!
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large park, we rarely spotted another safari vehicle until they all (almost 85 vehicles) convened in one location to spot a leopard. I never saw the leopard but Phil luckily got a good picture. I asked our driver to continue on to see other sights while all the other vehicles were determined to 'look for the leopard'. We saw numerous Asian elephants, lots of birds, wild boars, crocodiles, etc. The bus ride to/from the park was a Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (Disneyland) through the countryside and small towns among the thousands of tuk tuks, motorcycles, bicycles, buses, people. Good adventure. We were running late; Captain Corsaro was anxiously waiting for our return so the Silver Whisper could depart for our next port, Colombo.
The Smoots and I went to the Aussie Wildlife Park (about an hour West of Sydney in the Blue Mountains). This was a very nice, well run and maintained wildlife park with koalas, kangaroos, birds, crocodiles, wild dogs, snakes, spiders, bats, just to name a few of the critters that we saw.
That evening was a World Cruise Event - Night at the Opera. It started with a bay cruise at 4pm (our ship was docked in White Bay Terminal, almost an hour bus ride) which leisurely guided us under the 'coat hanger' Sydney bridge to the dock at the Opera House.
My 2nd day in Sydney, I stayed aboard with chills, fever, headache; I tried to sleep through the crew fire drill; Chan and Marlon, my butler and housekeeper, kept checking to make sure that I was comfortable.
Our cruise continued 'around the bottom' of Australia.
In Melbourne, Victoria, I visited with friends that we met on our Seabourn cruise around South America in 2013. Elaine took me to several sights around town - National Gallery and Federation Square - then a snack at the Botanical Gardens.
Port Lincoln, South Australia, is reputed to have the most millionaires per-capita in Australia; and the town claims to be the "Seafood Capital of Australia". We had a short visit in this small town.
My plan was to find the post office and mail Elaine's brolly to her; the post office was right on the corner. Success! She received the brolly about 3 days later. You can see why she didn't just say 'keep it'; actually it was a gift from a dear friend.
Our final port in Australia was Fremantle, Western Australia located at the mouth of the Swan River and serves as the port for Perth. First settled in 1829, it became the dockage in 1850 for convict ships; many buildings of that era were built by convicts. Late in the 19th Century, Fremantle became the center of the Western Australia gold rush. Lots of maritime history, too. Fremantle hosted the America's Cup yachting race in 1987 after Australia was the first country to ever win the race, aside from the USA.
The Silver Whisper arrived at 4pm on a Saturday. Phil, Colleen, and I explored part of the town via bus; savored a cold beer at the 'oldest pub' in Fremantle before a wonderful 'fish & chips' dinner on the wharf. After dinner, we discovered the weekly Saturday night food market which is crowded to it's gills with food stalls and people enjoying the great weather. (Wish someone from the ship would have mentioned this to the passengers.)
It was a good day!
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Time to view my movie (less than 5 minutes) of AUSTRALIA. Copy the link below into your browser.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-DH4pP-b2mrblJhZ-Hsbp2JwF8NRiwXU-w/view?usp=sharing
If that link does not work, or if you do not use Google Chrome, try to copy and paste into your browser.
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INDIAN OCEAN ISLANDS --------------
At Cottesloe Beach, near Fremantle, we stuck our toes into the Indian Ocean. So, it is time to reflect on visits to various islands in the Indian Ocean.
Our first stop in Sri Lanka was Hambantota, in Sri Lanka's Southern Province. This is a new seaport that was built as a 2nd hub of shipping for Sri Lanka. I won't go into politics about all of the fairly recent (last 15 years) facilities (seaport, international airport, convention center, wind farm) to transform the Southern Province into the modern day for this underdeveloped region.
We (about 50 passengers) selected a tour to Yala National Park, which protects herds of elephant, deer, peacocks, wild buffalo, and more. This is Sri Lanka's 2nd largest national park and provided us with an afternoon game drive through the park's diverse habitats of forests, swamps, grasslands, and brackish lagoons. We transferred from our bus to 6-passenger safari vehicles for a 3-hour guided drive. Being a
Colombo, Sri Lanka's capital, is a bustling city, with a long history of commercial trading, where modern and colonial architecture mix. This is the 'gateway to Sri Lanka'.
That day's World Cruisers Event was a visit, via chartered train, to the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage. Arriving at the Colombo Railway Station, we boarded re-conditioned colonial train cars to take in the scenic beauty of the green countryside for a 2.5 hour trip to Rambukana. Along the way, we enjoyed morning tea and snacks in Victorian grandeur.
The orphanage was created in 1975 to care for baby elephants found abandoned or orphaned. The animals are cared for, fed, studied, and trained. Once acclimated to captivity, the elephants are unable to care for themselves in the wild; they grow up and reproduce in the protection of the reserve.
Today, there are nearly 100 elephants in the orphanage. During our lunch at the River View Restaurant, we watched the staff guide the elephants to the river
for their daily bath. The afternoon 'express' train was in the 80s-styled car yet we still received exclusive service of afternoon tea, wine, and beer.
The orphanage was created in 1975 to care for baby elephants found abandoned or orphaned. The animals are cared for, fed, studied, and trained. Once acclimated to captivity, the elephants are unable to care for themselves in the wild; they grow up and reproduce in the protection of the reserve.
This was a fun day - very relaxing and pleasant. It started to rain in the late afternoon which meant that the Asian BBQ dinner had to be moved inside instead of on the pool deck. The ship was in port until 6am the following day, an adjustment from the scheduled departure, to allow more time for a number of crew who are from Sri Lanka to visit with their families and still not affect our arrival in our next port, The Maldives.
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Take a look at my movie (7-1/2 minutes) of SRI LANKA. Copy the link below into your browser.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Q_bYGEQvz5pn2r_rWlUxLIwOhfiCsGG54Q/view?usp=sharing
If that link does not work, or if you do not use Google Chrome, try to copy and paste into your browser.
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The ship was now cruising in the internationally recognized 'High Risk Area for Piracy', a large area of the Indian Ocean where acts of piracy have been affecting ships transiting in this area for the last 10+ years. Therefore, during our transit from Sri Lanka to Kenya, the ship took on additional security personal and cruised in 'stealth mode' (as I called it), using only the required navigational lights (rather than being lit up like a birthday cake for someone's 100th birthday). Anyway, I liked the darkened ship - you could see even more of the billions of stars at night. We were given instructions as to how to respond to potential alarm or possible attack by pirates. So, our first night 'in stealth mode' was a subdued-lighted Mexican Madness Dinner on the pool deck that Lori and Dennis organized for 18 'new friends'. The chef made a very good Mexican dinner with all of the perfect selections; margaritas, too!
The Republic of Maldives is an island country of 1192 coral islands (only 185 islands are populated) within an archipelago of 26 atolls (the world's most geographically dispersed country) spreading over 900+ miles; the average elevation is 1.5 meters / less than 5 feet above sea level (the world's lowest country); and the smallest Asian country in terms of land area and population.
Our stop in Malé, the capital, did not provide us with the beauty of the Maldives. The island is one of the most densely populated city in the world (>150,000 in 2.2 square-mile area).
Many tourists visit the Maldives for the 'resorts' - boating, scuba diving, snorkeling, etc. - located throughout the archipelago. Regrettably, the resort that Silversea usually visits was 'closed for renovations'. Therefore, the only excursion options were a 'city walking tour' or a 'submarine underwater tour'. Guess what tour I selected?
The submarine, along with 45 other passengers. It was miserably disorganized (long wait time at the dock and also waiting for the sub) and the undersea life near Malé was dismal - dead coral, with only durgeons and trigger fish - I'd give it a '2 of out 10' rating. Malé was a 'place to stop on the way to somewhere else'.
The next three days were 'at sea'. I love the days at sea to enjoy the warm weather, blue sea, blue sky with puffy clouds, and comfortable sailing in 15 knots of wind and about 3-foot seas. Activities? Always something to do, or not do. I enjoyed the chocolate tasting; another crossing of the Equator (Neptune Party); sunning; morning walks on the deck; planning future excursions; etc.
Lying 900+ miles (1500 km) east of Africa, the Republic of Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 islands at 4° South latitude. This island nation is a member of the African Union and also the British Commonwealth. There are no indigenous people of Seychelles; many are multiracial from the blending of French, British, Indian, Chinese, African, etc.
The flag shows the primary colors of the two largest political parties on the island. The tourism industry contributes more than 50% of GDP; 80% of tourists come from Europe.
We were impressed and pleased by the friendly people, the clean island of Mahé, the mix of culture and architecture, the beautiful waters, and the pleasant climate.
I went for a boat ride for swimming/snorkeling (good conditions) in the St. Anne Marine Park with colorful coral and fish. Colleen and Phil took the island tour. And... our day ended with a beautiful sunset.
The Republic of Maldives is an island country of 1192 coral islands (only 185 islands are populated) within an archipelago of 26 atolls (the world's most geographically dispersed country) spreading over 900+ miles; the average elevation is 1.5 meters / less than 5 feet above sea level (the world's lowest country); and the smallest Asian country in terms of land area and population.
Our stop in Malé, the capital, did not provide us with the beauty of the Maldives. The island is one of the most densely populated city in the world (>150,000 in 2.2 square-mile area).
The next three days were 'at sea'. I love the days at sea to enjoy the warm weather, blue sea, blue sky with puffy clouds, and comfortable sailing in 15 knots of wind and about 3-foot seas. Activities? Always something to do, or not do. I enjoyed the chocolate tasting; another crossing of the Equator (Neptune Party); sunning; morning walks on the deck; planning future excursions; etc.
Lying 900+ miles (1500 km) east of Africa, the Republic of Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 islands at 4° South latitude. This island nation is a member of the African Union and also the British Commonwealth. There are no indigenous people of Seychelles; many are multiracial from the blending of French, British, Indian, Chinese, African, etc.
We were impressed and pleased by the friendly people, the clean island of Mahé, the mix of culture and architecture, the beautiful waters, and the pleasant climate.
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Take a look at my movie (2-1/2 minutes) of MALDIVES and SEYCHELLES Copy the link below into your browser.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AWLCwSR-1bMnL2E9Tso5MLj8kpxAe18Fwg/view?usp=sharing
If that link does not work, or if you do not use Google Chrome, try to copy and paste to your browser.
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With the ship anchored off Mayotte, tenders shuttled us to the
Nosy Bé, Madagascar
The port town of Mahajanga, Madagascar was our next stop. This port was a 'first' for Silversea; so we will see.... Unfortunately, the main pier was damaged during severe storms 5 months prior to our arrival, so the tender unloaded us in the middle of the barge dock. Phil and Colleen took off for a 'town tour'.
I'll quote the shore concierge's description of my tour with my description of what I saw in italics. This is information provided by the ship to induce passengers to purchase the excursion.
ANTREMA NATURAL RESERVE
"This tour is designed for adventurous nature lovers. Antrema National Park offers the possibility to spot lemurs (saw 6 white lemurs) and species of endemic birds (spotted 3 parrots) through its unique botanical treasurers of vegetation (scrub brush and termite mounds).
Commence your excursion from the pier (steps along the dock edge) in Mahajanga
Upon arrival in Katsepy, board the awaiting coach
Return to Katsepy village by bus (the same school bus with holes in the floor)
Maybe I'm being a little too critical, but our expectations were based upon the description provided by the shore concierge who had never visited this port. But, it sure was 'adventurous'.
This port will be, categorically, placed on the 'never need to visit again' list.
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Anyway, it was fun making my movie of MADAGASCAR (4-1/2 minutes). Copy the link below into your browser.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lx-QrxgN9SDL3HtMqR9yQBJhtTh6OvtZJw/view?usp=sharing
If that link does not work, or if you do not use Google Chrome, try to copy and paste to your browser.
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ATLANTIC OCEAN and CARIBBEAN SEA ISLANDS --------
South Africa to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida was nearly 7400 nautical miles (11 days 'at sea' and 8 island visits) heading northwest across the South Atlantic Ocean towards South America then continuing northwest through the eastern Caribbean islands.
St. Helena Island is a British Overseas Territory that lies about 1/3rd of the way between Namibia, Africa and Brazil. As a volcanic island, it is very rugged with a few populated areas along the sea coast and in the mountain regions (approximately 5000 population today). It's history includes the exile and death of Napoleon in the early 1800s and a naval station to suppress slavery in the 1840s. Tour options were visiting Napoleon's home, walking through Jamestown, or climbing Jacob's Ladder (900 steps up the cliff overlooking Jamestown). I just wandered through town and looked 'up' the steps (as my knee was giving me problems the last few days).
Ascension Island is grouped (politically) with St. Helena as a British Overseas Territory yet separated by over 700 miles. It also is volcanic in origin with most of the population located in Georgetown. Being nearly in the center of the South Atlantic, it contains a Royal Air Force station, a USA Air Force presence and NASA telescope for tracking orbital debris (who came up with that description?), a European Space Agency tracking station, a BBC World Service relay station, as well as ground antenna to assist in worldwide GPS operations. The island was used extensively during the Falkland Wars.
Being 'a rock in the middle', the weather is often unpredictable. The day of our arrival, the swell was too high and unsafe for passengers to get ashore. So, a group of people 'came to the ship' to sell t-shirts, postcards, etc. I was able to send a postcard "from the middle of nowhere" to Bonaire (received it in 30 days). Disappointed about not being able to go ashore, but the day ended with a Green Flash!
Six days 'at sea' were time to relax, enjoy, get together with other cruisers and new friends, as well as a 'boat building' contest, another Neptune's Party for crossing the Equator, International Lunch (dishes from around the world served in various places around the ship), a Country Fair (with game booths and guessing how many cans of beer to equal Fernando's weight), wine tasting, hilarious cooking competition (Guest Services team vs. Engineering team), 3 time zone changes, and time to plan my birthday party.
Travelling through the ITCZ (InterTropical Convergence Zone), the area between 5°S and 5°N latitude where there are usually calm seas but weather changes, we experienced the hot and steamy, cloudy and rainy conditions. And, approaching Devil's Island, French Guiana the strong current created 8-10 foot seas. Luckily, once we were anchored in the lee of the islands, sea conditions were comfortable for our 5-hour stay. Devil's Island was a French prison from 1852-1953 where less than 10% of the prisoners survived the climate, the rough sea conditions (if trying to escape), and the tropical diseases.
Most of us remember the 1973 movie Papillon starring Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman. Today, tourists walk the paths to see the remnants of old buildings and the beginnings of a new tourist hotel.
Barbados was the first of the eastern Caribbean islands. This island nation became an independent state in 1966 yet remains a member of the Commonwealth nations. Phil, Colleen, and I arranged for a private tour with "RC", the guy who knows everything there is to know about Barbados. He was a fabulous guide and friendly guy. We saw where the rich and famous live and play; an old manor house which is now a museum on a sugar cane plantation that still produces rum today (Phil bought some 10-year old sipping rum to share with friends at my birthday party); east coast beaches; several of the 100's of churches on the island; as well as parts of the capital city of Bridgetown. We had a delicious lunch at one of the local hangouts. Our ship was in port until 11pm (another 75 passengers were boarding for a Caribbean cruise), so the Restaurant team set up a Pool Deck BBQ with a steel band.
Next island, Grenada. Randy and I spent many times in Grenada while sailing on our sailboat. Yet, it's been many years since then. Lots of changes since we were last there in 2000.
Since it was my birthday, I went on the Catamaran Cruise with Champagne Lunch excursion. Good sailing, nice snorkeling in the underwater sculpture park, more sailing to Hog Island for a tasty lunch with champagne.
That evening, I celebrated my birthday with several of my new friends, including Captain Corsaro and Cruise Director Fernando, on the pool deck. The chef put together a flavorful Mexican meal; YUMMY!
South Africa to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida was nearly 7400 nautical miles (11 days 'at sea' and 8 island visits) heading northwest across the South Atlantic Ocean towards South America then continuing northwest through the eastern Caribbean islands.
St. Helena Island is a British Overseas Territory that lies about 1/3rd of the way between Namibia, Africa and Brazil. As a volcanic island, it is very rugged with a few populated areas along the sea coast and in the mountain regions (approximately 5000 population today). It's history includes the exile and death of Napoleon in the early 1800s and a naval station to suppress slavery in the 1840s. Tour options were visiting Napoleon's home, walking through Jamestown, or climbing Jacob's Ladder (900 steps up the cliff overlooking Jamestown). I just wandered through town and looked 'up' the steps (as my knee was giving me problems the last few days).
Ascension Island is grouped (politically) with St. Helena as a British Overseas Territory yet separated by over 700 miles. It also is volcanic in origin with most of the population located in Georgetown. Being nearly in the center of the South Atlantic, it contains a Royal Air Force station, a USA Air Force presence and NASA telescope for tracking orbital debris (who came up with that description?), a European Space Agency tracking station, a BBC World Service relay station, as well as ground antenna to assist in worldwide GPS operations. The island was used extensively during the Falkland Wars.
Travelling through the ITCZ (InterTropical Convergence Zone), the area between 5°S and 5°N latitude where there are usually calm seas but weather changes, we experienced the hot and steamy, cloudy and rainy conditions. And, approaching Devil's Island, French Guiana the strong current created 8-10 foot seas. Luckily, once we were anchored in the lee of the islands, sea conditions were comfortable for our 5-hour stay. Devil's Island was a French prison from 1852-1953 where less than 10% of the prisoners survived the climate, the rough sea conditions (if trying to escape), and the tropical diseases.
Barbados was the first of the eastern Caribbean islands. This island nation became an independent state in 1966 yet remains a member of the Commonwealth nations. Phil, Colleen, and I arranged for a private tour with "RC", the guy who knows everything there is to know about Barbados. He was a fabulous guide and friendly guy. We saw where the rich and famous live and play; an old manor house which is now a museum on a sugar cane plantation that still produces rum today (Phil bought some 10-year old sipping rum to share with friends at my birthday party); east coast beaches; several of the 100's of churches on the island; as well as parts of the capital city of Bridgetown. We had a delicious lunch at one of the local hangouts. Our ship was in port until 11pm (another 75 passengers were boarding for a Caribbean cruise), so the Restaurant team set up a Pool Deck BBQ with a steel band.Next island, Grenada. Randy and I spent many times in Grenada while sailing on our sailboat. Yet, it's been many years since then. Lots of changes since we were last there in 2000.
Cruising north, our next day was St. Barthélemy (aka Bart's, St. Bart's, St. Barth's) which is an Overseas Collectivity of France. And, it is a playground of the rich and famous at New Year's. Colleen, Phil, and I rented a car to drive around the island.
Our last port in the Caribbean was San Juan, Puerto Rico which is a United States Territory (As a USA citizen, I won't even begin to go into the politics).
At the entrance to the port is Old Town which contains many wonderful old forts, government buildings, and manors. I arranged to meet my friends, Orestes and Zoa, who now live in the Dominican Republic; have family in Puerto Rico; and they own a house in Bonaire just 3 doors away. We had a fun walk through Old Town then I was able to 'host' them aboard the Silver Whisper for lunch and a tour of my home-away-from-home for the last 4 months.
That evening was the 'Captain's Farewell to World Cruisers' cocktail party and dinner followed by the Crew Follies. Numerous crew practiced over the last 3 weeks to perform for us guests. It was a delightful show that was funny, entertaining, and some very talented people. The compilation movie is in my last blog.
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Enjoy my movie showing the ATLANTIC & CARIBBEAN island (6 minutes). Copy the link below into your browser.
****Missing in the Google system
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipOuqekYYoaIjDX_fQQbnjC_SKNWP3qe35t7SPf0
If that link does not work, or if you do not use Google Chrome, try to copy and paste to your browser.
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Next up... Southeast Asia region.
Thanks for following along with me. Lourae
