Our Sands &
Safaris Adventure

Hip, hip, hooray, as Hudson and Cooper would say (grandsons, oh how I love them), today we start our next adventure. We got up at the usual time but no exercise today, haircut for me and last minute packing and house prep for Hugh. When I got home at 11 Hugh had the car packed and was ready to go. After a quick check we locked up and were off to Atlanta. It was a southern winter’s day, grey, chilly and damp. It did not improve as we made our way to the airport with the temperature staying in the 40’s and no sun at all. We stopped for lunch and even had time to make a run through REI before parking at the Doubletree. We were greeted with hot fresh cookies and cold water while we waited for our shuttle. Because we were already checked in, we showed our passports and dropped off our bag and proceeded through security. My opinion of US TSA workers did not change as I had to convince a surly man that I did not have liquids in my bag. After tossing all my clothes he found a bottle which he held up accusingly only to be shown that it had powder in it, which was sealed. He then shoved the bag to me and stalked off. After repacking, we headed to the gate. Our flight was on time and we both had aisle seats. We had a cute young lady from Jo’burg between us but she soon moved to join her friends that were traveling together from Jamaica. I was very afraid that I was getting Hugh’s cough and cold and was very glad to have an extra seat and blanket. I was able to rest a lot. The flight was long but uneventful Delta service was good and the 777 had large seats and excellent leg room in economy plus. I had a fever and we were afraid I would not make it through the thermo scanner but with Hugh blocking me and a distracted attendant I made it in to the country. We cleared immigration, claimed our bags, cleared customs, rechecked our bag, and had time for a coke before our next flight. We arrived in Cape Town at 9:45 pm on Friday and made our way to baggage claim. With bags in hand we hit an ATM for rands and got a taxi to the hotel. It was a short ride and check-in went smoothly. After a hot bath for me and a shower for Hugh we settled in for a long nights rest. So glad I had arranged for a late check-out.

Woke up late and got ready for breakfast. Lovely restaurant and a delicious meal, but I felt really bad, head-ache, cough, Yuk! It was back to bed for me until check out time. I got up before 1pm and took more medicines before we got a taxi to the ship. It was a short trip as we could see the ship from our hotel but there was no way to walk there. Embarkation was so easy that we were in the dining room 10 minutes after arrival-all check in and ready for our cruise. We had a light lunch and explored the ship. We ran into Jerry and Paula from our Indochina trip and made plans to meet later. At 3 sharp we headed to our cabin, small but efficiently arranged. It took about an hour to unpack, press, and store everything, and then more meds and rest. We had a lovely al fresco dinner and went to the late show. Sally Jones as singer and comedienne was quite good. Beck in our cabin it was lights out. Jet lag lingers on!!

I woke up feeling much better today. We showered and headed to an early breakfast. Our tour starts at 8:15 today. We sat outside with an interesting gentleman from Toronto who spent his time trying to impress us; sorry, he failed! At 8:15 we checked in for our tour of Robben Island. We had chosen this tour because we have done most of the tourist sites in Cape Town and missed this one. We boarded buses and traveled 2 blocks which we could have walked, to the ferry terminal. We had a 30 minute ride across some very choppy water to the island. Enroute we saw videos of the island history and I was surprised that it was such a large island with many uses. We boarded a bus for a driving tour. Our guide told us that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is unique in that it is in the shadow of another WHS, Table Mountain. This island has been used as a penal colony for centuries, as a home for lunatics and other challenged people, as a leper colony, and most famously as the prison where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated. There are about 200 permanent residents who are employees of the museum. We are not allowed to wander around until all negotiations are completed with UNESCO and guidelines are set up. There is wildlife here and we saw springbok but did not see the African penguin, very disappointed. We saw the house where Robert Sobukwe was in solitary confinement and the rock pile that was made at the 1st reunion of the political prisoners. Mandela placed the first stone. At the end of the bus tour we went to the prison where the tour was given by a former inmate. He had trained as a terrorist in East Germany and Cuba but was arrested before he carried out his mission for the government. He was very difficult to understand but we saw Mandela’s cell. The cells were small and I am sure conditions were harsh (cleaned up now). After our ferry ride back we opted to walk around the harbor to the ship for lunch. We had a great lunch and then walked back to the Victoria & Albert waterfront. We strolled through the shops, the food market, the craft market, and then into the mall area. Hugh enjoyed the antique stores. We made it back to the ship in time for the safety drill. This was an extensive drill and took so long we had to rush to make cocktails with Jerry and Paula. We met in Martini’s and met Marvin and Barbara who are their traveling companions. Marvin was Jerry’s law partner. We had a great time which we continued over dinner. We closed the restaurant at 10:30pm. Off to bed.

This morning we slept in and I awoke with a stuffy head and dizziness-not my finest hour. I went to breakfast but only had fruit before going back to the stateroom to rest for awhile. Hugh went to the Cape of Good Hope lecture and the history of South Africa. During the lecture he edited our pictures from Cape Town. He then went to the library with his ipad and read emails and news. At lunch we ate by the pool at WAVES. Food was great but the wind was strong and the ship a bit rolling. After lunch we read, listened to music or stories, and journaled by the pool until we were cold and tired of the wind. We went to our cabin and stayed until cocktails with the Captain at 5:45. We dressed up but I skipped the heels as it was still a bit rough. After drinks we went to the library and I cleared my emails and paid a bill. Dinner was al fresco and we stretched it out with dessert and cappuccinos. We strolled around the ship looking into the boutiques before heading down to relax and read up on East London and tomorrow’s game drive.

ROLL TIDE!!!! National Champions Up at 7 today and off to a good breakfast before our game drive. At 8:45 we met our group for our busses. Mpongo is not too far away and the drive went quickly as our guide Terry chatted away the whole time. We learned that East London is also called Buffalo City and has a population of 400,000 with a metro area of 1.4 million. Developed as a British post and is famed for its long stretches of beaches that attract sunbathers, anglers, and especially surfers. The weather today was overcast but very warm. When we arrived at Mpongo we quickly made a toilet stop and headed to our land rovers. Hugh was distracted by a python he found in the grass. Hugh secured us a seat up front and we were off—or so we thought. The rover in front of us broke a universal joint-we backed down the hill and they rolled past us. This is very different from other game drives. All of the lions are born into captivity and associate food with man and cars and have to be fenced. They had beautiful male and female white lions and cubs. The terrain is mountainous and lush with thick growth and green grassy areas. We saw immediately a lot of antelope species including eland, impala, water buck, gazelles, and the anyala. The anyala is odd in that the male and female look completely different. Our guide Archie stopped to show us the difference in elephant and rhino dung (elephant has more sticks and branches and bark). I will not be checking this out myself. Archie also told us that the rhino uses large piles of dung to mark his territory and refreshes each pile every 2-3 days. The terrain is as interesting as the animals, very lovely with wild jasmine. As we drove we saw giraffes, male and female, zebras, blue wildebeest, more and more antelope, and beautiful vistas. We saw a few vervet monkeys which are considered a nuisance. We saw a mommy warthog and her baby! Mom held her tail up to signal the baby to come along. We gave Archie a hard time about not seeing any elephants or rhinos. He continued to give us a lot of info and as we made the top of a hill we saw up close a 1.4 ton female white rhino. She had extremely big ears and a long horn. It was nice to see her as rhino in Africa at large are in very short supply-over 600 being killed each year. We followed her a bit and then continued on our trek. We saw another rhino, male this time, and drove right up to him. We were quiet as this fellow has a nasty personality, having killed a young female rhino and a male calf of his own in the last 2 mos. Very territorial! We finished our drive and after some mix up as to the number of people in our bus we headed to the ship. Terry told about the marriage contracts among the blacks. In this area a man buys his wife and she is his property. He may have several wives if he has the money. Back on the ship we have fish and chips and take some time to journal. We rested, read, and listened to our iPods. We also uploaded our pictures before we went to dinner in the main dining room. Dinner was great and we finished just in time to go to the show. The musical troupe for Oceania was fantastic and then Sally Jones performed. Back in the cabin we edited our pictures until almost 12:30. Good night!

Up at 8:30 and showered. Before breakfast we went on deck to make some photos. Durban is the largest city in SA province of Kwazula-Natal and the 3rd largest in the country. It looks like a pretty city with lovely beaches. We had breakfast on the aft deck and watched the city come into better view. After eating we gathered our hats and cameras and headed for the terminal. Our agent had trouble finding our passport stamp so it took us a while. We got on the bus and made our way to uShaka Marine World. This area is Durban’s “Golden Mile”, a string of beaches protected from sharks by nets and patrolled by life guards during the day. This is prime surfing territory. We walked through the colonnade filled with shops, restaurants, ice creameries, and pubs. This is a very cool area filled with playgrounds, water slides, snorkeling pools, lazy rivers, aquariums, and dolphin shows. We had fun just walking along the beach and enjoying the whole scene. It is amazingly hot and we had sodas and soft serve ice cream. We enjoyed seeing the people at leisure and everyone was so very friendly. We could not find the hop on, hop off bus we were looking for though. We walked and walked and were so hot by 3pm we made our way back to the bus. Back in our cabin we changed into bathing suits and went up on deck where we shared a Reuben by the pool. Journaling, iPods, aperature books, and a saltwater pool, what a great afternoon! After some soaking in a hot tub we sat out by the pool to dry off. We made our way to our cabin to shower and get dressed for dinner. We ate late and then strolled for a bit before returning to prepare for our safari.

Today is a game drive day and we have decided to use our binoculars and enjoy the scenery more than hiding behind our cameras. After breakfast we headed to the lounge to await our bus. The weather was supposed to be rainy and in the 80’s but is sunny and in the 100’s. Our guide Warwick is a fountain of information with a running commentary for the 90 minute trip. Richards Bay has one of the largest harbors in SA and is definitely an industrial port. This area ships coal all over the world and we saw a lot of it being loaded. The area also has aluminum and their biggest export is sugar. We saw thousands of acres of eucalyptus trees for paper production. This is a big industry but the trees are draining the water table. They also export pineapples. On our journey we saw fields of sugar cane and pineapples. We also saw a lot of macadamia trees. The mountains in this area are beautiful. We were told about a fever tree (mosquitoes live under it causing the fever). We arrived at the Hluhuwe Game Reserve and the temperature was 105F. After a quick break we boarded our safari vehicles and met our guide. He was excellent and able to answer all our questions. The area was spectacular and even the heat could not keep us from oohing and ahhing. We saw giraffes, rhinos, zebras, water buffalo, kites, weavers, and the nest of a hammer head bird. It was still today and the cats were not prowling about. This was the loveliest area we have been in. Back at the gate we grabbed cold drinks before boarding the buses. We were late leaving as one safari vehicle had a flat. We talked Zulu history on the ride back. It was after 3 when we arrive so we sat by the pool and had lunch and relaxed. A front was moving in and a storm was brewing. We finally made it to our room to get ready for our dinner at the Polo Grill. This was a much bigger restaurant than we expected but an excellent choice. We made it to the “Showstopper” performance and wearily climbed in to bed before midnight; high heat, high humidity, drained bodies!

Woke up after a tossed about night to find we had sailed all night through a driving rain storm. We were at the pilot station but could not sail in as the pilot could not board. This put us about an hour behind, so Hugh and I took the opportunity to a leisurely breakfast in the main dining room, how civilized! Unfortunately we were so at leisure that we had to rush to get to our tour. It was raining when we left but by our first stop at the local market the rain was just a drizzle. This was a day to day market and some very lovely produce and fish and shellfish. Fish mongers prepped fish as we watched. The vendors smiled a lot but would not get their picture taken. From the market we drove through town to the Independence Square. On our way we saw how the city was ravaged during the Mozambican Civil War which ended in 1993. At the square we visited the National Cathedral. It was lovely white building with amazing stained glassed windows. From there we walked around the square and photographed the Municipal Buildings. We walked by a lovely park on our way to the Iron House built by Gustave Eiffel. This was a folly in this climate but was used as the municipal building for years. Our bus followed us to our new location but one fellow didn’t know and we thought we had lost him until Alberto walked to the old location where he was waiting. Street hawkers were everywhere but Hugh had conveniently forgotten his wallet which saved me from one more thing I didn’t need. One hawker tried to sell me an xxl sized belt and we laughed that we might need it by the end of the trip. Our next stop was the Natural History Museum. This was a beautifully situated building overlooking the sea. The architecture was ornate and the ironwork in the fencing very detailed. It was warm inside but the doors and windows were open. We enjoyed this museum very much and like seeing the gestational progression of the elephant as shown by fetuses. This is a renowned part of this museum. We made our way to the Artist Market. This was where I thought I might miss the wallet but I found even though the things were lovely I did not want to purchase. The area was well laid out and the displays were nice. Vendors were not pushy in any way and we enjoyed looking. They had all sorts of cloth, pottery, statuary, carvings, boxes, and jewelry. I found I already have something very similar at home. Our last stop on the tour was the train station, a truly magnificent building that looked more like a palace than a train station. This was just a short trip from the ship and we decided to go back later. Back on board we shed raincoats and headed to lunch. We had a view of the bustling, recovering city while we ate. We decided to walk back to the station and check out the area but after an hour we were oddly uncomfortable and headed back. Security here is a problem and guards and police carry big guns. The area was very crowded with a lot of jostling and it was hard to be inconspicuous when you are pasty white in a sea of black. Back on board we checked our email, read up on the news, and journaled. Maybe just a short nap before showering for dinner; that nasty heat and humidity! After a short rest I went to the laundry to press slacks and Hugh went for coffee. We went to dinner and were joined by a couple from Calgary, Alberta. She was a nurse and they ocean kayaked and travelled, lots to talk about. Made it to the late show and enjoyed the old tunes by Tony B. Back in the cabin we edited our picture. Tomorrow we sail the Mozambique Channel.

Woke up this morning to some ship rolling but the sea does not look threatening. Sunny and bright outside but not a lot to do today or tomorrow as we have a 1200 mile sail to Nosey Be, Madagascar. After a shower we decide to do the “civilized breakfast” in the main dining room and dressed appropriately-how tiring! We ran into Paula, Jerry, Marvin, and Barbara but declined an invite to join them thinking we would be out quicker on our own; did not happen as we got started talking to a Southern CA couple and stayed till closing. Hugh gathered his computer and headed to Horizons to process pictures and I gather my journal and iPod and headed to the lounge for a cooking demo; wiener schnitzel with German potato salad and chocolate mousse. The executive chef was funny and the pastry chef was a great straight man. We enjoyed the mousse very much. He informed us that there are 69 chefs on board. There was a funny incident with a passenger where the chef was trying to get her to answer a temperature question. She said 136, he said more and she said 127, he said more and she said 125. He then said it’s between 148 and 150 and it still took her 3 guesses to get it right. The chef commented that was the hardest he had ever worked to give away a glass of wine! I met Hugh for lunch at the pool but we had a hard time fighting the 30 knot winds that kept blowing our food off our plates. The seas were getting rougher as the wind increased. By 3 pm seas were 12-15 feet and all the outside doors were blocked so we couldn’t go on deck. We decided to read in our cabin and ended up napping. We were startled awake by the ships shuttering and rolling. Neither of us felt well. I decided to stay in the cabin and order room service and Hugh wanted sushi and went to the terrace. When he returned he said that there were very few people out and we stayed in and watched TV and read. Not the best day but great hopes for a calmer tomorrow.

Up early today, ship is not rolling so that is a good thing. Hugh went for coffee and I read until we were ready for showers. We went to the Terrace for breakfast and were pleased that we only had 3-5 ft. seas and much less wind. From the dining room we headed to the lecture on the Seychelles and Maldives and ended up staying for the next presentation “An Amateur Photographer and His Worldly Journey” presented by David our Cruise Director. This was wonderful and made us want to work on our pictures. From here we went to lunch at The Terrace. We sat inside as there were no umbrellas out. Hugh went to the library to work on old dive pictures and I donned sunscreen and bathing suit and headed to the pool. What a great afternoon of swimming, sunning, sitting in the shade, and repeating all of the above. Hugh joined me for a swim and a dip in the hot tub. After leisurely showers and some TV news we headed to dinner. We were joined by Carol and Ann from Calgary and had a long relaxing dinner finishing just in time to go to the late show. The show was a classical quartet and after 5 selections we headed to bed.

We slept in this morning and made breakfast with all the other slow pokes. At 10 we went to a photo editing class and saw how David cleaned up his photos. We can now see islands in the distance as we near Madagascar. We decided to change for our excursion before we had lunch. The heat and humidity are high today and we ate lightly. We made a few sail-in pictures to warm up our lenses and reported to the Nautica Lounge at 1: 15 for our shore assignment-bus 23-we will have a wait. The lounge was filled to overflowing and we sat in the hallway after we turned in our yellow fever cards. Local authorities took awhile to get to the ship and clear us and disembarkation was slow because of tendering. The ship was surrounded by small dugout canoes filled with fruits, trinkets, and beggars. Not sure how they expect to do business with us several stories above them. Once our number was called we boarded the tender and it was a short trip to shore. We quickly found #23 and met Jaffar our local guide. Bus was clean with windows that opened. Jaffar did not speak great English but tried very hard. We got a history of the island including that Madagascar is the 4th largest island in the world. He told us that the census is poor because so many people live in the jungle area. Schooling is mandatory ages 6-16 but only 40% of children go to school. Medical care is very expensive and hospitals are few and far apart. Our first stop was at the central market. This was not only a shopping place but a social gathering place for the area. Men were playing cards, children were playing, people were resting, and some of the elders were watching it all. There was a variety of produce, nuts, dried beans, processed local sauces, slaws, etc., most displayed in reused containers. There was also dried beef and fish, crafts, spices, and vanilla beans. Unfortunately for us they were not packaged and we could not get them through customs. There were a lot of flies and it was very hot. We saw a lot of people walking around with lemurs on their shoulders. From the town we drove into the countryside. We were able to interact with the locals in their villages. This was great fun and Hugh got to play with a chameleon. He was much happier than the animal. We saw precious children and also saw the ylang-ylang tree used in the perfume industry and the cocoa tree. Jaffar carried on a running commentary but we could only understand about 1/3 of what he said. We saw a school, a soccer game, and made a short stop at a little roadside market set up just for us. Again the people were lovely but we did not make a purchase. We continued our drive and passed a lot of 4 and 5 star resorts. We made a refreshment stop at one lovely 5 star and had bottled cokes or beer, fresh fruit, muffins, or cakes while we enjoyed local singers and dancers. We took some time to walk on the beach and time to explore the jungle where we saw a tortoise and beautiful flora. From the resort we drove through rice fields and small villages. We saw a car wash in a field, a building center (not Home Depot-very quaint), and an emergency shelter for children. We made our last stop at an Arts Market. I purchased a small painting and our bus driver did a little maintenance on our bus that was having difficulty going up hills. Back at the dock we made it onto the next to last tender back to the ship. Hot and tired we made it to the shower then on the dinner. We joined 2 lovely couples, one from Northern Ireland and one from England. Dinner was fabulous and we finished in time to catch the end of the fun fair. We got to see some magic by David and then it was off to bed.

Slept in this morning and barely made it to breakfast before they closed. We had a great conversation with a couple from Tacoma. We decided to go to the Nautica Lounge to process pictures but were interrupted with the passenger and crew Piracy drill. We are traveling through a very high risk area and they take our safety seriously. Following the drill we attended a lecture on Madagascar history. We finished our pictures we headed to lunch where we met Betsy and Phillip. Great lunch!!! We got lots of tips on ships to try and ports of call from these frequent travelers. After lunch Hugh went to the library to work on his old dive trip photos and I journaled and attended a make-up seminar. First time I had heard of Hourglass Cosmetics but liked the primer and blush. We were told it is available at Sephora and Macys’. From there I met Hugh in the lounge for the future cruise lecture. We saw some great itineraries we need to explore. I changed into my swimsuit and headed for the pool. Just settled in and we sailed through a rain shower, oh heck! I guess I have to go to tea. After a lovely tea and cakes with the ships string quartet playing, I headed back out to the pool. I made it for over an hour before we sailed through another shower. It was getting close to dinner time as I headed to the cabin for my shower. We watched some news and then dressed for dinner. Tonight we were seated at a table for 2 but next to a couple from Christchurch, NZ. They told us about the earthquakes they had and how that beautiful city had been destroyed. After dinner we walked a bit and played Kings on the Corner in the lounge until show time. It was Tony B again and we had fun singing and dancing along to the oldies. After the show we were ready for bed.

Slept until 8 this morning and awoke as we sailed into Dar Es Salaam. We dressed quickly and went up on deck to photo the area. This is a free day for us so we went ashore as soon as the ship was cleared. We were on the first shuttle into the town center. Traffic was very slow, often stopped, but this worked to our advantage as we were able to get some great shots of trains at the extremely old and crowded train yard. Public transportation is hugely important in this area and most buses, trains, and minivans have at least twice as many people and animals as they were designed to carry; this includes bikes and scooters. We were let off at the New Africa Hotel and we started our stroll toward the market. Before many blocks we hooked up with Lecka, a young man from Arusha who is studying to be a guide. He proceeded to show us all the sights and give us way more information than we could ever remember. It was a great way to feel safe in areas we would not have gone to on our own. We walked past the Lutheran Church built in 1898 by German missionaries. This church has white walls and a red tiled roof very much in contrast to this African city. From here we strolled along the water to the ferry terminal. This ferry carries people to an island a short distance away. This is where a lot of the people live and the ferry is their commute to work. The area is crowded and people are eating, playing games, selling things, etc. We had a great view of the harbor. Our next stop was the public fish market. We would not have gone in on our own but wow we were glad we did. The first area we saw had the larger fish caught during the night. These are for the hotels and restaurants. The next building was where they held an auction for the locals and they sold bags of smaller fish. The women attend the auction (men are shy) because they haggle better. After purchasing the fish they take them to be smoked. Most people have no refrigeration so everything has to be smoked, dried, or used in a day. The men do the smoking and it was hot work. A lot of the folks take their smoked fish outside the market fence and resale them. This was a great glimpse into local life. From the fish market we walked up a street that was all government buildings and the Presidents house. No pictures could be made here and police were very much visible. We crossed the town center where we saw the Askari Monument, a memorial to the Askari soldiers in WW1 who fought for the British. We walked through the Indian quarter of town with shops and smells that made you think of India. We crossed the main road of Tanzania which is being modernized. On this road you can travel from all the main areas of the country. Our next stop was the Kariakoo Market. This is a market that goes for many blocks with lots of different areas, local clothing, crafts, basketry, Chinese goods, and fruits, veggies, nuts, and grains. Dar es Salaam is not agricultural so everything has been grown in the countryside and brought in each morning. The market opens at 5 am. This market is crowded, aromatic, exciting, and intimidating. We were glad we had a guide. We walked around the small streets enjoying the people until we made our way back to the shuttle stop. Wow, what a day. I had no idea how much we walked but we were rained on, dried out, and then wet with perspiration. It was 96 F with 98% humidity. We waited for the shuttle in another quick shower. The traffic in front of the hotel was at a standstill for a long time but when it moved our bus was there. We crowded on as everyone was hot and tired and ready for a shower. Back on the ship we ordered room service while we showered and watched the news. We ate in our robes, such luxury! It took a while to cool off but we used the time to process our pictures. We sailed at 6:30pm. Hugh napped a bit and I read. We had a late dinner on the terrace and played cards until time for the show. The entertainer was a classical pianist and we both enjoyed it very much. Tomorrow Zanzibar!

Today we awoke early as we heard the tenders being lowered. The ship anchored quickly and by 8 we were having breakfast and enjoying a busy harbor. We got some directions and a map from the tourism representative that came on board and took a tender into port. We made it on the first shuttle and we found ourselves at a lovely Serena Hotel on the waterfront where we were dropped off. We walked around their waterfront park and sat and looked at our map. After a little discussion we decided to walk the outer road all around the city. This would allow us to see all the major sites and when we get to the market area we can cut across the city and see the rest. Off we went and we found a way not to be hassled by would-be guides. We told them we were photographers and we were working! Our first find was Forodham Gardens were people were eating at vendors, strolling, or hiring boats. It was a beautiful area by the sea. Across from the gardens was the Old Fort which dates back to the 18th century and was built by Omani Arabs, who took control from the Portuguese in 1698. From the fort we passed the House of Wonders, a museum tracing Swahili culture. The building is very unique but looks closed. We saw the Maruhubi Palace Museum. This building was built for the harem of Sultan Barghash in 1882. We continued on our walk and found ourselves back at the pier. Here we continued on and we walked through a commercial part of town with auto repair shops, engine (boats mostly) repair areas and building supplies. We turned a corner and soon we were in the midst of Darajani Market, the center of local shopping, bartering, eating, etc. There were hundreds of small buses packed with people coming into and going out of the market area. When they left the driver called out where they were headed. This market was huge and sold everything one might need for daily life, live animals, meats, fruits, veggies, toothpaste, and dish soap. Our next stop was the Great Slave Market. We purchased our tickets and we were able to see the last vestige of the world’s last operating slave market. This market processed up to 60,000 slaves each year, holding them in underground rooms with no water or food. The women and children were roped together but the men, who were more likely to try to escape, were yoked and chained. The yokes were used to help the men carry up to 60lbs. of supplies distances exceeding 15 miles. We also visited Christ Church which claims to be the oldest Christian church in East Africa. Built in 1877 it feels very European. Our next stop as we wandered down narrow alleyways was the spice market. I had to get curry and cloves. We wandered some more and looked in the little shops but eventually ended up at the pier. We made our way to the tender and back to the ship for a shower and a very late lunch. We sat in the Terrace and watched the Dhow boats with their odd sails as we ate. We adjourned to the library to edit our pictures and finished just in time for tea. We sat in the Horizon lounge watching the busy harbor, listening to a string quartet, and having tea; are we civilized or what? We sailed at 6 and everyone must have made it back as we did not hear any “will cabin #___ please call reception”. We went up on deck to watch the sail away and enjoy the lovely light. Before going to our cabin we checked menus and decided on a late dinner in the Terrace. We shared a table with Judy and Peter. We had a wonderful time but still had time to play cards before the show. The show was delayed as the Captain made the announcement that we would not be going to Kenya because of the unrest there (USA State Dept. made the call). We will get our new itinerary tomorrow. The show was fantastic. We especially enjoy Emmanuelle. We made an inside circle of the ship (no going on deck in this area because of pirates) before going to sleep!

Up early today not by design but by internal clock. We headed to the main dining room for breakfast. We took our time, talking over coffee and tea. Hugh decided on a morning in the library editing pictures and I change into my swimsuit and went to the pool to read. At 11 I went to a culinary demonstration and enjoyed it very much, the food was great and the chefs entertaining. Back by the pool I read until Hugh joined me at lunchtime. We ate in the terrace and then went to the Captains talk on modern day piracy followed by a talk the history of pirates by the guest lecturer. At the end of the lecture we were a little queasy from the rolling and tossing of the ship from 25 knot winds and 8-10 ft. seas. We decided to rest in the cabin before The Liars Club. We loved the Liars Club but the tossing had become worse. We decided on dinner in the cabin with a movie. Hugh went to get Secretariat while I ordered steak and frites and a fruit and cheese platter. We settled in and had a wonderful evening. We lost an hour so before we knew it 11:30 arrived. Goodnight.

Up late today and we had to rush to get to breakfast. We ate outside and were amazed how crowded the dining room was. Everyone must have had a restless night like I did and slept in also. After a leisurely breakfast we went to the Nautica lounge for the photo show put on by David our cruise director. Hugh stayed in the lounge editing pictures and I went upstairs to read by the pool. At 1 Hugh joined me and we had lunch. We sat and talked with a couple from NZ and then we tried to get email with no luck. Back in the stateroom we read and watched the news as we sailed through a rain shower. With the return of sun I went to swim. Hugh edited pictures and then joined me for a dip. We showered and had a late dinner finishing in time to play cards before the classical piano performance. A lazy day at sea, completed!

We were up early today as we are arriving in the Seychelles before 8 am. We had breakfast watching all the activity on this busy dock. We loaded up cameras (small ones in case of showers) and headed in to town. Because it is Sunday nothing will be open but it is a great day to explore. As we left the ship we saw 2 large motor boats still in their shrink wrap and written on tem was an address in Dubai, UAE and it was a post office box. Wonder how large the post office boxes are in Dubai? The next thing we saw were 2 large commercial fishing vessels off-loading tuna. I have never seen that many large fish in one place. Each net was so full that when it came off it caused the ship to list. We walked all morning into the afternoon and saw some lovely sites. There was a beautiful church and we think a monastery, a Hindu temple, great parks and fountains and just before we headed back to the ship it started to rain. By the time we made it back we were dry and hot and sweaty. We showered and changed before getting a very late lunch? We read and journaled for a while before we headed back into town for a power walk around the waterfront. We had to shower again before dinner and the heat had taken our appetite. We ate a light dinner in The Terrace and finished just in time for a hand of cards before the show. Jerry Blaine did a musical perspective of old movies and it was great. We decided not to go back out and watched some news before retiring.

Up very early this morning and we had breakfast per room service as we prepped for our snorkeling excursion. At 8 am we were on the dock with our shoes off (their rule) and boarding our catamaran bound for Cerf Island. This was a first class operation and had great seating out of the sun and good storage. The weather was hot and sunny even though it is early. Cerf Island is surrounded by a National Maine Park and our first stop is on to a semi-sub for a dry view of all the reefs and fishes. Again 1st class and we both enjoyed this. Next we donned our fins, masks and snorkels and hit the water (water and air about the same temp). We saw 3 pipe fish that we had never seen before. The coral was gorgeous and there were a lot of tabletop coral that we were not familiar with. Giant clams, sergeant majors, tangs, batfish, butterfly fish, moray eels, stag horn coral all made for a terrific experience. Back on board we had soft drinks and sat on the trampoline as we sailed back. Back on the ship we had time to shower before going to lunch. We went to the library to look up some fish we saw but the book they had was not very helpful although we enjoyed looking through it. Hugh took a nap and journaled and I read. Mid-afternoon we walked into town and looked in the shops that were closed yesterday. We spent our time well and got some good exercise. I purchased a pareo in a little kiosk so I will not have to wear my long sleeved cover-up on the humid, hot days. We also got a botany lesson on the cocoa de mer, the naughty plant of the island. We got back to the ship in time for the Creole dinner in The Terrace. It was decorated with palms and local crafts and they were cutting the tops off coconuts and giving them out as drinks. It was a fun night for tapas. After dinner our movie under the stars was canceled due to rain so we went to the cabin and edited our pictures. Tomorrow we sail to a new paradise.

Up early today and found our new paradise blanketed in clouds. We had breakfast hoping that we would get a break in the weather but it was not to be. We sat in the Horizon lounge with its floor to ceiling windows and were able to see a magnificent storm complete with thunder, lightening, and pouring rain. So sad!!! We edited our pictures and read until after lunch and finally gave in to our wanderlust and headed to the tenders for a short trip to the island. When we arrive we found a beautifully lush environment and took off walking along a curvy road that followed the shore. This area is noted for some of the top 10 beaches in the world and they are framed by lush palms and flowering trees. Even with sprinkling of rain it is beautiful. We continued our walk to the main village of Ste. Anne and took a few minutes to wander through the mercantile store that carried a bit of everything. We walked an unmarked road until it dead ended at a school. Parents were gathered to pick up their children, all walking and with a smile. We loved the beaches, maybe not at their very best in the rain but still beautiful. We continued on our trek leaving ourselves just enough time to make the last tender. We were so glad we had made the trip and didn’t let the clouds hamper our fun. Unfortunately for our picture taking it was too overcast to get good shots as we sailed away. We showered and went to dinner. Seas were a little rough post dinner so we went to our stateroom and watched Out of Africa. A truly great day!

We were up way to early this a.m. as we thought the time had changed. We ate breakfast and then went to the gym for a good work out. It was clam enough to get in a mile of brisk walking on deck before we showered and dress for the day. I headed to needlework and coffee (something I had been avoiding) with Emmanuelle. She is our show star, our social hostess, crafts queen, best at Liars Club and beautiful (totally hate able). I picked out a glasses case to work on and quickly discovered I am rusty in my needle work skills. I struggled a bit before I got into my rhythm. At 11 I joined Hugh for a lecture on the Moguls of India which was very interesting. Afterwards we went out by the pool until we were ready for lunch. We ate with a view of aqua water as we sailed toward the Maldives. The Seychelles and Maldives look closer on the globe than they actually are. After lunch I stayed in the sun and finished my book and Hugh sat in the library and edited pictures. Later I joined Hugh and we edited out Praslin pictures and tried to check email but we had no connection. We went back to the pool to swim and get in a dip in the hot tub. I had to press clothes, boo hoo, hard life! We dressed up a little for dinner as we had reservations in Toscana. It was a night of delicious food, attentive staff, and a dinner that stretched for 2 ½ hours. We went to the late show and walked around for a short time before going to the cabin. We were not tired so we watched the African Queen. We will pay for the late night tomorrow as we do loose an hour tonight.

Up early again (had the time right) and again headed to the gym after a light meal. My arms were sore from yesterday but I made it through the whole workout and felt better by the end. We walked our mile and headed to the Captain, Chief Engineer, and Hospitality Managers Q&A. We found out our ship can go 6,000 miles without refueling and cruises at 18 knots. There was a lot of good info and I did my dreaded needlepoint as I listened. We stayed in the lounge for the lecture on the history of Singapore. This ended just in time to get sunscreen and bathing suits and get to the pool deck for the crossing the Equator ceremony. Fortunately we were already shellbacks and did not have to join the pollywogs who had to kiss a fish and get drenched. Our induction was a little different; we kissed the fish and jumped into the pool on another cruise. It was fun to watch. We swam and dried off and swam some more postponing lunch because we were not hungry. We ordered burgers and sat on our large Persian daybed in the sun and ate. After several hours Hugh remembered he had not put on sunscreen. We went to our stateroom and he was beet red. He thinks it will disappear by morning, but I have my doubts. We finished the African Queen and stayed out of the sun. Later in the afternoon Hugh went to work on pictures and I did needlework and listened to my iPod by the pool. Time flies and it was soon time to get ready for dinner. We went to The Terrace and had tapas. We finished just in time for the show. Tonight it was an opera singer who was fantastic. After the show we walked through the shops and headed to the cabin to read. We are enjoying exploring the future cruise books and deciding where to go next! Hugh is still glowing red.

It’s morning and Hugh still glows red! Up early today and off to exercise and breakfast. The sun is up and the temperature is 82 degrees already. After 2 relaxing days at sea everyone was ready for a great day in Male. We docked, oops anchored early afternoon although we could see atolls at breakfast. I could not make a decision, do my hand wash, shower, or go to the pool; what’s a girl to do? This girl slathered on sunscreen, donned her swimsuit, and headed for the pool. Hugh took his lobster red self to the library to be out of the sun. We sailed through the Maldive Archipelago and could see islands off to starboard. Beautiful day! We met for lunch and then took my camera on deck to capture some of the sights as we sailed in to Male. From our view point it looked to be an island crowed with buildings. It is a small island, 1.2 miles long and .62 miles across. Our pilot could not board until 2 pm as today is Friday and in this Muslim country there is no work until after prayers. We anchored and Hugh and I got our tender tickets and headed in. This is a strict Muslim country and we dressed appropriately. When we arrived we saw new structures going up everywhere and the place already felt ready to burst at the seams. It is packed to the edges with building, roads, and a few open green spaces. Boats fill the harbor area and are docked or anchored 3-4 deep. Most of them are fishing vessels but there are some water taxis and dive boats. We walked toward the fish market and on to the vegetable market area. The fish had been sold already as they come in early but the fruit and veggie market was very busy. We then walked to the Muslim center opened in 1984. The center’s golden domed Friday Mosque holds up to 5,000 worshipers. Near the mosque we saw the gleaming white tower of the Munnaru. It was built in 1675 by Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar. The call to worship has come 5 times a day for hundreds of years from this minaret. As we continued around the island we came upon a political protest rally near Sultan Park. There were police and soldiers everywhere with riot gear at the ready. We saw truck loads of blue camo clad soldiers including women who wore their burkas with their uniforms. We walked past the National Museum which was closed as were a lot of things because Friday is a religious day. Tomorrow will be a regular day and we will see even more people out and about. We walked past the Supreme Court building and then headed up the water front. It was busy with boats going in and out of the harbor. We made it to the ferry terminal at the far end before turning around and heading back. Our tender left at 7pm and after quick showers we had dinner in the main dining room. Service was great and we were seated by Rick and Mario from Melbourne. We chatted with them through a lovely dinner. We went up to the pool to hear the music and watch some very uncoordinated people try to learn to line dance. We headed back to the cabin and got ready for our submarine adventure in the morning. I put my iPhone on the charger and forgot that it would come on automatically. It ran and woke us up so I am writing this at 2:15 am. No happy campers here!

We were up early today even though our sleep was interrupted. Our upcoming submarine adventure has us both excited. By 7:30 we were showered and dressed and having a good breakfast. At 8:15 we boarded our tender for shore. When we arrived our guide explained that the early morning current had been too strong and the sub was 30 minutes behind schedule. We took our extra time and strolled in the neighborhoods and at the last minute we had to make a mad dash to our boat arriving with a minute to spare. The boat ride out to the dive platform allowed us to see just how busy this harbor is. We arrived at the platform and it was very stable and had chairs, drinks, and a great view. There was a nice breeze and our wait was pleasant. The sub was built in Germany and has been in operation here for 14 years. Whale Submarines was a professional organization and as we boarded we had stewards to help us and after we were seated we got the safety demo just like on a plane. We had comfortable seats, large portholes for viewing, and the temperature was nice. It was not cramped or crowded and the dive itself was easy because of good pressurization. Before we left the landing we saw schools of silverside (sardines), tangs, Moorish idols, and very large jacks. When we reached 131 feet and were on the reef wall they turned on lights that brought out the colors of the coral and fish. We saw butterfly fish, eels, emperor angels, tangs, trigger fish, durgeons, wrasses, damsel fish, coneys, sea fans, table coral, giant clams, grouper, and other fish that I cannot name. It was a wonderful experience. After the dive we exited the sub and went right back on to our boat to town. It was a rough ride but we made good time. We arrived back into town and decided to get a tender to the ship after we walked a bit. We had a late lunch and then went for a swim. We then settled by the pool, Hugh to sleep and me to journal. Smartly, Hugh stayed in the shade. We relaxed by the pool until time to dress for dinner. We shared a table in the Polo Grill with 4 other people. The couple was from CA but he had graduated from U of A and had grown up in Trussville, AL. There was a lovely lady from the Netherlands who was traveling alone. She had been a foreign diplomat most of her life and told the most entertaining and informative stories. She travels for pleasure now and recommended the P&O line and especially their world voyage. The other diner was a lovely woman from NJ who was also well travelled. We started our meal at 6:30 and did not finish until 9:30 and we were still chatting. We made the show late and it was very enjoyable; The Nautical Singers in Postcards. We walked a bit and then headed to the cabin.

We had a restless night and slept in. Hugh went to get us coffee before I got out of bed. We ate a late breakfast finishing just in time to go to the Country Fair on the pool deck. We had so much fun playing silly games and winning lottery tickets. We bowled, rolled dice, put cases on pillows (Hugh won this several times), ring toss, shark fishing, and my favorite hitting the cruise director in the face with wet sponges (I got 3 out of 4). The funniest game was trying to get a fountain pen in a beer bottle while the pen is tied on a string attached around your waist and hangs down your backside between your legs. There were so many funny, often obscene poses but I did it. This was one game where being short may have been a plus. Hugh got a strike in bowling and we collected lots of tickets, but alas, we did not win any of the silly prizes-most would have been worthless, a flask or an xxl tee. I stayed by the pool for a while and then joined Hugh for a lecture. This one was not timely for our trip but I always enjoy the story of the Taj Mahal. After the lecture it was off to the library to check emails and look at our pictures. We had lunch at the Terrace and then enjoyed more pool time. I finished a book and started another one. With these relaxing sea days I am getting a lot of reading done. Hugh napped some and worked on our pictures. He will be all organized when we get home and I will have the pressure of typing up this story. We looked at cruise brochures and continue to discuss the 2014 possibilities through dinner. We went to the violinist performance and he was fantastic. Then it was off to the room but we were not sleepy and we stayed up much too late.

Today was a day to rise early and eat breakfast as we docked in Colombo. This is the largest city and former capital of Sri Lanka. From the ship we saw the tall modern buildings interspersed with lovely colonial buildings and ruins. This is a huge area for tea production, both green, white, and black.As we left the ship there was a little market set up. We had a city tour to get us oriented. This was nice as we got to see the main sites from the comfort of a bus with air conditioning. We got the history and planned our on-foot itinerary for this pm. At our rest stop on the tour we saw 2 weddings. They were quite elaborate, with dancers, drummers, and the bridal party in Ceylonese dress. We saw Independence Square, The National Museum, and the largest Hindu temple complete with elephants. After our bus dropped us at the ship we changed into walking shoes, had something cold to drink, and headed out to explore. We left the port and tuk tuk drivers were offering 1 hr. /$10 to go the see the city. We declined them because we wanted to walk for exercise and be among the people. Little did we know that many hours later when we were hot and very tired they would not be around. We walked around the harbor and then headed into the inner city. People were very pleasant but most did not speak English. Near the Old Parliament building we saw the Army Band. Evidently there are some dignitaries in town. We followed them to the clock tower, which was built by the British. This area we discovered is called the fort and was established by the Portuguese. It was vibrant and bustling characterized by lovely colonial architecture. We saw the Dutch hospital and the Parliament buildings overlooking Beira Lake. We walked through the “Pettah” which means outside the fort. This hectic, crowded area with its thousands of stalls is famous for its cross streets, each with sellers of different commodities. We took a rest in an almost air conditioned internet café and spent some time downloading books for the trip home. I also got a new game for the Ipad. At the café we met a harbor pilot who said he would be on our ship. He wanted us to buy him a drink and share a taxi to the harbor for our 9pm departure; unfortunately for him our ship sails at 4pm. We did not contribute to his drinking and sailing! We explored a Buddhist temple and some of the street markets. We tried to buy some tea but they would only take local money and we were fresh out. We slowly made our way back to the ship past the light house and the standing stupa arriving just in time for the last boarding call. We were beat and soaked in sweat. We showered and cooled off in time to have a bite to eat as we sailed. It was beautiful on deck with a great breeze and we rested and enjoyed the view. Our next stop is Phuket, Thailand 1185 nautical miles away. We had reservation in Toscana for 9pm dinner but as we were resting they called and asked if we would like to come at 8, the answer was yes please. We showered quickly and went up to a fabulous dinner. We did not finish in time for the show but that worked to our advantage. We were still tired and slightly dehydrated. We took cold drinks to the room and relaxed until our eyes grew too heavy to stay open.

We stayed up way to late last evening and we had a funny time change, 30 minutes ahead. We are now on Indian time. We slept in a bit then got to exercise and walked. We went to an enrichment lecture on the sinking of the Lusitania. This was an iffy topic for people at sea on a ship that is rocking and rolling today. I sat at the pool and finished my book which I returned to the library. After lunch we uploaded my books on my Kindle, processed our pictures, and read. We went to the main dining room for dinner and ate lightly. We felt OK but did not want to take a chance. The dining rooms were less filled than usual with a lot of single diners. The sea has not quieted. We went to the late show and the entertainer was supposed to be a singer. He was a much better comic and piano player than he was a singer. We stayed to the end but it was not our most enjoyable show. Hugh has developed a cough and we had a rough time getting to sleep. Hope tomorrow is a calmer day on the seas.

I awoke early today and was dressed before Hugh woke up. We had breakfast in the main dining room and then headed to the gym. After a one mile hike in a brisk wind I headed to the Horizons lounge for my Needlework and Coffee group. I had a great morning with lots of other chatty ladies and 3 of us stayed right through Trivia. We knew a lot of the answers and did as well as some of the 8 person teams. Hugh sat for a while processing pictures and then moved to the library. When my eyes gave out I changed into my swimsuit and went to the pool. I read and dipped, dried, and dipped again. There was an odd boat competition around the pool. Three boats were entered including one that was a sheet of paper folded. The other 2 were more creative but none were very well done. I finally had to go to the cabin because the light was giving me a headache. I journaled until Hugh came down ready for lunch. We are going to the Polo Grill tonight so we had a light lunch. After lunch we began the packing process, getting all the dirty things and safari wear in the suitcase. We also organized so everything else should go in very easy. The snorkeling things, fins, masks, snorkels, are in and they are the most difficult to pack. I spent some time journaling and reading and before I was through it was time for the Gala Tea with a 12 piece orchestra. The Nautica Lounge was transformed into a beautiful tearoom and the pastry creations were amazing, everything from crepes Suzette, scones, and tea sandwiches to cookies, tarts, and cheeses. The tables were decorated with flowers, pastry items, and ice sculptures. Very lovely!!We shared a table with a couple from San Francisco and enjoyed ourselves very much. It is so much fun getting to meet so many different people and get their perspective on travel and different itineraries. We were able to check our emails today and then shower and dress for dinner. I dressed up more than usual but it was clean and I had not worn this dress so tonight was the night. We shared a table with 2 couples who were trying very hard to outdo one another. We had a great meal but stayed quiet. We made it just in time for the late show and it was the classical violinist and the orchestra. This performance was just as good as the one several nights ago. It was off to bed to read about Phuket.

Sewasdee (hello)!
Seven in the morning and we were up and dressed for exercise. We had a later arrival in Phuket so we got a few things done early so we could be on deck, cameras in hand for the sail-in. We had a light breakfast and then worked out for a good hour in the gym. Then it was time for showers and getting dressed for the day. We had an early lunch and were ready to disembark as soon as our tour was called. We met our guide Sue and her English was fantastic. She was precise, complete with a printed outline and pins to wear. We drove through Phuket Town and we could see the smiling friendly people at work and play. This area is 98% Buddhist and every house and store has a small temple. We drove up Pang Hill, a small hill located NE of Phuket Town where we enjoyed a stunning panoramic view of the southern tip of Phuket Island. We walked around enjoying the banyan trees, flowers, and the monkeys. There was a statue of the governor of Phuket from 1890 to 1909. We traveled through some lovely areas to get to Patong Beach. This whole area was crazily overdeveloped. It was like Myrtle Beach on steroids. The beach was wall to wall people and there was no breathing room in the shopping and hotel areas. There were beautiful resorts there but too frenetic for me. We next visited Karon Beach which had sparkling white sand dunes and evergreens edging the Andaman Sea. This was a beach area to be enjoyed! Our next stop was the Phuket Sea Shell Museum. This museum has the world’s most valuable collection of sea shells. Shells from all over the globe are featured including the world’s largest golden pearl (160 Karats) and a massive 550 pound shell. Everyone enjoyed this and we were looking forward to Wat Chalong. When we arrived the Wat was decorated for a religious festival next week. Considered the most beautiful and ornate temple on the island, this Wat enshrines a gilt statue of Luang Por Cham, the monk who became a hero when he helped the people of Phuket put down the Chinese Coolie Rebellion in 1876.Worshipers continually put gold leaf on it as a sign of respect. We had fun exploring this temple complex and had a wonderful view from the 3rd floor outdoor area. The colors and complexities of the buildings made for great pictures. After our last photo was taken we went to the Sribhurapa Orchid Cashew Factory. The cashew fruit looks like as apple with the nut hanging out the bottom. In Phuket the fruit is made into juice. The nuts are processed by hand including the shelling and peeling of each nut. This factory store had every flavor imaginable of cashew but after sampling we bought 2 cans of the wasabi-delicious! This was our last stop and when we arrived back at the port we took some time to walk around the little market they had set up for us. We embarked in time for sail away. After showering we headed to the main dining room for dinner. It was a lovely meal with a gorgeous view. Hugh is coughing again tonight so I went to the magic show by myself and he went to bed.

It was an early morning as we had our trishaw ride around the city at 8 a.m. We met our guide Corrine and she was very thorough as she talked about itinerary. She walked us to the trishaws which were supposed to have 2 people per vehicle but some had to go with just one; another case of made for chopsticks not cheeseburgers. Hugh and I had Abul for our driver and he was a Speedy Gonzales. We zipped around cars and other trishaws while Abul constantly tooted his horn. We made our way around the Queen Victoria Clock Tower which is 18 meters/60 ft high and was presented to Penang by local millionaire, Cheah Chen Eok, in 1897 to commemorate Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee. Our first big stop was the Penang Peranakan Mansion. Originally the home of Captain Chung Keng Kwee who was the leader of Penang during the Larut Wars from 1860-1884. The mansion is a typical representation of the Strait Chinese style and served as his home and office. The original furnishings are beautiful and there is a marvelous Sturbridge glass collection. One of the most interesting stories we were told was that he sat at the head of the long dining table all day and conducted business because he could see the front door, the stairs, and the courtyard entrance in the mirrors strategically place in the room. This allowed him to keep control of everyone in the house. From here it was back in the trishaw and off to San Tong Khoo Kongsi, built in the 1850’s by the forefathers of the Khoo family, who emigrated from S. China, as a clan house for members of the family. Construction began in 1836 and took 8 years. A fire in 1894 razed the wooden structure to the ground. The fire was allegedly caused by lightening but the Chinese believed that it was caused by the gods due to its resemblance to the Imperial Palace in Beijing. A scaled-down version was built in 1906. The richly ornamented carvings of the roofs, walls, and pillars reflect the art and architecture of ancient China and are made of the finest wood. Corrine gave us a lecture on the family and we enjoyed this stop very much. This clan house has beautiful art work and a genealogy room with plaques for each male (no females allowed, even the one who was a high government official). Boarding our trishaws we made our way to the Cititel where we had our refreshment. We were expecting a cold drink but were served a complete lunch buffet of Malaysian delights. Hugh and I ate and took a walk in the area. I made a purchase, surprise, surprise, a lovely antique puppet. We made our way back in time to get our trishaw ride back to the port. We changed into cooler clothes and made our way on foot into the city. We made camera stops frequently as we passed the Town Hall, The City Hall, and the clock tower again. We saw Fort Cornelius, built in 1795. It is in the shape of a star. We walked along the water and reached the Eastern & Oriental Hotel much quicker than we expected. We toured this famous landmark where photos of famous people who have stayed there were prominently displayed in the lobby. After looking in their gorgeous shoppes we went out onto the esplanade and sat on the wall overlooking the sea. We checked our emails and enjoyed the view. We continued our journey and wandered the side streets past mosques and into Little India. This area was very reminiscent of India in sights and spicy aromas. We continued on for what seemed like a long time and found that we had circled the town ending up a good distance past the dock area. By the time we made it to the ship it was almost time to sail and we were overheated and almost sick. The temperature was 96 and the humidity 84%. We showered and went to the disembarkation talk and stayed for the Liars Club. Emmanuelle surprised us all by unfolding herself from a suitcase to demonstrate the meaning of a word. We had dinner in the main dining room and skipped the show. We went to our stateroom and put our feet up and read and looked at all of our pictures, over 400 for the day. We deleted a lot and were happy with the ones we chose. Off to bed-tomorrow Kuala Lumpur!

We were excited as we got dressed today; we are heading to Kuala Lumpur. We boarded our bus for our 1 hour drive and Rante our guide gave us non-stop history of the area and answered a lot of questions. As we made the drive into Kuala Lumpur we were amazed at what a modern and prosperous city it was. The skyline was filled with skyscrapers and the roadways were excellent. Our first stop was the National Monument and gardens. This is an immense bronze statue built to commemorate the soldiers who gave their lives. This sculpture depicts 7 soldiers holding a Malaysian flag, each symbolizing one of 7 qualities; unity, strength, leadership, sacrifice, courage, suffering, and vigilance. This was a lovely area and we saw some flora that was very unusual. From here we traveled into the city center to Independence Square. There we saw marvelous colonial architecture. This was the place where independence was declared and God Save the Queen was played for the last time. It was very busy today as they were setting up for a huge rock concert. We had time to wander a bit before we walked as a group to the Central Market. We were given almost an hour to wander around but we spent most of our time in the antique stalls or just people watching. One couple was late getting back and they were the purchasers on this trip. We walked back to the bus and had time to make pictures of a temple that is in the fork of the river. From here we went to lunch at a downtown hotel. There was a funny road sign about purse snatching that I had to get a picture of. Our lunch was buffet style and I have never seen so much food in one place. It took almost all our time just to choose our food. We ate with 2 new friends from NYC. Back on the bus we made our way to the Petronas Twin Towers. We made our photos of these building who are famous for being the tallest buildings in the world for a short time. We then made our way across town to the Solanger Pewter factory. I had never heard of this brand but people on the bus said it was very expensive. After we toured the factory and saw that it truly is handmade; hand polished, hand hammered, and hand-boxed, the price makes more sense. The items were lovely to look at but out of my budget. We boarded our bus and made our way back to Port Klang. We just had time to board before we sailed. We cleaned up and packed a little bit more. We had dinner in Toscana and had a table for two with Viktor as our attentive waiter. We stretched our meal out with coffee and dessert. Our show tonight was Matt Marcy and close up magic. He was more than amazing! After Matt the Nautica Singers did a Motown show and then the whole Nautica staff from engine room to chefs came to say goodbye. We sang Auld Lang Syne and then we danced to some 70’s music ending with YMCA. What a fun night.

We woke up this morning docked in Singapore. We have spent several days here and have done the sightseeing things. We planned to just get the Hop on Hop off bus and explore. We checked with the local travel representative on board and found that we needed to get to Chinatown to catch the bus. We went through customs and found ourselves in this huge Mall with everything we needed-MRT purple line to Chinatown. After exchanging our left over South African Rand for Singapore dollars then mastering the ticket machine, we were off. We met fellow cruisers with the same plan and we thought that 4 of us could surely find the bus stop but it was not to be. We wandered the streets asking shopkeepers without any luck. I finally went into a travel and booking office and a young man looked it up on the computer and told us exactly what to do, yeah! It worked and after only a short wait we were off. Before we made it to our first destination it was pouring rain. When we arrived at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and mall area we made a run for the buildings. This is all new from our last trip here and is famous for its architecture, pool, shoppes, and Marina Park area. The rain let up and we were able to walk around outside and see the Gardens by the Bay, the Children’s Science Museum, the Marine Park, and Singapore’s answer to the London Eye, the Singapore Flyer. We walked on the sculptural bridge and 2 very cute Asian girls wanted us to make their picture together and I did. Then they each wanted a picture with me, so sweet. We looked in the expensive shops and then made our way back to the bus and hopped on. We made our way to Raffles, the Parliament House, the Lim Bo Seng Memorial (it looks like chopsticks) and to some mosques and churches. When we arrived back at Chinatown after the complete tour we explored and ate ice cream for lunch, a very late lunch! We caught the subway back to the harbor front and found that connected to the first mall we saw which had a definite Asian flavor was an even bigger one called VivoCity. This 3 story mall had designer to GAP and everything in between. You can even get the sky bucket to Centosa Island from the 4th floor. Unfortunately things are expensive in Singapore so we made it back on board. We spent some of our afternoon packing for our trip home. We got our suitcases ready and showered and decided to order room service. Our goal was to be in bed by 9 so we would get some sleep before our 2 am wake-up call. We managed to get our bags out on time and get in bed but when 2 am came I felt as if I had just lain down. We dressed and went to the Nautica Lounge to await our departure. We had coffee and rolls and then it was off the ship, through customs, claim luggage, and off to the airport. We boarded and left on time. Flight was full and we can only hope we get an extra seat when we reach Tokyo. We arrived back in Atlanta many, many hours later and drove, yes drove, to Spartanburg where we left everything in the car and went to bed. A wonderful trip completed!!!! /susan