4/4/2016 Third sea day to Port Elizabeth

Last night I went for a light buffet dinner, but failed to regain my appetite.  A lovely passenger approached me and said I didn't look well, gave me two Stugerons and then disappeared. I think she must have been an angel!  I then went to bed for 12 hours. No entertainment necessary. Ughhh.

Today the sea state remained moderate to severe, and the winds were force 6-7. The swell has been reportedly 4 metres. Spray was still reaching our balcony on deck 10, the pools had to be shut as they were swishing over the decks excessively. Warnings are posted on the information screens. I have felt nauseous and had a headache like a pressure band for most of the day. This morning I tried the "try to ignore it" approach, this afternoon I gave in and spent 3 hours horizontal, an hour of that asleep. I have now bought Nelsons homeopathic travel sickness remedy (Nux Vomica). The weather  seems to be settling down a bit, and tomorrow will be a really welcome port day in any case.  Tonight it has been possible to enjoy Jimmy James second performance - much less singing along with him tonight, but nevertheless enjoyed every Smokey Robinson, Otis Reading, Four Tops, Barry White and Gladys Knight number he sang. What a lovely man.



We are still travelling south westerly, currently our co-ordinates are approximately 33 degrees south and 28 degrees east and our speed is roughly 20 nautical miles per hour.  That speed means we cover 400+ nautical miles in 24 hours. The average temperature has now dropped to 25C.  Cloud cover is classed as 7/8 (very cloudy)

Tomorrow I'll be back in South Africa, just one month after my last flying visit to Johannesburg with Lisa.  This time Khachik and I will be cruising in to Port Elizabeth and going out to an animal park for a 5 hour trip after breakfast. We're excited. Khachik's really looking forward to his first trip ever to South Africa.  Officialdom first with a face to face immigration stop in the ballroom at 8 a.m. and then a full day in Port Elizabeth, followed by one day at sea (including an art exhibition) and then 2 days in Cape Town, with excursions to Robben Island by coach and a small boat and Table Mountain by coach and Cable Car. Happy days.

Bye for now xxx

31/3/2016 Mauritius (and Jimmy James)

31/3/2016 Mauritius
We got to beautiful Port Louis, Mauritius at 6 this morning, immigration procedures followed really smoothly at 7 45, breakfast was done by 8:30 and were on our tour bus by 9.  That's what I call efficient.  Well done officials. Our excursion was called Paradise Island and involved just over 1 hour cross country drive to the east coast, water taxi in groups of 20-30 to Ile de Cerfs and a day at a gorgeous white sandy beach, paddling in the lagoon, eating and drinking and generally being tourists. It was quite a big party.  We weren't quick enough to get sunbeds, which was a bit of a disappointment, but we did manage to find a coffee bar playing Bob Marley, and were able to sit in the shade enjoying the music, drinking coffees for quite some time before lunch.

  











Lunch stirred up a bit of bad behaviour in a few passengers, not in us of course, but a few people who couldn't bear queueing, and some others who decided they would police the queueing!!!!  We joined the queue after the fighting had passed, thankfully, and when everyone was back in line.

After the return water taxi trip, we had a lovely sleep on the bus back to the ship, so we were both refreshed and ready to walk some laps round the pool, bobble about in the hot tub, and get ready for dinner, which was, as always, just perfect.

After dinner tonight we went to the Curzon Theatre where the rather special and ever so old Jimmy James was performing. Who else remember Jimmy James and the Vagabonds?  Well if you are old enough, that's the same Jimmy James - all soul and all familiar, "Now is the Time" and "I'll go where the music takes me",  with lots of audience participation and another whole bunch of memories from my youth and beyond!  There's even a photo coming soon!



That's enough for today.  I loved it all.  St Denis highlights tomorrow, so bye for now, more from Reunion tomorrow.