7/4/2016 Cape Town Day 2

As we were 5 hours late getting off the ship due to that aforementioned administrative issue, we went straight to the V&A Waterfront and enjoyed a lovely evening meal outside, returning back to our cabin quite late.

We are sad to say that our dining mates Chris and Keith leave the ship today, and we have said our goodbyes at 8 this morning, but not forever. They live close so we will meet again, I'm sure. It has been such a pleasure dining together every night so far. It will be very different without them.

Well I have to report that the weather forecast was very wrong, in a really good way.  We went out with our jackets on just after breakfast for our excursion to Robben Island, only to find the temperature rising above 30C with clear blue skies. We were taken to the Waterfornt to catch the ferry over to the island, only about 15 minutes away on not too rough seas. The excursion, once on Robben Island was really wonderful with two great guides. The first guide was on the bus on the island and it was his job to describe the history, geography, flora and fauna.  During the drive around the island we managed to see penguins, springboks, seals, tortoises and various indigenous birds. The other guide was a former prison inmate who showed us around the prison, and also gave us a bit of ANC history and an insight into life in the prison. Oh my, some people have been through such horrors just because of their race, and where and when they were born Khachik even asked him for a photo! I think his name was Xhoto.

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The second instalment of Nelson Mandela's story continued here in the prison (it was only a month ago since I visited Soweto with Lisa, and learned the first instalment), but now I have a real sense of walking in his footsteps.

Then it was time to leave the island, on a little ferry and head back to the ship.  Our afternoon was pretty restful, but once again we went by free shuttle bus to the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront for our evening meal in the City Grill, and an opportunity for Khachik to try springbok and biltong.

Whoops, too late for ship's entertainment. Night all xx

6/4/2016 Cape Town, sunshine and appetite back!

Thank goodness that storm has passed! We have felt hungry and eaten heartily this morning.   Last night during the storm we tried our best to behave normally (and not give in or lie down). We went to the theatre where Vince Earl "did a turn" as a comedian and cabaret singer, reminiscent of the working men's clubs I frequented in the 1970's whilst supporting  a couple of semi-professional rock bands. It was generally tolerable, but tarnished by quite a lot of outdated and offensive terminology and jokes about "the wife". All that unfortunately and embarrassingly belonged to decades ago in places like the Embassy Club. I tried hard to cut him a bit of slack because he must be in his 70's, although I appreciate that that's a poor excuse for racism and sexism. He probably cut his teeth on THAT Bernard Manning type of stuff. Also he was rolling about the stage with the stormy weather, so that can't be easy. On the plus side he told a couple of jokes about flatulence, some doctor/patient scenarios, and ageing which still managed to make me laugh. He definitely ought not to sing Willy Nelson and Elvis though, that's an absolute.  I would suggest retirement, asap.

Today is the extra day in Cape Town, because we were unable to dock in Port Elizabeth. We sailed in to Cape Town around 10 a.m. with the skies bright blue, and a flat sea. Table Mountain looks absolutely brilliant.  Several beautiful mobile phone pictures will soon be  available. As soon as immigration is done we are shuttling to the V&A Waterfront where we will potter and wander, and enjoy a bit of rest and relaxation, possibly with the assistance of a hop on hop off bus, but nothing too taxing.  Tomorrow and Friday we are still here, and these two days were already scheduled and we have with excursions booked for Table Mountain and Robben Island.



We are located at 33 degrees south and 18 degrees east today, temperature 20C.  That feels UK-normal for late spring to early summer, and very agreeable it is too.

At 11:30 there seemed to be a bit of a delay with immigration.  I couldn't say what or why, just that the announcements suggested it would be a long delay, and from our cabin balcony we could see hundreds of people coming back onto the ship, having failed to make it through immigration at all. I think it might be a good idea to paint table mountain while we wait.

Update:By 12 midday and our tannoy announcement suggested there'd been an administrative "issue" that hadn't been handled or communicated properly between the Port Elizabeth agent, the ship and immigration here in Cape Town. Ho hum. We might not be getting off until tea time. I am very happy we took our time this morning and have just been waiting quietly away from the understandable frustration and anger.  Instead we've been able to take in the views, do the crossword and watch a dcumentary about Emperor penguins on the telly.  I will post this now, and hopefully get the pictures uploaded when we get off the ship later and access decent wi-fi. So bye until later xx

5/4/2016 Impromtu extra day at sea :(

5/4/2016 Uh oh, no Port Elizabeth after all
At 6:30 this morning when we were scheduled to sail in to Port Elizabeth we were advised over the tannoy that the wind was too strong to get into the harbour and we were holding a position outside the port until further notice.  At around 8:30 came the news that even if the winds were to drop by lunchtime, it would be a logistical impossibility to fit in all the tours before sunset.

So that's that, we are on our way to Cape Town now on a fourth sea day, but this means an extra day arriving earlier than scheduled  in Cape Town, which is perfectly acceptable.  Hopefully we can get a safari there after all. Forecasts do say we will be able to dock tomorrow a.m.  The down side is that we don't get to visit the Eastern Cape and that we don't get to do our safari today. There's a lot of quick thinking and complaint aversion taking place by the entertainments team, and a whole new sea day programme has emerged is up and running allready, starting with art, where we were able to paint another yacht if we wanted, or in my case finish off a portrait. This afternoon is the exhibition, and there's an opportunity, should we wish to take it, to play Bingo. Did I mention that there's a casino on board? And a shopping deck for general provisions, fashion accessories, jewellery?  If people are short of something to do, there's always spending or gambling. A few entertainments have been brought forward - the art exhibition, the talent show and whatever else could be changed at short notice (dance classes, line dancing, tap dancing, crafting)

Along with the wind there's also heavy rain for the first time since we left home on 17/3/2016.  I realise we have been sailing between the tropics and around the equator until now, and that this unpredictable weather is what we are used to at home, but weren't really prepared for.  The sea sickness is not quite as bad, strangely.  In the self service restaurant at lunch time there was a "winter vegetable soup" on the menu, and a queue for it.  That's how it feels compared to the paradise islands.

Just so you know we are 34 degrees south and 24 degrees east and in the next 24 hours will be going round the Cape into the Atlantic Ocean.  The wind force has risen to 9, the swell is classed as moderate.  Outside decks are all closed, as are the pools. The temperature is now 19C but it feels colder becasue of the strong winds and impromptu rain.

I am going to accompanu Khachik to the gym shortly and work out a programme that doesn't worsen or cause any new pain.  I am going to have a look at the upper body weights machines and see what inspires me.

So I will say bye for now until tomrorrow when hopefully the storm has subsided and we are allowed off the ship into Cape town for the first of three port days and a taste of the Atlantic. xx

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

3/4/2016 Second sea day to Port Elizabeth

Clocks went back again last night so we're on GMT+3, but I think that's UK time +2 because of daylight saving.  Not sure though, because it doesn't make too much difference to our lazy way of life at the moment.  We worked out we're about the same latitude as Johannesburg today and so I'm feeling connected again to Lisa Ashton at Ilamula House, and still remembering and reflecting on my introduction to my more hands on side of the Winnie Mabaso Foundation through our health and well being training, the veggie gardens, the feeding programme and bra distribution programmes, and just one month ago. so some special thoughts today.

There's quite a breeze blowing through the decks today, and spray blowing up as far as our deck (deck 10) from the sea. On the bulletin now it says says the sea state is "rough", it looks choppy, there quite a lot of white froth, and the captain has advised us all to take care when walking around. Captain Philpott is his name by the way.  He says this swell should have gone by tomorrow lunch. The next stage I remember from last year is the appearance of the "motion discomfort bags".  I am feeling nauseous. The secret I have heard today is to keep busy, ignore it/pretend it's not happening

Although it has been sunny and still very warm outside, 27C, there seems to be a difference in the air. From the map it looks like we're crossing the Tropic of Capricorn today, so maybe that's why.  Our latitude is 28 south, longitude is roughly 40, wind - 8, and we're doin a speed of 19 nautical miles per hour.  All is well here, in spite of the swell. Another sea day tomorrow, then SA on 5/4/2016

This morning we went down to reception with our Yellow Fever Exemption Certificates.  Apparently P & O are reimbursing any expenses incurred by having to have either a vaccination or an exemption certificate.  Those who were vaccinated had to pay £50-£70, and those exempted like us had to pay £20 each for the consultation and exemption.  I guess this is because it was stipulated only for visiting the Gambia, which has now been cancelled. Good news, perhaps a Pandora charm for my bracelet from the on-board jewellers for me, or a bit mor gin for Khachik. Also this morning we completed a painting of yachts in the Solent.  I enjoyed it but somehow managed to lose (or maybe never find) any sense of movement of the yachts or effects of the wind on the sea in my painting.  Khachik's looks great, really lively. It seems, Khachik thinks, to have something to do with the inclination of the sail, and his lines in the water, but I also think his sky has a bit more of wild wind in it.



This afternoon we attended a talk by former Notts Forest and Leeds footballer Duncan McKenzie.  He played for Brian Clough and told tales which were first and foremost really funny, becasue he did all the voices and accents, but also interesting and quite informative for a non-football fan like me, as well as for Khachik.


Afterwards Khachik got to the gym for an hour of walking and I went to a craft class to make a multi -layered greeting card. I learned a lot by keeping my head down, listening to the gossip about Yellow Fever refunds and who didn't deserve them. I just chuckled quietly to myself, as I am on that list! This was where with my head down concentration I first noticed the nausea, so I am now rectifying this with a focus on the horizon between sentences.

Right now Khachik is watching the Manchester United v. Everton match, so we'll be having a late dinner to accommodate the habit of a lifetime!  The sun has set beautifully and the dark blue sky and purple clouds have taken over and the wind is whistling loudly round the balconies. I might give movement around the ship and entertainment a miss tonight and will say bye for now so I don't have to look down for too long. xxx

2/4/2016 First sea day from Reunion to Port Elizabeth, South Africa

Overnight there was slightly stronger wind, force 7, and the sea state is said to be "moderate" meaning that there are wavelets on the ocean and a bit more sway.  The sea also looks very dark today.  Once or twice I have felt that slight nausea that I recognise from rough seas, although it's not bad enough to make me feel I need to lie down.  Just for interest we are at 25 degrees south of the equator and 46.57 degrees longitude.  I think we are very close to the most southerly tip of Madagascar.

Here's a reminder of the cruise, flight to Singapore, cruise back round Africa.



Sea days mean lots of on board entertainment again, and today, apart from varied and interesting eating, bobbling around in the hot tub, we have attended art, (a watercolour painting of a beach hut and palm trees).



Later we went to a showing of the most recent production of Far from the Madding Crowd in the Playhouse, to which I was as riveted as I always have been with Thomas Hardy. He never seemed to favour a feel-good ending, but this was an exception.  Really enjoyed it, even though I knew exactly what was about to happen, minute by minute.

One of the four swimming pools is closed today.  Rumour has it that it sprang a leak, and flooded a cabin beneath. I heard a passenger talking about his wet carpet today - thought he was referring an episode of incontinence but now all is clear!  Just hope they hadn't recently watched Pirate Radio, or worse still Titanic.

Tonight we have received a bit of good news.  We have had the island Madeira added to the itinerary on 22/4/2016, and the three previous ports moved forward  to Cape Verde on 18/4, Tenerife on 20/4 and Gran Canaria 21/4.  Still tbc in a verbal announcement by the Captain but a letter explaining the situation has arrived so I think we can say it's pretty definite.  This means we can enjoy all the ports.  We were originally going to have to stay on board in Banjul, Gambia because we had both been issued exemption certificates for Yellow Fever vaccine.  We would have needed to have had the vaccine to get off the ship in Cape Verde after visiting the Gambia.  Interesting the way things work out.  Also we've never been to Madeira.

Now we are off to dinner and then the captain's cocktail party in Carmen's Ballroom for the loyalty club, raffles and complimentary drinks and nibbles.  So I will say bye for now, even though it's early, as there might not be time to blog later.

1/4/2016 Reunion Island

This morning we woke up already in the port, actually called Le Port on Reunion Island and what a beautiful place it is. It's east of Madagascar, south of Mauritius.  It's also hot, 30C and very sunny with clear blue skies, this is getting to be a bit of a habit!.  We had a lazy morning on the ship enjoying the mixture of very green and volcanic scenery, and the heat, then the afternoon excursion to St Denis, (including a packed lunch from "Grab and Go" on the Lido Deck.)

I loved this, especially the slightly whacky, alternative tour guide, Jean-Luc.  He told us he was born in Paris, worked originally for IBM, retired and moved to Reunion, and has never looked back. He was really friendly, but also very wise.  He welcomed us to Europe, and to France.  Some of us had already had texts from our phone providers with promises of cheap calls and texts at Eurpoean rates, so that bit wasn't much of a surprise. But just how "French" St Denis is really was a surprise.  Cafe's, Restaurants, shops, and the general look and feel of the streets, the offices and monuments were all very clearly European.  We had history, geography and politics lessons throughout the afternoon, all delivered with a lovely sense of humour, all in all one of the best shore tours we've ever had. The history included the plundering, destruction, and the slavery - the dutch the French and the British, but at this point he said very philosophically that we can't judge, only learn from the mistakes of the past to make a better future. I still do feel a sense of ancestral shame, Always will.  There was quite a lot of walking between the highlights - the picnic lunch stop, the museum, state buildings, craft market, slavery abolition monument, botanical gardens, canons and coach.

                 


So now we're taking it easy, watching Michael Caine film, Last Love on the telly after dinner and thinking about an early night.
Bye for now xx