Wednesday, 03 April 2019 The Suez Canal

I woke up several times during the night and looked out of the porthole.  The Queen Mary was right next to us also waiting to enter the canal.   We weren’t moving for some time. In the morning I heard Earl get up and he went on deck to take photos. I could see through the porthole that we were in the Suez.

I got up and showered and when Earl came back we went to have an early breakfast.  Val joined us. On and off for the rest of the day we were on Deck 11 watching the different stages of our passage through the Canal.  It was very interesting.

We felt so important to be ahead of Queen Mary II

The Earl and Val having a buffet breakfast on eleventh level stern deck.

Transiting through the canal is not supposed to be the most exciting  part of the cruise. But in spite of the limited things to see along the way I was super excited to be there at all.  I remember The Six Day War and learning about the importance of the canal at school. I never dreamed that I would actually see it in real life.   Most parts are very narrow and the strip of water is in the middle of the desert and that is actually beautiful in itself.
Officially every ship has to use 4 pilots for the transit, although often less are used depending on the transit.

Stark beauty of the desert

Fishing in the canal

A settlement on the banks of the canal

As we approached the Peace Bridge – this train whistled at us.

People on the banks of the canal cheered and waved as we passed through.  It was really rather festive.

An exciting part of the trip was cruising under the Mumberak Peace Bridge also known as The Egyptian-Japanese Friendship Bridge and the Al Salam Peace Bridge.  It crosses at El-Qantara and it links the continents of Africa and Asia.

Oh my word – the bridge has a 70m clearance – will we make it!

Scary!  It doesn’t look like we’ll make it!

So far so good?

Now that’s close!

No problem for the tug!

Patiently waiting to cross

El-Qantara

At 4 we entered the Mediterranean Sea.

Here are some facts about the Suez Canal that I found here.

• Suez Canal opened to traffic in November 1869
• It was built by Frenchman Ferdinand de Lesseps using Egyptian forced labour; an estimated 120,000 workers died during construction
• It stretches 192km (120 miles) between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea
• It is 300m (984ft) wide at its narrowest point
• By 1955 approximately two-thirds of Europe’s oil passed through the canal
• The waterway closed 1967 due to the Six Day War, reopened 1975
• About 7.5% of world sea trade is carried via the canal today
• Receipts from the canal July 2005 to May 2006 totalled $3,246m
• In 2005, 18,193 vessels passed through the canal

The fact about The Six Day War fascinates me the most as I remember this being a big thing for South Africa.  It meant that ships had to sail around the Cape again which was good for our economy!

I knew that fourteen ships had been stranded in the Suez for eight years but never knew what happened to them during that time.  A little research on the internet brought up a wonderful story about those amazing sailors.   The following is a paraphrase from this website

The Six Day War resulted in the Suez Canal being closed for eight years. Fourteen foreign cargo ships (British, American, German, Swedish, Bulgarian, Polish and Czechoslovakian) were trapped in The Bitter Lake for all that time.

These ships clustered together in the middle of the lake and created a sort of ‘country’ of their own.   They called themselves “The Yellow Fleet” because of the yellow sand that blew from the banks and settled on the ships.   There was little to do but clean and maintain their ships and move about aimlessly to keep the engines tuned.

Each ship had its separate function – The Polish freighter was the post office.  The British organised soccer matches.  One ship was the hospital and another a movie theatre.

There was only one woman among the crews!

There was nothing for it but to create activities to pass the time.  One of things they did was water ski on a surfboard pulled by a life boat!

They also played Bingo and a lot of sport!

The Tokyo Olympics did not go uncelebrated. They had their own mini-Olympics which Poland won.

Christmas saw them installing a floating Christmas tree lowered a piano onto a small boat, which roved around the lake and serenaded each ship.

The Yellow Fleet dubbed themselves the “Great Bitter Lake Association” and made special badges. They even had a club tie.

In 1975, they were finally able to disband and return to their homelands. But by that point, the crew had learned that, no matter your circumstances, home is truly where you make it.

Monday 1 April 2019 Aqaba, Jordan – Petra Comfort Tour

We did not have to go through customs in Jordan so our meeting time was at a respectable 8:!5 am and we were in our bus by 8:45.

As we disembarked we saw that our neighbouring ship was the Queen Mary!   I wondered what it would be like to cruise on her!

What a stunning trip this was.   Our Jordanian guide was amazing. She had a wonderful sense of humour and had us chuckling on several occasions.  She spoke excellent English and the tour was entirely in English.  It was a two-hour drive to Petra but we stopped half way for a break at a visitors’ centre.   The souvenirs and things on sale were very expensive.  And it was freezing!  I kept my cardigan and fleece on for the entire trip.

Petra was voted the seventh New Wonder of The World in 2007.   It became one of the most visited archaeological sites after the 1989 movie Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade.  This is where Indiana Jones finds the Holy Grail and the world was introduced to the beautiful, ancient city of Petra.   At that time nobody at all lived in the area but once it became a tourist attraction a huge town grew up around it.  Everybody living there makes their living out of tourism.

For those who can’t or won’t walk – a chariot is available for hire – you can also go on horse back or on a donkey.  This is one of the ways the locals make a living.

Petra was the capital of the Nabatean Empire.  They had control of the Spice Road which gave them great prosperity.  The Spice Road was the main caravan trading route that brought spices, incense, and textiles from Arabia, Africa, and India to the West.

How clever the Nabateans were to carve their tombs, theatre, shops and houses out of the rose coloured rock.  It was so well hidden that nobody would guess there was anything there.  This is where the merchants left their families in safety when they travelled to trade with other countries.   Mainly it was a city where the dead were buried in tombs and where they went to the theatre.  Shops were carved into the mountain so that goods could be sold to the theatre goers.   The homes were only used as a safe haven when the men were not around to protect their families from invaders.

Dressed up for the tourists – these Bedouins take a break

Al-Khazneh also known as The Treasury is a temple carved into sandstone rock.   The Nabatean king, Aretas IV is believed to buried here.   It is also believed that treasures are buried here.

It was a long and winding path of a 1.2km to reach The Treasury.  The ground from the entrance to the canyon was very uneven and had loose stones which require care to negotiate.   But once in the canyon it was better.   However, horse chariots raced through the crowds  and you had to be alert to the drivers’  whistles and shouts of out of the way!

Entering the canyon

A fig tree growing out of the rock

Ancient dam wall

Modern dam wall

Often the Gods were carved without a head

First glimpse of The Treasury from the canyon

Boggles the mind

The Treasury

Camels waiting for riders

The Theatre

Shops for the theatre goers

On the way home the bus over heated and we had to stop in a safe place to see what could be done.  The Earl helped the driver to hold the bonnet up and check the radiator.  Yes – indeed it was boiling hot and bone dry.  After filling it with several bottles of water we were back on the road.  Heidi, our English Speaking Tour consultant was with us and phoned the ship to report that we might be late.  Sailing time was 7 PM and we needed to be all aboard by 6:30.  But we made it back just after 6!

Sunday, 31 March, 2019

Timna Park and Underwater Observatory

We had to be up very early this morning as most of the ship needed to be seen through customs at the Port of Eilat.

It was a matter of hurry up and wait as we were called in groups to disembark the ship!  Our tour brief said to wear ‘good shoes and light clothing.’  But the weather had turned cold  and I didn’t want to freeze.   I decided the best was to wear jeans and a t-shirt and to take a cardigan and fleece.  I am so glad I did as it was freezing in the Timna Valley!

Once through customs at around 8:30 we set off in a bus with our Israeli guide who spoke English.  A Costa Staff member interpreted in Italian.   Our guide was amazing and gave us plenty of interesting information as we travelled  the 30 km to Timna Park.

The area is rich in copper ore and has been mined since 5000 years BC.  The mines were possibly part of the Kingdom of Edom and were worked by the Edomites who according to The Old Testament were the enemy of The Israelites.   The Israelites and Nabataeans also mined copper right through to the first and second centuries AD.

Copper was used to make beautiful ornaments and also for stone cutting.

Seen from the bus en route to Timna Park

The Goddess indicating the route to the mining sites

The Earl taking a break

A chat of some sort caught my attention

Copper-rich rock

After seeing where the copper rich area was we went to the Smelting Camp.

Ruin of an ancient workshop

Ancient smelting furnace

Copper ore in the rock

An interesting Geological phenomenon  was the mushroom rock caused by wind erosion.

We also visited  Solomon’s Pillars, natural structures that were formed by water erosion through fractures in the cliff.

In the 1930s an American archaeologist, Nelson Glueck suggested that the pillars were related to King Solomon having been in the area and thus he gave them his name.  There is, however, no evidence that this is true, but excavation in the area began after his discovery.

Solomon’s Pillars

At the base of Solomon’s Pillars, a small Egyptian temple dedicated to Hathor, Goddess of mining, was excavated.  We visited a shrine and saw rock carvings of Ramses III with Hathor at the top of some steps, carved into the stone.    I climbed the steps with a few other fit members of our group and the view from up their was worth it.

Shrine to the Egyptian Goddess, Hathor

Climbing the stairs was not for the fainthearted. 

The Rock Drawings

The second part of the tour was to the Underwater observatory where it was a lot warmer.   The only complaint about this tour was that we did not have enough time at the Underwater observatory and Aquarium!   It was simply awesome!

The photos do not do justice to the underwater observatory but seeing the coral and fish in their natural habitat was an amazing experience.   I could have stayed there for hours.

The aquarium was great too but not unlike the ones in Cape Town and Sydney.   However, more time there would have been great too.

When we got back to the docks we got straight onto a shuttle bus with an Australian woman, Judy who we met at the observatory.   The bus dropped us at the Hayam mall in Eilat.  Our first stop was at the Pharmacy where we bought some just in case cold remedies and Vitamin C as half the passengers on board are coughing and spluttering and there’s no medication available in the ship’s shops.

We then went to have lunch at a mall restaurant.  Earl and Judy had Tuna Salad – absolutely awesome and I had a traditional dish made with eggplant and cheese and a spicy sauce.  It was served with a generous green salad with extra olives on the side.  It also came with a huge bread roll which I’d asked to be left off.  Earl also declined bread but Judy didn’t.  They got that part of the order mixed up so I gave her my roll.  The food was expensive but worth every shekel!

Monday, 25 March, 2019 Salalah

Our tour only left at 13:15.  We had to get landing cards before we left the ship.  We were with other English speakers on Bus 17 with tour leader, Mohamed.  He was awesome and gave us interesting information.

It is a dry, arid land but very wealthy because of their oil and natural gas resources.  The Sultan made huge changes in the country in 1970 when he came into power.  Women have equal rights with men and work hard at school and college and in fact are more likely to get the good jobs than the men!

Camels are wealth in Oman and all the camels we saw roaming were owned by somebody. None were wild.

Water comes from underground and 97%  is free from contamination.  All residents have access to water.  91% have instant access to piped water, meaning only 9% have to wait for water to arrive in tankers. The water in the Wadi Dayqah dam is of a high enough quality to satisfy irrigation requirements as well as domestic water supply after treatment.

Typical Beach

We visited the geysers at Mughsayl Beach and we were thrilled that they cooperated and shot out streams of water several times as we watched.

Some people got quite wet.

We were also taken to see the alleged site of Job’s burial site.  In Oman it is know as the Tomb of the Prophet Ayoub.  It is in the hills overlooking the city of Salalah.

We had to remove our shoes to enter this holy place.

Oman is home to the Boswella Scara tree.  And it is from the dried sap of this tree that Frankincense is made.  In bygone times it was more valuable than gold and was one of the gifts brought to The Baby Jesus by The Three Wise Men.

We were taken to a market where many Frankincense products were on sale – but I resisted the temptation to buy anything.

Friday, March 22, 2019

After breakfast this morning we went to the pool deck as today was the day we crossed the equator.  I did a dance session with the animation team and then four groups had their faces painted in the colours of the four elements – Earth, Water, Fire and Sky.

We had to gather on the balcony under our flags and when Neptune appeared he did a whole thing and called for us to yell when he called our elements.   Then he welcomed us and said we may cross his territory.

Neptune and his mermaid arriving to see who was in his territory

Neptune calling the names of the four elements

The elements lining the balcony

We all lined up and were baptized by the God of The Sea!   It was great fun.

Being baptized by Neptune

Neptune’s mermaids

Cruising guarantees that you will meet people.   Of course you can keep to yourself if you want to – book a luxury state room, make sure you have a balcony, get a butler service and you can avoid the people!  But as far as I’m concerned that would be no fun!  We met some really awesome people on our trip and they certainly contributed to success and fun of the trip.

On our last day in Mauritius we visited the Pampalmoesse Botanical Gardens.  At the end of our guided tour we spent time on our own bird watching.  A man with a camera in hand approached us and asked what we could see.  We showed him the night heron and other birds and then got into conversation.  Turned out that although Tom is British he visits Kruger National Park regularly, loves bird watching and photography so we had a great deal in common.  Then as I said we needed to go and meet our ride to the Port Louis he asked – Are you on The Costa Victoria?  Indeed we were and so was he!   Our first cruise friend.

One is assigned an early or late dinner sitting and one always has the same the table.  Costa tries to make sure you are with people who speak your language.  On our first night – early sitting – we found ourselves with three other South African!   Of course we bonded immediately.   Neil and Doreen were from Port Edward and Val who was widowed and travelling alone was from Amanzimtoti.

We found out later that there were 23 South Africans on board and I think we met nearly every one of them!  While in the pool on Day 2 I heard the familiar accent and introduced myself. Soon another swimmer also hearing the accent came over and joined the chat.   We kept bumping into Hippo and Pat after that.

In the hot tub I got to practice my limited Italian with a lady my age that I met there.  It was a stilted conversation but we managed and had a good laugh together.

Before long I had met a number of different people – a Mauritian on my morning walk, a Dane on the stern deck when I shared her table while sipping coffee, an American couple, Sue and Tod in the pool and the list goes on.  I was chatting about some of my encounters at dinner one evening and Doreen said – How do you meet all these people?  I hadn’t thought of this before but I realise that the Earl and I collect people.  We aren’t too shy to start a conversation with anybody who happens to be on the same bus, in a queue, the pool or wherever we find ourselves.   And with cruising this makes the trip so much more interesting.  You also start to understand different cultures and realise that your country is not the only one with problems!  There were many different nationalities on board – French speakers making up the majority.   I wish I had learned more French words because few of them spoke English.   The Scandinavians all spoke English as did the Dutch.   Most Germans did but not all. Because so many people do learn English as a second language, English speakers expect everyone to speak their language but it’s not so.  It’s a good idea to learn a second or third language if you intend to travel a lot.

On the ship the staff were amazing.  They all spoke at least three languages and understood the basics of others.

So yes – we found most of the people on the ship friendly and interesting to talk to.   There were those who were rude – but if we encountered that we shrugged and moved on.

But enough waffle about the ship – my next few posts will be concentrating on the highlights of the places we visited.

Wednesday, March 20, 2019 Seychelles

Today we went to Beau Vallon Beach with a tour organized by Costa.   It took us though Port Victoria and along a scenic route which was awesome.  We had some photo opportunities.  At the Beau Vallone we had the use of the hotel pool and a voucher for a drink each.   I swam in the sea as well as the pool – Earl swam in the pool.   I also took a walk down the entire length of this stunning beach.

First view of Seychelles through the port hole

Photo stop

Beau Vallon Beach

The Pool

Further down the beach

Thursday, March 21, 2019 Seychelles

We did not go on another tour of the island but instead took a walk to the mall with Val. Earl and Val went to the bank to exchange money. While they were busy I noticed a hair salon so inquired as to how much it would cost to cut my hair – only 150 Seychelles Rupees and they could take me immediately.  A young apprentice started on the cut with instructions from a lovely young male stylist.  He finished off the cut and I was totally satisfied with the results.

We then went to supermarket to get a few essentials. Our need for the internet was great so we had tea at the café in the supermarket and caught up with emails etc.  Suddenly Val said – Oh my son wants to know if Earl and Helen Fenwick are on the cruise!
“Yes” – she replied – “they’re right here with me!”  Turns out he is a friend of Tommy  who is baby sitting our car!  What were the chances that of the 2000 people on the ship we would be seated at the same dinner table as Val.

The theme this evening was to be Tropical so we went to the market on the wharf to shop for appropriate clothing.   Earl bought a stunning floral shirt in black and blue and I bought a wrap around skirt which I wore with a red t-shirt.

Earl in tropical shirt

On the Deck 11 Back Deck – in our tropical gear – Me, Pat, Hippo, Doreen, Val

Hair blowing in the moonlight!

I have been absent from the Blogosphere for several weeks as I have been cruising and the internet is super expensive when you’re at sea. I began the story of our adventure here

We are not seasoned cruisers but a long cruise was on our bucket list and it was a toss up which cruise line to choose.  Costa won because of its interesting itinerary starting at Port Louis, Mauritius and ending in Venice, Italy.  Along the way we would stop in at Seychelles, Oman, Israel, Jordan, Cyprus, Crete. Santorini, Olympia, Corfu and Croatia.   I will not bore my readers with all the details of every stop but would like to share with you the highlights of cruising.

The Costa Victoria is a 14-deck ship with 964 cabins. It takes between 1928 and 2314 passengers and has a crew of 820.   We were on  deck 4 in a cabin with a porthole and sea view.    It was spacious and comfortable and we called it home for the 28 days!

Now some people on the ship informed us that the accommodation was not up to the standard of other cruise lines.  This might be true but then Costa is not that expensive and as we are used to sleeping in a caravan we found the cabin totally luxurious!

The Costa Victoria is small compared to some other ships.  She is also old having being built in 1996.  She has had a refurbish but we loved the old style.   A week after disembarking from this lovely old lady we went on another cruise and found the modern ship too glitzy, too big and too noisy – but more about that in a future post.

Cruises ships are notorious for being disorganised about embarking.  At first it looked that way when we arrived at Port Louis but in fact we waited no more than 20 minutes before being processed and getting on board!

If you decide to do a cruise be prepared for queues, pushing and rude people.   That is the downside – but on the whole most people were well-behaved!  This might be because on this particular cruise most of the passengers were over 60.   There were a few young families but not more that 12 children aged between 2 and 15.

Everybody tells you about the food on cruise ships and Costa Victoria certainly is up there with the best where catering is concerned.  The meals were awesome.   In spite of this I heard a number of people complaining and I wonder what they were used to.  No we were not served Lobster or Caviar but at the formal restaurants you had an amazing choice and if you so desired could order 6 courses!   The waiters were awesome and we were waited on attentively by a very gentle mannered Talekar.   We were surprised when on the last night of the cruise he danced with each of the ladies at our table!

Each evening there was a dress code – either casual, gala, red and back, black and white, Arabian, Italian etc.   Most people joined in the fun but it was not compulsory.

Our waiter dressed up for Italian Night

The Earl scrubs up well for Gala Night

A delicious farewell dessert on Italian Night

One could also choose to dine at the buffet on Deck 11.  It offered a variety of choice and was a more casual option of dining.   We used the buffet at lunch time and for most breakfasts.   All the food was well prepared and very tasty – and there was plenty of it.   However, we were somewhat shocked to see how wasteful some passengers were. They would pile their plates and then leave half of it in spite of the many signs that suggested – taste don’t waste!

Every day there were delicious treats on offer for morning and afternoon tea too.   There is no way one could go hungry on a cruise such as this.

Life on board was awesome. During the first half of the cruise it was summer and we spent a great deal of time around the pool.  It was here that many of organised activities took place too.  Every morning (unless it was a shore day) our cruise director, Daniela, lead a health walk.  Daniela has a huge personality and made the walks so much fun.  As we walked around the deck doing our arm exercises at the same time she would have a brief word with passengers lounging in the sun – always in their own language – she could speak 5!   There were pool aerobic classes, stretch classes and dance classes too. Then of course there were the deck games which were fun to participate in and to watch.

Throughout the day on sea days and shore days there were activities you could join.  There were craft classes, cultural quizzes, Bingo etc.  There was a spa and a gym on board but the latter was very small.  I didn’t bother to use it as I preferred to go to the pool exercise classes and to do the walking deck circuit.

Aerobics Class – me on extreme right

Health Walk with Daniela

Arm Exercises

Daniela was the pied piper!

The evening entertainment was fantastic.  Each evening there were two shows – one for those who had an early dinner seating and one for those who dined later.   There were acrobatic shows, song and dance shows, magic shows and all by highly talented people.  We were hugely impressed.

There were also places where one could go to dance from quiet bars to noisy discos.   Our favourite was the Concorde Bar.

At every port there were a number of excursions (to your own account) that you could go on.   They were expensive but well worth it.   If you go with a ship organised tour you are guaranteed that the ship won’t sail without you.  But it is also perfectly possible to arrange your own shore excursions.  We opted to do the organised ones but chose the cheapest on offer!

Costa Victoria tied up at Port Victoria, Seychelles

Cruising is certainly a relaxing way of having a holiday.  Once you have settled in there is no fuss about packing up and moving on to the next place.   All meals and entertainment are included in the very reasonable cruise price.  There are optional extras but you never need to use cash or your credit card. Instead you are given a cruise card and this is linked to your credit car or you can place a cash deposit against it.   Any outstanding costs are paid at the end of the cruise.   Drinks are extra – except breakfast juice, tea and coffee.  There is also water on tap – you need to fill your water bottle from a glass to prevent contamination. Drinks packages are available and are well worth taking.  We had Pranzo and Cena which gave you a glass of wine or beer with lunch or dinner but for ten euros a day extra we upgraded to Brindiamo which gave you limitless drinks including tea and good coffee so long as the drink did not cost more that nine euros.   It covered our wine, beer, gin and tonics, soft drinks, cappuccinos etc.

Staff are very friendly and attentive on Costa Victoria but perhaps there are just not enough in attendance at the various bars and pool deck.  However, this did not worry us – so what if you have to wait a while to receive your order – you’re on holiday and there’s no rush to do anything.

Hopefully I’ve given enough of an introduction to cruising here.  Feel free to ask questions in the comments – I will do my best to answer.

More about our adventure in posts to follow.

14 March 2019

It was a long day of travel yesterday so we did not book any excursions for today.   But when we woke up refreshed and ready for action we changed our minds, but it was too late to book anything for today.

After a breakfast of fresh orange juice, fruit and yogurt, cheese omelette, croissant and coffee we made our way to an ATM to get some Mauritian rupees.

View from the breakfast room

We then walked along the beach with the intention of returning later if the swimming looked good.  The boats are amazing, just loosely anchored to the beach without fear of coming loose and drifting out to sea!   I spotted a local man on his glass bottomed boat and asked, “Do you take people out snorkelling?”

“Yes,” he replied. “But today I have a group and I’m full.  But,” he continued pointing to the boat, Tam Tam, next to his, “I will phone Sanjeev – he might be able to help you.”   And he did! So an hour later Sanjeev collected just the two of us at the jetty near our hotel.

Tam Tam anchored on the beach

Now I’m not a boat kind of girl but I do like to be in the sea.  And I love being on a coral reef watching those darling little fish swimming around.  So I’m prepared to risk life and limb and endure the rocking just to be able to do that!   The sea was a tad choppy but the weather was glorious.  It was lovely to see all the activity on the water – couples having fun on peddle boats, sailing, a bit of water skiing and para-sailing.  I really want to para-sail but The Earl’s nerves can’t take it. He flatly refuses to let me do it!   In order to save him the stress, I’ve decided not to – that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

A typical Mauritian Beach

This is the boat of the chap who organised Sanjeev for us.  He had a boat load of Dutch tourists.

View from the boat toward some of the beachfront  hotels

The Earl said his anchor is just like this one!

The Earl never happier than when he is on a boat – any boat!

When we got to the reef I donned my new alien type mask – it covers your whole face and you just breathe – no snorkel in the mouth.  You can talk while it’s on too!  Earl has dickie ears so he never puts his head in the water.

Sanjeev instructed me to stay near the boat, which side to stick to and warned me not to swim beyond a certain point.

Me in the deep blue sea – well actually it’s quite shallow on the reef – but it’s far from shore!

So off I went and was instantly in heaven!   I don’t have a waterproof camera so couldn’t take photies but in any case they wouldn’t do justice to what I saw.   Most of them were black and white stripy ones but among them were others of the most amazing hues.    When I looked up, I found myself way too

far away from the boat.  I swam back toward it and breathlessly apologized for wandering too far only to be told – “Oh no, we moved the boat as we were right on the reef and we wanted you to be able to see more!”   Panic over – but I was really out of breath from the long swim so Sanjeev gave me a noodle which made me feel  more secure!  I spent a lovely hour enjoying the fish and the coral and then it was time to go back.

The Earl was able to see the fish through the glass bottom of the boat and also by looking over the side. The sea was crystal clear. Before we returned to shore, Sanjeev gave us chunks of bread and said – Just hold it and see what happens.   Well -a frenzy of fish came and nibbled it straight from our fingers!   It was awesome.

The Earl tried to get photos from the boat while I was snorkelling

This one is not half bad

I got to see more colourful ones than these.

Feeding frenzy

Fascinating to watch

Just up The Earl’s street

Sanjeev did not take us back to the jetty but dropped us at the beach instead.   We decided to say there for a while and I went into the sea for a few swims before we went to Sunset Cafe for a drink.

The Mauritians tell us this is Winter! Ha – the air temperature is 30 degrees C and the sea not much colder!

It’s okay – but more fun on the reef

That was great but now I’m thirsty!

A smoothie for me and a beer for him

We returned to the hotel for an afternoon nap and then went out for a walk to explore the waterfront.

A story book temple

A local fisherman using an an interesting pole

Various craft enjoying the bay

 One of the stunning beaches

A big thrill for me was seeing some local Mauritian birds – similar to our red bishops. I think it’s called The Red Fody Bird.

A highlight for The Earl was watching the  fishermen bring in their catch, clean them and display them for sale at an open air market.

It was thirsty work so we dropped into a local bar/restaurant for their Happy Hour Special.

You can’t visit a tropical island without having a Pina Colada

Later in the evening we went to Sunset Cafe for dinner.  We ordered a smoked marlin salad and a four seasons pizza and shared them. Both were totally awesome – but the marlin salad was the best.

The view at night

After such a hectic 2018 I thought it would be a good idea to stay put for the next six months but my husband had other ideas. He decided that a cruise would be fun so without telling me he did some research and came up with a Costa cruise from Mauritius to Venice.

At the beginning of February, while shopping in Bredasdorp, he parked outside Harvey Travel.

“What are we doing here?” I asked.

“Oh just checking out one or two things,” he said.

Well an hour later with the help of Riaan and Therina and in spite of my doubts that we’d never get Visas sorted out in time, a  trip was put together.  After a few tweaks, everything was booked and we could go ahead and apply for our Schengen Visas.  As luck would have it, we managed to get an appointment at Capago in Cape Town on 12 February, the same day that we had to attend my friend, Heather’s, 80th birthday lunch. Within 8 days they were done and couriered to us via Postnet!
Our itinerary includes three days in Mauritius before boarding the Costa Victoria. The cruise takes us to the Seychelles, Oman, Eilat Israel, Jordan, Cypress, Crete, Santorini, Olympia, Corfu, Dubrovnik, Split and ends in Venice. The cruise is 28 days. We will spend three days in Venice and three days in Rome. Then we will take another 7 day Mediterranean cruise starting at Civitavecchia and calling at Cannes, Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona, Ajaccio, Genoa, La Spezia and ending back at Civitavecchia. We fly home on 25 April.

So today the adventure began. We left Struisbaai in pouring rain on Monday morning and spent the next two days before departure staying with our kids in Plumstead and catching up with friends and family.  My brother organised a transfer to the airport which saved Lisa having to get up at a ridiculously rude hour to drop us before having to fight the traffic back to work.   From the time of the pick up at 4:15 am with an awesome driver to the drop off at our hotel in Mauritius this afternoon at 17:30 Mauritian time – two hours ahead of SA, we had the best service from all concerned.

We had checked in online and when we got to the bag drop there was a short queue – but that did not stop SAA from taking us to the Prestige Desk and getting us sorted in the briefest of times.  I reminded the checker that our travel agent had requested wheel chair assistance for The Earl.   But it was not on the system.  No Problem – she sorted it within minutes and a wheelchair with a charming carer arrived.  Using the assisted travel option has changed the way we travel forever – it takes the stress out of having to walk miles at a fast pace, finding the correct gate and getting through bag check and customs without a meltdown.   My advice to all over seventies no matter how fit you think you are, is to travel with assistance – it’s awesome.   The flight attendants were amazing too.  They helped carry and stow our carry on bags and made absolutely sure that we had whatever we needed. Nothing was too much trouble.  We had two flights – Cape Town to Johannesburg and then Johannesburg to Mauritius.   There was very little time between flights and I don’t think we could have done it without help!  We received the same awesome treatment when landing in Mauritius too.   Everybody was welcoming and friendly and our transfer driver was very chatty and informative about where to go and what to see while we are here.  What a paradise this island is!   The trip from the airport to our hotel was 70 km and took over an hour but we enjoyed the tropical scenery.   It rained a little but all was clear when arrived at the hotel and it’s balmy to say the least!

Azure Beach Boutique Hotel in Grande Baie is really lovely.  It is not 5 star but clean and comfortable and there is a lovely view over a yacht basin.

This evening we had a delicious seafood salad for dinner.

We then took a walk around the area before returning to catch up on our sleep!