4 days at Sea

            Friday, 16 Feb 2018 – Today we were tired, and so we rested.  We swam for a half hour and danced for a very short time.  Tonight we set our clocks forward again!

Saturday, 17 Feb 2018 – Since we slept so late this morning, the café was closed and we ate breakfast at the Waves Grill.  After swimming, we went for lunch at the café, where we sat with Brenda and Bob.

Later, as we were getting ready to go to dinner, the captain announced that sea conditions wouldn’t be good for our docking at Nosy Be, Madagascar.  Therefore, we would be skipping that port and would proceed to the next one, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.  Meanwhile, we would be having another sea day.  Sally danced for joy, rejoicing in having another day to relax before rising early!  In our case, we would have had a 4.5-hour tour, “A Glimpse of Nosy Be,” a very small island off the coast of Madagascar – which didn’t really sound that exciting.

            In the middle of the day, we swam.  And this evening we ate in the Toscana Dining room with Canute and Julie, plus two other friends, Will and Clyde, as pre-arranged.  At least we didn’t overeat as much as we did the last time we ate there!

Sunday, 18 Feb 2018 – We had such a leisurely day that we barely made it to breakfast before the café closed, and we didn’t do much better than that for lunch.  However, we swam at about noon, when the deck was extremely hot and several “standers” were in the pool, keeping cool while they talked.  (This was also only possible because the sea was extremely calm.)  Somehow we managed to swim back & forth, using only as small a space as possible.  Except for some dancing after dinner, that was our day.

The Insignia has stepped up its sanitation procedures during the past week, and today made further changes in the café.  A third hand sanitizer was added, and one staff member stands at the entrance reminding people to use the sanitizer as they enter.  Tablecloths are no longer used; instead, the table is totally sanitized between guests.  Although a smaller cream pitcher had sat on each table in the morning, now it is poured by a server – who also asks if the guest wishes sweetener, and if so, which kind, which is then brought to that guest.  It was reported that 1.9 percent of passengers complained of virus-type symptoms (vomiting, diarrhea, etc.), and we are all encouraged to use extra care.

Monday, 19 Feb 2018 – This morning we set our clocks early in preparation for going out on our excursion today in Tanzania.  As we arrived back at our cabin after our early breakfast, we told our cabin stewardess that we would be going out for an 8-hour excursion.  She looked confused.  Then she explained that this was going to be an at-sea day as originally planned, and that we would be in Tanzania tomorrow.  Wow!  Although we felt rather stupid (it would have been a long swim today because the ship would not be docking!), Sally took it in stride and crawled back under the covers and napped for two hours!

However, she had to get out of bed by 10:15 to be in the hallway with other passengers for a second pirate drill.  We swam for a half hour before enjoying lobster for dinner; then we danced for a half hour before retiring.

Maputo, Mozambique

East Africa Map

            Thursday, 15 Feb 2018 – Due to high winds and ocean currents against us, the Insignia was not to arrive at Maputo nearly as early as expected.  Although we heard only the last part of the first announcement concerning this problem, we heard subsequent announcements about time changes for tours.  Maputo is located in the Southern-most part of Mozambique, near the South African border.  Although our map shows Mozambique as part of east Africa, a map of the Six Regions of the African Union, as of 30 Jan 2017, shows Mozambique as part of the South Region.

Instead of 9:30, our 3-hour tour “Glimpse of Maputo” started at 11:00 AM.  Our guide, Selio, was an extremely slim (skinny) black man with a heavy accent and (sometimes) also a rather bad stammer.  The mini-bus was air-conditioned, for which we passengers were all thankful; however, the outdoor temperature was extremely hot and humid, and most of the time we were on the bus for a very short time before getting out to see the next sight.

Maputo’s rich history came to light on this tour which included the essential highlights of Mozambique’s bustling capital.  Lourence Marques, a Portuguese explorer landed here in 1544.  While much of Maputo was destroyed during Mozambique’s civil war that finally ended when relative peace was restored in 1992, the city is intent on regaining its glory.

The first sight was the Central Train Station, designed by the renowned French architect Gustave Eiffel in 1910.  For a glimpse into the daily life of the locals, we stopped at a market, where goods often exchange hands through bartering.

We stopped in Independence Square, featuring a statue of Mozambique’s first president, the City Hall, and a Roman Catholic cathedral.  (Although the two of us hoped to step inside the cathedral, the doors were tightly locked.)  We also viewed the French-Mozambican Cultural Center, a splendid old colonial building which has been restored and is home to various art exhibitions.  One of the more unique sights is an unusual all-iron house, another creation by Eiffel.  When we went inside, it was not as hot as we expected.  Unusual “art” exhibits were there.

Museum of Natural History

At the Museum of Natural History, especially interesting were very alive-looking stuffed animals native to the surrounding area.  Sally especially liked the scene showing a death struggle between a tiger and an African bull.  Although the bull had deep gashes in his back, one tiger already lay dead and a second tiger was being torn apart by the bull, indicating how dangerous the bull really is.

Mouzinho de Albuquerque (1855-1902)

Our next-to-last stop was the somewhat crumbling Maputo Fort, with old weapons, cannons, and statues of former heroes.

The last stop was at an open-air shopping center.  About half of the people on our bus (including Jesse) went there, with the rest of us staying on the bus.  Jesse reported that the merchandise was pretty much the same as we had seen elsewhere (and others said the same thing); the vendors left him alone – they thought he was a local – until he was nearly back to the bus!

Although heat certainly was a great discomfort to us spoiled people from a temperate climate who are used to air conditioning, almost as irritating was the constant bother by vendors, sticking their wares (caps, cloths, purses, etc.) in our faces.  Since most of our stops were in the same general area, the same vendors followed our bus much of the time and repeated their performance as we walked between the bus and whatever place we were headed toward, and then again as we walked back out to the bus.  Also very assertive, they stuck their arms in the bus doors after we stepped inside!  Yes, they are just trying to survive, but still their behavior is aggravating.  Although Jesse seemed to think the experience with the vendors was humorous, the rest of our group was sick of it by the time our bus “escaped” them to head toward the pier.  Many of the vendors exclaimed that Jesse was the “same color” as them, and appealed to him for help; one vendor actually called him “Dad!”  Since some of our group hadn’t traveled previously to places like India or Egypt, where the vendors are also a constant presence, this was their initiation!

When Selio was asked about the cost of buying one of the homes in the expensive area, he said the rent could be $3,000 USD per month but had no idea of the cost to buy.  He lives 2 hours from Maputo, and takes three busses to get to the city – because the city is so expensive.

One person in our bus asked about the Mozambique government.  The guide’s answer was confusing.  Although they do now have an elected government, the situation is still complicated.  During the 1950’s and 1960’s, Mozambique resistance to Portuguese colonial rule intensified, with gathering resentment of Portuguese exploitation and oppression.  In the years since then, warfare has taken place, with assistance to one side or other given by outside forces (including communists); most of the Portuguese population fled, leaving mainly uneducated people to manage the country; and land mines injured many civilians.  Our guide mentioned that a long bridge (which we could see easily from the Insignia) connecting Maputo with the other side of the peninsula is being built by the Chinese, who also built many of the newer buildings.  People living in Maputo definitely like the Chinese, who are becoming a big presence there.

Sally took a 3-hour nap after returning to the ship, and we danced for half an hour after dinner.  Having completed five days in a row of tours, now we can relax for two at-sea days until we port in Madagascar.

Richards Bay, South Africa

            Wednesday, 14 Feb 2018 – Before dawn today the Insignia docked at Richards Bay.  For us, it was going to be the fourth of five consecutive days of excursions – and a long day, at that!  When meeting up in the Insignia Lounge, we were pleased to see that friends Julie and Canute were also assigned to our bus, which left the pier before 8:00 AM for our 7-hour “Shakaland” tour.

Richards Bay is a town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa with the deepest natural harbor in the Southern hemisphere.  The coal terminal here was once the largest coal export facility in the world, and two aluminum smelters are located here.  Tourism is a major part of the economy, with Richards Bay seen as a gateway to Zululand, and an area popular with foreign tourists because of its large game parks.  However, the Richards Bay area is plagued by unemployment and poverty.  Unemployment has been estimated at 19 percent in Richards Bay, but 55 percent in the rural area; the local government has made efforts to implement projects aimed at poverty reduction.

As our bus quickly left the small city, our guide, Thako, addressed some of these issues and others as well.  In the rural area, historically sugar cane was the money crop.  However, the rural population is mostly Zulu, who refused to work in the fields.  Therefore, the whites, who owned the plantations, brought in workers from India and Asia.  As a result, 19 percent of the population of this area is of Indian or Asian descent.  Sally asked Thako if these Indians were brought as slaves; she said they were not, but “they were treated like slaves.”  Although we passed sugar cane fields, we also saw fruit trees.

Village Entrance

Our bus drove 1.5 hours through Empangeni, a town situated in hilly countryside, overlooking the flat coastal plain and Richards Bay about 10 miles away, and on to Shakaland, where the motion picture Shaka Zulu was filmed.  Upon arrival, we were met by a Zulu guide and then served fruit juice as refreshments.

Sally with Zulu Warrior

The Zulu village was set up to show tourists their way of life.  The village consists of several buildings, reached by walking short distances on gravel paths.  A cow was in a small fenced area, and chickens wandered about freely, sometimes underfoot.  During our walking tour through the village, we saw a variety of displays that included Zulu women creating bead-work, weaving mats, sculpting pottery, baking bread, and brewing Zulu beer.  The Zulu men demonstrated how to make spears and shields, and build Zulu beehive-styled grass huts.  The largest hut, which they call “Grandmother’s Hut,” is round, with a thatched roof; it is used for spiritual connection with their ancestors – or as a school, hospital, or any function involving the larger family group.

Jesse with Young Zulu Women

Our Zulu guide (who spoke very good English), told us about some of their medical lore.  Instead of going to modern medical doctors and hospitals, they depend on healing by a witch doctor who gives them concoctions of roots or herbs or parts of animals.

Following the first part of our visit, our group (of two tour buses from the ship) was directed to Kwabonamanzi Restaurant overlooking the Umhlatuze Lake for lunch.  There, we sat with friends Julie, Canute, and Donna.  The food was good and there was plenty of it, including desserts and a choice of beer, wine, soft drinks, or bottled water.

Lunch with Julie, Canute, & Donna

After lunch, we were invited into the Chief’s hut to observe Zulu dancers performing rhythmic drum dances, and tribal members recreating a ritual by the traditional healer, sangoma.  The dancing was like no other that we have seen.  Four or five young males would dance, which was based on something like skipping but, on every other beat of the drums, they would kick one leg out straight and high over their head, then repeat with the other leg, back and forth and on and on, until suddenly sitting down (all of the men simultaneously).  Then more dancers, sometimes women, would take center stage and repeat this same ritual.  They were obviously quite athletic, but had danced like this since young children.  Afterward, our guide told us that their enemies would see the high level of energy shown in the Zulu dance and take warning that the Zulu could be a dangerous enemy!

Zulu Statue

Incidentally, a note in the Insignia’s description of this tour stated: “It is customary for unmarried Zulu women to go topless.”  At least for our tour, the women wore tops, sometimes a bra top with a fancy front, with a short, fancy skirt.  The men were usually shirtless.

During the drive back to the pier from Shakaland, Thako told us (in answer to Jesse’s question) that this tribal “village” we had visited was for demonstration purposes; no local Zulu people actually lived there.  The performers who participated in telling this unique story of the Zulu people came from other nearby communities.  However, there were overnight accommodations for visitors, including the restaurant and a swimming pool.

She also talked about King Shaka, King of the Zulus.  Nearly two centuries ago, the Zulu King Shaka, known to historians as the Black Napoleon, subjugated the tribes that today comprise the Kingdom of the Zulu.  He ruled with an iron hand.  Shaka was the illegitimate son of Senzangakona, King of the Zulus, and was born about 1787.  He and his mother were exiled by Senzangakona, and found refuge with the Mthethwa.  However, when Senzangakona died, Shaka was able to become chief of the Zulu Kingdom in about 1818.  He initiated many military, social, cultural, and political reforms, forming a well-organized and centralized Zulu state.  His most important reforms involved the transformation of the army, through innovative tactics and weapons he conceived, and a showdown with the spiritual leadership, witch doctors, thereby ensuring the subservience of the Zulu “church” to the state.  Another reform integrated defeated clans into the Zulu, on a basis of full equality, with promotions in the army and civil service becoming a matter of merit rather than due to circumstances of birth.  By 1825, Shaka had conquered an empire covering an area of about 11,500 square miles.  He ruled until 1840, when he was assassinated by two half-brothers.

Shaka loved his mother very much because she had protected him when his father wanted him killed.  When she died, he made it mandatory that all tribesmen mourn her passing; if they did not, they were summarily killed. He also came down with other edicts having cruel results.

Thako told us that Zulus bury their family members near their hut, not in a cemetery.  If they were to be buried farther away (as in a cemetery), their relative might forget about them; therefore, their relative needs to be nearby in order to help them.  As our bus drove through the countryside, we could see that each house has a separate circular hut, usually with a thatched roof, which was the place where they talk with their ancestors.

At that time in the afternoon, we also passed many school children, walking home from school, and wearing their school uniforms.  The children are provided schools, but not school buses.  However, in the rural area, many children attend only the first few years of school, probably somewhat equivalent to an elementary school education.

After the Insignia left Richards Bay at 4:00 PM, passengers all felt the high winds and choppy seas.  Although we danced tonight, it was often difficult to even remain standing!

Durban, South Africa

             Tuesday, 13 Feb 2018 – Today we didn’t have to wake up early because our 4-hour tour was set for 1:00 PM.  Therefore, we ate a leisurely breakfast and then relaxed in our cabin until almost 12:45, when we needed to meet in the Insignia Lounge.

Slightly before 1:00, our bus left the pier for our 4-hour excursion, “Valley of the Thousand Hills.”  Our guide was Dick, who is Afrikaans; the driver was Piet.  As we rode along, Dick provided a lot of information, and he spoke very good English.  It took about an hour of driving through the city and then the green, hilly countryside before reaching our destination.  Although Durban is the third largest city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, we weren’t ensnarled in any traffic jams as had always happened in Cape Town.

One of the Large Turtles

Upon arrival at the Phezulu Safari Park, we first walked with a local guide through the reptile park, where we saw snakes (behind glass windows), some large turtles, and quite a number of crocodiles in or near small ponds; although we were not far from some of them, we were behind fences.  A few of the passengers held “baby” crocodiles for photos, but we declined.  In a glass case was a stuffed crocodile that had died about three years ago at the age of 109 years!

From there, we walked a short distance to an arena to discover the intricacies, ethnic customs and beliefs of the Zulu people.  Zulu tales and history were depicted in energetic, costumed songs and dances by the renowned Gasa clan, who has been performing their unique plays for over 40 years.  Dances of courtship and betrothal, war and birth, and the throwing of bones by a witch doctor, or Sangoma, were set to the mesmerizing beat of the Zulu drums.  About 15 young people took part in this drama and dancing.

Zulu Warriors

Next, a few of us walked into a traditional beehive hut.  Inside, the men were instructed to sit on one side of the hut, and women on the other.  This was supposed to the chief inside, but an interpreter was with him, as they demonstrated how a spear is thrown by a Zulu man.  In another beehive hut, a woman was grinding corn.  A man who spoke fairly good English described what she was doing, and said that women always do the cooking.  The fact that a man can have several wives was discussed.  The spokesman said that his grandfather had five wives, his father had three, and he has only one, but is engaged to a second.  To marry, a man must pay 11 cows to the bride’s family, which is an obstacle for having multiple wives.  Nowadays, women are becoming more independent, which is also slowly changing the tradition.

Before boarding our bus for the return trip to the ship, tea or coffee and scones were served.  We also visited a small curio shop for souvenirs.  A larger curio shop had been available for guests to browse until it burned down a couple of days ago.  Workmen were in the process rebuilding the shop, starting with clearing the ashes from the exterior stone walls, which were still intact.  Our bus arrived back at the pier at 4:00 PM.

East London, South Africa

            Monday, 12 Feb 2018 – East London lies on the southeast coast of South Africa, in the Eastern Cape Province.  The city is located on the Indian Ocean coast, between the Buffalo River and the Nahoon River, and is South Africa’s only river port.

Thankfully, our tour was later today.  Although Sally was looking forward to sleeping as late as possible, at about 7:45 the Insignia’s thrusters started making their noise as the ship was steered toward the dock – and that was the end of any sleep.  Those thrusters are loud and clear in the location of our cabin.  After breakfast, we prepared for our day’s tour, meeting in the Insignia Lounge by 10:45 AM.

By 11:00 we had boarded a bus for our 4.75-hour tour to the World Class Inkwenkwezi Game Reserve and soon set off in a northerly direction, traveling past beaches en route to the luxurious, big-five-game reserve.  Unlike yesterday, it was a wonderful day – mostly clear, though with some high clouds that helped keep the temperature down to about 84 degrees.  Our guide on the bus was Sadie; the driver was Isaac, though he pronounced it “E-sack” (in Afrikaans).  This private game reserve is situated within an area of 100 square kilometers encompassing 5 different biomes (vegetation types) which offer varied game viewing.  The reserve is home to the Big Five game:  elephant, lion, buffalo, rhinoceros, and leopard, as well as many other animals both large and small.

When we disembarked the bus and walked toward the restrooms located in a shelter at the park entrance, we were welcomed by traditional Xhosa dancers and singers wearing colorful costumes.  After exiting the shelter, we climbed up into the waiting 4x4 vehicle.

Although we rode in a 4x4 yesterday also, today’s vehicle was different.  Yesterday, we stepped into the vehicle, as with an automobile; it had a canvas top, back, and sides – except there were no windows.  The vehicle was wide, with 25 passengers – two passengers on each side of a center aisle.  When people stood, supposedly to see animals better, they tended to block the view of passengers on the other side of the vehicle.  Today the 4x4 was higher; we had to climb a small ladder on the side in order to board the vehicle.  It had a canvas top and back, but the sides were completely open.  This vehicle could hold a maximum of 10 passengers.  Standing seemed fairly difficult, which helped ensure that everyone had a good view of the surroundings.

Our guide, Carl, has worked at this job for five years and really seems to “know his stuff.”  He told us a lot about the animals that we saw, some information that would be impossible to find without reading a doctoral thesis!

After each of us signed a form (“indemnity”), apparently saying that we would not hold the company or whatever responsible in case of a medical problem, our vehicle set out.  Carl warned us to keep our arms inside the vehicle because it is believed that animals perceive a vehicle as one item, but it is risky to be outside of the vehicle, or to have part of one’s body outside it.

Rhinoceroses at the Entrance

Thus began our drive through South Africa’s wild bush in an open-air vehicle, looking for lions, rhinoceroses, giraffes, or many other indigenous animals.  Right inside the entrance to the park were several rhinoceroses, and a few antelopes.  Next were zebras, then Cape buffalos (or African bovines), and zebras.  We watched a family of giraffes for several minutes.  One very young giraffe was still nursing his mother.  A young, curious male giraffe walked up fairly close to stare at us.

Young Giraffe Nursing

When we stopped to see a termite mound, Carl told us interesting details.  This mound was about five feet high, but most of it is actually underground, Carl explained.  Inside, the temperature is always 27 degrees Celsius (80.6 F), so that the termites stay active.

At last, our 4x4 went through two gates in two rows of fences only a few yards apart – and soon after that, we had a good view of a pride of white lions.  As we watched, one large male strolled slowly by some of the other lions, almost as if he were walking across a stage just for us.  Carl told us that these lions are fed large quantities of meat at intervals of a few days.  No doubt, if they were hungry, these lions would not be so docile!

White Lions in the Bush

                Approximately two and a half hours in the bush provided plenty of opportunities to observe the abundant wildlife.  Sally was thrilled with the experience.  Jesse, who was sitting between Sally and another woman (Kathy), enjoyed conversation throughout the drive.  The only downside of this experience was the horrible rough road, which was little more than a cow path, usually with deep ruts.  Sometimes the passengers were tossed up in the air or from side to side; after the worst jolts, Carl would call out, asking if everyone was okay.  At the end of the drive, Sally’s brain felt scrambled from the bouncing!

            Back at the park entrance, we were offered drinks of soda pop and then boarded our bus to return to the ship.  Arriving in our cabin at 3:25 PM, we were hungry, but the café had closed.  Therefore, we ate our very late lunch at the Waves Grill, located near the swimming pool – and Jesse grossly overate, for the third time on this cruise.

Although we had been discussing swimming after lunch, Jesse didn’t feel like it – and Sally used the time to take a nap.  At 4:00 PM, the Insignia departed from the port for Durban.

We, especially Sally, are trying to keep rested because we had five days in a row (starting with Port Elizabeth) of scheduled shore excursions.  We still have three very busy days left before having an at-sea day to rest up!

Tonight we didn’t dance, and we ate a late, very light dinner.

Port Elizabeth, South Africa

            Sunday, 11 Feb 2018 – Port Elizabeth is one of the largest cities in South Africa.  It is situated in the Eastern Cape Province, 478 miles east of Cape Town.  However, we didn’t go into the city at all.  This morning, we met in the Insignia Lounge for our 5-hour tour by 8:45 AM, and by 9:00 our bus had departed the pier.  For the next 1.25 hours the bus headed north across the Swartkops River to the Addo Elephant Park.  The scenery was not too much different from the Southwestern U.S.A; most of the dry, reddish ground was bare except for dwarf junipers.  However, in some places we saw fruit trees planted in neat rows, obviously watered by irrigation.  Then, after a 20 minute “comfort stop” at the Park entrance, we boarded a 4X4 safari vehicle for a 2-hour ride through the Elephant Park.

This spectacular national park stands as living proof of the success of South Africa’s conservation efforts.  The original section of the Addo National Park was founded in 1931, in order to provide a sanctuary for the mere 11 remaining elephants in the area.  Proving to be very successful, the park currently houses more than 600 elephants and a large number of other mammals.  According to Carl, our guide, the park is now as large as the country of Belgium!

Although we had been told that Port Elizabeth is usually cooler than Cape Town, we were surprised to find ourselves in light rain before reaching the park entrance.  After all, South Africa is suffering from a severe drought, and we had heard the forecast of a 10 percent chance of rain!  However, when we boarded, seats in the open 4X4 were already rather wet.  Since our vehicle (unlike other 4X4’s sitting nearby) had heavy plastic windows that could be loosened from the canvas top above and allowed to hang at the open sides (thereby pretty much blocking the rain as well as the view), our group was not provided with plastic ponchos.  But the two of us had brought along ponchos from a previous cruise; but fortunately for rest of our group, the rain didn’t last very long.

Our vehicle allowed us to observe the animals in a fairly close manner – if we were lucky.  Soon, a lion was spotted in the distance; despite, Jesse’s continued efforts to point him out to Sally, she never actually saw him.  Next, we saw a zebra, closer and on our side of the road.  (We saw a whole herd of zebras later.)  The next animal we spotted was a warthog.  Although he was alone, we soon saw a family of warthogs, some quite young.  One or perhaps two types of antelope (called kudu) also came into view.  However, the greatest treat was to see a herd of elephants fairly close: several adult males, many females and younger elephants, and at least one baby still suckling.  Possibly 100 or more elephants were in that group.

African Elephants

These particular elephants are a somewhat smaller species of the African elephant, and are reddish rather than grey like most African elephants.  Although the adult males were easy to spot, they also seemed to carry themselves in a different way from the females.  Time passed far too fast as we sat watching the elephants (no binoculars required), and our guide announced that, regrettably, we would have to head back to the entrance.

Before leaving the park, we saw more animals of the types we had already seen.  After making use of the comfort center, we boarded our bus again for the trip back to the Insignia.  Although we reached the café at 2:00 PM, normal closing time for lunch, it stayed open later today to feed the hungry people returning from their tours.  And we were grateful.  Between lunch and dinner, Sally took a long nap, making up for a skimpy sleep last night.  At dinner in the café, we happened to meet up with Christina and Spiro, so we ate with them and shared our adventures, and later, danced with them in the Insignia Lounge.  During dinner, they told us that they had spent a few weeks in South Africa during the early 1980s, and described how dispirited and hopeless the black workers in the “white” area looked at the time, and remarked that they no longer appear that way today.

At Sea

            Saturday, 10 Feb 2018 – Today the Insignia continued to sail eastward toward the rising sun, just south of Africa.  At first, we could see Cape Point, located on the southwestern tip of Africa, though it was very distant and the view was hazy.  Because seas were very rough, in the morning the swimming pool was empty and being cleaned.  However, later the pool was filled and by 4:00 we decided to swim.  Although the water felt warm by then, the water from the shower nozzle beside the pool was a little too invigorating and air temperature was probably in the low 70’s.  (It had warmed up; air temperature had been in 60’s at 9:30 AM.)  By noon, the African coast was no longer in view even in the distance.

When the Insignia left Miami, we delighted in the wonderful selection of fresh fruit to eat each morning with our breakfast.  Blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries were available to eat on oatmeal or by themselves.  However, during the days after leaving Brazil, first the blueberries ran out, then blackberries, and finally even strawberries.  Also, mushrooms (to add to our omelets) were not to be found.  The days of crossing the Atlantic, followed by docking in very small ports in West Africa had allowed those items to be totally consumed by passengers.  But, after one day in Cape Town, Insignia had restocked these menu items.  Yum!

In the afternoon, we watched the 1985 movie “Out of Africa,” with Meryl Streep and Robert Redford, on our TV.  Based loosely on the autobiography of Danish author, Karen Blixen, the setting is east Africa in the early 1900’s.   This evening was another Captain’s Cocktail Celebration, when we could dance to the Insignia orchestra.  Also dancing were Christina and Spiro, and we sat with them during the program.