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Darren and Janet

Darren and Janet

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    • Darren and JanetDarren and JanetMauritius and West Africa
      2Brown Booby on the wing
      1Donut or cronut for breakfast?1Oh, yes please!Booby flips, ready to dive1Afternoon teaFirst sight of the eastern Cape Verde Islands (we travel overnight through to the western islands)

      A hatch of Boobies*

      20 juni, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ 🌬 23 °C

      Another travelling day, on the way to Cape Verde, and for the first time this trip we had a flock of birds following the boat for a few hours. We identified them as Brown Boobies as they soared along next to us, then flipped over and dived into the ocean to catch a fish, occasionally emerging triumphant. The fish were almost presenting themselves by jumping out of the water, so this entertainment kept us amused for quite a while this afternoon.

      This morning's presentation was by the ship's bridge officers about what happens on the bridge, and other useful bits of information such as how our waters are pumped into various tanks and used as ballast (fresh water, grey water and blackwater), and how recycling is done on board (all waste is sorted, and the ship has a glass crusher, a baler for cardboard and aluminium, and food waste is pulverised for later disposal)

      *the collective noun for a group of boobies is a hatch, a congress or a trap      Meer informatie

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    • Darren and JanetDarren and JanetMauritius and West Africa
      3African Renaissance Monument
      1Goree Island... as close as we got3View from the African Renaissance Monument, cemetery in the foregroundMosque of the DivinityOur taxi crewOur chariotCoffee sellers are popular on the streets3Dakar Train StationPlenty of street sellersLocal busParliament HouseCathedral of our Lady of VictoriesOutdoor dinner with a view of the dock, watching the sea eagles soar around usDusk dip

      Dakar, as west as West Africa gets

      19 juni, Senegal ⋅ 🌙 25 °C

      Most of the day was at sea, with our scheduled 11am arrival into Dakar pushed back to 3.30pm. This also meant that 3 of the 5 tours around Dakar were cancelled, including our trip to Goree Island.

      This was a real shame - it was the excursion we were most looking forward to, as Goree was the largest slave-trading centre on the African coast.

      The only tours remaining were a city highlights tour, or a cooking class... and the cooking class was booked out. The city highlights tours spend more time on the bus than visiting sites, so us and another couple opted to catch a taxi for our own city tour.

      There were a number of taxis on the dock, so we negotiated a price for 2 hours to see the major sites, and it was brilliant. We visited all the sites the bus tour was doing plus more, and were finished in half the time 😁

      Progress was swift because the roads around the city were the best we've seen, and the city is one of the cleanest we've visited.

      Dakar is situated on the Cape Verde Peninsula, the westernmost point of Africa, so our tour began on the coast at the African Renaissance Monument, Africa's tallest statue. At 52 metres, it is taller than both Christ the Redeemer in Rio and the Statue of Liberty. It depicts a man, woman and child emerging from a volcano, symbolising Africa's emergence from centuries of oppression, and was the subject of much controversy because of its cost and design.

      Our others stops were the President's Palace and Parliament House, Mosque of the Divinity, Cathedral of our Lady of Victories, and Independence Square, before returning to the ship and some market shopping on the dock.

      We still had time for a swim and dinner before the other buses arrived back, then a leisurely cocktail in the lounge bar before the nightly show in the main theatre.      Meer informatie

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    • Darren and JanetDarren and JanetMauritius and West Africa
      1Bocce action on the top deck
      Oliver in bocce modeBocce and meBeer of the day, Nigerian Star LagerSusanna in the main theatre

      Running late for Senegal 🏃🏼‍➡️🏃🏼‍➡️

      18 juni, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

      Hot but relaxing day on board with another full day at sea. The announcement came through mid morning that we had strong currents overnight and were now 3.5 hours behind schedule for our arrival in Dakar, Senegal tomorrow.

      Bocce was the activity of the morning, followed by burgers around the pool for lunch. The afternoon was book reading and trivia, then we were entertained by violinist Susanna in the theatre tonight, playing everything from classical to Metallica.      Meer informatie

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    • Darren and JanetDarren and JanetMauritius and West Africa
      Tim Abel, Piano Showman
      Rocky Road Bread Pudding, with marshmallow, pecans and salted butterscotch sauce 🤤

      Transiting the Pepper Coast

      17 juni, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

      We have a full day at sea, with most of it along the coast of Liberia, historically known as The Pepper Coast.

      Liberia is a unique case in Africa, as it was founded by the American Colonization Society with the intention of resettling freed American slaves and their descendants, and is Africa's oldest republic (1847). It is one of only two counties in Africa never subjected to colonial rule (Ethiopia is the other).

      The day for us was a late breakfast, craft session in the morning and trivia in the afternoon. Most of the day was overcast with occasional showers, but warm enough to sit around the pool deck reading. Dinner was in the specialty steak restaurant on board, followed by a spectacular performance by Tim Abel, Piano Showman, in the main theatre.      Meer informatie

      Zie vertaling
    • Darren and JanetDarren and JanetMauritius and West Africa
      1Stained glass window, St Paul's Cathedral
      1Swathes of floating rubbish greeted us in the harbour2Tour F and St Paul's CathedralSt Paul's Cathedral, interiorCharles Comb Art MuseumDirt roads abutt the main road, AbidjanThis supermarket has plenty of competition in their carparkOrphanage and dance troupeBamboo Forest, Bingerville Botanic GardensBotanic Gardens2Birthday celebration set up in Botanic GardensOur police escorts weren't mucking around stopping the traffic today!Cava craft market1Abidjan skyline2Bus convoy returns to the ship, with our ambulance escort

      Abidjan

      16 juni, Ivoorkust ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

      We sailed into the Abidjan lagoon through a canal constructed in 1960 to connect the city to the Atlantic Ocean. Abidjan is the economic capital and largest city in Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire), a city of 4 million people, supposedly famed for its mix of colonial buildings and new construction... but it's also the dirtiest and least developed city we have visited, with rubbish everywhere and dirt roads with shanty housing butting onto the main highway.

      We toured the city as well as the former capital of Bingerville, traveling from the port in a convoy of buses, surrounded by about a dozen policemen on motorcycles whose job it was to stop traffic at every intersection and roundabout, lights and sirens blaring all day (we also had 2 ambulances follow the convoy all day).

      First stop was St. Paul's Cathedral, with a capacity of 3,500 seated and another 1,500 standing (still nowhere near the largest church in Africa... not even the largest church in Côte d'Ivoire - the cathedral in the capital, Yamoussoukro, holds 18,000)

      Next door, still under construction, is Tour F (Tower F), which will be the tallest building in Africa when it's completed in 2026.

      We visited an art museum, an orphanage, the Botanic Gardens, and finished the day at a large art and craft market.

      Another late lunch after 3pm, then a light tea in the Italian restaurant before a Michael Bublé tribute act in the main theatre.      Meer informatie

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    • Darren and JanetDarren and JanetMauritius and West Africa
      1
      City centre, closed Market Circle in the background2Open drains are commonplace in the citySellers cartsMost street stalks not open todaySupermarket - if you don't have much stock, just spread it outTakoradi-Secondi suburbsTakoradi-Secondi suburbsQuiet day on the streetsOrange seller and her assistant2Fishing boats at the harbourFishing harbourOnion seller2Rubbish piled in the streets, Takoradi-Secondi city centreMost taxis are Mazda 2 or Toyota YarisQuiet streets near the Market CircleDrumming and dance demonstration

      Today's Sunday, this must be Ghana

      15 juni, Ghana ⋅ 🌧 24 °C

      Our first back-to-back shore days brings us to the twin city of Takoradi-Secondi in Ghana.

      Takoradi is the major export port for agricultural and oil exports for Ghana and its land locked neighbours. Unfortunately, it is also a good example of continued foreign exploitation of resources - our guide noted that less than 10% of the natural resources stay in the country. Across the city, very little work has been done on the roads, and unfinished and abandoned structures are everywhere.

      Being Sunday, most of the shops were closed and, as the main market is undergoing a rebuild, there was very little to see in the city. Luckily a number of sellers had set up stalls on the dock, so we could get our fix of souvenir and fabric shopping.

      Our afternoon tour took us to the fishing port and a local hotel for a dance demonstration.      Meer informatie

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    • Darren and JanetDarren and JanetMauritius and West Africa
      Ganvie Village
      1Dahomey Amazon monumentCotonou street scene, on the way to Ganvie VillageInto the throng...Cotonou Street scene, between rain showersLocals on the way to Ganvie VillageTourist boats leaving the dock to Ganvie VillageFloating vendor, bread and mashed avocado was her specialtyFisherman demonstrates their technique1Our welcoming party, Ganvie VillageApproaching Ganvie Village1Side street, Ganvie Village2The Bunnings of Ganvie VillageA funeral procession, Ganvie VillageTwo story stilted house, Ganvie VillageFloating market, Ganvie Village2Plenty of rain as we arrived back at the dock

      Let's Begin in Benin

      14 juni, Benin ⋅ 🌧 26 °C

      At 8am we docked in Cotonou, the main port, administrative capital, and largest city in Benin (the actual capital, Porto Novo, is 40km east)

      Our tour today took us to Ganvie, a village built on Lake Nokoué, an hour north of Cotonou.

      The entire village is built on stilts over the lake. With a population of 40,000 people, it is the largest lake village in the world, and sometimes called The Venice of Africa.
      The Tofinu people settled here in the sixteenth century and built their lake village to escape slavers who came from the Fon tribe and were not allowed to enter water for religious reasons. This made the lagoon a safe territory for other tribes. All of Ganvie's houses, shops and restaurants are built on wooden stilts, and it also has a floating market. The town has one complete patch of land, which is the site of the village school, and many houses have a small patch of land beside them, where villagers can rear a few domesticated animals . All the soil was imported by the people of Ganvie in their boats, including enough to create a proper cemetery.

      It rained most of the day, so our scheduled photo opportunity on the way was limited to peering through torrential rain at the Monument Amazone, a 30m bronze statue honoring the Dahomey Amazons, an all-female military group from the Kingdom of Dahomey.

      We arrived back at ship after 3 pm, so didn't have the opportunity to catch the shuttle to town to do any shopping, so, after changing out of our wet clothes, we headed to the pool grill for a late lunch... as did many others.

      We set sail at 4pm, heading west towards Ghana.      Meer informatie

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    • Darren and JanetDarren and JanetMauritius and West Africa
      1Calm waters on sea day
      Bracelet making1The finished productAfternoon tea, cheesecake and pianoCooking demonstration by the Executive ChefChoices... Choices. 8 cheesecakes to choose between for afternoon tea.

      Sea day to Benin

      13 juni, Gulf of Guinea ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

      Another full day at sea as we head north to Benin, and a busy part of the cruise with 3 shore days in a row.

      Today's activities were a bracelet making craft morning, a cooking demonstration by the Executive Chef, the usual trivia session, and my first swim in the pool.

      Evening entertainment is a piano virtuoso.      Meer informatie

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    • Darren and JanetDarren and JanetMauritius and West Africa
      2Sao Tome city centre
      Sao Tome island was under cloud most of the daySao Tome city waterfrontMoney changers on stools waiting for businessMy coconut being preparedEnjoying my coconut3Beer van parked in the street... mid morningSan Sebastião Fort and lighthouseSuburban street vendorsFresh produce market2Sao Tome street scenePresidential PalaceOur Lady of Grace Cathedral, 1576Our Lady of Grace Cathedral, 1576Pantufo fishing village, dancers and churchPantufo Village waterfrontPantufo Village, rubbish dumped on the foreshore... a common problem across the island.Fort forecourt , our ship in the distanceSuburban street vendors

      São Tomé and Príncipe

      12 juni, Sao Tomé en Principe ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

      We woke early to witness the actual crossing of the equator... and unsurprisingly, nothing happened! But we did witness the ship's tenders being unloaded and the first sights of São Tomé and Príncipe.

      São Tomé and Príncipe is a small nation composed of two islands - São Tomé and Príncipe - located in the Gulf of Guinea. Both islands are part of an extinct volcanic mountain range, and it is the second-smallest African country (after The Seychelles). São Tomé Island, where we are landing, is the larger of the two at 50 km long and 30 km wide.

      This is our only anchor port of the cruise, which means we anchor offshore and are transferred to shore by tender (approximately 60 at a time).

      We have an afternoon excursion booked, so we caught an early tender in and walked around town for a while. This time we were dropped in the centre of town (there are no shopping malls in ST), so we had easy access to the local shops and could really experience the beat of the city. The downside is that there were a lot of street children begging for money (although some resident adults admonished them, obviously aware of the reputation this gives the country). But all in all, a fabulous day.

      I was feeling peckish mid-morning and noticed the street coconut seller doing a roaring trade, so I changed some money with a money changer and made a purchase. For 10 dobra (70 cents) he lopped the top off and gave me a straw to drink the coconut water. Then you hand it back to the vendor, and he chops it in half and chops a piece of the shell off to use as a scoop to eat the flesh.

      Lunch consisted of a couple of bananas as we walked around town, before our afternoon city tour of the fort, a chocolate outlet, the cathedral, local produce market, and a nearby fishing village for a display of local dance.

      Early dinner tonight in the Italian restaurant, then a theatre show of Broadway musical songs by the onboard singers... before we lose an hour as we change time zone again.      Meer informatie

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    • Darren and JanetDarren and JanetMauritius and West Africa
      With King Neptune
      Neptune and his assistantsKissing the fish2Getting the ice bathGetting the ice bathGalley tour with the Head ChefTonight's bread rolls going into the ovenCocktail time

      Crossing the equator

      11 juni, South Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

      Full day sailing today as we head north from Angola to São Tomé & Príncipe, crossing the equator on the way.

      When crossing the equator by sea, nautical tradition dating back to the 1500's involves conducting a ceremony to pay homage to Neptune, God of the Sea, which transforms a sailor who has never crossed the equator, known as a Pollywog, into a Shellback.

      The ceremony is lighthearted and was originally done to break the monotony of long sea voyages and boost crew morale, so today involves paying respect to King Neptune, kissing a fish and getting a miniature ice bath.

      After an exhausting day eating, reading and enjoying ice cream on the pool deck, we also did a galley tour this afternoon with the head chef. It's quite an exercise in logistics to feed over 1,000 people every day (guests and crew). The fun fact I took from it is that they loaded 58,000 eggs at the start of our cruise, and will be topping up with another 15,000 in Ghana!      Meer informatie

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