Blog 9 Reunion & mauritius

Blog 9 – Reunion and Mauritius

Wednesday 10^th February

Another day at sea, the highlights of which are a Question and Answer session with Edwina Currie and in the evening a session with Ralph Allin, a first class jazz violinist. The sea state is quite rough with impressive waves – there have been storms in this area for a week. The forecast for our day in Reunion does not look promising but we shall just have to see.

Thursday 11^th February

Boudicca docks at the Port de Reunion in the early morning.  That means we are officially in Europe for the day, Reunion being a Departement de la France! We are up bright and early and by 0800 ready for immigration procedure and our trip to a viewpoint in the west of the island. We are told at 0815 that that  trip has been cancelled due to poor visibility and the alternative is to visit a seaside resort and aquarium, not high on our list of things to do on Reunion as all the interest lies inland. Luckily there are spaces available on another tour inland but in a different part of the island so we grab that opportunity and off we set in a bus with Sylvette our local guide for the day. The weather is decidedly dull and cloudy and by the time we have passed the capital, Saint Dennis (actually Paris is their capital!) and arrive at the vanilla plantation it is pouring with rain! After a soggy look round that, we head off for the mountains and the Cirque d Salazie, a natural amphitheatre where the volcano has been sculpted by wind and rain. Miraculously, the clouds clear, there is blue sky and good weather!  We can’t believe our luck! We enter a deep gorge with fantastic waterfalls (of course they look at their best due to the downpours of recent days) and steep cliff faces with lush vegetation. 

We are blown away by the dramatic, awe-inspiring scenery that  we have a chance to appreciate from several viewpoints along the way. We reach the picturesque  village of Hellbourg with its Creole architecture and arrive at an idyllic little rustic restaurant with another fantastic view for lunch.  Lunch is delicious Creole cuisine washed down with red wine, local rum and a digestif (all provided on the tour!)  We are sitting opposite Edwina Currie and her husband (an ex police Chief Superintendent) so the company is lively! Hellbourg was named after an Admiral de Hell – the place itself couldn’t be less like hell (apart from the heat!) and more like heaven.

 Everyone on the trip loves this location but sadly the time comes for us to leave this magical place. We have equally dramatic views on our way back. In St. Dennis we are shown the important landmarks and attractive Creole architecture before being taken back to the port and Boudicca. Wow, what a special day out, and the unexpected good weather! We feel very lucky

Friday 12^th February

Another day, another port, this time Mauritius. We are told that yesterday all the schools were closed due to the heavy rains but our luck holds and today the weather looks much better. Our Fred Olsen tour is South Island Discovery with Andy our guide. It is very interesting to compare Reunion and Mauritius, so close and yet so different even though both are volcanic. We drive through the capital, Port Louis, and stop at a viewpoint high above the town with a great wide view of the area and also a crater.

 Yes the weather is clear and quite sunny and definitely very hot and humid! Our next stop is at Le Grand Bassin Sacred Lake. It is an important place of pilgrimage for Hindus (49% of Mauritians are Indian). Water from the Ganges is poured into the crater lake and once a year in February half a million Hindus from around the world come here to honour Lord Shiva and present offerings to him. We are blessed by a Hindu monk and given a third eye and symbols of long life and good health in red on our foreheads.

After a viewpoint over Black River Gorges, we come down through a shower, luckily short-lived, to a rum factory where we have a tasting and lunch. Even hotter and more humid now!  The afternoon highlight is seeing the Seven Coloured Earth – multi coloured terrain caused by uneven cooling of lava – the colours never run into each other even if it rains.

We get back to the ship at about 1630 after another fascinating day. A local dance troupe comes on board in the early evening and performs a Sega dance- soul dancing of the African slaves. Boudicca leaves port in the late evening to the sounds of a ship deck party with a tropical theme! Just as well the clocks change tonight and everyone can have an extra hour’s sleep!

PS. Apologies if this sounds like a travelogue. We were given so much information and there was such a lot of input in these two days. Hope it is of interest to you – just skip the bits that aren’t!,

Blog 8 Safari and seatime

Thursday 4^th February

We arrive in Durban at 0800. Today we are off on our independent  overnight safari with Endless Summer Tours. We disembark at 0830 and are glad to see Steven our guide holding up a placard with our names. A very personable young man who leads us to a comfortable 12 seater Toyota – just for us! He is going to be our driver, guide and cook for the duration. We drive out of Durban and head for Imfolozi-Hluhluwe Game Reserve about 3 hours drive away in Kwa Zulu Natal.

 After we enter the Reserve gate we take in the beautiful landscape and encounter a distant white rhino, some elephants and impala and of course the ubiquitous warthog. Due to killing, white rhinos nearly became extinct. Measures were taken (Operation Rhino) to save them and by 1961 the numbers had increased substantially and 3500 were able to be moved to other game reserves…so a success story. There has been a big drought here due to lack of summer rain but it did rain a couple of days ago so there is some water in the rivers. We arrive at Mpila Resort situated on top of a hill, which is going to be where we stay tonight. Very comfortable accommodation – not over the top but everything we need. Steven provides us with a snack lunch and at 1500 we set off on our afternoon game drive. It lasts for 4 hours and we have a great time. We see several white rhinos up close which is a great experience. The star sighting of the drive is a cheetah sitting up and alert. (see photo). 

What a very beautiful animal!  We get back to Mpila just before 1900. It starts to rain (yes rain!) as Steven tries to get the braar (BBQ) alight – not an easy task but somehow he manages and soon there is the smell of steaks cooking. This attracts a hyena who prowls around close to the braar but intrepid Steven shoos it away! The rain eases off and we enjoy a delicious meal washed down with a bottle of ‘Wolftrap” from Franchhoek. Lights out at 2200 and sleep soundly after our action packed day.

Friday 5^th February

Our early morning wake up knock on the door from Steven is at 0445! After a quick cup of tea we are off in the dawn light on another drive. The freshness of the new morning especially after the rain is special as is the landscape and the light. This makes up for rather a lack of game though we do see the head of a giraffe poking above a tree, impalas, nyalas, elephant, vultures and the highlight of the morning a white rhino with an extremely long, pointed horn and her baby (see photo). Back at Mpila Steven cooks us breakfast, we pack up and leave in good time to get to Richards Bay where we see the ‘good old lady’  (to quote the previous Captain) Boudicca at the quayside.  We say farewell to Steven our wonderful guide, well pleased with our safari experience. Steven is off to Pretoria this afternoon to see his girlfriend and they are going to a Mumford and Sons concert there tomorrow evening! There is a delay in leaving Richards Bay but eventually we get under way with our new captain, Viktor Stroica from Rumania. The weather changes – rain, swell and rough sea state and watch the river pilot being winched off the ship by helicopter.

Saturday 6^th Febraury

Another port day, this time Maputo the capital of Mozambique (ex Lorenco Marques).  It takes a while to get clearance but eventually we are able to get ashore. We opt to do our own thing rather than go on a Fred Olsen tour. Well, it is quite a culture shock after South Africa. A lot of poverty, lack of infrastructure, ruined buildings from the civil war, poor roads, rubbish everywhere. A lot of hassling just outside the port gate and elsewhere to get us to buy stuff.  It’s very hot too. We walk up to the big square, Independence Square, where there is a big Art Deco cathedral (closed) and a communist-lookingstatue of the ex- leader Machel. We make our way back to Boudicca in time for lunch. Not a long trip ashore but it is a salutary experience and makes us realize how fortunate we are and gives us food for thought as to how a place like Maputo can pull itself up.

Sunday 7^th February

A day at sea – the first of four as we head east to Reunion. There is a church service, talks, a piano/violin recital and in the evening a Cocktail Party ad Formal Evening to welcome the new Captain and crew and approximately 100 new passengers who embarked at Durban. Captain Stroica is a different character from “Its Me Again” Captain Jensen – much shyer and quieter. A lot of his fellow crew are Croatians. We are getting to know a few more passengers now. Very lucky that we get on so well with the couple who sit at the next table to us at dinner (we opted for a table for two at the start of the cruise).  Shiela and Peter are musical and sang in the BBC Symphony and Philharmonia Chorus for many years.

Monday 8^th February

A bit of a swell today! After a port talk on Diego Suarez in Madagascar there is a lecture by Edwina Currie entitled ‘Lies, Damned Lies and Politicians’! She gives a very well informed presentation in an engaging manner! In the afternoon John gives a recorded music talk – ‘My Journey Into Classsical Music”. He brought the music with him and he has given a similar talk to the St Fillans Music Circle. He is now enrolled by the P & R Agency who provide cruise ships with speakers. This is his first foray – voluntary – into this field. 70 people come to it which is a pretty good turnout in the middle of the afternoon and it goes very well. Good choice of music and he talks with enthusiasm of his journey into music. At the end a lady from Oxford comes up and asks if he will come and speak to the Oxford U3A!  It’s possible he may give another talk or two on this cruise- all good experience.

Blogpost 7 1st to 3rd Feb 2016

Monday 1^st February

A day at sea which is quite welcome after our busy 3 days in Cape Town in hot temperature.  In the evening there is the Captain’s Farewell Cocktail Party. He leaves in Durban along with a fair number (about 100) of the passengers. He will be missed for his great interpersonal skills and he has run a happy and efficient ship. He gives awards to the crew members of the month. Later in the evening the crew put on their own show and we are given a favour of Thai, Philippine, Indian dancing and song.

Tuesday 2^nd February

We arrive at Port Elizabeth at 0800 and after breakfast we join another couple from the ship on an independent day tour to Addo Elephant Park.  Luke is our driver and guide. It’s a sunny day and before too long we arrive at the entrance to the reserve.  After a quiet start, we begin to spot some game, starting with the warthog, then zebra, red hartebeest and a close up of two elephants. We are very lucky to have a good view of 3 lionesses with a kill and also a lion.  At midday we arrive at a major watering hole for the elephants – there are a great number there, including a huge bull imported from Kruger and some young calves.  Amongst other sightings are buffalo, a secretary bird, different kinds of deer….and tortoises! We stop for lunch at the restaurant within the park and then gradually make our way back to the dock in good time before Boudicca’s departure at 1800. By now it is overcast – in fact during the afternoon there were even a few drops of rain.

3^rd February

Modest Jan has not mentioned her part in the Choir Recital today. She was a clear leader in the “look up at the audience and look as though you are enjoying it” requirement. A jolly good recital enjoyed by all. Miles better than the preceding talk by Edwina Currie who spoke about GOD – Growing old disgracefully. Overflowing with enthusiasm mainly about herself and not as old as me! Hopefully a lot more disgraceful but she didn’t mention the obvious even though she clearly thinks little blue pills for men quite important.

Blogpost 6 Cape Town

Friday 29^th January

After a rather rock’n’rolly night (that’s describing the sea state!) we arrive in Cape Town in the early morning. We look out of our porthole and see Table Mountain passing by as we dock at the V & A Waterfront in the middle of the city. A clear, beautiful, sunny day (sorry just seen the weather forecast and the damage that Storm Gertude has inflicted on Scotland). It is windy though – the wind here is known locally as the Cape Town Doctor.  After immigration procedures, we get a taxi to Europcar – we have rented a car for a couple of days to look around the area. We opt to visit Cape Peninsula. We make our way quite easily out of the city, marvelling at the peaks, the coastline, and the impressive waves rolling in. Before long, we drive along Chapman’s Peak Drive – very panoramic and magnificent views of the ocean and sandy bays which we enjoy from the various viewpoints.

 

Chapmans Peak Viewpoint

We spot a whale from one of these viewpoints - what a bonus! We pass through Simonstown, South Africa’s naval base, and then on into the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. Windswept and dramatic scenery. After a snack lunch we go up to the lighthouse by means of a funicular railway. We look at where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans are said to meet. Well, we’ve had a fair dose of the North and South Atlantic now, and soon we’ll be discovering the delights of the Indian Ocean. A good place to muse on our voyage! The beaches around these parts are wonderful and beside one we spot some baboons.

 

Cape Baboons – sitting on rock in foreground         The Cape of Good Hope 

We make our way back to Cape Town via Ou Kaapse Weg (Old Cape Road) another very scenic drive. We pass close to Constantia and Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens  with the amazing mountain range above but we don’t stop. Make our way back to Boudicca after a wonderful first day in Cape Town.

Saturday 30^th January

Another beautiful, clear but windy day in this beautiful city. Up early, breakfast in cabin and then go ashore and set off in our rental car for a circular tour of the Wineland Region – for the scenery, not for the wine! Beyond the airport we pass a shanty town – our first sighting of one and sobering. After a while we turn left into Hottentot Holland pass, lovely acacia trees in bloom, apple orchards too. The impressive mountain scenery starts to emerge. We come down into River Without End Valley and turn left to enter Franschoek Pass – there has been a big heatwave in S.A. The ground is very dry and there is evidence of fires. The Franschoek Pass is dramatic and the view as we look down to the town of Franschoek is very panoramic. The town has a French influence dating back to its settlement by Huguenot refugees in the 17centure. There are many wine estates in and around, but we settle for a coffee and a snack in the pretty main street and enjoy watching the world go by. We stop at Tokara Wine Estate to take photos of the view and the garden there but remain abstemious!

 

Tokara Wine Estate

Drive back to Cape Town and Boudicca via Stellenbosch.

After a short rest in our cabin, we set out again to go up Table Mountain – we have full price tickets which we shall use tomorrow, but after 1800 one can go up half price to see the sunset so we decide to do that as an extra, especially as we still have the car. Big queues and by the time we go up in the funicular the mist is coming in thickly but the cable car station is still clear. It looks incredibly dramatic as we hope is conveyed in our photos – the mist coming down like a

huge waterfall.

 

Cloud pouring down over Table Mountain

At the top it is very cold, extremely windy. We are glad of our anoraks. Occasionally the mist clears and we get glimpses of the view. Then John takes a purler, blown of his feet and falling backwards down three steps, partly through missing a step due to totally misted specs. He gets quite a shock, a  minor cut or two and bruises but luckily nothing broken [not even the camera]– what a relief and thank goodness not a repeat of Jan’s broken leg last year. He is immediately hauled to his feet by two very helpful South Africans who could easily have been Springbok rugby team players. Very nice guys who check all is well before disappearing into the fog . Really we should stay away from steps altogether! We cut short our stay on the top and get the cable car back down stirred and shaken

Sunday 31^st January

When we open the porthole in the morning we have a different view! Have we moved quays? No, it turns out the Captain turned the ship around during the night to assist departure later today. We are relieved that we are still in the same location as we have to get the car back to Europcar by 0900. After doing that, we get on the Hop On Hop Off bus and go back up to Table Mountain, this morning in brilliant weather.

 

Table mountain.          View over Lion Rock from Table Mountain

We spend over a couple of hours up there soaking up the incredible views, having a coffee and going for a short stroll across the plateau looking at the various flora and fauna – the latter in the shape of a lizard. By now the temperature is hot. Down at the bottom we get back on the bus which takes us back to the city via the beach area. We get back to Boudicca in good time for our departure at 1700. We have had an unforgettable time here and plenty to reflect on as we sail off towards Pot Elizabeth. As we go along the coast, we spot a whale rising out of the water – not far from Boudicca so it was very clear. Further out we see signs of a pod. What an end to our visit!