Grand Africa Voyage, Canary Island

19 October 2022  Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary Islands (Spain)

Best night’s sleep last night.
Since I will miss lunch with today’s tour, I ate a large breakfast:  Omelette, Sausage, Orange Juice, and Coffee.
Nice emails from home.  Land is appearing on the horizon.

Returning to my room, Room Steward Bo unlocked my door, and later I realized that I had lost my room key card. Mortifying, but the Front Desk is good to replace room key cards.  This one shows my new dining table #51.

Jeremy is finally presenting his Port Essentials for Casablanca at 9:30am, so I went early to get a good seat.  Largest city in Morocco, major port, also could visit Marrakech or Rabat.  
It sounds like port shuttles might drop us off at the port gate to meet private tours.  🙂

Back at the room, Bo says there are no port guides today.  He delivered yesterday’s laundry.  Even saw Roy delivering laundry.
My Apple watched reminded me of today’s HAL tour, even if its hours are 5 hours off.

We docked at 11am, so I went up to the Lido aft deck outside to take photos.  Up there my Apple Watch reminded me that I had left my iPhone behind.  Yes, it is charging.
Sunny day, maybe 81 degrees later.  The ship was cleared at 11:11am for passengers to leave the ship and go ashore. We leave the ship from deck 1 again.  Good time for me to journal, since my HAL tour “Panoramic Lanzorate” (the island) will not gather in the World Stage theater on deck 4 until 11:45am.   Three hour tour.
I wore sticker #11 and took the elevator this time down to deck 1 to disembark the ship.  (They were selling metal cans of water with screw on tops.). I went right to bus #11 where our guide was Ana Christina, and driver was Jorge.

“This panoramic drive encompasses some of the most impressive landscapes of Lanzarote.  It’s the perfect choice for those looking to relax and sightsee at the same time. 
Leaving the pier and head to the southern part of the island, to the wine growing area of La Geria.  The locals have cleverly modified grape growing through the centuries to preserve the grape vines from the harsh natural elements and to produce the famous Malvasia wine. These vines are grown inside dimple-like craters and surrounded by volcanic stone semicircles (called Zocos) built for each individual vine to provide much needed protection from the fierce winds.  You’ll stop for photos at one of the wineries.”

Ana Christina told us that there are 89 rather small volcanic cones on this dry island.  The winery served samples, either dry or sweet muscatel wine.  The sweet was strong.  I bought a bottle for 10 Euros.  Not enough time to do the souvenir shop justice.

“Continue to the beautiful Timanfaya National Park – a natural landscape museum of outstanding beauty.  Bizarre craters, streams of lava, and fields of ash create a surreal lunar landscape – all formed by the last eruption in the 18th century.”

We drove through the park, spotting maybe fifty camels lined up and two groups of tourists riding them up the hill. Camels are a local beast of burden.  
Some of the lava was red, caused by iron content.

“Passing typical villages located in the center of the island, you’ll reach Peasant Monument, built to immortalize the hard work of the blue-collar community of Lanzarote.  Also known as the Monument of Fertility, it was created by Cesar Manrique with water tanks from old fishing boats and elevated onto a rock platform.  You’ll stop briefly here (30 min) before you return to the ship.”

Ana Christina encouraged us to explore the whole complex which honored the farmers.  Artists / artisans displayed their fine handicrafts in different rooms.
The restaurant had a variety of foods on display.  
She thought that the monument built in 1968 showed a farmer with a goat, camel, and donkey.  The artist / architect Cesar Manrique is the island hero.  As the governor’s friend, he was able to dictate that all buildings be white, and the many stone walls show the hand of the artist.  Absolutely beautiful.

I did not use my hiking stick much today.  Embarking was slow with a long line.  We had to show both Government photo ID and our room card to return onboard.  

I declared my bottle of wine and was surprised.  Buying a bottle of wine on a wine tour is the only way to bring a bottle onboard without having to pay the $20 corkage fee.  I was sent to see a young crew member who confiscated my wine.  Said his superior will verify my participation on a wine tour.  The wine should be delivered to my room.

Back to the tour.  The only animals that I saw were a group of goats and the camels.  Touring in that modern bus felt really good.  I wear my mask outside my room.

Dinner was good tonight.  David & Jan brought their photo from yesterday’s toboggan ride in Funchal.  Bill & Charlotte rode camels today at Timanfaya National Park – the camels that I saw.

Jan’s Apple Watch went to proper time when ashore today, but returned to US Eastern time back on the ship.  Mine is on Portugal time at Jack’s suggestion.  No change ashore, but I now have 24 hour / military time, five hours behind.

Suda opened my second bottle of Beringer’s White Zinfandel.  My dinner was Prosciutto, Genoa Salami, Melon, & Figs.  Then Roast Duck with Mango & Soy.  Yum!  And Pear Frangipani Tart.

Evening show was electric cellist Mariusz.
Two dark chocolates were waiting on my bed with tomorrow’s Daily Program.
No port plan with map and port information.
Tomorrow we set foot on the mainland of Africa.