Grand Africa, Voyage – , At Sea, leaving Mozambique Channel

18 November 2022, At Sea, leaving Mozambique Channel

Success! Jack’s blog of my family emails and photos has been received. Thank you. I can finally see it.
I staggered to breakfast, while ms Zaandam rolls along through the sea swells. I ate muesli + granola + strawberry slurry with orange juice and coffee.

After Tai Chi, I carefully descended the forward flights of stairs to admire the paintings. “Maritime artist Captain Stephen J. Card has been commissioned by the Holland America Line to depict many of their ships, both past and present, in his paintings. This includes oil paintings of all the ships of the Holland America Line. He once noted, ‘My understanding of the sea and how the ships operate has helped me depict them accurately.’ “
Jack and I met Captain Stephen J. Card in 2006 on ms Statendam, when she sailed from New Zealand to Australia.

It is nice to have a relaxing morning. And the world’s thinnest toilet paper has been replaced with a roll of good toilet paper. Dodid and Roy both know that I am happy.
My good Lido lunch was the Asian noodles with stir fry veggies, chicken, steak, & pork with macadamia nut cookies, milk, and coffee.

Kate Ross 1pm lecture: “South Africa – Saving the Nation” Nelson Mandela was the first democratic non-apartheid president of South Africa. When he left office in 1999, much of his hope for a rainbow nation was still a fragile dream. In addition to the many problems that continue today, Kate exposed some blatant corruption. Good to see her credits to photographers.

Nico Kotze gave his final talk today at 2pm about Bo-Kaap, a neighborhood in Cape Town since 1854. It has survived, while District 6 was bulldozed. Two benefactors, a poet and a politician defended this multi-cultural working-class neighborhood. And the residents knew how to speak up.

Yesterday’s laundry was delivered on hangers and folded, wrapped in tissue in a basket. I enjoyed time to relax in my room.

Jan and Charlotte each received Jack’s emailed blog for yesterday, which pleased them. We talked about other things, because tomorrow Charlotte & Bill leave on their five-day Safari inland.
Special Culinary Council dinner tonight. I ate the “Baltimore Spiced Crab Cake,” Roasted Spice-Crusted Prime Rib with Wild Mushrooms, Hazelnut Mousse Cake, White Zinfandel, and decaf coffee.

“On World Stage: Shades of Africa back with another presentation of original songs that include personal stories and tributes to the beauty of South Africa as they present ‘The Bonfires of Bohemia.’ “

Picked up my passport on the way to my room. It now has a full page Visto de Fronteira from the Republica de Mocambique.

Two chocolates waited in my room with tomorrow’s Daily Program and instructions for going ashore tomorrow. No need to bring my passport. Driver’s License is enough.
It is nice to hear about family holiday plans coming together.

Photo Gallery by Barbara Cummings