The Silver Wind set sail (actually, motored) toward Namibia Monday evening. We were at sea all day Tuesday and arrived shortly after noon on Wednesday. The seas remained calm. The weather was cool even though we were at latitudes between 30 and 20 degrees south. A strong Antarctic current off the west coast of the continent of Africa keeps the shore cool and frequently overcast although it rarely rains.
I attended some lectures on Africa, wrote some and caught up on reading a book I had started more than a week ago. Michael and I were invited to the Captain's table at the traditional formal dinner on the first sea day. We had an enjoyable time. There were only six of us and we were all able to converse with Captain Palmieri who is most sociable and tells wonderful stories and jokes about the international collection of guests.
The ship-sponsored tours at Walvis Bay, our port in Namibia, were expensive and featured mostly dune buggy rides or boat rides to view the wildlife in the small bay. Michael worked very hard to arrange a private taxi that we shared with another couple. We wanted to see nearby Swakopmund, a town that time forgot. See Michael's blog http://cbu-africa1202.blogger.com for a satirical description of our visit. Our friends Bruce and Susan with whom we shared the taxi, are also interested in trains so we had our driver take us to all the old and new railroad stations along the way as well as the usual tourist stops. The original old 1900's train station has been converted into a beautiful hotel. The best I can say about the new station is that it is utilitarian.
The road to Swakopmund lies along the shore where the dunes of the Namib Desert come right to the water. This area has become a prize vacation destination for outdoor enthusiasts. Dune buggy rides, parasailing and strenuous hiking in the sand are popular. I thought that just looking at the spectacular landforms was most interesting. Except for seme green bumps on some of the dunes, all the trees are planted and irrigated. Foreign investors have been buying up beachfront and several partially constructed resort communities are going up in the desert at the edge of the sea. The areas are outlined in palm trees complete with drip irrigation lines and all have one giant "palm tree" that is really a disguised cell tower. Why go to the effort? It's obviously a cell tower. There are no tall palms here. Especially ones with trunks that look like tall poles. All the locals were eager to point out the compound where Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt came to have their baby. I guess that was the biggest news story since independence in 1993.
Thursday, February 16th was our first anniversary. We took a long walk through Walvis Bay in the morning. We walked through the expensive neighborhoods where all the houses had concrete fences topped by wire or electric fencing. Most had "beware of the dog" signs too although most of the dogs were tiny but barked a lot. We sailed out at one p.m. Fishing and mineral transport are the main activities in Walvis Bay. There is not much town. We saw what there was of it in a few hours. Later in the evening we had a celebratory dinner aboard ship with a couple we had dined with at the Captain's table a few days before. Lots of travel stories were exchanged. I wore my African caftan, purchased in CApe Town. I cannot think of many occasions for which it will be appropriate.
Yesterday and today are sea days as are the next two days. Michael and I attended a reception on the bridge yesterday. All twenty or so of the guests on board for the last cruise from Cape Town to Cape Town continuing on this cruise, from Cape Town to Las Palmas were invited. Captain Palmieri volunteered me to ring the ship's bell at precisely noon. I thought I conducted myself with aplomb.
I plan to read, attend some more lectures and walk laps on the upper deck. Maybe I'll use the swimming pool for the first time. I know I will have more fabulous meals that will have to be walked off. Days at sea are for relaxing and pampering oneself. It's a tough life but someone has to do it.
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Barbara Borsuk
barbara@mborsuk.com
Boulder, Colorado, USA
303 408-3639
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