2012 - OCEAN PRINCESS - CAPE TOWN & NAMIBIA

WELL AND TRULY ON BOARD NOW & AS THE SUN GOES DOWN OVER TABLE MOUNTAIN, WE PASS WHAT I SUSPECT IS THE LIGHTHOUSE ON ROBBEN ISLAND. OR PERHAPS IT'S THE GHOST OF MR NELSON MANDELA. WHO WAS IMPRISONED THERE FOR MANY YEARS.

MY FIRST EVENING MEAL AND TIME TO MEET MY FELLOW DINNER TABLE OCCUPANTS.

ON MY LEFT THERE IS A LADY WHOSE NAME I NEVER GOT. SHE LEFT THE TABLE BEFORE THE END OF THE FIRST MEAL & I NEVER SAW HER AGAIN.

THERE IS ALSO STUART, WHO WE JUST MET ON DECK. AN ENGLISHMAN.

BARONESS ?? A GENUINE DUTCH BARONESS.

THE VERY ELEGANT JUDITH FROM CHICAGO.

SANDY FROM NEW JERSEY, WHO THINKS SHE ENCOUNTERED THE FIRST LADY ON A PRIOR CRUISE AND THAT MAYBE THEY DID NOT GET ON. THIS MIGHT EXPLAIN WHY THT LADY LEFT THE TABLE.

JOSH FROM CALIFORNIA, I THINK. SOMETHING TO DO WITH TV AND THE WEATHER.

ANOTHER ENGLISHMAN WHO ONCE WORKED AS A CORRESPONDENT FOR THE BBC.

AND ME.

EIGHT PEOPLE FOR THE NINE O'CLOCK SITTING. I WONDER HOW THIS WILL PAN OUT. THE SAME EIGHT POEPLE TOGETHER FOR THE NEXT MONTH.

WELL - DOWN TO SEVEN NOW!

JOY & LIGHT NO DOUBT.

NEXT DAY WE ARE UP EARLY AND OFF TO THE GHOST TOWN AT KOLMANSKOOP WHICH IS AN OLD MINING SITE, BEING SUBMERGED BY SAND.

THERE IS DIAMOND MINING IN NAMIBIA BUT NOWADAYS DIAMONDS ARE LYING LOOSE ON THE OCEAN BED OFF THE COAST SO THEY JUST VACUUM THEM UP.

PASSING THROUGH TOWN, THESE KIDS ARE ROLLING TIRES. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU SAW A KID IMPROVISE A TOY? A WHILE AGO I SUSPECT.

WE GET A TOUR OF THE FACILITIES....

AND OUTSIDE THE SAND IS TAKING OVER THE BUILDINGS

AND BACK TO TOWN... THIS IS NOT THE GHOST TOWN, IT JUST LOOKS THAT WAY.

NOT AS EXCITING AS SOME PEOPLE EXPECTED, BUT WHAT DID THEY EXPECT TO SEE - GHOSTS?

I EXPECTED MORE DESERT AND SAND DUNES, BUT NEXT STOP MAYBE.

SUNDOWNER TIME.....

THE NEXT DAY

WALVIS BAY - NAMIBIA

ON THE WAY TO SEE THOUSANDS OF FLAMINGOS, WE PASS SOME WORKERS, SAME AS WORKERS THE WORLD OVER...

BUT YOU DON’T SEE SIGNS LIKE THIS EVERY DAY...

AND DO YOU SEE ANY FLAMINGOS? I DON’T SEE ANY FLAMINGOS.

DID I SAY THOUSANDS OF FLAMINGOS? MAKE THAT TWO - AS IN ONE + ONE = TWO, NOT TWO THOUSAND.
MUST HAVE MIS-READ THE DESCRIPTION.

STILL IT WAS A NICE RIDE.

NOW FOR SOME SAND DUNES...

OK - ARE YOU OVER THAT YET...?

ONWARDS TO SEE A RARE PLANT...

PEOPLE COME FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO SEE THIS PLANT.

NO - NOT THIS ONE, ALTHOUGH IT IS RARE. POUR WATER ON IT & THE REACTION IS INSTANTANEOUS.

AND I MAY HAVE MIS-HEARD BUT I THINK THE GUIDE SAID THIS WAS EDELWEISS, AS IN THE SOUND OF MUSIC. COULD THAT BE TRUE?.

PASSING A MOVIE SCENE. MAD MAX MAYBE.

AND THIS IS THE PLANT...WELWITSCHIA - VERY SENSITIVE, AND YOU SHOULD NOT STEP TOO CLOSE AS IT COULD CAUSE IT TO DIE.

I THINK WE GOT HERE JUST AFTER SOMEONE GOT TOO CLOSE...

STILL IT WAS A NICE RIDE, A BIT BUMPY BUT NICE.

A BIT TOO BUMPY FOR SOME AS SOMETHING IS BROKEN ON THIS CAR..

STOPPED FOR LUNCH AT A SPRING FED PLACE WHERE THERE WERE A FEW BUTTERFLY & PRETTY FLOWERS...PRETTIER THAN THE WELWITSCHIA I THINK YOU WILL AGREE.

WE THEN HEAD TO SWAKOPMUND & A SHOP FOR THE SHOPPERS AMONG US.

BACK TO THE COAST AND PASSED THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DUNES WE SAW EARLIER & SO BACK TO THE SHIP.

NOT THE BEST EXCURSION I HEAVE EVER BEEN ON, BUT A NICE RIDE.

OUR DRIVER WAS A YOUNG GIRL WHO WAS INTENT ON NOT TALKING AS SHE WAS NOT A GUIDE & ONLY BROUGHT IN FOR THE DAY.

I DID GET HER TALKING THOUGH, ON THE WAY BACK, ABOUT THE WHITE & BLACK POPULATION AROUND HERE AND THAT THE BLACK GUYS PREFER TO LIVE IN SQUALOR RATHER THAN THE NICE WHITE COMMUNITIES.

SHE GOT SO ENGROSSED THAT SHE BECAME A LITTLE LOST & HAD A BIT OF TROUBLE FINDING THE SHIP.

AT DINNER THAT NIGHT THE RESIDENT RACONTEUR ON OUR TABLE, THE BBC GUY, REGALED US WITH HIS EXCURSION.

WENT ON A SMALL BOAT THROUGH LOTS OF SEALS, ONE OF WHICH JUMPED ON TO THE BOAT TO BE FED.
AT SOME POINT THEY WERE ON LAND & THE GUIDE TOOK OUT A HAMPER OF GOODIES & CHAMPAGNE.

WHICH REMINDS ME OF THE RULE THAT THE BEST EXCURSION TO GO ON IS -THE OTHER ONE.

IF I GET HERE AGAIN I AM GOING TO ETOSHA. IT WAS A BIT TOO FAR NORTH OF WHERE WE STOPPED TO GET TO THIS TIME.

BENIN UP NEXT.

I KNOW, YOU HAVE NEVER HEARD OF IT. WELL, YOU WILL JUST HAVE TO LOOK IT UP.