SAINT HELENA - NAPOLEON'S PRISON AND FIRST GRAVESITE

It's been a smooth crossing of the South Atlantic and we've enjoyed our sea days.  Lots of activities on the ship plus nice sunny, warm weather for those lunches by the pool. 

We had a very nice dinner in the Officer's Mess with the Captain, Fernando and Norman, the Hotel Director.  Deck 3 is surprisingly bright and cheery and we noted a ping-pong table among other amenities for the crew.  We had champagne in Captain Corsaro's board room on Deck 9 before descending into the bowels of the ship.  Good conversation and a very interesting discussion about the Captain of the Costa ship lying on its side in Italy.  To quote Captain Corsaro, "no matter the cause of the disaster, his actions afterwards warrant locking him up and throwing away the key".  Our Captain is not one for mincing his words!!

This morning we anchored at Saint Helena Island.  I think I've included a view of Jamestown, the Capital, taken from our ship.  It is a pretty and very well kept town built in a valley between two mountains.  The Portugese discovered it in 1502 and I'm not sure when the British took it over.  It is, of course, still a British Protectorate and English Pounds are accepted as legal tender ... not that there's much to buy other than postcards.   The people are friendly and we learned that this year they are expecting a total of six cruise ships to visit.  Last year it was four -  all small ships like ours.  I doubt the large ones would ever bother as their numbers would overwhelm the island population of about 4,000.

Along with Niels and Molise, we hired a car and driver who took us to where Napoleon was first buried before his body was taken back to France.  Unfortunately, it was a fifteen minute walk down to the actual grave site and at least twenty minutes back because of the steepness of the trail.  So we passed on that and drove right to Longwood House where he was kept under arrest until his death.  The road there was full of switchbacks, very narrow and of course, like the U.K., they drive on the left side. 

Longwood House is now a Museum with some fascinating artifacts as well as some original and reproduction furniture.  The green canopy bed is a replica of the one he died in and kept in the Parlour where it happened. They apparently moved him there from his bedroom for comfort during his last days.  I've also included photos of his dining room (original table and chairs), library, dressing room and bathroom - complete with his copper lined tub.  Based on the size of his bed and bath, I can confirm that he was indeed a very short man!

The gardens are beautiful and although we were told that Napoleon was very unhappy there, I would say the British treated him extremely well.  The locals believe that if arsenic was involved in his death, it could have come from the wallpaper at Longwood.  They have retained a small swatch of it at the Museum but were quick to point out that none of his servants suffered the same fate despite being exposed to it as much as he was. 

We walked through the main street of Jamestown before returning to the Whisper and admired some of our fellow passengers who decided to walk the 699 steps of "Jacob's Ladder" leading from the valley floor to the top of Ladder Hill.  Many turned back because of exhaustion and declared that coming down was even more difficult than going up.  At the top of the hill is an old crumbling stone fortress built hundreds of years ago. 

Compared to Easter Island or Pitcairn, this place is quite charming.  The island residents are eagerly awaiting the construction of an airstrip which Britain has promised to complete by 2016.  Once built, planes will have access to and from Cape Town which will bring their mail faster (it now comes and goes by ship every three weeks) and will bring down the cost and availability of regular supplies. 

We are now on our way to Walvis Bay, Namibia.  We will dock overnight there and Silversea has organized a "Dinner in the Dessert" for us. That should be interesting and we are looking forward to the experience which we understand will be complete with camels and tents.  I will of course take pictures.

Hope all this information is not boring everyone and that you are all well back home.  We'll write again soon.  Hard to believe we have been away for over three weeks.

Ciao for now

D & K

RIO

The time seems to have flown by since our last note.  Salvador di Bahia was hot and steamy and once we left the dock and realized that we had actually been there before, we wandered around the market for a while and then returned to the comfort of our ship. We were entertained by some friends who had just come back from a four day trip up the Amazon River from Belem.  To say they were less than impressed by their very expensive excursion would be an understatment.  But they had us howling with laughter recounting the primitive conditions at their hotel complete with spiders in their rooms and the fact that the electricity went off at 10:00 p.m. leaving them with no visible route to the bathroom or any air conditioning!  They were extremely happy to be back on the ship with hot water and cool drinks waiting for them. 

 

 

The next few days were "at sea", which we thoroughly enjoy, as we headed to Rio, one of our favourite cities. The entrance to the harbour is one of the most spectacular we know of and although this was our third visit, we never tire of cruising past Sugar Loaf Mountain and the beautiful beaches.  As you can see from the photo, the ships sail quite close but unlike the tragedy off the coast of Italy, it's very safe! 

 

 

Carnival in Brazil is not until next month so Silversea arranged a mini version for us on our first night in town.  Everyone enjoyed watching the show and many (like our friend James) enthusiastically joined the scantily dressed women in their finale. I think I've included a shot of some of the butlers watching from the upper deck. As you can imagine, a good time was had by all. 

 

 

On the morning of our second day in Rio, we joined Niels and Molise for a bit of sightseeing in a private car.  Our guide turned out to be a Canadian who was born in Montreal, lived in Vancouver and moved to Brazil two years ago to take advantage of the economic surge going on.  This was a first visit for our friends and they were impressed with the sights.  Since our last trip to Rio in 2010, the city has undergone many changes in preparation for the Olympics in 2014.  From the plans described by our guide, an already spectacular place will be enhanced dramatically.  The Port area is being revitalized and will accommodate over 3 million visitors expected to arrive by sea.

 

 

As I write this, we are crossing the Atlantic on our way to Africa.  We have been blessed with relatively calm seas and sunshine.  It's a very long trip (5 days) so we hope those conditions will continue.  Several old friends boarded in Rio and it's been great to see them.  Some are only travelling as far as Cape Town but others are staying aboard much longer.  Our social calendar is filling up quickly!  Tonight we'll dine with Fritz and Marilyn, a lovely couple from Chicago that we first met on our World Cruise in 2007.  On the 27th, we have been invited by Captain Corsaro to join him in the Officers' Mess for dinner.  That will be a unique experience and one we're looking forward to.  Apparently not many passengers are ever allowed down to the Crew Quarters on Deck 3 so we feel quite honoured. 

 

And now it's time to head to the pool deck for some refreshments and reading.  Life is good aboard the Silver Whisper!  Hope you are all well and will keep in touch.  

 

D & K  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crossing the Equator with King Neptune

Since leaving Belem, our first Brazillian port, we have enjoyed sunny, warm weather as these photos will confirm.  The first one (if they come in the intended order) was taken at dinner one evening with Molise and Niels (Denmark).  Happily, Niels has a quick wit and constantly provides us with lots to laugh about.  He and Ken are toasting with their ice cream dishes having just finished eating their own concoction of a rum and raisin version.

 

 

The next photos show the equator crossing ritual complete with King Neptune (aka Fernando) and his entourage who treated the "guppies" who haven't done it before with the traditional dousing of everything from spaghetti sauce to lard!  Happily, this was our fifth such event and so we got to sit on the sidelines and watch. The young entertainers who performed the dirty deeds seemed more enthusiastic than in the past.  Our Captain dislikes anything messing up his deck so it was covered with plastic before the fun began.  A good time was had by all and the "newbies" were very good sports!

 

 

The final photo is of Sujith, one of our favourite crew members.  We met him in 2007 when he was the pool bartender and he has risen in the ranks over the years to become the Head of all Food and Beverages on our ship.  A very important role as you might imagine when so many people are quite focussed on what they eat!!  We expect someday to see him running the entire Silversea operation!

 

 

Our sea days are filled with reading, a bit of exercise for Ken, and lots of interesting conversations around the pool during the day and at dinner in the evenings.  Last night, Catherine (Singapore) hosted a special dinner for 9 of us.  She supervised the kitchen staff as they prepared a delicious Indian/Malaysian meal according to her own recipes.  She also chose special wines to accompany these wonderful dishes and we all enjoyed a great evening. 

 

 

Tomorrow we dock in Salvador de Bahia and we are told it is a very charming old colonial town with lots of interesting architecture and a good local market.  Goodness knows what we'll pick up.

 

 

We had our first dolphin sighting today and that is always a treat.  But now it's time for a brief nap before we get ready for dinner tonight.  More food, more fun and of course the odd drink to keep things well lubricated!

 

K & D

 

 

Our First Week at Sea

Today marks the end of our first week on the Whisper.  It's been a busy time catching up with old friends and making new ones.  We've visited three ports - Tortola, Dominique and Barbados - but now we're at sea for three days on our way to Brazil.  At the moment we are sailing about 200 miles off the coast of Venezuela and the water is a bit choppy but we are fine and have been enjoying ourselves as you might expect.

 

 

In Tortola, we managed to purchase two pairs of shorts for Ken.  It seems that we packed 10 bathing suits for him but only one pair of shorts which, even with free laundry, is not quite enough.  We found a small shop run by an elderly Lebanese man who just happened to have a good selection of Columbia sportswear and the price was right.  In fact, he gave us $20.00 off the total price without us even asking for a discount! 

 

 

After our purchase, we headed to what everyone said was a "must do" visit to Pussar's Bar for a cold beer.  Alas, they were full since two other ships were also docked, both holding over 3000 passengers plus crew.  So we made our way to a little spot  with dirt floors that claimed cold beverages and we enjoyed a very frosty Carib lager.  The bar had a few people but also chickens and a rooster wandering around as you can see from the photo. 

 

 

Yesterday we docked in Bridgetown, Barbados and the World Cruisers were treated to a special Polo Match at one of the three polo fields on the island.  Our friends Peter and Katie Hermant who are members of the Club joined us and it was great to see them.  The experience was made even better since they know all the players and their families and could also explain the game to us!  One of the photos shows Captain Corsaro about to present the Silver Whisper Trophy to the winning team. All in all, a very nice afternoon.

 

 

After returning to the ship and a quick shower, we headed to the pool deck for a night of outdoor dining and entertainment by a local steel band and dancers.  The pictures need no explanation except to say that "you know who" was asked to participate as always!  I have told him that if this continues, I will be asking Fernando (our Cruise Director) for a salary for him.  Check out the two guys on stilts and the woman standing beneath them and that will give you an idea of how high they were. 

 

 

The photo of seafood is what I was served one evening on the ship at Hot Rocks.  The waiter told me the prawns were lovely and since they only served two, it wouldn't be too much food for me.  Imagine my surprise when I saw him bring these Madagascar prawns that were almost the size of lobster tails!  So you can be sure we certainly aren't going hungry!!!

 

 

We are getting a bit of Canadian news while on board and keep up with the temperature in Toronto, sports results and what's happening with the stock market.  So sad about the young skiier who is in a coma. 

 

 

Hope you are all well and we'll write again soon.

 

 

K & D

 

 

 

 

Monday, January 9, 2012

 

 

This will be the first posting from sea where we are heading to Tortola.  We have not been to this island before but suspect it is much like others in the area so we have not made plans for any tours.  We'll go ashore and walk around to see what we can see.  There is a water rafting excursion (not for me) and other trips to see waterfalls, rain forests and monkeys.  Also not for me.  I see a cold local beer in our future and some people watching from a comfortable bar stool somewhere on shore.

 

 

Boarding the ship on Friday was like coming home after a long absence.  It's lovely to be on the Whisper, the sister ship to the Shadow which we love.  Our suite was as expected and we managed to completely unpack (with a little help from our butler Anand) before heading off to the Captain's welcome party for the World Cruisers.  Lots of familiar faces and great to see many old staff members as well.  We are told there will be 80 of us for the full voyage. 

 

 

 

We have spent the last two days getting re-aquainted with old friends.  Some we were expecting to see but others were a welcome surprise.  We had dinner on Saturday night with Tony and Patti (New York) and lunch yesterday with James (Singapore).  Drinks with Niels and Molise (Denmark) and lots of plans for future dinners with others. 

 

 

 

If this blog works the way I hope, there will be a photo of Tony and Patti.  If not, I will have to work harder to get it right!  I will try to post photos with each note. 

 

 

 

In the meantime, we hope you are all well and not too cold back home.  The temperature today is 23C and we'll soon be heading to the pool for a bite of lunch.

 

 

 

Ciao for now

K & D

Getting Ready to Leave

As I write this, we are three days away from departing Toronto to head off for another World Cruise.  This one is a few days shorter than our first in 2007 but we are no less excited!

FedEx has already picked up four bags for delivery to the ship and I have a few more to pack that will travel with us on January 6.  It's been a challenge getting organized this year.  We had the pleasure of all our kids and grandchildren here for Christmas which was great fun.  We loved the noise and excitement and they all seemed pretty pleased with what the Canadian Santa brought them!

We will attend a Gala Bon Voyage Dinner on the ship on Friday evening and it will be fun to see old friends from previous journeys. 

I will try and blog faithfully at regular periods and hope not to bore everyone.  This year, our son Brad set up the blog for us and if you're reading this, you will see it includes a spot where you can register to receive notices via e-mail when a new blog is posted.  He has also listed our Ports of Call so you can follow along. 
 

We'll be thinking of you all as we journey to many new places and some favourite old ones. 

Keep well and please keep in touch!

Dianne and Ken