Day 51 - Special Report

 

Date:  Feb. 28, 2007

 

Location:  At Sea   

 

Special Report: Just received an e-mail from a friend of Karen’s wondering when my Singapore photos would be posted. Thanks for the heads up.

 

I posted them the other day to the Picasa site below, but I had the wrong date on the file and they were out of order. Our stop there was Day 47 and the albums should now be in the correct order.

 

It may take me another day to post the report and photos about our stop yesterday in Kota Kinabalu since the planned “routine sea day” today was anything but…however, you will have to wait for your surprise, just as we did!

 

Larry

 

 

Photos of our cruise are available at the web site:

 

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

 

Photos from Day 49 in Brunei are the most recent.

 

 

Day 49 - Maura, Brunei

 

Date:  Feb. 26, 2007

 

Location:  Muara, Brunei   

 

Next Port:  Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, Feb. 27

 

Quick Summary:  We visited the kingdom of the man who was once the richest person in the world…the Sultan of Brunei. And everything he has touched shows it. Located on the northern part of Borneo, this small country is living off the proceeds of its current oil and natural gas fields.

,

Report: We spent a most interesting day in Brunei Darussalam, a small country of 380,000. It is a land of no taxes, free education, free medical services and even a free “Disneyland-like” park for the children. The population (70% Malay and 16% Chinese) works a very short work-day and is quite laid-back. Because of Brunei’s natural resources, gasoline is about 50 cents a gallon. Each family member seems to have their own car.

 

Everyone we met showed an over-abounding love for their King. “He is a man of the people.” “He attends the street fairs.” “He opens up his palace once a year for three days and serves us food and gives each child $5.” “He built the most beautiful Mosque for us to worship in.”

 

However, this is the man that built the world’s biggest palace for him and three others that has 1,877 rooms, 257 bathrooms, 10 elevators, 5swimming pools, a 110-space garage and air conditioned stables. He enjoys collecting: 350 Rolls-Royces, Ferraris, etc; 8 jets, and more than 200 thoroughbred ponies. When one of his daughters came of age, he bought her an Airbus aircraft.

 

He has had three wives: 6 children from his first, 4 from his second (whom he has divorced); and 1 (last year when he was 60) from his third. At one time, the Sultan was estimated to have personal worth of $40 billion. Today, due to his enormous spending sprees and some outrageous embezzlement by his younger brother, his worth is now estimated to be just $10 billion!

 

On our ships’ tour we were only able to see the entrance to the palace, but we did attend a special World Cruise event and take a tour of the Royal Regalia. (We could only take photos in the main entry hall.) This museum houses the two golden chariots pulled by 40 soldiers that were used in his coronation and Silver Jubilee celebrations. We also saw the gold and silvery armory used on these occasions, the golden crowns and ceremonial garb, the models of the palaces, gifts that have been presented to him over the years, and the honors (gold, silver and jeweled decorations) that he presents to foreign visitors and members of the official Brunei family. The dresses the wives wear on special occasions look like they’re covered with sequins, but they are actually diamonds!

 

Earlier, we toured the Heritage Museum where we learned about the history of the people and about the oil and gas industries. Then we visited the Sultan’s recently-built mosque. It has 29 golden domes in honor of him being the 29th king. Since no cameras were allowed, you’ll have to take our word for it…it was extravagant. The main prayer space accommodates 3,500 male worshippers under the dome. A huge Austrian chandelier in the center weighs 3.5 tons and is covered with 24-carat gold and beautiful crystals. A separate women’s prayer area holds 1,000. The wood, Italian marble and gold decorations throughout the building are amazing. The elaborate prayer carpeting was designed and made in Thailand with Australian wool.  We observed strict dress codes as we all removed our shoes and the women were required to wear long black robes to enter.  Because we were a tour group, the women were allowed in the Mosque and did not have to cover our heads.  The men all had to wear long pants and sleeves.  It was very interesting.

 

Next we visited one of the many water villages. The villagers slip back and forth on high-speed little water taxis to these ramshackle houses on stilts. We were able to visit one for tea and snacks. They had large rooms but were pretty bare. We were told they needed the space for all the large family gatherings. Upsetting was the fact that the older homes dump ALL waste directly into the water. It was not pretty. An effort is being made to move more and more of these folks into more modern apartments. Very nice single family housing does exist and appear to be large and comfortable from the outside.

 

We then visited a more modest mosque built by the Sultan’s father.  We did not visit inside as the men were at prayer, one of five times a day they are called to prayer. Karen engaged in conversation with a young mother holding her six-month-old daughter outside waiting for her husband to finish prayers. She was very interested in where we were from, how long we were staying in Brunei and where we were going next. It was a treat to engage in conversation with this woman.

 

Brunei’s oil reserves are calculated to run out in 2020 or so. When asked what would happen then, our guide said, “That will be the next Sultan’s problem.” The current Sultan has recently reorganized his cabinet and has inserted the Crown Prince (age 32) at the top to give him more governmental experience. They are trying to start up some light industry and attract foreign investments, but haven’t been too successful.

 

It was an amazing experience to see such a cult of personality. Brunei’s 29th Sultan has ruled since 1967…heading the world’s longest monarchy. He has been described as part national leader, part spiritual leader and part CEO. He is all of that! It is amazing that more of the population, which certainly is not as well off as they could be, haven’t recognized how the disparity in life styles has impacted their own lives.

 

Oh, yes. If you need to know the Sultan’s full name:

His Majesty Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzadin Waddaulah Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan Negara Brunei Darussalam.

 

Larry

 

 

Photos of our cruise are available at the web site:

 

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

 

Photos from Brunei have beenadded.

 

 

Day 48 - At Sea

 

Date:  Feb. 25, 2007

 

Location:  At Sea 

 

Next Port:  Muara, Brunei, Feb. 26

 

Quick Summary:  We had an enjoyable day at sea after an action-packed day in Singapore.

 

Report: Larry and Karen both got in their early morning workouts before breakfast, church, bridge and lectures.

 

Larry attended William Stubbs’ first lecture, “Spice Ships and Silk Road: How the West Invaded the East and Why,” followed by “The History and Culture of Malaysia and Brunei,” by Sandra Bowern. Both are good presenters and provided interesting information about this part of the world.

 

In the afternoon we enjoyed reading on the aft deck and then tea which featured a sumptuous strawberry buffet. Larry even joined Karen in the afternoon trivia game. Our team didn’t win!

 

At 6:00 p.m., we all joined our neighbors in our corridor for the third block party.  This gathering was to meet and welcome those who joined us in Singapore for the beginning of the third segment of the World Cruise. Our small world story: We met a couple who live next door to the only people we know in Rockford, Ill.

 

We decided to skip the captain’s formal welcome reception and, instead, we elected to have a small, quiet dinner in our suite.

 

It is hard to believe that tomorrow in Brunei will mark the end of our seventh week on the Voyager. And to think that the longest cruise we had taken before was a short two weeks! It is hard to believe we have been onboard so long and have seen so much.

 

Larry

 

 

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

 

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

 

 

Day 47 - Singapore

 

Date:  Feb. 24, 2007

 

Location:  Singapore 

 

Next Port:  Muara, Brunei, Feb. 26

 

Quick Summary:  We had a quick but very interesting stop at the busy port and city of Singapore. We sailed past more than 150 ships at anchor, vast chemical and container areas and right into the cruise terminal at the base of the cable car to Sentosa Island. We visited the famous Raffles Hotel and got an up close look at three of the cultures that make up this small island nation.

 

Report:  Capt. Dag made up time, so we were able to pick up our pilot earlier than expected. The long run into our actual dockage was very interesting. Numerous natural and man-made outer islands were filled with vast chemical and oil storage facilities. The channel was filled with several hundred ships – plying in and out of the port or at anchor. It was a truly amazing sight.

 

We docked at a large cruise terminal that really could only handle two large ships, but was bustling with high-speed passenger ferries and local tourist boat excursions. Next to it was a large, three-story, upscale, waterfront mall called Vivo. We had time to walk through it prior to our excursion.  It was filled with upscale stores…many local as well as many international and U.S. brands.

 

Our excursion began with a curry lunch buffet in the very chic Tiffin Room at the famous Raffles Hotel. We also had time to wander around the extensive grounds, shops and museum. Many readers probably know that the Singapore Sling originated in the Long Bar at this iconic hotel.

 

In 1819, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles established a British colony for the East India Company in what is today Singapore. Considered the founder of Singapore, Raffles was very influential in the early growth and development of the area.

 

Although the hotel carries his name, it was founded by four Armenian brothers in 1887. The original location was seaside, though due to continued land reclamation, it now is almost a ½ mile from the shoreline.  The hotel was closed from 1989-91, and after extensive renovations, it has been restored to how it appeared in its heyday of 1915. Of course, new wings of rooms, expanded facilities and shops have been added. It’s still quite a grand, refined hotel.  (Rooms run around $650 per night.)

 

We then visited China Town, Little India and Arab Street. In China Town, they were marking the 7th day of the 15-day Chinese New Year (the year of the Golden Pig) celebration. On this day, everybody’s birthday is celebrated. We saw them burning fake money for their ancestors to use when reincarnated. We saw a highly decorated Hindu temple in the middle of China Town. Joseph, our Catholic guide of Tamil (Indian) descent, explained that the Chinese provided this land more than 150 years ago to the Hindus when they were prohibited from building in another area of the city. Joseph mentioned several times, with pride, how all the various religions and nationalities respect each other in modern day Singapore and live in Harmony. What a concept! (We saw Buddhist temples, a Jewish synagogue, Hindu temples and a Catholic Church all in the center of the city.)

 

In Little India, we walked through various silk and handicraft shops. In the Malay area, we visited the outside of the golden-domed Sultan Mosque, the largest in Singapore. We watched men prepare themselves by washing their feet, hands, arms and faces in the adjacent bathing areas before entering the mosques for prayer.  Since prayers were underway, we could not go inside. Karen purchased a wrap skirt and some silk scarves from India (in China Town).

 

Upon returning to the ship, we decided to ride the cable car to

Sentosa Island. Our ship was docked right under this cable way that moves from a mountain peak through a 15-story transfer station to the island park. We didn’t get out of the cable car but thoroughly enjoyed the 30-min. roundtrip to the lush green entertainment island.

 

On our earlier bus ride drive back to the port, we passed by the container terminal. We learned that it is the largest in the world…recently surpassing Rotterdam. (Singapore also operates 20 other ports around the world.) It is the most efficient port in the world, with ships being able to offload and reload within 7-18 hours. Shipping operations is the main business of this small island nation. (The nation is really small, only 23 km north to south and 42 km east to west. In fact, the train tracks through the country and railroad station are owned by Malaysia, its northern neighbor. 12% of Singapore is built on reclaimed land.)

 

Tourism, another main industry, is finally bouncing back after being seriously impacted by the SARs situation of a few years ago. Singapore hosted about 9 million visitors last year. Unemployment at the time of the SARs scare soared to about 18% and hotel occupancy was about 10%. Now unemployment is about 4% and the economy’s growth rate has bounced back to above 8% the past two years.

 

Singapore, the Lion City, certainly lives up to its namesake. It is roaring along, certainly someplace we’d like to return to.  

 

Larry

 

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

 

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

 

Photos from Singapore have been added.

 

Days 44-46 - At Sea

 

Date:  Feb. 21-23, 2007

 

Location:  At Sea   

 

Next Port:  Singapore, Feb. 24

 

Quick Summary:  We enjoyed three restful days at sea, two sunny and one mostly cloudy. Friday morning, we rounded the northern tip of the Indonesian Island of Sumatra, the site of the December 26, 2004 tsunami that caused so much devastation and loss of life. Once we entered the Straits of Malacca, the seas smoothed considerably, and the boat traffic became significant.

 

Report:  Karen spent Wednesday in bed, having come down with a slight fever the evening before and some chest congestion. She took some of her medications, which seemed to help, and was up and about on Thursday (though she still took it easy during the day).

 

Larry was able to get in his workout each morning and finally caught up on some of his reading. He is currently enjoying, “Devils on the Deep Blue Sea,” by Kristoffer Garin. It’s the story of the American cruise-ship industry beginning with the growth of Carnival and Royal Caribbean Cruise Line and ending with their ultimate fight for P&O’s Princess Cruise Line. Maybe there could be a guest lecturer future for him!

 

Thursday evening, we enjoyed the hilarious “Crazy Kitchen Cabaret” dinner that has been ongoing in the Latitudes restaurant for the past few weeks. Amy Baker, the vocalist, wrote most of the new words to familiar songs for this crew cabaret production of songs and funnyskits. All the wait staffparticipated – wearing colorful costumes in the brightly decorated restaurant. It has been so popular that it’s been extended for another week.

 

Afterwards, we thoroughly enjoyed the Peter Grey Terhune singers in “Back to Broadway II,” with great songs from several Rogers and Hammerstein productions and Les Miserables. In our opinion, these four talented vocalists have outshone some of the main headliners that have been brought on ship to perform for us,

 

Capt. Dag informed us this morning that our arrival tomorrow in Singapore has been delayed from 9:00 a.m. to noon. He plans to extend our stay by an hour or so…making it a shorter stay in this city we have heard so much about. We plan to go on a city excursion to some of the ethnic neighborhoods…and of course stop by the Raffles Hotel for an original Singapore Sling.  After all, we are tourists!

 

Around noon on Friday, we were able to talk to our daughters and Ron...a real treat. We will be getting another hour of free phone time when the new segment begins in Singapore. We’ve had one-hour time changes the last two days and are now 14 hours ahead of Chicago time.  We are moving right along.

 

Larry

 

 

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

 

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

 

Photos from the Crazy Kitchen Cabaret & the Singers have been added.

Day 43 - Colombo, Sri Lanka (Tour to Kandy)

 

Date:  Feb. 20, 2007

 

Location:  Colombo, Sri Lanka (Visit to Kandy)   

 

Next Port:  Singapore, Feb. 24

 

Quick Summary:  We enjoyed a full-day tour to scenic Kandy, the last stronghold of the Sinhala Kings, a three-hour ride from the port of Colombo.

 

Report:  We pulled into the very busy port of Colombo shortly after 6:00 a.m. We got on one of four new Toyota 16-passenger mini-vans for the three-hour ride to Kandy which is situated in a scenic hilly area in the middle of the island.

 

Many of you might remember Sri Lanka as Ceylon, which it was called until 1972. It sits 18-1/2 miles off the coast of India. Colonized by the Portuguese and the Dutch, it was ceded to the British in 1815. Independence from the Commonwealth was peacefully obtained through negotiation in 1948. The populations is about 22 million, with 74% being Sinhalese. The Tamils are the largest minority, 18%.

 

·        The Tamil Tigers (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam or LTTE), located primarily in the northern and eastern parts of the island have been fighting the government since the 1980s) are called “Indian Origin Tamil” to differentiate them from the Tamils who have lived on the island since ancient times. The ancestors of the former were “newcomers” brought to the island as indentured laborers by British colonists to work the estate plantations.

 

Sri Lanka has been at the crossroads of the trade routes in the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal since ancient times. Today, its main exports are tea, coffee, rubber and coconuts.

 

The Sinha royal dynasty ruled the island for more than 2,000 years. The destination of our tour was to see Kandy, the scenic city in the highlands of the island that was the last stronghold of these kings. The Dalada Maligawa or Temple of the Tooth is among the most sacred sites for Buddhists worldwide. It enshrines in great splendor the Sacred Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha. Brought to Sri Lanka in the 4th century A.D., this sacred relic has been the symbol of sovereignty for its rulers.

 

We enjoyed the long ride to Kandy more than we expected. The narrow road was filled with vehicles of all shapes and forms – from log-hauling trucks, to mini-buses, cars, scooter, countless tri-shaws (motorized three-wheel taxi scooters) to water buffalo. There were always at least three lanes of traffic competing for space on the two-lane road. 

 

We passed through villages that specialized in almonds, pineapples, cane-weaved goods, lumber products, and leather goods. Coconuts were everywhere. We enjoyed being out in the country and seeing how the Sri Lankans lived on the edge of the ever-present jungle. Highlights were the uniformed school children and peasant women with colorful umbrellas.

 

On the outskirts of Kandy, we had an escorted tour of the Royal Botanical Garden. The Orchid House and the variety of flowering vines and trees were the highlights.

 

At the Temple of the Tooth, we all had to remove our footwear and dress conservatively (for which we had been forewarned). It was a beautiful spot. (One doesn’t get to see the tooth relic…it is only unveiled to believers one day every 10 years.)

 

As part of the tour, we enjoyed a buffet luncheon of various local dishes at the Suisse Hotel located adjacent to Lake Kandy – a man-made lake in the middle of the city.

 

Then it was another 110km dash downhill to the ship. As we entered rush hour traffic approaching Colombo, we picked up an escort. Four guys (from the agency running our tour) in a new pickup truck ran interference for our four-mini-bus caravan. Two of the guys had on the large white policemen gloves and were cutting through and around traffic waving for vehicles on both sides of the road to squeeze over and let the mini-buses through. Karen said those last 40kms were like “an E-ticket ride at Disneyland.” If any of our readers have taken the road to Hana, Larry said that, “Just like that drive, this will give us something to talk about for years.”  We should have known something when our driver was introduced to us as, “Bullet.” In fact Larry said he picked up some pointers! (Karen is very glad he doesn’t drive much anymore!)

 

It was a great day. Now we have three sea days before arriving in Singapore where we will regret saying good-bye to some new friends.

 

Karen and Larry

 

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

 

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

 

Photos from Sri Lanka have been added.

Day 42 - At Sea

 

Date:  Feb. 19, 2007

 

Location:  At Sea

 

Next Port:  Colombo, Sri Lanka, Feb. 20

 

Summary:  We spent a quiet day at sea…working out, reading, sunning, playing cards, etc.

 

We are looking forward to our visit tomorrow to Kandy, the last stronghold of the Sinhala Kings, in Sri Lanka.

 

 

 Karen and Larry

 

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

 

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

 

 

Day 41 - Male, Maldives

 

Date:  Feb. 18, 2007

 

Location:  Malé, Maldives

 

Next Port:  Colombo, Sri Lanka, Feb. 20

 

Quick Summary:  Our stop in the Maldives was as exotic as we pictured it to be. We enjoyed a visit to a picturesque atoll for some terrific snorkeling and a walk around the capital, Malé. The day was topped off with a huge party on the pool deck before weighing anchor at 10:15 pm.

 

Report:  During the early morning hours we crossed back over the Equator…without feeling the bump! During breakfast before church, we began to pass by some of the thousand islands that make up the Maldives. Spread over 26 tropical atolls that straddle the Equator in the heart of the Indian Ocean, Maldives is home to some of the world’s most exotic getaways.  A first, we just saw spits of sand surrounded by beautiful light blue-green waters. Then the islands became larger with lush vegetation and posh resorts filled with over-water bungalows on stilts. We also saw several pods of dolphin lazily fishing and moving through the calm waters close to the ship.

 

The approach to Malé, the capital, was spectacular. First we cruised by the end of the runway of the separate island that hosts the international airport. Then we paraded right down the main water front. Colorful Malé is surrounded by a sea wall, has no natural remaining beaches and is home to 60,000 people…about half the country’s population. The harbor bustles with activity – motorized donghis and speedboats cycling back and forth to the island resorts, fishing boats and lots of freighters.

 

We also saw several mega-yachts during our stay in the Maldives. They are certainly amazing “play toys.”  I am sure we’ll see many more as travel on to places such a Singapore, Hong Kong and Monaco.

 

After dropping anchor, we took the ship’s tender to the harbor front. Here we transferred to a motor launch for our 40-minute ride to the coral island of Kuda Bandos. This small island is encircled by a very close-in reef. We enjoyed 2-1/2 hours of some terrific snorkeling. The variety of species and number of fish were amazing. Most of the reef was only 2-4 feet under the surface, so both Karen and Larry enjoyed a great afternoon.

 

Upon returning to Malé, we walked around the downtown area for about an hour. We saw the Hukuru Miskiiy or Friday Mosque. Next we walked by the Presidential Palace. Then we strolled through the local night fish market. We walked past a small mosque where men were washing themselves outside preparing for evening prayers.  After spending all of 5 minutes in a souvenir shop (no purchases!), we headed to the tender.

 

We ended the day with a fabulous “barbeque” gala on the pool deck. The galley crew went all out. With pennants flying, they set out a multi-ethnic buffet around the pool. The band played for three hours and there was an open mike for those who wanted to add to the festivities. We danced. It was crowded but lots of fun.  At 10:15, we weighed anchor and wafted by warm breezes, we enjoyed a smooth sail-away under the stars through the beautiful harbor.  It was the end of a very special day.

 

Next Up: After a day at sea, the famous Buddhist temple town of Kandy on Sri Lanka.

 

 Karen and Larry

 

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

 

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

 

Photos from our day in the Maldives have been added.

 

 

 

Days 39-40 - At Sea

 

Date:  Feb. 16-17, 2007

 

Location:  At Sea   

 

Next Port:  Malé, Maldives, Feb. 18

 

Quick Summary: We enjoyed two beautiful, smooth sea days. The temps have dropped to the low 80s and the same for the humidity.

 

Report:  The Indian Ocean has been characterized by very calm seas, less wind and humidity, and plenty of sunshine. We caught up on some of our reading, enjoyed the sun on the pool deck and relaxed on our veranda. Karen played giant Scrabble with Rosemary from New Brunswick and Shanghai with Larry. She also took up her bridge lessons again. 

 

We have been enjoying the pre-dinner hour in the Observation Lounge listening to Frankie on the acoustical guitar. On Friday, we had a fun dinner in Signatures with Marji and Dave from Long Boat Key, Fla. 

 

On Saturday, we enjoyed dinner in Compass Rose with Ken. Then we joined a jam-packed theater for the smash-bang Passenger Talent Show. Cruise Director Jamie and Capt. Dag, aka Julio Inglesias and Willie Nelson, started it off with a hilarious ditty, “For All the Ships We’ve Loved Before.”  Everyone who participated did a terrific job.

 

Next up: the exotic Maldives.

 

Karen and Larry

 

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

 

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

 

Photos from the Passenger Talent Show have been added.

 

Day 38 - Port Victoria, Mahe, Seychelles

 

Date:  Feb 15, 2007

 

Location:  Port Victoria, Mahé, Seychelles   

 

Next Port:  Male, Maldives, Feb. 18

 

Quick Summary: Wow! What a magnificent place on earth…a rainbow welcome, lush green islands, wonderful beaches, reef snorkeling and a peek at one of Mahé’s wonderful resorts. 

 

Report: We were up at sunrise among the outer islands of the Seychelles and enjoyed the sail-in to the main island of Mahé, and Port Victoria. These islands are granite, not volcanic, and are the remnants of a continent many hundreds of million of years ago created as the earth’s tectonic plates moved around.

 

Mahé is mountainous, densely forested and has many rocky cliffs. As we pulled into sunny Port Victoria, there were some raindrops (what in Hawaii we called “pineapple juice”) blowing off the top of the mountain, resulting in a beautiful rainbow welcome.

 

Capt. Dag has a wonderful way of heading directly perpendicular towards our docking space (where in this case there were boats directly in front and behind our spot). He then spins parallel to the space before moving slowly sideways to the dock. One can do that with podded engines and propellers (no central drive shaft) that can turn and be used in combination with the bow thrusters.

 

We were off the boat at about 8:30 am for our “Reef Safari to Cerf Island.” We boarded a 40 passenger launch for a 10-minute ride out to a glass bottom boat located in the national marine park.  We transferred to this semi-submarine boat that had a deep, v-shaped hull with viewing windows about 6 feet below the water line. Though the space was tight, it was air conditioned and provided up close views of fish and coral as we moved over the shallow reef. We saw hundreds and many varieties of colorful fish.

 

We returned to our launch and enroute to Cerf Island, stopped to feed  bread to the fish. They really swarmed after the food.

 

Next we stopped at Cerf Island for a cool tropical drink. Those who were not going to snorkel stayed on the beach while about 20 of us got back on the launch for a short ride to the marine park reef. Karen opted to enjoy walking along the beach and swimming in the warm water. Larry chose to go snorkeling. The guide anchored the boat so that one side of the areas offered an opportunity to swim over sea grasses and the other provided snorkeling over the coral. Both areas were teeming with beautiful fish.

 

Sadly, we learned that natural forces in the recent past have destroyed about 70% of the live coral in the park. The Seychelles experienced 1to 2 years of El Nino. This natural phenomenon resulted in greater hours of sun and higher water temperatures. Much of the coral was bleached and killed. Then the tsunami that hit the day after Christmas in 2004, dealt another severe blow. Our guide said that instead of the normal high/low tides every six hours, they had them every 5-6 minutes for more than 24 hours. The force of this rapid water movement broke up much of the coral. It will take generations to recover.

 

We returned to the Voyager at about 12:30 pm. After a quick shower and lunch, we caught the shuttle bus into Mahé, walked around, bought a few souvenirs and postcards and took some photos.

 

Then we hired a taxi for an hour to take us around parts of the island. We lucked out…our driver had lived on Mahé all his life and was a wealth of information. We drove across to the western side of the island, then around the northern tip and back into Port Victoria. We saw somelocal villages, beautiful beaches and even one classy resort nestled atop a rocky point above a sandy cove. This is definitely an area that any beach and water lover could easily return to.

 

We pulled out at about 6:00pm and enjoyed a nice sunset as we cruised through some of the northern islands before heading northeast towards the atolls of the Maldives…a two-day sail away.

 

Karen and Larry

 

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

 

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

 

Photos from Port Victoria, Mahé, Seychelles have been added.