DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA

DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA

MARCH 28, 2014

 

An explorer found the natural harbor at Durban on Christmas Day 1497 but it wasn’t settled until 25 British people came from the Cape much later to colonize it.

 

A classic melting pot city, Durban was home of the famous Zulu king Shaka Zulu. He brought together many tribes to form the large Zulu nation of 55 million. Then the Dutch formed a colony here but it eventually fell into British hands. They turned it into a busy port town, the center of the country’s sugar cane trade, and they brought tens of thousands of laborers from India to work here.  Today, a city of nearly

3,500,000, Durban has the largest Indian population of any city outside of India. 

On tour, we went from the port through Durban, the second largest industrial city in South Africa, about sixty miles north to Zulu land.  The land in the mountains was claimed by the Zulus.  We were invited into a round, domed thatched roof house that was built as a community house. Stones were placed around the edge along the inside and woven mats were put on the stones to sit on.  Men were told to sit on one side and the women on the other side. The chief sat in the middle smoking his pipe while our Zulu guide told us about Zulu life. The men could marry as many women as they wanted but they had to pay her parents 11 cows first. Her mother sold one cow to pay for the wedding which went on for days.  The woman made the house for them to live in.  If the man saved up for another bride and paid another 11 cows that wife made a new house and the man lived with whichever one he wanted.

 

We were then taken to a smaller house and a Zulu woman showed us how she made the meal using stone implements to grind the corn and prepare the meal.  It looked like a hard life.  Then the group of young men and women in tradition dress danced their native dances for over an hour.

 

Our next stop is Cape Town, South Africa. 

                                                         Zulu Land in the mountains

Zulu Dancers

Zulu Dancers

 

 

LA POSSESSION, REUNION

LA POSSESSION, REUNION

MARCH 24, 2014

 

Reunion is a small volcanic island several hundred miles from our last port-of-call, Mauritius. It was discovered in 1502 but the French did not colonize it until 1638. It is 40 kilometers long and 50 kilometers wide and 830,000 live there. The island is an Overseas Department of France and all the people are French citizens. Their money is Euros.

 

Just fifteen minutes away from La Possession, Saint-Denis is the island’s major city, with broad avenues and French colonial homes still intact, as well as busy outdoor marketplaces and chic French stores. But the island is also dotted with tiny villages, sugar plantations, high-end sea side resorts and dramatic waterfalls. One of the world’s most active volcanoes, Piton de Fournaise, is on the south part of the island. It has irrupted 30 times since 1998 with the last time being in 2010. 

 

In 1700 the people started growing coffee and sugar cane by bringing African slaves to work the fields. In 1848 they stopped slavery and they brought in indentured servants from China and India.  They now raise and export to Europe sugar, Victoria pineapple, coffee, and vanilla.

 

Their schooling is free to them through high school. The average salary per person is 1,200 euro a month. There is 35% unemployment on the island. France sends each unemployed person a small subsist y a month.  Tourism is their main economic product.

 

The island cuisine is memorable: Creole food blends French with Indian and Chinese sauces. The sights, smells and sounds of this Indian Ocean Island are rare and unforgettable.

 

Our next stop is Durban, South Africa.

In St Denis - the State Garden

In St Denis - Hindu Temple-We were not supposed to go inside

Right inside the Hindu Temple-Our group was chased out after this

St Denis-Colonial period Government House

St Denis-French House early 1800's

 

 

 

 

 

PORT LOUIS, MAURITIUS

PORT LOUIS, MAURITIUS

MARCH 23, 2014

 

First settled by the Dutch in the 1600’s, then it became a French colony that was later seized by the British, Mauritius has a fascinating history.  The French brought enslaved Africans here to work in the sugar cane plantations and the influence of both their cultures are still felt on the island today.  The British freed the slaves in 1835 but brought in hundreds of thousands of indentured workers from India and China, and they brought their cultural traditions, food and religion with them, too.  Since Mauritius gained independence in 1968, it has since become one of Africa’s economic success stories, driven in large part by its peaceful democracy and its incredible scenic beauty. The Mauritian capital, Port Louis, has modern flair, but holds on to its colonial past with graceful French architecture and colorful Hindu temples.

 

The volcanic island is located in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar. It is 65 kilometers long and 45 kilometers wide and has over one million twenty five thousand people living there. Tourism is their biggest economic income. They had 900,000 visitors last year. They have beautiful beaches on the north and south of the island with some big resorts. They have a total of 150 hotels. The volcanic mountains are unique as they are so pointed and craggy and covered in greenery.  On tour we were taken to see into the last now inactive volcano. I’ve included a picture. Their biggest export product is still sugar cane which they export to Europe. A by-product they keep and make rum.

 

This island is known for the Dodo bird. It was a flightless bird but it only lays one egg a year. It was introduced by the Dutch in 1681. But, it was extinct by 1691.

 

All of us enjoyed this island and we would recommend a vacation here.  I wouldn’t say that for all the islands we have visited.

Tom and Sandy with Port Louis in the background.

Volcanic Mountains

Modern office building

Inactive Volcanic basin from the top

 

 

 

VICTORIA, SEYCHELLES

VICTORIA, SEYCHELLES

MARCH 20, 2014

 

The Seychelles are composed of 115 islands, and Victoria, on the island of Mahe, is the capital.  The islands are located north of Madagascar and east of Africa just below the equator. The islands have a population of 82,247 and Victoria has 26,200 people. The granite and coral islands became scattered in a secluded corner of the Indian Ocean, and they have remained sanctuaries with some of the rarest species of flora and fauna on earth.

 

A total of 16 islands, including getaways with only a single lodge per island, provide an authentic tropical island experience. They claim to have the most beautiful beaches in the world, and while they are quite pretty, we know Panama City Beach, FL has the most beautiful beaches in the world!

One claim to fame they have is a very famous person has a get-away home on the island of Mahe. I will include a picture of it. He is the Sheikh of Abiudhadia and he also is the Prime Minister Sheikh of the UAE.

 

On tour we took a Catamaran cruise and then transferred to a glass bottom boat, which was like a submarine, to see the fish and coral. That was a neat experience. Then back on the Catamaran we were taken fairly close to the shore so we could snorkel over the coral. The weather was about 85 degrees and it stays that way year round.

 

Next we visit two small islands before we get to Africa.

Small island nearby with 25 families

Sheihk House

Tom and Sandy ready for snorkeling

Beautiful Mahe Island

Our ship, the Amsterdam, in port

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COLOMBO, SRI LANKA

COLOMBO, SRI LANKA

MARCH 15, 2014

 

Sri Lanka was called Ceylon up until 1973.  There are 21 million people in the country and 800,000 in the capital Colombo. Three hundred years before Christ the Buddhists came to Sri Lanka. Now 69% are Buddhists, 8% are Muslims, 7% are Hindus, 6% are Christians, and 10% are unspecified. We were told the literacy rate is 90%. Also, they lost 50,000 people in the 2004 tsunami.

 

Early on this country was under the rule of the Portuguese, the Dutch, and then the British. India asked for their independence from Britain in 1947 and Sri Lanka asked for theirs from Britain in 1948. Since then they are self-ruled as a democracy with a Prime Minister and a President.

 

The people are very dark skinned and look like the people in India.  On tour we went to the National Museum, housed in a beautiful colonial building circa 1877.  The museum’s collection includes anthropological, cultural, and scientific exhibitions.

 

We also went through the Gangaramaya Buddhist temple which also had a museum of spiritual artifacts from around the world.

 

Next we are heading for the Seychelles Islands.

We had to take our shoes off before we entered the Buddhist temple.

One of the Buddas in the temple

Tuk-Tuk They are Taxi

 

 

 

ON THE HIGH SEAS

ON THE HIGH SEAS

MARCH 14, 2014

 

We have had some exciting times this last week. With the missing Malaysian Airplane possibly in our area we have listened to FOX news, which is broadcast to the ship, with much interest. An interesting theory we did hear is the plane could have been landed on some remote island on a WWII airstrip. Some of the islands we have visited are remote and did have strips that have not been used since the WWII but I cannot see how anyone could hide a 777 airplane in this area. It is still a mystery.

If that wasn’t enough excitement for our sea days the Captain sent a letter to each stateroom about the transit of the Indian Ocean and Piracy.  We had recently seen the movie “Captain Phillips” (a poor choice of movies to show us on the high seas!) about his true to live capture of his container ship by pirates. Our Captain said it was highly unlikely as we were moving at 20 knots and have a high freeboard.  But just in case he was taking precautions. Besides all the radar watch, we have 24 hour anti-piracy watch on freeboard decks. We have charged water hoses ready for use on both sides of the lower deck and they have rigged razor wire on deck 3, our freeboard deck.  Now we feel so much safer. It seems there are no guns on board. What a pity!

PHUKET, THAILAND

PHUKET, THAILAND

MARCH 11, 2014

 

Thailand, formally called Siam, is a country of 67,000,000 and about 80% are Buddhist. Up until 1982 they had an absolute monarchy but now they have a constitutional monarchy. Their products are rice, rubber, corn, sugarcane, and tin. They have Asian elephants which are smaller than African elephants and they have a dip in their back, two bumps on their heads, and small ears. In December 26, 2004 a Tsunami came ashore in Phuket and caused much damage. It has been built back and some detection buoys have been put out in the water to give some warning in case there is a next time.

 

Tourists flock to Phuket for its outstanding white sand beaches and the inexpensive hotels and most people like Thai food. They have about six million visitors a year.

 

We had a tour of the Thai Culture Village.  We were met by beautiful young women dressed in their tradition dress. Then we were given an hour performance of their Siamese traditional dances depicting their history.  It was very beautiful. After that we were given a wonderful buffet lunch of thai food to include the most popular local dish Tom Yam Goong, a hot and sour shrimp dish.

 

Next we are off to Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Chalong Buddhist Temple - Most famous in Phuket

Welcome at the Thai Culture Center

Cultural Center

City overhead wires. Interesting!

Seaside

Bride and Groom at the Temple for Marriage Blesssing