Last days at sea

Tuesday the 24^th of April 2012

We are nearly home now but at present we are in a very disturbed and rolling Atlantic Ocean! This cruise has been for both of us a trip of a lifetime and it does seem an age since we embarked on “Black Watch” on the 11^th of January. Recalling our travelled since then it is difficult bring to mind all of the extraordinary adventures we have had. All those ports and places beginning in Gibraltar and the George Cross Island of Malta, down to Egypt to the somewhat scruffy Port Said and thus to Sharm! There was a complete contrast with that to the beautiful country of Oman with its very lovely and satisfied people so clean and tidy, but they did make the worst tea ever!

Then to the wonderful India and Mumbai; what and experience that was!

So many places such as the exciting cities of Singapore and Hong Kong, the surprising Vietnam with its gentle people and green hills and bustling towns, a country that deserves to emerge well out of its war torn past; then on to the Philippines and Indonesia, Borneo and Australia with unforgettable Sydney and tropical Cairns.

Across the Pacific Ocean visiting the South Sea Islands all of them so different but all being a tropical paradise. On to Lima in Peru, through the Panama Canal to Cartagena in Columbia all places not seen before in imagination or in actual visit and then onto the Caribbean.

We have been so lucky and fortunate to have done this trip, and the memories will live for time to come

It is certainly true that the differences in the seas around the world are so contrasting. The Atlantic pitches when it is angry and is calm when it is peaceful. The Pacific rolls and is a different blue. The South China Sea was the most angry with us travelling over its breaking waters; force ten gales and nearly everyone sea sick.

We have made some lovely new friends some of whom will keep in touch and we will miss many things. Suuske will miss in particular the continued social interaction with people. We will both miss the availability of 3 waiter assisted meals per day in restaurants that have a very varied menus and fantastic food. We will also miss the opportunity of going to Theatre every night with some great visiting artistes and musicians if we wished, or just to relax in the various lounges with other musicians’ trios etc. to listen to. There have also been some excellent lecturers on board that have been very interesting and educational. The staff on board are truly the best! All of them so keen to help and make things on board and for the cruise the best it could be! I will miss them in particular. I will also miss hearing Fely and Black Watch Orchestra but I think Joey the trombonist will keep in touch.

We have had such a great opportunity and have enjoyed all of it immensely!

Many thanks to all of you out there who have read the blog and commented on it, we hope you have enjoyed following the voyage and all that we have done. See you soon!

Fd

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Azores

Sunday the 22^nd of April 2012

Today we were in our final port of call before returning to Southampton and home. It was Ponta Delgada in the Azores and a beautiful place it is too. We did not take a tour today just stayed around town but one could see from the scenery around that the beauty of this place is spectacular and people who did go around the island confirmed this.

It is fresh and clean and Portuguese and the weather today helped immensely because it was warm and sunny, just the sort of day to take delight in strolling around and stopping in the town squares to drink coffee and watch the world go by; this is basically what we did; a lovely day.

The architecture is very Portuguese and everywhere looked so clean and tidy.

When we got back on board there was time to sit on the back deck for awhile in the sun. Suuske had a swim in the pool and then just before we left port we had another “sailaway” time with Black Watch orchestra and Fely. Then we had a leisurely dinner watching the beautiful scenery of the Island slip away with a fantastic sunset behind us; a very apt and special way to leave our last port of call.

Fd

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description of Black Watch

Thursday the 19^th of April

Today we are halfway through the voyage from the Caribbean to the Azores and our final port of call Ponta Delgarda.

Throughout this cruise we have at times been in port next to “gigantic Cruise ships” which make “Black Watch” look very tiny indeed. We have docked next to ships from Holland America line, Cunard, Celebrity and Costa. The opinion of people on this ship is, with the exception of Queen Mary 2, that they look like floating blocks of flats, and with the sleek lines of the ships of the Olsen line of which “Black Watch” is one, that there is something to be said that small in this case is very much better.

Anthony and Joke have asked for some details of the Black watch, so here goes:

She cannot be described as a luxury liner, but once you have travelled on her, she is like a comfortable shoe, you keep returning to.

She is 28,613 tonnes in weight, 205.47 metres long and has a beam of 25.20 metres. Her speed is 20 knots and is fully stabilised.

She can carry 804 passengers with 307 crew members. She is a lovely ship and is very comfortable.

Deck 2 is for crew quarters and rest areas.

Deck 3 The Marina deck is where we are and it is a deck of cabins, the medical Centre and an excellent Cinema Theatre.

Deck 4, The Atlantic Deck is mainly Cabins but also has the hairdresser and beauty parlour situated.

Deck 5 is Main Deck and it is here that Reception, Shops, tours desk and cruise booking office is situated. It also has some cabins.

Deck 6 is the Lounge Deck. Here situated are the 2 restaurants, 2 bars, the theatre and main lounge. At the rear is the outdoor restaurant with swimming pool Jacuzzi and plunge pool and plenty of sun loungers.

Deck 7 is the Lido deck and this has a great bar lounge which opens on to the back decks. Also there is the library, the card room, reading room and some cabins. This is also the promenade deck and one can walk all around the ship on this deck on the outside and also sunbathe on the loungers.

Deck 8, the Bridge Deck is what it says and this where the Bridge is located and the officers mess. There are also some cabins on this deck.

Deck 9 is the Marquee Deck and here are some cabins but mainly the outdoor restaurant with Jacuzzi and pool. The observatory lounge is also here and this gives a panoramic view of the sea in front as we sail.

Deck 10 is the sun deck. Plenty of opportunity to sunbathe here but also here is access to the gym, the sauna, the tennis court putting green and other sports activity areas.

“Black Watch” is truly a friendly and nice ship to be on and most of the passengers are what are called “repeaters” with over half of them having been on this ship by absolute choice over and over again. Some passengers have on this trip been on board 5 months, and some have completed many cruises before including many world cruises.

The reason for so many people being so loyal to Olsen Cruise line is because of the care that the company take in making their ships so friendly and comfortable. The staff is really really helpful and charmingly friendly and this descends in equal measure from the Captain down to the lowliest workers and deck hands. More than half of the Olsen business is created from people who return time and time again having experienced and contrasted favourably, cruises with Olsen line to other ships that are so much bigger.

Having talked with passengers who have been on the big ships while they were in port it would seem that with upwards of 6.000 passengers there is so much less the opportunity to be part of the community you are sailing with.

“Black Watch” is a great ship and one can be on board meeting people and knowing that you will see them again. The opportunity to make new friends is much more possible on a small ship. We love it here on “Black Watch” and it does appear to be the favourite of all the Olsen cruise ships.

Last night we went to probably the best concert we have had since the cruise began. This was a combination of the Black Watch Orchestra and the Rosario string trio who normally perform on deck 6 in the lounges. It was spectacularly good and musically very satisfying with classical music and film music together with some songs sung by Fely.

Another feature of Black Watch is the amount of entertainment on board with small ensembles and pianists performing most of the day in different areas of the ship.

For those of you who have wanted more information about the ship I hope this suffices.

Incidentally, for those who do not know, “Black Watch” is named after the Scottish Regiment of that name.

Fd

Antigua

Monday the 16^th of April 2012

Our last port of call in the Caribbean is St Johns in Antigua. We have been here before and apart from the development in the port area it has not changed. It is a typical example of a Caribbean Island with a fierce heat a population taking their time to get to places (apart from the cars that want to be faster but can’t because of the traffic)!and there is reggae music blasting out from shops with the cars are running on the bass beat of the music as they pass by with the windows wound down so that the music in the cars mixes with that of the general sound in the town.

We spent today in the town going to and fro as best we could in the melee of the Centre with taxi drivers vying for fares and shop owners crying out for us to visit their shops to buy their wares. This place is certainly not disability friendly and I had often to join the cars in the roads. We were even offered some drugs by a Rasta man in the street.

We visited St John’s Cathedral but it was closed for major renovations.

Before that we visited the Salvation Army! Last time we were here we also made visit and were welcomed to go into the school to see the children in their learning environment. This time the kids were on holiday but we met the DC Major Rosemary Brown and we had a long chat with her about the work they do which is very prolific. Major Rosemary is a friend  our CO Major Mandy White and she sends her best wishes.

We enjoyed today in this hot, busy, friendly place and would not hesitate to come again if we have the chance.

Leaving port we had another sail away party on the back deck with Black Watch orchestra and Fely (you say it Fayly) the band singer. Let me tell you a little about Fely; she is a lovely Filipino woman with a voice that lends itself entirely to the band. Her voice is sometimes hard but then softens into some beautiful tones. She has amazing breath control and her vowel sounds are often lifted on her breath and finished with consonants that are softly but clearly stated. A great singer but some on the ship do not like her. She has a Filipino accent which is absolutely delightful as she sings. Thinking about it even Frank Sinatra himself did not do it. Oh and Fely is the girlfriend of Joey the Trombone player.

We are off to the Azores now for our final port of call!

Fd 

St Maarten

Sunday the 15^th of April 2012-04-15

A couple of day’s voyage has brought us to St Maarten and to the port of Phillipsburg. Again it is quite hot but there is a high wind which is believed to be part of the bad weather that USA is experiencing at the moment; however it has not spoiled in any way the enjoyment of the stay here. It’s a big Cruise terminal and there are 2 other ships in, one from Holland America line and one of the Costas.

This morning we were on a trip by bus around the Island which is in 2 separate parts. One side is part of Holland and the other is under French jurisdiction. As you pass over the border it is quite obvious the difference there is between the two communities both in the people and the environment. If one is truthful the French side does appear to be much better cared for. People making phone calls from one side to the other have to pay international tariffs!!!

We were here before about 9 years ago and Phillipsburg has changed so much. Whereas it used to be a walk to anywhere of considerable bumps and unkempt pavements and a town centre much the same, today there is a new development that takes in the town but has brought a whole new life to the sea front with a promenade, restaurants and cafes that look out over a wonderful beach overlooking the Cruise terminal. It is now a comfortable walk and very disability friendly.

Today has been great day, very enjoyable, manageable heat and colourful because of the environment and the friendly people.

Fd

more pictures to follow

Curacao

Friday the 13^th of April.

If all the Friday the 13^th’s are like this then in the colloquialism of the Assis “No Worries”! We arrived in Willemstadt Curacao this morning to yet another fantastic day.

We have been here before so we knew a little about what to expect. Out on deck when we arrived, we saw from the ship, together with all the other Dutch people who were excitedly also on deck, the lovely town with its pastel shaded Dutch style canal houses gradually getting nearer and then we were berthed and ready for the day.

We did not take the tour today but mad our way through the town on our own sampling the delights of “a Holland” in the Caribbean. It was hot again, but manageable and although we have been here before we found new places and things to see.This truly is a lovely place and with the local people not only speaking Papiamenti (their own language), but also Dutch, all the Dutch people on board felt very much at home and enjoyed the day very much indeed.

A big bonus for Suuske and no doubt all the other Dutch nationals was that the coffee in the coffee shops was what one expects to drink and not like the coffee on board which leaves a lot to be desired!

Fd 

Cartagena

Wednesday the 11^th of April 2012

We have been to so many places on this cruise and some, as you will have gathered, have been more surprising than others. Colombia and Cartagena in particular are the latest in this run of pleasant and extraordinarily wonderful surprises.

Cartagena is a U.N.E.S.C.O world heritage site and when you are here you understand why. The old city within the 15^th Century walls is a maze of tiny streets with houses and shops built in Portuguese style with wooden balconies and elaborate woodwork entrances and doors and porches. The church and cathedral also dating back to the 1400/1500’s are ornate with gold domes and well-appointed turrets towering over the little City with an extraordinary beauty.

We chose well today in the method of transport to discover this delightful place; we travelled through the narrow streets and squares in a horse and carriage! Wending our way through these streets was a unique experience. Not only could we see the sites but we could also smell the mimosa and other plants and trees that are prolifically planted in the streets and squares. The ancient buildings are used for business as well as residential and decorated in the old Portuguese style. Some of the buildings have evolved from their original purpose into more practical uses such as the Gaol which is now a shopping and market centre and the old convent is now a hotel.

Outside the walls is one of the biggest 14^th Century fortresses ever built and it is immense. The new city, which we did not visit. can be seen from the old City and it is immense with giant sky scrapers. It is built some way from the old City and therefore does not intrude into the beauty of this World Heritage site.

Colombia has a population of 50,000,000 and is one of the largest S/American countries. Again it is hot most of the year with 100% humidity. We were glad to be back aboard but only to get showered and venture out into the port area. This is one of the most interesting port areas. It has an air conditioned duty free shop surrounded by grassy areas and enclosures with pink flamingos and aviary with colourful tropical birds and parrots. There is also a very nice outdoor coffee shop and we spent a nice time here drinking coffee and delighting in the company of other travellers and the atmosphere of bird calls and wonderful smells of the flora and fauna.

This is our last port of call in S/America and now it’s on to the Caribbean.

Fd

Panama canal

Wednesday 11^th April 2012

What a surprise today has been and those of you who have been through the Panama Canal will know what I mean!

We started the passage through at 7.30 am and most people were on the decks fairly early to enjoy the passage and to see what it was all about. There are 3 locks, 2 which raise the ship 84 feet above sea level and 1 series of 3 to lower it again to sea level at the end of the passage through. What a great time everyone had watching and enjoying what proved to be a wonderful experience.

We were in a convoy of ships of all sizes but one only sees the one in front or behind. The actual mechanics of the locks are fascinating. 197000 litres of water are used for each ship and that water is eventually flushed into the sea. With about 45 to 50 ships daily passing through that is an awful lot of water and has to be replenished by the annual rainfall collected in the Gatun Lake which is between the locks.

What we thought would be a passage through a canal for 40 odd miles was nothing of the sort. Once you get up to the plateau and into the Lake the whole experience is just wonderful. The Lake is immense, with a vista of tropical rainforest and numerous Islands. The bird life is prolific and we witnessed a hawk just missing his prey a smaller bird, by inches. We also saw 4 crocodiles basking on the banks of an island. The whole day was spent out on deck observing this wonderful site of nature and of the ingenuity of the locks themselves. One of the wonders is to watch the “electric mules”. These are small locomotives to which the ship is tied and which run on rials alongside the ship as it passes through the lock. The ropes are cast off at the end of ther passage through. The whole concept and operation is just brilliant. From 7.30 in the morning until 5.00 pm it was a day of pleasure not to be missed and in equatorial temperature and sunshine.

We arrive in Colombo tomorrow!!

Fd 

Manta and Easter Sunday

Saturday the 7^th of April 2012

This is Easter weekend and probably the first one we have had on board a ship and certainly the first in the Pacific. We went to Good Friday service yesterday which was exceptionally good. The minister on board is an excellent speaker and conducts the most interesting services with a sermon that is always challenging and inspirational. We look forward to Easter Day.

Today we were able to spend time in Manta and Monti Christi in Ecuador; another lovely country and in contrast to Peru our last stop. Ecuador is a smaller country than Peru and although it has some of the same characteristics, for instance 85% Catholic and with striking scenery with rain forest and mountains, it is very much different. With a population of 14,000,000 it is somewhat poorer than Peru. It exports bananas, tagua, coffee and caucau; the tourist industry like Vietnam is only just taking off and they get an increasing number of cruise ships in each year. The climate is the same as Peru with only two seasons, winter and summer but they have a little more rainfall than Peru.

We are here over Easter weekend and it was lovely to see families with their children enjoying the holiday weekend. These people are tremendously happy and welcoming and hopefully the advent of new wealth will not create in them the same greed as in western society. The more we are here the more I sometimes feel sad and despondent at the way of life that has emanated at home and the way no one seems to be satisfied with a standard of life that completely  puts those of the countries we have visited in the shade as far as opportunity is concerned.

Today our tour went to a number of places staring with a factory! Yes a factory but one that manufactures buttons and other items made from the tagua nut. This nut is very very hard and when these things are made they look remarkably similar to ivory; so similar in fact that it takes a practised eye to tell the difference.

We went on then to the memorial of the revolution that gave Ecuador its freedom and the mausoleum for the people who died in the effort to bring that freedom about.

Following that we spent time in a little town built on a hill called Monti Christi. In the hot mid-morning there were hundreds of people there enjoying the holiday with others selling their wares. Of course Ecuador is the home of the Panama Hat and this was one of the items being sold prolifically. There is a wonderful church here set on a hill built entirely of wood and although not very old (20^th Century) it is already proving to be an iconic building. We also then went on to another museum where once again perfect items dating from centuries BC are on display. This is another place that has been great to visit and would be worthy of a return trip in the future.

Sunday 08 of April 2012

Easter Day and this morning we spent time in a fantastic Easter Day Service which was very well attended. Later today at teatime everyone will partake of the beautiful Easter simmnel cake baked by the chefs here on board.

I get very sad sometimes at the obvious double standard attitudes of some people. This morning a man was berating the Maitre D over the triviality of green bananas! He was so aggressive and rude but yet later smiling sublimely during the church service while others there were later being so racist in their conversations. Will we ever be so human as to accept people as they are with different skin colours and cultures or will be forever damned as the race that will always think ourselves superior just because we are white Caucasians’?

Fd

Pictures from Peru