Restdays before Mumbai

Monday 30^th and Tuesday 31^st of January

These two days have been restful; the weather is hot and sunny so we have spent time sunbathing and relaxing on deck. Today Tues we have both felt very tired (Aah! say you, all working and coping with the cold, poor you)! I think it’s because we keep losing an hour at night as we travel further eastward. Monday night’s concert was brilliant with Anthony Stuart Lloyd and his entertaining luscious bass baritone voice backed by the Black Watch Orchestra such fine and versatile musicians.

Today’s afternoon concert was by our neighbours in the next cabin; Jo and Clare cello and violin. Nice light concert before evening dinner and activities.

Tomorrow we get to Mumbai!!!

Fd

Some pictures from salalah

Job's tomb, and some camels going paddling

Salalah

Sunday 29^th of January

What a great day today; in the port of Salalah. It was absolutely scorching hot with sun reflecting off the white buildings. Oman is really beautiful and is so clean and tidy in contrast to Egypt where there appears to be no pride in the environment.

Suuske went on a tour today to the beach and into the mountains and to Job’s tomb. (If any of you out there can tell us how Job came to be in Arabia let us know on the blog). She then went to the local Souk (market) where she met up with me ‘cos I went on a trip to Salalah on my own and that was to the same market. We had some local tea and it was so undrinkable: sweet beyond measure and thick.

The market was interesting with shops and stalls selling quality linens clothes and perfume not forgetting the frankincense which is from a tree that grows here in Oman. I was particularly impressed with the quality of Abaya’s with decorative stitching and in beautiful colours too. The market had a continuous smell of perfume and burning frankincense.

Back on board ship we had a relaxing pm and went to the church service.

We are now en route across the Indian Ocean to Mumbai. Don’t forget you can all comment on the blog!!!!

Burns Night

26/27 January

Thursday 27^th of Jan and Friday 28^th of January.

The sea is being very kind to us on this cruise! To date not an angry wave; how long can it last?

These last two days have been extraordinary warm and pleasant and to make life easier we are over the danger point of meeting any unwelcome visitors from Somali. However yesterday in the afternoon, two speed launches were making their way through the ships in our convoy. Reconnaissance? Don’t know but we did not see any sign of them after that. Any way Black Watch is looking more invincible because the visiting small boat mentioned in a prior blog had delivered two rather large guns and they are deployed at the rear of the ship.

I have just been to a classical recital by given by our neighbours in the next cabin. Clare (violin) and Jo (‘Cello). They are young excellent musicians performing today some technically demanding Bach, Mozart and Handel.

We reach port of Salalah tomorrow in Oman which is apparently a very old town dating back some few centuries but one that has been expanded and modernised keeping its historical character by the more progressive Sultan presently ruling Oman. Looking forward to it very much. Suuske is going to visit Job’s tomb and she may be able to become more patient!!!!! I am going on a more accessible tour to the City.-fd

Further days at sea

Thursday 26^th of January.

These days at sea are so relaxing. It’s been very warm today out on deck enjoying the cruise on the loungers.

Some more exciting things happened today re the pirate threat. We had a rendezvous with a small boat and some weapons have been brought on board. This plus all the other precautions means that it is taken seriously and we stand a good chance of repelling any attempted action by pirates.

Suuske has a new game with which she is amusing herself. She is, would you believe, numbering 1 to 10 in order of best the bums of the men on the ship!!! You don’t believe it? It’s true! She says there isn’t a 10 yet.

Cabaret tonight was probably the best yet! An opera/musical theatre singer called Anthony Stuart Lloyd. He is really really good. Bass Baritone voice so rich and he is so theatrical.

I must say about the band again! (I know it’s getting boring) but tonight they excelled again. They were faced with music from Rodgers and Hammerstein, Gershwin, Mozart and others and they played with such panache and style.

We lose another hour tonight so we will be 3 hours now in front of you at home.

Fd

A day at the launderette

Wednesday 25^th of January.

Today has been just great! We have had really hot sunshine, sitting out on deck, relaxing, a brilliant lecture on China by an ex ambassador, new entertainers and the normal high standard of service and food.

The new entertainers brought with them some difficult arrangements for the band but they excelled in playing them.

For those of you who are worried about Somali Pirates there are very good plans in place. Friday Night and Saturday are the danger times, but you will see from the photos that there are many contingency plans. We have razor wire all around the ship, High powered water cannons at various stations around the ship; we have a L/Commander from the Navy on board to advise. There are warships not far from us and plotting our voyage all the way. Also on board we have had emergency safety drills. Because of the ship’s speed and manoeuvrability and height in the water it’s most unlikely that an attack will be made in the first place. However because of the precautions it is obvious that it’s best to be prepared and safe.

Yesterday Suuske went to Valley of the Kings and I stayed “Home”. It gave me a chance to get to the launderette and wash and iron. I know my place!!!

However I realised that on board we have some middle class/upper middle class people who are so protected by their incomes environment and privileged lifestyles that they have no concept of the real problems of the less fortunate in our society and espouse some obnoxious theories about how things should be governed and how these less fortunate should be dealt with! If you want to know more of these right wing thoughts they have talked about with some conviction comment on this blog and I will tell you. You will be horrified!

Fd

Some more photo's

ready for the pirates

 

temple of Luxor

suuske walking the planks

Sharm and safaga

Monday 23^rd of January

Sharm el-Sheik at the bottom of the Sinai Peninsula is one of Egypt’s premier resorts. We had been here before so we did not go on trips to Sinai etc. We spent some time ashore both morning and afternoon and had a nice time in the warm sunshine. Tomorrow we will be in Safaga and Suuske is going on an excursion to the Valley of the Kings. That means an early start so equally an early night.

Black Watch gets new entertainers and lecturers from here for the next leg of the journey. The last lecturers and entertainers were really good displaying skills and knowledge that was well worth while and truly professional. Fd

24^th January

Up at 4.30 am for early breakfast, and start-    in coach by 6.30 for 3 ½ hours journey to Luxor

It is  a  desolate landscape, with some occasional  shacks  for houses.  We first of all went to see temple of Karnak-  it is really amazing that these antiquities were built several thousand years ago-  the detail on the monuments, and the original paint was awesome. We had a terrific guide- lady with PHD in Egyptology, who really brought history to life- weather was very pleasant, but I would not like to visit much after February, as it much be extremely hot here.  Tourism has taken a knock after the Arab spring, and for a town like Luxor, which depends almost entirely on income from tourists, this must have severe consequences.  There were a lot of young boys trying to sell souvenirs, while they should be at school, but parents depend on the income these children generate.

After a lovely lunch we went to see valley of the kings-  part of our entry fee entitled us to go into 3 tombs, where the original hieroglyphics again did not fail to amaze me.- as before there were nowhere near as many tourists around as there should be at this time of year.

Our last stop was the famous temple of Luxor overlooking the Nile.  A mosques was built here several hundred years ago, as the temple had not been excavated then, and was covered by several metres of silt from the river. There is also evidence of the early followers of Christianity, with a beautiful  mural of what is thought of as the Last supper.

After a long journey back, we arrived at the boat at 8.30, where we had a quick meal

Altogether a day I won’t forget – photo’s to follow- suuske

Some photo's

                                               Suuske having afternoon tea