Cape Town

We have left Cape Town--- sadly, I absolutely loved it there. We went on a city tour Saturday also up Table Mountain in a cable car which was no way near as alarming as the one in Venezuela last year , that frightened me speechless. The view from the top was spectacular. We walked around a good way and took photos, I was surprised that there was not too much wind. These 'telepherique' are quite amazing really, one wonders if they ever break down or just even break. However, one tries not to wonder that until one is safely back on the ground, it does not 'do' to panic in a 'pod' with 29 other people. Friday we went ashore to look around, we were moored next to an american warship which was aparently a surprise to our Captain until the night before. Some passengers got Union flags and the loudspeakers played Rule Britannia, as we came alongside, what a laugh. They then played Land of Hope and Glory, our Captain has a good sense of humour. Lots of security, ---men with guns, men with dogs, to come back onto the ship there were the same things as at an airport. I believe that was South African security though. Anyway we walked on the harbour side, lots of super yachts Chris. The 'super ' is an adjective not a noun. There was an American brass quartet playing in a modern type bandstand, cool. Many restaurants and shops. We went to a bar restaurant for a coffee which nearly took the skin off our teeth, great. We did some people watching and listened to the small local group, magic. There was a car parked nearby, a beautiful shining blue and almost every man who walked past went to gaze at it and inside it. So did we when we left, it was an Aston Martin DB 9 I think---may have remembered wrongly. I asked our server to whom did it belong and he said, "me"! Joking apart it belonged to a South African man, rich family as one would expect who was probably out on his yacht . We had a lovely time poking around, it is a great town. We went back in the evening, same bar, had a couple of glasses of wine, South African of course and it was exactly to my taste. We went back for a 'last wander', Sat evening. We left at 11pm and once out of the harbour the fireworks started. They were absolutely magnificent and lasted for ages,
I think that they were better than in Soton. You can say this about the 'Brits', they neither arrive nor leave quietly. Bet the Americans are glad we have left. Julie, Steve said that you wanted to know why I had not gone ashore in 2 places. I can't say 2 ports because there was no port, everybody had to go ashore by a 20 minutes tender trip. The tours are rated E--easy, M---medium and S--strenuous. At one place the tour was S, which I would not attempt especially in equatorial temperatures. The other was the one with no shuttle bus, only a 1.5 K walk to a native shop after a 20 mins tender trip. It was too hot Jules. Had we been moored at a dock we would definitely have gone for a little walk. Those places are not tourist friendly really, it is because we were in west Africa and cruise ships do not go there normally. We made up for it in Cape town though. I would have liked 2 more days there really .Time for dinner now, I wonder what delights await. Byeeeeeeeeeee XXXXXXXXX

namibia

Steve, I have just read your message. We shall be in Capetown Thursday evening so I can ABW. ring you from there.I can not think why the asap if nothing is wrong. Julie sent me a message though which was just normal so I must assume that 0 is wrong. We have been in Namibia today , I switched my phone on this morning and it just switched itself off again so it is in reception being charged up.I have just been to Reception but my phone is no different so I dont know what is wrong, they are trying again . I have just tried to send you an e.mail but I can not , there are three of us inhere trying to get thro' all different providers but no go. Thats £2.76 down the drain ,it can't be helped . Anyway I shall save this as I doubt that I could get to post a blog .We have had a 'Polywog' day as we did last year for crossing the equator.Mau and I are 'Shellbacks' now as we crossed last year .It was good fun , I quite like to see people' kissing the fish '. It is quite disgusting and smelly .Burns night was good , the Haggis was piped in followed by by two kilted men ,one passenger and one of the golf pros. We had some haggis, tatties and neeps and were given a tot of whisky .Afterwards Maureen and I went to the South Cape Bar and had a 'Robbie Burns '. One wonders if these ' specials ' are made up on ' Ruby '.Scotch , Benedictine and Sweet Vermouth. I asked for some of the ice to be left in because it looked as lethal as 'Rolls Royce ' was. I went to the Recital before dinner which was excellent again ,I shall really miss them after Cape Town .Today in Namibia ,we went on a 'Dolphin and Seal ' watching tour. I did not like the look of the small boats which were half open to the sky but I soon found out why . The driver of the boat ' called ' to some pelicans nearby and they took to the wing and came to get some fish from him ,what beautifull birds and so big .The next thing we knew a huge seal jumped on board and came right up the middle of the passengers and lay there waiting for his fish .We could stroke him and he turned and looked at us ,huge eyes they have ,it is quite amazing how wonderful they are .A smaller seal came on board at the back of the boat and no.1 growled just like a dog so he had to abandon ship .I never thought to see anything like today's sights. We saw dolphins escorting us and leaping up it was amazing when I think how close they were.I will try to post this for a couple of minutes if I can't , maybe tomorrow .I am going to take a motion sickness pill before bed. The Captain said there will be a 'bit of a swell tonight ' and that means it could be a 'big bit of a swell ' .