Reunion – 2022

Posted on December 9, 2022 by Helga

Friday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day we arrived in Reunion. It was just for one day.

Arriving in Reunion…

The last time we came here it was entirely unremarkable so months  ago I decided to book an excursion. The tour guide started by telling us that the area where the port is, is not very nice and a bit too industrial. She painted a wonderful description of all the different areas of Reunion and it certainly does sound fascinating with a blend of cultures ranging from Chinese to Indian, African & of course French.

The journey was an hour and a half  and went along a very windy road through a lot of fields of sugar cane and later thick vegetation.

The arrow points to the road. The double red line points to the lookout spot.

We were going to one of the highest points in the Indian Ocean. We drove from Sea level to 2150m to a lookout that was shrouded by cloud.

Everyone was waiting for the clouds to lift…

And suddenly they did and there was the most amazing vista…

There are 10 villages that are not accessible by road. Residents have to walk, and food and supplies get flown in by helicopter. It was fascinating.

We never knew this place existed. The escarpment we were on overlooks what is known as Cirque de Mafate. Deep canyons and tiny villages. The place we stopped at is called Piton Maido.

On the trip back to the ship, we stopped at a geranium distillery  but instead of buying scent, I bought a gecko! Happy Christmas me!

After we got back to the ship, I tried to do a bit of work but the internet was pretty awful!

This evening we went to the show with Ian von Memerty. He was really entertaining.

We have 7 nights left on the ship, so today we got all excited and pretended we had just boarded and it was a week long cruise we were going on! A 7-night cruise would be amazing! And we’re on it. We left Reunion just after 6pm & we have now picked up a bit of swell, but it’s not unpleasant. I think it will rock me to sleep.

Psalm 139:9-10
If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even their Your hand guide me – Your right hand will hold me fast.

The best is yet to come – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

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Mauritius 2022 Day 2

Posted on December 8, 2022 by Helga

Thursday

Dear Elsie

Today we spent our second day in Mauritius. We were collected by a taxi and first went to the volcano. It’s called Trou aux Cerfs and is unusual in that it’s covered by trees and it’s just the bottom of the crater that doesn’t have trees. Instead, there is a small pool of water.

What’s helpful is there is a road going all the way round the volcano so we walked it. We also found a path that went down into the volcano and we walked down that path for a little way. It had been raining so it felt like a rain forest.

From there, we went for a long drive across the island to a very popular beach. It was crowded but there was a swimming section, so we both had a swim. While Mauritius has some lovely beaches, we both concluded Fish Hoek is better!

Teddy enjoyed the beach!

We had an hour on the beach before the taxi picked us up again and took us back to the ship. It was a lovely morning and we enjoyed it.

The ship left this evening and we sailed away from Mauritius at sunset which was quite beautiful.

We left as the sun set…

While we were leaving we met Barry and Annabelle – who are a couple from our area.

So we’ve said goodbye to Mauritius. Tomorrow we arrive in Reunion.

Psalm 148:4-5
Praise Him, highest heavens, And the waters that are above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the LORD, For He commanded and they were created.

The best is yet to come – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

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Mauritius 2022 Day 1

Posted on December 7, 2022 by Helga

Wednesday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day Teddy went to Mauritius! Last night there were very rough seas and rain and apparently a storm, but I heard nor felt any of it. We slept well and when we woke up this morning, we were quite close to Mauritius.

Soon, we were arriving…

We got off and went for the long walk to the town of Port Louis…

We also went to the market. It was busy and very smelly! I don’t think you would have liked it but I did buy a couple of things.

We stopped to have coffee and it was great to get off our feet.

What was much better was the museum.

When we walked in the door one of the first things we saw was this. It’s evidence of this amazing bird we’d never heard of. This is its egg! The egg on the right is an already enormous Ostrich egg. The one of the left is from the bird known as an Elephant Bird.

It is now extinct, but once lived on Madagascar. I’d never heard of it.  The museum was really well laid out, clean and interesting….oh and free!

From there we started the 2km walk back to the ship. On the way we met a taxi driver called Daram. We have arranged for him to pick us up from the ship tomorrow and take us to some of the nice beaches. There were a few showers but not enough to make the day unpleasant. If anything it bought relief to what was a hot day.

The other thing that happened today is Google notified me of my travel map for November. It looks more impressive than usual.

And I’ve been quite a distance round the world in 2022.

And so ends Mauritius 2022 Day 1. Tomorrow, we will have different adventures with Daram.

Genesis 1:9-10
Then God said, “Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good.

The best is yet to come – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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It’s All Swell

Posted on December 6, 2022 by Helga

Tuesday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day we continued on our way to Mauritius. We are due to arrive there tomorrow. This morning when  I woke up and started moving around, I noticed there was a lot more swell. This means that sometimes the ship moves and you have to tread carefully. I went to gym and spent an hour on the treadmill. For most of the time, I had to hold on because of the movement of the waves coming towards the ship. I could see the bigger ones and then feel how they impacted the movement of our vessel. This was the view from the treadmill…

After showering and breakfast I went to what I now call my ‘office’ (a quiet little corner of the dining room). When I looked out the window, I noticed how much bigger the waves outside were than yesterday.

Today, being another day at sea, I felt I achieved a good balance. An hour of exercise, a leisurely breakfast and a few hours of  work. I also had a facial at the spa and a sleep this afternoon.

After dinner, we watched the final episode of Pride & Prejudice. I’m so glad Mike bought it along with us. We have spread it out over a week and always get a lot of pleasure of watching this Jane Austen Classic.

Today it is a month since we left home. So much can happen in a month. There is a couple who are on the ship from Ireland. When they got off at Seychelles, they headed for the same popular beach we went to. There is a formation of rocks and Jemma slipped and broke her wrist. These things can happen so quickly. She got to experience Seychelles medical care which she said was very good. They put on a plaster cast and she will complete the cruise before flying home for surgery.  Just a reminder for me to step carefully, particular as the ocean is becoming a little more robust.

Tomorrow, we are due to arrive in Mauritius at about 9am local time. We don’t have any plans except to take our umbrellas with us and go find a bus.

A good day and now I’m ready for bed.

Psalm 33:7
He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap;  He lays up the deeps in storehouses.

The best is yet to come – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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Just Sea

Posted on December 5, 2022 by Helga

Monday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day there was just sea. Lots and lots of sea all around with no ships or land. There were some exciting sights though. We spent some time on our balcony early this morning watching the most amazing display of flying fish. The ship’s movement seemed to disturb them and great shoals of them would fly across the surface of the water before diving enthusiastically to safety. They were super fast and any attempt to photograph them was fruitless.

This morning I went to gym and there were hardly any people there. I think they were all exhausted from yesterday’s trip to the Seychelles. I spent an hour on the treadmill and about a quarter of the way in, I spotted some splashes in the sea ahead. As I watched, I realised they were dolphins. The ship got closer to them until eventually we were along side them. They leapt and porpoised enthusiastically as if giving us some momentary entertainment. Lovely to see.

We are edging towards Mauritius. The weather is warm and not too windy.

Apart from formal exercise, our daily routine inevitably results in a lot of walks down long corridors. I don’t know if this gives you an idea of just how long they can be. The ship is 276m long and some of the corridors literally go from one side to the other. Regularly, we go through the door at the back of the ship and up the stairs of the back decks.

Tonight, it was a gala dinner so we dressed up for dinner.

At the table next to us is a couple who have cruised 4 previous times. This is their 5th Grand Cruise and the first one coming South. All the others they have left South Africa and cruised to Italy.  It was interesting hearing their experiences, especially as they once stopped at St. Helena.  That was a visit they will never forget. They live in Pringle Bay.

Another good day on the ocean. Still enjoying calm weather although we are expecting it to rain on the two days we are in Mauritius.

Psalm 89:9
You rule the swelling of the sea; When its waves rise, You still them.

The best is yet to come – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran – xx 🙂

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Our Day In Seychelles

Posted on December 4, 2022 by Helga

Sunday 4th December 2022

Dear Elsie

Today was your Mom’s birthday! Yay! We had a late afternoon call with you all and it was wonderful to see you and all the shenanigans you have been up to, climbing the security gate and sliding down the pillar of the stairs!

After getting up at about 6am, we had an early breakfast, packed some snacks and by 7:15am, we were on our way off the ship and began our walk. Our plan was to walk to Beau Vallon which is a beach about 3.5km away. However, we hadn’t factored in the heat and overwhelmingly stifling humidity. Our bodies are just not used to it. So, we walked to the town and up the road and then joined another gent at a bus stop. Within minutes the bus arrived and we were on our way. It cost us about R20 each.

The beach was amazing and the water about 26C, so it was idyllic to swim in. Just check out these photos…

It was as idyllic as it looks!

I did a bit of swimming & then we found a place to get changed.

After our beach excursion, we headed back to the bus stop. It was then that we discovered the buses don’t run so often on a Sunday. After 45 minutes one appeared and we gratefully hopped on board.

One of our encounters of the day was a very kindly looking British guy who was probably well into his 70s who had lived in the Seychelles for about 40 years. He was friendly and talk-a-tive and it left us with interest in how expats buy houses on the Seychelles.

En route to the ship, we stopped to buy a shell…It will remind us of Say-shells!

Cruise ships are very imposing. I had to smile because boats were passing by and we were on the deck this afternoon taking photos of them. I looked through my binoculars at the them to see the sailors taking photos of us!

The ship leaves Seychelles this evening – due out at 9pm. The little Seychelles band that welcomed us yesterday has arrived and are busy playing some tunes – they have a while to play! We have 11 days left. Time is passing so quickly. I’m trying to slow it down. Two days at sea and then Mauritius on Wednesday and Thursday.

Psalm 93:4
More than the sounds of many waters, Than the mighty breakers of the sea,
The Lord on high is mighty.

The best is yet to come – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

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Seychelles Arrival

Posted on December 3, 2022 by Helga

Saturday

Dear Elsie

Today we arrived in the Seychelles. We crossed the equator late last night.

Seychelles – Tiny country just south of the Equator makes it super hot. They said it was 30C but felt like 34C.  From the comfort of our cabin balcony we watched with interest as we passed the many islands that make up Seychelles.

Seychelles has beautiful crystal clear waters and some amazing looking equatorial forests on the mountainside interspersed with impressive looking homes.

Coming into the harbour…

The port, however, is unassuming, although the locals were very welcoming.

Mike and I had a late lunch and then once the crowds had disembarked we did too. We watched the guests stream off the ship…

Our plan was to do some shopping at the local mall and then spec out where we plan to walk tomorrow.

That done, we strolled the streets of Port Victoria where a street market was in progress.

It was super humid. We were dripping, so eventually stopped at a cafe and bought a couple of cokes. They were happily, half the price of the ship! We sat on a bench and enjoyed them. Then we just hung around watching the buses going by – looking at the cars – most of which were quite modern and just observing how young the population of Seychelles seems to be. There are a lot of young people.

And so here we are! Tomorrow, we hope to walk to Beau Vallon Beach, which is about 3.5km away. We saw a lot of buses today. I don’t know if they run on a Sunday but we have some Seychelle Rupees if they do. We are ready to catch a bus or a taxi to get us back to the harbour should the need arise. Elsie, your Granpa Mike is a marvellous tour guide. He just knows where to go and I just follow.

When we arrived back on the ship, two things had happened. The internet was completely non functional in the cabin, so I came downstairs to closer to the reception and am typing this in the dining room. But, look, a gift from MSC. They have a loyalty programme and a free cabin gift – choc dipped strawberries! Yum.

Today, I felt my clothes were slightly tighter! Groan! Even eating twice a day is not enough to keep the extra kilos at bay. And I’ve done 16000 steps today.  I’m consuming way too many calories with each meal. There are things I want to do at least once on this cruise. One of them is having the afternoon tea which is like a high tea every afternoon at 4pm. I haven’t done that yet. The other thing I did this morning. I kept seeing the breakfast cake and said just once I want chocolate cake at breakfast. Mike and I shared a piece!  This was my half.

As soon as we arrive home, we’ll get back into our normal routine and I’ll shed the extra kilos.

Our comfortable floating hotel…

The deck above the MSC Sinfonia was where we were yesterday.  This one…

Isaiah 42:10
Sing to the Lord a new song, Sing His praise from the end of the earth!
You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it. You islands, and those who dwell on them.

We saw a Church with the words on the front door, ‘Come Holy Spirit Come!’ There was choir practice going on inside a couple of churches in the town – His praises being sung from the end of the earth – on the islands.

The best is yet to come – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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Equator Crossing Day

Posted on December 2, 2022 by Helga

Friday

Dear Elsie

Today is the day we will cross the Equator! On the day of the Equator crossing, the ship holds a massive gig called Neptune’s Party. They dress some unsuspecting soul into an outfit and ‘baptise’ him. The whole thing is ramped up with very loud music and everyone gathers on the deck. Before the party started, there was a dance class on the deck.

It’s quite crazy because it’s boiling hot and very humid, yet hundreds of people are hanging around in the sun.

It was a lovely vibe to be sure.

The deck before he arrived.

Finally, he arrived – he’s the guy with the white beard.

It was fun to watch, but we didn’t hang about and headed downstairs to the comfort of our airconditioned cabin.

These waters around the equator are super still. In the doldrums..

We will only actually cross the equator later.

We did do some deck walking, first going up to Deck 12 and taking a photo of the ship’s wake…at the bottom of this photo there is a canopy and we wondered what was below it so we went to find out…

Big open unused deck…

The water is a lot closer…

There are no other ships about. I don’t think we have seen a single ship pass by today.

At the start of the day, I’d done some work and this was my view. I go to what is the dining room. It’s quiet there and I never get disturbed.

Time is flying by. We are trying to slow it down. These are easy, restful days. God willing, two weeks today, early in the morning, we should cruise into Cape Town harbour. We are half way through our cruise. We are lapping up every moment.

This afternoon, I went upstairs to get tea. It was just after 4pm (we are still 2 hours ahead of South African time) and the buffet was buzzing, but instead of regular food, there was afternoon tea. Cake and biscuits, fruit and all manner of tasty things.  It’s possible to eat 4 times a day with extra pizza at midnight. I have to really ask myself how hungry am I? So tempting. Today, we got up super early and so staggered breakfast having muesli and fruit at 8am and egg and bacon at 11am. Nothing since! Our 6pm dinner awaits.

The ship is due to arrive in Seychelles tomorrow. Initially, it was scheduled for 10am, but with the delay in Jeddah, it’s now only arriving at 4pm. This has caused some issues for a large wedding party on board. A Welsh family arranged for the bride and groom to celebrate their wedding in the Seychelles, tomorrow at 1pm. The cruise was booked and the arrangements made. Then they discovered the Seychelles was not allowing cruise ships to dock (due to Covid), so they rushed around and changed the venue to Mauritius. Then Seychelles reconsidered and  Seychelles was back on the itinerary, so the venue was changed back again to  1pm tomorrow, only now the ship only docks at 4pm. This poor bridal party are learning how to go with the flow, be flexible and adaptable, but this is not the way to plan a wedding. One way or the other, they will get married though. It’s the topic of conversations across the ship!

The best is yet to come – we are only passing through.

Psalm 104:25
There is the sea, great and broad, in which are swarms without number, animals both small and great.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran! xx 🙂

 

 

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Ship Gossip

Posted on December 1, 2022 by Helga

Thursday

So this is not for Elsie! Today we exercised in the morning, had a late breakfast and finished up with one of our favourite treats – a little chocolate muffin with cream.

I did some work and we pretty much vegged out during the day. We strayed from our regular eating pattern by having a thin (I’m trying to make it sound tiny) piece of pizza at just before 4pm.  Now it’s gone 6pm here (we are 2 hours ahead of South Africa at the moment) and we are not going to the formal dinner. Instead we will wait and hour and saunter to the buffet a little later.

For the afternoon, we took a late walk around the deck. We stopped off at one of my favourite places which is quite high up next to the engine at the back of the ship.

It was here we practiced our dance steps, which is still confusing for me! View from this level…

We then hit the walking track, where we encountered the couple who Mike had sat next to in Hurgharda. At that time, the lady had told Mike there had already been 2 deaths on the ship. I wasn’t expecting to hear that. She went onto say there is a morgue on the ship and if someone dies, they are kept there until the next port. What a shocker to hear that a man had died during the first night of the cruise. It takes such a lot of organisation and planning to get from home, wherever home is, to Venice to get onto the ship that the idea of it being cut short on the very first night is too tragic to contemplate. The lady (I must get her name) said a second man had collapsed at the pool deck and wasn’t able to be revived. So this was told us in Hurgharda which was Friday last week. When we saw her today, I raised the topic, asking if she had found out the nationality of the man who had died the first night. She said she didn’t know but since last Friday there had been 3 more deaths, all ladies. It has been noticeable that there are a lot of very old people on board and I guess this is to be expected. It is sobering, but at least they spent their last days enjoying a cruise and making the most of what life they have. Death comes to all of us.  Every day, I write we are only passing through, but death is not something that we like to dwell on. Heaven brings more positive thoughts.

Apparently, there is also a jail on board!

The other thing we heard was we are only arriving in Seychelles at 4pm on Saturday afternoon instead of the original 10am. This is due to the late departure from Jeddah and it means a bunch of the excursions have been cancelled. We hadn’t booked an excursion, planning instead to do a walk. We are overnight in Seychelles so will do the walk, hopefully on Sunday.

So that was the ship gossip for the day. Mike and I have pretty much been keeping to ourselves so we don’t get to hear too much news.

The other thing that happened today is I had a haircut.

There we are heading towards the equator with Seychelles beyond. The wind has dropped and it’s warm and humid.

Another good day at sea.

Psalm 95:5

The sea is His, for it was He who made it, And His hands formed the dry land.

The best is yet to come – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Helga xx 🙂

 

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Deck Games and Dolphins

Posted on November 30, 2022 by Helga

Wednesday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day we got up a little later than usual and headed for the deck to swim! A lot of people were already at breakfast so there were not too many people in the pool. I swam for half an hour. We than changed and went to the gym where we walked for another half an hour.

As a result of being late, we only sat down for breakfast at 10:45am, but I made up for it – I ate a bit too much! Today I decided I’m okay with gaining a bit of weight but not so much that I need to spend a year trying to lose it.

I had a good work day.  The internet was working well, so I had a good video meeting and also took 3 voice calls. I must have worked at least 4 hours.

But I also got to enjoy some of the sights of the ship. Our cabin is slightly towards the back and if we walk right to the end of our passage and out the door we are on the back deck.

It’s a real sun trap. The weather has been fine and warm with a maximum of about 28C. It’s a bit humid but not unbearably so and inside it is well air conditioned.  This afternoon, we sauntered around the deck and watched some of the deck games happening. They are simple, but I have to tell you they are harder than they look. We only saw one person successful knock the tower of blocks down.

These days at sea are very pleasant. While sitting on the top floor, we saw a school of dolphins. Unfortunately, as the ship was moving we passed by them pretty quickly, but they were fun to see and I’m sure there will be more.  Talking of the ship moving, we are not flying through the ocean – we are travelling at roughly 33km/ hour, but we just don’t stop between ports so we get to where we are going. Right now we are slowly edging around Socotra Island out of the Gulf of Aden and into the Arabian Sea. Next stop is Seychelles (Green pin) where we are due to arrive on Saturday morning.

Cruising is not for everyone, but it certainly appeals to us.

Maybe one day, Elsie, you’ll get to go on a cruise as well. 

Psalm 34:1
I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

The best is yet to come – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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Between Africa and Asia

Posted on November 29, 2022 by Helga

Tuesday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day we crossed through what we called the Straits of Djibouti – it’s a narrow strip at the end of the Red Sea that becomes the Gulf of Aden. On one side is  Yemen & on the other is the small African country of Djibouti. It was memorable looking to one side and seeing Asia and looking at the other and seeing Africa. It was really windy outside so it was difficult to get decent photos. The land, despite looking close on the maps is actually quite far away. The Gulf of Aden gives way to the Arabian sea. We’ll cross the equator and be in the Indian Ocean.

From the back of the ship. Asia left – Africa right.

Up to now, it has been smooth sailing with the Mediterranean Ocean, Suez & Red Sea very calm and flat. As soon as we hit the major oceans, this may change and the trip down Africa may turn a little rough. If I start feeling a little green around the gills, I’ll pop a seasickness pill which will help.

For the rest, ship life is taking on a bit of a routine. We wake up when we wake up. One of us goes and gets coffee. Then we relax and get up in our own time. From there some form of exercise takes place. If it’s too windy on deck I head for the gym which I did this morning. A full hour of walking and/or cycling takes place before we both collapse in a heap in the cabin, have a shower and freshen up. By then it’s heading for 10am and we go to the buffet for breakfast. We wash it down with coffee and a muffin in our cabin.

From there it’s work for the rest of the morning. Yesterday, after that, we got swept up in the dance class. Today I went and sat in the Pasha Lounge on the top floor at the back of the ship and watched us go through the gap. This is what the Pasha lounge looks like.

We chill or work in the afternoon before dinner at 6pm. We try not to eat between breakfast and dinner. But we did have coffee on the deck, which meant walking right past the pizza station.

After dinner there’s sometimes a show or other event. Then it’s back to the cabin and we watch TV, a movie or YouTube. Life is passing very comfortably indeed!

We are doing well, are healthy and happy. For this we are grateful. While this is full on a floating hotel, it has an inordinate number of old people on board and the clattering of walkers, walking sticks and wheelchairs is a common occurrence. We are happy to be able to walk and run and take the stairs, to dance and stretch and not overeat! We are nearly half way through our cruise, so need to embrace every moment.

I read this today.

1 John 3:20

If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything.

The best is yet to come – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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We Thought They Were Pirates!

Posted on November 28, 2022 by Helga

Monday

Dear Elsie

The last 24 hours has been laden with excitement! Last night we were supposed to leave Jeddah at 6pm. As we sat down to dinner, they announced the departure would be 2 hours late due to technical issues.  When we got back to our cabin at about 7:30pm, there was such a sight to see. Right below our cabin was a massive service vessel that had a pipe going into our ship. We presume it was refueling.

It went on and on and on. It finally finished and left, but it was after 11pm before we were able to cruise out of Jeddah. Let me pause at this point to mention there were a lot of unhappy drinkers on board. No alcohol allowed to be consumed in Saudi waters so those who had the (very expensive) drinks package weren’t allowed to partake. The drinks package was only worth it for really heavy drinkers who have more than 4.2 units of alcohol a day. We learned this from someone who bought the package and had done the sums. Crazy hey! It’s like drinking a bottle of wine a day as the starting point. While on the subject, Mike enjoys the odd glass of wine. Occasional drinkers as ourselves pay heavily for the privilege of a glass of red with dinner. Euro 6.5 + a 15% service charge = Euro 7.47 – in rands at today’s value that’s a cool R134 for one glass. The Italian coffee on board is not bad but it’s nice occasionally to have a proper cappuccino. I ruined it for myself by working out the Rand value. R152 for two cappuccinos. Darn! I can’t bring myself to spend that when regular coffee abounds, but at least it’s cheaper than wine!  But I digress.

While still in port last night, there was a furor in the next door cabin. After the animated voices died down, it was replaced by ongoing tearing of tape on the balcony. A big thick roll of tape would be pulled out and cut. Then another, then another and so it went on and on and on. We were perplexed as to what was going on so eventually, we did what is really bad behaviour on a ship and we looked into the next balcony to find out what was going on. There was one of the ship maintenance men and he was responsible for the excessive taping. When we asked what happened, he said the service vessel had bumped into the glass panel of the balcony and had shattered it. It’s safety glass so it hadn’t actually broken, but it had pushed it in. I planned on taking a photo today but it’s windy and to do so would mean reaching over the balcony with my cell phone and risking it blowing into the back end of beyond and sinking into the inky blue ocean. I thought better of it. The maintenance man taped it as best he could and it’s managed to stay put for today. I figured the service vessel’s rubber stopper must have bumped it as it went past. How I wish I had been in the cabin!

That was last night’s drama. Today there was an event that had all the guests who witnessed it all atwitter!  We were cruising down the Red Sea in the middle of nowhere.

There are occasional cargo ships to be seen in the far distance, but generally there’s sea all around. Then this afternoon  we spotted a cluster of vessels not moving a short distance away.

To our surprise and consternation, an inflatable started coming towards us. There were no distinguishing marks on the rubber dingy. It looked super suspicious!

As it got closer we got more nervous. There  were three men onboard dressed in dark clothing and clearly they were heading our way.

They looked up at us, not waving, but just looking. Then they went behind the ship and headed directly to the bridge where the pilot usually boards. Everyone was nervous. They looked like pirates! We were trying to see if they were armed. To make it even more strange, the ship had slowed right down. What was going on?

We went back to our cabin to get my binoculars. The boat was now on our side and we watched as the men handed a package up to the bridge. They then turned around and as they went past us they smiled and waved.

Who knows what they had or what it was for. Through my binocs, it looked like the other boats were more kind of research vessels. It was the strangest interaction I’ve ever seen at sea.

And finally, the other thing we got hooked into today was a dance lesson. Shew! We walked 4km in the morning and danced for an hour at lunchtime.

We got our steps in.

Now it’s off to dinner.

2 Peter 1:2
Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

The best is yet to come – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

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Jeddah

Posted on November 27, 2022 by Helga

Sunday

Dear Elsie

Today your Mom sent me videos of you playing on the new jungle gym and slide at the Padstal. It was so lovely to watch you! You are growing up so fast!

Meanwhile, today was the day our ship docked in Jeddah. I got up early and saw the sunrise..

It was amazing coming into Jeddah port. It sort of reminded me a bit of the layout of Cape Town harbour. The skyline, in places was not dissimilar as there was an upper freeway that could be seen from the ship. Also the bay around Jeddah is quite extensive. Of course, there’s not a mountain in sight.

Once we had docked, we walked 4km around the deck and then had breakfast. It was a hot day with the temperature in the early 30s. I spent the morning working in the cool of the dining room. The afternoon, we went up on deck and watched some amazing sights. It’s a working harbour and as it’s a Sunday, it’s a work day. There were cargo ships coming and going with tugs pushing and pulling.

And then there was this enormous floating crane that had a bunch of old containers on it. It carried them across the harbour and dumped them on the side of the dock.  It was all very interesting to watch.

The sun sets early and fast. It’s already disappeared and it will soon be dark. Sunset in Jeddah. Looks like something out of Star Wars.

We are now about to go to dinner and are really hungry so it will be much appreciated.

Psalm 33:11

But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations.

The best is yet to come – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

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Day at Sea

Posted on November 26, 2022 by Helga

Saturday

Dear Elsie

Today we had a day at sea. Last night we left Safaga and now we are on our way to Jeddah. We should arrive early tomorrow morning. We will see Jeddah from the ship but we are not going on shore.

Today we were also told the clocks were moving forward an hour so instead of waking up at 6:30am, we woke up at 7:30am. It instantly became very confusing. Eventually, I changed my cell phone clock which in turn changed my watch time and now I’m fully on ship time. It means we are an hour ahead of South Africa.

We took advantage of the warm weather to get washing done, which we hung out on the balcony.

Deck drinks.

It’s easy to eat wayyyy too much on the ship & I can feel my girth growing. Today I had breakfast and lunch and decided to forego dinner. We swam, we walked the deck and we slept. Later this afternoon, I went to the gym. I listened to several chapters of Daniel. It is quite an experience reading this book in chunks. It gives a much clearer overview of what was happening and when.

The bites on my back have gone from painful to itchy, so that’s a move in the right direction. We put the cream in the fridge so when applied it is more soothing. They should start being less angry looking over the next few days.

Being a Saturday, I got to talk to you Elsie and see your amazing bathroom renovations. I’m so glad it’s looking so good!

I’m trying to slow the days down and embrace them one by one. It’s such a treat being on a ship and getting to cruise back to Cape Town, like this. We are feeling blessed.

Hebrews 12:28
Since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God with reverence and awe.

The best is yet to come – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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Surprise in Safaga, Egypt

Posted on November 25, 2022 by Helga

Friday

Dear Elsie,

Sometimes you go places and don’t expect much and then you get a big surprise when you find some good thing about it. That’s what happened today is Safaga, Egypt. We arrived to a majestic sunrise.

I’m sad to say that Egypt altogether is a bit run down and lacking in finished buildings. Every city and town we have gone to or passed through seems to have buildings that are really badly built. Safaga is no different. Today we docked here and then went on a coach tour through to Hurghada, a coastal town an hour north. We had been to Hurghada before as well when we went to Egypt in 2019/2020. We swam in the Red Sea…this was 4th January 2020…

Today we went to a different beach in Hurghada and the biggest surprise that welcomed me were the FISH! There were little outcrops of coral and as I swam, I saw loads of fish in the most amazing array of colours. There were black fish and multi-coloured fish – fish that were green and purple and amazingly smart looking fish. The smart ones were the ones that got my attention They were corporate fish – they looked like they were going to the office. They had pin striped bodies with blue outlines to their tails and orange under their fins. I found out they are surgeon fish. There is a website that has documented most of the fish in the Red Sea and they posted these photos…there were lots of surgeon fish.

And there was this weird one as well. It was nudging the ocean floor with the side of its mouth. It’s called a broomtail wrasse.

Very peculiar. It was a different world down there! I was so excited. I did a fair bit of swimming and in the process I got STUNG! This time there was something on a rope that was in the sea. I swam under it and my back touched the rope & I immediately felt something scratch the area over my left shoulder blade. It was very uncomfortable – worse than when I’m stung by itchy things in Fish Hoek. This was painful. I carried on swimming and had a wonderful time –  I swam out to this boat which was called Scorpio…

Meantime, Granpa had a swim and then spent his time enjoying the sunshine.

Now, sweet Elsie, I’m going to tell everyone what happened next. I got the biggest surprise of the day.

We got back to the ship just after 3pm and I was keen to see what was going on on my back, so I took my shirt off and Mike had a look. There was a big welt about 20cm by 10cm filled with bumps and inflammation – he says it was like a big welt. And we nothing to put on it, so Mike went to the reception to ask if they had some cream for an insect bite. They said I’d have to see the doctor and that would cost 100 Euro! So Mike googled chemists in Safaga, found one 2km away and off we walked, off the ship and down to the dusty, smelly Main Rd of Safaga. We dodged endless taxi drivers offering us lifts and walked determinedly in the direction of the chemist. Before we got to the one on the map, we found another. We walked inside and asked for the cream and the shop keeper bought it along and announced it was 5 Egyptian pounds (R4.71). It was 20g tube of Allergex. We didn’t have 5 Egyptian pounds and the chemist didn’t have a machine. This meant we’d have to go look for an ATM. But then the Lord sent a couple of angels! As we left the chemist to look for an ATM, we saw two Westerners and thought they must be people from the ship. Maybe they would have 5 Egyptian pounds, so we approached them and asked if they were from the ship and did they have local currency. ‘Ah you are from the ship?’ said the lovely lady. ‘No, we are not from the ship, we are living here. We are from Holland!’ I told her my story and she opened her purse and pulled out 10 Egyptian pounds – that was all she had. We asked what they were doing in Safaga (a dreadful place to be honest) – they said they were staying at a resort around the corner (in the nice coastal part) to escape the Dutch winter.  We thanked them profusely and returned to the chemist triumphantly presenting our 10 Egyptian pounds. I had noticed the couple walk into the vegetable shop a few doors down, so once our transaction was complete, we rushed over there and gave them their change. They laughed and Mike got the photo, although the wife is hidden behind her husband…

We walked back to the ship, saying a prayer that the Lord would bless these two sweet people with an abundance of life.  That was a great surprise in Safaga. Mike put the cream on my back and it has certainly helped.

R4.71! I won’t get it at that price in South Africa.

It was a real blessing.

2 Corinthians 9:8

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

The best is yet to come – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Helga xx 🙂

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