Sailing Across the Atlantic Ocean

This (above) has turned into a whole lot of this (below).

Great swarths of algae are spoiling the waters as we head northeasterly across the Atlantic Ocean. One of our three and a half days at sea we were without air conditioning in order that they could clean the algae from the intake system. No AC literally was no sweat as the temperature was a pleasant 77 degrees.

I spent much of those three and a half days trying unsuccessfully to catch up on my blog backlog. The official story from Oceania is that the Brazilian internet system created severe interference with that of our ship. While we were in Brazilian ports we had acceptable service, at sea but still in Brazilian waters practically no service. Well, if I stayed on board to blog while we were in port, I couldn't take all those excursion about which to blog. So I fell behind. Still not caught up, but working on it.

As we crossed the Atlantic to Mindelo, Cape Verde our cruise director reported many sightings of flying fish. Rey was not clear whether he actually caught sight of them or it was passengers in Horizons Lounge at Happy Hour. In any case, I had no such sightings. Just lots of beautiful blue water with large splashes of algae. Entertainment is plentiful and on

going from early morning to late evening. Something for everyone. On a couple of those sea days, I did take in the 9:30 show that was engaging enough that I did not fall asleep. I regularly attend craft classes, knitting while others needlepoint; attend some enrichment programs; play team trivia; and eat three squares a day. The workout center was closed for a couple of weeks, but the track on deck 9 never closes. If you are bored on this ship, it is your own fault.

On Day 61 of our journey, we arrived at the island of Sao Vicente, Cape Verde for an eight hour visit. Purpose of this stop in my estimation was to refuel and restock. I chose to remain on board as there was no excursion which appealed to me and I'm still cautious about going ashore alone. Great decision. I spent much of the day sitting on my veranda at peace with the world listening the sounds of the harbor. A dog was barking somewhere ashore and I hadn't realized until then how long it had been since I had heard common, everyday sounds like a dog barking. I further entertained myself by watching a large barge dredging the harbor nearby. Watched fishing boats come in and out of the harbor. Knitted a bit. Enjoyed sipping a lemonade. (I'm down to my last bottle of Pisco Sour so must ration it.) Genuinely appreciating and enjoying life.

The first of the islands to be encountered in Cape Verde. I have no idea who named this area nor why they saw fit to include "verde" in the name. I assure you I saw more green in Antarctica than on these islands. All of them are peaks of volcanic rock. That's how they were made - volcanoes erupting at the bottom of the sea. Nevertheless, they are convenient little suckers for the shipping and cruising industry. The pirates loved them too.

Not having gone ashore, I had no tour guide to provide details, but I couldn't help but wonder if those wind turbines are not the source of their electricity. Those who went ashore had a delightful time and were perfectly safe, but I am still happy with my decision. In these days crossing the Atlantic we've set our clocks ahead three hours so I needed my rest.

As dusk fell, our ship pulled up anchor and headed toward our next stop, Dakar, Senegal, Africa. Goodbye, Cape Verde. After another dinner of lobster bisque, Caesar salad, a small steak and key lime pie, I attended "A Tribute to James Bond" in the Insignia Lounge. Then returned to my cabin to find a letter next to my little chocolate advising that over the next week or so we would be traveling through an area known as "High-Risk Area for Piracy." Say what???? I was aware that the eastern coast of Africa was sometimes frequented by pirates, but wasn't aware that the western coast also had a problem. Not to worry, Oceania has taken all kinds of precautions including pirate drills, a darkened ship after nightfall, etc., etc. The most comforting and reassuring measure as far as I'm concerned is the added muscle taken aboard. Several really buff, armed young men now roam the decks 24/7. Ironically, one of them wears a black eye-patch.

This Is Someday! Find the Adventure!