Neptune Day

King Neptune

We had an extra special crossing of the equator on this voyage. The captain managed to cross the equator while crossing the Prime Meridian at the same time: 0, 0 Long/Lat. I managed to capture the moment on the GPS display.

The first time that sailors cross the equator at sea, they must give homage to King Neptune. This is a traditional ritual that experienced sailors love to pass on to the “Polywogs” .

On the MV Explorer, the Pollywogs get woken up with lots of noise. Then they get to be slimed in fish guts (and a little green jello), kiss a fish, ask for acceptance from King and Queen Neptune, and then sacrifice their hair. Keep in mind that this is all voluntary.

But at the end of it all, the Polywogs get to be called Shellbacks. In our case, they get to be called Emerald Shellbacks since they crossed at (0, 0). (Notice that I did not say, “we”. I’m still a Polywog.)

Playful as ever, the Tutus participated in the madness.

(Hallie, do you remember doing this?)

Ghana 3

Slave Dungeon

Nico, Leo, and I visited the Slave Dungeon of Cape Coast, Ghana. What a moving experience. This is one of the places where slaves were held in unspeakable conditions before they were sent overseas to their new enslaved location (for those who survived). Unforgettable.

Ghana 2

Kokum National Forest

Ghana 1

Ghana 1

Our first day in Takoradi, we participated in a West African Dance and Drumming workshop. We were able to see some wonderful performances and then we got some dancing and drumming instruction. Somehow they spotted Chris’ dancing ability immediately and showcased his skills to the group. It was quite lively and fun.

I'm thinking of re-naming my blog: "Chris dances around the world."

Medical talks

Medical Pre-ort Presentation

Chris has managed to turn the sometimes boring pre-port lectures into dazzling dance and music performances. The pre-port lectures consist of logistics and safety warnings for the upcoming country. For Ghana, Chris organized a song about Malaria to the tune of “Age of Aquarius”. He recruited from the Theatre faculty on put on a winning show. I think you can find the video on Youtube.

Maroc 6

After packing out, we showered up and went to the big cities of Merrakesh and Cassablanca. It was a bit like leaving a long wonderful river trip. The shower felt good but it was sad to leave.

Maroc 5

On our second night a neighbor showed up with a banjo and another had a drum. There was another little spontaneous jam session outside. It was the first banjo Berber music I've ever heard. I wish I could have recorded it. It was a beautiful sound. Really!

I must say that the lack of alcohol in the culture leads to the nice community spirit of good clean fun.

Moroc 4

The college students have been wonderful about including Nico and Leo in their activities. Nico and Leo were the only kids on this trek and they totally immersed themselves with the students. That left Chris and me to hang out with the other old people. We felt excited for our kids but almost felt abondoned from time to time.

Before dinner at our second Gite, the students relaxed with a game of "mafia" on the roof.

Moroc 3

The Berbers are the native people of the Atlas Mountains. The word Berber shares roots with the word for barbarians in Arabic. The Arabs brought their language and the Muslim religion to the pagan Berbers. In the cities of Casablanca and Marrakesh, we could count on the French language to communicate with the locals as Morocco was a French colony in the past. In the remote Berber villages, however, it was rare that the locals had enough formal Arabic schooling to learn French.

So after the hike our relaxing tea in the Gite quickly turned to the international language of drumming and music. It was truly a spontaneous bonding 2 hour jam.

Maroc - 2

After about 3 miles we reached the small village of Ait Zitoun and settled into the “Gite”. The Gite is essentially a private home turned into hostel. We all pulled our little mats and blankets onto the roof for a communal sleep under the stars. (1000 star hotel) It sounds romantic, but for the full experience, you would need a recording of the dogs barking, donkeys braying, and the Moslem call to prayer. Yes, the rustic village had enough electricity to broadcast on the town speaker.

Maroc

Morocco - 1

We had an engrossing 4 day guided trek in the Atlas Mountains through a couple of Berber villages with 60 of our closest friends from the ship. We were skeptical about traveling on an SAS sponsored trip with so many people. Luckily, the guides handled the group so well that it turned out to be a stunning success.

The first hike was hot and dusty until we reached the shade of an olive tree grove where we were served tea on mats. I now understand why olive trees and fig trees have such biblical importance. They are truly miraculous life-savers in this pink dusty desert

Espana!

Espana!

Chris has developed quite a reputation with his pre-port medical briefings for the entire ship. Here is a pic of him getting his point across by demonstrating the delicate art of flamenco.

Cadiz is a wonderful old city with Catholic churches built on remains of Moorish mosques built on top of remains of tributes to Ceasar. Great food (tapas) and wine. Wonderful people. A bullfight.

We spent one night in Ronda, the last strong-hold before the pushing out of the Moors. You can see from the cliff side photo why it was one of the last to go. The “new bridge” was built in 1761.

Now we’re back on the ship, getting set to leave for Morocco.