FUN-photos: Buenos Aires to Cape Town, South Africa – Silversea Cruise 2013
April 19, 2013 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-photos: Buenos Aires to Cape Town, South Africa – Silversea Cruise 2013
The third part of our trip had us flying from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, Argentina on March 2nd to board the Silversea Expedition for a 22 day cruise. We had three expeditions in the Falkland Islands and six in South Georgia. We were a bit disappointed when we unable to land on Tristan Da Cunha do to rough seas. It is the most remote inhabited island in the world, with Easter Island a close second.
We never planned the trip around seeing some of the most remote islands in the world, it just turned out that way. We loved Antarctica and wanted to see South Georgia without going back to the continent. The Seabourn cruise just happened to include several islands as well.
We arrived in Cape Town on March 22nd for two nights and three days. After eleven straight sea days we were all ready to get off and enjoy land!
If you click on the first picture it will allow you to create a slide show. And it turns out they are in ascending order (in other words, the first is actually the last) Enjoy!
FUN-travel: Cape Town, South Africa to Dubai to Amman, Jordan – End of Silversea Cruise
March 28, 2013 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Cape Town, South Africa to Dubai to Amman, Jordan – End of Silversea Cruise
The ABC’s of Africa
A = Awesome
B = Bummer
C = Celebration
Trip Day 54 – Sunday, March 24 – Cape Town, South Africa to Amman, Jordan via Dubai – very windy, sunny – high low 80’s – sunrise 6:52 – sunset 6:51
Cape Dutch Architecture @ Groot
- 7:30 – wake up to full sun
- need hot cappuccino to get moving
- 8:15 – finish pack up (supposed to be out of cabin by 8:30)
Winery Art
- 9:00 – get breakfast
- 10:00 – off ship – driver/guide pickup for 6 hours before airport drop off
- 10:30 – arrive Groot Constantia Wine Estate – nice long walk – built 1685 features Cape Dutch architecture
- 11:30 – drive to Hout Bay for diversion (don’t need wine tasting at this hour) cute harbor town w/local market
- 12:30 – back to Groot Constantia Wine Estate to meet Stephen, my Cape Town travel agent – he is brother of my neighbor & booked all of our African travel 2010 – he has also booked our next leg of this trip to Jordan & Israel – you can find out about him @ www.southafricaluxurytravel.com
- 1:00 – lunch @ Simon’s – nice mussels & Pinotage
- 3:00 – off to airport for 6:10 flight w/quick stop @ roadside grape stand
- 3:30 – arrive airport
- B – flight delayed by 2.5 hrs
- BB – (big bummer) we missed our connection to Amman & won’t get there until 4:30 pm instead of 10:05 (miss our half day tour we paid for)
- A – got biz class seat on Expedia for almost half price
- B – they don’t want to give us access to biz class lounge
- C – after much complaining they acquiesce!
Me & Stephen
- B – 8:35 – boarding plane call & we lost our jetway & have to bus & schlep bags to plane
- C –9:20 – take off!
Not so FF – (FUN-fact) – Forgot to mention that for the entire 2013 tourism season Tristan Da Cunha had 4 cruise ships scheduled to land and not one of them did. Like everyone else, tourism dollars have a huge impact.
FUN-travel: Ushuaia, Argentina to Cape Town, South Africa – Silversea Cruise – Day 20 – At Sea
March 25, 2013 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Ushuaia, Argentina to Cape Town, South Africa – Silversea Cruise – Day 20 – At Sea
The ABC’s of Islands
A = Awesome
B = Bummer
C = Celebration
Trip Day 51 – Thursday, March 21 –At Sea – high 67 – more wind & thick clouds
- 8:30 – wake up & typical breakfast
- B – 10:30 – cabin fever
- A – fresh air break
- B – Crew Emergency Safety Drill – can’t do laps, have to keep turning around, so have no idea how far I walked – gave up after 30 mins
- B – 12:30 – lunch – no Mexican food as hoped
- A – order chips, salsa, guacamole, refried beans for tomorrow
Middle Island Next to Nightingale Island, Tristan da Cunha
- C – spa day
- 2:00 – manicure
- 3:00 – massage
- 5:00 – photo/video preview in theatre
- C – 1st class film! Richard Sidey is truly talented – he has a Masters in Visual Communication Design
- 7:30 – captains farewell cocktail party
- 8:00 – dinner @ Birgit, hotel manager, table
- C – she picked FUN people!
St. Andrew’s Bay, South Georgia
FF – (FUN-fact) – There are 11 expedition team members on board, each one specializing in a different area ranging from geology, flora, fauna, history, icebergs, fish, sea birds, penguins, whales and the seas.
More FF – On expedition ships there are no formal nights or dress codes for dinner.
FUN-travel: Ushuaia, Argentina to Cape Town, South Africa – Silversea Cruise – Day 22 – Cape Town – Day 2
March 25, 2013 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Ushuaia, Argentina to Cape Town, South Africa – Silversea Cruise – Day 22 – Cape Town – Day 2
The ABC’s of Africa
A = Awesome
B = Bummer
C = Celebration
Trip Day 53 – Saturday, March 23 – Cape Town, South Africa – very windy, sun mixed w/clouds – high 70 – sunrise 6:51 – sunset 6:53
- 8:00 – wake up – cappuccinos/typical breakfast
- 11:00 – nice walk to V & A waterfront
- 12:00 – walk to Westin to buy Africology body butter in spa (this stuff is heaven – bought it 2 years ago and need more)
- 1:00 – taxi to Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock – food, shops, farmers market & craft fair
- A – Burrata restaurant for fabulous thin crust pizza & salad $20
- 2:30 – taxi back to V & A ($6.00 each way)
- A – find great gifts @ shop made by locals only $50
- 4:00 – back to ship to pack up
- 7:00 – happy hour w/shipmates Kathy & Larry
- 8:15 – Dinner – mussels not VG so order pasta w/olive oil, garlic, parmesan & crushed red peppers (AKA chili flakes) VG
- B – 12:00 – we are moored in harbor & ship is still rocking
FF – (FUN-fact) – Silversea had tours on Friday & Saturday but we had been there two years ago so chose to do our own thing rather than repeat.
FUN-travel: Ushuaia, Argentina to Cape Town, South Africa – Silversea Cruise – Day 21 – Cape Town
March 25, 2013 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Ushuaia, Argentina to Cape Town, South Africa – Silversea Cruise – Day 21 – Cape Town
The ABC’s of Africa
A = Awesome
B = Bummer
C = Celebration
Trip Day 52 – Friday, March 22 – Arrive Cape Town, South Africa – sunny, windy – high low 70’s
Clock Tower at V & A
- BB – (big bummer) – 6:50 – wake up over PA for sunrise
- A – I was sleeping so good
- 7:50 – get up cause I can’t fall back to sleep
- A – I see land@ – we’re almost to Cape Town
- B – need to bunker (fill up the gas tank on boat takes 3 hrs) & not the same place we moor
- 9:15 – clear customs in theatre
- A – 1:00 – lunch of chips, salsa, guacamole, beans, jalpenos – YEAH! (not the same as in San Diego but works)
- 1:00 – shuttle bus takes us from bunker pier to Victoria & Alfred (V & A) Waterfront
- C – on land!
- A – lots of walking, shopping, music & fresh air
- 3:00 – iced coffee break
- 5:00 – Pinotage – happy hour at V & A w/shipmates Kathy & Larry – first time tasting Pinotage & kingclip fish for them
- 6:30 – shuttle back to ship for more happy hour
- 8:00 – dinner & bed!
FF – (FUN-fact) – Cape Town is Africa’s most popular tourist destination. It is famous for its harbor and Table Mountain which was named one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature in 2007.
