Praia, Cape Verde, lies 360 miles west of Dakar and to be there on the 19th required the sedate speed of 10 knots, 11 mph, 18 kph. The 18th saw HAL’s 145th anniversary.
Praia lies on the southern end of the island of Santiago and, as usual, there was a strong northeasterly wind. I was hoping that there would be some lee from the 40 mph winds as we approached the harbor and as we approached the pilot boarding ground the seas were calmer, although there was not a great deal of wind reduction until we neared the harbour breakwaters; even then it was gusty. It was our intention to swing in the harbour and then go port side alongside. The docking was complicated by the presence of a large cargo ship, also on the pier. As I started our swing and having completed about 30° of the swing, the pesky wind blew up, coming down through valleys to the north of the harbour and it became apparent that swinging and then docking was going to be difficult, to say the least. A quick change of plan and a decision to dock starboard side alongside, bow into the wind which was then achieved without incident.
An overview of the island
The turn into the harbour
and the docking. The ‘kink’ is where we had to change our docking side
I was meant to go fishing with a group of guests and crew, however the boats, due to a misunderstanding, were on another island and so it was time to go and see some of the sights. We had been here before of course, so my photographs may be a repetition of that visit, but what the heck…….. A shuttle bus took us into Praia and then it was time to barter with a taxi driver for a tour, we wanted to go to the World Heritage site of Cidade Velha, the first colonial outpost in the tropics. It features an old fortress, built by the Portuguese around 1585, after that pesky Brit, Sir Francis Drake had attacked Portuguese ships and towns.
Cidade Velha below
It has the remains of 2 churches, some of the original streets and Pillory Square, a reminder of the slave trade to colonial territories.
Karen outside the President’s Palace, Praia, (just out of shot is an armed guard)
Local lady with her stall
Where we partook of lunch
Bringing the groceries home
Tending to their boats and nets
How to disguise a communications tower
The pillory, circa 1518-1520
This will be last post of the 2018 Grand World Voyage. I have so much to do before arriving in Port Everglades on the 28th, that there just won’t be time to sit here and write to you; we arrive in San Juan on the 25th and in between I have a plethora of ‘farewell’ social functions and reports to write. I will, all being well start again when I rejoin the “Amsterdam” in August, when in Alaska and, of course, the 2019 Grand World Voyage. It has been fun and relaxing writing these posts and travelling the World has opened my eyes to other cultures and customs.
There is a famous quote about travel “The real voyage of discovery consists of not in seeking new landscapes, but having new eyes”.
Dear Jonathan,
It has been a treat reading and viewing your (and Karen’s) pictures on this World Cruise. Many thanks for taking the time for reporting in such detail and in a lively and fun approach. Randy & I cruise on the Oosterdam in June – a 25th Anniversary celebration for us in the Adriatic. Another WC for us – we are planning on it.
All the best to you and yours! Bon voyage!
After several readings of your world cruise postings and Alaska I would just say Enjoyable,Enjoyable. I have remarked before how much we as passengers take for granted the intensity of taking that ship safely to all destinations for everyone’s pleasure.
Would love to drop in and say it is me E. Marple maybe some day before your like many of us , retired. Alaska 5 times maybe HAL the next time while your still around. Enjoy your long real vacation where ever or what ever you and Karen do.
I have enjoyed reading your posts and seeing your photographs and am glad to see that you will be sailing out of Seattle on the Amsterdam this Alaska cruise season since I work at Pier 91 there supporting Princess and Holland-America during the cruise season. If I’m lucky, I might even be able to say hello to you one of the Sundays that you’re in port. Thank you for the time and effort that you have spent making the world more interesting for us all!
Great, I’ll look forward to meeting you, Tom 😀
captain Jonathan, thank you SO much for yr interesting posts ..we absolutely get excited when we see another one coming in.you’ve shown us so much of the world over the several years we have been following you. Somehow you find some little bits of fun wherever you go..and so interesting when you relate the ports to yr former life at sea..before you were a captain.
I know you will have to retire at some time , but not yet please, tho I expect Karen would differ about that. Look forward to Alaska .MANY , many thanks.
Thank you, Captain Jonathan, for your blog, n happy to hear you will be on 2019, which I will once again be traveling. Good summer ahead for you n Karen in Alaska, my birthplace n home for most of my life. Blessings to you n family in your sailings!!
Thank you for all the wonderful posts. I will probably never make a World cruise but these posts have helped make it as if we had.
Thank you, Capt. Jonathan for your interesting posts during the WC. We first met you on the NA inaugural season on the TA from Venice to FLL. What a ride we had!
Best wishes to you for a relaxing time off. Hopefully, you will be able to spend some time with the grand-babies, who will have grown while you were gone.
We are boarding the Prinsendam on 5/5/18 for 28 days. Cannot wait to be on board her again.
My best,
Lynne Oakley
Punta Gorda, FL
Thanks Captain for a brilliant blog as usual, can’t believe how quickly the time has gone.
Have a safe remainder of your cruise and have a brilliant leave, you deserve it (as do all the members of your great crew).
Take care
I meant VICARIOUSLY. Damned spell check.
ACB
Thanks, Captain, that was a grand voyage indeed! Your narrative was truly fascinating, and I hope you and Karen have some well-deserved time off after this busy time at sea!
Thanks again Captain for another tour of the globe albeit vicariously through the internet. So pleased to see you will be at it again in 2019. We watch your progress across the pond on AIS, and hope you have a great leave.
Thanks so much for another great trip with you, even we were not physically with you this time. Have a great holiday!
Thank you so much for taking us with you and hope to join you again soon. Al & Ruth 12, 15 & 17
I hope the remainder of your trip is fantastic! I have enjoyed following you around the world (jealously, as I much prefer reading your blog when I am on board with you). I do hope that you will be taking us around next year, for the 2019 WC, when we will actually be with you. If yes, it will be our third time with you!
Enjoy your time off; such as it will be what with more work related things going on. Hope you have some time to enjoy your family and the grands!
‘Til Alaska!
Linda R.
Thank you, sir, for variously letting us come along. It has been wonderful to be allowed “on board”. I hope our email remains registered so we can come along for Alaska and, then, the world cruise of 2019.
Yes Al, it remains registered.