Starting in Namibia and ending in Seville Spain with stops in 16 countries. Whooeee! This is my ultimate adventure that began in February of this year and ended in April! Thirty-nine nights on an educational study tour aboard the Corinthian II owned by Travel Dynamics. There are three lecturers and one naturalist on board. The lecturers are from UC Berkeley, Smithsonian, Indiana University for the first half and Stanford University, Dallas Museum, Smithsonian (different person) the second half.
After two days of rest in Capetown I arrive at the airport to make my way to Walvis Bay, Namibia where I will be met and taken to board the ship that will be my home for the next 40 days. Flying over Namibia reveals a desert paradise. Desolate,stark,barren. Then a "lake" a "river". Recent rains have created false bodies of water that look like they will always be there, but will vanish in days. We are told by the pilot that we are blessed by the sights below as they happen very rarely. A portent of the journey to come, perhaps? I hope!
We arrive. Namibia, as are many other African countries, is on "African Time" meaning it can be 10 minutes from now or two days from now. The luggage arrives sometime between these two possibilities. There are about 12 of us on the plane headed to the same ship.
Wandering out out to the pick up area we learn that the buses were there but have left! Bob, one of our band of travelers, takes matters in hand and soon we have transport to the ship, or so we are told. A man close by overhears Bob's queries of the airport personnel and steps in to help. It seems, after he makes a call in Afrikkans, which none of us understand, that it is his company that is contracted to transport us, but he was not notified. He will take us! He could be anyone from anywhere, but trusting souls that we are, we blithely follow him with all of our earthly possessions to his van behind which is hitched a luggage container.
He loads up us and our luggage and away we go. One of the ladies jokes that maybe we are being taken to sell into white slavery. I point out the average age of the group (blue hairs) and we decide we aren't candidates for that or for organ donors; we're safe. The feeling is one of excitement and anticipation of the journey ahead.
The ship is lovely and I settle in to my very roomy and elegant accommodations. I could be in the finest hotel. Tomorrow the journey begins. Tonight I begin to get to know the other 104 passengers and crew on the ship. Spent time at the bar getting to know the tour director, tour mangers and the naturalist. I meet Grey who will be a close companion to myself and Sandra my friend who is on the journey with me. I learn that this is the "office" and when Peter says let's meet in the office this is where we go! Great chats. This is going to be FUN as well as educational.
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