Grand Africa Voyage
10-10-2023 to 25-11-2023
Casablanca (Morocco)
21st October
The Great Hassan II Mosque. The mosque stands on a promontory looking out to the Atlantic Ocean
The women pray up on the screened floor above the men.
The main floor of the mosque.
This photo shows part of the ablution floor underneath the mosque.
These are the washing station. Water flows from the top over the sides and the men squat around them to wash.
This design is one not usually seen in a mosque. It is the Star of David. It represents their tolerance of other religions. Judaism and Christianity who, like Islam believe in one God.
Habous Quater.
Various types of Olives.
The Olive square. Colleen with her back to the camera. From the right, Abderrahim our guide. Then Cathy and Gary a couple of our travelling companions.
Gary and Renee looking for souveniers.
Bread going into the oven for baking.
Bread coming out of a lower oven.
There are two official languages in Morocco. Arabic and Berber. On the left is Berber, it is read from left to right. I forgot to ask what it said.
From Casablanca we were driven up the coast to Rabat, Morocco's captial.
The following photos were taken in Rabat.
The entrance to the King's Palace. And the Changing of the Guard.
Horsemen guarding the entrance to the grounds of the Mausoleum of Mohammed V. The grandfather of the present king.
The Mausoleum .
Inside the mausoleum.
Guarding the Mausoleum of Mohammed V.
The Kasbah of the Udayas. It was a short lived Barbary Pirate replublic.
Inside the fortress.
The canon emplacement protecting the entrance to the harbour.
La Goulette (Tunisia)
24th October
Our first stop should have been Carthage but we were too early. Instead we went to the Cisterns of La Malaga. This is the remains of the aqueduct that supplied them. The water came from mount Zaghouan 56km away but the aqueduct path was 130km.
These cisterns have a capacity of 44,000 m3. There are 16 cisterns each about 100m long.
The Hannible quater of Carthage. Built during his time in Carthage.
Roman Villas site. Where the wealthy romans lived.
A couple of mosaics that were leaning against the wall by the door in the photo above.
These two mosaics were at the villa called 'The Avery' due to the mosaics of birds.
On the way to see the remains of the Antonine Baths we passed this necropolis.
The remains of the Antonine Baths Carthage. All that remains is the basement and some remnants of the ground floor.
A piece of carved marble from the baths.
Sidi Bou Said is known as a town of artists. It is also famous for its blue and white houses.
Our guide bought us these bambaloni to try. It is deep fried and eaten sprinkled with sugar.
Two more photos in Sidi Bou Said.
After our walk round we were taken to the roof top of the Cafe Des Arts for drinks. Colleen and I had lemon drink and Tina has a strawberry drink.
Colleen drinking mint tea in the courtyard of a house set up as a typical tunisian house of the past.
Inside the souks of Medina, Tunis's old town.
At last lunch. In the restaurant Dar El Jeld in Medina. We had almost finished this appetiser before I thought to take a photo. Three of us shared a bottle of wine and Rick had a beer.
Spinach Tagine. It was like a crustless quiche. Both couples decide to share plates.
Lamb Couscous. Two plates between four was more than enough.
Sail away. There's my name on the dock. They must have been expecting me.
Souda Crete
26th October
The ancient city of Aptera.It was destroyed by earthquake during the 7th century. In the background can be seen the the remains of three cisters used to store rain water for the city.
Koules Fortress. This fortress was built by the Turks after the Cretan revolution in 1866. The purpose of its location was to control the Apokoronas valley and the Souda port.
The fort and views of the Apokoronas valley.
View from the fort looking over the Fortress of Itzedin. Constructed in 1872 by Reuf Pasha, commander of Crete to defend Souda Bay.
The cafe where we had coffee.
We had our drinks in this courtyard at the back. There were eight of us on the tour.
It was one of our party's birthday and the mother of our guide and driver baked a cake with 'Happy Birthday' in Greek on it for her.
She also made these pastries containing cheese and eaten drizzled with honey for us.
After the coffee stop we went to a wine tasting. We tasted 5 wines.
Then lunch at a traditional Taverna in the Apokoronas valley at Frez . There was Greek salad, tzatziki a couple of hummuses and bread. Our guide and driver, Maria, is at the head of the table.
And then there were these two dishes. Chicken and Fried potato and a mix of beans and peppers.
Colleen's plate before the hot dishes arrived.
This is the courtyard and cafe where we had lunch. Our table was behind the unbrella in the middle.
A couple of photos at dusk of the old harbour in Chania.
Limassol Cyprus
28th October
On our way to our first tasting we stopped at the ruins of this monastery. A church has been built on the remains of earlier 15th centuary churches.
Ktima Stalies a working farm where cheese is made.
Cheeses and yoghurt laid out ready for tasting. From the right the first and third cheeses are made with the remains from the halloumi making process and eaten with carob syrup from the small bottles on the table. The second and forth are halloumi. Cucumber and bread are also on the table.
A view of the vines in the valley on our way to the village of Omodos for lunch.
Omodos village. Our guide, another Maria, has her back to the camera.
This monastery is the oldest in Cyprus. No one can really determine when it was built.
This is the taverna where we had lunch.
Inside we had three tables.
Here I am at the start of the meal.
My plate before the moussaka, chicken, and other dishes arrived. After this photo I was too busy eating to take photos.
After lunch we went wine tasting at this boutique winery. We tasted 5 wines and bought a dry white to have when we have lunch in our stateroom.
Some of the vines that supply the grapes for the winery.
The view from the winery.
Suez Canal
30th October
Sunrise as we head to the entrance of the Suez Canal.
Crossing the entrance to the canal.
The east bank of the Suez is desert.
The west bank of the Suez where there is agriculture.
The driver of this train stopped so that he could wave to us.
The Suez Canal Bridge. Also known as the Egyptian-Japanese Friendship Bridge. The bridge was built with the assistance of the Japenese government.
A 'Welcome to Egypy' sign on the bank of the canal.
A ferry crosses the canal between us and the ship behind.
Boats on the canal.
This monument was erected to commemorate the defence of the Canal Zone from the threat of the Turkish Army in WWI.
The obligatory photo of a ship sailing through the desert.
A Ships passing anchored ships in the Great Bitter Lake.
The marker where the Ever Given blocked the canal in 2021. The site is not far from the canal entrance at Port Suez.
Port Suez.
Exiting the Suez Canal at Port Suez.
Rounding off the transit of the Suez Canal at sunset. It has taken us all day.
Safaga (Egypt)
31st October
The moon over Safaga as we sail to our dock.
Its going to be a long day. Just outside Safaga we enter the desert which we were in for about the next couple of hours. Fortunately there were only 15 of us in an airconditioned 48 seater coach. We were advised to drink plenty of water and informed there was a clean toilet on the coach.
We came out of the desert at the New Qena City.
From Qena the road went through various towns. It was a slow journey as there were frequent check points and speed humps at every bridge across the irrigation canal we were running alongside.
An hour and three quaters later we cross the Avenue of Sphinxes. A 2.7km long avenue that connects Luxor Temple with Karnak Temple. Karnak Temple is in the background.
In the foreground was a canal and the ramps at the back were the quay for the Karnak Temple.
One of the better preserved sphinxes showing the ram's head. The symbol of the Egyptian god Amun Ra.
The entrance to the Great Hypostyle Hall with Ramases II with his favourite wife, Nefertari, at his feet.
Photos of the columns in the Great Hypostyle Hall showing the engravings and their original colours after being cleaned.
Karnak Sacred Lake was used by the priests for ritual washing.
Feluccas lined up ready for lunch on the Nile river.
Lunch being served on the Felucca.
The tillerman steering us off the dock.
After the starter we were served the main course. Colleen asked for a small portion. Hers is under the photo of mine.
Dessert is served.
The dock on the other side of the Nile where our coach was waiting to take us to the Valley of the Kings.
Walking up the Valley of the Kings to Tut Ankh Amun's tomb after a golf cart ride to the gate from the entrance.
Decending into Tut Ankh Amun's tomb.
Inside the tomb. It was a bit cramped.
From Tut Ankh Amun's tomb we went to Ramasses IX's tomb.
Heading back down to the entrance to the valley on the back of the golf cart.
A photo stop for the Hatshepsut Temple. This mortuary temple was built for the queen ruler Hatshepsut.
Our final stop was for a demonstration of alabaster carving.
Sunset as we leave the Valley of the Kings on our 4.5 hour journey back to Safaga and our ship.
Salalah (Oman)
5th November
We did not do a tour in Salalah. We watched the crew drill from our verandah. Part of which was to lower all the lifeboats on our side of the ship. Two crew members being fitted with safety harnesses.
Look out! Here comes the captain.
Through the middle of the drill an engineer came taking photos of the lifeboat mechanism. The crew members who were fitted with safety harnesses can been in the fore and aft hatches.
The captain giving instructions to the crew member trying to release a yellow strop. He is hitting it with his fist. I heard the captain say 'Hit it harder as if it was me.'
At last they lowered the boat.
The lifeboats having a sail before being brought back on board.
Almost back up. Those yellow strops gave trouble again when they were reattached.
The pilot of lifeboat 2. Her day job is chef in the Pinnacle Grill, a fancy retaurant on board.
Almost stowed in its position over the promenade deck.
At Sea
8th November
The blue of the Indian Ocean and a nice clear horizon from our balcony.