DAY 124---AT SEA IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN (DAY 3)

        This is our position at noon today.  We passed by the coast of Congo and are now off the coast of Gabon.  Smooth sailing again last night and today.  Partly cloudy skies and a warm 89 degrees.

Gulf of Guinea 

Historical/Background Info:

        As we approach the island of Sao Tome & Principe we will be entering the Gulf of Guinea.  We will be sailing through it for the next week with 4 of our ports in it.  The African countries of Gabon, Guinea, Cameroon, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, and Ivory Coast are along the gulf.  There are several small volcanic formed islands in the gulf including Sao Tome where we shall call on.  Also located in the gulf is the only place on Earth where the Equator and Prime Meridian (0 degrees latitude and 0 degrees longitude) is.  The Guinea Gulf is a “High Risk Area” that we had our piracy drill for a few days ago.

        “Piracy” can be defined as any illegal act of violence or detention at high seas against another ship or aircraft.  There is also “maritime crime” which includes armed robber at sea, trafficking of humans, or smuggling of illicit goods, drugs, and weapons, illegal fishing, and fuel theft.  Kidnapping for ransom is one of the most prevalent maritime crimes in the gulf.  The pirates also attack petroleum ships and pull one of their tanker ships up next to it and steal the oil by bunkering. 

        Pirates have never attacked a ship that had armed security on board.  We have 4 armed commandos on the Mariner now.

LAST EVENING

                                          Our canapes at the bar in the Mariner Lounge.

        Dinner last night with Bea, the cruise consultant.  We had a great time with her.  She has an office and books cruises for us passengers.   We booked two with her earlier in the cruise.

        We asked for some of the roasted South African kudu loin to just taste it.  VERY tough and not very good.

                         Veal osso buco in a red wine sauce creamy polenta for our entrees.

                                                            Key lime pie is always good. 

        We did not go to see the comedian but back to our suite and I crashed.  Rebecca always stays up and watches Fox News.

TODAY

        Up at our usual 7am.  After checking email I head down to the Coffee Connection to get our double shot Americanos.  I do that before 7:30 as Rommel goes on his breakfast break then and I like him to make our coffees.

        Rebecca streams her "Bold & Beautiful" soap before room service shows up at 8am with our breakfast.

        While having our cocktails at the Mariner bar Captain Abhi stopped by to say hello.  I told him we enjoyed the White Elephant sale that afternoon.  I told him on our 2010 WC we bought dinner with 4 crewmembers of our choice that made our cruise very special.  I told him we would pay $1000 to do it on this cruise.  He said, "Sold".  We were surprised and very excited but then we had to come up with just 4 that we would invite.

        We did come up with the 4 we wanted to invite but knew we had to get it approved by Nicki, the General Manager.  So this morning I went to her office and showed her our list of 4.  Three of them were from the same department (dining room).  Nicki said taking 3 out for an evening would affect service so she could not approve it.  I was afraid of that and completely understand.  Our list was:  Bernalyn (CR waitress), Benji (head waiter in CR), Elif (waitress in Prime 7), and Rommel (Coffee Connection barista).

        We will be crossing the Equator early tomorrow morning.  This will be the 4th crossing for us on this world cruise.  At 10:00 this morning on the pool deck King Neptune and Queen Neptune held a ceremony for those "Polywogs" (first timers to cross the Equator) to be initiated and become a "Shellback" (those like us who have already crossed it).  There were some Polywogs who boarded in Cape Town for this last segment of the world cruise.

                             This is the fish they will have to kiss as part of the ceremony.

 King Neptune's court entering.

                King Neptune and Queen Neptune entering.  Oh, my, Queen Neptune has a beard.

                                                                  Line up of Polywogs

                                                                 She is kissing the fish

        Being doused with ice water.  They got off easy today as is usually a gooey concoction of catsup, mustard, eggs, spaghetti, etc, and then they are thrown into the pool.  Cameron is doing the pouring.

                                                             Paige was part of the court.

        This afternoon I watched Terry Bishop's taped lecture, "The Atlantic Armada".  This was about the battle of the Falkland Islands back in 1982.  The Falklands are British and the Argentines invaded it in 1982. England sent an armada down to take it back.

        While I watched the lecture Rebecca streamed her other soap, "Young & Restless".  I then watched the taping for Dr Fopp's lecture on "Lome, Togo-Coffee, Cocoa, and Copra" where we will be on Sunday.      

        At 6pm this evening we will take our drinks to the theater for Terry Bishop's show, "Even More Stuff and Nonsense".  Besides being a great lecturer, he is a talented guitar and singer of his own songs.

We will probably leave just before the end of the show as will head up to La Veranda at 6:30 for a special American Dinner buffet.

        After dinner at 9:30 is the production show, "Broadway in Concert".  We have seen it several times now but will be on the front row again tonight.  Paige and Cameron say they are always happy to see us sitting there.

        We should be anchored just off the coast at the town at Sao Tome on the island of Sao Tome by 10am tomorrow.  It is a tender port.  I have a 3 1/2 hour tour, "Highlights of Sao Tome" at 10:30.