Historical/Background Info:
This
is our first visit here. Sao Tome and Principe make up the island African
nation almost lying on the Equator 140 miles off the African coastal nation of
Gabon. Although considered one it is
really two islands with Principe being very, very small. Sao Tome is 30 miles
long and 20 miles wide while Principe is only 20 miles long and 4 miles wide.
The two islands were formed 30 million years ago and are part of a volcano
chain featuring striking rock and coral formations, rainforests, and beaches.
They gained their independence from Portugal in 1975. The main crop is cocoa
which is exported however the country imports most of its food.
La Veranda decorated in USA theme. Wine steward, Komang, in the red coat.
TODAY
We read the wrong Passages (daily schedule) and set our clocks back an hour last night. So we were still in bed when room service rang the door bell with Rebecca's cereal. OOPS!
As I mentioned I was supposed to be on a tour today. It was supposed to depart the ship (tendering today) at 10:30. The officials were late getting on the ship to clear it so I was still sitting in the theater at 11:30 and was probably going to be another half hour before the tour was called so I gave up and turned my ticket in.
My new plan was to have lunch and take the 1pm tender to shore. Then catch the 1:30 shuttle to town. The town was just a mile from the tender dock. So that is what I did. It was a 15 minute tender ride and 10 minute shuttle so I was at their Independence Square by 1:30.
I walked around town and got photos of the things that were on the tour I was supposed to take. So I saved a lot of time by being on my own. There was a little breeze and the walk back to the tender pier was not that far so I walked back. Got some exercise in the process.
It was a 20 minute tender ride back and I was back in the suite before 2pm. I was soaking wet from sweat so jumped in the shower. I weighed then and had lost 2 lbs in 2 hours! It is 89 degrees now.
I had 25 photos to upload so doing that now. Very slow process today with our internet. Uploaded 5 of the 25 in a half hour. So I will go ahead and publish this post and put the photos on tomorrow's post since it is a sea day anyway.
We will be weighing anchor and setting sail again at 7pm. As I said tomorrow is a day at sea in the Gulf of Guinea so they will be on high alert looking for pirate boats. There will be additional crew assigned to be lookouts. The ship is blacked out at night as all outer deck lights are turned off and we are to close out drapes at sundown.
This evening we did not care for the Compass Rose menu so this morning I requested the baked hake (fish) entree with broccoli and crab hollandaise sauce. We loved it when it was on the menu earlier this week.
The show tonight is the return of Tim Abel, the pianist. Not going.
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