ZECO TRAVEL TALK

Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica, South Georgia & the Falkland Islands

Yesterday and today have been the most beautiful days I have ever seen. The sunshine finally smiled on us! Yesterday morning we landed at Range, then came back onboard for lunch, afterwards we landed at Cuverville and Neko Harbor (on the Antarctic continent), came back onboard for dinner, and then did an after dinner Zodiac cruise. Today we woke everyone up early as we transited Neumayer Channel, then made a landing and Zodiac cruise at Damoy Point and Port Lockroy. We are just about to enter the Lemaire Channel, and after that are planning a Zodiac cruise at Pleneau, a BBQ, and an after dinner landing!

Algiers, Mediterranean Mosaic - Voyage II

Our time in Algiers was, simply, fantastic and the weather couldn’t have been better. We started at the Martyr’s Monument, then visited the small, wonderful Museum of Antiquties and Islamic Art. The highlight of course was the Casbah and we visited a traditional home there, hosted by very gracious Bahia, whose family—for four generations—was born and raised there. Everyone was delighted with this personal glimpse into Casbah life.

From the rooftop deck we had a stunning view and enjoyed delicious mint tea as we listened to the 4 o’clock prayer ripple down the streets of the Casbah. We then walked from the top of the Casbah to the bottom… what an amazing experience, arriving at the bottom among a sea of people rushing home to break the Ramadan fast. Once back onboard we were entertained by a famous local band and everyone really got into it. Then we had a BBQ in our Panoramique Restaurant as we sailed away from Algiers. It was an incredible day.

Annaba, Mediterranean Mosaic - Voyage II

Today, our first day in Algeria, was overwhelming, in the best possible way. We had two fantastic guides, and the tour was great. We had perfect weather, had the amazing ruins site of Hippo Regius completely to ourselves, and enjoyed meeting the Bishop of the Basilica of St. Augustine before coming back to the ship for lunch.

After lunch we headed into town (Annaba) for a visit to the Mosque where the Imam himself showed us around; it was a very special experience. We then went to Revolution Square for a walk through the old heart of the city. This evening we had a Q and A session with the guides and it was fantastic! The passengers had lots of questions and the guides answered them in a very straightforward and candid way — everyone enjoyed and appreciated it very much.

Amasya, Circumnavigation of Black Sea

Another great day! We split into about three equal groups for our exploration of Amasya visiting the Ethnographic Museum, the Mosque, the Archaeology Museum, and some taking a hike to see the tombs of the Pontic Kings. And lunch was up on the hillside with a beautiful view over the valley. We arrived at lunch right with the mid-day call to prayer, and the food was great…

Calf of Man, Circumnavigation of Ireland

We were greeted by an unusual welcoming committee as we sailed toward the Calf of Man this morning: sharks! About a dozen basking sharks, a couple up to 30 feet long, surrounded the ship as they fed on the surface plankton and everyone rushed to get their cameras. Some of us took Zodiacs out to see them at close range… where one Zodiac had stopped, a shark swam right beneath it and surfaced at the bow for the perfect cameo close-up!

Dingle Bay, Circumnavigation of Ireland

As we approached Dingle Bay a resident dolphin leaped out of the waters to say hello. We learned that he was first observed by a lighthouse keeper in 1984 who, after watching him swim among the fishing boats for nearly a year, officially confirmed his residency and named him “Fungie” the Dingle dolphin. We felt so privileged that this 500-pound bottlenose charmer chose to escort our Zodiacs around the harbor as delighted passengers snapped photos of Ireland’s first aquatic friend.

La Gomera, Azores with Madeira, Canary Islands, Morocco, and Gibraltar

What a spectacularly beautiful island, maybe because it’s off the beaten track. Our hiking group really enjoyed their trek, capped off by tapas on the beach… Damien, our local guide, was able to get two school girls to give a short whistling demonstration. The birders returned from their day excited that they had seen “everything!”