By Chris Elder

Our adventure started with a couple of days in Rome to “loosen up” a bit before joining the brand new Majestic Princess on her maiden voyage of the Mediterranean, Suez Canal transit and continued voyage to Shanghai, China. It had only been two and a half weeks since our very ambitious amazing Africa adventure so we were looking forward to a relaxed twenty-eight day cruise with lots of sea days. Outside of a nice al fresco meal we spent most of our time in Rome shopping and recovering from the long flights. We enjoyed a beautiful drive from Rome to Civitivecchia Port with a private luxury car driven by a remarkable young Romanian man who told us all about his emigration to his favorite city, Rome.

Although the Majestic Princess is the third in its class, it was designed specifically for the rapidly growing China market where it will be making its home port in Shanghai. There is a definite emphasis on Asian cuisine, art, entertainment and shopping in the design of the Majestic. We found it a little amusing that the hamburger grill now features Dim Sum and the outdoor pizza kitchen was replaced by a noodle bar. Other than a few other subtle changes, the vessel is stunning, roomy and as comfortable as her sister ship, the Regal Princess, that we had the pleasure of sailing last year to the Baltic. We booked a balcony stateroom on Aloha deck aft which is close to the fitness center on deck 17 and the International Marketplace buffet on deck 16.

Our first port of call and first official day of the cruise took us to Napoli where we did a little shopping in the morning before setting out for an excursion to Herculaneum. Like Pompeii, Herculaneum fell victim to the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. but there were differences. The first being that Herculaneum was a very affluent port city made up of the upper crust of Roman civilization much like our modern seaside communities of today. Secondly, where Pompeii was destroyed by lava, ash, white-hot rock and lapilli, Herculaneum was inundated with boiling mud resulting in much better preservation of the cities buildings, infrastructure and even wooden rooftops, furnishings and pottery. We have been to Pompeii a couple of times and found Herculaneum to be just as interesting although quite a bit smaller. Like Pompeii, a huge amount of Herculaneum remains to be excavated however since a modern city now sits above the ruins, it may be many years before it yields all of its buried secrets.

From Naples we set course for the picturesque island of Santorini, Greece. Last time Sue and I visited this island paradise of white washed buildings perched on cliffs overlooking the sparkling blue waters of the Mediterranean we did a pretty intensive land tour covering most of the island. Today we opted to sail out to the center of the active volcano which formed these volcanic islands and hike up to the vista point for a panoramic view of the caldera. It was a steep climb on rocky terrain so we were both pretty happy to successfully complete the trek and be on our way to a traditional lunch on the small island of Thirassia. On Thirassia we dined al fresco at a seaside restaurant with the stunning backdrop of rugged mountain panoramas and enjoyed our Souvlaki (kebabs) and local Greek beer in the fresh salty air. A short sightseeing cruise of the Santorini coastline followed before we were back onboard the Majestic Princess to set sail for the Suez Canal.

Although it is very interesting to have the opportunity to travel in this part of the world, we are constantly reminded of the turmoil in the countries that surround us as we prepare to take our place in the convoy through the canal. The crew practiced pirate drills and rigged the ship with fire hoses to repel any attempt at unauthorized boarding of our floating home. After anchoring off the coast of Egypt for the night we started our voyage through the canal at about four in the morning and as this is the maiden voyage of the largest cruise ship to ever transit the canal we were given the honor of leading the southbound convoy behind a military escort. The transit took about eleven hours to complete at which point we entered the Red Sea. Our course continued south to the Sinai Penisula where we then changed course in a northeasterly route up to the top of the Red Sea to Aqaba in the Kingdom Country of Jordan.

Once at the most northern point in the Red Sea you reach Aqaba on the east side and Elat, Israel, on the west side only a mile or so apart. Our shore excursion in Aqaba took us on a two hour journey through the desert to the lost city of Petra. Speaking of desert, since entering the Suez Canal, the desert is endless in every direction and reminds us so much of our own Mojave desert back home. Traveling along the Kings Highway we pass camels, goats, donkeys and sheep herded by Bedouins, all trying to scratch a meager existence out of this harsh terrain that so much history was written around. On our way up the winding roads into the mountains we pass through several little towns, each with their characteristic mosques, schools and soccer fields until we finally reach our destination city of Petra and the gateway to the lost city.

Our weather has now changed from relatively mild to downright hot so our one mile walk in the direct desert sun to the Siq or passageway to Petra was rewarded by luxurious shade once we entered the narrow canyon (Siq) that guards the entrance to Petra. It’s about a half mile through the Siq with its stunning orange and red sandstone cliff walls when suddenly the famous Nabataean Treasury appears before you without warning. Yes, the Treasury is one and the same as portrayed in Raiders of the Lost Ark. The Treasury is only the first building, although the best preserved, in the much larger city of Petra. Without trying to go into all the history of this city its much easier to tell you that I was fascinated at how advanced this Nabataean society was. The photos tell a much better story than I dare pretend so please check out the link at the bottom of this post.

The walk back out was brutal in the mid day sun as it tends to be an uphill walk all the way back to the starting point. You also have to negotiate the donkeys and horse carts that seem to come at you from every direction not to mention the vendors trying to sell jewelry, trinkets and head scarfs. In spite of the traffic the visit to Petra was another bucket list item that everyone should do at least once. After lunch and what seemed like a gallon of water later, we were back on the air conditioned bus and headed back to the Port of Aqaba and the Majestic Princess to complete our journey south through the Red Sea.

So here we are leaving the Red Sea and making a course change west around the Saudi Arabian Peninsula. We’ll have six relaxing sea days before landing in Dubai to enjoy all the creature comforts the Majestic has to offer. As you can see, since we have access to the internet, I continue to work and just in case you’re worried about how much we’re eating, I am proud to announce that I have faithfully worked out every day with the exception of excursion days. So far that’s two sessions on the Expresso Bike and six spin classes. The spin instuctor is the same wicked taskmaster I had on the Regal and although I hate him, he is helping me combat the calories that hide around every corner on a cruise ship. It also doesn’t hurt that all the equipment is top of the line and brand new. 

So that’s about it for this installment. Make sure and check out the photos at the link below. 

https://goo.gl/photos/Kb8V916RJTpuZqdZ6

By Chris Elder

Our gateway to Africa actually starts right here in Washington D.C. and if you know Sue and me, you know we wouldn’t dare miss an opportunity to see the city before we cross the pond. We arrived at about 4 pm on Friday afternoon and since our flight from Las Vegas was at 6 am and the drive from Laughlin is about 90 minutes we opted to stay up all night Thursday and attempt to sleep the 5 hours to D.C. Although we were exhausted, after a short nap we were ready for a light dinner at a trendy little Italian Osteria (Sette Osetia) and a carafe Sangria. Then is was back to the hotel (The Fairfax at Embassy Row) by 9 and a wonderful well earned full night of sleep.

By 8:30 am Saturday morning we were at the Library of Congress to meet our tour. I rarely complain about the pace of most tours but this one was quite a challenge for our old knees and we soon found we had bitten off more than we could chew. One of the reasons we do these tours is to be able to report our experience to our clientele and unfortunately, we cannot recommend trying to the see this many attractions in one day.  To sum it all up, we visited the U. S. Capitol building, the White House, the World War II Memorial, the Roosevelt Memorial, took a cruise on the Potomac, visited the Jefferson Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Viet Nam Memorial and finally the National Archives. After cocktails and a quick meal downstairs we were down for the count.

I paid dearly on Easter morning for abusing my legs on Saturday and found myself having to use a cane to get to brunch at the DuPont Hotel just two blocks away. We needed most of the day to recover but by 7 pm we were ready for our reservation at the Bethesda Blues and Jazz Supper Club where we thouroghly enjoyed dinner and a performance by Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes. We even had enough energy left for cocktails at the hotel bar before calling it a night.

So here we are on Monday morning packing up for the next leg of our adventure; Africa. This will be our first trip to the African continent and we are so very excited for what might be in store for us. I can’t say I’m looking forward to the 17 hour flight but that’s the the price you pay if ya wanna play. For photos of our Washington D.C. Adventure please click on the photos below. Stay tuned for our next post from Johannesburg, South Africa. Until then, Ciao for Now!

Santiago de Cuba, if I have my facts straight, was the birthplace of Fidel Castro. It is also so the location of Teddy Roosevelt’s famous charge on San Juan Hill and the organizational center of the revolution. The natural harbor is absolutely stunning with a very cool fort guarding it’s entry. Again, our buses set out for a “sanctioned” tour of the historic parts of the city, a visit to the fort, a visit to another pristine cemetery, another fantastic meal at another privately owned restaurant, St. Pauli Peledere and finally, a fun stop at a salsa club for live music and dancing. In spite of many buildings and properties showing extreme deferred maintenance, both Havana and Santiago de Cuba were exceptionally clean. Apparently under the communist system, all citizens are guaranteed a job, maybe not the one you’d choose, but there was not a lack of people cleaning the streets and maintaining the vegetation. One final observation was the major quantity of bars and fences surrounding both residences and businesses in spite of our handlers continual insistence that the cities were absolutely safe. Hmmm.

SANTIAGO DE CUBA PHOTOS
I found it very interesting that we had two armed motorcycle escorts for each bus and when I asked why, I was told they were for “traffic control”. Almost believable if there were some traffic. Oh well, as the Adonia steamed back to Miami it was time to ponder the events of the past six days. The trip was billed as an educational opportunity to experience Cuban culture and history through interaction with its people while enjoying the comfort and convenience of a cruise ship. I’m pleased to report that this adventure has more than lived up to its billing. Departure from Cuba leaves me with both hope and concern for this unique island’s future. unfortunately, Cuba’s quest for independence has always seemed to hinge on her dependence. After only a few days in this conflicted country one can easily see there are paths to both success and ruin and the destiny of the country lies with the direction it will take from here.
I want to make sure my readers are aware that this is not your average luxury cruise to a tropical island in the Caribbean. The political environment being what it is, marks these cruises by Fathom as very experimental and no doubt extremely risky on many levels. Of course it’s always difficult to get a true feel for a destination when you spend only a limited time in any given port. Fathom has done a great job of tackling this challenge by offering onboard classes in history, culture and even a class in commonly used Spanish phrases so that the traveler can get the most out of a seven day cruise with only three ports of call. That’s not to say that they skimp on food and revelry and you’ll find the small ship experience a lot less “Vegas Style” glitz and glamour and instead a little more geared to educational in spirit.
As I look back over the adventure I find it difficult to be completely objective if for no other reason than my own limited understanding of the reasons we are just now visiting Cuba as Americans. Bottom line, Cuba’s struggle for independence has been fueled by Spanish, American, Soviet and most recently, Chinese interests. Now here’s where I have to interject my own opinion. Cuba loves to talk about Independence however in the long run, that Independence always seems to be sold to the highest bidder. The communist experiment has left the country economically and spiritually bankrupt and now, after over 50 years of isolation from the free world, Cuba has some big decisions to make. The government (The Castro Brothers) has allowed the spark of free enterprise to enter their highly controlled economy and once ignited, I believe that spark will be hard, if not impossible to extinguish. You can see it in the faces of the owners and employees of the small privately owned restaurants we visited. They are so proud and courageous and so full of hope that it makes me feel hopeful too.

Okay, now off my soap box and back to why we traveled to Cuba in the fist place. Cuba is definitely a must see destination and I’d highly recommend a visit sooner more than later. If for no other reason than to say you saw it “when”. Opening the country to the huge U S market will certainly change the country and with that will come good and bad. Only one thing is set in stone and that is the fact that Cuba WILL change.