May 18 - Still in the Red Sea

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Here we are still cruising northwards on the Red Sea.  To our starboard is Saudi Arabia and to our port Egypt.  We’re far enough offshore that we see nothing except water, water, everywhere.  These are lazy days which are good since we’ll have some forced marches coming up tomorrow and then a couple of days later.

Here’s a little information about the Red Sea.  It’s actually an arm of the Indian Ocean lying between Africa and Asia.  There are different theories about why it’s called the Red Sea.  Some say it’s because of seasonal blooms of a plant called sea sawdust (that’s not the scientific name – I can’t spell that).  More modern scientists believe that the name Red Sea comes from some Arabic cultures in which colors referred to ordinal compass points with Red meaning southern and Black (as in Black Sea) meaning northern.  Evidently, Herodotus, a Greek historian, used Red Sea and Southern Sea interchangeably.

So here we are.  Last night we dined with Emma, the cruise director, a very nice British woman.  I sat next to a German gentleman who has been on the ship since Sydney, Australia, some 60 days total.  He was interesting to talk to.  I found one of his stories kind of funny.  His last girlfriend was an entertainer on a cruise ship.  In order to be with her, he spent about 160 days on the ship.  When the relationship ended he still had another 100 days booked on that ship.  He managed to change them to a different ship of the same line. I know he was some kind of consulting engineer, but I can’t imagine how he worked.  He was young enough that I don’t think he was retired yet. 

Tomorrow we’ll be in Aqaba from which we’ll go to Petra.  For any Indiana Jones fans, Petra is the location where Indy found the knight guarding the Holy Grail. The walk down to the treasury is strenuous (2 miles long and a 600 foot drop in elevation) and of course you have to make the trek back up.  We did it several years ago and we’ll try to do it again.  The view is worth it.

Aqaba itself is a name fans of the movie Lawrence of Arabia might  remember.  Lawrence formulated a plan to attack the Turks in Aqaba from the land since the Turkish guns were in fixed emplacements  facing the sea.  His Arab allies thought it couldn’t be done, but they did it.  Along the way from Aqaba to Petra we’ll pass Wadi Rum, another place from that movie.  It was there that Lawrence first met up with Faisal and the Arabs who fought beside him.

Just a taste of the landscape we'll be seeing tomorrow

May 17 - Second day cruising the Red Sea

It’s 11:30 AM local time as we cruise along at 14 knots in the Red Sea.  On our port side is Sudan and on the starboard side we are roughly off Jeddah and a little further inland Mecca in Saudi Arabia.  There is quite a bit of traffic around us according to the Live Ships Traffic map but we don’t often see anyone.  The night before last we passed uneventfully through the strait which is the major choke point in these parts.  We still have our security with us but they are very discreet.

It’s still very hot and muggy.  Since we made a northerly turn our veranda is now in the shade in the afternoon which does help.  We’ve been to several lectures on all sorts of topics from plastics to the Falklands War to WWI.  We’re getting an education as we cruise along. In a little while it’ll be time for trivia.  Our team, the Persian Pirates, did miserably yesterday.  But as we are often reminded, “it’s only a game.”

This afternoon late we have a meeting of the 18 of us going on an overnight journey in Israel.  I guess we’ll be told what we may and may not do.  Tonight is also the party for people who have cruised with Seabourn before and a second formal night.  People have become much less formal since we first began cruising and we actually like that.  Al no longer brings his tux, just a nice suit, and I bring something sparkly but no longer formals as in the old days.

A few words about the food are in order.  We both agree that the food has been really excellent.  There is great variety and it all seems to be well-prepared.  We’ve dined several times with some people who have cruised with Oceania, which always gets rave reviews about their food.  They’ve told us they think the food is as good and in some cases better than what they experienced.  Whatever the case may be, there is no way someone can go hungry on the Encore.

Well, it’s time to put on my thinking cap.  If I come up with anything more to write I’ll do so later.

May 15 - Another day in the Gulf of Aden

Here we are still in the Gulf of Aden.  Hot, sunny and muggy are the operative words today.  At noon we were about 55 miles off the coast of Yemen on our starboard side and a little further offshore from Somalia on our port.  When I look at the Marine Traffic website I can see that all the shipping is traveling in the same traffic lane with no one venturing closer to either shore.

Last night we had quite a lovely sunset.  The colors on the water and in the sky were beautiful!  Monet would have loved it.

Today we have the usual lectures, games and classes.  We may become a lot better educated after all these sea days.  Unfortunately our trivia team didn't fare so well.  We'll have to study harder in order to make up ground.  Scores are cumulative so there's still hope.

I wandered around the ship this morning taking some pictures of different public areas. It is really a beautiful ship and I think the lounges and restaurants are nicer than on the smaller Seabourn vessels.  Alice, these aren't the best photos but they should give you some sense of how Encore is different from the Quest.

Entrance to the main dining room

Main dining room

Seabourn Square where guest services, the shops, and the coffee bar are located

The coffee bar, a sort of Starbucks at sea where you can get coffees, wine, snacks and gelato all day and all included

The bar at the Thomas Keller Grill where a pianist plays in the evenings

The Thomas Keller Grill, one of the other dining venues.  There's also a sushi restaurant and the Colonnade, the informal restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner but they were both closed during my walkabout

Observation Bar at the top of the ship all the way forward.  There's live entertainment there at night too.

May 14 - At Sea somewhere in the Gulf of Aden

Here we are on another hot, sunny day moving along at 17 knots through the Gulf of Aden. We have been blessed with very calm seas; in fact, we would enjoy just a little motion but many people don’t so it’s  better for them.  On our starboard side we are roughly off the border between Oman and Yemen.  On the port side we are approaching the Horn of Africa and the lovely country of Somalia.  When I look out from our veranda I see not a single ship nor speck of land.  I know there are other ships nearby because on the Marine Traffic website I can see them.

Yesterday evening at 6 PM we had a Block Party.  People step out into the corridor and meet their neighbors.  Staff members come around with champagne and canapés and the Captain and some of his officers pass through the corridors greeting everyone.  It’s perhaps a little cheesy but you do get to meet your next-door neighbor. 

Today we don’t have lot planned.  At noon it’s time for trivia.  This afternoon we’re going to a lecture about Iran.  Seabourn does a nice job having lecturers on relevant subjects.  This afternoon’s speaker is a specialist in Middle Eastern affairs, especially religion.  When we did this cruise in the reverse several years ago one of the speakers was Tony Mendes.  If any of you saw the movie Argo, he was the man who formulated the plan and brought the 6 US diplomats out of Tehran when the embassy was overrun.

There’s not a lot to report about on lazy sea days, so I thought I’d mention a little more about Omani culture.  The average Omani family has five children.  Compare that to western societies which for the most part have less than two.  The  status of foreign workers is very poor.  Essentially they have no rights and are paid subsistence level salaries at best.  Oman was one of the last countries to abolish slavery in 1970.  Despite abolishing it there are still some 25,000 slaves in the country.  If an Omani wants to marry a foreigner, he must get permission from the government.  If he doesn’t he can be thrown in jail.  In other words, many of the things we take for granted are unheard of in countries like Oman and other places in this part of the world.

We had lunch with some of our trivia teammates today, a lovely couple from New Zealand. Ken told us that  he has seen several young, very fit men dressed in the same black jeans and shirts about on the open decks so we have in all probability picked up some extra security people  for our transit through these waters. They aren’t obvious but it’s nice knowing they are around.

That’s about all for today.  Tomorrow I’ll try to wander around taking some photos of the ship.  It’s quite an elegant vessel; I think I like the décor better than the smaller ones we’ve been on before.

May 12 - Muscat, Oman

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Today we’re in Muscat, Oman.  This is the capital of the Sultanate of Oman, a country situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Its borders are shared with the UAE to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west and Yemen to the southwest.  Oman is an absolute monarchy ruled by Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said who has been the ruler since 1970.  His family has ruled the area since the 1740’s.

Oman was historically an important trading hub along the trade routes to India and the rest of Asia.  The British recognized this and formed a mutually beneficial relationship to protect their interests.  As with other countries in this region, oil and natural gas were found and form an important part of the economy.  Oman doesn’t have as large reserves as some of the other Middle Eastern countries so it is trying to build its tourism business.

We decided to take a tour to some places outside of the city.  Our first stop was a place called Barkha, a traditional fishing and market town.  Along the way we passed lots of desert with little scrubby acacia trees.  In many of the areas we saw camels wandering, munching on the shrubs, as well as sheep and goats.  The camels are not wild; they all belong to someone  our guide Hussein told us. Back to Barkha.  We stopped to visit the fish and vegetable market.  There was no such thing as refrigeration and the fish just lay out in the open. It was frankly very unappetizing. There was haggling going on over prices.  The vegetables looked much better. I found it interesting that I saw not a single local woman there.  The vendors, buyers, and hagglers were all men.

Filet of fish for lunch anyone?

Notice the refrigeration (or lack thereof)

Dried sardines, one of the main catches around these parts

This nice vegetable vendor let me photograph him.

Our next stop was the An Naman Castle, one of the 500 forts, castles and watchtowers in Oman.  This particular one is thought to have been built around 1691.  We only went into the ground floor because the stairs up were steep and spiraling, not good for knees and backs.   The number of forts is astounding.  It seemed on every mountaintop and all along the coast there are towers and forts.  I guess they were keeping away pirates and other marauders.  From An Naman we drove to the Nakhl Spring and oasis.  By comparison to the rest of the countryside this area was positively lush.  The spring cascades out of the mountain and travels down the hillside.  Along the way little canals have been built to channel the water to different houses and gardens .  Mind you, this isn’t an alpine stream we’re talking about, but for this desert country it’s unusual.

An Naman Castle

Another castle on the way to the oasis

A desert spring bubbling out of the rock

 

An oasis in the desert

After visiting the spring we had lunch at a nearby resort.  To enter the property we passed through a gate topped with concertina wire.  They are obviously serious about only letting in paying guests.  Lunch was an eclectic buffet of  Arabian, Indian and southeast asian dishes.  Despite the fact that it’s Ramadan, our guide Hussein and driver Hassan had lunch.  I’m glad they did; it would be dreadful for all of us to eat and drink while they had to wait and continue their fast until sunset.

Our last stop was just a photo stop at the Grand Mosque in Muscat.  It is very large and quite beautiful.  However, having just seen the Shekh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi, I have to say that the one in Abu Dhabi was my favorite.

Grand Mosque in Muscat

Back at the port  there were a few interesting things to watch before we sailed.  The Sultan has two very large yachts docked there.  We estimate the larger to be at least 300 ft. long.  There was an Italian navy frigate tied up near us. We suppose he’s part of the international naval forces that patrol these waters to discourage piracy.  The most interesting thing though was a dhow loaded with watermelons.  As we watched, lots of little trucks pulled up on the dock next to the dhow and men began unloading the watermelons one by one and by hand. The men formed lines from onboard to the dock and they tossed the watermelons along to the next in line and into the waiting trucks.  At one point they had unloaded most of them from one side and the dhow had a serious list.  When we left they were almost finished tossing what must have been thousands of melons.

Not another cruise ship, just the Sultan's yacht

Dhow full of watermelons

If you look at the cabin on the aft of the dhow you can see how it's listing to port as they've unloaded melons from one side.

Three watchtowers and a fort just on the little piece of coast we sailed past on our way out of Muscat

So now we're off for 6 days at sea sailing through the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden before entering the Red Sea.

May 11 - Strait of Hormuz

It’s a sunny, muggy day here on the Encore as we make our way from the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman via the Strait of Hormuz.  I think a little information about these bodies of water is in order.  The Persian Gulf  is essentially an arm of the Indian Ocean with its only entrance being through the Strait of Hormuz.  It is bordered to the northeast by Iran and along the south by the Arabian Peninsula.  The Gulf is relatively shallow with its mean depth only being about 165 feet.  This is a major shipping area for oil and natural gas tankers carrying their loads from the oil rich countries around the Gulf.

The Strait of Hormuz is a choke point allowing all the tankers to exit to the rest of the world. About 20% of the world’s petroleum must pass through the strait making maintaining open passage a very important international strategic interest.  At its narrowest point the strait is only 21 nautical miles wide.  To avoid collisions ships follow a Traffic Separation Scheme.  There are inbound and outbound lanes, each two miles wide, with a two mile “median” in the middle.  During the transit ships are passing through the territorial waters of Iran and Oman and do so under the provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas.  According to the US Energy Information Agency in 2011 an average of 14 tankers a day passed through the Strait carrying 17,000,000 barrels of oil mainly to countries in Asia.  With those kinds of numbers it’s easy to see why the occasional saber-rattling  and threats to close the waterway by Iran have global implications.

 

This big container ship was headed in to the Gulf.

Two of the many rocky islands in the Strait.  That's why everyone has to stay in their lane!

We’re making an uneventful transit with the excitement for the morning being the crew drill which just concluded.  Once we leave Muscat, Oman tomorrow evening we’ll round the end of the Arabian Peninsula and head westward through waters that have sometimes seen a lot of pirate activity.  The crew drilled for that this morning.  There were announcements that two small, swift boats were approaching our stern.  The crew decked out in helmets manned water cannon.  They simulated repelling boarders.  The last time we traveled through those waters we actually picked up some armed security who stayed with us to our next port.  I don’t know if the same thing will happen when we depart Muscat.  We shall see.

In the middle there's a crewman decked out in his helmet manning his gazillion watt light

One of the water cannons spraying the sea beside us

Here’s a little anecdotal story about a Seabourn ship.  About 8 years ago one of the company’s original little ships was sailing in the waters we’re headed to when a small boat of pirates approached.  The ship sped up and wasn’t boarded but the pirates did manage to fire some RPGs, one of which didn’t explode but did penetrate into someone’s cabin.  That would get my attention and it must have made for a great story to tell around the campfire for those passengers.

After a lovely dinner we went to bed because we had an early morning wake-up call for our tour in Oman.  More later.

May 10 - Sir Bani Yas Island

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Today was essentially a beach day.  We are holding position of Sir Bani Yas Island which is the largest natural island  of the United Arab Emirates.  It’s roughly 10 miles by 5 miles  in area.  The name originates from the Bani Yas tribe who were the first inhabitants of Abu Dhabi. Sir Bani Yas means the crest of a salt dome.  In 1977 Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan established the island as a wildlife reserve. Because of careful maintenance for four decades it is now the home of thousands of free-roaming animals and  millions of trees and plants in a variety of species.

 

Seabourn Encore holding off Sir Bani Yas

There are some permanent pavilions along the shore for ships to use for picnics and sunbathing.  This morning the staff began tendering over food, beverages, plates and cutlery so we passengers could have a barbecue under the fixed canopies.  In addition, some of the staff went in the water with surfboards from which they served caviar in the surf, a signature Seabourn event.

Lunch under a pavilion

We tendered over around 11:30 AM.  There was a short walk to the covered pavilions where dining tables had been set up.  Further ashore was an area with lots of umbrellas made of palm fronds with lounge chairs beneath them.  We aren’t beach people anymore so we stayed in the pavilions. 

Palm umbrellas for the beachgoers

I did walk over to where the caviar in the surf was to be served.  It was hotter than blazes!  At 11:45 one of the zodiacs from the ship came roaring along the beach with a siren sounding to let people know that caviar was being served.  We didn’t go in to get any.  The sea bottom looked rocky and full of shells.  Considering we can order caviar and champagne anytime we like onboard (another Seabourn signature thing), it just wasn’t worth it.

 

The caviar is coming! The caviar is coming! It's time for caviar in the surf.

People lining up to get their caviar

The buffet barbecue then began.  There were the usual BBQ items like hot dogs, hamburgers and ribs with the addition of grilled lobster, which was yummy!  They had a large assortment of salads, chips and salsa, desserts  and even homemade gelato.  It was a neat idea but after lunch we went back to the ship to be back in a/c.

Tomorrow is a sea day as we proceed out of the Persian Gulf and through the Strait of Hormuz.