Nubian Night

The ship management put on a Nubian night to showcase the local Nubian people’s culture. The first dancers that came out probably looked like they could be in Nubian dress, but they danced as if they were in an Egyptian nightclub. And the songs were also from some, probably unknown, rapper mixed with Egyptian tunes - very entertaining! The second act to perform was a group of drummers with a singer - now they sounded authentic. After the performance, I sat back, drank a cocktail, did a bit of dancing (to some pretty bad songs), then headed to bed for an early night.

3 Square Meals a Day

If I was a bit hungry before the cruise, I certainly couldn’t go hungry once I was onboard. We were served three huge meals a day, with lunch & dinner following a theme each day (oriental, Egyptian). For breakfast you could even get an omelette cooked right in front of you. And with dessert on offer at both lunch & dinner, I found it impossible to resist at least a small selection of the offerings. I’m sure I’m gaining weight every day I’m on board - thank God it’s only a 3-night cruise!

Wrapping up Amsterdam

I saw a few more bits & pieces in Amsterdam. There was a 1 hour canal cruise that went through the main canals which was a tad boring. But the houses lining the canal were nice to see, & we also went past a canal cleaning crew that were dredging stuff from the bottom like bikes & supermarket trolleys.
On my last day I visited this old house (can't remember the name) in the red light district that housed a Catholic Church in its attic back in the old times. This was because Catholicism was banned in the country & people could only worship on the quiet.
Just strolling around Amsterdam is really nice. It's got a relaxed feel about it. But even though most people think it's a tolerant place, me thinks this is only on the surface. Intolerance may lay just beneath.
I went out with Thijs, Joris, & Sjors on the second last night for dinner & drinks, which was lovely - more alcohol consumed. Then Thijs & I met up for a few drinks & a chat on the last night at a nice little gay pub somewhere near the Dam.
The weather had been great for the whole five days I was there. It started to rain as my plane lined up on the runway for take-off.

All Aboard for Stockholm

I'd decided to catch a cruise ship over to Stockholm as the train didn't go all the way around & it was a bit of a change from flying. It turned out to be really cost effective too. The travel, including a bed in a 4-berth cabin was only 41 euros - great price!

Having never been on a cruise ship before, it was all a bit of a novelty for me. I met a nice couple, Marie & Michael, just before boarding who suggested I ask for a free sea-sick tablet if I was worried about getting sick. I was worried & I did get one. And the info woman said I was sensible cause the sea was forecast to be very rough overnight.

I chose to go for the all-you-can-eat buffet meal for 35 euros, & I'm glad I did. As much salmon, caviar, prawns, meat, salads, desserts & everything besides that you can get your teeth into. I was absolutely stuffed afterwards.

An then it started...the ship started to sway just a bit. I went & watched a movie at 8pm - Angels & Demons - & by the time it ended, it was getting quite rough at sea. There was a cargo ship about 800m away & you could see the waves breaking right over the top of it. I found out that all smaller ships were prevented from leaving port because of the weather conditions.

I got back to my cabin at about 11pm & two of the three women staying in the cabin were throwing up - one in the bin & one in the loo. It got so rough during the night, being at the bow of the ship, that I'd be bouncing around the bed. So, let's just say I didn't get much sleep that night. But it was an adventure. And now I know I definitely don't have sea legs!