After sailing 7 days we finally reached Senegal. The Neptune docked in Dakar and we finally had a real safari. We took the excursion to the Bandai Reserve and saw some amazing animals. This time we were in an open sided tour vehicle. The first animal we saw was a tortoise. Then giraffes and more giraffes. At this point we sighted so many other African species and we were just so amazed. The safari was a true highlight of the cruise. After 2 more sea days, we reached Santa Cruz, Tenerife, Canary Islands. The next day, today, we were in Agadir, Morocco. It is hard to think we will be home in just under 2 weeks. Time has flown by and it’s funny to hear so many of us say, when off the ship, “when we get home” and they mean back on board the Neptune.
As stated above, we were able to take our first real safari. The animal life was so plentiful we were taking pictures everywhere. The giraffes were so cute, the hippos so ugly, and the monkeys so playful we could not stop taking pictures. The guide explained how the reserve operates and how the animals are left to roam together to provide them a fairly normal existence. Baby monkeys, giraffes, wort hogs, and other species are just so cute. We also learned about a local indigenous tribe that still uses this area as a resting place for some of their dead. It was a wonderful day and we hope you enjoy Jeff’s photographs. We also identified 3 new birds.
Here are photos of the safari
When we docked in Santa Cruz, we took a panoramic tour of the island. This island, and all the other Canary Islands, are a part of Spain, even today. The islands are all volcanic islands with Teide mountain its highest peak. We were to go there but realized it was too much walking for Jeff. We are so glad we changed excursions. The panoramic tour was amazing. After our regular sized tour bus made its way up the mountain “roads”, we stopped at a lookout of the area we had just traversed. So beautiful and Mount Teide was in the background. Mt. Teide is a non-active volcano but not declared in-active. The roads were so narrow that I closed my eyes often so I did not know what was coming up. I hate heights! But so glad I went on this excursion. We also stopped at a “hamlet” in the mountains to have some local wine and cheese. The wine was ok but the town and the small church were very interesting.
Then we headed to Agadir. We were unable to dock on our scheduled time due to high winds. This was the first time on the trip I had mild symptoms of sea sickness. Missed lunch but was able to go to dinner which was good since I preordered a GF mushroom and onion pizza. (It was good). We finally docked around midnight and all excursions were a go. I was subjected to narrow roads in high mountains but the adventure was worth it. We saw the Atlas Mountains, the Sahel, and the sandy shores on the Atlantic Coast. This tour was awesome. We went high into the Atlas Mountains and visited a Berber Co-op that makes Argan Oil products. This is a women’s owned co-op that provides income for the Berber population. This is a very economically poor community and the income helps. We then went to a number of scenic viewing sites and then to the beach where the sands of the Sahara meet the Atlantic Ocean. We were in Toyota Land Cruisers with only 4 to a vehicle so it was very in-depth and personal. One of our best excursions.
We now have new ports for the next 6 days. We go to Casablanca, Tangiers, Cadiz, and then to Portugal.
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