Day 96 – Sail the Mozambique Channel

Today was the first of three sea days before we arrive in Mozambique and then South Africa. Lectures occupied my morning, although I did watch them from our room, not wanting to expose anyone in the Star Theater to my cough.

First up was Howard Roitman’s talk on “Gandhi, Mandela and Tutu.” Of course, I was familiar with these three giants that shaped the independence of South Africa and India. However, I had forgotten many of the specifics of their efforts and accomplishments, so the lecture was a perfect refresher course. Howard asked which of the three men never received the Nobel Peace Prize, and the answer was Gandhi. Prizes are never awarded posthumously.

Gandhi, Mandela, and Tutu: Peace Leaders of South Africa

I then watched Dr. Babcock’s lecture on “The Epic Journey and Enduring Legacy of Vasco da Gama.” Although the exploits of this Portuguese explorer had been touched on during many of the recent talks, this lecture gave us a complete overview of de Gama’s voyages of discovery and the dynamic era of European exploration in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

Charting the Seas of Discovery

After a delicious Sicilian Lunch, another special event, I took a nap and relaxed for much of the rest of the day.