Day 107 – Sail the South Atlantic Ocean

After leaving South Africa, we are being treated to one sea day before we arrive in Namibia. We are sailing the South Atlantic Ocean, and the Viking Daily had an interesting tidbit about this body of water. I thought I would copy it here:

The Atlantic Ocean is divided in half, north to south, by the Mid Atlantic Ridge, or MAR. Longer than the Rockies, the Himalayas and the Andes combined, this underwater mountain range is the longest on Earth. Remarkably, it follows the “S” shape of the open ocean almost exactly, suggesting that, eons ago, this was the point at which the world’s land masses were conjoined as the super-continent known as Pangaea.

Tim and I managed to get up in time to attend Robin Binckes’ sobering lecture on “The Prelude to Apartheid – A Crime Against Humanity.” Robin preceded his talk with a warning that “some of the content contains graphic images which you may find upsetting,” and indeed the images were upsetting. This first of four talks explained the many events in South African history that contributed to the implementation of Apartheid. This subject is much too complicated for me to summarize here, but it was important for me to try to understand the background of this “Crime Against Humanity.”

Background to Apartheid

Tonight, I had dinner by myself at The Chef’s Table. Tim was not up for a five-course meal, and I didn’t want to miss the last night of the South African menu. I really didn’t mind eating alone, especially here. This menu, South Africa: Cuisine from the “Rainbow Nation,” was created by Guest Chef Ashleigh Green, and I enjoyed every course, especially the dessert. This was the description:

A five-course tasting menu showcasing the flavors and textures of South African cuisine.

South Africa Menu, With Descriptions of the Five Courses Pictured Below

Amuse Bouche, Appetizer, Granite, Main Course, and Dessert

Head Waiter Carlito and waiters Mikha and Godie always look after us at The Chef’s Table, and I am so sad that they will be leaving us in Porto.

Carlito, Sarah, Mikha, and Godie