Elliott World Cruise 2025

Friday, March 28, 2025 - Dakar, Senegal Dakar is an incredibly chaotic urban environment which is bursting with energy.  The cacophony of colors, sights and sounds create a pulsating sensory overload.  Stepping into this frenzied environment can be slightly claustrophobic.  Dakar is the closest western point in Africa to the Americas.  The population is 18 million in this country which is the combined size of England and Scotland.  A huge majority the population is Muslim (97%) but the official language is French.   The port city of Dakar has a population of 4 million, but has the physical space or one-half that number.  The dense population may contribute to the high number of con artists talking to passengers who disembark cruise ships. We received a stern warning from our destination consultant as well as our cruise director about leaving all valuables on the ship.  Both of them told us to remain skeptical about all street hawkers.  They ...

Thursday, March 27, 2025 - Banjul, The Gambia The Gambia is the smallest country in Africa, with a population of just under 2.7 million.  The country is 96% Muslim and 4% Christian. Although Sharia Law has been banned in The Gambia since 2013, currently there is legislation to end the ban and allow female genitalia mutilation if the female gives consent. The Women's (Amendment) Bill 2024, which proposes to repeal provisions criminalizing it had its first and second reviews in March 2024.  The Bill was handed over to the Parliamentary Select Subcommittee for further review and discussion before being reintroduced to the main House for debate and possible adoption.  However, as of this writing the bill had not passed and is still being debated.    The first Europeans to reach The Gambia River basin were the Portuguese in 1455.  They traveled a short distance upstream before being repulsed by the angry local inhabitants.  In 1456 the same group of P...

Sunday, March 23 2025 - Takoradi, Ghana Our sail into Takoradi Harbor this morning was similar to many we have experienced in West Africa.  We were surrounded by freighters, container ships and huge cranes.  We had been warned about the high humidity and extremely hot temperatures we would experience here due to its location near the equator.  Bob and I went out on our balcony and the weather definitely felt warm but not uncomfortably hot.  The humidity was definitely higher than that to which we are accustomed.  We were anxious to start our return visit to this intriguing,  mysterious town. Little was known of the small African kingdoms in the region until the arrival  of the Europeans in the 15th century.  Portuguese navigators, working their way down the West African coast, reached this area in 1471.  Other Europeans quickly followed.  As early as 1492 a French buccaneer, marauding off the coast, robbed a Portuguese ship of its previ...

Saturday, March 22, 2025 - Accra, Ghana For the last three days our ship has been sailing to Accra, Ghana .  We have been fortunate to have very calm seas so were able to experience all the activities on the ship without difficulty.  We also celebrated Bob's birthday so it was a very special time for us.  Now, we have an opportunity to enjoy a return visit to this West African city.  Due to the increased size of our ship this year we had to dock in Tema, the main port of Ghana, which is nearly an hour drive from Accra. The port was filled with shipping containers and freighters anchored in the bay, waiting to dock and unload the cargo. Accra, the vibrant capital of Ghana, is a bustling metropolis that seamlessly blends rich history with modernity.  Located on the southern coast of the Gulf of Guinea, this cosmopolitan city is a melting pot of cultures, offering a fascinating blend of colonial architecture and contemporary skyscrapers.  Our guide proudly in...