Today is an easy day – we have nothing planned except going to the mall – because that is where the shuttle takes us.  There are no good tours today, so we figure we’ll just go shopping and hang out.  Which is exactly what we do.  The mall is huge and totally Western – and prices are amazingly cheap!  After walking a bit, we try to go to the Bird Sanctuary that is behind the mall, but that proves to be impossible, and we aren’t going to venture down this huge big roadway on the chance that we may find an entrance.  So, back inside we go, wandering about, making our purchases – mostly supplies for the cabin and gifts for the staff that are leaving in Cape Town – and finding that even in Namibia the Stevens/Rageths team is famous!

Back aboard we have lunch – Bunny Chow!  Very good – and since we will probably not have a chance to eat outside in Durban, nice that we had it now. 

The afternoon is filled with a Dr. Jean lecture on the Big Five and Beyond where we learn very disheartening statistics about lion hunting.  There are almost 300 lion farms that breed lions in captivity for the sole purpose of hunting them.  Eek!!!!  Not a fact we wanted to know. 

Then on a lighter note, there is a Q&A with the local tour operator.  Totally different!  The two managers of the Namibia tour operator are sailing with us from Walvis Bay to Luderitz and talk about Namibia and different aspects of their tours. It is a really nice idea to get to know them and what they do.  Plus they have gifts! LOL. Postcards from Walvis Bay which is a sweet thing to do.

Tonight is our big South African Chef’s table which turns out to be fantastic!  We are always worried about the others at these dinners, but this table is great.  We have 6 of us at one end from Canada and the US and then 6 at the other end from Poland – 2 of whom are fluent in English, 4 who are not.  It all works wonderfully – and throughout the course of the evening we discover our tablemates – Danielle, Terry, John and Peggy –  are big Gate 1 fans!  So throughout our fabulous food journey, we also trade stories and itineraries and general travel talk. 

So onto the fabulous food!  The first course is a Chicken Peri-Peri (which is really the only disappointment – far too much cream on top, the chicken is excellent, but the whipped concoction on top overwhelms it), followed by a totally fine dining rendition of Bobotie which is so good I want the recipe!  Next up is a Mozambique Shrimp and porridge dish, then a palate cleansing granita.  We finish with either the Cape Malay Lamb Chops or the Fish Biryani (I get lamb, Ed the fish) which were both excellent – and then dessert of Malva pudding which was ok – the vanilla gelato actually the best thing on the plate.  But overall, an excellent meal. The only oddity was there were no S. African wines – because obviously they didn’t come in the last shipment to Las Palma.  But the wines were still very good and Yonela, the sommelier, is a dear! 

By the time we are finished, it is way too late to go to the show and we are so full – and I’ve had enough wine! – that it is the cabin and bed for us!