Sandy and Jim WC 24-25

  Null Island April 14, 2025 Null Island is the location at zero degrees latitude and zero degrees longitude (0°N 0°E), i.e., where the prime meridian and the equator intersect. Since there is no landmass located at these coordinates, it is not an actual island. Although "Null Island" started as a joke within the geospatial community, it has become a useful means of addressing a recurring issue in geographic information science. The point on the Earth's surface defined as Null Island is located in international waters in the Atlantic Ocean, roughly 600 kilometers (370 mi) off the coast of West Africa, in the Gulf of Guinea. The nearest land to Null Island is a small islet 570 km (354 mi; 307.8 nautical miles) to the north (4°45′30″N 1°58′33″W) that is part of Ghana. The depth of the seabed at that point is around 4,940 meters (16,210 ft). The Viking Sky reached this point  in the ocean at approximately 7:00 AM on April 14.

  Luanda, Angola April 11, 2025 As we were sailing toward the harbor in Luanda, our ship photographer captured photos of a beautiful flying fish, a bottlenose dolphin and three other dolphins.   Luanda is the most populous Portuguese-speaking capital city in the world and among the oldest colonial cities in Africa.  A must-see natural wonder created by wind and rain erosion is known as Miradouro da Lua (Viewpoint of the Moon).  Here millions of years of erosion have created a landscape with different colored strata that stretch toward the sea.   We explored the Museum Nacional da Escravatura, an 18 th century church, to learn more about the history of Slavery in Angola.   Another landmark stop was at the Iron Palace built in the 1890s where we explored the Gustav Eiffel architecture and the beautiful Portuguese tile work.    The next stop on our tour was at the 16 th century Fortress of Sao Miguel, the oldest building in Luanda and a...

  Luderitz & Walvis Bay Namibia April 6-8, 2025 Namibia is situated on the southwest corner of Africa. This was our second visit to Luderitz, so we opted to stay aboard. But we could see that it retains much of its Bavarian flavor, even though Germany essentially departed back in 1915. On the other hand, this was our first time in Walvis Bay.  Named for the whales that lured fishing vessels to its plankton-rich waters, Walvis Bay, or “Whale Bay” in Afrikaans, enjoys a deep harbor and the  protection of the Pelican Point sand spit.  The city is frequently shrouded in fog as the cold air from the ocean meets and mingles with the warm air from the desert. The saltwater lagoon hosts one of Africa’s largest concentrations of flamingos. Unfortunately, because of an extremely wet rainy season, most of the flamingoes have migrated far inland to nest and  reproduce.  The port was long valued by explorers making their way around the Cape of Good Hope, but it ...

  Cape Town, South Africa Chapman’s Peak & Ou Kaapse Weg Scenic Drive April 4, 2025 Our last stop in South Africa was the beautiful city of Cape Town. Jim had an opportunity to play pickleball at an indoor facility within walking distance of the dock and was a happy man.  Sandy took this scenic drive along the Atlantic coast and our first stop was at Maiden’s Cove which is nestled between two beaches.  The lookout point offered a magnificent view of the Twelve Apostles which is the mountain range that forms the backbone of the Cape Peninsula.   Continuing down the coastal road to Chapman’s Peak Drive which hugs the side of the mountain as it winds along the steep coast, we passed the white sands of Noordhoek Beach and then turned inland to head over the mountains along Old Cape Road.  The views are stunning along the southern peninsula, Cape Flats and False Bay. Back in the city, we passed a building with the faces of Nelson Mandela and Bishop Desmo...