As always, the images and any videos in this posting are best viewed on the web page. View the complete set of blog posts here.
The following image was taken from the sliding door of our stateroom.
We had tug help again today (true at almost every port). A terrific city view from the ship.
Tour – East London History: Discover the charm and heritage of East London—South Africa’s only river port. Enjoy a scenic drive along Oxford Street. Pass the City Hall, a Victorian Renaissance-style building constructed in 1897, with the addition of the clock tower later to commemorate Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee. Visit the East London Museum, where the world’s only known dodo egg is on display (well, a replica can be viewed, and the real one is in a safe). The museum is also famous for its coelacanth specimen — a fish species previously known only from fossil records, thought to have become extinct 80 million years ago—and a hominin child’s footprints estimated to be 124,000 years old. Next, head to the Nahoon Point Nature Reserve to visit the Mercedes-Benz Coastal Education Center, stroll along the boardwalk, and learn about where the first fossil prints were discovered.
Today we had a short day in port – seven hours to be exact. We participated in the Viking tour, and it was actually more interesting than we had anticipated. It was a cloudy and windy day in this coastal city of 1.4 million people. We noticed homeless people in the downtown area. Unemployment in the region is 42%. We drove through downtown East London (now known as Mpongno) and saw several old colonial buildings still in use today, such as a City Hall with a statue of Steven Bilko in front. Bilko was a founder of the Black Consciousness Movement that was at the forefront of the anti-apartheid, and he died while in police custody in 1977.
East London City Hall is an example of Victorian architecture, complete with a Victorian (clock) Tower to commemorate Queen Victoria’s 60th Anniversary on the throne. The statue of Steven Bilko is shown in the first photo below, in the front right corner of the property. Don’t recall the name of the British Officer on the horse statue in front of City Hall.
Our first stop was the East London Museum. We had a tour with an excellent naturalist named Kevin, and he walked us through the highlights of the museum. The museum has three scientific claims to fame. First, the only known coelacanth specimen (deep water fish), which was caught by a fisherman in 1938 (see below). This species was thought to have been extinct 150 million years ago. This was considered a significant scientific find, and no other specimens have been found since. The species has survived five extinction events.
Secondly, an incredible local archaeological discovery in 1964 of homin fossil footprints preserved in the roof of a sandstone cave from a nearby beach. For a while, these footprints were the oldest known humanoid footprints (the oldest being 150,000 years old). The sandstone includes footprints from a seven to nine-year-old boy, a bird, and two antelopes. Later, we drove to the Nahoon Point Nature Reserve to see the exact location where the hominin footprints were discovered.
And thirdly, this little museum has possession of the only known dodo egg. The authentic dodo egg is locked in a safe, and the museum exhibit has an explanation on display.
The museum had a Hofmeyr Skull exhibit. The replica is a specimen of a 36,000-year-old anatomically modern human skull that was found in 1952 near Hofmeyr, South Africa. It is one of only a few African specimens of early modern humans. Others are much more recent, dated to around 20,000 years ago. The skull was displayed at this museum for years before its importance was realized and further analyzed by Fredrick Grine of Stony Brook University.
Kannemeyeria simocephalus, formerly Kannemeyeria wilsonii. This specimen of a mammal-like reptile, a Triassic dicynodont, was excavated between 1934 and 1936 in the Tarkastad district and has been on display for many decades. It is one of the most complete skeletons of this species of dicynodont in the world. It is one of the very first mammal species to leave the ocean for land.
Nahoon Point Nature Reserve – The first image is the remnants of the sandstone cave where the footprint fossils were found. You can see the layers of the stone that have built up over time. The beach really reminded us of the Oregon coast – cool, windy, and rocky.
The area has great biodiversity, although lions and cheetahs are struggling in their natural environments due to human development and encroachment on their habitat. The trees below were interesting palms with large hanging cones. The flowering succulents were common in this arid area.
Another great greeting upon our return to the ship (not Cheryl in the video). Viking does try to make it fun – music, dancing, and drinks!
A special chef boarded to showcase South African cuisine. Chef Sidwell Yarrow, from Cape Town, demonstrated an iconic dish of marinated and smoked venison fillet. We went to Chef’s Table that evening for a South African, five-course meal, prepared by Chef Yarrow, paired with South African wines. He came out of the kitchen and talked with the guests, and that was delightful. The photos show (in order): Bobotie Samoosa and Cape Malay Dhaltjies, Spiced Cape Yellowfin Tuna Crudo and Crackling, Smoked Venison Fillet with potato rosette, butternut squash puree, onion marmalade, and for dessert, Rooibos and Amarula Tiramisu. (Not pictured is the granita of Cape Gooseberry and Granadilla Sorbet with gin, which was really good!)
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