Asia and Africa from the bow of a ship

Christine Carrillo

Two months on a ship may seem a bit long for some people, but for

Sally Talla and Julie Wildermuth of Newport Beach, it was perfect.

The two retired second-grade teachers couldn’t think of a better

and safer way to travel to areas in Asia and Africa they’d never seen

before. They quickly discovered that they were right.

Boarding the Holland America cruise ship Prinsendam with about 400

other passengers in Lisbon, Portugal in September and disembarking

with about half as many passengers in Singapore, Talla and Wildermuth

looked forward to each day and each opportunity they were given to

learn about other cultures and test their personal levels of

adventure in the process.

“It sounded like a good deal and it was a part of the world we’d

never seen before,” said Wildermuth, who had traveled all through

Europe. “It was safer, I think, and it was to parts of the world we

felt safer visiting on the ship.”

Some of the safety issues resulted primarily from taking unplanned

land excursions. By not using the cruise services planned for each

port and instead deciding to take the chance with spontaneity, Talla

and Wildermuth quickly learned that they were more adventurous than

they thought.

“You never knew what type of transportation you were getting

yourself into on an unplanned excursion,” Talla said. “You’d never

know if you’d make it back.”

Although the two friends, who had been on cruises twice before,

spent the majority of their time aboard ship, they took full

advantage of every port by stepping off the familiar territory of the

ship on water and into the unfamiliar worlds on land.

“We saw a lot of poverty and people sitting around doing nothing

because there’s nothing for them to do,” Wildermuth said. “It was

overwhelming how people live, but that’s what they’re used to.”

The majority of their visits were only day excursions in Malaysia,

South Africa, Thailand, Madagascar and Mombasa. They agreed that

their 3 1/2-day stop in Cape Town was the most memorable.

From visiting the prison that held Nelson Mandela to shopping in a

modern mall grander than South Coast Plaza, the two found themselves

enlightened.

“It’s hard to describe what’s there. ... It’s very unique,” Talla

said. “When we exited the ship, there was a mall there that was

unbelievable. ... It was kind of a surprise because I really had no

clue what we were going to see. ... It was beautiful and very

modern.”

After visiting different countries during the day, Talla and

Wildermuth would spend their evenings aboard ship dining with the

same eight passengers and sharing stories with other travelers on

deck.

The two women made the full three legs of the trip and received

sailing medals (marking their more than 100 days of sailing) to prove

it. They returned having made new friends and new memories.

“It was very worthwhile and it was a once in a lifetime trip,”

Wildermuth said. “But there’s other places yet to visit.”

* Have you, or someone you know, gone on an interesting vacation

recently? Tell us your adventures. Drop us a line to TRAVEL TALES,

330 W. Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627; e-mail christine.carrillo@

latimes.com; or fax to (949) 646-4170.