Docked in Richards Bay

We always sailed in the evening and docked in the early morning, and it was a huge surprise to look out of the window and find myself looking out across a huge empty field with silos and other industrial buildings in the distance. Huge trucks trundled along a dirt road through the middle of the field, presumably carrying some kind of load to the silos (perhaps sugarcane, as Zululand is the cane field heartland), and just below us on the dockside were buses and minibuses waiting again to take passengers to St Lucia to see hippos and other wildlife. It was strange to be docked in the middle of nowhere and no explanation was offered as to why we had not docked at the waterfront where cruise ships were normally berthed. It was a bit of a disappointment, and I doubt it had anything to do with the Crystal cruise line.
Another cousin came to collect us and we were off on a long drive through green landscapes, unfamiliar to us from a drought-ridden Cape Town, and undulating hills until we reached the St Lucia estuary, with birdlife in abundance and hippos just near the bridge! The heat and humidity was almost bearable, but an airconditioned car was greatly appreciated. It was a 3-hour trip both ways, and the cruise groups had a similar distance to travel, but it turned out that we were the only ones to see hippos that day! Local luck, I suppose.
Back on board the Crystal Symphony, we decided to dine at the Chinese restaurant where the food was absolutely mouthwatering, and the Captain and senior officers, who apparently favoured the same cuisine as we often saw them there, were at a nearby table. Catching up with folks back home on social media, I noticed a post warning of the tropical cyclone headed towards Mauritius and Reunion with the horrendous forecast of it being the worst since 2002. My heart fell into my shoes and suddenly the idea of sailing away from the African coast and into the open Indian Ocean completely lost all its appeal. I looked over at the Captain and Co. They seemed locked in serious conversation. Without further ado, I rushed over and asked if I should jump ship while I still had the opportunity and he naturally assured me that they were monitoring it carefully and wouldn't take any chances. Cheeky as ever, I asked him to please take a detour up the Mozambique Channel and he said I mustn't worry. I knew, of course, that he would never endanger his ship, but when we left Maputo the next evening, I was mightily relieved to see we were motoring at 20 knots up the Mozambique Channel! I saw him a few days later and he came over to tell me he had taken my advice! What a laugh we had!