2-3 Day at Sea

2-3 Day 29 At sea

After midnight we left the Antarctic region and headed into the Drake Passage – known for being rough waters. On this trip we have been very fortunate because both crossings (going to and coming from Antarctica) were smooth. However, we were not able to connect to the Internet in the passage – which seemed strange. Thought that would have happened further south.

In the late morning, I went to hear the Ice Pilot's report of what we actually did do and see in Antarctica. We started with Plan A and ended up with Plan D – which wasn't that much different really. We did miss a whole section we had hoped to see, but ice and wind kept us from it. Learned that the reason we could not continue the first day through the Lemaire channel was due to unusual and unexpected calving of a glacier that resulted in two huge icebergs. While we could still get in, the captain was concerned that the icebergs might move and block our passage getting out. Another thing we learned was how much contact is maintained between other vessels in the area. When the Antarctic Dream was pointed out to us on day 2 (it's a smaller expedition vessel), I had no idea that we were waiting for them to come out of the channel we wanted to enter. They gave us info about the conditions. The same with other vessels in the area. It's all about cooperation. And on day 3, I did not realize how close we actually came to Admiralty Bay (10 miles.) But visibility was only ¼ mile and there were lots of “growlers” in the ocean. Growlers are smaller icebergs that are especially hard to see because they tend to look like white caps and bob up and down under the water. They can be very dangerous to a ship. Little details the Ice Pilot also told us was that penguins (while not a flying bird) actually do “fly” when they are in the water. They use the same method in the water that regular birds use in the air. Also, we saw less penguins than normal because this is the time of year they nest and their chicks are being born, so they are out gathering food for them. It was a most informative and interesting talk.

Doug and I had lunch in the main dining room again and had one of the best lunches ever – it was an Indian chicken dish – I'm trying to get the recipe for it. One couple at our table was an “I can top that story or experience” while the other couple was nice. They are part of the cruise critic group – but we hadn't really met them or seen them until today. They had great stories about being in the waters off Somalia and how their ship had to go in a caravan with other cruise ships with navy ships in front and behind them. They also had helicopters above them and guards with guns on the top deck. Pretty scary, they thought, but also exciting!

At 2 p.m. I went to the Exportations Speakers Series with Warren Salinger. He talked about South America – the southern cone – made up of Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Paraguay. It was really interesting. Took lots of notes. While I was there, Doug spent hours working on the computer downloading pictures and doing back ups of all the ones we've taken so far. Big job!

After dinner, we went to the ship's entertainment which featured the Pampas Devils. It was a combination of gaucho culture (singing, dancing, drums) and the tango. They danced with their Bolla (sp.!?) balls on rope – it's amazing what can be done with them. And the foot work of their style dancing is amazing and interesting. And, of course, the tango was a real treat.

At the end of the night, the captain announced we would not be able to get to the Falkland Islands due to very bad weather and to really be careful while walking around the ship because he expected very rough seas. So, we headed back to the cabin to read before bed.