Weather, Whales, and Laughter
Ocean Tramp – Lori
After 28ish hours of travelling, we have stopped moving. A welcome relief for all; it was not an easy ride. This has been the kind of weather where you take your steps carefully, in rhythm with the rocking of the boat. We travel mainly under motor, but sails went up part way, which helps stabilize the boat. We have dropped anchor at the Captain Arturo Prat Base (Chile). The winds are quite fierce outside, but this is an extremely protected bay, so we are out of the way of the wind’s force, but you can still hear it roar. In place of sitting around a roaring fire, a pancake and bacon breakfast was much needed and appreciated by all after such an intense period of concentration. The Chilean base has invited us inside to tour, but we can’t confirm until the winds die down long enough for us to take the Zodiac around.
By putting in all that time on the sea in the last 36 hours, Damian has brought us close enough to King George Island that we don’t need to worry about our outgoing flights, and still left us time to do some exploring in the next couple of days.
Down here, time has little meaning. Even when it is “dark”, there is still light, and that period only goes from about 1 a.m. to 4 a.m. So we use this quiet time to read, to work on photos, to rest, to stay warm. We live in our layers on board. While the boat is heated, you do have to remember that we are riding in a vessel that sits in bitterly cold water. Anyone considering taking an Antarctic trip would do well to consider lined footwear that still has a tread to keep you safe when you run on deck to photograph. One person on board has a pair of Uggs that we are all eyeing
with envy!
We ended the day with a fabulous dinner; roasted root vegetables, squash, beets, potatoes, a roast of beef, chocolate-drizzled poached pears and wine. Yup, seriously. Lots of laughter, good conversation, lovely music provided from John’s playlist. Half the eaters are vegetarian (one vegan), and the other half are meatasaurs. Nobody goes hungry, and after the exhausting day at sea, it was a beautiful way to end the day.
Blog: Lori Ryerson
Photo: Claudia Nicolow
