The Drake (Rite of) Passage
Trip Start
Sep 06, 2010
1
30
81
Trip End
Sep 27, 2011
Drake Passage, International
Saturday, November 27, 2010
The Drake contains the roughest seas in the world. The Antarctic Circumpolar Current flows freely and unimpeded straight through the passage, as there are no land breakers anywhere around the world in line with the Drake Passage. It carries 600 times the flow of the Amazon River, whipping past our little ship, the Antarctic Dream.
Day One: Check In
We check in at the dock. I feel like we are flying somewhere. We show our flimsy piece of printed paper that says "Marco x2" that is our only proof of the significant investment made in this epic adventure cruise.
We thought for sure we would be the only
- Backpackers (just having checked out of dorm room accomodation, desperate to get to our own bathroom to do washing in the sink)
- Young people
- Honeymooners
....But no. As we approached the ship we realised that there were lots more young travellers, hauling their packs down the docks. There are a few other people on year long adventures, and at least 2 other couples on honeymoon!!!
Although it is becoming clear this is more of an Antarctic expedition than a pleasure cruise, the classiness is all there. Once we are all boarded and settled, it's time for welcome cocktails, with waiters serving us nibbles like chevice in asian soup spoons, classier than our wedding! I sip my cosmopolitan (in my hiking boots and trekking pants) over-enthusiastically. We are all super charged.
Day Two: The Drake Hits
We wake up shell shocked. The force of the ocean swells is literally knocking us out of our beds. Unable to fasten ourselves in bed, we go upstairs to catch the end of breakfast. The place is deserted, except for a few souls looking wide-eyed, rocking cautiously.
No-one can stand, let alone walk, with the rocking. All the "rock the boat" jokes have faded along with the classy cocktail atmosphere of the night before. Some nausious passangers are trapped here - literally too sick to move down to the decks below.
It's a funny day. Strange. Like a hung-over Sunday. Everyone is wandering around aimlessly, cruise-issued water bottles in hand, trying not to feel sick, watching movies, eating and sleeping.
Day Three: The Convergence
We are not hung over this time but not much has changed. We have reached the point of questioning why on earth have we paid a small fortune to hang out in our cabins feeling nauseous?
Having learnt how to sleep on a tilt machine (On your stomach, arms & legs stretched out at right angles - a challenge with a bed partner), all we have achieved for the day is to sleep, eat and sleep. I was just contemplating getting some sleep when the ship's P.A. system sounded - like the one in the airport. Ding-Ding-Dong-Ding. Attention pasajeros: "Please be advised that on the starboard side, there are humpback whales."
Instantly 1000% more awake I rush out to meet the Antarctic Air, screaming past the ship, carrying five flocks of gigantic seabirds, all rolled into one mega-flock. Alas, the whales had gone but we had arrived in ANTARCTICA!
Actually, officially we had arrived at 4am in the morning, (me being exactly 2 hours and 22 minutes off in the guessing competition) when the water temperature suddenly drops a few degrees (4 degrees to 0.5 in today's case), marking the convergence in which officially arrive in the Antarctic currents.
An hour(ita) later: another announcement. LAND AHOY! Again, we rush out into the windy cold to make the first glimpses of the forgotten continent.
No natives.
No government.
No laws.
Dedicated to peace and scientific research.
So harsh that NASA tested it's robots for landing on Mars here. Antarctica is the coldest, driest, highest and windiest continent.
The driest desert of the world is here. And the largest: 1.5 times the size of the Sahara desert in Africa.
So dry that it mummifies seal carcasses lying on the barren rock.
So dry that it hasn't rained or snowed there for more than 100 years.
In the rare instance that it does snow, it is instantly evaporated by the katabatic winds, winds that rush down mountain slopes by gravity. Winds that even evaporate ice.
Other things I hadn't considered about Antarctica: (having only considered Antarctica = big ice block). There are rocks, volcanoes, fresh water lakes and rivers, grass, deserts - just like one should expect of a continent 1.5 times the size of Australia.
We have another first-class, three-course dinner while watching (through our sunglasses) massive ice drifts on icey islands float past. Best restaurant ever. After dinner, we watch the sun set (around 11:30pm). The sun hides there behind the horizon, meaning it never quite gets dark.
I wonder what other suprises Antarctica holds for me.
