Day 2 on the Drake
Trip Start
Jul 18, 2011
1
27
48
Trip End
Jul 16, 2012
Where I stayed
Antarctic Dream
What I did
Wavces
Drake Passage, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Lunch soon brought that phantasy home to roost. There was a bigger show, but still not complete. Moni came up with me but only lasted 5 mins and retired again to the cabin, they would bring her down a lunch sandwich and some fruit. I spoke to the Doc about her condition, and he said rest, take lots of water but in many little sips, and some food if possible. Also he gave me some Dramamine tablets for motion sickness. One,then another one 4 hrs later. Some of the guys had taken these tabs at 4am in the morn and heartily ate their brekkie and a good lunch. Me and the Dane, who hadn´t taken any, ate as much but at a much more pedestrian pace, with me winning the tortoise race as usual. The food once again was lovely, a smashing fresh prawn salad, followed by rice and chicken breast, and a lovely mouse tartlet. And lots of sips of water. Alcohol was included free but wasn´t a viable option now. My stomach was just about holding its own, just. We wandered up on to the top open deck, 5 of us, me in the Haviana flip flops, which preformed amazingly well with gripping. Slippy rocking deck, flip flops made for wet, sorted. This wouldn´t be an option any of the next days cause as soon as we cross the passage, or nearly, the temp takes a big drop. Antarctic temps can range from -15C to +15C at this time of year, early to midsummer.
Back down to the cabin then for a bit of light reading of ¨Tom Crean´ by Michael Smith, until 3pm when the second lecture was on, about Antarctica (I had skipped the 10am lecture on the Drake passage bird life in favour of some sleep). There was one in English and another in Spanish, Moni went to the Spanish one, attended by 6 people, a good portion of everyone else, Europeans, Russians, Asians etc were at the English one, given by Pia (where is she from?, I think a German speaking country). We learned some interesting facts there, ie all about the 5th largest continent; what is the difference between fresh water (4 types) v salt water (pack) ice; all about the climate; why the two currents, the coastal polar and circumpolar, forcing their way through the wee narrow Drake passage cause it to be always a v choppy body of water (we all concurred, although ours to date is apparently of an average choppiness, as the waiter said "you can stand can´t you?" the answer of course, is with impeded balance and holding on to things, but yes we could stand). Now I´m typing this up with bouncing stomach holding its own, and Moni having been sick once more and sleeping. Bring on some more Crean and dinner, followed by David Attenborough´s “Frozen Planet” for after dinner entertainment. And by the time we wake up tomorrow morn (assuming we sleep, por favour Señor) we´ll be not far from the Continent and things might start to calm down.
So we watched Attenborough, brilliant as always, part one of the Frozen Planet. Having followed the Russian, Vicktor that afternoon, I knew the back door into the Conference room and so could circumvent the crowds going in and out of the room. Moni was feeling better now, having managed to keep her dinner down and came to the film as well. We retired to the cabin afterwards and read our books. They have 3 films on 3 different channels on the TV, which seem to run 3 or 4 times each day and then they change them each day for another 3 films, not bad, a little bit too much emphasis on Hollywood schlock and chic flickery though but a decent one or two intermingled occasionally. There is also a dedicated channel to a stern facing camera, that be at the front, ooh arrgh. Moni had lights out soonish, I read for about 2 hours I reckon. It took a little while to go to sleep but once in the land of nod, no force three waves could rouse me till morn, hard as they tried.
Addendum: Marureen read the captain´s logbook before we left the ship at the end of our voyage, and although they had told us it was an average, about Force 3 sea, in fact we registered a Force 7.2, easy!
