At Sea

Woke up at 7:00a to clear skies and calm seas on the first of the two days at sea that will take us back to South America.

The sun’s cheer didn’t last long. By the time we went up to breakfast 30 minutes later, we were surrounded by fog … thick enough that the horn had to be sounded. We remained in these conditions throughout the morning.

Combined with the continued chill in the air, the fog actually made it easy to focus on catching up on stuff in general without wanting to be outdoors instead. Our polar gear is now back in the storage boxes under the bed … our wind/wet pants, backpacks and such are laundered and drying in the cabin … and even some of the cabinets and shelves got a “refresh.”

By the time we were done with our chores, it was getting on towards 11:00a. Dr Andrew’s lecture topic was Shackleton, so we went to hear what he had to say about this Antarctic Explorer whom some consider the greatest of all … particularly for his leadership skills. Dr Andrew ended his presentation with the following quote by Apsley Cherry-Garrard. It’s a good summation of the three of the most important names in polar exploration history …

“For a joint scientific and geographical piece of organization, give me Scott; for a Winter Journey, Wilson; for a dash to the Pole and nothing else, Amundsen: and if I am in the devil of a hole and want to get out of it, give me Shackleton every time.”

Around mid-afternoon the sun came out. Amazing how much of a difference that bit of extra light makes to one’s mood. And the temp warmed up. Yay! I’m sure that before long we will be complaining about how hot it is. In the meantime, I am hoping that by tomorrow, I’ll be able to set up my reading and writing station on the veranda again.Read more