Antarctica, almost...
Rough weather this morning, Feb. 2. [Really rough.] At 5 am the motion of the ship awoke me. I staggered to the balcony and looked out. It was lightish, but not daylight. We have a rather strong wind with moderate seas coming straight at us. The result is the wind is horrendous. A sailing ship would be in trouble I am sure. We both took seasick pills as a precaution.
Apparently the weather comes around the bottom from the Pacific and gets sucked up into the Atlantic, where we are. We are having coffee in bed, I think that is the best place to be right now. Even we would have difficulty walking.
This ship moves around, [up and down and sideways], much faster than Oriana or Adonia. Kind of like a rowboat instead of a battleship.
We had our first lecture on the Antarctic a few days ago. As usual my ignorance of the areas we visit continue to amaze me. I will bore you with a few statistics.…
Antarctica is 1 1/2 times the size of the USA. [It's Americans on board so they use that as a measurement of course.]
Seven countries claim parts of it. By treaty, none of those claims can be enforced.
It is a land mass, covered in snow/ice, the depth of which in some areas is 15,500 feet. That is three miles.
The South Pole [that is constantly moving], elevation is 9200 feet.
The coldest recorded was -129 F in 1983.
Anything below the 60th parallel south is considered "the Antarctic", and is subject to international rules governing activities there. Oddly enough BC's top border is 60 degrees north. [That is the border with The Yukon.]
We have three Antarctic lecturers on board. One is a sea captain, I am not sure if he will be our 'pilot/escort' on board or not. I don't know what the story on that is. Another is a Dr. Stonehouse, [applause from the veterans aboard!]. The third is an expert who seems to have been here more than half his life, an American.
Last night we were again surprised with a gift from Holland America in our cabin. Two sets of Bushnell binoculars. We expect stuffed penguins next!
We will not have any landings in the Antarctic. After we leave Ushuaia we have six days at sea, Cape Horn, Beagle Channel and cruising around Antarctica before attempting to get ashore on South Georgia Island. An abandoned whaling station. I suspect about then we will have a yearning for the warmings rays of the sun again, bring on Cape Town. Time will tell.
A note on human nature.... Today I noticed a tee-shirt from "South Georgia", our hoped-for landing some days out, after Antarctica. I guess that is one way of saying, :"Yah, yah, I've already been there" Oh well, I was wearing my Tuktoyaktuk shirt from the top end of the world, [Northwest Territories, Canada!]
We were informed today that we will be right out of conact between the 4th? to the 8th?
Take care!
posted by Doug and Fellette @ 8:55 AM
3 Comments:
brings to mind Bond - James Bond --In preparation for your excursion, I bought the 'March of the Penguins' which I am keeping under wraps until the week-end so that we can watch the penguins together -- me, T.V. - you, window. I think you should wear your tuxedo !!
not that I think you look like a penquin -- they are WAY more rotund
Click here for a very funny review of the movie Luci mentioned above.
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