Ushuaia

Terra Firma at last!!!  We arrived in Ushuaia around 8.30 last night, it was beautiful coming in along the Beagle Channel, so calm compared to our last couple of couple of days.  Went for a short walk around the town after dinner, it was a lovely night and people out & about eating late as they do in Argentina.  Also a couple of cruise boats here, Le Boreal is across from us and will take on new passengers later today.  We will leave the ship at 9am, will be taken to some shops for an hour or so then off to the airport for flight back to Buenos Aires. This will probably be the last post from me as no more penguins, whales, seals, albatross pics to send now!  Thanks for persevering with the blog, a lot of it trivia, but a good record for me to keep.  But no pics or words can actually describe how amazing and beautiful the Antarctic is and it was such a privilege to be able to go. 

Love Maureen XXX

The Drake Passage

The Drake Passage is the body of water between the Southern tip of South America at Cape Horn, Chile and the South Shetland Islands.  It connects the southwestern part of the Atlantic Ocean (Scotia Sea) with the southeastern part of the Pacific Ocean and extends into the Southern Ocean.  The passage is named after Sir Francis Drake whose only remaining ship after passing through the Strait of Magellan was blown far south in 1578 and who inferred an open connection of the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.  There is no significant land anywhere around the world at the latitudes of the Drake Passage, which is important to the unimpeded flow of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current which carries a huge volume of water.  Sir Francis must have done it tough - it isn’t all that easy in a Silversea ship either!!!  

So, if yesterday was a challenge, last night and today have probably been worse!  The captain’s cocktail party was held in the theatre/lounge last night, and after some speeches all the ship’s crew were brought on stage to the tune of ‘when the Saints come marching in’ - as a group they swayed to and fro, back and forth, and I must admit I thought they might all go down like dominoes but they are all well seasoned and managed to get the dinner service done!  Such as it was!  At a table for six, we struggled to keep still, my chair almost threw me backwards even though the chairs are chained to the floor.  (They do have some flexibility). No-one ordered wine, my coke and water ended up on the tablecloth, and the cutlery took a nosedive to the floor!  Half the dining room was empty, not sure if room service would have been an option - maybe they just didn’t eat! 

After dinner Will, a guest, entertained us with sea-shanty songs, more like a sing-a-long.  Got back to the room, things everywhere, drawers open, stuff all over the floor, and later on staying on the mattress was interesting.  This morning has been just as bad, the ship is listing to starboard because of the very strong winds coming up from the south.  However, WE ARE NEARLY THERE - will be rounding Cape Horn around 4 pm and should be in Ushuaia at 8 pm.  The Captain has promised we can leave the ship to take a walk and hopefully there might be a saloon near the dock where we can have a drink without spilling it!  We disembark in the morning then make our way to the airport, with a 1 hour stop on the way to check out the shops.  

Drake Passage

Last night was a lot of fun.  The crew put on a show after dinner and, as usual, a lot of hidden talent on board.  Most of my pics are videos which I can’t post but there was lots of dancing and singing afterwards and even Captain Maggi was bopping along. Was rather tricky dancing with the ship rolling in every direction! A lot of sore heads this morning, I suspect!

How I managed not to roll out of bed I’ll never know!  During the night the wardrobe doors kept opening and closing, drawers came out, glasses rattled, but having a shower this morning was a major challenge.  Once again the tide was in!!! 

I went to a lecture earlier on fishing in the Southern Ocean and Antarctica in particular.  Then at 11.15 there was a cooking demonstration on making gnocchi.  Chef Ross is Scottish, not sure he would top any of our chefs at home but he has managed very well on a 23 day voyage where the last few supplies of fresh ingredients were uploaded at Stanley, Falklands.  

After lunch it’s time to hand in the borrowed boots then tonight is the farewell dinner and Captain’s cocktail party.  

Deception Island, Telefon Bay and Yankee Harbour

We hit the bar for a few drinks last night before the usual briefing at 6.45 pm.  After that we added several layers and proceeded up to the top deck for our hot rock dinner.    Turns out there were only 6 of us and we had a fantastic time.  It was cold, no wind though, and the ship supplied blankets for extra warmth.  One person, who shall remain nameless, looked like he was off to the Antarctic! We all cooked some prawns followed by a steak of choice served with baked potato, a  vegetable skewer, French fries, onion rings OMG!  what a feast!!!! Couldn’t wait for dessert as had to go to the lounge for a night of fun with the expedition team.  Each member had written a line about something they’d done in their past and we had to figure out ‘Who Done It’.  It was fantastic, very well done.  

This morning we are on Deception Island.  We transitted through Neptune’s Bellows around 6 am on our way to Telefon Bay.  A large group left the ship at 7 am for a 2.5 km hike to Craters and Viewpoint and the rest of us left at 8am for a shorter walk to the rim of the crater and back.  This crater was most recently active in 1967 and 1969 and its eruptions caused serious damage to the scientific stations based in surrounding areas.  Currently there are research bases now run by the Argentine Army and Spain.  

Back at the ‘beach’ flags had been set up and towels laid for those adventurous souls planning a ‘Polar Plunge’ in the sea!!!!  Imagine taking all that gear off, and baring the body for a 30 second dip then having to put it all on again but 23 people did go and they have to be admired! 

Back on board and moving on to Yankee Harbour which is a small inner harbour entered from Shopski Cove between Glacier and Spit Point, indenting the South-west side of Greenwich Island in the South Shetland Islands.  

Saw our last penguin rookery and seals this afternoon at Yankee Harbour.  The baby penguins were so cute, very inquisitive and all seemingly hungry waiting for their parents to come back with food!  We had a decent walk, on flat rocky terrain but no climbing.  The ride back in the Zodiac was very rough and appropriate for our last ride! A ship’s tender will seem tame now.  

This was our last excursion before heading out to the Drake Passage for our two day trip back to Ushuaia. 

Cuvervill Island and Neko Bay

This morning we are at Cuverville Island which is the site of a large Gentoo Penguin rookery.  The island was used heavily as a flensing area during the 1920’s and as a result there are several whale vertebra, ribs and jawbones scattered around on the beach.  The cove where the ship is anchored is probably one of the most beautiful and peaceful places you could ever be.  We are surrounded by magnificent ice covered mountains, icebergs and a whale and her calf performing tricks or having a lesson just near the ship. This afternoon we move on to Neko Harbour which will be the first actual landing on the mainland for us.  We missed going into the Antarctic Sound a few days ago due to poor conditions so this is our big moment!  

The beach is pebbled and there is an opportunity to walk up into a glacier, a moderate hike of about 1.6 kms, elevation 125 m.  In the rubber boots issued to us I definitely won’t be doing the hike!  Apparently there are also regular calvings from the nearby glaciers which can cause large waves so we have been warned to keep an eye out for that.  

Well, Neko Harbour proved to be a breathtaking place - truly beyond belief! The sea was like a mirror, calm and full of floating ice.  It was nice to actually put our feet on the Antarctic Continent at last!  The Gentoo penguins were very relaxed and friendly and all going about their business in such a methodical way!  It was rather nice not to have to step around seals today, the fur seal does not come as far south as this.  After disembarking the Zodiac we were offered Irish coffee, quite delicious!  

Last night we enjoyed dinner with our friends from Richmond and another young couple from São Paulo, Brazil.  Tonight we’re booked to have the hot rock dinner on the outside deck so will be rugging up!!!!! 

Petermann Island, Antarctica

After our fabulous landing at Half Moon yesterday we decided to sit on the deck enjoying a drink with some friends.  The sun was shining, the other 2 groups were still on the island and it was like being on a ski holiday being surrounded by snowy mountains and magnificent scenery.  Dinner was fun, rather like being at a football game as on both sides of the ship there were whales and it was a case of who could raise the biggest ooh aah ooh aah!!!  Guess that’s what we geriatrics do for fun these days!! 

So overnight we sailed south to the Antarctic Peninsular and early this morning we reached the Gerlache  Strait, a beautiful scenic stretch of water with icebergs everywhere.  It was really cold and windy for those brave enough to go outside but they will have some wonderful pictures. Gluwein was served around 10.30, and there was a lot of conviviality in the lounges!  At around 1 pm we approached the northern end of the very scenic Lemaire Channel.  This is a strait between Kiev Peninsular in the mainland’s Graham Land and Booth Island.  Steep cliffs hem in the iceberg-filled passage which is 11 kms long and just 550 metres wide at its narrowest point. Earlier on we did see another ship, the Le Borealis, going north.  

We will be, hopefully, doing a Zodiac landing at Petermann Island around 2.30. Conditions are looking favourable at this stage.  Petermann is a snow covered and domed Island that rises moderately steeply to a rocky summit more than 200 metres above sea level.  It has a rocky coastline with many small bays and the landscape has a beautiful red and green gloss due to snow algae.  Adeline and Gentoo penguins live here along with south polar skuas.  

Half Moon Bay, South Shetland Islands

The plan today was to arrive in the Antarctic Sound at around 7.30 am and that it would be a great sight to watch from around 5am.  And then we would be taken ashore in groups.  That was plan A.  Plan B was that if there was an iceberg somewhere near the anchoring spot (and we knew that 2 ships couldn’t go there yesterday) then it would be too dangerous to stay and we would go to a different bay where at the very least we could do a Zodiac tour.  Plan C was if neither of the other plans worked then we would head around to the other side of the Peninsular.  So, got up early, went to the observation lounge and all the windows were covered in snow, visibility low, winds high, travelling slowly and at 7.15 Stefan announced we would not be going to the Sound now, rather we’d be off to the South Shetland Islands!!!  Where a landing is almost guaranteed!  I expect we will still see most of what we’ve come to see as we are in the area for 5 days but conditions are always tricky.  And it’s safety first!!  Now  in calm seas, there is some sunshine and I can see the Peninsular on the port side, beautiful icy mountains just waiting for us!!! 

So there were the usual couple of lectures to fill in the morning or just to relax, read & have a hot chocolate which is what I did.  Lunch followed, and we are now approaching the South Shetlands, will throw out the anchor in half an hour and we are in the first group ashore.  Several Orca whales here, no doubt we’ll see more as the day goes on.  

We’ve had a wonderful excursion to Half Moon Bay, the sea is calm and we walked on pebbles, snow and slush.  There is a large penguin colony on a steep rocky hill and quite a few fur seals lazing in the sun!  But we needed to keep a reasonable distance from them as they are frustrated males, all the females have gone back to where they were born for mating.  This really is the most beautiful place, there is an Argentine base here with 17 young people working during the summer.  They came down to meet us and to sell a few t-shirts etc.  Back on the ship now & it must be time for a pisco sour!!!! 

At Sea

I made a big mistake describing that iceberg C28B earlier today - obviously got it mixed up with another nearby.  In fact it is 31.45 kms long and 20.35 kms wide and the exposed area is 0.3 km deep.  This makes it an area of 640sq kms and it contains 176 trillion kgs or litres of water!  I didn’t do the math, it was explained in the briefing tonight.  The name refers to a number, apparently C28A is floating somewhere else and at a different speed.  

We reached Point Wild at 4 pm, and easy to see why it was so named.  Very beautiful, with a glacier but hardly any beach so almost impossible to land there or even take out the Zodiacs.  We did anchor for an hour or so and heard the story of how Shackleton had left his men there for a short time which ended up being about 6 months.  They did it tough, took 2 life boats to the narrow shore and made a hut out of the boats.  They ate seal and penguin and used used penguin feathers to line their boots for warmth.  The walls of the hut were sealed up with penguin guano and that created a little warmth.  

At sea

At 7.30 this morning we approached a massive iceberg named C28B.  This is a flat topped iceberg, over a mile long, with perfectly shaped arches leading into caves.  We were surrounded by icebergs, whales and birds and it was a treat to sit at breakfast watching all this.  

As I said yesterday we are sailing towards Elephant Island and should be there by 4.30 this afternoon. Elephant Island was named by the early explorers who sighted elephant seals on its shores and it also has an elephant like head appearance!  It is situated 24 kms north-northeast of the tip of the Antarctic Peninsular. A bit more information - 1,253 kms west-southwest of South Georgia, 935 kms south of the Falkland Islands and 885 kms southeast of Cape Horn.  It is within the Antarctic claims of Argentina, Chile and the UK.  Brazil has a shelter (not a bus shelter!) on the island, Goeldi, supporting the work of up to  six researchers during the summer. We are headed to Point Wild, a spit on the north coast where the Endurance Glacier is the main discharge glacier.  Due to slow recoveries and illegal whaling by the Soviet Union with support from Japan, numbers of Southern right whales visiting the island are still on low level.  Meanwhile, the seas are high and very beautiful to watch from the dining room at the back.  

At sea

Some of my friends, well one, says my photos lack colour and she’s glad we’re wearing red!!  Does she realise we are not in suburban Melbourne or at Stuart Mill? Sorry, Mrs G, we haven’t seen the sun for a while now and seals, penguins and icebergs are not multi- coloured LOL! Just goes to show you can’t please everyone all of the time!!!  But I do appreciate all feedback!  Having said all that, it is a lot more colourful at dinner - we have a lady from Sydney (probably the only couple we haven’t actually sat with for a meal) and she is totally dressed for a South Seas or Caribbean cruise - complete with a shock of dyed blonde hair, very tight white pants and a bulbous tent top with rhinestones and diamentes and sunglasses and gold shoes to top it off.  And that’s every night.  Most guests are fairly low key dress wise but this lady is something else.  

We left Laurie Island after our visit this morning and are now en route to Elephant Island.  There is absolutely no guarantee we will land there, not even a guarantee we can do a Zodiac cruise but at the very worst we will do a ship’s cruise as is apparently a beautiful island. We are only a couple of days off reaching the Antarctic Peninsular so everyone has fingers crossed for fine weather.  

I went to a lecture this afternoon on William Speirs Bruce, an early Scottish explorer who did 10 Polar expeditions then to the briefing which happens every day  at 6.45 pm before dinner.  This is a recap of the day’s activities and expectations for the following day.  Dinner was fun, by now we are pretty much all best friends (!!!!!) and after dinner there was a Q & A in the lounge with the hotel/restaurant chiefs!  A lot of fun questions such as how do the lettuces remain fresh to how long will the watermelon last etc etc etc!!!!! I badly wanted to ask why the scones at afternoon tea are like bullets but didn’t want to look silly! Maybe that’s the way the rest of the world likes their scones!!!!! 

Will sleep well after a couple of Limonchello’s.  

Orkney Islands

We arrived at Orcadas Station, located on Laurie Island, South Orkney Islands this morning.  At Orcadas base, the Scottish Explorer W.S. Bruce established a small research station in 1903. The station has been recording meteorological data ever since it was taken over by the Argentines in 1904. It has been permanently populated since, being one of six Argentine permanent bases in Argentina’s claim to Antarctica and the first permanently inhabited base in Antarctica.  The nearest port is the Argentine city of Ushuaia, 1,501 km away.  The base has 11 buildings and four main topics of research including continental glaciology, seismology, Sea-ice-zone glaciology and meteorological observations. The station is located under a tundra climate, very close to an ice cap climate and is influenced by the cold Antarctic Current that runs past the Weddell Sea.  

Woke at around 6 am as we were passing by several icebergs and volcanic rocks.  Unfortunately it is rather overcast and foggy but we can see the research base ahead.  Disembarkation could be delayed due high winds and the inability to get the anchor to hold!!!  

Finally found a place to board the Zodiacs and it was about a 10minute ride to shore.  The wind was fairly strong and it was cold but the gear we have is fantastic and very protective in these conditions.  We walked with a guide all around the base, dodging seals as we went.  14 people live on the base year round and they seem to be from all parts of the world - we went into the accommodation building and walked past the bedrooms and each had a flag on the door!!  We were offered tea and coffee with biscuits, everyone very friendly and pleased to see some new faces.  But to live there for a year or more..........not for me!!!  Although there was an abundance of seals we didn’t see any penguins except for a few perched on an iceberg.  

Now underway towards Elephant Island and the Arctic Peninsular.  Lunch was lovely, especially the glass of Sauvignon Blanc!  That will ensure a nana nap before the next lecture at 3 pm!  

At Sea

Attended a lecture yesterday afternoon on Seals.  Think I slept through most of the talk, that’s why I generally sit in the back of the theatre unlike some who sit in the front row and nod off!!!  Then we were invited to a cocktail party with the Venetian Club - this function was for repeat customers with Silversea.  We’ve had one previous cruise but the top cruisers last night had over 500 nights.  The captain and officers attended, Maggi in her long black skirt and jacket.  All the expedition staff were there looking so handsome in suits & perfectly combed hair!!!  They really scrubbed up well LOL!!! Dinner was lovely, the theme was Italian and wines from Tuscany but we were able to convince the waiter to bring us the Sicilian wine again.  

The sea is a little calmer today but last night was very rough.  And having a shower this morning was like treading water at Bells Beach!!!!! The lecture just now was on whales - have decided I don’t want to be a whale but will explain why when I get home!!!  Some good news - just found my specs in our room - they were under a cloth on the dressing table.  Seems odd as I’d looked everywhere but all good.  

A cooking demonstration is now happening in the theatre - it smells so good, probably should have gone. 

As you can gather, not a lot other than trivia today, hopefully more tomorrow when we get near the Orkney Islands.  Like our kids used to say ‘are we there yet?’ 

At sea

Yesterday afternoon we continued sailing to another island but conditions were not good enough to anchor.  Along the way we slowed down to view several pods of whales, both Orcas and Humpbacks.  We were invited to the crew working deck on level 4 - a very slippery area, stepping over bits and pieces, but a great viewing spot for the whales.  We passed a most beautiful island, Bristol Island - it was snow capped and volcanic, and surrounded by icebergs in interesting shapes.  Most were like large ice blocks, huge chunks of perfect ice.  And there were little groups of penguins on them all.  

Shared a table with Lydia and Steve from LA at dinner. Food delicious and the Sicilian wine was excellent.  The seas were a bit rough during the night and this morning but I doubt anyone has had trouble sleeping - head hits pillow & next thing it’s morning!!!!

After breakfast this morning there was a lecture which I didn’t attend - I feel I may not  pass my exams if I don’t go but then I compensate by reminding myself I’m on holiday. Stuff the lecture!  

There’s just been a crew drill, all services closed while they did it.  We all do the drill when boarding but it’s interesting to have a drill when passengers are aboard and to hear all the commands and to see the staff following orders.  I’m sitting in the observation lounge and a stretcher was brought in with a ‘body’ on it!  Guess it has now been put back in the cupboard till the next outing!!!  

At 12.30 we were invited to go to the bridge.  Most interesting, Maggi (the Captain) said she has been coming to the Antarctic since 1999 so I think we are in good hands.  Went on to lunch afterwards and were treated to an amazing display from at least 50 whales!  We were seated by the window but it was difficult to catch any that breached. There were Orcas and Humpbacks, really beautiful.  

Saunders Island South Sandwich Islands

Silver Explorer arrived at Saunders Island, South Sandwich Islands, this morning at around 7.30 am.  As is usual, a scout boat with sonar equipment is sent out and then the ship moves closer to the shore if safe.  Very few ships come here, I think we are the first this year, so it’s a treat to go somewhere off the beaten track!  Conditions were favourable and so the Zodiacs were lowered and the first groups left for an hour’s excursion at 8.45 and we were in the second group. We were allocated a group by colour the first day and we’re red.  This all makes for a steady flow when leaving the ship.   

Saunders Island was discovered in 1775 by Capt Cook who named it for Sir Charles Saunders, First Lord if the Admiralty.  It’s a crescent shaped island lying between Candlemas and Montagu islands and is volcanic, composed of an active stratovolcano called Mount Michael.  Apparently it erupted explosively in 1819 and has erupted repeatedly since 2000, most recently in 2005.  The 700 m diameter summit crater is thought to possibly contain an active lava lake, one of only a handful in the world.  

The zodiac trip was fabulous, we were surrounded by sea life, little Chinstrap penguins darting everywhere, all in a hurry to get home and find their way up a massive hill or along the shore.  And of course they have to share with the thousands & thousands of seals.  The bird life was pretty impressive too. We went very close to a smallish iceberg and there were penguins on that.  Must admit they did look cleaner and less smelly than the ones on shore. The seas were reasonably calm although it was a bit hair-raising getting back on to the ship - those guys getting us on and off are heros!!!  

There are 100 staff on board the ship not including the Captain and officers.  The officers and expedition staff all eat with us in the dining room, the Captain too at times.  Captain Maggi is a tiny little thing, saw her the other day in high heels - was a bit surprised about that.  We don’t have any announcements from her, that is all done by the expedition leader, Stefan, or his staff.  

Last night’s dinner was very nice and we shared a table with a couple from New Hampshire, US, and Bruce and Carey from Bribie Island.  He is a retired Qantas pilot and she is Singaporean.  After dinner I went to the lounge where there is a pianist and there is always a bit of a sing-a-long.  Lydia, from California  and great fun, is like a magnet & she manages to gather everyone together.  She has the waiters at her beck & call & they all love her.  It’s amazing how many people have been to the Antarctic before but most haven’t been to South Georgia or the Sandwich Islands.  

I lost a pair of reading glasses yesterday,  think I must have dropped them on the deck yesterday in the wind & probably some old elephant seal is now seeing better.  Another man dropped his new iphone in the drink, too.  

South Sandwich Islands

The piña coladas on this ship are not great but they do make an excellent pisco sour so that has become the pre dinner drink of choice!!!! Yesterday afternoon and evening was more of the same, lectures, briefings, dinner etc.  Luke (the Irish guy) talked about his two years working with the British team on South Georgia a few years back.  It was most interesting learning how they coped in extreme conditions. I did go to trivia, the subject was ‘the solar system’ and thankfully there were multiple choice questions.  We did manage 13 out of 20, not too bad I thought!  

Arrived in the vicinity of Zavadovski Island in the Sandwich Islands at 9am today.  It is the northernmost of the South Sandwich Islands and the basaltic stratovolcano on the Island is known as Mount Curry.  It has a large lava platform extending east from two parasitic cones on the side of the main edifice.  These islands generally comprise 11 mostly volcanic islands and many are still active.  Zavadovski Island is home to between 2 and 3 million  chinstrap penguins - I think we saw at least half of them swimming around us!  Also saw a pod of whales and although there were no obvious seals in the water we could see them with binoculars on the shore.  And the smell of the penguins was horrible!! The coastline is wild, obviously lots of blowholes dotted around judging by the water spray.  A scout boat was lowered to assess the conditions and it has been decided to up anchor and move on to a more sheltered bay on a different island.  But nothing is set in stone, we are at the mercy of the elements and safety is most important.  Another large iceberg was sighted too.  While waiting to hear an update on our activities waiters came around with a hot toddy - I think it was tea with baileys, quite delicious.  

So we are now sailing towards Visokoi Island, will take about three hours.  This Island is uninhabited too. It was discovered in 1819 by a Russian expedition under Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen (sounds German!) who named the island Visokoi because of its conspicuous height.  He also named Zavodovski island after the Lieutenant who was a First Officer if his ship, the Imperial Navy sloop-of-war Vostok.  

The South Sandwich Islands are uninhabited though a permanently manned Argentine research station was located on Thule Island from 1976-1982.  Apparently the British came in during the Falklands war and blew it up!  There are a couple of automatic weather stations around these islands, thankfully.  

At Sea between South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands

Yesterday was a good day for everyone, really.  Those that went out on the Zodiac cruise at Cooper Island for 90mins enjoyed it despite the wind, cold and at times snow.  They did get some great pics.  Then later in the day we sailed around to another landing at Gold Cove.  This was amazing, we were surrounded by glaciers and there was a great deal of activity in the waters eg. seals, penguins and birds.  It snowed there, too.  The beach was covered with penguins and seals along with some huge elephant seals.  

Dinner was fun, everyone is so nice.  We are all pretty much best friends (!!) by now except for a foursome of Russians who generally keep to themselves.  There is another guy, Loch, who is different - as one lady put it ‘he doesn’t appear to have a filter’.  

Woke this morning to the rattle of cans rolling from side to side in the fridge cupboard. And there was almost a tsunami in the shower, but it’s amazing how quickly you adapt to all kinds of conditions!  At around 8 am we passed Clerk Rocks, a group of interesting rocks with a small iceberg nearby.  Then there were The Office Boy Rocks nearby and half an hour later a rather large iceberg with fragments of ice dotting the ocean surrounding it. 

I just went to a lecture on Volcanos.  Caught bits, which were interesting, but with the rolling of the ship I was forced into a few nanna naps!!!  Next item on the agenda is a demonstration on martini making. 

Good Bay South Georgia

Like I said yesterday, it’s impossible to be bored on this ship.  We sailed along to Fortune Bay, dropped the anchor not once but three times and it just wouldn’t hold as the wind and sea was so rough.  So back into the open sea again and that’s when things started to really move. We were told the ship would be doing a sharp right hand turn in 5 minutes and that we should secure everything in our suites, hold on to something or sit on the floor!  The drawers all opened, as did the cupboard and G’s sleep machine fell out and glasses slid sideways.   During the nightly briefing at 6.45 glasses and trays flew off the bar in the theatre, the ship was rolling from side to side and it was just incredible.  One elderly man (even more elderly than me) fell and he said he slid from one side of the bar to the other! Then at 7.30 we went to dinner and I wish I’d had my camera as the view from the dining room was something else!  As we went into the wave then came out the swell at the back of the ship was higher than the windows in the dining room. Those waves were between 8 & 10 metres.  So we rolled along finally finding a more sheltered spot in Cooper Bay to spend the night. This morning Zodiac tours are being offered around the bay but with no landings.  These tours are for about 90 minutes - it’s really windy and cold and I doubt I’d be able to take photos, hold on, and battle the elements for that long so will pass!!!!!  Like I did yesterday having a couple of hands of 500 and I made a little mistake and got a decent spray for that.  So there’s spray both inside and outside the ship!!!

Fortuna Bay South Georgia

Today at 5.30am we arrived at anchor off Stromness.  The keen hikers disembarked at 6 am for a 4 km walk to Shackleton’s waterfall. This walk retraces the last few kilometres of Shackleton’s amazing journey.  The non-hikers (George and others) disembarked at 7.30 am for a visit to the general area to view wildlife. Others, me included, took advantage of a sleep in but still had to be at breakfast by 8 as the dining room was closing shortly after.  I guess it had been open since 5.30 for the early risers!  

The lovely sunshine from yesterday has gone and it’s raining today.  The scenery as we travelled yesterday was breathtaking.  Just to see those magnificent glaciers and snowcapped mountains was worth the trip.  Dinner last night was delicious, probably my favourite menu so far.  We sat with two couples from Pt. Macquarie, Joan from Cairns and Betsy from SF.  There is a different selection of wines presented each night and last night’s were Italian and really nice but you can request Argentine, Chilean or French varieties if preferred.  

The weather is still very iffy and we’ve moved back to Fortuna Bay, hoping to be able to land as there’s another large penguin colony here.  The scout boats are out searching for a suitable landing site.  Update: just had an announcement that the excursion is definitely off, they found a spot to land but the winds on board the ship are fierce and unsafe for disembarking etc.  So, we’ll be moving along and will find a suitable sheltered cove to spend the night and then make tracks tomorrow towards South Sandwich Islands. The unpredictability of this cruise is fascinating, never a dull moment.  There will now be two lectures this afternoon and another couple has a pack of cards so we might have a game of 500!  Then the bar will be open of course so we won’t be bored!!!