Final Days at Sea

After a rough, fitful night’s sleep, we awoke to calmer seas although nothing close to the calm we had on our voyage across the Drake a few days earlier.  After breakfast, David and I both enjoyed massages to help work out some of the kinks that had developed over the past few days of travels.  We had a little time before lunch to turn in any pictures we wanted to submit to the photo contest.  Looking back over our pictures we were awed by the incredible animal life and scenery we had encountered over our 9 outings. 

In the afternoon, the crew offered a series of lectures.  We learned about seals, where they had evolved from (bears), where they live, the different types, etc..  We were also treated to a lecture on the ships of Cape Horn from our historian, John Harrison.  His grandfather had been a sailor in this region, so he had a personal reason for researching the subjects.  I gained a great deal of respect for those brave men who risked all for the sake of commerce and exploration. This evening, we were entertained by Jeopardy, Antarctic Edition.

While the lectures are very interesting, it seems like the rocking of the boat, along with the effects of the seasickness meds, are making everyone very sleepy.  Some stay in their rooms to nap away the two day voyage back while others attempt the lectures but still succumb to the need to nod off.  Quietly napping on the couches was much preferred to the few who made a little louder production of it, snoring from their chairs.

The meals, also, had become a little too familiar.  While well prepared and generally tasty, we had partaken in sea bass, stir-fried vegies and cabbage salads once too often for my liking.  I needed something a little spicier and would try to get the moment we got back on land.

Our final day was spent mostly on housekeeping – turning in boots, filling out comment cards, settling our shipboard accounts and distributing tips. For not having many shopping opportunities, we certainly had a difficult time getting our suitcases closed one final time. The seas were relatively calm, so our activities on the ship fell into the pace we had come to expect.

Our final dinner turned into an evening of reminiscing and partaking in some nice wines with friends we had made during the trip.  We found everyone to be very well traveled and interesting.  There were several teachers, also on a quest for knowledge I suppose, retirees, and a fair number of young singles up for an adventure.  It truly is a trip of a lifetime and highly recommend it to anyone with a sense of adventure.

Next: Our Adventure in Buenos Aires Begins