Tuesday Feb 6, 2024
Hi All! WE SURVIVED THE DRAKE PASSAGE!! They say there are two Drake’s. You either get the Drake Lake (calm seas and small waves) or the Drake Shake (rough seas and large waves). We definitely got “The Shake”! We had 15 foot waves and lots of ship movement throughout last night and today. But these two experienced cruisers survived!
Today was really a sea day. Slept in a little (even thru the rough seas) and had a nice breakfast. Then went to listen to the speaker discuss all the Antarctica explorers thru the years. I’m always amazed by the resilience, bravery and fortitude these explorers had. And with the old ships they used without today’s navigation systems. Incredible!
We then had a nice lunch and went to get fitted for our Atlas parkas/vests and boots we’ll need for our expeditions. We get to keep the parka and vest but the boots are just on loan.
We also had to bring our outerwear (waterproof pants, hats, gloves, etc.) for them to thoroughly vacuum to ensure we wouldn’t bring any contaminants on to Antarctica. They are serious about preventing bio hazards from coming on to the continent.
We then listened to the speaker on whales, dolphins and porpoises. It was amazing to learn there are over 90 different species and we have the chance to see about 20 different types. So we’ll keep our eyes peeled on the water!
After that we had another good dinner. I had the duck and Kathy had the beef. Both were excellent and the tiramisu wasn’t too shabby either!
We ended our night listening to Kevin play the soprano sax. That’s the third instrument in three days he’s played and he’s been good each night. What a great talent!
It’s 10 PM and the waves have slowed a bit and there’s less rocking. Hopefully tonight will be calmer for sleeping. It takes two days to cross the Drake so we have another sea day tomorrow before seeing land. I feel like Shackleton! Happy Tuesday to all!
The Wandering Italian 