Three Days at Sea...

Ah, the fickle temperament of Mother Nature!! Plan A was, as expected, not to be. So, we got up about 7:45 or so, dressed very warmly (expecting to be outside for three to four hours, at least 90 minutes on Zodiacs). Actually, this was intermediate in that we put on thermal underwear and then the first layer of clothes, expecting that after breakfast we’d put on a layer or two on top of that. We headed up to breakfast about 8, expecting the tour to start about 9AM. Alas, Plan B was not better than Plan A. Maybe we pressed our luck with so much good weather earlier? The winds sustained 40 knots (about 80 kph or 50 MPH) and peaked at 70 knots, which is entirely not suitable for disembarking. So, they added three lectures, one on birds, one on an expedition member’s 3 month trip on the Ross Ice Shelf, and a History one this afternoon. Having just about enough of bird talk, we played Mexican Train (a dominoes game) with a couple from Georgia (but once from Dallas). It was fun, and a nice break.
Every so often, there was something to see outside, so, with no coat or hat or gloves, I ran outside to snap a few pix. The strong wind sucks the warmth right out of you, but invigorates just the same. After 3-10 minutes, I come in with a cold face, hair a mess, and feeling ALIVE.
But, the waves got rougher, and Theresa determined she needed some time in the room. I gave her a maximum of 24 hours to be sick, and she has now used 19. At this rate, she won’t be allowed to feel sick at all on the Drake Passage!!
So, I went to lunch “alone” and was seated with a few people on the Expedition Staff. They are really friendly, and very easy to talk to on a number of topics. The waiter recommended beer, so I had a nice Guinness Stout.
When I got back to the room, I convinced Theresa to order something from room service. She asked for a grilled cheese sandwich, fries, and peaches. (See pic if attached). That was the fanciest grilled cheese sandwich I’d ever seen!! Mom, why didn’t you serve us like this? J
Then we watched “Happy Feet” in our room. I guess if we’re not to see “real” penguins, we might as well see fake ones. I’m sure no one (or virtually no one) was perturbed by the extraordinary deviations in reality of a child’s cartoon, but really, Mumbles (the main character) never finished fledging, so he couldn’t properly swim, and lacked the sufficient insulation for the frigid waters. Come on!!
On the way to dinner, I ran into the Chief Engineer, who had a few follow up answers for me…The anchor is 2.5 tons, and the chain is 240 meters (780 feet). A couple from Perth, Australia invited us to join them for dinner, and we enjoy their company, so we had a nice dinner with them, and with the Historian staff member. Honestly, she is the ONLY person I know with a History degree that uses it in a cool and interesting way aside from (possibly) teaching. So, I’ll allow some possibility the next time I hear someone say they are getting a degree in History…maybe!Anyway, the “story” is that we will visit Elephant Island tomorrow. This is named for the Elephant seals, where they were found in abundance during the early years of exploring. I guess tomorrow will tell!