DRAKE PASSAGE

Thurs Eve, 21 Feb 08, MS Nordnorge, North End of Drake Passage

DRAKE PASSAGE

Our ship was really rocking
As we headed for our docking.
In rather windy weather
We were cruising hell for leather.
Nineteen knots we were clocking.

I think the conditions we are experiencing in the Drake Passage are typical, at least for this time of year (late summer). VERY WINDY. The boat bobs around quite a bit on the swells.

I did some walking (drunken sailor’s walk) on the deck last night and again this afternoon.

Here’s a strange thing I can’t explain: Last evening as I was walking around the deck, the sun was on the right side of the ship. (It should have been on the left since we are going north.) Today the sun seems to be where it should be though it is overcast. It’s not rainy, but salt mist gets thrown way up on the 5th deck.

Last evening there was a demonstration of fruit slicing/fruit art. Helen didn’t attend. I did for a while. You could watch the man make neat designs like animals out of fruits. At lunch today his handiwork was on display in the dining room. He’s a real artist. I don’t think it’s the same fellow who did the pineapple slicing act in the crew show the night before.

This morning we had our interesting tour of the spacious bridge in groups of about 30 each.

I have taken a fantastic number of photos. But other people can do better than I mainly because of better equipment -- I can zoom only a little, don’t have a telescopic lens, and there is a delay from when I click till when my camera shoots -- also because of better skill, and because of the ability to spot subjects I miss or am not in a good position to “shoot.” The ship’s tour director has taken some great pictures and put together and shown a wonderful CD. I viewed it twice (Helen once). It runs about 40 minutes and has 240 photos. I felt we had to have a copy, and we bought one – for $50. The money goes for conservation projects. It’s probably not possible to copy it for friends. Also our Vantage representative, Nacho, has taken photos and made a CD, which we have not seen, and he will give a copy to each couple or single Vantage traveler. I’m sure it will be nice also, and I’m sure it will be different from the one sold by Hurtigruten. I look forward to showing both CDs to our guests who join us at Snowshoe this summer.

We attended a presentation about the cruise tours offered by Hurtigruten along the coast of Norway, in Greenland, and in Spitzbergen.

This evening was Captain’s dinner. A lot of the tourists dressed up somewhat. Captain Hansen and several officers stood at the door greeting passengers entering the dining hall. Then they gathered inside behind the captain while he made a little speech.

At desert time, the waiters paraded around the dining hall with flaming baked Alaskaa.

Later all the waiters and cooks gathered together and sang two songs for us in the dining hall.

We disembark at Ushuaia tomorrow morning, visit Ushuaia briefly, and fly to Buenos Aires.


The following was posted next to Nacho’s reception desk:

THE PENGUIN

The penguin is a flightless bird,
And even though he looks absurd
As he waddles to and fro
Across the white and frosty snow,
No one in this icy place
Can beat him in a swimming race!

Sally Beam

I gave Nacho a copy of the 20 poems I’ve written so far about the trip.

The following, according to Cecilia, was posted by the toilet at her work station at the U.S. South Pole Station:

If it’s yellow,
Let it smell, oh.
If it’s brown,
Flush it down.

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OTHER MISCELLANEOUS:

I brought my CPAP (anti-snoring) machine with me. I haven’t been able to use it at all either in Santiago or on the ship because of the lack of the proper electricity adapter. I don’t like to use it anyway.

There are two paid musicians on board. They are obviously sisters. In the bar on deck 7, one plays piano and the other plays violin.

There are 82 total employees on board. 53 are Fililpinos. 16 are waiters. I think there are six cooks.

We’ve met a few Swedes and a few Germans at lunch lately. Today at lunch I had a nice chat with a Swede from Stockholm. His wife apparently can’t speak English.

Hurtigruten (the name of the ship company) means “fast schedule” (in Norwegian). Hurtigruten was founded in 1893 and has about eleven ships. The oldest was built in 1953, the newest within the last two years.

:-)

Bernie