Saturday 11 January 2014

Northbound On The Drake

After a fantastic expedition exploring the Antarctic Peninsula we are now headed north on our route across Drake Passage back to Ushuaia. As per usual the north bound part of our journey is a time to reflect on all of the things we have seen and done. There is plenty of time to leisurely pack our warm winter clothing, to review photos, to relax in the sauna, perhaps go to the gym or just nap and while away the hours enjoying the view of the open ocean. The crossing is for now, very comfortable. There is enough wind and waves to be a constant reminder that we are on a ship at sea but not enough to prevent relaxing on board. There have also been other activities taking place throughout the day the mainstay of which is our lecture program delivered in three different languages - English, German and French (on this cruise). The lecture rooms seem perfectly engineered as a relaxation therapy room as more than one person lapsed into a somnambulatory state. We finished our day on the Drake with a question and answer session with the entire Expedition Team in the Observation Lounge. The session lasted for nearly an hour with questions ranging from Antarctic Treaty policies to sustainable tourism in Antarctica.