Prinsendam 2006 Circle of the Sun, About to begin...

[soccerfootballmom]

I luv taking these world trips with passengers!!! Thank you for taking the time to bring me along :D

Waiting patiently (okay so maybe I'm stretching the truth abit) for your next post ;)

[Ides of March]

Day 28 Rocking and Rolling at Sea

After leaving Puerto Madryn we had a bumpy night with the Good Ship Prinsendam rolling considerably and shuddering periodically. Only when we tried to get out of bed in the next morning did we realize how violent was the weather. We were in Force Nine to Force 10 winds, 55 to 62 mph with 18 to 20 foot seas directly on the beam. Full gale conditions. Veterans of dozens of cruises said this was the worst they had ever experienced. We had one of the best rooms on the ship being low and amidships. The Suities being on the higher decks took solace in their motto “The more you pay, the more you sway”. Cabins in the bow section experienced a particularly uncomfortable ride and on Dolphin Deck they battened the covers over the portholes because they were periodically submerged (no joke).

I arrived at the Lido restaurant for breakfast to see one old fellow sliding across the tiles in his chair (not a wheelchair) coming to rest against a wine cabinet. Others were gripping their table to avoid the same fate. The staff was scurrying about helping people navigate in and out of the dining area and picking up smashed crockery, food and utensils. The milk kept slopping out of my corn flakes and I did lose a coffee cup even though it was sitting on a placemat. Those showing up for exercise class in the Queens Lounge were greeted by the sight of the grand piano sliding back and forth across the stage. A call brought the staff running, they lashed it down. Much to my surprise however shipboard life and activities continued as best they could and little was canceled. The sky was sunny and clear so this was not a storm but merely a high wind and we were cautioned to expect the same when crossing from Cape Horn to Antarctica where we would be exposed to prevailing winds uninterrupted over thousands of miles of ocean. It abated slowly over the day and by evening when the decks were reopened we did manage four laps of Lower Promenade but quit early as it felt like the cold wind would lift you over the rail when it was at your back.

Grux and I thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience other than the greenish complexions and discomfort of some fellow travelers. I now have heightened respect for this great little ship. Bring it on!

Day 29- Beagle Channel, Ushuaia, Tierra Del Fuego, Patagonia Argentina.

We awoke well up the Beagle Channel in placid waters. The channel is fairly narrow and winding in spots with rounded mountains on each side reminiscent of the Laurentians back home but a little higher and with fewer trees. Progressing up the channel small glaciers could be seen on the mountaintops. As we approached Ushuaia there were two Andian peaks in the distance that were entirely snow-covered down to what appeared their base and were quite spectacular in this bright sun. The mountains become far more impressive the farther up the channel you go and apparently more towards the west, the Chilean portion is better yet.

Ushuaia bills itself as the southernmost city in the world although there are Chilean towns that claim the same honour. It has 60,000 people and is backed by high jagged glaciered mountains. Vancouver Lite. It has now become an outdoor center for climbing, camping etc. and the businessmen wear jeans and down vests giving it the air of a college campus.

The Tierra Del Fuego name of the region came from the early explorers seeing fires and small volcanoes from the Beagle Channel hence Land of Fires.

We skipped the tours to a nearby National Park where the main attraction are beavers, once imported from Canada and now considered a scourge, (I’ve got an idea…. let's bring in some rodents) and instead took a cab about 5 miles to the Martial Glaciar with our friends Robin, Mary, Celine and Don. We then boarded a chairlift which took us up 1500 feet to near the base of the glacier where we hiked up beside a glacial stream. We didn't make it to the glacier itself as it was hard walking on the scree. After some great pictures and the merging of my spirit with the Andean stream to become part of the Beagle Channel and ultimately to flow with the Falkland current, we took the chairlift down and with Mary and Robin walked the steep switchback road back to town. In walking steeply downhill for 5 miles we used muscles or stretched tendons in the upper forward portion of our shins that we didn't know we had and could hardly walk the next day. Great views of the harbour.

Grux was wearing her HAL issued wine coloured jacket and lemon yellow fleece toque and gloves also bearing the World Voyage logo. The small homes in town were painted in vivid colours and one was the identical yellow with flowers in front (Lupins she says), that were in identical strawberry. The colour combination looks better on the house than on us I would say. (I traded my X with a Suitie for an XL).

The city was full of dogs but we never saw one beagle. There’s that South American nomenclature thing again. Once a major penitentiary center the old building is now used for museum purposes and stands beside a naval facility where very mean looking guards with semi automatic rifles at the ready eye tourists menacingly but let you take their picture. Grux went to the Yamanã (aboriginal) Museum to absorb some local history and thought it was great. The city has one main shopping street about eight blocks long which in the middle six cater exclusively to tourists. This region abounded with red winged lemon crested peckerheads. The best sandwich shops and the Super Mercado are located at the extreme ends. I wanted a genuine Patagonia thick fleece but they all ran about $100, had schmaltzy designs like penguins on them and were too small. Pity.

Back to the boat after a cool sunny invigorating and very enjoyable day.

Very pleasant but not particularly memorable.

Day 30 Cape Horn At Sea

We arose at 6:15 a.m. as we were to arrive at the Cape at seven. The seas were very calm with wavelets and we could see the entire island that comprises the Cape even though it was cloud shrouded. We couldn't entirely circle the Cape as that would have entailed entering Chilean waters and the incumbent red tape. The Black Watch of the Fred Olsen line which had been docked beside us also showed up. It is doing a South American circumnavigation and apparently had delayed its rounding which had been scheduled the day of the gale. It was nice to see the Cape especially in such calm conditions but it was not a life altering event. We received certificates from the Good Captain of our Rounder status.

For trivia buffs out there you should know that it is exactly 6098 Nautical miles between two world famous landmarks those being Cape Horn and Whipple's Bridge in Val Des Monts PQ. I love my GPS.

Day 32 Anvers Island- Gerlache Strait- Neumayer and Lemaire Channels –Antarctica

After a 26 hour crossing from the Cape on almost dead calm seas we arrived at Anvers Island in Antarctica to be met with a clear but cloudy day in what must be one of the truly spectacular places on earth. There are icebergs galore each sculpted by nature and the trite description of the scene as a floating art gallery is echoed continuously. There are tens of thousands of berg's of every description from tabletop or tabular types with flat tops and deep arched ice caves to pedestal types which are skinny and rectangular and can reach hundreds of feet in the air. Some look like ships, some animals, some cars. The only limit is one's imagination.

The smaller ones are called bergy bits and many of these contain groups of sleeping seals, usually crabeaters who don't eat crabs by the way. Many never woke up as we passed a few feet away however if they did they usually slithered off the side away from the ship.

The ocean especially in tight channels is choked with floating ice and it takes great skill by our ice pilot, Captain Pat Toomey of Kingston Ontario to pick our way through making incidental contact with only the smallest. Captain Toomey (an expat Brit) spent most of his career as a captain of icebreakers for the Canadian Coast Guard and I had a great talk with him while we watch the last passengers board in Ushuaia. I told him of my Uncle Ken who as a young man flew helicopters off the Canadian icebreaker the C.D. Howe in the Canadian Arctic. Captain Toomey served on the Howe in 1966-67, just before it was decommissioned. He confirmed what my Uncle always maintained and that is that the highest tides in the world are not in Fundy as is commonly believed but in Ungava Bay between Baffin Island and Québec where they are more than 1.5 m higher than Fundy's best. Play It (again) Sam, and sorry for having doubted you Unc.

This first day we almost completed Plan “A” which is the hoped for itinerary but which is rarely accomplished due to the weather and the rapidly changeable conditions. Captain Toomey has reached Plan “K” on some occasions and was up to Plan “E” on the Rotterdam a few weeks ago. We did make it through Gerlache Strait, the Neumayer Channel and got a little more than halfway along the spectacular Lemaire Channel before it became too congested with ice. Visibility was excellent however there were clouds at 1000 feet which gave the mountains a flattop look. Just as we were turning with our thrusters in Lemaire, a hole opened in the cloud and the 4000 foot peak became visible but just through the hole as the cloud layer still obscured the middle portion of the mountain. It was surrealistic, almost like getting a glimpse into heaven. Others who have been blessed on previous visits with blue skies say the sight is indescribable and I would believe them. The clouds lifted entirely on some mountains as we retraced our path and so for 15 minutes it was mesmerizing. We went to 65 degrees 5 minutes south which will be our lowest latitude on the cruise.

The Lemaire Channel is a fjord with almost vertical walls and which narrows to a width of less than a mile in some spots. Breathtaking even for nonsmokers. We were extremely lucky to have penetrated as far as we did and Captain Toomey is now 3 for 11 in making it all away.

Penguin colonies abound, seals are plentiful and whales elusive. We saw some minkies who don't put on much of a show and I did see one of unknown type sounding in the distance. Orca's were spotted this morning and just after I left our friends Leon and Ella sitting by the window in the map room, a pod of humpbacks put on an aerial exhibition for them. We have seen far fewer whales than expected. As one wag put it “there is little wild life on or off the ship”

Because of the Antarctic Treaty, no smoking is allowed on deck, forcing the addicted indoors. A petition was circulated attempting to ban smoking in the Crow's Nest during periods of scenic viewing which is essentially all the time. The smokers went ballistic and seem to have prevailed but some hard feelings have ensued.

After leaving Lemaire we bypassed Palmer Station in the Bismarck Channel and spent the night at open sea away from most of the ice. All in all it was the most exhausting day I have ever spent “on” a ship, running from side to side as Dr. Bernard Stonehouse and a geologist Dr. John Splettstoesser kept up a running commentary over the PA system. running into the Crow’s Nest to warm up (35F), and rushing meals so we didn’t miss anything. We then had a Super Bowl party in the Queens Lounge that went very late as we are two hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. It was also a very exhilarating day and a memorable once in a lifetime lifetime experience, once being enough.

Day 32 Paradise Bay

Today our luck was not so hot. After bypassing Palmer Station on port side we sailed into Paradise Bay and saw the Chilean and Argentinian research stations which are small gatherings of nondescript cargo containers and radio antennae. What godforsaken places to be stuck in. Apparently a doctor at the Argentinian station didn't want to spend the winter back in the late 80s so he burnt the place down only to be incarcerated in a mental institution on returning home. Maybe he was the only sane one at the station.

In any event the weather socked in and we had to forgo entering Andvord Bay to see the renowned ice cliffs. We are therefore sailing up Gerlache Strait heading for Deception Island which we will apparently reach at 9 p.m. this evening, well before dark with sunset at 10:30 p.m. and sunrise at 4 a.m.. It is raining and miserable but we did pass a large iceberg with a broad skirt off one side which held hundreds of chinstrap penguins. So with time to kill, the Good Captain stopped and circled the berg closely both on port and starboard using his thrusters to give us a close-up look. It was neat to see them sliding on and been washed off the ice apron by the waves. As I write this icebergs slide past our window from time to time. I hope they are awake up there on the bridge. We reached Deception Island at dinnertime ie 9 pm and did see into the cauldron of what is reported to be an active volcano. It was so foggy that the effect was muted. Five of six days are like this down here. One pax said he was on a three week cruise to Iceland on the Vollendam and they were socked in for three weeks and saw nothing. Ya pays your money and takes your chances I guess. Overall we have been very lucky.

I believe I may have misspelled Slinkie’s moniker in past posts for which I apologize. I'm using a dictation program to create these missives and so mistakes that spell check does not pick up are frequent and one must be a diligent proofreader which I'm not.

I will post a few days time and perhaps sooner if I have anything more than penguins to report on and so…

Until that time

Ides.

[2552phxcrzr]

I've been enjoying all of your postings so far; you have an easy-to-enjoy style. We'll be going to Antarctica January 2007 on a Quark expedition cruise, so I especially appreciate the descriptions of Ushuaia and your time in Antarctica.

[ldog]

Thank you so much for taking the time to write about your cruise. I know that I can never find a moment to write.

 

We so enjoy sharing your voyage.

[Grumpy1]

What wonderful descriptions! So vivid, that we may as well cancel next year... we've seen it all through your eyes. But then again, we may have a chance to spot the elusive Beagle that you missed, so I think we'll stay the course.

 

Were they actually able to get a feed of the Super Bowl? Last year, the best we could do was to put the NFL website up on the projector screen. A typed summary of each play and a graphic of the field with arrows showing the progression of the current series of plays was not the equivalent of a live broadcast, but the beer and brats were good.

 

We'll be anxiousl awaiting your next report...

[RuthC]

Oh my! Your descriptions in Antarctica are perfect! I can see it all in my mind's eye. I'd forgotten about the "cargo" research stations.

Those penguins sure are fun to watch---climb up the icy mountain in single file, then slide down on their butts, then climb up again. They look like kids on the playground---except no one is trying to cut the line.

[Ides of March]

Days 33 to 35 Lost in a Fog

There is not a lot to report as the last few days have been spent in Antarctic ice fog varying from moderate to dense. On Day 33, having spent the night drifting between Deception Island and the mainland we were to have traversed the Antarctic Sound and entered Iceberg Alley at the western end of Bransfield Straight but arriving there early morning the dense fog and numerous icebergs caused our Captains to scuttle the entry. Perhaps that is a bad choice of words. Captain Toomey reported in his debriefing lecture that when the Good Captain had asked for his opinion on proceeding, our ice pilot replied that he was nervous and thus the Good Captain should be terrified.(This is his first Antarctic cruise for the Good Captain and his officers as well as the ship so caution prevails) We did make it as far as Esperanza Station apparently but was zero visibility we have to take that on faith.

By dinnertime ie 8 p.m. we made it to Elephant Island named for its seals and did get a look at yet another uninviting collection of snow-covered mountains. This is where Shackleton left his second in command Frank Wild in charge of 21 men who lived under two overturned lifeboats for four months in 1914 after their ship the Endurance was crushed in the ice. Shackleton and the remainder of his men sailed the third 21 foot lifeboat to South Georgia Island ultimately returning with the Chilean navy to rescue his crew. One hell of an Irishman. We could not sail the north coast of the island due to the weather but no hearts appeared broken.

Day 34 was even worse as we headed for the South Orkney Islands. They told us as we awoke that we had slalomed through icebergs all-night but only later in the debriefing did we hear the whole tale. Apparently we sailed into an iceberg field that was unexpected and coupled with zero visibility meant that we sailed at a crawl primarily using radar for most of the night and the following day. Captain Toomey said that we frequently sailed between berg's bigger than the ship and less than 400 feet off each side that he would normally attempt to avoid by at least half a mile because of the chunk ice that normally accompanies them but is not visible on radar. By midday it was announced that we were scrubbing our visit to the South Orkney Islands because the shore was even more densely packed with bergs, visibility was zero and our slow progress meant that we were not likely to have much daylight in any event if we arrived. We therefore set a course for South Georgia Island and partied on. I should say that the many uninterrupted sea days, lack of visibility and most importantly lack of sunshine has caused patience to wear thin. Passengers are getting snappish particularly during the daily bridge tournament and even during team trivia. Someone complained when I walked through the small dining room with an unlit cigarette in my mouth. Big mistake to show me a hot button. I did get a badly needed haircut in the salon and got clipped twice. Tried to sit through the singer last night but gave up after 15 minutes.

Day 35 dawned sunny and bright and of course there was nothing to see except the infrequent small iceberg. Walking which we have resumed after Gruxy’s cold was very pleasant as we now have a following sea and thus little wind on deck. Air temperature and spirits are rising together. We can now smoke on deck to the joy of smokers and nonsmokers alike. We are heading for South Georgia where HAL is providing tenders and free tours of the island in three difficulty levels. We are on the most arduous being a three-mile hike across the island to Shackleton's grave. There is no smoking on the island, no washrooms, nowhere to buy food or drink. Sounds like “Party Island”. The weather is so changeable that we are compelled to bring heavy clothing and three days supply of medication in case we cannot get back to the boat and have to sleep on the floors of the locals. (I think this is overkill and I'm only bringing one bottle of scotch). It is nonetheless greatly anticipated as a change of pace. We will only have one of more iffy landing before the long haul to Cape Town which we reach on the 18th.

I will try to post shortly after Party Island and so

Until that time…

Ides

[RuthC]

I know all too well what that relentless fog can do to the spirits. 'tis a shame to have missed so much gorgeous scenery in Antarctica.

Keep on keepin' on.

[SeaGypsy1]

:) Thanks for taking us along on this wonderful trip. I am enjoying every word.

[localady]

Ides-

My DH and I cruised the fjords of Chile in that kind of fog. It's a shame when you wait so long to see something, and Mother Nature decides otherwise.:o

I hope your stay on the Island is pleasant !! Thanks for posting!:)

Smooth seas and sunny skies!!:D

[alsas]

We as a group are very fortunate to have such incredibly talented writers. My wife and i would like to say how much we appreciate you taking the time to share your talents and information with us. Hapy (happier to you Ides) sailing Alsas

[Williebill]

I was ready to go on an Antartica cruise; your cruise sounded so incredible until I read about all of the fog, that must have been lousy.

[donh1]

Don't know if you avid readers have heard this nickname before. A few weeks ago I was on the Zuiderdam and was talking with one of the bartenders. I commented how nice it must be for crew members to be assigned to the Princedam. I said, All the travel and seeing the world....... He quickly responded.... We Holland America crew members call that ship ....:) :) The Prisondam :) :) ..... I guess as a bartender the booze sales on those endless days of fog would be minimal compared alcohol consumption on a seven day trip in the sunny Carribean.... Hope someday to spend a month or two on " The Prisondam "

[Ides of March]

Day 36 Cumberland Bay, South Georgia Island, U.K.

When we awoke at 7 a.m. the Good Captain was easing into our anchorage at the whaling station of Grytviken in Cumberland Bay which was active from the turn of the last century until 1965. From the deck a large white cross erected by Shackleton's men as a memorial at the time of his death was visible. The sky was overcast but we could make out the snowcapped mountains that back the small settlement dominated by an old fluorescent white church. One could see long white barracks and many smaller buildings. The seas were calm with a long moderate swell so we were heartened that we would be able to depart the ship. We had tickets for the first three-hour tour departing at 9:30 a.m. which were much coveted as some tours didn't leave till 11:30 a.m. and with the changeable weather could have been scrubbed. Spirits were high on some of us sang the theme from Gilligan's Island as we motored to shore.

We arrived in what might charitably be called a junkyard of old boilers, winches and other heavy machinery used in the processing of whales now in their latter stages of rusting decomposition. There were also derelict steel whaling ships pulled up on the beach in like condition. A great opportunity for somber photographs. I jumped onto the remains of a crumbling building foundation for a better angle on a shot but it was rocking so violently I could hardly stay on when I raised my camera.

The first stop was that of the Whalers Museum run by volunteers mostly British. The island is governed generally with the Falklands and South Shetlands and was occupied at least on one end by Argentina during the Falkland War. On the front lawn, and yes it was a lawn, they had various restored artifacts such as steam powered harpoon guns, saws used to dismember the whales, tail clamps used to haul the carcasses and many whale bones usually from the spine of the great animals.

Inside they had samples of the garments used by the early explorers, their “royal blue” sleeping bags that turned that colour from a pale blue when wet, penguin and fur seal pelts to be caressed, charts showing the route were Shackleton and his men rode icebergs from Antarctica to Elephant Island scrambling to move their camp to the largest piece when the ice floes broke apart. We only had half an hour there which was a shame because it could have held my interest for hours longer. There was also a museum gift shop with beautiful if expensive items priced in British sterling. I bought a long sleeved black T-shirt with the famous image of the Endeavor trapped in the ice on the front and a homage to Shackleton and other exploring seamen on the back. To my amazement, this shirt was made in Canada because the artist who purchased the rights to the copyrights for the photo for clothing comes from there. I can't buy a made in Canada T-shirt in Canada and have to come to the Antarctic to get one. Go figure.

From there we proceeded to the beautifully restored old church where one was permitted to ring the bells which pealed with great volume and clarity. There was a memorial hall in an alcove at the rear with plaques from around the world praising Shackleton's achievements including one from a sea college in Halifax.

On leaving the church we walked behind the settlement towards the Whalers graveyard where Shackleton is buried. The clouds lifted and we were in brilliant sunshine which revealed the magnificent mountains in the background. Rising to 9000 feet the snow-covered peaks looked to my eye exactly like the Canadian Rockies which I have always believed were unparalleled. Wrong.

The walk to the graveyard was exciting to say the least. We had been warned by Dr. Stonehouse that the fur seals during mating battles stand on their hind flippers and try to tower over their opponent. They therefore view any erect figure as being an aggressive threat and can inflict nasty bites exacerbated by a shaking action. We were warned to stay at least 5 m away from them but this was impossible as many were but a few feet from the designated path. You therefore walk quickly by them ready to run but we also had been told they were faster than humans over uneven ground. It wasn't too bad because on the right side of the path there was a stream and most seals were on the other side. We did pass a mother with her pup on the left and she did not seem pleased with our presence. There were hundreds and hundreds of fur and elephant seals lying in the tussocky field surrounding the cemetery.

The fur seals were active and the young pups downright frisky as they wrestled and played with each other. Great fun to watch. The elephant seals are in the last stage of their molt and are quite lethargic only periodically arching their tail and head upwards and spinning on their belly to a more comfortable position or writhing on their back to shed their old fur. They do make frequent disgusting noises, from which end is uncertain, and stink like hell. Grux said it was like over frying bad liver. (No comment).

We took the requisite photographs at Shackleton's simple grave with a large elephant seal lying about 10 feet away just outside the white fence perfuming the air with his presence. Immediately beside the graveyard was a large collection of King Penguins which are apparently the same size as the Emperors, (which we haven't seen) but far more attractive with the bright lemony orange patches on their head and beak and yellowish upper chest. They strutted and posed for us from 20 feet away. The elephant seals would occasionally raise their head as if baying at the moon and make loud croaking calls. We stood for an hour mesmerized by the sight and smell of the wildlife that surrounded us, or at least the sight.

Regretfully we had to return to the wharf but not before some real excitement. As we retraced our steps on the path just above the beach where young fur seals were cavorting in the surf, the previously mentioned mother and her pup had had enough and were now chasing tourists. Can't blame them for that. It got somewhat comical as Dr. Stonehouse was sending people along the path and Captain Toomey was standing on the beach yelling at people to get off the path and walk the shore. Needless to say confusion resulted especially when the pup headed for the water and people had to walk between it and the mom. I was having fun photographing the chases and our tour guide, a ships officer, went to the rear to divert her attacks. When she went for his leg, he merely put his tour sign gently in front of her nose without touching her and when she lost sight of her target she lost all interest and returned to her pup. Maybe they should give tour signs to everyone.

After tendering back and enjoying lunch, a cigarette and the washroom (not in that order) we took many pictures from the deck of the gorgeous surroundings that were not apparent on sail in. The locals came out and set up shop in the art gallery and Ocean Bar for those who did not go ashore. The shipboard selection was quite limited. HAL had promoted the three-hour tour as being quite arduous entailing a three-mile walk to the cemetery over uneven and tussocky ground. This deterred many people from even going ashore and yet the entire walk was less than a mile in total over pleasant dirt or grass paths. I have been on worse fairways. Many were miffed when they heard how easy it was.To those who follow, go for the whole enchilada as getting up close and personal with the wildlife in their living room is not to be missed. The locals ate a ton and used the pool and hot tubs before departing in return for a most interesting lecture by one of the research scientists. He described the fishery, one of the richest and tightly managed in the world with the primary product being Patagonian Toothfish better known as Chilean Sea Bass

We departed somewhat early and followed a long S shaped path out of the superbly protected harbour past a huge glacier and watched clouds spilling over the mountains like a waterfall descending on the tiny settlement we had just left. I haven't seen anything like that since dawn at Haleakela on Maui. The Good Captain made up for our having missed the South Orkney Islands by giving us an extended close in tour of the Southwest coast of the island rather than heading northwest to sea as he could have. It was magnificent. We sailed by mist covered glaciered mountains still illuminated by the bright sun with thousands of penguins leaping about the ship and a great many fur seals doing likewise. We didn’t see any reindeer introduced by the Norweigans on the barren lower slopes where they thrive. We were trailed by many albatross varieties (I don't know the plural of albatross) including the Wandering Albatross which has a 6 to 8 foot wingspan. We gathered with a group of friends, including Deep Source on the aft apron of Deck 8 near the hot tub for hors d'oeuvres and other refreshments while sailing through tabular icebergs, growlers and bergy bits of predominantly green ice.

Our scenic cruising ended at Gold Harbour which has a huge population of King penguins as well as many Macaroni penguins. We did not see any of the latter close up but did see them in the water as they have a distinctly different swimming pattern than the King, more like bobbing. Just as we were leaving Gold Harbour to resume our North easterly path, a thick layer of ice fog descended like the curtain coming down at the end of a play. A fitting end to what in my opinion was a perfect day.

On reading some of the replies since my last post it appears I gave the impression that the Antarctic has been a hardship because of the weather. We have had 1 3/4 bad days out of 37 so far that have been disappointing but that is an incredibly good batting average. Grux was saying last night that she had not expected much from the Antarctic but after the day we just enjoyed on South Georgia, the stretch may turn out to be her favourite. HAL presented each of us World Voyagers with beautiful coffee table book of the Antarctic with embossed World Cruise logo. When we see in pictures what we missed, it does not seem as impressive as South Georgia which presented us with the best conditions Dr. Stonehouse has seen in 25 years. As was noted last evening “Grytviken is sh**- kickin”.

To Grumpy, yes we did have a live Super Bowl feed on three giant screens in the Queens Lounge. They had to fine tune the satellite dish and the Good Captain had to maintain a steady predetermined course which he did admirably as there was no break in the signal. There was a pool and a tailgate party that I missed because of late seating.

On to Tristan da Cunha, next Tuesday.and so…

Until that time…

Ides

[localady]

Bravo Ides!!

So good to hear that you and Grux found the trip to South Georgia a success!! Thanks for another entry in your fabulous round the world (well kinda) journey!!:D

[Grumpy1]

watched clouds spilling over the mountains like a waterfall descending on the tiny settlement we had just left. I haven't seen anything like that since dawn at Haleakela on Maui.

 

Ides, you must lead an exceptionally charmed life... to see the splendor of South Georgia Island AND sunrise over Haleakela. The sun did not rise over Haleakela, in any visable fashion, when Slinkie and I drove up there. High winds, everything shrouded in the clouds that NEVER get above the 7000ft level... yeah, right... and sleet blowing sideways. It didn't stop the ones that ride the bicycles down from the summit, but the Grumpy one has more sense than to try that...

 

Thanks for another fantastic report. We're looking forward to the continuing adventures.

[Cruiseoften]

Don't know if you avid readers have heard this nickname before. A few weeks ago I was on the Zuiderdam and was talking with one of the bartenders. I commented how nice it must be for crew members to be assigned to the Princedam. I said, All the travel and seeing the world....... He quickly responded.... We Holland America crew members call that ship :) The Prisondam :) .... I guess as a bartender the booze sales on those endless days of fog would be minimal compared alcohol consumption on a seven day trip in the sunny Carribean.... Hope someday to spend a month or two on " The Prisondam "

 

I'd have thought the reverse - a few extra drinks to wile away the foggy days :D

 

Please, please refrain from basterdizing the Princendam's name. I don't believe the two ships can in any way be compared. :-)

 

Well, that's MHO:)

[I Luv Crusin]

I've beening enjoying the entries. I've been keeping my DH posted and showed him the Shackleton post and now he wants to go! He's very interested in the Shackleton expedition.

 

But alas, we have 3 kids to get through college and debt to pay off. Maybe we can plan to do a cruise like this in about 20 years!:rolleyes:

 

BTW, how long is this cruise??

[Cruiseoften]

Ides - Today I brought us up to date - thank you so much for such interesting and informative posts.

 

I'm sure it's time consuming to compose and post all this information but we're certainly most appreciative.

 

Cruise on........ :)

[Pirate Scum]

Well I can now painfully admit that despite my initial laziness you have hooked yet another reader. 'Muther of Ides' is enjoying my bi-weekly oration of your journal and appreciates that I can decypher your black humour. Sounds like you're enjoying getting people's blood up, way to take the McManus show on the road. It does seem to sweeten the weather though, doesn't it? Ides of Muscle, Jock of March and I really lucked out on our Fuji climb and back in Ireland we witnessed a two week miracle.

 

Nothing much to report on the world of Sumo, unfortunatly. The next tournament will be running through the Ides of March starting on the 12th and the month is already feeling long. Go Mongolia. Luckily the next Backyard Basho is taking place on the 5th of March and we're expecting a good turn-out. Since you missed the last one, I thought I'd post link to one of my victories by 'pancake' to give you a taste of home while you dodge icebergs. For this alone, that friendly satalite of yours may just be worth it.

 

Pirate Scum

 

P.S: How come you didn't mention Gruxy's Travel Blog where she's been posting images of your trip? Perhaps you did mention it somewhere but a quick plug couldn't hurt. Although maybe you're trying to remain faceless while you bash the octogenarians, in which case I've blown your cover big-time.

[Nancyquilts]

Great report and pictures, as above, too. I want to be there! Have a marvelous time for all of us who aren't on the ship. Nancy

[Ides of March]

Preliminary Clarification

As you may have inferred the aptly named Pirate Scum is the eldest of my children for which I apologize. He references Muther of Ides who is of course the individual for whom I am primarilywriting this blog, Ides of Muscle who is son number two born on the Ides of March, and Jock of March who is my youngest daughter with no discernible connection to the month other than living through it once a year.

Since returning from Japan where he taught for 14 months after graduation, he has this fixation with Sumo which culminates monthly in a basho or tournament held in the snow in Muther's backyard where semi-naked young men and women throw each other about. Ahh…, “to be young and foolish yet” (try saying three times quickly). I invite you to ignore him as harmless hereafter.

He refers to the incredibly good weather that follows Grux and the writer when we travel which will now likely cease due to joss. I have been in Seattle about a dozen times sometimes for a week or more and have yet to see it rain.(We now consider everything our family there tells us as suspect) We backpacked Europe in 76 and brought a drought upon them with an hour of mist in two months. When Pirate Scum was seven, he bicycled down Haleakela with me in bright sunshine from top to bottom. I brought him to Ireland for two weeks in May when he turned 21 and it was 85° and sunny for two weeks, their best continuous stretch of weather in 42 years. While visiting him in Japan, he and his two referenced siblings ran up Mount Fuji and witnessed and almost cloudless sunrise a photo of which hangs by our fireplace in the living room of our cottage. This trip to date has followed the same pattern and it better continue if he has any hopes of inheritance.

He provided you with the URL of Grux’s blog which has now blown my cover on the ship. Chicago Johnny, one of our bright young ACD’s approached Grux last evening and said his mother has been following and asking if he knew who we were.(They seek him here… they seek him there….). I now must be far more circumspect in my reporting, the laws of defamation being what they are. Such a shame as I had such juicy tidbits to relate that now must be withheld. Pity. And now on with our saga….

Days 37 to 39 At Sea

The days went by in a decadent blur of trivia, movies, and overindulgence at meals. We had a very smooth ride thanks to a following sea that made it almost windless on deck for our walks. Temperatures rose daily as we watched the albatrosses and petrol's put on exhibitions of effortless gliding and soaring. We were constantly on the lookout for whales but they have proved as elusive as the British ladies who ride on top of the elevators to keep you advised of the deck you are on and which way you are going.

The highlight was Filipino night where the staff put on an excellent show for us. I particularly liked the Moslem Dance where participants stepped nimbly through long crisscrossed bamboo poles that were clapped together as an accelerating pace as the dance moved to its climax. The Philippino crew put a lot of work into the show and have been beaming at the avalanche of complements they are receiving.

The hottest topic of conversation was whether we would be able to go ashore in Tristan Da Cunha and it almost became a contest (of unspecified type you will notice) as to who had sailed by the most in the past being only able to wave to the 300 local inhabitants due to sea conditions. The consensus was that HAL had no intention of putting us ashore. I am not cynical by nature and thus kept a completely open mind on the subject.

Day 40 Edinburgh, Tristan Da Cunha The Most Isolated Settlement on Earth

The Good Captain apparently notified the ship at about 7 a.m. that we were arriving and I came to at about 7:40 a.m. with Grux having brought coffee and in her final preparation mode. Going on deck we encountered blue skies with a few puffy clouds, calm seas with but small ripples and a very modest 18 inch surge. A boat came out from shore and a lengthy meeting between the Good Captain and the Harbour Master was held. The cynics to whom I have previously referred said it was taking a long time to come up with a reason why we would not be going ashore. They noted there was no activity whatever around the lifeboat/tenders. I thought such a denial might provoke a mutiny because the conditions appeared so perfect. The Good Captain eventually came on the blower and explained that as it was low tide there was insufficient water in the small harbour to allow use of the tenders and a collective groan could be heard around the ship. After a dramatic pause he announced that the locals had agreed to provide two zodiacs that would ferry 10 passengers at a time to shore. There was then a stampede to the Queen's Lounge to sign the waiver and acquire tickets. The first group was at about 9:30 and the last at about 3 pm.

The Big Cunha as no one but me refers to it, is almost perfectly circular and 6 miles in diameter. It culminates in a single peak at its center 2062 m high. Most of the shore consists of vertical bluffs rising 800 feet out of the sea. There are no trees but the island is green almost to the peak with small scrub like vegetation and grass. Edinburgh sits on a tiny flat plateau or apron that is about 2 miles wide and perhaps three quarters of a mile deep. Half of this area is given over to the communal potato patch which is one of the few crops that can withstand the harsh storms. About 40 days per year the sea is calm enough to allow fishing for lobster which is then exported around the world. The locals otherwise subsist on the sale of stamps and government jobs and subsidies. The island was first settled with a British garrison as it was feared the French would use it as a staging point to free Napoleon who was exiled on St. Helena Island 1200 miles away. In 1961 the volcano located in the suburbs of town blew and the entire population fled first to the potato patch and then to England where they remained for two years before returning.

The fishermen told us that there are perhaps six to 14 days in the year when it is possible for the infrequent tourists to come ashore but the chance of having a visit coincide with the weather make it extremely rare. They are celebrating their Quincentenary this year which was to have been highlighted by a visit from the cruise ship RMS St. Helena but apparently that was aborted due to the low likelihood of being able to get the voyagers to land. Even the discoverer Tristao Da Cunha never made it ashore but we did.

The zodiac ride was great fun with two very able seaman of questionable personal hygiene. Luckily I rode on the bow. The Harbour is quite tight but even at low tide seemed of adequate depth. My guess is that the Good Captain was concerned that his fiberglass lifeboats might have been damaged in such tight quarters and with safety regulations this could impact on continuing the cruise. Probably a good call in the circumstances.

One walks up a steep road to reach the village which at first appears to be a collection of low cinderblock homes and shops with brightly coloured corrugated metal roofs. On closer inspection many of the homes have lava rock walls that have been mortared over. Originally they all had thatched roofs but thatch is hard to come by and tends to blow off in storms hence the conversion. The local pub did not open until 6 p.m. and the Governor not believing we would make it ashore had not granted a dispensation so we settled for canned South African beer in the café. There were several shops open selling handicrafts, mostly knitted goods and unfortunately most of the larger sizes of T-shirts and the like had been brought to the ship for sale and were gone when we returned. We visited the two churches, the school, the cemeteries where about five names predominated, talked to the very friendly locals who spoke in a difficult to understand British argot not unlike Cockney and admired the beautifully kept homes and flower gardens. Their soccer pitch outside the school is on a 20° angle from one net to the other so now we have seen the proverbial “uneven playing field”.

Most public buildings had videotape libraries as there is no television or Internet service on the island. With an average weekly income of 50 pounds sterling per individual and pensioners surviving on 12 pounds sterling no one is willing to invest in the necessary infrastructure. They do have satellite dishes for limited use in emergencies or for official business. Once a year they have a “Ratting Day” where the entire population scours the island to kill mice and rats with prizes being given for the most tails turned in at dusk. They have team averages per person which are published in the local newsletter. They are trying to eradicate the vermin to protect the seabird population whose nests and eggs the rodents destroy and consume. After a most pleasant two hour walk in bright sunshine without my Tilley hat which I forgot, we returned to the ship with my bald spot blazing. Brushing my hair this morning brought me awake instantly.

On sail away we circumnavigated the island passing nearby Inaccessible Island so named because it is all sheer cliffs and headed east for Africa. A Valentine's Day dinner was shared with the Grux in the Pinnacle and we were so pooped we couldn't stay up until the 10:15 p.m. Valentine's Day Ball.

Extremely pleasant because of the weather and most memorable because we made it ashore as opposed to what we actually saw there.

We now have three sea days as we traverse the 1500 nautical miles to the nearest major landmass, Cape Town South Africa, and civilization as we don't know it. I will try to post the least once during our stay there and so….

Until that time…

Ides

[arzz]

I do look forward to reading your reports. Thank you for the virtual cruise, and if you have the time, keep it coming. And do keep the good weather and continue to have a great cruise.

[RuthC]

Please don't ever think that because I'm not posting to this thread very much that I'm not enjoying it. I am enjoying it immensely.

Thank you for these delightful reports.

[mrssbi]

Ides, so sorry your cover was blown but I am thoroughly enjoying your posts and can't wait to see the pictures on the blog. I am saving the posts (as I did last year) for Johnny to have. Continue to enjoy your cruise.