Today is a great day to get things done! The seas between the Falkland Islands and Ushuaia are relatively mild, just perfect for going over pictures to share with shipmates and to submit for the official voyage slideshow. The conditions are also nice for packing and a bit of partying in the evening!
Outside it is 360° of overcast skies, not stormy, not dark, but the kind of sky that merges perfectly with the sea all along the horizon. I always like being at sea with no land in sight, it makes for a timeless journey, perhaps with a beginning and an end, but otherwise it is just now.
But there is more for today than just packing and being productive, there are presentations from the staff, just a few more words and a lot more images… “Is that a giant South Pacific clown fish on the side of the Vatican?”
In the afternoon we are passing between Staten Island and the South American mainland. This was a very dangerous moment for sailing ships navigating around South America, perhaps heading towards Cape Horn. From this direction it was known as “going the wrong way” around the Horn, against the wind and waves. Many a ship was lost taking the ‘shortcut,’ the channel between island and mainland. Many more ships fought a desperate battle beating against the wind and seas. However, on National Geographic Explorer it was just another pretty passage along the edge of the world.
Then, at six o’clock the official voyage slideshow starts, great images enjoyed with hors d'oeuvre and drinks gifted by our Captain, Oliver Kruess. Never a shy man of few words, the Captain provides an entertaining overview of the voyage and introduces a few of the people working on the ship who are usually unseen. Next, it is off to dinner with the town of Ushuaia just before us, the circle almost complete. Perhaps Ushuaia is the same as we left it, but I do not think we are, so much seen, heard, and smelled, our personal murals are bigger and brighter than ever!
