The Caledonian Star makes her way through a remarkably docile Drake Passage on this first day of the New Year. Today it is more like "Drake Lake." On board, we have time to let our minds wander, like the albatrosses that soar around us. We relive and digest some of the remarkable events of this journey that still has adventures ahead, in the Falkland Islands. This has been an experience that is personal. Each of us filters the seemingly endless wonders of the last two weeks through our individual histories.
For me, the highlight has been the day that we spent below the Antarctic Circle. When Captain Skog showed me the satellite maps of the ice locations, it appeared that we could visit areas that are rarely accessible. As I grew more and more excited, the captain brought me back to earth with warnings that currents and winds could clog narrow passages with ice and we could be turned back with little to show for our efforts. But I also saw the twinkle in his eyes and his smile of anticipation - we both knew that we were going south. I wrote to the Lindblad Expeditions office at the end of that day that it was the single most outstanding day in my ten years of expedition travel. Take a risk and you may be rewarded.
On behalf of Captain Leif Skog and the crew, as well as the expedition team, we wish you an exciting and adventuresome New Year.
