Cape Horn
Today is our last full day aboard ship and at mid-day we arrived at Isla Hornos with the steep rocky headland, Cape Horn, facing south. At the very southern tip of South America, it was named Hoorn for the birthplace of the Dutch navigator Willem Corneliszoon Schouten, who rounded it in 1616. We were able to cruise close to the shore and see the sculpture that stands atop the hillside. Cutouts in steel plates outline the form of a wandering albatross upon whose wings ride the souls of mariners lost in the tempestuous southern seas.
How does one summarize an expedition such as this? Some of the statistics of our voyage are as follows. Our engines burned 57,276 gallons of fuel. Our showers, wash basins and other shipboard fresh water consumption totaled more than a quarter of a million gallons, or 45 tons per day. Our galley served 11,340 meals during our trip and when we dock in Ushuaia we will have put more than 4000 miles beneath our keel. In just three weeks time we’ve made fast friends and shared the joy of exploration and the wealth of our collective experiences.
The green hills of Cape Horn welcome us back from Antarctica. While we pack away our clothing, our memories remain clear and strong in our minds’ eye. The grandeur of the scenery, the huge penguin colonies, the wallows of elephant seals were all recorded in film and digital images. In each of us now reside the memories that are unique. At will we can recall those images and relive the moments. The Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica each provide their own richness. What drew each one of us here to undertake this voyage? What stands out in each individual experience? Shackleton said, “what the ice gets, the ice keeps.” Was he simply referring to his doomed ship, or was there a larger meaning in the words? Has the ice and all that is Antarctica now “got us”? Have we tired of seeing tabular bergs and tide water glaciers? Have we had enough of the penguin’s antics? Are we sated with the snow covered peaks and turquoise waters we have seen? Have we had our fill of Antarctica, or will we find ourselves thirsty for more and feel compelled to return? The ice bergs and the teeming masses of wildlife and the splendors will all be here next year. And next season the Endeavour will make her yearly return to the Great White South. Will you be back with her?
Today is our last full day aboard ship and at mid-day we arrived at Isla Hornos with the steep rocky headland, Cape Horn, facing south. At the very southern tip of South America, it was named Hoorn for the birthplace of the Dutch navigator Willem Corneliszoon Schouten, who rounded it in 1616. We were able to cruise close to the shore and see the sculpture that stands atop the hillside. Cutouts in steel plates outline the form of a wandering albatross upon whose wings ride the souls of mariners lost in the tempestuous southern seas.
How does one summarize an expedition such as this? Some of the statistics of our voyage are as follows. Our engines burned 57,276 gallons of fuel. Our showers, wash basins and other shipboard fresh water consumption totaled more than a quarter of a million gallons, or 45 tons per day. Our galley served 11,340 meals during our trip and when we dock in Ushuaia we will have put more than 4000 miles beneath our keel. In just three weeks time we’ve made fast friends and shared the joy of exploration and the wealth of our collective experiences.
The green hills of Cape Horn welcome us back from Antarctica. While we pack away our clothing, our memories remain clear and strong in our minds’ eye. The grandeur of the scenery, the huge penguin colonies, the wallows of elephant seals were all recorded in film and digital images. In each of us now reside the memories that are unique. At will we can recall those images and relive the moments. The Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica each provide their own richness. What drew each one of us here to undertake this voyage? What stands out in each individual experience? Shackleton said, “what the ice gets, the ice keeps.” Was he simply referring to his doomed ship, or was there a larger meaning in the words? Has the ice and all that is Antarctica now “got us”? Have we tired of seeing tabular bergs and tide water glaciers? Have we had enough of the penguin’s antics? Are we sated with the snow covered peaks and turquoise waters we have seen? Have we had our fill of Antarctica, or will we find ourselves thirsty for more and feel compelled to return? The ice bergs and the teeming masses of wildlife and the splendors will all be here next year. And next season the Endeavour will make her yearly return to the Great White South. Will you be back with her?
