At Sea en route to the Falkland Islands
Whew! Who knew the ends of the earth lie so far away? We finally made it aboard the ship yesterday. And after spanning nearly half the globe, several airports, seemingly a bazillion air miles (that of course the airlines will later tell us only amounted to about 500 or so!), and nearly two full days of travel time; I think we were all delighted to have an easy beginning to the voyage with a day at sea. Not only that, thankfully it will be almost 2006 before any of us have to go through another one of those oh-so efficient airport security checkpoints because we have now officially begun our three-week adventure in the Southern Ocean, which just so happens to include a few stops in some pretty neat places along the way. Our first stop, in fact, is just a day away as we will reach the western isles of the Falkland archipelago tomorrow morning. In the meantime, we spent the day recuperating from our flights, unpacking our things, and getting acquainted with all things Lindblad.
We were introduced to the ship’s layout and amenities, as well as many of its officers and crew. The expedition staff made themselves known too, and some even jumped right into expedition mode by giving presentations on the photographic highlights of the upcoming voyage. And though this is indeed a photo expedition, others made sure we didn’t forget the area’s natural history by sharing their knowledge of the prolific birdlife and the Falkland Islands.
Of course, while it was a restful day for us, the ship’s crew was hard at work behind the scenes to welcome us all in style. We toasted the ship and each other at Captain Skog’s cocktail party, and then finished the day with an excellent dinner complete with the confectionary delights seen here. The ship’s baker, Sebastian Schilbach, started his day at 4 am in order to get everything prepared to perfection, like these delectable petits fours, truffles, and bonbons; all of which will prove to be a vital energy source for our long, and rigorous “expedition into the Antarctic!”
Whew! Who knew the ends of the earth lie so far away? We finally made it aboard the ship yesterday. And after spanning nearly half the globe, several airports, seemingly a bazillion air miles (that of course the airlines will later tell us only amounted to about 500 or so!), and nearly two full days of travel time; I think we were all delighted to have an easy beginning to the voyage with a day at sea. Not only that, thankfully it will be almost 2006 before any of us have to go through another one of those oh-so efficient airport security checkpoints because we have now officially begun our three-week adventure in the Southern Ocean, which just so happens to include a few stops in some pretty neat places along the way. Our first stop, in fact, is just a day away as we will reach the western isles of the Falkland archipelago tomorrow morning. In the meantime, we spent the day recuperating from our flights, unpacking our things, and getting acquainted with all things Lindblad.
We were introduced to the ship’s layout and amenities, as well as many of its officers and crew. The expedition staff made themselves known too, and some even jumped right into expedition mode by giving presentations on the photographic highlights of the upcoming voyage. And though this is indeed a photo expedition, others made sure we didn’t forget the area’s natural history by sharing their knowledge of the prolific birdlife and the Falkland Islands.
Of course, while it was a restful day for us, the ship’s crew was hard at work behind the scenes to welcome us all in style. We toasted the ship and each other at Captain Skog’s cocktail party, and then finished the day with an excellent dinner complete with the confectionary delights seen here. The ship’s baker, Sebastian Schilbach, started his day at 4 am in order to get everything prepared to perfection, like these delectable petits fours, truffles, and bonbons; all of which will prove to be a vital energy source for our long, and rigorous “expedition into the Antarctic!”
