An Epic Voyage
Today was “another beautiful day in the Tropical Atlantic,” however great sadness is settling in over the National Geographic Endeavour as we come to the final days of our incredible Atlantic Ridge adventure. Today we crossed the Tropic of Cancer, truly a signal that we are approaching the end. Tomorrow we will arrive in Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, and the next morning disembark from the Endeavour.
Providing a festive mood today was the farewell cocktail party given by Captain Lampe. Guests and crew turned out adorned in their finest duds. Awards were presented for the GeoBee, Lisa Lagerström and Ian Bullock serenaded us with a somewhat modified version of “Wouldn’t it be Luverly,” and Captain Lampe introduced members of the crew and provided some fascinating statistics from the trip – among them 7654 nautical miles covered, 1174 cubic meters of water consumed.
Competition was another order of the day in the final round of the GeoBee. Winning top honors, and $5000 in travel from Lindblad, was Bob Petrik. Ed Slaby was second, and won a $3000 certificate. Fourth place honors, and $1500 in travel, went to Robert Gould. Tom Bowen came in fifth, and won $500. Others in the championship round of the Bee were Dick Binns, Bob Hulse, Mark Kelly, Sue Read and Grace Schaible.
On March 9, on our first day at sea out of Ushuaia, Expedition Leader Jim Kelley promised us “an epic voyage…a real, old-fashioned sea voyage.” It has been truly that -- and much more. At the beginning of the trip we were all familiar with the itinerary, and not a few of the passengers were a bit apprehensive about the length of the voyage. Several of the passengers had been on the Atlantic Ridge expedition previously, but none of us were aware of how truly fortunate we would be with the weather, which has allowed landings on all of the islands.
As we prepare to disembark there are even some mildly serious suggestions that we should continue the voyage. Why not mutiny, take over the Endeavour, and make it truly an “Islands of the Atlantic Ridge” trip by heading all the way to the northernmost of the islands on the Ridge – Iceland?
Also, none of us could have predicted how well the passengers have bonded. The apprehension that is felt about arriving at the end of the journey is not just because this great adventure will come to an end, but also because we will be leaving newfound friends and breaking up this seagoing family. Sharing adventures, as we have, makes the bonds of friendship much stronger, and this has truly been “an epic voyage.”
The incredible wildlife we have seen, the mind-expanding lectures we have heard – some have likened it to a seagoing university, the truly great photographs we have shot and seen shot by others, the fascinating cultures we have visited, the belt-expanding meals served in the Endeavour’s dining room, the terrific staff and crew – all of these things will make the end of the voyage traumatic, and provide the lasting memories of this journey of a lifetime.
Today was “another beautiful day in the Tropical Atlantic,” however great sadness is settling in over the National Geographic Endeavour as we come to the final days of our incredible Atlantic Ridge adventure. Today we crossed the Tropic of Cancer, truly a signal that we are approaching the end. Tomorrow we will arrive in Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, and the next morning disembark from the Endeavour.
Providing a festive mood today was the farewell cocktail party given by Captain Lampe. Guests and crew turned out adorned in their finest duds. Awards were presented for the GeoBee, Lisa Lagerström and Ian Bullock serenaded us with a somewhat modified version of “Wouldn’t it be Luverly,” and Captain Lampe introduced members of the crew and provided some fascinating statistics from the trip – among them 7654 nautical miles covered, 1174 cubic meters of water consumed.
Competition was another order of the day in the final round of the GeoBee. Winning top honors, and $5000 in travel from Lindblad, was Bob Petrik. Ed Slaby was second, and won a $3000 certificate. Fourth place honors, and $1500 in travel, went to Robert Gould. Tom Bowen came in fifth, and won $500. Others in the championship round of the Bee were Dick Binns, Bob Hulse, Mark Kelly, Sue Read and Grace Schaible.
On March 9, on our first day at sea out of Ushuaia, Expedition Leader Jim Kelley promised us “an epic voyage…a real, old-fashioned sea voyage.” It has been truly that -- and much more. At the beginning of the trip we were all familiar with the itinerary, and not a few of the passengers were a bit apprehensive about the length of the voyage. Several of the passengers had been on the Atlantic Ridge expedition previously, but none of us were aware of how truly fortunate we would be with the weather, which has allowed landings on all of the islands.
As we prepare to disembark there are even some mildly serious suggestions that we should continue the voyage. Why not mutiny, take over the Endeavour, and make it truly an “Islands of the Atlantic Ridge” trip by heading all the way to the northernmost of the islands on the Ridge – Iceland?
Also, none of us could have predicted how well the passengers have bonded. The apprehension that is felt about arriving at the end of the journey is not just because this great adventure will come to an end, but also because we will be leaving newfound friends and breaking up this seagoing family. Sharing adventures, as we have, makes the bonds of friendship much stronger, and this has truly been “an epic voyage.”
The incredible wildlife we have seen, the mind-expanding lectures we have heard – some have likened it to a seagoing university, the truly great photographs we have shot and seen shot by others, the fascinating cultures we have visited, the belt-expanding meals served in the Endeavour’s dining room, the terrific staff and crew – all of these things will make the end of the voyage traumatic, and provide the lasting memories of this journey of a lifetime.
