Calm seas again! We are headed toward Ushuaia and the seas are being good to us for a second Drake crossing. The Christmas carols have been sung, the presents have been opened, the Minora candles are being lit and the building-sized icebergs are behind us.
Today has been a day of reflection. Photos are being evaluated, shared, and marked as favorites. The Pintado petrels flying beside our ship have become familiar symbols of the expedition. We are reminded of how exotic they seemed just a week ago. Now we have shared their home, seen their nests, and watched them live day by day.
Today we slept late with visions of penguins in our dreams. After breakfast we heard a lecture by Marylou Blakeslee about how the Antarctic was formed and why it looks the way it does. Admittedly, some watched this from the comfort of their bunks, skipping breakfast altogether. The afternoon arrived quickly and Adam Cropp presented the science of climate change and how the Antarctic has been, and continues to be effected by warming temperatures.
Tea time tempted us with apple strudel and delicious small sandwiches. Some watched the day from the bridge. The glowing computer screens sent electronic information while the water rocked us on and on. Others enjoyed games in the Observation Lounge played with new found friends. Historian Andrew Atkin brought us on a historic journey to find the magnetic South Pole through his story telling and images.
All too soon it was dinnertime. Yet one more treat awaited us. Our after dinner program made movie stars of us through the skill of our video chronicler, Taylor Butz. We relived a portion of our last week, our Antarctic adventure, our holiday treasure for 2016.
