February 6, 2019

The Antarctic Experience Day 4

I awoke to see King George Island (which is part of the South Shetland Islands) outside my window.  As with most of this area it was first visited by sealers.  It only took a couple of years for the seals to be wiped out.  Today it is home to year-round stations run by Argentina, Chile, Russia, China, South Korea, Poland, Uruguay, and Brazil (although some sources add Peru and the US).  It is also home to the Antarctica Marathon held since 1995.

I was once again up early enough to get my favorite pancake breakfast in the Lido (they stop serving at 10).  I read some and then Pat came up and we knitted together.  She finished the baby sweater she finished in less than a week (after many protestations of “I can’t knit”).

We made a bookmark in arts and crafts but had to run out because half of us had the mandatory meeting for going ashore at Grytviken, South Georgia.  Yesterday we received notification of the procedure to go ashore there.  Here is part of the notification:

1.  You will need to attend a 30-minute biosecurity briefing in the Showroom at Sea

2.  You will need to present all clothing, shoes, and other items you intend to bring ashore for a biosecurity check where these items will be inspected and if necessary cleaned of all dirt and contaminants that might be present.

3.  You will need to sign an affidavit after you have passed the biosecurity check.

4.  You will need to pick up a shore pass that will state your chosen departure time window and will give you a two hour period ashore to visit the sites. 

Please note that if any of the first three items are not completed you will not be permitted to go ashore regardless of having collected a shore pass.  Attendance for both the briefing and biosecurity check will be taken.  Bring your stateroom keycard for scanning.

The meeting clarified that only your outer clothing, shoes/boots, canes, and any backpack/bag that you plan to carry need to be screened.  People had been going around all day saying that underwear needed screening but that was not true.

When the meeting was over we were approaching Elephant Island.  It was named because of the elephant seals seen by early explorers.  It is best noted as the place where Ernest Shackleton and his crew sought refuge after their ship was lost in the ice in 1916.  Shackleton and five of his crew would make the 800 mile journey (just as we are doing only they did it in an open lifeboat) to South Georgia Island.

I bundled up and headed out to my deck.  Just pass the island was a massive iceberg that was over a mile long.  The captain took us through a field of small, loose ice pieces and we were able to get close up to the berg.  Awe-inspiring and terrifying at the same time.

Hopefully, this will be our last day with only one trivia (I am having major withdrawal).  We had 12 out of 17 and tied for the win with another team but lost the tiebreaker.

1) Galileo described what liquid as “light held together with water”?

2) What two letters are not on a standard phone?

3) What non-mechanical sport achieves the highest speed?

4) What Edward Budding invention started changing the landscape of England in the 1820s?

5) Which energy source provides most of the electrical power in France?

Only 7 present for dinner.  I had a salad, watermelon, fried chicken and a sundae for dessert.

The show tonight was Nick Page, a singer of contemporary and classical music.

We have left the Antarctic behind and are heading north again.

King George Island

research center being built

two more stations (above and below)

The tiny red building just to the right of the boat is the Ecuadorian research center

Elephant Island

ice we passed through

mile long iceberg

the same iceberg as above but at two different angles (above and below)

I have heard about Wang-Wangs for years but never tried one.  Pat ordered one and let us all taste it.  One would make me drunk! (recipe: 1/4 oz Vodka, 1/4 oz Gin, 1/4 oz White Rum, 1/4 oz Scotch, 1/4 oz Bourbon, 1/4 oz Tequila, 1/4 Triple Sec, 1/4 oz Brandy)

Explosion box from yesterday's arts and crafts

opened 

Trivia

1) Wine

2) Q and Z

3) Sky-diving

4) Lawn mower

5) Nuclear

Smooth sailing until next time!