Date - 17 November, 2016
Weather - Overcast and cold
Seas - Choppy
At yesterday's briefing we were told that the ship would reach open waters from Ushuaia in approximately five hours. At eleven o'clock last night we could tell that we had indeed reached open waters as the ship moved in all directions. Between two and three o'clock there was a wind that came in from the corner of the ship and it caused it to corkscrew through the water. The conditions were considered mild by the crew but none of us thought so!
Our sleep was broken due to the movement of the ship and we either were slipping sideways or up and down in our bunks. We both woke feeling queasy and Henk felt much better after having a continental breakfast at seven o'clock. He said there very few at breakfast. As I was about to leave for breakfast I didn't feel great and returned to the bunk. Later after my meagre breakfast and returning to the cabin I was sick and stayed in the bunk until the mandatory briefing on the zodiac. If we wanted to go ashore we needed to attend the briefing so I had no choice but to attend.
After being sick a couple of more times Henk contacted the doctor and I was soon feeling much better after a jab of Phenurgan. I then slept most of the day whilst Henk attended lectures and the gym. The two lectures were "Seabirds of the Southern Ocean" and "Geology of the Scotia Arc".
The sick bags are placed frequently throughout the ship and are clearly labelled in all languages - sickness bag, spuckbuetel, sacchetto vomito and sac vomitoire!
We had another mandatory lecture in the afternoon on the IAATO and the historical developments of the Falkland Islands. It was very interesting to get the Argentinean and the British perspective over the rights to ownership of the islands. We saw Lorraine whom we met on the plane from Auckland and she wasn't feeling great so Henk took her to the doctor where she received Phenurgan tablets.
Each evening and prior to dinner at seven thirty there will usually be a recap of the day and a briefing for the next day. Whilst breakfast and lunch are buffet style the dinner is an a la carte menu with a wide range of delicious choices. After not eating during the day I really enjoyed the dinner. Tonight we shared the table with the Tasmanian couple, Christine and Graham and we had a long chat about our previous travels. They are a much-travelled couple and have been to fascinating places.
The ship is certainly not a cruise ship but is functional and comfortable with a number of shared areas including the library/coffee lounge, dining area, two large lounges, an enclosed viewing area and gym. Our cabin with twin bunks is large and it has a large window overlooking the deck and good views out to the sea between the lifeboats.
Tomorrow, after a day of sailing we land on West Point Island and Saunders Island which are part of the Falkland Islands. It will be exciting getting on the zodiac and going ashore to see the wildlife.
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