The “Drake 'Monsta' Shake” continued its fury this morning, as I woke up from continuously broken sleep due to hard pounding of the waves. All outside decks were still closed as we walked to Deck 2 for breakfast this morning. Breakfast is a big buffet and I sure pigged out; there’s no shortage of food on this ship. As the Drake Passage pounded its fists this morning, there were two different lectures: one on penguins and the other on whales. Gentoo penguins are the only Antarctic species with an orange beak, and chinstrap penguins are aptly named, appearing as if they’re wearing a helmet. Humpback whales are the deepest-diving whales, going down to 3 km below the surface, whereas orca whales only dive a few dozen metres. Krill is the main source of the Antarctic food chain, and there are often concerns about overfishing of krill. The entire Antarctic food chain could collapse if too many krill are fished.
As we slept last night, we passed 60° south and into Antarctic territory. It’s a bit colder but I can still go out on deck comfortablly in shorts and a T-shirt. At 12:30 PM, Ruel, the main restaurant host, got on the intercom and said “I hope you’re all well, your lunch is served, and boooon appétit!” as his signature call. Yesterday I think the vast majority of us were MIA due to being seasick, but there wasn’t as much drama today, as a lot of us sat communally today. For lunch I opted for garden salad and vegetable cream soup as a starter, and farfalle primavera and lemon & garlic roasted chicken as my main. Dessert for lunch was an utterly divine white chocolate mousse with Bailey’s. One thing I have zero complaints about is the food; we’re sure to all gain a few pounds before we leave this ship. At around 1 PM, an announcement came: “we just spotted our first iceberg at 4 o’clock” but I spotted it beforehand. After lunch there was another lecture about early Antarctic explorers. Roald Amundsen was the first person to reach 90° south, and Robert Falcon Scott reached the South Pole only a few weeks later, only to perish on the Ross Ice Shelf on his return journey. By then I was feeling seasick, and I went to my cabin for a long rest. I had to attend a mandatory meeting regarding Zodiacs and International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) rules. There was one rule that really shocked me, and it’s that I can’t fly my drone in Antarctica without a permit. When I explained to Anja, the expedition leader, that my film director asked me specifically to shoot some film footage with my drone, she said I’m still not allowed to fly it. It’s absolutely heartbreaking to come all this way and spend all this money only to find I can’t fly Juliett over the White Continent. I’m sad and shocked at that rule! Anja has offered to write to my film director personally, but it’s not going to matter because she’s going to be very upset that I can’t shoot any footage in Antarctica. Anja explained that I’d need to apply for a permit at least a month or two in advance but it’s impossible when you book a trip to Antarctica only a few days ahead. I’ll have to say to my director, that we must get it in gear regarding going to Antarctica and do it the way we’ve always planned it! I want Fearless Journey going full steam; I’m sick of waiting! That’s why I didn’t wait because there’s a chance the film will never happen. Fighting back tears, I spotted some ice from the bridge on the port side, but I couldn’t muster enough energy to get out there. I’m supposed to be happy that I’m inching closer to Antarctica but I’m shocked and angered that I can’t complete a key component of my mission. With not much I can do, I went outside for some photos. One lady I’ve gotten to like on this journey is Yvonne, a gorgeous ex-model from LA who’s visiting Antarctica as her 6th continent (she still hasn't been to Australia). Her son is 18 and has Asperger’s, and his gift is technology. He wasn’t interested in going to Antarctica even though she invited him. Where was she when I wanted to go to Antarctica as a child? As I often do in Queenstown, I gave her a demonstration of my “pick-up hug.”
Before dinner the chefs came through the lounge offering sumptuous tapas and snacks.
What we saw as we travelled through the Nelson Channel wasn’t continental Antarctica, but the South Shetland Islands.
Our first landing site tomorrow will be the Great Wall scientific station, owned by China. On our expedition, there are 57 passengers from China and 51 from everywhere else. The Chinese group was getting a kick out of me walking around on deck in shorts whilst they were wearing their Poseidon parkas. After two nights of rocking back and forth in our sleep, we would drop anchor tonight. For dinner tonight, I had a starter of wonton soup, and the mains were so appealing I opted for two of them: braised lamb shank, and crepe Florentine. Dessert was a slice of opera cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. This journey is a must for anyone who loves to pamper themselves, whether they have a lot of money or simply because they need a break from backpacking and living off packet soups and ramen noodles. This is the good life, and after all my years of rigourous travel, I can say I deserve it! I’ll admit it was nice having dinner without the motion and without our drinks nearly going flying. After dinner it was time for the introduction of our crew. Georgina is a lovely lady from the Falkland Islands, and she knows many of the people I either met or stayed with. Though tonight many of us were out and about more, I think we’re all very tired from the Drake crossing. Many people turned in early tonight. Tomorrow, we’re officially setting foot on Antarctica (well, the South Shetland Islands) and later in the evening we’re having the Captain’s Welcome.
I feel it’s about time we get off the ship and start exploring Antarctica! I will not say I’ve been to all seven continents until my two feet are planted on the Antarctic continent.
