Wednesday, January 10th, 2018
Thurstday, January 11th, 2018

Day 9 and 10 of G Adventures – Antarctica Classic – Booking code: XVCASX

Finally Antaractic weather. A storm is coming into the Drakes passage from the West with waves up to 7 meters as we want to cross. We are told to secure valuable things and to take out the V shaped foam wedges from under the beds and put them on the outer side under the matresses. This is to stay in the bed as soon as the ship starts to roll. I like the ships movement, it is like a baby swing and puts me to sleep in seconds. Crew and guests are getting less visible, even if a lot carries since the beginning of our journey the anti-sea-sickness patch behind the ear. 

There is a lot of lectures over the two days of drakes passage crossing with a finally “Happy feet” cinema and a captains farewell cocktail. 

The russian captain gives a remarkable recap speech.

The program for the next days is primary lectures:

The Weather forecast for the drakes passage is not fine. Surface wind up to 40 knots, Barometer falling right to the “drake shake” passage:

Crew availibility gets reduced, less and less passengers show up to the lecures. Bow is closed because of heavy waves over bow, which could spill away passengers.

I go and torture the ergometer, a place where you hold on permanently with 2 legs and 2 hands. Above 200 watts it is irrelevant in which direction you pedal. Others run 20 km behind me, holding on with both hands to the treadmill. 

Afterwards I go in the sauna. It’s finally mine alone. Will I ever get not cold? I sleep more than any night in the last 6 months.

Finally waves get flat aagain, we pass cape horn with view on a sail yacht and sail into the beagle channel again.

In the evening we qwirkle with Heather and Ben again – some fabulous competitive, strategic qwirklers. Sometimes i am lucky.

Most time Heather is super lucky …

We arrive in Ushuaia again on January 11th at night, pack our stuff in our backbags. The last night Kim from DC, US joins very friendly and smiling but even more tactical our qwirkle rounds. Today is our last night on the vessel, tomorrow we’ll leave. Ushuaia is blue sky …

I go to the cash machine, it is already possible to leave the boat …