Day 3 Santiago – Chile to Ushuaia -Argentina – Joining the Ship Orion
Today Tuesday 16th a 4.00AM wake up call was scheduled ……was not required as I was awake at 2.30AM and never got back to sleep Ahhhhhhh! We were advised at the briefing the night before that we should put our non carry on bags outside the hotel room door between 9-11PM as they would be collected. The next time we would see them will be in our cabin onboard Orion. Efficient methinks, we were also reminded that you need clothes for the next day, so don’t pack them and we are reminded that carry on baggage rules on LAN Airways are strictly enforced. So I think great must pack all the clothes I am wearing to minimize carry on. Now the fun starts, pack my bag put it outside my room door …what happens as I put it out? You’ve guessed it the door slammed behind me! What am I wearing? Yep a tee shirt and pair of pants – is there a phone nearby nop!! So I have to walk to a conference room to find a phone, which is, about 100 meters away. I do hope I don’t meet anyone on-route in my call for Help!! So that was that, did not meet anyone and was let back into my room Phew! But there is more I walk out of my room at 4.00AM only to find my bag and few others still outside my room Ahhhhhhh! All the bags that had been outside all the other rooms gone – mine and the other room in the cul-de-sac like corridor I was in completely missed …any ways staff were very apologetic, and sorted it but for the rest of the day I am thinking will my bag be in cabin 322 when I get to the ship?
Next we were all coached to the airport (104 guests) to catch our plane that no one realized was a three-hour flight departing at 7.50AM – Flight was fine
Left the flight and took a bus tour of Ushuaia then joined Catamaran after travelling through the Ushuaia National Park then down the Beagle River to meet the Orion in port.
Boarded the ship then various talks including safety briefings and dinner – impressed with the ship and the organization. Sailed overnight down Drakes Passage, a little choppy have to hold on when you walk around but OK – Day 4 of my travels, Day 2 on the ship is at sea all day as we head toward the Antarctic Peninsular, various talks you can attend today, so looking forward to that.
Internet access is OK but delivery on blog may be random not regular but do look out – thanks for reading.
Day 4 – Drakes Passage – All At Sea
Today a very different as I mentioned, we sailed overnight south from effectively Cape Horn, probably a name you will know towards the Peninsula through Drakes Passage names after Sir Frances Was up early and while I awoke in the night a few times and the ship, albeit well stabilized, she was rolling!! Got up early went t one of the viewing areas on an upper deck wake and went outside on deck – lovely on deck sun rising , all you can see is Sea and the ship pitching and rolling in three to four meter rolling waves (I was told size later) mmmmm then it all went a bit pear shaped…..started to feel a tad yicky, felt tat way for a few hours but them was OK …lot of people turned out the same way plus learning to walk on a rolling ship.
It is difficult to make the day sound exiting but it was, and I am sure some people will go he did what ? From a program perspective I went to three lectures first Ocean Wanderers – Seabirds of the Southern Ocean, second Photograph, third The story of the Antarctica Continent – of the Southern Oceans.
The big takeaways from today include the number of Seabirds that followed the ship especially in the morning including huge (three meter wingspan) Wandering Albatrosses and Storm Petrels. The weather was great blue skies still the rolling sea though!! Was good to then learn about the distances these birds fly every year and how they live. The photography session was equally good with great tips and some amazing photographs taken by the onboard naturalists and professional National Geographic photographers, followed by small group Q&A sessions, only had my camera of 8 years know how to use it !!!! The last lecture was by a guy who originally joined Lindblad the man and founder of Lindblad operation. He told us all about the Antarctica the body of land and ice.
We are told that the Orion is progressing well is these calm seas (Yea right !!) and we may make The South Shetlands (no Honey not Scotland!) by tomorrow afternoon and get ashore, early afternoon we should start to see ice…. So based on this first thing in the morning we have a mandatory rules and safety briefing for going ashore – as we were advised of this they said but it OK, if you feel unwell when its on, you can watch it from you cabin live on the TV….to which I thought great “how do you do that with your head down the toilet ? Here’s hoping I see the live version….Will be in touch.
(PS hope to inset photo’s but being technically challange on that think its the slow internet speed but will try to sort asap sorry for that)