128 Days Around the World

February 2, 2020

Antarctic Experience – Day 4

Captain Mercer made an announcement (right into the cabins so you know it is important) at 8:30 am that our plans for scenic cruising were scuttled and we would be heading back towards South America. Visibility was at 200 meters and the fog made seeing anything for the first half of the day impossible. Things cleared a little in the late afternoon but went back to cloudy and foggy by sunset time.

The entire ship was cold for most of the day. We met for knitting in the Piano Bar and had to move away from the windows to get a little extra warmth. Judy (Bob), Judy (Lee), Sherita, and I were joined by Sherry (who had not knitted with us before). Finally, around noon I went back to my cabin to warm up and work on my Linus blanket.

After lunch in the Lido, we made snowflake earrings (in honor of the snow we saw yesterday) in Arts & Crafts. I was still cold afterwards so I had a mug of hot chocolate. As with many things, the hot chocolate situation is feast or famine. For a number of days the packets had disappeared and then yesterday they had the large containers of pre-made hot chocolate. Today there were both.

Starting to warm up with the chocolate I did some more work on my Linus blanket in my cabin (where it is toasty) before going to afternoon trivia which was back in the Crow’s Nest. Rich joined Diana, Marilyn, Rodney, and me. We had 13 out of 18 but the winners had 17.

1.What is the most westerly capital of mainland Europe?

2.How many people have run the 200 meters in less than 19 seconds?

3.Which statesman was captured by Boers while a war correspondent and hit by a car in Times Square?

4.What former planet was demoted to dwarf planet status in 2006?

5.In Rocky, Apollo Creed was known as the “Count of Monte ____”.

6.What Fortune 500 company is named after a character in Moby Dick?

I braved the elements and walked along the outside of deck 9 to get to the aft elevators. After I started getting ready for the evening, the Captain announced that we were going to pass two very large icebergs – one on the port side and one on the starboard side. Instead of rushing to get dressed I took a picture out of my cabin window of the starboard one.

After dinner I walked down to the Mainstage to get some pictures of the festivities for the Super Bowl. There were not nearly as many decorations as in the past but there was plenty of food and drink to be had and everyone seemed to be having a great time. I was told you could get seats in the front which came with unlimited beverages for $55. I stopped and talked with Stephanie and Linc (we were at the same dinner table for half of the 2018 GWV) who were rooting for the 49ers.

One more full day at sea before we get into Ushuaia Tuesday afternoon instead of Wednesday morning (due to missing the Falklands). With not much too see on the last two days, quite a few people will be happy to be on land after nine full days at sea.

Trivia

1.Lisbon

2.none

3.Winston Churchill

4.Pluto

5.Fisto

6.Starbucks