Sleep was punctuated with the drawers on the desk flying open last night, yet all I could do was laugh everytime it happened. I was spending my first ever night on a ship! This had to be part of the package. I woke up to the dulcet tones of Brad Rhees -- our expedition leader -- informing us of our current position, the outside temperature (4 degrees), the height of the waves (still 10 metres), and welcoming us to what is known as the "Drake Shake".
I felt fine waking up, and proceeded to get up to get dressed, thinking I was ready to spend my first day at sea! Upon trying to get dressed without being tossed around the room, I was required to take a rest between socks to calm a queasy stomach; another rest between t-shirt and sweater; and one more rest after getting dressed, before I was able to get the fortitude to actually leave my cabin on the bottom floor of the boat and make my way up the two flights of stairs to the main lounge. Needless to say, breakfast wasn't on my menu this morning!
I made it upstairs and proceeded straight outside to the stern deck for some fresh air. Water everywhere! The deck was a bit slippery with waves crashing all around, but being able to see the horizon and breathe in the fresh sea air was helpful! I saw my first black-browed albatross and blue petrels following behind the boat.
Going back inside, I visited a bit with the very few others who had ventured from their cabins this morning but all of the sudden.....
It was back out to the deck and gone was the leftovers from my last meal! But again, all I could do was laugh, and hope that no one had seen the terribly unnattractive sight of a young woman leaning over the side of the deck first thing in the morning! So it was back to my cabin for a sleep.
The expedition team were giving lectures in the main lounge this morning, and I was so pleased to find out that they broadcast the lectures to each cabin, where the lovely scottish lilt of Carol, the historian, told us about some of the first explorers to visit the icy continent.
I managed to make it back up for a little bit of ginger-carrot soup for lunch, and then it was back to my bunk to listen to Geoff -- the on-board ornithologist from Ontario -- tell us "How to Make the Perfect Bird". After another little nap I managed to make it back up to the main deck for some more sea air, a light supper, and we watched the first part of a movie about Shackleton! How appropriate!
After another big sleep tonight I hope things will be better for tomorrow. We've also been told that the seas should be calmer. I'm looking forward to New Years Eve...we've got a party to attend!
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