Saturday, January 25, 2014

Saturday, 25 January, 2014

Another beautiful day in the South Atlantic with calm seas, beautiful crisp blue skies, and much warmer temperatures than what we've been experiencing. We're still en-route to Punta de Este, Uruguay, with an expected arrival of 8AM tomorrow morning. We'll then be tendered from our ship for a day in the beautiful beach side resort city. Today we enjoyed Dr. Michael Wilcox's final lecture of the cruise, this time on John Harrison, the man who invented chronometers which enabled early sea navigators to finally overcome the greatest challenge of their time, exactly how to accurately estimate their longitudinal positions while crossing the oceans of the world. He was followed by a Q&A hour with our 5 Antarctic experts. Both seminars were very interesting, and we're all going to miss the time we've share with these experts. 

We finished the day of on board entertainment with an hour of Elvis Presley, which was performed by our own Fun For Less tour guide Kerry Summers. Marla and I are not necessarily Elvis fans, but we have to admit that Kerry put on a really good show. He is also an excellent magician and ventriloquist and has done shows on both of those also. 

Dinner followed a short time later and this was another one of those to remember. It began with a huge orange shrimp cocktail, then Escargot Bourguignon in a garlic butter Burgundy wine sauce. I've never eaten snails before, and they were actually very good. Chilled Anjou Pear soup soon followed, and then came the entree. Tonight we enjoyed Rock Lobster Tail and Filet Mignon, again, with garlic-butter mushroom Basmati rice and sauteed mixed vegetables. Dessert was Pineapple sorbet for Marla and I succumbed and enjoyed rhubarb crisp topped with vanilla ice cream. Oh my goodness. We're really being spoiled and need to leave this scene pretty soon or we'll have to roll off the ship.

We'll close this blog post tonight with a very special wish for a  Happy Birthday to our oldest son Tom in Fruit Heights, Utah. Wish we could be there to celebrate with you but we'll be there soon. Our love to everyone.

Tom and Marla

Friday, 24 January, 2014

Friday, 24 January, 2014

Today was probably the most quiet and relaxing day we’ve experienced since we began this adventure. We’ve been way out on the open Atlantic Ocean all day, rolling in 10-15 foot waves as we work our way towards Punta del Este, Uruguay. We should arrive there sometime early Sunday morning.  In the meantime, ship life has been filled with more seminars and lectures by Dr. Michael Wilcox, Dave Breshnahan, and Chris Wilson on subjects such as Ferdinand Magellan, 40 years of Antarctic Progress and Changes, & the art and sketches of the early Antarctic artist Ted Wilson, who died with Robert Scott in 1912, just 11 miles short of their destination in Antarctica.  Our series of over 20 lectures have been a highlight of this entire experience and we commend Holland America Cruise Line for adding this informative and interesting ingredient to the cruise.We have never had a chance to get bored or been left with nothing to do.  Also today, Marla attended a fun workshop demonstration on how to make the numerous delicious chilled fruit soups that have been such a hit on the menu, and attended a demonstration on  how to create the towel animal art that has adorned our stateroom bed every evening. 
Other than that it has been a relaxing day with beautiful ocean scenery, especially watching the graceful and magnificent Albatross gliding over the water and the wake of our ship.  Their 9-12 foot wingspan makes it look so easy, and they never flap their wings as they maximize the effects of the wind currents and thermals to keep them  in the air. Truly an amazing and "uplifting" sight to behold, no pun intended. A much earlier and beautiful sunset this evening followed dinner.  Since we are moving further north every minute, our days are getting shorter and nights are getting longer again.  We had a few days while in Antarctica with only about 3 hours of darkness between sunset and sunrise. 

Dinner tonight began with chilled fresh fruit, a shrimp & squid cocktail in coconut milk, and then chilled guava & passion fruit soup.  WOW!  Marla and I both enjoyed grilled chicken fajitas for our entree.  Marla of course had mango sorbet for dessert. The food choices, variety, and quality have truly been an experience in itself on this cruise. We have not suffered, other than probably experiencing too much of a good thing.

You will notice that the pictures I posted on the blog are all from yesterday's Penguin adventure in the Falkland Islands.  That’s all I have to share since I’m not taking any new pictures until we arrive in Uruguay. Penguins are always a favorite so I thought I’d take this opportunity to share them for three continuous blog posts.  The last one of the headless penguin is a very special picture. I had a difficult time getting him to pose like that. Hope you enjoy them as much as we did in person, an incredible experience and dream come true.
Other than a headache resulting from the tortuous Safari drive yesterday out to the penguin colonies, we are doing just fine and sorry to see the end nearing in about a week.  Hoping everyone is happy and healthy back home in Utah and British Columbia.  

Love to everyone from somewhere out here in the South Atlantic Ocean.  Tom & Marla

Savannah

Headed home from the hospital

Hey Mom and Dad,

Since you can't open the pictures of Savannah in your email, then I will just post a few on here for you.  Can't wait for you to come home and meet her! Love you both.  Juli

he's huge, she's tiny!

she loves to snuggle against her daddies heart

The aweful bilibed. I hate it and so
 does she. 

this is after we added all the blankets to try
and help her feel secure. It's the only way she
will sleep on the bilibed.

Thursday, 23 January, 2014

Thursday, 23 January, 2014

Once again, we have experienced an absolutely amazing day. We awoke to a great breakfast in bed, again, and while we were eating, our ship arrived in Port Stanley, the capital of the Falkland Islands, located out in the Atlantic Ocean about 700 miles off the coast of Argentina. The Islands are very barren, windblown all the time, with no natural trees to speak of. A few of the 2500-3000 residents have planted and tried to grow some trees here in town, but there aren't very many.  The town is quaint, with a simple harbor, some very British flavored architecture, and lots of homes with brightly colored rooftops. There are many memorials to those who were lost in the 1982 war between Argentina and Great Britain, which as I have shared in previous posts, was won by the British. 

We didn't have much time to explore Port Stanley though as we quickly departed for our Island safari to the penguin colonies. Now is when the real adventure begins. We were assigned 4 guests per Land Rover, and then we headed out caravan style to the other side of the Island. The first 5 miles were on a paved highway, followed by 25 miles on gravel road, then 12 miles on open country bog and turf...... there was no road at all!!! It was the roughest ride we've ever been on, much like a 6 flags roller coaster ride, but in very slow motion. The final 12 miles took over 1.5 hours to cover, each direction. We understood why anyone with neck or back issues was not allowed to go on this adventure ride. 

After 2.5 hours of 4 wheeling, we finally arrived at Volunteer Point, home of several penguin rookeries. 4 different species have made this their home, Magellan, Chinstrap, Gentoos, and best of all the exquisitely beautiful King Penguins.  We were able to go right up to their habitats, although we could not touch them. Many of them, curious creatures that they are, would waddle right up to you and look at you in their unique way, then turn around and waddle away.  They did not seem to be intimidated by us or have a natural fear of humans.  Of course, they are all protected by international laws, so their only enemies are those marine animals higher up the food chain, like seals and whales. 

Our time was limited because we had to return to Port Stanley and catch our tender back to the ship, so we quickly took lots of pictures and videos and then after about 1.5 hours of penguin time, we repeated the wild and bumpy journey back to Port Stanley. We had  few minutes to do a little souvenir shopping and then headed back to the tender for our return to the ship.  Dr. Michael Wilcox remained in the town during our excursion so I asked him if he would be willing to go to the Falkland Islands Post Office and purchase some highly sought after philatelic stamps.  He did even better than I could have hoped for by also finding a complete Charles Darwin set, a complete set of the life history of Sir Ernest Shackleton, and a complete set of 1982 Falkland Islands War stamps, plus others depicting penguins, local history, etc.  We departed Port Stanley just before dinner and are now heading out into the open Atlantic Ocean for the next 1,025 miles until we arrive in Punta del Este, Uruguay early Sunday morning. I won't be taking any pictures for the next two days, so any photos I attach to this Blog on Friday and Saturday will be penguin pictures from today's amazing adventure.

Dinner tonight began with chilled fruit dish with our favorites, lychees, followed by chilled peach-ginger soup, and oriental chicken salad.  Marla's entree was a grilled chicken breast, baked potato, and broccoli with carrots. Mine was tender sirloin tips sliced in mushroom gravy, roasted potatoes, and grilled vegetables. Marla's choice of dessert was, of course, Pineapple Sorbet. Again, I passed. Didn't need it!

We're doing great, and just couldn't be happier.

Our love to all,

Tom and Marla

Wednesday, 22 January, 2014

Wednesday, 22 January, 2014

     Our scheduled visit to Elephant Island last evening had to be canceled due to heavy fog and pack ice that unexpectedly moved north out of the Weddell Sea.  As we learned earlier in the day, its not a good idea to play around sea pack ice, so we’ve been churning our way through the Drake Passage en route to the Falk- land Islands, or as the Argentines’ would say, The Malvinas.  We’ll anchor early Thursday morning at Port Stanley, which is located on the east side of the east island facing the wide open Atlantic Ocean.  About 700 miles to the west lies Argentina, which claims ownership of these islands but has had to accept the inevitable that they are British.  The 1982 war between the two countries ended with many deaths and with Argentina surrendering to the British forces.

     Since we’ve been on the open sea all day it has been very quiet and laid back.  We were able to attend three different seminar lectures, one given by Dr.Michael Wilcox on the brave, brash, and brazen explorer Ferdinand Magellan, another by Dave Bresnahan on Antarctic Camping, and another one by Guy Guthridge on the Pollution of Antarctica. All three were quite interesting but the Antarctic pollution lecture created some very animated and interesting debate within the listening audience. We didnt take any pictures at all today.

     We are excited about tomorrow because we will be taking a tender from the cruise ship early enough to depart for an 8 hour “Penguin Safari” in a 4-wheel Land Rover. We will be taken to a remote section of the island where we're supposed to be able to enjoy a special close-up encounter with the beautiful, majestic King Penguins.  We’re sooooo excited!!!

     Not much more to say about today other than we ATE again, and again, and again. Dinner tonight began with a fresh fruit cup, a crab+shrimp+avocado tower, followed by chilled watermelon bisque soup.  Marla’s entree was tender Prime Rib and I had shrimp, veggie, and pineapple skewers.  We both had what is called a Jackson, which we found out is a twice baked potato.  Of course Marla had mango sorbet for dessert and I passed on dessert once again.

      We have been blessed with amazing weather conditions for the duration of this adventure.  A couple of days with light snow and some heavy winds are not too hard to deal with anytime in Antarctica.  Now that we’re heading back into the warmer northern latitudes, we have to unpack our summer clothing and repack our winter gear. We understand that the temperatures in Uruguay, Argentina, and Brazil have been in the 90F-100F range, a BIG change from what we've been experiencing.  We're hoping that everyone is well and not dealing with too much winter weather back home.        We’ll be there before we know it.  Love to everyone,  Tom & Marla