Monday, February 3 - Not Falkland Islands

 Well, I guess I didn't cross enough fingers and toes.  It was pretty rough last night and Captain Ahbi warned us that getting into the Falklands would be a 50/50 proposition.  We were the third ship in port today and we drew the short end of the straw so we got the anchoring location farthest out where it was just too rough to try tendering.  It was marginal, at best, and the forecast for later in the day was worse so it was decided not to risk anyone's safety and move on.  The winds on deck were unbelievable - the kind that take your breath away.

So glad I brushed my hair this morning.

It was quite a disappointment, but at least we have been here before.  So now we are headed on down to the Antarctic Peninsula.  The ship is really moving now.  And the door to our balcony is making the most interesting noises with the wind.  It sounds somewhere between a moaning dog and a crying baby.  Terry Bishop, who is next door, says they wedge folded-up paper into it, but that hasn't really helped us. 

We had a nice lunch downstairs at Compass Rose on Deck 5.  There was no way I wanted to go up to Deck 11 for the buffet with all of the movement of the ship that we're in now.  After lunch, I returned to see Jovanni in the hair salon for a little cleanup of yesterday's haircut where I wasn't quite happy with it.  Then I lay down and played on the computer as I was getting a bit of a headache from the rocking and rolling.  Michael went up to Trivia in the Observation Lounge on Deck 11.  The 4 of them only got 8/15.

The noise from the balcony door was bothering Michael so he had put in a call to maintenance and they came while he was at Trivia.  They must see this often because they knew just where to bang the door frame with their hammer to stop the noise.

It's hard to capture the height of the waves in a still photo, but I don't think I could load a video.

The captain came on to tell us bad news and good news.  The bad news is that we are going through a low-pressure system that was supposed to have moved on but has in fact slowed down.  We have 45 knot winds and 15-18 foot swells.  The good news is that it should improve during the night and he has received permission from HQ to make a stop tomorrow evening at Elephant Island on our way to the South Shetland Islands, which is our scheduled destination.  There will be a lecture tomorrow about Elephant Island, but I think it is a penguin-watching opportunity.

The port cancellation meant that CD Andrew had to come up with some activities for the day.  They added 2 lectures, one of which I went to on Voyages of Discovery and Arrival in Antarctica by Prof. Alan Hemmings.  It was a bit too much of listing all the ships and captains who have made it here.  I skipped the mid-afternoon lecture on the Race to the Pole by Eduardo Shaw.  But Terry Bishop was drafted to add a show at 6 pm.  He calls his shows Stuff and Nonsense and this time it was about sailors so he told a few jokes and sang a few sailor shanties.  He has a very nice voice and is so entertaining and self-deprecating.  He was rambling all over the stage with the ship movement and sent us off with a suggestion that we get a nice drink - "Lord knows I'll be getting one after this."

Dinner at Compass Rose was a bit more lightly attended than usual - not surprisingly.  I only had 2 appetizers and a dessert because I felt I might regret it later if I ate too heavily.  We were by the window and got a few more photos.

On the way out I picked up some of the candied ginger and just to play it completely safe, we stopped by Reception to get a few seasick pills.  I brought ginger capsules but somehow didn't pack our Dramamine from home.  Our wine steward looked a little green around the gills and admitted that today for the first time in 4 contracts he got sick, but he was feeling better by the end of dinner.