The Drake Passage

I heard the ship start its engines about 5:00 a.m. and I got up to adjust the blackout curtains as it was full daylight and the sun was finding its way in.

Soon the boat started rocking and didn't stop all day.

I went back to bed until our mandatory 11:00 IAATO meeting which was an ecology and biodiversity safety meeting to learn the rules for keep Antarctica pristine.

I was wondering how in the heck we could be expected to attend a 

meeting when the ship was rolling so much.

Drake Passage. It's no joke.

Fortunately, I didn't feel completely nauseous. Just on the edge.

And so dizzy.

Quite a few people got a look of horror on their faces and ran from the room.

I wasn't the only one feeling on the edge.

Sick bags were placed about every six feet in the hallways.

After the meeting I came directly back and laid down and went back to sleep.

Dan and Chris got some lunch and then back to the rooms as well.

At 2:00 we had another briefing--this time for those who wanted to go kayaking.

I was feeling much better when I got up.

After the meeting, I was ready for food, and Chris convinced me we should eat outside at the grill

and he even gave me his coat to wear. It was windy, but the fresh air felt great.

We perused the boutiques afterward and discovered even the mannequins needed to lie down.

The ginger lozenges are the most comforting of the three ginger options.

After lying down, I feel pretty good for a bit, but then walking around 

(or bending over) gets my head and stomach funny and I have to lie down again.

Dan and I mentioned we hadn't met our butler at all and it turns out he's sick too.

The staff said this is the roughest the passage has been since they started crossings a few weeks ago and quite a few aren't feeling well.

We had a 6:30 reservation at La Dame. When we made it a month ago, these nights were the only ones not already booked. No wonder. Anyone with experience has learned they won't be hungry when the seas are so rough. But by dinnertime, we were all ready to eat and feeling good after our naps.

We got dressed up and discovered we were the only ones who showed up.

The French food was fantastic. Our cute waiters were excited about the presentation,

arriving with food under covers, then once putting dishes on the table saying, 

"Un, deax, trois" and removing the covers at the same time.

Although we could see the seas were still rolling, it didn't feel as unsettling as earlier.

We wondered if the back of the ship didn't rock as much.

Halfway through our meal, a couple other families arrived,

wondering if there was availability. That's when we learned everyone else had cancelled.

Our dinner was over two hours and I was stuffed. I asked for dessert to be sent to our room,

which they happily accommodated.

We ventured outside and it was freezing and windy so only stayed long enough to snap a pic.

It only took the walk down the hallway to get our heads spinning and 

stomachs churning. Our desserts looked beautiful, but we couldn't stomach them.

We even switched to Chris' room with an opposite layout to watch our show 

because it was making him sick to sit "backwards."

But we feel fine as long as we're lying down. Harry Potter didn't download,

so we watched Home Alone 2 instead. 

Very entertaining, but Chris even admitted its so much harder to watch as an adult because the attacks on the bad guys are so much more brutal than you realize as a kid!

Once the movie ended before midnight, the ship was still rocking, the seas bouncing. 

Head swirling.

It took all my effort to get ready for bed and lie down.

And even after brushing my teeth, I decided I needed to suck on a ginger candy, 

but couldn't get out of bed to get one. So Dan got it for me.

He's not feeling as rough as Chris and I are, thanks to all his race car driving!

Just one more day and we've survived The Drake Passage.