Day 15 - 21/Jan/24 - At Sea to Port Stanley, Falkland Islands

 The days of the "Drake Lake" were definitely over today as the seas progressively got rougher.  After the interdenominational service, we attended the Mariner award ceremony in the 3rd floor Main Dining room.  While there, the lady sitting next to me that I didn't know, suddenly said, "Thank you for your blog."  She went on to say that she had seen Mrs. Btimmer walking the deck.  After the awards ceremony, we sat at a table for 4 at the excellent Sunday brunch and enjoyed a very pleasant conversation getting to know one another.  I do appreciate that people are reading the blog and receiving some value from it.

Because of attending the awards ceremony, we missed the last Antarctic Expedition team lecture on the Falkland Islands.  But Ed covered the history in his port talk covering Stanley and Puerto Madryn.  The Captain indicated in his noon message that the winds at Pt. Stanley were 45 mph which was above the threshold that the port would be open.  But we are still proceeding there and hopeful that we can make it.

We spent the afternoon reading and I'm at the point in "South" where Shackleton and his men reach Elephant Island.  Having seen it firsthand, it is so easy to follow along reading his account and visualizing what it was like to set up camp on layers of penguin guano that melted with the application of human bodies lying on it.  What a stench!!

Tonight was formal night, but we enjoyed a LIDO dinner before Filip Wojchiechowski played a terrific classical piano concert on the Main Stage.  Periodically there was the thunderous crash of waves against the hull sending shivers through the vessel.  Afterwards we listened to two sets in Billboard Onboard featuring love songs in the first set and breakup songs in the second set.  Outside, the winds seemed to abate but the swell is much larger up to 12-15 feet.

Earlier this afternoon I was watching a video in the elevator lobby and a guest asked me if I was lost.  I said I was just watching a video out here since we can't watch them in our room.  She then exclaimed "That explains why I can't either!"  So we not the only ones with a poor in cabin WiFi  connection.  

Here's hoping we can go ashore in Port  Stanley tomorrow.