FUN-travel: Ushuaia, Argentina to Cape Town, South Africa – Silversea Cruise – Day 17 – At Sea

March 22, 2013 by · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Ushuaia, Argentina to Cape Town, South Africa – Silversea Cruise – Day 17 – At Sea 

The ABC’s of Islands
A = Awesome
B = Bummer
C = Celebration

Trip Day 48 – Monday, March 18 –At Sea – high cotton ball clouds w/filtered sun – high 67

Prion Island, South Georgia 6

Molting Gentoos

  • 8:15 – wake up (only so-so sleep)
  • 8:30 – typical morning routine
  • A – 10:30 – 16 laps on deck 6 = 2 miles – less wind & calmer seas today
  • A – 12:30 – International themed lunch – dining room decorated w/flags from around the world – lots of different food options from sushi to German sausages
  • 2:00 – room R & R
  • 7:00 – happy hour w/Alfredo
Tristan da Cunha 20

Great Shearwater’s

  • 8:15 – dinner w/the Tristanian couple Sean & Marina
  • C – Karaoke w/Alfredo
  • C – lots of ship mates – lounge is packed!
  • 12:00 – music usually stops
  • 12:30 – Alfredo finally calls it a night
  • 1:00 – time for bed
  • B – time change again – lose an hour

FF – (FUN-fact) – Sean works for the UK Foreign Office and Marina is a teacher. He is the administrator for the island council of 11 members. They only stay for three years on an assignment. They are currently applying for their next assignment in 2014. They said living on Tristan has been a wonderful experience. There is no crime, the speed limit is 20, and the children are free to run, ride their bikes and play with none of the worries that city life brings. The community is in essence a co-op with every home having a cow and potato field. Tristanians either work at the fish factory or have a government position.

St. Andrew's Bay, South Georgia 50

St. Andrew’s Bay King Penguins

 

FUN-travel: Ushuaia, Argentina to Cape Town, South Africa – Silversea Cruise – Day 16 – Tristan Da Cunha

March 19, 2013 by · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Ushuaia, Argentina to Cape Town, South Africa – Silversea Cruise – Day 16 – Tristan Da Cunha 

The ABC’s of Islands
A = Awesome
B = Bummer
C = Celebration

Trip Day 47 – Sunday, March 17 – Tristan Da Cunha – thick clouds turn to sunshine – high 63

Tristan da Cunha 11

Yellow-nosed Albatross

  • B – 6:30 – wake up over PA
  • B – 6:45 – announces seas too rough to land, so no going ashore
  • 7:30 – ship moves to leeward side of the island
  • 8:00 – local zodiac boat drops off 2 residents going to the UK for a holiday – they paid with 2 sacks of potatoes and fresh lobsters
  • 9:00 – ship makes 2nd pass by the settlement Edinburgh of the 7 Seas heading to Nightingale
  • A – 9:30 to 10:00 – 16 laps = 2 miles on deck 6 for cabin fever – wind & rough seas add a whole new dimension to walking
  • 11:30 – arrive Nightingale – cruise around the island for bird watching – 2 other smaller islands quite close – can see Inaccessible Island in the distance
  • 12:30 – typical lunch
  • 2:30 – room R & R
  • 5:00 – School: Earthquakes & Tsunamis – where they are expected & why
Tristan da Cunha 9

Edinburgh of the 7 Seas

  • 6:45 – Recap & briefing incudes…
  • C – special guest stars – Sean & Marina whom we picked up from Tristan De Cunha
  • 7:30 – happy hour w/Alfredo
  • C – 8:30 – dinner – surf & turf – fresh lobster & mashed potatoes w/truffle oil brought on board w/Argentinean tenderloin – VG!
  • 10:00 – single malt whisky tasting – Chris goes for it, I stick w/my wine
Tristan da Cunha 31

Nightingale Island

FF – (FUN-fact) – Tristan Da Cunha is the most remote inhabited island in the world and is a little more than half way between South America and South Africa.
More FF – Nightingale Island is inaccessible and has over 1 million birds breeding with Great Shearwater’s among the most abundant. In addition, there are hundreds of Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross and a breeding colony of Rockhopper penguins.
Not so FF – In March, 2011, cargo ship Oliva carrying soy beans, ran aground and broke in half. Several members of our current expedition team helped in the rescue efforts.

Tristan da Cunha 2

Local Boat