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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Mar 25, 2006 07:00 PM Sailing under the Southern Cross
It is getting warmer and warmer. In the midday it is hard to survive in the strong sun on the open deck. The temperature of the sea water is 29 deg Celsius; the air in the shade has (surprise!) less - only 27, but in
the sun - up to 35. The ocean is so calm that the crew decided to serve our dinner at sunset on the deck. They are very nice - see Elena and Alyona on the picture... It was pleasant evening under stars. But sorry - no music. The food was OK, the only problem is shortage of the fruits: you should see my fellows fighting for them! I wish to trade my sausage for two apples from Wojtkowka. Soon, soon! Tomorrow we will reach another interesting place on the South Atlantic: Ascension Island.
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Mar 23, 2006 07:00 PM St Helena - island where the Saints live
It is one of these legendary islands with rich history, unusual
landscape and difficult access. The sun was just rising when I saw for
the first time high, rocky coast painted by nature in brown and beige.
No green color! Are we in the tropics? I expected to see lush, tropical
vegetation. The only human settlement was visible in the mouth canyon
descending to the coast from the centre of the island. This was capital
of the island ? Jamestown. On the mountain on the right ? Ladder Hill -
699 steps is climbing to the barracks located on the top. This is the
most popular city landmark. If you will decide to climb ?Jacob?s Ladder?
you will be awarded by fantastic view of the ocean, the coast and the
settlement squeezed in the canyon. Only 3800 friendly people live on the
island. They call themselves ?The Saints?. Narrow, windy road took me to
the interior. It is hilly and green. I visited empty tomb of Napoleon
and the house where he spent 6 years ? before he died. The most
impressive landscape I found in the southern coast ? do not miss Sandy
Bay, if you will come some day to Saint Helen Island? Lot and his wife ?
the lonely rocks will wait for you.
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Mar 22, 2006 07:00 PM Napoleon and the others - fifth day at sea
Every morning most of us is visiting the bridge checking the position
and the position and the distance to the next island. It was 210 miles
to St Helena in the morning so there is a chance that the next morning
we will land on the island where Napoleon spent his last days. We were
watching the movie about his life from DVD yesterday and today. They
announced organized tour around the island. It is always the problem: I
want to see as much as possible during our short stay on land. But
there are also people in our group with other orientation: for somebody
it is enough just to put the feet on the island and to get a stamp. For
others it is important to have fine dinner ashore. Others are ready to
wait an hour on the road just to see rare bird from the distance of 50
m? Any solutions? You can rent your private car with the driver-guide
but is cost extra 50-80 pounds.
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Mar 21, 2006 07:00 PM Capricorn Day
Do you remember that I am Capricorn? Today at 10.15 am we crossed the
Tropic of Capricorn passing to the tropical zone. I declared for myself
the Capricorn Day ? the day at leisure. It is breezy, strong sun is
shining since early morning. I hope that 30 min of sunbath on the top
deck per day will not be risky. Not more ? I do not like to use all
those sticky sunscreens. No whistling on board. Seamen are
superstitious. They believe that whistling on board will bring us
strong wind or storm. I am singing instead.
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Mar 20, 2006 07:00 PM Third day at sea
Days at sea are long? The leader of our expedition is trying to organize
our time. We have live lectures (1 hour per day) and movies from DVD.
Now, when the outside temperatures are higher people often prefer to
stay outside, enjoying the breeze and the sun. It is already quite
strong, the sunscreen is necessary. Unfortunately hey have not chairs
for the deck. Russian crew tried to find the solution, they installed
primitive timber bunks on the top deck, but they are not very
comfortable. This is not a cruise ship!
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Mar 19, 2006 07:00 PM The third drill
If you sailed before on the cruise ship you will know what is a drill.
On the signal everybody takes lifejacket and is going to the muster
station. Then they check if everybody is there and pack us to the
lifeboats. No, the lifeboats stay onboard? It was already third drill
on our voyage. Fortunately it is already warm and pleasant on the deck.
After weeks in cold Antarctica we wear now shorts and T-shirts. Today
for the first time we had our lunch on the open deck over the bridge.
Sun, breeze and a lot of fun?
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Mar 18, 2006 07:00 PM 1300 nautical miles to St Helena
Sunny weather, calm ocean but bad news, Due to the wrong calculation
made by the voyage organizer we will loose one day planed to be spend on
the island! Planning the itinerary they thought that we will sail from
Tristan to St Helena in 4,5 days. Weather is OK, but the captain said
that they overestimated technical capabilities of the ship. We need 5,5
days to reach St Helena. But they do not think about exceeding the
voyage; they will reduce by one day our stay on the island. Passengers
are not happy. They paid for the possibility to visit the islands, not
for the boring days at sea!
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Mar 17, 2006 07:00 PM Access to Inaccessible Island
Tristan da Cunha is archipelago of 3 islands. But only the main one has
settlement. You need a permit from administrator and you are obliged to
take local guides to visit Nachtingale and Inaccessible islands.
Nachtingale, where we landed in the morning has interesting landscape
due to the presence of two little islets located at its coast. Fur seals
were waiting there for us. From the landing place on the rocks (it was
dry landing) steep, muddy path climbs to the plateau. It is most
difficult part of the trail ? the guides installed there ropes to make
the access easier. In the 1,5 m high tassac grass there is a lot of
nests of wandering albatrosses with big, funny chickens on them. I took
there a lot of pictures. The left branch of the bath took us to the
colony of Rockhopper penguins. I saw them for the first time and I was
very sorry to spend there only 10 minutes or so? It was like a run
through the island?
In the afternoon we moved to the Inaccessible Island (what a name!).
From the distance it reminds the castle rising from the sea. With a help
of ours local guides we found at the bottom of the cliff little stone
beach suitable for short landing. There was high but diminished
waterfall with seal?s puppies playing in the pool at the bottom. We
found also rare bird ? the rail living only on Inaccessible Island. The
access to the interior of Inaccessible Island was not possible?
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Mar 16, 2006 07:00 PM Tristan da Cunha ? the most remote?
Only 274 people live on this little island located in the middle of
South Atlantic. In fact it is 2-km high sleeping volcano with a little
plateau on the northwestern side ? the only settlement is located there.
The landscape of high, green and steep slopes is beautiful? It was warm
and sunny when we landed at 2 pm. Just above the miniature port I saw
big sign: ?Welcome to the most remote island?. Is Tristan the most
remote or maybe it is Pitcairn where I have been few years ago?
Supply ship is coming to Tristan 6 times per year.- it collects the
crayfish ? the main source of income of this small society. There are
two tiny churches ( but no priests), public hall, pub and the post
office. Sorry, no internet facility to check my e-mail box via webmail.
People are little shy, they speak strange dialect of English. 40 cars
but only 6 km of road. They have free education and health service
(there is even a doctor). I was climbing little volcano erupted in
1961-62 for the nice view of lava flows going to the ocean and for the
panorama of the high cliffs. One more exotic place on earth to my
collection?
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Mar 15, 2006 07:00 PM Land on the horizon!
End of the storm? After six days at sea we finally saw today a piece of
land on the horizon. It was Gough Island. Due to the lush vegetation and
thousands seabirds nesting there UNESCO put the island on the World
Heritage list. But landings are not allowed. There is only South Africa
Weather Station where 10 people work from September to September.
According to the program we should arrive to Gough today in the morning.
But we reached it at 3 pm. According to the program we should board our
zodiacs and make a cruise along the coast enjoying the scenery. But it
is too late. So the ship will only pass along the eastern coast of the
island and? we can delete the next position from the program of the
expedition? Bad luck! ? or bad planning...
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