Capturing the Moment

  Leaping dolphins, eager to come bowride in our wake, greet us. They don't see many boats on this side of the Big Island. This is why I work on an expedition ship, to take people and show them things that people normally don't see. The towering cliffs of the Kohala coastline of the Big Island. Even though I have lived and worked in the islands for years, I have never seen these from the water. Usually the trade winds roar on this coastline, and the big winter swells slam against the cliffs here. Today the weather had shifted, and was storming out of the south. Boats on all the islands were scrambled to find safe harbors. Instead, we took the opportunity to go to a place where we had never gone before! We usually have pretty predictable weather out here in the Hawaiian islands. Trade winds blow from the northeast so reliably that the tall ship traders would count on these winds to help them cross oceans and deliver their goods. Fast forward to modern times, and I count on these...

 Heading to Antarctica: Chapter 1  I've made it to the beautiful Silver Cloud, my home for the next five and a half weeks. The first voyage is a big one traveling from Buenos Aires, Argentina to the Falkland Islands, on to Antarctica, and finishing in Ushuaia, Argentina. We will cross the Drake Passage twice, sail the waters of Cape Horn, visit the bottom of the world, and hopefully see lots of penguins, but let's start from the beginning.    Day 1: First line of action is getting all the paperwork cleared and then moved into the cabin. My roommate for this voyage is Patrick, the Assistant Expedition Leader, who lives in Finland but is originally from Germany. Turns out he is also one of the best fooseball players onboard. We are pretty involved in the guest checkin procedure, but end up sailing off the pier around 6:30pm. Proud Gentoo mother King Penguins!  Day 2: We spend this day at sea, cruising from Buenus Aires to Puerto Madryn, Argentina...