Today we pass by Cape Horn. We've been awake for about fifteen minutes when the captain announces, this time also audible in the cabin, which only happens on special occasions, that we've reached it. We quickly get dressed and head outside. The weather is beautiful: hardly any wind and lots of sun. Kevin, the Cruise & Travel Director, has sailed around South America 30 times and to Antarctica 14 times, and he mentioned that he had never seen it so beautiful before.
On the island stands a lighthouse and a house. One family lives there, consisting of four people and a cat named Calefate, after the berries that grow in South America. I believe they're just blueberries, but they seem quite enthusiastic about them here. The lighthouse keepers live here for a year at a time, and this group arrived in November, so they still have some time left. We head back to deck 4 and have an excellent view of everything.
The sea is very calm now, but it can be quite different around Cape Horn. In the past, many ships have been wrecked here, resulting in at least 15,000 casualties. As a tribute to them, it's customary for passing ships to sound their horns extensively.
Afterward, we head back north to drop off the pilot, who has been with us since San Antonio, probably a Chilean regulation or something. In the middle of the sea, we see a small pilot boat sailing away. No idea where it's headed. Ushuaia seems to be the closest destination. We give it a toot as a greeting. Albatrosses are flying around, and we manage to capture one in a photo.
We witness all of this during breakfast at the Lido, where it's naturally bustling with everyone having risen at the same time. After breakfast, we head to The Crow's Nest, where I write my report, Jan reads and browses the internet, and I listen in on Kevin's interview with the ship's cook, Remco from the Netherlands.
At 11 o'clock, we go to the Mainstage where Neil discusses the legality (or lack thereof) in Antarctica.
For lunch, we head to the Dive In. I go to order, but run into Alfy, the eternal charmer, and get into a conversation. Jan comes to find me, and eventually, the four of us sit down together and chat away. We even discuss serious topics like Marianne's alcoholism, despite her being sober for 32 years. How impressive is that! Almost daily, there's a meeting of the Friends of Bill W. onboard, which is an AA gathering.
At 4 o'clock, there's an interview with Meagan and Gabe as part of Meet the Artist. It's incredible how talented she is, considering she didn't come from a musical family, unlike him, and only started playing the piano in 2004. She also plays guitar and some other wind instrument, and has been working on cruise ships for 7 years. They never know in advance who their partner will be. Usually, they find out only 3 hours beforehand. With Gabe, it was different after COVID because he was supposed to observe once before they would work together, but her partner fell ill, and he was thrown in at the deep end. Watching turned into immediate participation. Apparently, it went well because they're still together and, if we understood correctly, they're also in a relationship and have a lot of plans for the future.
Afterward, we watch an episode of Poldark, and when it's time for drinks, we search for a bar that serves a cocktail for me. However, everywhere is either deserted or freezing cold, like it always is at the Lincoln Stage. So, we end up at the Billboard, where we're almost the only ones. The Tuscan Lemon Drop is pretty good, but it doesn't compare to the previous two.
For dinner, we go to the Dining Room. A bit early because Daniel Ka's magic show starts at 9 o'clock. We share a table with two American couples, and although they're nice enough, there isn't the same connection as with Ron and Bob and their wives, Alfy and Marianne. The food wasn't great tonight either.
Daniel Ka is a Spaniard, and the show wasn't impressive. It was more about sleight of hand than illusionism and sometimes rather transparent. He probably thinks it was very good himself. It lasted about 45 minutes.
Since we dropped off the pilot this afternoon and are heading more towards the
Drake Passage, the ship rocks more and more. It feels like everyone has been drinking, although there's quite a bit of alcohol consumed in a day, it's definitely not the case.
After the magic act, we go to Meagan and Gabe's final show and enjoy it once again. When it's over, we return to the cabin and see that it's still not dark at 11 o'clock.
Next day
