Day 9, januari 16, Scenic Cruising Sarmiento Channel

The expectation was that it would be another wobbly night, but nothing could be further from the truth. I slept well, and when I woke up for the first time, it was already getting light, and we were cruising through a fjord again. The plan for today is scenic cruising through the fjords and past the Amalia or Brujo Glacier.

We quickly have breakfast because Neil Gilbert continues his lecture series at 10 o'clock. During breakfast, it's announced that the bow on deck 4 is open. We'll check the temperature quickly and then head upstairs to grab our jackets and cameras. The weather is quite nice, albeit a bit windy. There are many clouds with occasional glimpses of sunshine. In the Summer Pass, we have 2.5 meters of clearance above the sandbank there, but we need to be there precisely at 9:45 AM for the right tide, and we've managed that. The total draught of the ship is 8 meters.

                                        

Then we head downstairs, although it's still a bit early for Dr. Neil's lecture, but at least we'll secure a good spot. A presentation about excursions is still ongoing. Today, Dr. Neil presents again, discussing scientific research in Antarctica, which is very interesting. During the presentation, we hear the captain making an announcement, but it doesn't come through in the theater. Too bad.

After a 20-minute break, Jim McParland begins his presentation about the Beagle Channel and Glacier Alley. We decide to go outside first, where it's cooled down and the wind has picked up. Once we've finished watching, we head to the Rolling Stone Lounge, where Jim's presentation from the Mainstage is displayed on a screen. It's quite crowded here too, and although it's a decent solution, you only get to see the slides and hear the audio, missing out on Jim's gestures with his pointer.

We decide to go to our balcony to enjoy the view and are relatively sheltered from the wind. Suddenly, there's another announcement from the captain. We can't catch the beginning properly, even with the balcony speaker on. Inside, it's impossible to hear, so we open our cabin door and listen from the corridor. We miss the beginning, but gather that there's been a change in the route, possibly due to rough seas overnight, with waves reportedly reaching up to 12 meters. Consequently, we've sailed through the fjord instead of past the Amalia or Brujo glaciers, and we passed by the glacier when it was still dark. It's all understandable, but it means there's not much left to see. We'll just have to hope for more sights later on.

Due to the wind picking up to force 6, the bow is closed again. I finish writing up my report from yesterday and today up to now, 12:55 PM. The weather has improved since then, but there are thick clouds hanging over the mountains to starboard. Let's see what we'll do this afternoon.

It turned into a lunch with a delicious hamburger at the Dive In. Afterward, we were quite disciplined and went to the gym. However, it wasn't an entirely pleasant experience. They have different equipment here than what we're used to, and apparently different settings too, because the difference in intensity on the elliptical, treadmill, and strength training machines was quite significant. I can't imagine suddenly having 30 kg less strength in my legs in just 2 weeks, for example. So, we decided to skip the gym here 😇.

As a reward, we were allowed to use the hot tub, which was more like a lukewarm tub, and the bubbles were also lacking. Nevertheless, feeling refreshed, we went back upstairs, and around five o'clock, we went in search of a cozy spot to read where they also serve some treats. We ended up at the Pinnacle Bar. There were all these respectable older folks, and here we were just in jeans. Worse still, they were quite noisy, and reading was out of the question. I ordered a tasty cocktail: a  Bee's Knees. The view was beautiful, except for the low-hanging clouds.

Since we wanted to be at the Billboard on Board for Meagan and Gabe's country show at half past seven, we decided to have an early dinner. By 6 o'clock, we were at The Dining Room, and we were asked if we wanted to share a table. Sure, why not? We were seated with four older Americans, aged between late 70s and 85, named Bob and Nancy, and Ron and Ann. Two cousins with their spouses. Especially Ron, who sat next to me, had the most to say and could tell stories with gusto. It took quite some time before our orders were taken, and even longer before we finished the three courses, plus salad for the Americans. Although it tasted great, it was already half past eight instead of half past seven by the time we finished. So, we missed the first show. However, we joined in during the intermission for the next two shows and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. They'll have another country show, so it wasn't a big deal. Around half past ten, we went back upstairs, and soon after, the lights went out. 

Next day