Friday, January 30--Saturday, January 31

Along with 220 other passengers (ages from 9 to 91), from 18 different university travel groups, a dozen Naturalists and a crew of 135, we spent two full days crossing the Drake Passage, during which time we had numerous opportunities to listen to lectures, view movies and watch the water from both inside and outside La Boreal, a French ship, 466 feet long and 69 feet wide.  We were on Deck 6 of seven decks which we shared with two other suites, and the owner's cabin.  Just forward was a lovely lounge with a baby grand piano and computer library, where internet worked some of the time.  At the rear of Deck 6 was one of the two shipboard restaurants--the informal, buffet restaurant.

Our cabin, 603, came complete--much to our surprise--with a butler, who we shared with the other suites.  Largely, we did not know what to do with him, but it was nice to be greeted, upon our return from a shore excursion, by someone who took your boots, helped remove your heavy parka and life vest and properly stored it all.  Jo was also a great help when I spent a day, sick, in bed by delivering yogurt, coca-cola and other medicinals.

The captain of La Boreal, Erwann Le Rouzic, was a graduate of the French Merchant Marine academy and the same age as our son, Chris. The year before our cruise, he had spend 32 months circumnavigating the globe on a sailboat powered with solar.  His La Boreal crew was first rate, as was the ship and its accommodations.  We also learned that Christophe, a waiter in the formal dining room, was well equipped to assist John through the menu.  In fact, from that point on, John had a custom gluten-free menu prepared by Christophe each night.

Our Saturday morning began with a lovely breakfast followed by a mandatory IAATO briefing on proper behavior on Antarctica.  We learned that we needed to disinfect any clothing we expected to wear ashore (this consisted of intense vacuuming), as well as active disinfection of our boots and lower pants every time we left/returned to the ship (this consisted of walking through an anti-bacterial bath and upon return, brushing our boot bottoms and walking through a similar bath.)

We also attended a presentation on Ernest Shakleton by Ret. Adm. Jim Stavridis, the immediate past Supreme Commander of NATO, who did an excellent job.  After lunch, we heard about global warming and the Southern Ocean.  After the lecture, we visited the pilot house.That evening was the Captain's Welcome Reception and Dinner, where we sat with other couples from Wash U extending those we knew on board.  Our travel across the Drake Passage was quite calm.  

On Saturday, we heard an excellent presentation on the Argentinian economy from Tufts professor of International Economics, Daniel Drezner.  We learned that in 1907, Argentina was the seventh strongest economy in the world, topping France and Germany.  Buenos Aires was known as the Paris of the South where European architects built many wonderful Belle Arts buildings and the standard of living was quite high.  Much has changed in the last one hundred and eight years.  Argentina is now a "developing" econoimy:  47 among world economies.  The week before we arrived, a political scandal erupted, involving the death of Alberto Nisman, a federal prosecutor who was killed after identifying the Argentinian President as a person of interest in the bombing of a Jewish Community Center.  The implication was that she shielded the Iranians who the prosecutor had identified as the responsible party.  The country was embroiled in this scandal during and after our stay.  The Supreme Court, subsequently, ruled that Nisman's evidence was not substantial enough to implicate the President.  

That evening, we approached the English Passage, an opening between two barrier islands just off Antarctica.  On route, we passed a Chilean research vessel as well as several private boats, some no larger than the sailboat we owned for many years. Our shore excursions would begin the next day.