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Live from the 2020 Grand World Voyage

Scrapnana

By Scrapnana,
in Holland America Line

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Scrapnana "Live from...." Rare

Scrapnana

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We have had a team of Antarctic experts on board for the last few days who have been giving live commentary as well as lectures.  The visit of people working at Palmer Station was what got cancelled.

You can read about their visit to the Prinsendam on the 2019 Grand South America and Antarctic cruise on the February 4 entry here.

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Scrapnana "Live from...." Rare

Scrapnana

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February 2, 2020

 

Antarctic Experience – Day 4

 

Captain Mercer made an announcement (right into the cabins so you know it is important) at 8:30 am that our plans for scenic cruising were scuttled and we would be heading back towards South America.  Visibility was at 200 meters and the fog made seeing anything for the first half of the day impossible.  Things cleared a little in the late afternoon but went back to cloudy and foggy by sunset time.

 

The entire ship was cold for most of the day.  We met for knitting in the Piano Bar and had to move away from the windows to get a little extra warmth.  Judy (Bob), Judy (Lee), Sherita, and I were joined by Sherry (who had not knitted with us before).  Finally, around noon I went back to my cabin to warm up and work on my Linus blanket. 

 

After lunch in the Lido, we made snowflake earrings (in honor of the snow we saw yesterday) in Arts & Crafts.  I was still cold afterwards so I had a mug of hot chocolate.  As with many things, the hot chocolate situation is feast or famine.  For a number of days the packets had disappeared and then yesterday they had the large containers of pre-made hot chocolate.  Today there were both.

 

Starting to warm up with the chocolate I did some more work on my Linus blanket in my cabin (where it is toasty) before going to afternoon trivia which was back in the Crow’s Nest.  Rich joined Diana, Marilyn, Rodney, and me.  We had 13 out of 18 but the winners had 17.

1.What is the most westerly capital of mainland Europe?

2.How many people have run the 200 meters in less than 19 seconds?

3.Which statesman was captured by Boers while a war correspondent and hit by a car in Times Square?

4.What former planet was demoted to dwarf planet status in 2006?

5.In Rocky, Apollo Creed was known as the “Count of Monte ____”.

6.What Fortune 500 company is named after a character in Moby Dick?

 

I braved the elements and walked along the outside of deck 9 to get to the aft elevators.  After I started getting ready for the evening, the Captain announced that we were going to pass two very large icebergs – one on the port side and one on the starboard side.  Instead of rushing to get dressed I took a picture out of my cabin window of the starboard one.

 

After dinner I walked down to the Mainstage to get some pictures of the festivities for the Super Bowl.  There were not nearly as many decorations as in the past but there was plenty of food and drink to be had and everyone seemed to be having a great time.  I was told you could get seats in the front which came with unlimited beverages for $55.  I stopped and talked with Stephanie and Linc (we were at the same dinner table for half of the 2018 GWV) who were rooting for the 49ers.

 

One more full day at sea before we get into Ushuaia Tuesday afternoon instead of Wednesday morning (due to missing the Falklands).  With not much too see on the last two days, quite a few people will be happy to be on land after nine full days at sea.

 

Trivia

1.Lisbon

2.none

3.Winston Churchill

4.Pluto

5.Fisto

6.Starbucks

 

 

Smooth sailing until next time!

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Scrapnana "Live from...." Rare

Scrapnana

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February 3, 2020

 

At Sea

 

My morning began with Sit & Stitch back in the Crow’s Nest.  Only Bonnie, Sherita, Judy (Lee), and I were present.

 

We went to trivia at 11:30. All six of our morning team were present.  We had 11 out of 15 and tied another team for the win!

1.What is a “travellator”?

2.Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Amy Winehouse all died at what age?

3.In what year did the Berlin Wall start to come down?

4.Calling it “inflammable air” what English scientist discovered hydrogen?

5.What was the first Bond film to win an Oscar for best original song?

6.The mojito is a rum cocktail from what country?

 

I was determined to finish my second onboard (8th total) Linus blanket today so I could turn it in tomorrow and get yarn for my next one since we have two port days coming up.  I worked until 1 pm and then went to the Lido for lunch and then Arts & Crafts.  We made a cloisonné necklace.

 

Back to my cabin to work some more on my Linus blanket. 

 

For afternoon trivia Rich joined us again as well as a man whose name I don’t know.  We only had 14 out of 21 and the winning team had 19.

1.What Sinatra song did Buzz Aldrin play when he landed on the moon?

2.In Josie and the Pussycats, what was the cat’s name?

3.How many points does it take to win a cribbage game?

4.How many men on a Canadian football team?

5.Who was inspired to do redneck jokes when he saw a sign for a bowling alley that had valet parking?

6.What sport was on the first cover of Sports Illustrated?

I finished the Linus blanket before dinner.  I also left a bag of laundry on the bed when I left for dinner.  We were asked to conserve water and avoid sending things to the laundry until Ushuaia.  Since we were less than 24 hours away (scheduled to get in at 6 pm Tuesday), I went ahead and got my clothes in the queue.  The laundry service has been excellent with average time of return 12-16 hours.  As backed up as they are bound to be, I am not expecting my clothes back before the end of the week.

 

Only Lenora and I were at dinner (there was a special Tamarind dinner in the Pinnacle).  I skipped the show (another one I have seen in the past) because I want to get up early (6 am!!!) for the scenic cruising around Cape Horn.

 

The internet has been so bad that I have not been able to get any pictures up in the last 24 hours.  Stay tuned for when I get them up.

 

Morning trivia

1.moving walkway

2.27

3.1989

4.Cavendish

5.Skyfall

6.Cuba

 

Afternoon trivia

1.Fly Me to the Moon

2.Sebastian

3.121

4.12

5.Jeff Foxworthy

6.baseball

 

Smooth sailing until next time!

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*Miss G* "Live from...." Rare

*Miss G*

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11 hours ago, Scrapnana said:

All of a sudden the internet is working quickly and I got all my pictures up!

 

Loved the shot of the kids going last in the polar plunge.  The facial expressions (both foreground and background) are priceless.

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Scrapnana "Live from...." Rare

Scrapnana

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February 4, 2020

 

Drake Passage, Cape Horn, and Overnight in Ushuaia

 

A very strange morning! 

     1)I woke up at 5:45

     2)I spent over an hour out on deck

     3)I ate breakfast

 

Commentary about our passage of Cape Horn was scheduled to start at 6:30 am.  I decided that I needed to get up and see it so I went to bed early (midnight).  The temperature was not too bad (mid 40s) but the wind was terrible.  I tried going up to “my deck” but the wind was so bad I could not even stand straight.  I had two cups of hot chocolate by 7:30 (it was available in the atrium on deck 3).  By the time we passed Cape Horn (which is not actually the southernmost point of South America but the line of demarcation between the Atlantic and Pacific), I was hungry so I had some bacon and a muffin in the Lido.  While I was in the Lido I met Kathy (from the dinner table) and she told me that yarn had been mentioned in Glenn-Michael’s (exc guide) talk yesterday so I went back to my cabin and listened to his port talk.  Evidently there is quite a lot of yarn for sale in the local mercado (market) in Puerto Montt, which we did not go to last year.

 

I spent an hour with the Sit and Stitch group before I headed to the Explorer’s Lounge to turn in my latest Linus blanket and pick up yarn for the next one.

 

We only had 10 out of 15 in trivia with the winners getting 12.

1.Motorphobia is the fear of what?

2.A signet is a newly hatched ___.

3.What international company is credited with having influenced the image of Santa Claus?

4.The cashew is a relative of which poisonous plant?

5.What element is named for the seventh planet from the sun?

6.In what year did Robert Burns write Auld Lang Syne – 1783, 1788, or 1891?

 

Started working on my latest Linus blanket before lunch in the Lido (they had my favorite pineapple pie!) then we made dice earring in Arts & Crafts.

Another poor showing in afternoon trivia with 13 out of 21.  The winners had 17.

1.What Spielberg drama is the only 1990s movie to make the American Film Institute’s top 50 American movies?

2.Mrs. Doubtfire won an Oscar for what?

3.Which North American field sport has the most rules?

4.What continent is home to 5 of the 8 longest rivers in the world?

5.Which royal helped Kenneth Branagh prepare for his role as Henry V?

 

When trivia was over we were approaching Ushuaia but there were two expedition ships that had to move before we could dock so it was 7:30 before we were tied up and people could get off the ship.

 

After getting up so early I did not go to the show after dinner.

 

 

Morning trivia

1.vehicles

2.swan

3.Coca-Cola

4.poison ivy

5.Uranium

6.1783

 

Afternoon trivia

1.Schindler’s List

2.make-up

3.football

4.Asia

5.Prince Charles

 

Smooth sailing until next time!

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Scrapnana "Live from...." Rare

Scrapnana

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February 5, 2020

 

Ushuaia, Argentina

 

Ushuaia is the southernmost city in the world (there are some towns further south but no cities) and is referred to as “Fin del Mundo” (End of the World).  The scenery is amazing but the temperature today was in the mid-40s(F) and it is the middle of summer!

 

I took a great excursion here last year (The Train to the End of the World) so my plan for today was to walk around the town.  We had an early departure time (all aboard was 1:30) so I was up and off the ship at 9:30. I walked up to the main street and walked the length of it which I did not have time to do last year.  I looked in the stores and found some items to spend the rest of my Argentinian pesos on.  I got back on the ship at 12:25.

 

Went to the Lido for lunch where Sherita found me and we made plans for tomorrow afternoon in Punta Arenas.  After putting my feet up and resting for a bit, we met in the Explorer’s Lounge to knit while sitting in the sun (so nice to see the sun again). 

 

We cruised through Glacier Alley in the afternoon.  I put on the coat, hat, gloves, and scarf again to go out on the deck to get pictures of the glaciers.  (I am so looking forward to warmer temperatures and going swimming again!)

 

Today’s schedule was very strange with trivia at 6:30 and Music trivia at 8:30. John and Sharon who are on the team next to us in the morning trivia games, joined Diana, Marilyn, Rodney, and me.  We won with 13 out of 15.

1.Which food item was originally introduced by Julius Caesar in 48 BC?

2.What is the common name for the brightest star in the night sky?

3.Where is the zygomatic arch in the body?

4.Which country was the first to use forks at the dining table?

5.What does a polyandric woman have more than one of?

6.What do Brazil, Uruguay, Mozambique, and Angola have in common?

 

I had dinner in the Lido before heading to the Crow’s Nest. We played two different music trivia games because the first was so bad.  It was on 70s music and almost every song was disco.  The second one was on TV themes which was much easier although we did not win either one.

 

Punta Arenas, Chile tomorrow.

 

Trivia

1.sausage

2.Dog Star

3.cheek

4.Italy

5.husbands

6.they were Portuguese colonies

 

Smooth sailing until next time!

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Scrapnana "Live from...." Rare

Scrapnana

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February 6, 2020

 

 

 

Punta Arenas, Chile

 

 

 

Since Sherita and I had made plans to meet in the main square after her hiking excursion, I was able to sleep late.  When I woke up they were washing my window so I can see out again.  There were boxes and boxes of fresh fruit waiting to be loaded.

 

 

 

I left around 11:15 to take the shuttle bus to town.  Last year we were right in the city but Balmoral (a Fred Olson ship) was there today – evidently, we are too large to dock there.  We had to ride around the square three times before a space opened up for the bus to park.  I spoke to Judy (Margaret) and Pete as we got off the shuttle and they told me they had found another yarn store the last time they were here and they gave me the directions.  Since I had about two hours before Sherita was likely to arrive, I walked down to the artisans’ market and looked around.  I did not find anything I had to have.

 

 

 

I walked back to the square and took some pictures while I waited.  There were a number of large dogs sunning themselves in the square and they were quite friendly.  I sat in the sun which felt so good.  The temperature was in the mid-50s but the sky was a beautiful blue with only a few fluffy clouds.

 

 

 

Sherita arrived and we set off for the two yarn stores which were only about a block and a half apart.  Turns out both of them were closed mid-day and would reopen at 3 pm.  We stopped in at a little restaurant and had a coke and French fries.  I was very hungry since I had not had anything to eat all day.  We went back to both stores and I bought a little yarn but Sherita did not find anything she wanted.

 

 

 

As we were walking back to the square we bumped into Marilyn and Rodney.  They told us that a demonstration was planned for later this week because the government had promised good pensions but did not deliver.

 

 

 

We returned to the ship at 4:30. The fueling truck was right outside my window and it took quite some time to “fill ‘er up”.  I worked on my new Linus blanket while resting from another 4 mile plus walk (remember, I don’t walk at home – if I am lucky I walk 4 miles in a month!).

 

 

 

I ate in the Lido because there was trivia at 7:30 and music trivia at 8:30. Only Diana and I were there from our team so we played with two people whose teammates were also not there.  We had 15 out of 21 – the winners had 19.  There were way too many sport questions!

 

1.What does UPC stand for?

 

2.What jersey number was worn by Larry Bird?

 

3.From what material are the swords used in kendo made?

 

4.What is the only tournament on the US pro golf tour where the TV announcers are not allowed to talk about the prize money?

 

5.Who has the career record for the most Super Bowl touchdown receptions?

 

6.  What nation has the most total number of medals at the Winter Olympics?

 

7.How many different numbers are on a dart board?

 

 

 

From there many of us moved up to the Crow’s Nest where we had music trivia.  About half of them I had never heard of!

 

 

 

Sea day tomorrow.

 

 

 

Trivia

 

1.Universal Product Code

 

2.33

 

3.bamboo

 

4.The Masters

 

5.Jerry Rice

 

6.Norway

 

7. 20

 

 

 

Smooth sailing until next time!

 

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Scrapnana "Live from...." Rare

Scrapnana

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9 hours ago, Krazy Kruizers said:

 

 

Just looking at the pictures and the it certainly was a sunny day.  Those large dogs in the square sure don't look hungry.

 

 

They all looked like they were well cared for even though they were running free.  

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