When I finally came to this morning and began contemplating breakfast, I suddenly realised that during this trip I must have devoured the equivalent of a whole ‘dead pig’. Breakfast at home is two slices of ‘wholegrain toast’, a quick cup of tea and then out of the front door and off to work.
Starting work at 4:00 am and anticipating breakfast at 07:20 at the very earliest tends to focus the gastric pangs to an almost irrational craving. Suffice to say that when ‘dead pig’ is on the menu (and it always is for breakfast) it is a shame to ignore the choices on offer. We’ve had it all, bacon, sausages (various), liver, black pudding, white pudding, gammon, ham, roast pork, pork chops, meatballs and pork steaks and still it keeps coming.
Mind you this ‘whole pig’ was a bit odd because one evening I was tempted by a lamb shank, which suggested a bit of a mixed parentage (nice with mint sauce though).
The two chefs on board have excelled themselves this trip because they have managed to keep turning out a varied and exciting menu day after day for over 6 weeks now and just when you think they can’t come up with something new because the fresh veg and fruit must be running low, they surprise us again. Well done Peter & Wilmot (Tulip).
Back to my ‘dead pig’ ….. which has caused me a little anxiety because I think that it has seriously affected my eyesight. The principle reason being such that when I look down it appears that my feet have disappeared and no longer show either side of my belt buckle. I did hear whispers that there was talk of rolling someone down the gangplank when we finally dock in Punta Arenas but as I turned the corner in the corridor the conversation was about relative wingspans of the various albatrosses that are now regularly seen following the ship. Seems my hearing is going too.
We’ve been through a couple of patches of rough weather during the last few days and it has been entertaining trying to catch objects that suddenly take to the air as the ship rolls.
No serious casualties – a few bits of glassware that couldn’t be tied down and were in use at the time of the roll – and a cup of fresh filtered coffee that decorated the mess room floor. I’d had two sips and was savouring the dark sweet nectar when it went. I can’t put into print what went through my mind.
We only have a few science days left before we have to begin packing for home and it’s going to be odd having to readjust to normal life again. I guess it was summed up by the large sea-bird that was in residence on the met.obs. platform on the foredeck for a few days. During its stay it managed to repaint the whole deck from deep green to an off white – I guess it was recovering from something it ate because judging by the amount of guano covering the deck it should have shrunk to the size of a hummingbird. During an evening stroll, looking for whales or anything else that may be around I chanced to look up and was richly rewarded with a direct hit on cheek and forehead, much to the amusement of a few colleagues that were around. Apparently it’s supposed to be lucky – but for who? My guess the bird because to get a direct hit with wind and ship movement to compensate for was pretty good shooting, despite days of non-stop practice.
It has been great to sail with the crew and scientists on AMT19 and a trip that I will remember always.