En uke på Hurtigruten Fram

Hvor er tiden blitt av? Bildene viser jo at tiden går og i dag vet jeg ikke hvor jeg skal starte😉. Det har vært en vidunderlig dag, og vi må klype oss i armen. Selv George, vår Dr Ornitolog har ikke opplevd så klart å fint vær ved ankomst Sør Georgia som i dag. Før ankomst tilbringer vi timer på dekk 5 for å kikke etter liv i sjøen. Og gjett om, vi fikk se Knølhval og sel, isfjell og fugler.

Ved ankomst Peggotty Bluff blir vi fraktet inn i zodiacs, og i dag er vi gruppe 1. Åh for en opplevelse, Elefantseler, Gråseler, Kongepingviner er herrene i dette kongeriket, og det er noe vi respekterer fra første skritt. Vi kan også bli historiske ved å tenke på at Ernest Shackleton landet i bukta etter å ha krysset sørishavet i sin 20 fots båt. Vi er her, vi opplever, vi er euforisk tilstede og nyter hvert sekund av Hurtigrutens opplegg....

Vel tilbake på Fram har vi noe tid til å reflektere, og blir videre oppvartet og servert av vårt daglige drømmeteam i restaurant Lindstrøm. Se på disse herlige mennesker, fra venstre, Arianwyn som smiler hele tiden, Randy, som sørger for brød og vin, Nechel med sin herlige latter og som serverer Al sjokolade for å ta med på rommet hver kveld😂, og ikke minst Glenn, kelneren med armer og bein og smil i alle retninger. Vi er totalt sett i de beste hender der hvert måltid er en fest.

Nei nå må dere nyte bilder. Vi er mette og trette av mat, prat, pingviner, hvaler, seler, isfjell, solskinn og glede. Vi skal sove og se frem til en ny dag i det sørligste paradis på kloden.🚢🌊😅😍

One week on Hurtigrutens MS FRAM

It's difficult to believe we have been on board for one week already.

I had a colleague (Otto) who had a saying "And the hits just keep on coming". His saying had a negative angle to it, but the saying is very appropriate here in a VERY positive way.

Today we arrived in South Georgia. It was a bit hazy but icebergs began appearing and we sailed along the west coast through what appeared to be iceberg alley. They were HUGE and they were everywhere, both sides of the ship. Behind the icebergs on the port side we could see the mountains through the Haze. We spent a couple of hours on deck 5 at the bow of the ship watching for wildlife, icebergs and the land.

We sailed into Haakon Bay and the Haze lifted and the sun broke through. Dr. George, the ornithologist and Jane Kang the historian both said they'd never seen this place in such clear conditions before. We sailed past the very small Cove where Shackleton first landed after his epic voyage across the Drake Passage in the lifeboat the James Caird and on to Peggotty Bluff where he had to move to in order to set up camp before trekking across the uncharted mountains to the whaling station at Strømness.

We were zodiac'ed to the shore where Elephant Seals, Fur Seals and King Penguins were present. The expedition team always go ashore first to make sure everything is safe for a landing and that our presence will not disturb the wildlife. They had set up a course for us to follow that ensures we could get close enough to the wildlife but never too close to be invasive or unsafe. The general rule is not closer than 5m.

My Aunt Gladys gave me a picture when I was about 12 years old. It was of a whales tail with the words "He roams the seas in freedom, with no enemies save man". That picture still hangs on our bedroom wall. That picture has always inspired me to one day see whales in their natural habitat. Today, 53 years later, I got a similar shot of a humpback whale tail.

After a fabulous landing we returned to the ship and had another lovely dinner, served as always by the happy, smiling Arianwyn, Randy, Nechel and Glenn (see pic below).

It just gets better and better, if that is possible! What next! Watch this space....