Cruise Day 5 - San Rafael Glacier

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We were at sea again all day today cruising the Chilean Fjords at an average speed of 15.3 knots in unrelentingly bleak conditions. After a pretty late breakfast we completed four laps of the promenade deck. Four laps of the deck equals one mile. We are trying to do a bit of exercise despite being cooped up on the ship all day!We think there is an unwritten rule that you are supposed to walk the deck in an anticlockwise direction. That is certainly what the majority of walkers do. However, there always seem to be a couple of walkers swimming against the tide!!

We reached the San Rafael Glacier in the middle of the day and spent quite a while admiring its alluring blue face. Our Location Guide, Ryan, was providing commentary over the ship's PA and he told us that the more overcast the sky the bluer the glacier is. He said that even Captain PJ was taking photos from the bridge because the glacier was spectacularly blue today. The glacier is quite active and calved a couple of icebergs while we were watching. The resounding boom of the ice hitting the water was quite eerie.

Later in the afternoon we arrived at Captain Leonidas' Shipwreck. Captain Leonidas set sail with a cargo of sugar and plans to scuttle the ship and defraud his insurer. The execution of his plan was foiled when he attempted to sink the ship right on top of an underwater mountain. Twenty or thirty metres to either side he might have gotten away with the fraud, but instead he left the ship only partially submerged. He was charged and convicted for fraud and his ship still sits in a Chilean Fjord where it provides an entertaining tale for cruise ship passengers of skulduggery on the high seas. While we were at the shipwreck the sun actually broke through the clouds for a little while and we were treated to a rainbow.

Since we are at sea for a couple of days, with ready access to our stateroom, I am going to let my diarrhoea run its course rather than pop any more Imodium. I will continue to wash my hands often and thoroughly and avoid using toilets in the public areas of the ship so hopefully I won't inadvertently share my tummy bug. It might not be proper cruise etiquette, but someone, presumably with less rigorous personal hygiene standards, shared it with me!

Devastated to learn that Jon English passed away yesterday. Jon has always been one of my favourite Aussie performers. I loved him in 'Against the Wind' and loved, loved, LOVED his Pirate King performances in 'The Pirates of Penzance'. Another great performer taken too young.



Steps 9,458 (7.12km)

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