22:40
Traverse team news:
A small group of us went to meet the team as soon as they descended the
glacier and hit the beach. They were all in the best of sprits – almost
giddy at being finished, or at least reaching this far. Just in really
great form.
All but four of the team have decided to stay camped on the beach, so
that they may continue in Shackletons footsteps without setting foot on
the boat. The other four felt that if Shackleton was here, and IF there
had been a ship waiting for him, he certainly would not have gone on
without claiming a nice shower, a hot meal and real live toilet! So
they chose to come back to our ship with us.
Out on deck tonight, we can see Venus blazing in the night sky, Jupiter
very near, and then the soft lights of the traverse team camp on the
beach. Its
really nice.
Expedition Support News
While we waited for the first signs of the traverse team, we took a
cruise around the bay in the Zodiacs. The highlight was getting close
to several icebergs. Close enough to see the cracks, bridges, and water
run off from yesterdays snow. Gorgeous! They have a blue hue, and
they really do look exactly like icebergs in cartoons or animations!
We were also able to pull alongside a very tiny berg bit and crack off
some ice. We could hold it to our ears and hear 10,000 year old bubbles
pop, and we all ate a bit. We brought it back to the ship and it is in
the freezer now, for use with whiskey tomorrow night when the traverse
team returns.
