Life Aboard the MV Explorer

Excerpt from Megan’s Journal:

August 30, 2005
Arrival in Nassau

We arrived in Nassau with all five suitcases intact, much to our relief and gratitude. Perhaps one of the most surprising elements of the day was the white limousine we rode from the airport to Paradise Island and the Atlantis. That night we went out to Bimini Road where we had wonderful Caribbean food and plantain chips of which we absolutely adore. After that we relaxed on inner tubes in the lazy river right outside our villa. Why they placed us in the seclusion of palms and sea grape trees will always bewilder me, but it was sheltered enough from the hurly-burly activities of lifeguards blowing whistles, small children splashing in the pool and the roaring applause of onlookers at the Mayan temple. We discovered all the sights like archaeologists digging for artifacts, every rope bridge, beach access, and underground tunnel. The Mayan temple was impressive, imposing its architectural angles and commanding the eye to gaze up at the sixty-foot drop. So considerable was its authority, poised delicately over the pools below that it almost appeared to float circumspectly, its grandeur and stateliness emulating the original, El Castillo. Abundant on the grounds were a myriad of shark species ranging from bonnet heads, nurse, hammerheads, and reef. For me it was exciting because I love the animal that many humans have come to hate, or at least misunderstand, thanks to movies like Jaws and Deep Blue Sea. We also took the time to walk the beach and its silky soft sand, treading water and enjoying the foamy whitecaps and breakers rolling onto the shore. Using small handfuls of the slightly grainier sand we exfoliated our legs and feet for free, no salon or expensive products necessary.

Excerpt from Heather’s Journal:

August 31, 2005
At Sea

This is the eighty-eighth voyage of discovery! Double eights! It was a beautiful sailing night departing from Nassau, and a beautiful sunset. In fact, as the Executive Dean told us, it was the best departure sailing conditions in the history of Semester at Sea, and I believe it. It feels so good to have the waves beneath me again. I slept absolutely wonderful last night, due in part to the rocking of the ship, and relief that we were finally here. The ship is fantastic; well kept, and clean, and our cabin is just perfect. After boarding yesterday morning we unpacked immediately. Three of the suitcases were waiting for us by the door and we were quite worried about the last one, although it did arrive, ironically, just as we were shoving the third empty suitcase below the bed. It seems as if everything we packed had a specific spot in the room already picked out for it and it did not take long to make the cabin a cozy little home with pictures, magnets, and, of course Terp blankets. I don’t regret packing anything that I brought, and feel like we predicted just about everything we would need. We were told tonight that one student was still missing their luggage, which happens to be a record for Semester at Sea which usually averages about forty.

As we waited for mom and dad to board yesterday, and finished unpacking in those few hours before visitor boarding, we saw a small boat glide past our window piled high with hundreds of enormous conch shells glistening pink, salmon, and peach, and it made me think about the abeng I bought from a merchant in Anse le Raye.

I have been wearing the Trans Scop patch for prevention of motion sickness since yesterday and am pleased, actually elated, to report that I have not felt sick in the least. The sea is certainly not as calm today. Last night it looked like glass, but today it is much choppier, and still I feel nothing.

Megan writes, “Switching gears, his name is Jeremy, Jeremy Kingston, and he is our Captain for the next one hundred days. He’s British, naturally, because of his accent, as he pointed out. Under his guidance we are on our way to Venezuela on an ocean that looks like marble with the sun playing off of its surface. This morning the sun announced its presence over the horizon, diffusing the water with an orangey, warm glow, like orange-juice.”

It was neat to be standing at the stern looking down at the parents on the dock and to see my own parents there (thanks to dad’s red and black tie-dyed Maryland t-shirt). We took some really great pictures of them waving to us, and I cannot wait to see the pictures they took as well. The Atlantis was a perfect backdrop for the crowd of parents following the ship to the very end of the pier waving, blowing kisses, and reminding everyone to study hard, which made quite a few of the students laugh.

There are six hundred eighty-three students aboard the MV Explorer, another record high for Semester at Sea, four hundred some girls, and two hundred some guys. I keep checking the position report on the television to see where we are and could not believe that we were nearing Cuba and Haiti already.

Lunch will begin soon and hopefully they have something besides tea or water because both taste awful. It was really strange tasting at first and I would rather have had Perrier, which I have to admit tastes like flat sewer water to me (even though I don’t know if this comparison is accurate as I have never tasted sewer water). Hopefully this gives you some sort of idea how terrible it is. Tomorrow I will probably buy some water from the snack bar.

The lifeboat drill was very long and very hot, especially because we are required to wear long pants, long sleeve shirts, and close-toed shoes. I probably could have showered six times yesterday and still I would have needed another shower. All in all it probably took half an hour.

Excerpt from Megan’s Journal:

I initially typed this entry on a laptop due to a minor reaction from the seasickness patch – blurred vision. Objects further away appear fine; it’s the reading and writing that are difficult as the black text all seems to run together. My mouth has been unusually dry and it seems no amount of water or other beverage will saturate and engulf the arid desert forming in my throat. Hopefully it will wear off soon and I can read and write more efficiently. For now, I have taken the patch off, and if I intend to make use of these patches in the future, I will most likely cut it in half, and then half again. Other than this incident, no worries. Even though the oceanic void stretching around me in every direction, inimitable blue that it is, surges forcefully, I feel like I am on solid ground as I watch others stumble and sway at every undulation.

Excerpt from Heather’s Journal:

September 1, 2005
At Sea

Megan and I have both been experiencing some side effects from the Trans Scop patch especially dry mouths. No matter how much we drink our mouths are still dry. Megan has been complaining of slightly blurred vision, which only happens when reading small text. When I woke up this morning I too began to have a similar problem. The sea is rough today and there is a marked increase in the level of rocking; we have even had several waves splash our window on the fourth deck. The white foam splashing chaotically off the ship is like a symphony of waves in white, blue, and turquoise. Last night we had a small thunder and lightning storm, but we still have not experienced any seasickness.

Classes began today. First we had Global Studies, a really interesting course with a great professor. His lectures are entertaining and informative and I know I will enjoy the class. We also had Anthropology of Tourism and Anthropology: Field Methods today with Professor Smyth. He likes to tell stories and is very personable. I have read everything assigned for A1, B1, A2, and B2 days, and taken some notes on the material as well. I am looking forward to learning a lot about documentation and the role of tourism that corresponds nicely with my interest in Pre-Columbian history.

Last night Megan and I removed the Trans Scop patch because we felt as if it was doing more harm than good. When I woke up this morning I was happy to discover that my mouth was no longer dry and parched, and decided to wear my sea-bands today instead of the patch. This afternoon before class I too found it difficult to read fine print. It was so strange, I could see everything else perfectly, just not the text on the page in front of me. I suppose that the active ingredient in the patch was still in effect, but everything seems to be returning too normal. We both decided that we would discontinue using the patch unless it is particularly turbulent outside, and instead sport our fashionable gray sea-bands. We also thought that we would cut the patch to a smaller size and may try that out to see how it works. I remember reading that some students have done this before, and have talked to a couple of other students who are using the patch who also report similar side effects.

Excerpt from Megan’s Journal:

The ocean was incorrigible today, medium swells slapping the side of the ship before spraying off in various directions, sometimes visible through our window on deck four. As they rebound, the whitecaps escape, their spray producing tiny rainbows, prismatic and perfect, if only for a second.

The shop is open now and looks like a cyclone swept every shirt and sweatshirt into huge disarray. We purchased a couple articles of clothing, among them a hooded sweatshirt. Apparently they will be getting some new designs coming in shortly as well.

Heather writes, “The store seems a lot smaller than the pictures on the web portray it, and we had to wait in a line outside as only about six people were permitted to enter at a time.”

Tomorrow is laundry day, ironically Heather and I managed to hand wash the few items we had before the signs were even posted. Oh well, it wasn’t enough to justly validate a couple dollars. After our trip in Venezuela to Margarita Island perhaps we will have more and use the service.

Again Heather writes, “It seems pointless to send off a bag with four items in it, and in such close proximity to our port stay.”

Excerpt from Heather’s Journal:

We like eating in the Garden Lounge because it has a much better view of the sea, but have found that if you don’t arrive ten minutes early you will probably wait about twenty minutes in line. The food is decent for the most part. You can always count on cereal for breakfast, croissants, toast, scrambled eggs and bacon. Lunch usually consists of a dinner like meal, salad, soup, sometimes sandwiches, or a special theme (for example yesterday was tacos and rice) and of course there is peanut butter and jelly. For dinner, again, there is salad, and pasta, some sort of meat (a selection from the land and another from the sea) and a vegetable (which tastes much better than the vegetables at Maryland).

Excerpt from Megan’s Journal:

Tonight we had a pre-port lecture that lasted about an hour, very informative and enjoyable. Hopefully tonight will remain quiet, although it is the first pub night. Needless to say I am not attending. I will do some reading from the textbooks and get my “week-ahead-homework-routine” going again.

I would love to post some pictures on our weblog but there are too many cute photos for once and to choose one or two would not merely be unsatisfying but a joke. Similar to eating only one piece of chocolate, like Bomboy’s Homemade Candy, one would not be enough to diminish the appetite and please the taste buds. Hopefully, these couple will satisfy for the time being. It is off to Margarita Island in two days and I am not entirely sure of the Internet capabilities while at port. A small margin exists that I might post on September 3rd, if not after my return from the beautiful island.