Day 1 - Wednesday, 20th of March 2013

Position at the pier: 54°48.6'S, 068°18.0'W

Weather: SW 4 (Wind direction and force); Clear (Sky); Calm (Sea state); +15°C

(Temperature).

Embarkation - Ushuaia, Argentina

Today is the day! Our boat leaves at 18h00 and we have to check in between 15h30 and 16h00. Freddy and I have a very efficient last morning: we get our vouchers and waterproof clothing for the trip; we book our bus tickets to Puerto Natales for the Sunday of our return,we go to the supermarket to buy some licor and snacks ….. ready we are. We get a 10% reduction for our stay in the Antartica hotel and ask Gabriel for two more nights when we return.... all seems ready for departure and nothing can wipe off the big smile of Freddy and my face....

Struggling down to the port with all our heavy luggage and food, we arrive at 15h30 sharp. Our first surprise is to see lots of young people (our age, whether that can be considered young or not ;-)).

We are immediately welcomed to step aboard the M/V Plancius ‐ our home for the next 10 days - where a very helpful staff leads me to the cabin of 4 that I will be sharing with Aisha and Sarita. We gather up in the lounge where we have some introductory lectures and where we get told that our boat will be leaving a bit later than planned due to some paperwork the captain has to complete still. Not sure what it is linked to but we get to hear that one of the girls diving on the previous trip died very unfortunately.

Once checked in, we meet hotel manager Marck. He gives us an introduction to the ship and explains how things work and shortly after we have our mandatory safety briefing from Anika, the Third Officer. Anika gives us some information on the safety procedures and how to behave in case of a general alarm. We have some moments to get some fresh air and sunshine before everyone convenes in the lounge to toast our forthcoming voyage and to be introduced to our Expedition Leader Pablo Brandeman and his team of Expedition Staff. One of the last speakers of the day is the doctor. We are told that we will probably be hit by a storm on our way through the Drake passage (ie the Drake shake) so most of us decide to buy one of the patches that should get us sufficiently drugged throughout the next 2 days on te Drake Passage.

After a few hours onboard spent mingling with new found friends and getting acquainted with our new home, the first meal onboard is served. Head Chef Ralf and his team produce a marvellous meal - a sign of things to come!

At 22:40 the lines are cleared and M/V Plancius begins its journey toward Antarctica through the still seas of the Beagle Channel. As mentionned before, a rough crossing of the Drake Passage is predicted for the following two days. This night, however, is steady and calm as we enjoy the shelter of the channel - a tranquil beginning to our big adventure.