13-Sept-24 Gulf of St Lawrence, Nova Scotia
Have you missed me dear reader? Been a few days delay to blog whilst clearing a hurdle and a business deadline.
Bright blue sky and calm seas as I work on a business deadline in my cabin. The wonders of modern technology and a tiny satellite in space mean I can do this. Thank you Elon Musk.
Busy working until the main event of the day. The quiz. Not your usual pub quiz. A quiz on everything we’ve seen the past month. Mr & Mrs Engineer invite me to join their team of six. Another woman, who I’ve not seen before, joins us. Like Mr & Mrs Engineer, she too is doing the Pole to Pole trip. Vancouver-Nome-North West Passage-Greenland-Halifax-Boston-Miami-Panama Canal-Chile-Antarctica-Ushuaia. Three months sailing. On first glance she looks like she could easily have been a hippy in the 1960s. And still is. Judging by hair. Clothing. Attitude. Clearly somewhere on the spectrum she has been revising all day for the quiz. And has a pile of notes to prove it. Yep. Defo on the spectrum.
Quiz starts. 40 questions on different subjects we have seen and done. To one question I think it’s answer D. Miss Hippy asks if I’m sure. I think so. Say I. Well I think it’s A. Says she. Why do you think that? Say I. Well you only ‘think’ it’s D. We go with A. Can’t be bothered arguing the toss.
Quiz sheets swapped with neighbouring team for marking. Whenever she knows we get an answer right she gives herself a little fist bump of glee. Every. Single. Time.
But.
When we get an answer wrong. She’s upset.
Someone to steer clear of.
Well. Dear reader. Mrs Engineer chose well with her team.
Because we win. 34 out of 40.
Mrs Engineer gives a knowing wink when I say I’m glad Miss Hippy is on the team. She too recognises that someone is on the spectrum.
We win a bottle of bubbly. And so share it. A fine afternoon’s work.
Following the quiz, crew give a quick fire presentation of their personal highlights of the trip. Quite moving. The young lad marine biologist stayed up until 0300hrs one morning to transfer the old captain to his new ship in Lancaster Sound on a Zodiac in freezing temperatures. Just so he could give his sister a hug on the landing gantry of the other ship as she is working on the other ship.
A fleeting moment and then gone.
To round off the afternoon’s activities, the Captain gives an address and all enjoy a glass of bubbly and clap all the crew to say thank you as they parade around the Explorer Lounge. They have all been brilliant.
And then.
They play a 15 minute video of the trip. With soaring music. Amazing photography. And videography.
Dare I say it, dear reader, but feel a bit emotional watching it.
See things we’d done and had forgotten about. Then realise it was nearly a month ago.
A few other people feel emotional too and, as I later discover in the bar that night, a few of the men were saying they found it all a bit emotional.
And then.
Just as I’m thinking what a trip. How amazing it’s been. Miss Hannover comes up to me. A small tear in her eye having watched the video. Also quite emotional. And wishes me all the best in my future life. You have to live life. Enjoy your life. Stay well. Travel well. Etc.
I’m nearly in bits, dear reader. We had a good rapport. And enjoyed a couple of lunches together. And now gone. Never to be seen again.
Final dinner onboard. And for the final time Lurch brings a plate of blue cheese. And another glass of red. Really shall miss all this.
A photo with Miss PB, Lurch and their colleague. All in their twenties. All three have been serving me the past month at lunch and dinner. They have been utterly, utterly brilliant. No need to order drinks. They know exactly what I want. When I want. Preferential treatment. I talk to them normally and treat them as equals. As humans. Not like some passengers who have been a pain in the whatsit.
Ask for a photo of them all with me. Miss PB drags a chair and stands on it. Trying, at 5ft tall, to be taller than me. Nope. Still too small. Never seen her not smile. She always has this most amazing smile. Something to always look forward too of an evening.
Final drinks in bar. Have been chatting with Miss Sidmouth the past few weeks. Mentioned that my mate was a military historian. She asks for help. Trying to find her father’s military records from 1942 onwards. Everything available up until that date. He was in the Long Range Desert Group in North Africa. Mate suspects he could have been in the SAS as all SAS records are embargoed for 100 years which possibly explains why his records stopped in 1942. Further research required so we swap details to follow up this intriguing line of enquiry. And rather hoping mate reading this will be able to assist further!
Drink with another Miss (Norwich) and both of us sussed out the same odd bods at the start of the trip. Which has proven to be correct. There are some very peculiar sorts.
And that’s that. The final night. Onboard.
The end of the North West Passage expedition.
What an amazing trip it has been.
What an amazing experience it has been.
What an interesting education it has been.
I know I am lucky in life. But this has been bloody brilliant. And very sad to be leaving the ship.
But don’t worry, dear reader. We’re not done yet. Two more weeks of travelling on land yet to do.
In the words of Vinnie Jones at the end of the film, ‘Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels’…
It’s been emotional.
One response to “NWP 30. It’s been emotional”
What an amazing trip you’ve had, the trip of a lifetime, never to be forgotten, memories made and experiences all captured in these blogs which have been informative, witty and interesting.