It is the last day on board our ship Sergey Vavilov. We have shared an incredible journey and completed a very big dream on the ‘bucket list’ of just about every passenger on board!
We are given a tour of the ship and we visit the engine room and get an appreciation for the work that goes on behind the scenes to keep this boat running! It is a Russian scientific research ship that is leased by Quark Expeditions. Hence, it is a ship with no frills, very unlike the regular cruise ships that you might have encountered. Cruising is not my style but I have truly enjoyed being on an expedition cruise and the chance to experience Antarctica close up. 
We have our last recap up at the bar. Graham reminds us of the places we have been,what we’ve done, what we’ve consumed and what we have seen! They include:
- 31 species of birds
- 5 species of seals
- 3 species of whales
- 8 species of penguins
- 2 yearly celebrations
- 5 kayak expeditions
- 349 nautical miles sailed
- 1998 eggs
- 15 excursions
- 4 soaked zodiacs!
- 26 presentations
Of course for some of us this list would not be complete without the numbers of friendships made, the photos we’ve taken, the conversations we’ve had, the drinks we’ve consumed, the blog posts written, the miles we’ve walked, the icebergs we’ve seen, the postcards we’ve mailed back and the people we met on the remote outposts!
As always, the wonderful friendships I made were a standout and ones I hope will last a lifetime. I found fellowship with people who chased similar dreams and shared my values of living life slightly different to the norm.
I got to know many of the expedition team quite well and was amazed at their talents, their knowledge, their dedication to the spirit of adventure and the incredible journeys they have already been on! 
On our last night at the bar, we are entertained by Graham and some of the guitarist on board. Leah is invited to sing and she surprises and delights the crowd with her rendition of a John Denver song. 
We are treated to a fabulous sunset as we say goodbye to the voyage of a lifetime! We join in the singing and go to bed. As I ticked this dream off my bucket list, I reflected there wasn’t much more I could have asked for, from this once in a lifetime journey! 
"It is better to go skiing and think of God, than go to church and think of sport." — Fridtjof Nansen
1 comment:
Haha... i admit i have been skim reading this and at first i read it as 'we've consumed... 31 species of birds, 5 species of seals' and i was thinking what?! lol... but looks like u have seen a lot! so jealous!
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