Location: St. Eustatius
I had never before been so struck by nature’s power as on this trip. Never before had I realized the great magnitude of its influence upon us and our lives.
My realization began upon our first voyage, from Antigua to Le Saints12 hours of us and sea. My Naivet shown through at the beginning of our voyage. “I only need ONE Dramamine,” I told myself. I was wrong. Never before had my body been thrown around as if it were paper in the wind, nor had my stomach been so churned and broiled. The power of the waves was not merely shown to me. Their power was forced upon me so that I shall not forget it. The ship became a building and the bow an elevator. Taking crew from floor 1 to 12 to -3, then to 5, all while the building keeled on its sides to and fro. The waves did more than make you feel their presence. It was visible. Waves the size of which I’ve never seen, taller than any man, all weathered by a crew who say, “this is calm actually”. They were dark, dark like navy blue, with white tops like the foamy head on an age-appropriate drink. Kelp clung to the surface of the waves for dear life, as if they had been glued to the top of the water. They bobbed up and down till they were out of sight. The waves’ greatness cannot be conveyed over speech, through words, or even through a screen. Their power is one that must be appreciated in person, in body, and in your stomach and through your eyes.
My realization continued with the wind. As you may already know, we trekked up to the great boiling lake hidden in the mountainous jungles of Dominica. We spent four hours walking up and another 4 back down. Now, what you may not have heard of was the ridge. Our journey took us up to an elevation of about 3,000 ft above sea level. Truly up on top of the mountains. Near the highest part of our journey, we navigated a skinny path atop a mountain ridge. It was not treacherous, nor was it difficult, but by far it was the most awe-inspiring sight of the trek. Upon the ridge, we could see either side of the mountain before us. The ridge acts as a bridge between two major sections of the mountain. On both sides of the ridge stood a steep drop-off down to the rest of the island below. Coming up from the left was the wind. Great gusts of high-powered air blasted over the ridge, soaring and tumbling above and all around us. With it came clouds like flying bison rushing overhead. The clouds leaped up from the depths on the left, over the ridge, and plunged back down on the right. Like sheep over a fence post drifting their way to sleep. They were silent; they did not shout their brilliance as the waves did. Yet, the wind was there. It was right in front of us, for us to see its power in the clouds.
I’m sure as we continue our grand adventure, I will continue to be awe-struck by the raw power that nature holds. I hope one day everyone will be able to experience what we lucky few aboard Ocean Star have.