Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Friends and family, greetings from Cape Town!
Today is our first full day on Argo, and we have already had a very productive, informative, AND fun day! At 7 am, everyone was so excited to wake up to the sight of table mountain in the backdrop across the marina. Groups of sea lions swam around the boat; some of them poked their head out while the more intrepid ones twirled in the water to show how great of a swimmer they were. Occasionally, we heard some powerful groans from them. After a quick breakfast, we spent time going over the program policy, followed by a detailed walkthrough of the safety procedures. This included going over how to properly fit and wear the life jackets, Personal Flotation Devices (PFD), and gumby suit, which is a waterproof immersion suit used in the unlikely case of abandon ship.
Lunch was chicken tacos with lots of toppings, and it was so delicious! After lunch, we were broken into four groups, each group led by a staff member stationed at a different place on the boat for a boat walkthrough. During this tour, we learned the basics of where things are and how to use them, which I would like to call Argo 101. After all the group sessions, the day has gone by so quickly, and it is already 5 pm! We got an hour of free time to explore the waterfront area before dinner. Some of us did last-minute shopping while others took a nap due to the jet lag experienced from traveling such a long way from home. Oh, one thing before I forget, we have decided to have a 7-day phone detox period at the start of the program when we are not on shore to be more mindful and present with each other.
After dinner, it is customary for the skipper to ask a question to the group. Yes, any questions we would like to know about each other! As for me, I wanted to learn about how we each got our names or the meaning behind our names. I enjoyed hearing everyone’s response and being the first-day skipper!
Going to bed soon and am super excited about what is to come tomorrow!