Location: Durban, South Africa
The passage from Richard’s Bay caught some of us off guard as seasickness crept onto the boat as we left the dock. Even so, the passage was short, and the seasoned crew carried out their duties as usual. We dropped anchor in Durban at 6:30 am and promptly had breakfast (cereal and milk) underway as a group in the cockpit. After breakfast, we managed to carry out a quick boat appreciation (BA) and took Dinghy rides out to the dock.
We took cabs to the uShaka Marine World and had a valuable and educational behind-the-scenes tour of the marine theme park. The veterinarian gave us a tour of the backstage area where the dolphins are kept and some of the labs in the marine world. We were also led to other fish-acclimatization and rehabilitation areas where concepts of rehabilitation and acclimatization were explained to us. Then we went through an underground aquarium where we could see numerous marine animals, and we also had the staff explain the characteristics and habits of each to us. The highlight of the day came during the dolphin show when Cooper Johnson was the special individual selected to touch the dolphins during the show. The selection process: Dance in front of the camera. Cooper made us proud by busting some moves and then some more moves to be the chosen ones. You go, Cooper!
After a day at the uShaka Marine World, we took cabs back to the boat and proceeded to carry out our boat’s tradition, the Squeeze. It was interesting to me that the last time I was skipper was 30 days ago, but it felt like it was just a week back at best. It reminded me of how fast time passes on the boat, especially with the routine life. It is now day 73 of our 90-day journey, and we have accomplished much. The bonds we have forged throughout our journey grow ever stronger, and this voyage promises to be an unforgettable one. We have only 17 days left, and adjournment is soon. We have to constantly remind ourselves of the limited time that we have left, and do our best to use it wisely and prioritize what we cherish most on the boat. I came onto the boat with my classes and qualifications as my priority, but now it seems that I was misled, and it is the people on Argo that I will cherish most for a long, long time to come.
Here’s a shout-out to all those on Argo: I love you guys!