Chapter 5: The Roughest sea in the world.





The Roughest sea in the world is no joke. The sea between South Americas Cape Horn and South Shetland Islands of Antarctica is called the Drake Passage and it is the roughest Sea in the world and the shortest route to reach Antarctica from South America. Drake Passage gets its name from Englishman Sir Francis Drake, whose ship was accidentally blown away far south on one stormy night of September 1578 leading to discovery of a sea beyond South America. It is indeed ironical that most discoveries are a matter of accident and when in Sea, accidents and weather can swing any way.

What started as a tiny shake of tables had turned into a full blown turbulent shake. I woke up at midnight to stuff falling around my cabin. I had heard about the infamous Drake Shake and had secretly wished that I get to experience it. I tried to step out of my cabin but it was a very difficult task to stand straight as the ship was swaying wildly and I could hear clanks of tables, chairs and computers falling apart.  Holding on to the rails I somehow made my way to the deck and was instantly stuck by thunderous sounds and biting winds. Braving it all, I stood outside, strongly holding on to the rails, and catching my breath. Once I calmed down, what I saw was unbelievable. 20 feet waves were crashing on the 4th floor windows of the ship with the wind blowing in its full fury and the ship was dancing on the swells of the waves .If the world came to an end at that moment, then I was in the midst of a very powerful opera.

Drake Passage is known to stir emotions even in the most stoic creature. While some will question their sanity, some will savour the adventure and some will find it poetic. I stood there for a while till my bones could handle the chill and then made my way to a safe seating corner. I was awestruck by what I had just experienced. The ocean was so powerful and its fury was so consuming. I was left with a thought that we all ride on the waves of life and our survival is a matter of chance. Back then, I did not realize that this thought of mine would be so relevant to the world when I came back to civilization.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A trip to the heights!

Image
We all have few checklists in life for which we have no reasons but we just want to tick the box. Visiting Gurudongmar and North Sikkim was one such item for me. After planning for 3 consecutive years and not succeeding, I finally managed it this year with my husband and kiddo along.  Day 1: A mid morning flight to Bagdogra and a rather chaotic and traffic struck drive took us to Gangtok by 7 PM. Our stay was at Hotel Prime View, which is pretty off the main market and rather peaceful, with very good food and hospitable staff. Gangtok is really a hill city bustling with traders, tourists and locals who come down to shop here for their regular supplies. Over the years it has grown beyond its capacity but there are spots for every type of tourists still..fine dine to local fare, desi to international cuisine, casinos and treks, night life and sleeping hamlets. We have explored Gangtok in our earlier trips and this time, it was just a night halt. Day 2: Our driver for the trip
Read more

African Cocktail with women only

My first ever Women's only trip - and I know one thing for sure - best things come, unplanned for. Again an experience which did not figure in the wish list for 30 odd years of life, happened, and wow- my life will never be the same again. Went to South Africa and Zambia with 24 other fellow women from different walks of life. The place itself deserves an exclusive post, but for the time being..let me focus on the smaller nuances. It all started amidst a life that was moving towards boredom very fast and was asking too many uncomfortable questions. Just then, I fumbled upon an FB page and somehow, that page stayed with me for a long time. I thought about it for good 2 months before finally paying for it. As they say, things fell in place and I was destined to be a part of this experience. I was scared - this was my first experience with the unknown after 7 years. It almost felt like the first day at B-school or the first day when my school became co-ed. Seeing all of them at th
Read more

Can I?

There is a sea of questions am floating in. struggling to find out the me in me. A voice less known, is often suppressed. not allowed to decide the path that could be correct. A loud noise, often misleads.. Is it a party or a rhetoric of creeds? When everybody is yelling the same words.. Could my words still stand out? When the crowd is walking the other path, Will that hand, still hold out? The road less traveled sounds very alluring, It needs a heart which is very daring. Can I dare to leave all that I have? Can I dare to be happy with losing? Can I dare to stand up to all that I knew? Can I dare to make something new my own? Can I dare for once, to not ask questions? Can I? For once?
Read more