Miracle

We have an amazing addendum to our Antarctic trip; actually I'd call it a miracle. Here are the facts as I remember them:

Sometime between Christmas and New Years, 2009, I decided that we would travel to Antarctica. In short order we were booked on a trip with the Clelia II, a luxury sailing vessel which was to leave in late November of 2010. We paid our deposit, made all of the necessary reservations, and even purchased our required trip insurance. The only remaining step was to patiently wait eleven months for the scheduled departure. We were SO excited.

A few months later, round about March or April, 2009, I received a devastating e-mail. Our cruise had been cancelled. My heart fell. All of those plans were washed away. I do believe I saw you trying to hide tears. But experience has taught me to be optimistic even in the event of unexpected circumstances. And sure enough, one week later our travel agency produced a wonderful alternative, and we were re-booked on the National Geographic Explorer. The NG Explorer was too expensive to consider initially, but with two discounts they were able to put us on board for the same price as the Clelia II.

That was an old story which has now come back around. Apparently, the Clelia II did make a voyage to Antarctica after all. It has been reported that yesterday, carrying 160 passengers and crew, she encountered high seas and winds over 55 mph within the fabled Drake Passage. Roughly 500 miles from Ushuaia, a huge wave broke windows on the bridge and they lost power. This lead to a loss of engine power and communications, and an emergency was declared. It was the National Geographic Explorer which came to their rescue, offering support and a satellite phone. Check out this video and join me in singing a prayer of gratitude for our rescheduled expedition!