Neptune Day, BBQ, Sea Social, and Class with Archbishop Desmond Tutu

With one of our longest lags almost behind us and South Africa only 8 hours away…I wish I could be able to describe how I am feeling. It has been such a challenge to contain the excitement; the entire ship is full of this energy! Since departing from Brazil there has been much activity on the MV Explorer. Of course I have had class everyday with many tests and papers. We did get one day off, the second day at sea. It was called Neptune Day, a day where the entire ship pays homage to King Neptune (Poseidon) since we are at His mercy while at sea! Prior to initiation, all the shipmates are Pollywogs and the only way to become the honorable and worthy Shellbacks is to do one or both of the following: 1. Shave your head or 2. Get fish guts poured all over you. It was an easy choice for me…I chose the FISH GUTS! Many people shaved their heads, a respectable yet crazy thing to do! We then had to jump into the pool, kiss a fish, and finally kiss the ring of King Neptune (Captain Jeremy)! Another first for me! The rest of the day we were able to enjoy the sun and each other’s company. The evening concluded with a delicious BBQ on Deck 7 and Pub night. A couple days later our Sea (cabin hall) had our first Sea Social. All of us that are a part of the Adriatic Sea dressed up for the theme, “A Private Affair” and had tasty snacks and fun music. Everyone is just so excited for this port…and the one most welcoming is the one and only Archbishop Desmond Tutu! During Global Studies we have had the privilege of being addressed by the compassionate, kind, and hilariously funny Archbishop. His words kept everyone on the edge of his or her seat. He is so animated and articulates his thoughts beautifully. His discussion included a wide range of topics from apartheid in South Africa to peace to thanking young people, whom he holds in highest regard. How wonderful it felt to have a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate thank us for what we did to end apartheid. I couldn’t believe it…coming from one of the most influential persons responsible for such a peaceful closing to a horrible situation. All I can say is that he is the definition of selfless. All in all, these past 8 days leading to my arrival in Cape Town has been filled with many great and inspirational moments. Now I am going to prepare for a much anticipated sunrise over the glorious Table Mountain to greet me and my shipmates. I can only wonder though, how much better can this get?!!!