Ship Tours and My Farewell

When this ship pulls into port, it draws a lot of attention, and tours are plentiful. The co-chief scientists and I gave two tours – one to the staff and students of the Goedgedacht Trust, the recipients of the marathon money raised, as well as three boxes of donations from generous shipmates, and the second to the University of Cape Town’s Dept. of Geological Sciences, together with some members of the South African Geological Survey (known locally as the Council for Geoscience).

I’m not sure we’ve convinced any of the younger students to come sail on a research ship for two months, but they definitely enjoyed their tour. Some of the highlights included sitting in the Captain’s chair, and the soft-serve icecream machine in the galley. The university tour lasted longer, as the combination of professors, undergraduates and graduate students pressed both Ian and Sid for as much information as they could. I’m not sure which group enjoyed the tour more – definitely everyone left smiling, with a host of photos snapped on their phones and cameras!

So this is my last blog. My role as Education and Outreach Officer has finally come to an end. I know my friends and family are eagerly awaiting my return, and I miss them as well, but I am definitely a little sad to be leaving the ship. This has been a truly awesome experience, and I mean that in the dictionary definition of the adjective. It was a great adventure. But probably not the last one!