Nei Maldaner left Porto Alegre on November 11st, 2006 for an incredible adventure. To cross the Antarctic continent, on board of the ship ice-break Kapitan Khlebnikov. Check the report of the passage for Drake, one of the most incredible points of that adventure!

The passage of Drake is always a great adventure and if has storm it is more exciting! During Drake, as I already knew, I hoped faced some storm. As it would balance plenty, I took a "Dramin" and most of the people placed a sticker against swinging nausea.

I ended up sleeping direct, I woke up about 6 in the morning, it was cold because I left the window a little opened in function of GPS. I found a way to close the window and I placed the antenna of glued GPS in the glass, it sometimes lost the sign but it was better. I slept a little more, until 9 o'clock; the coffee would go until 10 o'clock. I had breakfast, I generally don't eat in the morning, because use to stay awake until late, so I enjoy the morning to sleep more. Good, after the breakfast I went to a lecture about our trip, what would have and what could be moved, due to the climate. Finally, the plan of the trip!

I found out that my English had a lot to improve! I went then for my cabin, again I verified the GPS and I organized my things, had entered water trough the window that I had not closed very well! I left to look how was the weather and the command bridge, of there I could see the storm approaching, not very strong, but that already balanced the ship a lot.

Already usual the swinging, I liked, but to sleep the body kept moving, it was very interesting. And walking if we didn't firm we could beat ourselves. The elevator at this time didn't work. Also in the refectory I saw an interesting technique for the plates, glasses and silverwares don't drop of the table, they wet the towel, incredible that, like this nothing slipped. It was only inconvenience when we touched in the table that humid. After lunch, I decided to return for the room. I tried to rest on these moments because later we would be in Antarctica and we should have a lot to do! Calm, after take a rest, I went to the bridge to take some photos of the ship and of the inclination that was possible to see. I tried to film, but I didn't get because was winding a lot.

About 4 o'clock in the evening were served snacks, we drank coffee and I returned to the room. Very happy with the trip and the peacefulness of being alone in a cabin, very organized, with electrics outlets, computers. But when I arrived in the cabin everything was in the ground, a big mess, fortunately I had already placed computer, cameras, lenses everything in places that couldn't damage. The chair for not flying had a ribbon that I pressed more.

I am on really vacation! Until the nervousness and the stress of the previous week the trip passed. I opted for not attending some lectures, I preferred to be reading some things and studying a little English. Especially because certain lecture, I had already attended in the other trip that I did for Antarctica in 2004.

In the middle day we had already made almost 600 kilometers, to a speed of 29 km/h, in the end of the afternoon, around 5 o'clock in the evening, we were with 700 kilometers. The ship played plenty but the storm was weak. A lot of people were not feeling well and they were laid at the room.

At night an excellent dinner was served with soup, cheeses, wine and an excellent dessert. Still more for me, that love sweet! The friendships increased more and more, I maintained the relationship well with Peter, the Dutchman. It is now with other people from Holland, Spain and United States.

Because of the waves everyone was on top of the bridge, or still in the superior part of the bridge, that would be the 10th or the 11st floor. That was the encounter point or in Deck 5, where it was located the bar, the library and the living room, we could see the waves beating in front of the ship. I was alone with the small camera and waited a larger storm to take better photos.

In the covering I met new people: A boy of red-haired, American and with many photographic equipments. Also a nice, Australian woman, but that lived in Egypt, in the city of Cairo. We took a lot of photos of the birds that flew close to the ship whole time, and of the Albatrosses.

More people appeared and with a lot of equipment! An American photographer that lives in Thailand. Another Dutchwoman that I knew during the lunch and dinner, called Ina, very animated. Some more couple senior reserved and a young couple from Barcelona, very nice, wich I had already talked in the hotel. There was also an adorable lady that I met in the dinner, American, inhabitant from Miami Beach, Anelise and a very cool gentleman from South Africa, good chat, Aschie.

The first and second day we happened like this, in the great break-ice Kapitan Khlebnikov, knowing our adventure companions, making new friends and sharing good moments! I just didn't take more photos of the giant waves that covered the whole coves of the ship.

Translation: Débora A. da Silva