This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
I'm in Ponta Delgada! Here's proof:
It's beautiful here. If you ever have the chance to visit the Azores, do it. The boat -- the R/V Knorr -- is here too, and it's bigger than I expected. Here's my bunk:
I've already gotten lost a bunch. All the hallways on the Knorr are narrow and tan, and I keep wandering about below deck and coming upon a choice like this:
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At which point I basically just choose at random. But eventually I did find my way to the kitchen, and more or less figured out how to get back to my room from most places on the boat. I'll write more about the boat's layout and the different research stations in a later post -- once everyone's all set up. There are still loads of cardboard boxes sitting around the labs here, and everyone is wandering around asking things like: "Do you have a longer cable?" and "Where are my reagents?"
The science team is also testing out the equipment before we go -- just in case something isn't working.
We leave tomorrow at 16:00.
On a personal note: I'm nervous! I've never been to sea before, and I'm not sure how I'll do. The longest I've ever been on a boat was a ferry ride from Bellingham, Washington up to Alaska, which traveled along the inside passage. Not exactly rough seas. Even with all my seasickness medication, I'm still worried I'll just be sick the whole month. It doesn't help that some people here have seen that happen to other scientists. Wish me luck!
I've heard most people get sick during the first few days. So my posts might not be daily at first. It'll depend on the status of my inner ear.
If you'd like to follow our journey, check out this site that tracks our position by GPS. If we disappear off the map, don't tell my mom.
