Life Onboard LAST UPDATE  April 26, 2009
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March 25, 2009 In Pictures - Halfway Through the Journey, Peace Boat Passes Through Antarctica and Patagonia
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Just in front of a glacier-covered mountain in the Antarctic region, young Japanese participants pose for a memorial photo with a sign saying that the ship is cruising in Antarctica. For three days, the Mona Lisa navigated the icy waters of the world’s only uninhabited continent. The opportunity was a rare one, and participants stood outside for hours braving the cold weather and occasional summer snowfall to take pictures and stare in wonder at the untouched landscape.
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A mammoth mountain towers over the ship as the Mona Lisa makes its way through the Beagle Channel. On one side of the ship, participates could see the beautiful nature of Argentina; on the other side, the equally astonishing landscape of Chile. The entire region is known as Patagonia, and the experience of sailing through it encouraged participants to sign an onboard petition asking UNESCO to declare Patagonia a World Heritage Site. For more information about the campaign to protect Patagonia, see here www.peaceboat.org/english/nwps/cn/arc/080612/index.html.
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After passing through Patagonia, Peace Boat called in to the port of Punta Arenas, Chile. To celebrate the occasion, a troupe of Chilean traditional musicians and dancers performed onboard the ship. Dressed in gaucho-style costumes and performing upbeat folk dances, dancers pulled participants up on stage to join in. The show was enjoyed by all and lasted right up until the last call for disembarkation as the Mona Lisa pulled away to head to its next port of call, Rapa Nui (Easter Island).
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Between Punta Arenas and Rapa Nui, participants organized a “Comedy Night.” Comedy television programmes are a big part of Japanese culture, and everyone enjoyed the live show aboard the ship. Teams made up of two or three participants performed stand-up comedy routines on topics related to ship life, from the daily routine to what the real Mona Lisa would think about being the namesake of a ship sailing around the world.
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To show their appreciation for participants, who organize events every day, cooperating to make the 64th voyage a huge success, Peace Boat staff coordinated an “Entertainment Night.” Following a masquerade dance and formal dinner, staff put on an hour-and-a-half-long show where they themselves performed dance, songs, skits and comedy routines, all dedicated to the wonderful participants.
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The biggest event of the second half of the voyage so far has been the Sports Day Festival. Participants were divided into four coloured teams, depending on their month of birth, and battled it out in events such as the three-legged race, a huge rock-paper-scissors tournament, and a team tug-of-war. Thanks to participants, who met every day for almost two weeks to prepare and organize the event, the whole ship was united to have a great time on Sports Day.