A Day At Sea

Out of the 115 days of the Semester at Sea voyage, 53 are spent in port…which means I have (or will have) a total of 62 days “at sea.” Since the voyage is more than 4/5 over, I figured I’d let you all in on what a “typical” day “at sea” is like.

Not a bad way to start my day.

645: If I’m being really ambitious, my alarm will go off at 645 (I will be using military time in this email, as this is what we use on the ship…good luck with the conversions). A few members of our community lead CrossFit (a core strengthening and conditioning program) sessions each morning starting at 700. If you come at 705, you will get publicly scolded (and then be able to join). I have only done CrossFit one time, so not that ambitious on my part. I have however worked out on my own in the mornings a handful of times…but still nothing to brag about, so I won’t.

700-830: Breakfast is served at this time each day. It is a buffet style with various eggs, potatoes, french toast, fruit, and more. I did really well waking up early for breakfast for the first few weeks of the voyage. I have never really been a breakfast person (except in middle school, mainly because I had sisters who needed to use the bathroom at the same time each morning), but found it beneficial to wake up and eat breakfast with different students/faculty/staff each morning, in order to meet more people. It definitely worked…but then I realized the same people come to breakfast every morning. Thus, I stopped going to allow myself a little more time to sleep and instead typically have a breakfast consisting of a morning cup of tea.

 The Breakfast Buffet

900-1200: This is my “office time” each day. The 8 Resident Directors (RDs) share an office on the ship. Our office is located near the bow, in an area where you can feel every single wave. More than one person has gotten sick in the office; though I've been good throughout the voyage. The Student Life Office only has 3 computers, which is why the 8 RDs have split up office time. In addition to RDs, the office fills up with work study students in the afternoons (since the students usually have class in the mornings), so the morning shift is better for me.

John Boyer - easily the ship's most engaging professor. 

Honestly. Look up his name and watch some of his videos on Youtube! 

1200-1300: Each day “at sea,” the Student Life Team meets for lunch at 1200 in the Garden Lounge (Deck 6, Classroom 1) after the Noon Announcements are read over the PA. The noon announcements are read by the Assistant Dean, who indicates everything happening on that particular day, any updates for the shipboard community, and then gives information about our current voyage (ie: distance from previous port; distance to next port; distance to nearest land; sea depth; sea/air temperature; etc.). Lunch always consists of salad, cheese, bread, a pasta, a potato, a fish, another type of meat, and some kind of dessert. When Dean Rita is finished, our meeting begins. The meeting is led by the Dean of Students, Eddie, and the others in the room include the 8 RDs, the Alumni Coordinator (Ashley), the Outreach Coordinator (Megan), the Dependent Children Coordinators (Jane & Ian), the Lifelong Learner Coordinators (Ruth & Leigh), and one of the two psychologists (Nancy or Bill). Dean Eddie pretty much starts off every meeting with, “I don’t have much for you today...,” and then allows everyone to go around and give an update regarding their area. The RDs typically stay after the initial meeting is over, just to get some additional information to be aware of.

Pasta (and sauce), Potato, Fish, Meat, and Veggies (and repeat...everyday)

1300-1400: Each day, this is free time for me. I can choose to do whatever I want. This usually involves some personal time to start my blogs, upload/manage my pictures, plan the next port, or check personal email. Every once and a while, I’ll tap a power nap (which is easy with the ship rocking you to sleep), but not often, as I typically feel more tired after a nap.

1400-1600 or 1500-1700: RD Carla (Student Activities) & I (Recreational Sports) share the responsibility of overseeing the Activities Desk in Tymitz Square. Tymitz Square is one of the main areas on the ship; as Reception, the Pursers’ Desk, the Field Office, and the Activities Desk are all located in this area. The Activities Desk is the place where individuals can check out sporting equipment or various games to play. Carla & I are the only RDs without work study students, but we have 5 students to fill hours at the Activities Desk throughout the day (1100-2300 every day). Unfortunately, all 5 of our students have class between 1400-1600 (A Days) or 1500-1700 (B  Days). Thus, Carla & I take turns working these two hours at the desk. We usually talk about it during our meeting at 1200, and decide who can work. I actually don’t mind working the desk, as I can do work during my shift; I get to see a lot of students/faculty/staff with the location in Tymitz Square; and the students working the Field Office are some of my favorites of the voyage (Carl, Andrew, Erin, Nicole, and Taylor). Our students working the Activities Desk are great as well (Kate, Lauren, Lauren, Ramy, and Briana)!

1700-1900: Here’s where the schedule becomes different every day. I am in charge of Recreational Sports, which means I run the intramurals on the ship (though there's more to my position than just this). The last classes end for students at 1700; therefore,  everyone is available to start playing intramurals after 1700. Thus, I always schedule games/matches from 1700-1900. I have a group of 4-5 students (Kelsey, Christina, Caitlin, Lauren, & Jules) who help me referee/time keep/score keep for the games (they are a life savers!). That being said, a lot of times I’ll go up there to the netted area/court to help them or to referee myself. The intramurals we've played on the ship include: Soccer, Ping Pong, Dodgeball, Volleyball, and now Basketball. The Championship matches (men & women) take place on Dec. 2nd. After which…my position just has to create a transitional folder for the next Recreational Sports Coordinator to use.

Netted Area

Sometimes we'll pause the games to watch dolphins or whales off the side of the ship.

1730-1930: This is dinner time on the ship. Another buffet style, the meal always consists of salad, fruit, soup, a pasta, potatoes, fish, meat, and a type(s) of dessert. The refereeing schedule usually makes me start dinner past 1800. In addition, for the first 2/3rds of the voyage, I had a signup sheet on my cabin door for my students to sign their name, if they wanted to grab dinner with me. Many of them took advantage of this, which really helped me to learn names! I will typically eat in the main dining hall on Deck 5, because there’s always seats/tables available. I’d say deck 6 dining (Garden Lounge) is always full; though the outside eating area is awesome.

Deck 6 - Best place to eat!

Sunset on the MV Explorer

1900-2000: Explorer Seminars take place at this time during most “at sea” days. Explorer Seminars are a chance for any member of the shipboard community to share their knowledge or experience in a discipline. These seminars are not necessarily academic, but education; providing the opportunity for residents to learn from one another. All the RDs help coordinate these sessions; which usually ends up being around 4 per day (ie: each RD would help coordinate 1 every 2 days). Luckily, many people are interested in sharing their knowledge and expertise, so it hasn't been too difficult to fill the space. Going with my “Recreational Sports” curricular, I have mainly led card tournaments; free time for board games; Sea Olympic info sessions; “Trivia Nights” (Disney, Harry Potter, etc.); and some topics outside of my area (World AIDS Day, Personality Tests, etc.). If I am not coordinating an Explorer Seminar, then I have this hour free to do whatever I like (or possibly go to another Explorer Seminar).

2000-2100: Free Time OR a Union Seminar. A Union Seminar is another opportunity for community members to learn more about a topic (usually regarding the surrounding region). The speakers usually consist of Interport Lectureres or Students talking about the upcoming country; Faculty/Staff members familiar with the region; or a special presentation from one of the VIPs on the ship. The most interesting Union Seminar (in my opinion) was the Astronaut Talk with Kathy Thornton & George “Pinky” Nelson. They told us everything we wanted to know about their experience with NASA – the shuttle launches, floating, walking on the moon, eating in space, etc. They had some amazing photos to share and Pinky even had some videos as well…including when he had to be untethered in space to fix a satellite (scary…luckily he didn't fly away).

George "Pinky" Nelson & Kathryn Thornton (Academic Dean of the voyage)

 During the Astronaut Talk w/Kathy & Pinky

The Union was full to capacity for this presentation.

2100-2300: Of the 62 days “at sea,” 37 of them have something called Beverage Service. This is a time when the Deck 7’s pool bar is open to serve alcoholic beverages to students (over 18). In the two hours of Beverage Service, the students can have up to 3 alcoholic beverages (wine or beer). For the majority of students, having 3 drinks in a span of two hours will not even make them “tipsy” when it comes to their level of intoxication (this is intentional on the part of the ship’s crew). Here’s where I (or the RDs) come in. Whenever BS Duty (as the RDs call it) happens, 3 of the RDs need to be on deck 7, aft, monitoring the exits (doors leading to deck 7 and the outside stairwells leading to deck 6. We need to collect all water bottles/nalgenes and backpacks brought to deck 7, aft. This is due to the fact that during previous voyages, students would sneak alcohol out of the area in their water bottles, backpacks, etc. They would then store up this alcohol to be used at a later date (where they could then legitimately get drunk on the ship). So…unfortunately, all the RDs must do BS Duty around 15 times throughout the semester. If no student comes to buy a drink in the first 30 minutes, the rest of the Beverage Service is cancelled (and the RDs rejoice). However, if any person purchases a drink, the RDs must stay the full two hours. All I do during BS duty is sit, look at the stars, read my nook, and interact with the students who are up there. I just finished my last night of BS Duty! So...now 2100-2300 = Free Time!!

2300: In the evenings (starting at about 1900), the faculty and staff will start to migrate to the Glazer Lounge (Faculty/Staff Lounge). Throughout the remainder of the evening, people will come and go as they please. I usually get to the Glazer Lounge a little before 2300, because Mandy (the Bartender) will ring the bell at 2300, signaling last call. Most nights in Glazer are pretty mellow; however, not the nights before a “Study Day” on the ship (meaning, there are no classes) or the night of a Cultural Pre-Port (2 days before arriving to a port). After Mandy closes down the bar, the faculty/staff take over the lounge and turn it in to a dance party. These have a tendency to go late into the evening. 

Glazer Lounge

After "last call" at 2300

Dance Party!!

Some nights finish with a friendly game of Twister.

100-200: This is my typical bedtime on the ship...though I sometimes do stay up later (usually sports or blog post related).

There are plenty of additional things that change the normal schedule of a day. Here’s a few of them:

-Sometimes our Student Life Meeting at 1200 get cancelled …

which means the RDs get lunch early and lay out on Deck 7!

-For each stretch of days “at sea” (could be 3, could be 10), the crew members select 20 random cabins to be searched. The RDs must help in the process by observing as the crew security goes through student cabins, looking for prohibited items. This mainly consists of food taken from the dining center, food that could get rotten, and alcohol. The ship is insanely clean. The crew are constantly cleaning everything from cabins to staircase railings. I believe, on the last inspection, the ship was given a 99.8% rating in overall cleanliness. The .2% off came from one item in the pantry/kitchen that was a few inches off the wall with no light shining on the area behind. The area behind was clean, but because it was covered in shade, they were docked .2%. Still…not too bad!

-About one month into the voyage, Captain Jeremy started allowing crew members to give tours of the Bridge. The bridge of a ship is the room or platform from which the ship can be commanded. There are lookouts 24/7 and other crew monitoring the course of the ship. The tours happen three times each day for a maximum of 15 people. I signed up early and went on one prior to chopping off my hair.

On the Bridge...in the Captains Chair!

-Cultural Pre-Port take place at 2000, two nights before arriving to a port. These are not mandatory, but they give a lot of interesting and helpful information regarding the upcoming port: what to do/see, where to go, major events taking place, what to be aware of, etc. 

-Logistical Pre-Port take place at 2000 the day before arriving to a port. These are required for everyone in the shipboard community as pertinent information regarding the logistics of the port are given at this time. This includes: safety information, on-ship times (when everyone needs to be back on the ship), field program information (times for groups to meet/leave), and medical information with Dr. Dave. Dr. Dave might be the student’s favorite person on the ship as he always presents his information in a funny/joking way.

-Some evenings have Community Events, which are large scale programs for everyone on the ship. These typically go from 2100-2300. They have included a Back to School Dance; movie nights (Mud, Not Since You, The Host, & City of God); Halloween Party/Dance; Sea Olympics Opening Ceremonies; and the Talent Show.

Staff at the Back to School Dance

Halloween - Carlos, Nathan, & I as the Blue Man Group

With the staff...and some students.

Dressed up on the day of Halloween - Kathy & Pinky's Flight Crew

-I’ve already mentioned Neptune Day & Sea Olympics in other blog posts, but both of these fell on a “Study Day” for students…though not much studying occurred.

Neptune Day with Sarah!

-Championship matches of the intramurals are sometimes scheduled to allow more of the community members to be in attendance. For example, for the Championship Ping Pong match, we moved the table into the Union, so more people could sit and watch the match. The kids (John Henry) did not prevail this time around as Michael Fassett (Baltic Sea) won the 84 person Ping Pong Tournament!

-Finally, some days “at sea” are technically “at sea…in port”. Especially at the beginning of our voyage, our ports of destination were so close to one another, that it would only take 1-2 days to travel between them. This is great…except, the students need to be taking classes on the ship as well. Thus, there were a number of ports early on where everyone had to remain on the ship, while we were still docked in port. This happened in Le Havre, France; Antwerp, Belgium; and technically Namibia (though we were just getting fuel there). 

There it is...a "typical" day at sea and only 17 more to go!

"I am living in a land of stark beauty and stark reality, a place where you have to be wary and alert and at your very best at all times. I call this paradise."

Letting Time Go Lightly

The weather was beautiful on the following day and I was off at 8am to an SAS field program to San Isidro and the Tigre Delta. Our group took a train to San Isidro, which is one of the most affluent municipalities in Argentina. We walked around town for a bit, saw some elegant residences, visited the San Isidro Cathedral, as well as the Train of the Coast rail line, which is a vintage train station located in a shopping arcade. We then hopped on a crowded train to the Tigre Delta. Most of the SAS field programs I have been on have been extremely structured. What I liked about this one was when we got to Tigre City, we had 4 hours to do whatever we wanted. Tigre City is a small town and had a hop on/hop off bus around the town, which was only about a 40-minute loop. We passed by a number of museums, a Casino, as well as the Parque de la Costa, an amusement park located along the Paraná River Delta.

 San Isidro Cathedral & Park

Parque de la Costa...it has nothing on Cedar Point (America's Roller Coast)

I decided to get off at the Puerto de Frutos (Fruits & Handicrafts Market) stop, which used to be the main port for the trading of merchandise brought from the Delta islands. I got off to explore the area, walk the market, and to grab some lunch. After browsing the market and talking to locals, I spotted a restaurant on the water which looked nice. I headed over to it and found a few members of our group just sitting down to lunch. I joined Nancy (the ships psychologist) and Greg & Ruth Mason (an English Professor-Greg; and the coordinator for the lifelong learners-Ruth). I stuck with the Argentinian cuisine and ordered a few empanadas (a stuffed bread or pastry which is either baked or fried). They were fantastic and had a delicious flaky crust.

When our time to wander was up, we met up with our tour guide and the group jumped on an hour long boat ride among the Delta Islands. The Paraná Delta is 21000 km² and made up of over 5000 waterways, with branches every which way until emptying in the Rio de la Plata. The current Delta population is 3000 residents. The “islands” supply the cellulose, paper, and plywood industries and osier (a willow with a long flexible shoot used in basketwork) growing represents 80-90% of the country’s total production for arts and crafts purposes.

Being on the river was great, especially with the hot temperature and the sun, which was beating down throughout the day. We were told the water was not safe to drink or use for cooking; yet wherever we looked, there were kids jumping and playing in the water (so it can’t be all that bad). We passed by a ton of docks, boats, and even the Presidential Residence of Quinta de Olivos. Interestingly, the crew of the ship also passed around coffee midway through the ride. I could have gone for some iced tea, but nothing warm…no thanks. When the boat ride was done, we headed back to Buenos Aires by train.

 The Water is Clean Enough for These Kids!

 Rowing Club Along the Delta

Quinta de Olivos - the Presidential Residence for Buenos Aires, Argentina

I returned to the ship at around 7pm and was exhausted. However, there was a group planning to go out for a real dinner in the city. I decided I'm only in Argentina once (maybe), so I'll head out and keep enjoying the Argentinian cuisine. I was pretty hungry, so I grabbed a quick bite from the ship, showered, and met everyone on the gangway.

Our group headed to Aldo’s Vinoteca, a beautiful wine bar located near the city center. By the time we sat down for dinner, it was already 10pm. In addition, the service (similar to all the service I experienced in Argentinian restaurants) was slow. We sat down, waited 10 minutes, got menus, waited 10 minutes, ordered drinks, waited 10 minutes, etc. Luckily my meal, gnocchi, was fantastic and was worth the wait. This too, is another thing I experienced throughout Argentina. The food was excellent (though maybe 12 days of ship food contributed to this)! As the evening went on, more and more people joined us. Before we knew it, it was 2:30am and we were just finishing dinner and leaving the restaurant (and we weren't the last ones there).

The Group (minus a few latecomers) at Aldo’s Vinoteca. at 1am (so still early in the night)

We decided to continue embracing the Argentinian culture of staying out late, so we stopped at a nearby pub. We were planning on capping off our night with a drink; however, while we were there, it started down pouring outside. Our group saw no need to rush into that weather, so we decided to wait out the rain. However, at 5am, it was still a torrential downpour, so I volunteered to flag down taxis (with the help of Janett's umbrella...way to plan!). Most of the group went back to the ship in the taxis, but a handful (including me) decided to stay out for a final drink at a sports bar. It turns out the bartender, Diego, had worked at the Timberline Condos for 3 years in Snowmass Village (in Aspen, Colorado). It was great chatting with him, but when we noticed the sun was already up, we decided it truly was time to go. The entire group didn't get back to the ship till 6:30am...and proceeded to continue hanging out in the Glazer Lounge. Thus, I wasn't in bed till 7:30am...a full 24 hours since I had awoken the morning before.

Going to bed after the sunrise means you don’t wake up till after lunch. Thus, at 2pm I headed out to explore more of Buenos Aires with Carla. Our first stop was La Casa Rosada (The Pink House), which is the executive mansion and office of the President of Argentina. It is considered one of the most emblematic buildings in Buenos Aires. It is baby pink in color and even lights up pink at night.

La Casa Rosada...I wonder it has a West Wing?

After unsuccessfully searching for stamps/a post office, we decided to grab lunch at a pizzeria. While we were eating, there was a parade of protests down the major street we were eating on. I say parade because it appeared as though there were around 12 different groups (based on signs/colors/etc.). At the preport meeting before each country, the Deans always remind the students to stay away from protests, because you never know what can happen. One of the groups protesting made me a little wary, as all 40 members of the group wore black scarfs covering their faces and carried baseball bats/clubs…yikes. To my knowledge, it was just a peaceful protest as they continued on down the main road right along with every other group.

After lunch, Carla and I walked down Florida Street, a pedestrian street and the main shopping street in the city. We decided to make our way to the trees (ie: towards a park), the Plaza San Martin. Right before getting there; however, we came across an orchestra setting up on the street. The orchestra played for about 45 minutes and were really good. Carla enjoyed one piece particularly that sounded like a mix between Disney and carnival music. She even stated, “how can the next song beat that?” Challenge accepted. The orchestra's next song was a West Side Story medley…Carla was ecstatic! Part way through the performance, we spotted Alison and Luis who happened to come across the orchestra as well.

 Impromptu Orchestra Concert!

Everyone was fantastic...especially the older man on the Timpani (far right)!

After the impromptu concert, we headed back to the ship passing by the General San Martin Monument, the Malvinas Islands War Memorial, and the Monumental Tower. The Monumental Tower is a clock tower located in the Retiro district of the city. It was a gift from the local British community to the city in commemoration of the centennial of the May Revolution of 1810 (the removal of the viceroy and the establishment of the first national government). It stands just over 247ft. tall with bells that were designed in imitation of the ones at Westminster Abbey (in London, England). Alison had gotten a recommendation for an Italian restaurant in the city, Sotovocce, so the four of us headed there for dinner. Once again we were on Argentinian time and weren't actually seated for dinner until 10:00pm. The food was delicious (this could be the theme of this blog) and we didn't leave the restaurant until 1:30am (another possible theme). This time, we immediately headed back to the ship and I crashed for the evening.

Monumental Tower

My final day in Argentina was not that exciting, as I was on call/duty again. In the morning I met up with the interport student, Camilla’s family (her brother and father), worked on the upcoming basketball tournament, and tried to catch up with email and this blog. On my 30-minute break, I ran and tried to find a Lionel Messi Argentina jersey, but the few stores around the ship didn't have the one I was looking for, so I’ll try again in Brazil. I decided that, in addition to supporting the US team, I am throwing my support behind Argentina! I made a few last minute purchases, including dulce de leche (translated “candy of milk,” is a confection prepared by slowly heating sweetened milk till it caramelizes), and headed back to work embarkation. Turns out one student missed his flight in Patagonia, so he will have to meet the ship in Rio de Janeiro.

I finished my night by getting my fill of college football. I “watched” (on ESPN gamecast) OSU beat Illinois, Alabama hang on to beat Mississippi State, and saw Stanford lose to USC. OSU just needs a couple more loses from top teams (two of the following need to lose: Alabama, Florida State, or Baylor) over the next 3 weeks to have a chance to get to the NCAA Championship Game!

I really enjoyed the city of Buenos Aires. It felt familiar and reminded me of cities in the US (especially New York City). The city was crowded with people and taxis; there were wide, tree-lined avenues; the pace of the city on the streets was fast (even though it was the opposite in restaurants); there were lots of random parks throughout the city; and the city had various barrios (neighborhoods) with their individual demographics, styles, and attractions. I also really enjoyed working on my Spanish language skills throughout my time in Argentina. Luckily, Carla, Janett, Luis, and Nathan are fluent, so this allowed me to ask them questions and get clarifications whenever I needed it (which was often). I also liked just listening to them converse in Spanish with the locals as I tried to pick up the gist of the conversation.

I don’t know if I’ll ever come back to Buenos Aires, but after hearing stories and seeing pictures of people who went to Patagonia; I feel like that location has just been added to my bucket list!

Only 3 days till Rio de Janeiro!!


"It did not take me long; however, to discover one nemesis I could neither defeat nor flee. It followed me wherever I went - indeed, the farther I ran, the more it closed around me. My enemy was solitude, the interminable, incessant silence of hushed corridors."

Pe-rón Pe-rón Pe-rón Pe-rón

On November 11th at 4pm, after 11 days at sea, the MV Explorer spotted land. It was the coast of Uruguay (only 16 miles away)…and there was much rejoicing!

The next morning we found ourselves in Buenos Aires and, after the disembarkation process, immediately took off from the ship. We grabbed a taxi outside the port and headed into the city center. Our group consisted of 6 RDs, including Alison, who’s partner, Luis, was flying in to meet up with her. The short taxi ride took us to the Obelisk of Buenos Aires, which is a national historic monument. It was built in 1936 to commemorate the fourth centennial of the foundation of the city. Our group found a place to grab an early lunch (since we all missed breakfast) and ordered a pizza and some appetizers, and even bought a bottle of champagne to celebrate when Luis arrived. Just as the meal was ending, Luis showed up at the restaurant! Alison, being a smart traveler, had wrapped her purse strap around her leg to avoid anyone from taking it easily. This fact made this reunion entertaining to witness. As Luis came towards our table, Alison became super excited, and repeatedly tried getting out of her chair to run over to Luis…but couldn’t. Eventually she became free of the purse and had her reunion.

After downing the champagne, we headed to a famous bookstore in Buenos Aires. The El Ateneo Grand Splendid is an old theater that has been renovated into a bookstore. The theater was originally built in 1919 and was converted into a book and music shop in 2000. It is rated as one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world (by various groups and buzzfeed listed it as the #1 bookstore to see in your lifetime…check)…not quite sure who rates these, but the bookstore was lovely. You could grab a book and read it at the coffee shop in the back, or even in the theater box seats!

I typically could spend an entire day in a bookstore, but seeing how the majority of books were in Spanish, we didn’t stay too long. Besides…today was my day to do all things Evita!

The group next headed to Recoleta Cemetery, where Eva Perón is buried. The cemetery was unlike any I have been to. The cemetery (which is hailed as one of the world’s best) contains 4691 vaults (abover ground), of which 94 have been declared National Historical Monuments. The entire cemetery is laid out in sections (like city blocks), with wide tree-lined walkways branching into sidewalks filled with mausoleums. The vaults vary in age, as some date back to the 18th century, while others have been added in 2012. Each vault houses various family members’ tombs. No vault (including Evita’s) was marked by anything special and there were no signs indicating where hers was; thus it took us a little while before we found it.

 Recoleta Cemetery

 Eva Perón Tomb

Tomb of President Domingo Faustino Sarmiento 

(7^th President of Argentina, 1868-1874)

Afterwards, it was off to the Museo Evita (Evita Museum); though we passed a Monument to Eva Perón along the way. On our way, we met up with the Argentinian Interport Student (a student from Argentina, who was on the ship giving presentations throughout the Atlantic crossing), Camilla, who was showing a bunch of SAS students around the city. Camilla explained that when talking about someone lovingly or to show affection, you add “ita” (or “ito”) to the end of the name. Thus, Eva Peron, is often referred to as Ev-ita.  

"A New Argentina"

The Evita Museum was fantastic. It is a museum entirely dedicated to the life and work of one of the most important women of Argentine history. It was a modern-style museum that looks at various moments in Evita Perón’s life, recreated in rooms with the setting of the time. There were videos of Evita playing throughout the museum (of speeches, her acting career, her funeral, etc.) as well as lots of artifacts/outfits on display. Now I had not had a chance to watch the movie Evita on the ship during the Atlantic crossing. For some reason, they only showed Evita on the cabin televisions for 2 days (near the beginning of the crossing; ie: when Sea Olympics prep was taking all my time). The rest of the time they showed Gung Ho, a 1986 movie with Michael Keaton…not sure why. Luckily, at the museum, you really learned a ton of information about Eva Perón and her life.

Here’s some facts about Eva Perón:

-Eva Duarte was born in the village of Los Toldos, in rural Argentina, in 1919.

-She pursued a career as a stage, radio, and film actress and by 1943 was one of the highest paid radio actresses in the country.

-In 1944, Eva met Colonel Juan Perón in Buenos Aires during a charity event for the victims of the San Juan earthquake. The two married the following year.

-In 1946, Juan Perón was elected President of Argentina, thus making Eva the First Lady of Argentina.

-Eva Perón became powerful within the trade union

s, speaking on behalf of labor rights; founded the charitable Eva Perón Foundation; and championed women’s suffrage in Argentina (women were given the right to vote in 1947).

-Not everyone liked Evita, the opposition came mainly from the nation’s military and bourgeoisie.

-Eva Perón was given the title of “Spiritual Leader of the Nation” by the Argentine Congress.

-Eva died from cancer at the age of 33 and was given a state funeral (usually reserved only for the heads of state).

-The current President of Argentina, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner (first elected female president), claims that women of her generation owe a debt to Eva for her example of passion and combativeness.

After the museum, our group selected a place to grab dinner, Gran Bar Danzon, but needed to wait until they started serving dinner at 6pm (as most people go to dinner much later…you will see this later). Everyone had been talking about steak in Argentina and Brazil, and it did not disappoint. I split two meals with Ruben (RD Janett’s husband) because neither of us could decide just one meal we wanted. We split a steak as well as veal…both of which were delicious! We looked around for a bar to head to afterwards, but had no luck (maybe because it was a Tuesday). Instead we headed back to the ship for an early night.

The second day in port, I was on duty, which kept me on the ship. It was a relaxing day as I slept in; finished Allegiant (the 3^rd book in the Divergent trilogy); watched Not Since You, a movie which Ashley Epting (my Belgium traveling buddy and the alumni coordinator on board) was the Executive Producer for; gave the Brazilian Interport Lecturer, Jenny, a tour of the ship; and tried to catch up on email. Luckily, it was another quiet night on duty, so I got a full night’s sleep…which was great because I was about to have my longest day yet!

"Everyone dies. It is how one lives that matters."