HILO

We're moving in on Hawaii. The ocean calmed down yesterday, so no more nausea. Night before last the motion was unreal. The bed would slide to the right 6 inches, pause, and then slide to the left. I felt like Dorothy when the tornado hits. In the cafeteria you'd hear a bunch of dishes crash to the floor when we hit a big wave. In the library books would fall off the shelves, and in the faculty lounge more than a few professors have toppled over in there chairs. We have several Albatrosses that have stayed near the ship. They are amazing, out in the middle of the Pacific. They can fly forever. They drink sea water and have some way to excrete the salt. They don't really sleep, just go on auto-pilot and drift on the wind. Have also seen little flying fish, which look like birds that pop out of the water and fly over the surface for 30 meters , then dive back in. The whales are out there, but haven't seen them yet. Ship board life is great now that it is calmer. Have done 2 yoga classes on the deck, you just can't do much balancing on one leg with the constant motion. Hope everyone back home is doing well and staying warm. Thanks for keeping in touch.