Day 87 - At Sea

At 2 am, about a third of the shipboard community woke up and scurried up to the 7^th and 8^th decks where the deck lights were put out so we could watch the Leonid meteor shower.  Every few minutes, a meteor would streak across the sky and leave a lingering white trail.  My astronomy professor was out showing us various constellations and bright stars and pointing out ever-elusive Southern Cross when it rose above the horizon.  I remember thinking there could be no better place to be at that moment than exactly where we were in the middle of the ocean.

In the evening we had a shipboard auction to raise money for SAS.  At first we were all outraged at the high tuition costs, but after such an amazing experience and finding out that addition donor money is needed to fund our journey, we were more willing to give.  There was both a silent auction and a live auction, and the items were anything from chocolates picked up in various countries to having someone pack your bags for you to the captain’s hat.  The big shock of the evening came when a battle broke out between two students intent on getting the map of our voyage.  They fought bitterly, and it finally went for $2,600.  Don’t ask where they got the money.