It’s “vasbyt” time, we are digging really deep and are changing shifts in methodical silence. We know what needs to be done, and behaving somewhat like robots. It’s quite incredible that in all this time in such confinement we have not argued once! My rule learned from past expeditions is that no matter how pathetic or mundane and devotion, either one of us feels about the other, bring it up and express it immediately.
I have learned that the serious things, we keep it over time in a confined environment while physically and mentally being pushed to the limit in an extended period will be the breaking point. It is a deep maturity to understand the bigger purpose and hold that focus in the toughest moment. It is like a seemingly insignificant splinter or something stuck in one’s tooth that can pull you away from the grander vision. It is now, especially in the last week or two that we must honour and respect each other and dwell on our lot. Wayne is struggling to free bend his little fingers which compromise his grip on the ores, and I have raw bum checks which are really sore in the first few minutes of each row session. This is Wayne’s most challenging expedition and the longest time away from his family which he misses hugely . He is a well chosen asset to me on this expedition and I salute him. It is day 69, an incredibly hard.