I have personally always thought people who take part in the ‘polar bear plunge’ are insane; I did a similar thing in high school – wherein you run into the Pacific in the early spring and then just as swiftly run back out again because the Pacific is well…colder than a polar bear’s paw…I never saw anyone last more than a few minutes. That was back when I had a better tolerance for the cold. Not so much now.
But today is our DJ’s last day on board and he asked as much of the entertainment department out to take part in what is really only a five second event of craziness. Since the band was neither scheduled nor requested, Amras just watched me bemusedly as I made my way to the pool deck
You’re not seriously going in are you?
Don’t know yet, I put the suit on in case I end up getting pushed…you never know
But as it turned out, I just joined the rest of the line of us, shivering along the edge of the outdoor aft deck pool, and watched said DJ throw not one but two buckets of ice into the already unheated water…while to either side of us the glistening chilled waters of Glacier Bay spread wide. I looked from one side to the other, not quite believing I was actually going to do this…
But I was, and I did…and freya was that water ever cold. Just as I remembered from high school it was a very fast in and out procedure. Splash, squeal, scurry. And then wrap yourself in a towel very quickly so that the weak Alaska sunshine can dry you off enough to get dressed; so that you can run quickly back to your cabin and throw yourself in a piping hot shower.