Mermendium Part 1• Mermay 2018
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May 1, 2018 -Mermaids Spotted on our first day!
I can’t believe we are here. Jeremy (That’s my husband) and I won a trip to look at mermaids around the world. Neither of us are much for traveling but it was all expenses paid, and we couldn’t say no.
We flew to Ushuaia at the southern tip of Argentina and boarded a boat toward Antarctica. Our guide Lucas (a very nice Argentinian man with only three or four teeth) told us it’s a good time of year to see Arctic mermaids, and do you know what? He was right! Around 10 o’clock this morning, we entered water commonly considered mermaid territory, and less than an hour later we spotted them. They swam in a pod and we followed them for a few minutes. He had glimpses of their long hair and shining silver tails. We were also able to see a few as they swam under the boat. It was freezing on deck and both of us were chilled to the bone afterward, but it was worth it. Jeremy said so too even though he really hates the cold.
May 2-3, 2018 -Another lucky day!
After our adventures in the south, we headed toward the State of Pernambuco, in Brazil. The boat was amazingly fast and smooth. I didn’t experience any seasickness at all. That surprised me because I can get awfully queasy in cars.
We stopped a few miles off the coast and silenced the boat’s engines. In a huge room called the observatory, three gigantic bubble-shaped windows gave us an amazing view into the ocean. We could see for what felt like miles through the clear water. (Later I learned it was only about 150 feet)
We ate lunch down there while we (guests and crew) waited in the silent boat. After a few hours, a pod of mermaids swam by us. They were rapid swimmers but a few curious ones paused to look through the observatory windows to see what we were up to.
They were stunning with brightly colored tails and lots of spikes.
May 7, 2018 – We met a very interesting lady
For the last few days, we’ve been traveling through the rainforest. Don’t ask me where. Lucas wouldn’t exactly say. I’ll I know is we got off the boat in Brazil and boarded a small plane. After it landed we bumped along in a car for a bit. Now after hiking for a few hours I finally have time to sit and make an entry.
Anyway, I have to tell you about the craziest person I ever met. I’m pretty sure she is a real live witch. Lucas called her the “Bruxa Do Rio” which I think means river hag. She lives in a house in the middle of the river.
The river itself is full of miniature mermaids “sereia minúscula”. Dona Bruxa (that’s what Lucas called her I swear.) Catches them from the river and preserves them in jars. Gross. Apparently, she makes a lot of money selling dead mermaids to tourists.
May 10, 2018 – A mermaid swarm!
After our adventures in Brazil, we flew to Greece. What a gorgeous place. I could have drawn the buildings all day long, but we were there to see mermaids.
After a good night sleep Jeremy and I and our group boarded a small boat, and out into the Aegean Sea, we went.
After a few hours, a man in our group shouted, “Look at that!”
We all scrambled to his side of the boat and sure enough, something was heading towards us in the water. At first, I thought it might a huge, super-fast whale. (Do those exist?) It turned out to be a swarm of Oceanides. Ancient creatures said to be attendants to the goddess Artemis. They swam around and under the boat, and there were so many of them. They were amazing and scary to see. My heart was pounding after they swam away.
May 14, 2018 – The Freakiest Think I’ve Ever Seen
Next, our journey brought us to Ukraine. We traveled through the country on riverboats. The friendly guides (we Left Lucas in South America) told us to watch for Rusalka in the water. A siren-like creature said to be the spirits of young women who died in a tragic drowning.
We enjoyed the boat ride and seeing the country for a few days but we had to cut the journey short. Last evening we saw a Rusalka.
It leaped out of the river ahead of us and perched herself in a tree. Apparently, they only do that during the first week of June. (Who knew?) But this one decided it was close enough I guess. The boat made it by unharmed bet we were all so scared (including the boat captain and crew) we decided it would be best to avoid the rivers for now.
May 16, 2018 – No Mermaids Spotted Today
We’ve moved on to Germany and are back on a river. This time it was the Rhine, and we went to see The Lorelei. A giant rock.
People say there is a pod of sirens that live around it. The captain and crew of our little boat took us to a spot in the river where we could see the rock. They laughed when I suggested we get closer for a better view. I guess there have been a lot of deaths due to shipwrecks lately and no one wanted to risk it. It’s probably for the best, and the view was awesome. But, it would have been fun to see the mermaids. (Not hear them though.)
