Turning Toilets and Shellbacks

Have you ever noticed which way your toilet water turns as it goes down? If you are in the Northern Hemisphere your toilet water will turn clockwise. In the Southern Hemisphere the toilet water will turn counter-clockwise.

On our voyage now from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, to the Marquises Islands in the South Pacific, we had to cross the equator or the latitude 0 degrees (the line that separates the Northern and Southern Hemispheres). If you swim across the equator or cross by boat you are called a Shellback or a son/daughter of Neptune, the god of the oceans. When naval ships or a ship with ranks crosses the equator, the men dress up as women and do crazy things like drink potions with sea water, milk and other gross things.

When I crossed the equator on our boat I swam across it. We celebrated it with champagne and orange juice and M&Ms. Later, my dad gave all of us certificates that certify that we are now Shellbacks. Meanwhile me and my dad dressed up as girls and my sister and mom dressed up as boys. I will always remember this silly but fun day.

-Harrison from somewhere in the Pacific Ocean across the equator
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At 4/26/2011 10:07 (utc) our position was 04°03.96'S 134°23.89'W