The Last Post

Each day the expedition team provided us with an itinerary of the day's events.  On that itinerary they always included a quotation which often characterized the day's events.  It was a lovely way to bring art into what otherwise may have seemed an overly scientific experience.  On the last day of the trip a member of the expedition team read aloud the following poem.  I thought it made a very nice close to what had been an extraordinary experience.

I, the albatross that waits for you at the end of the world...

I, the forgotten soul of the sailors lost that crossed Cape Horn from all the seas of the 

world.

But die they did not

in the fierce waves,

for today towards eternity

in my wings they soar

in the last crevice

of the Antarctic winds.

Sara Vial

December 1992

A long journey's day into night...and day...and night

                                    Show me the way to go home....from Ushuaia

So I was going to end the blog with a lot of philosophizing on the journey as a metaphor for life, of finding new things about oneself in the most unfamiliar of places;  I was even going to quote T.S. Eliot for pete’s sake, after all, “In my end is my beginning...” And I may still find a little energy to wax philosophic for a moment, but first, let me add to the collection of bad travel stories we all have.  Mine starts on the return leg of our trip, in Ushuaia, February 21, 2012.  So after all the good-byes, the collecting of email addresses from new friends, the photos, the packed bags, and the hugs, we land at Ushuaia to spend a stress-free day walking and shopping and killing time until our flight to Buenos Aires this evening.  Except for the fact that it is post-Carnaval and hardly anything is open.  Ok, we can still walk around, except that the main street is about 10 blocks long.  So what do we do with the remaining 8 hours?  Well, we did find a very cute little coffee shop which has Wi-fi.  So we plonked ourselves down, had a coffee and lunch and checked emails.  Soon some other passengers from the ship arrived, a trio of Czechs with whom we shared a lovely dinner one night.  We chatted for a while with them before they headed off on their camping trip around South America.  Eventually we left, spent more time re-walking the street, stopping into the few open shops and making  a few more souvenir purchases, making the best of it before heading over to the airport.  Finally we retrieved our luggage from the storage facility Quark provided us with, hopped in a cab and went to the airport.  All seemed well with the world.  We were tired but on our way.  We got to the airport, checked in, and were waiting patiently  at the gate when someone noticed that the plane that would carry us to Buenos Aires which was parked right outside at the gate, had the inflatable slide deployed.  And two flight attendants looking like Laurel and Hardy were trying to stuff it back into the plane while battling gale force winds.  It looked like they were trying to stuff a beachball through a mail slot.  In any case, this did not look good.  So after a while of waiting, watching, and finally talking to an airline official, it seemed that  some guy thought it would be interesting to pull the handle to the emergency door while the plane was on the tarmac.  Now kids, don’t try this at home, because not only will it get you thrown in jail and blacklisted from ever flying again, but it will make you very unpopular with the people who are waiting to get on the now useless plane, people who have been waiting all day to get on this plane and go home, or one step closer to home.  So when the police brought this guy through the waiting area it seemed as though it took every ounce of restraint for this crowd not to tear him to pieces.  So....to make a long story (and getting longer by the minute) short, two hours later we were taken to a local hotel, given a meal, a room to wait in, and a promise that we would be on another plane by 2 a.m.  Now here’s where the philosophical part comes in.  While waiting at the hotel I did happen to look out at the evening sky, and the light was absolutely magnificent.  The winds had picked up and were forming whitecaps on the water of the bay, the mountains were dotted with yellow light streaming through the clouds;  even a rainbow had formed and was arcing its way up from the water into the sky.  And I thought, once I get back to Toronto, as much as it’s nice to be home, and there certainly are some lovely sights there, I certainly won’t be seeing anything like this.  It’s like once again, Mother Nature’s grand power was a reminder;  but this time it was not a reminder of the overwhelming power of nature, it was a reminder not to take these wondrous sights for granted.  So I snapped a few photos, breathed in the sea air, and went inside to have a very nice dinner with some more new friends who were similarly confined as we were. 

                                    The light at the end of the journey - Ushuaia

                                                         The last supper

The rest of the end of this tale is fairly routine.  We got our plane, and thanks to some fancy logistics work from Push, still had our driver waiting to pick us up in Buenos Aires, still had rooms waiting for us at the hotel, and were able to get a little freshened up before stepping onto the next plane bound for Toronto.  In fact, we met up with some more shipmates at the airport who were sharing our flight and had a good visit with them.  When we finally reached Toronto 10 hours later, we may have been a little worse for wear, a little cramped, a little tired, but, and here comes the T.S. Eliot, we arrived at our destination which,  15 days ago, had been our departure.  But not only that, we had arrived changed.  We may have come back to our homes, our departure points, our beginnings, but we came back with new information, new outlooks, new knowledge.  We really had become ambassadors for Antarctica, because you can’t visit a brand new continent, a continent so well preserved, so unchanged, so fresh and unspoiled, and return to the ever changing rest of the world, without comparing.  And there is definitely something to be said for preservation, especially when that preservation comes in the form of monolithic icebergs gleaming blue and white in the sun, or curious penguins waddling up to peck at your muddy boots, or seals lifting their heads only long enough to see that you are not a natural predator and going back to relaxing – yes, we humans, not natural predators.  Where else on earth can we say that, either to the natural world or to each other?  So, “In my end is my beginning...” and here’s to a new beginning for all of us that takes us to another end, another beginning and on and on as long as the cycle will carry us.

Until then....

Days 9 and 10: The Drake Revisited

So here we are back at the Drake Passage.  Many people had that worried look of anticipation, knowing the possible horrors the Drake had in store.  And although a number of people were once again confined to their cabins, I have to admit that we, happily, were not.  Perhaps it was the preventative Gravol we popped like Smarties, or perhaps it was because the passage was truly smooth and forgiving.  So then it became, what do we do with this extra time now that we have experienced the flora and fauna and stuffed our brains with as much information as we could?  Well, some time was still given over to sleep, some to watching movies in our cabins – particularly notable was March of the Penguins (if you haven’t already seen it – we did not see the Emperor penguins, they are further north, but an excellent film nonetheless );  and Werner Herzog’s documentary Encounters at the End of the Earth, which was a bit disappointing for me – I found it a bit disjointed and rambling – but it did give an excellent portrait of the kind of people who dedicate their lives to studying the wildlife of Antarctica, right down to microscopic organisms which give some clue as to the origin of life on this planet – pretty heady stuff .  The film showed these people to have unique outlooks on life, the planet, and us as humans.  Often poetic, perhaps even visionary, these people see life in its most basic ways – concepts such as hunger, freedom,  death, predation, rebirth – these are the things these people contemplate on a daily basis.  Makes routine life back in Toronto seem pretty, well, routine.  On the other hand, these people have been drawn to Antarctica for a variety of reasons – some are trying to find answers to lifelong scientific questions, some are fleeing a life elsewhere, and some found that they just didn’t fit into a mainstream society and found a community of likeminded misfits that suited them better.  In any case, their work and dedication is to be applauded.

In fact, the past two days, like the first two days of passing through the Drake, were filled with informative and interesting lectures from members of the expedition team: another group of people   dedicated to their work.  This is a group of incredibly knowledgeable and hard-working people who are not only happy to share their expertise with us, but are also incredibly passionate about their work and about Antarctica as a region worth preserving.  We listened intently to lectures on climate change, Antarctic land claims, and one which I found particularly intriguing because it gave a human face to life in this region, what brought a number of members of the expedition team to work in Antarctica and on this particular expedition.  Many of these people are scientists or at least naturalists,  and many have been down in this region working year round on isolated scientific data gathering stations all around the Continent.  It brought home to me the love and dedication these people have for their work, this continent, and for the planet in general, with Antarctica being one of the last and least explored areas of the planet. 

So in amongst the lectures, the naps, and the movies, we also found time for some fun games, one of which was a game where we had to match random facts about the expedition team to the team member the fact went with.  Most of the facts were matched with a person whose personality was least likely to go with that fact.  We also had a trivia night about information we learned while on the trip, as well as just playing some fun party games to pass the time. 

                                                                 Trivia in the lounge

So this is the last day on the ship.  And the day has unfolded pretty much the way the whole trip has: with a variety of weather patterns that turn on a dime.  A bright and sunny morning, followed by an overcast late morning with some snow , and finally a cloudy afternoon with sun breaking through the clouds.  Due to our speedy passage through the Drake, our captain treated us to a short voyage around Cape Horn, truly the southernmost tip of South America (pictured below).  The sun broke through the heavy low-lying clouds just long enough to brighten the green covering the mountainside of Cape Horn, a bright concluding omen to the relatively smooth passage our trip has taken.  And a variety of sea birds, white and grey and brown, petrels and albatrosses, with wing spans much longer than our arm spans,  swooped and circled around us as if to carry us into our final port.  And just to remind us, if not sadly, a couple playful dolphins bounded around the front of the ship as if to remind us that we have truly left Antarctica and were entering new yet familiar warmer waters.

                                                                   Cape Horn

Tonight will be the captain’s farewell dinner where I am sure we will toast his nautical skill at navigating a smooth voyage and we will reminisce about our favourite moments on the trip, a voyage that started a mere 10 days ago, but has been filled with such memorable experiences as to make it seem much, much longer.  Then we will dock in Ushuaia to continue the next leg of our journey home.

Until then....

Day 8 : Last landing on the continent

So this is it – the last landing on the continent.  The adventure is beginning to come to an end.  But before we start ending the trip before its actual close, there is one last Zodiac landing to experience – and it’s a good one.  First it was Port Lockroy.  Port Lockroy was a research and exploration station set up by British explorers in the earlier part of the 20^th century.  The main building is comprised of what is now a gift shop, with the rest of the bulding:  the washroom,  kitchen,  sleeping area (pictured below) and a radio communication room, set up as a museum as they were when the explorers were here up to the 1950’s.  In the early days explorers lived here and explored the surrounding area and studied the wildlife.  Now the 4 staff that live here from November to February mainly handle the tourists that come through.  There are only 3 buildings  - the gift shop and museum, a storage facility, and the staff quarters.  They have no internet or running water – so when the ships dock here to bring tourists, the staff gets to go on the ship to have a hot shower and take some fresh supplies.  That happens about every 10 days. And we thought it was the penguins that smelled.

                                             

                                           Port Lockroy - museum

So Port Lockroy is an interesting piece of history to observe.  It made me think – when you visit other parts of the world that have been explored, discovered, surveyed by early explorers, it’s sometimes hard to imagine what it was like for these early explorers because the areas have become so developed since they were here.  Antarctica is not like that.  Not only do the remnants of early exploration life still remain, like the buildings at Deception Island and here at Port Lockroy, but the landscape is pretty much as it was when those early explorers first discovered it.  It really is a wild yet pristine landscape.

                                          Port Lockroy

                        

So yes, we have seen a lot of penguins – and yes, after a while they did become commonplace – but talk about saving the best for last.  Nothing compares to a wild and untamed creature expressing its natural animal curiosity by coming right up to you and poking at your pants or boots with as much as to say, “I haven’t seen you here before.” And that’s exactly what happened to both Sue and I (Push was unfortunately still recovering back on the ship).  A gentoo penguin chick came right up to us and did exactly that.  So the rule again is, don’t approach them, but if they approach you, you’re ok.  And he (she?) was quite the little social butterfly, waddling from Sue to me to a few others who were nearby. Sue is pictured below with her new friend.  It was definitely a special experience.  And then there were the whale bones that someone had reassembled on the beach to make it look like a full size whale.  Apparently they were bones from a number of different whales, but it looked quite real nonetheless.  We spent some time just silently observing the long, horizontal grey clouds as they drifted across the mountains and glaciers and cast a bleak, lonely but beautiful pall over everything. 

                                                    A new friend

Then it was back to the ship where it was lunch and then a good long nap.  Sue went out in the Zodiac to whale watch where they saw a couple Humbacks, but we later learned at the recap talk that these whales were pretty much just traveling and didn’t give any playful demonstrations.  During the recap we voted on a name for a group of seals (as in a “pod” of whales) because there is no collective noun for seals – and we ended up voting for a “squadron” of seals.  Add that one to the dictionary.  Then it was off to dinner.  Now we are beginning to re-enter the dreaded Drake Passage again – so our dinner group was already down by one.  By the end of the soup course, we lost another.  By the entree, another.  Needless the say no one stayed to linger over coffee.  So here we are, getting back on the roller coaster – and here’s where I sign off, pop another Gravol, and.....sweet dreams.  Tomorrow, more Drake – uggh!

Until then....

Day 7: Snow, Seals and Bergs

So this day dawned early, but not so bright.  The announcement came at 6:30 a.m. over the PA that we were passing through the Lemaire Channel, a very narrow channel through which we had to pass in order to get to our next port.  So up we got in order to view the mountains rising in close range on either side of us as we passed through the channel;  however, the skies were overcast, there was  a light fog hanging over the mountains, and a fine snow blew across the ship.  These were not ideal conditions in which to view the majesty and mystique of this passage, but it was great nonetheless, not least of which was the way the captain had to manoeuvre the ship around a few icebergs and around the corners of the channel to pass through.  And apparently a channel has to be a certain distance across for ships to be allowed to pass through, and this one is on the narrower end of the spectrum. 

                                         The Lemaire Channel

Once we were through, it was on to breakfast and then a landing on Petermann Island.  Push took some much needed time off to rest his back while Sue kayaked her way silently around the island and got the best sighting of the Adelie penguins, a different species than we had otherwise seen.  I took the Zodiac across and walked the length of the island to see the penguins, albeit from a bit of a distance this time since they were on the beach below.  Although it was overcast and snowy, it did provide a nice contrast to the bright sun we had in the past few days.  After all, it’s Antarctica – how can you not have at least one cold snowy day?

After the landing it was back to the ship for lunch, a short nap (all this fresh air can get to you) and then back out in the Zodiacs for a tour of Pleneau Bay, also known as the iceberg graveyard, since many icebergs run aground here and never make it out again.  

                                      Pleneau Bay

This turned out to be a spectacular ride, not only because of the infinite variety of shapes these icebergs come in, or because of the incredible shades of blue we saw (which apparently were a result of the lack of sunshine this time, allowing the blue to come through more vividly), but because of what we saw around the corner of one of the icebergs.  Our expedition leader Tony called it by far the best thing he had seen on this trip so far.  And that was at least 30 seals foraging between two icebergs – swimming, diving, surfacing, snorting, rolling , and having a look at us, but certainly more interested in feeding on the krill that must have been extremely plentiful in this area.  It was quite a treat.  And not once, but three times they all surfaced and swam around before all diving back below the surface for another snack.  The surface of the water for about 20 metres square was literally alive with swimming seals.  Now you don’t see that at SeaWorld!

                                      A squadron of seals

After that it was back to the ship, and for those not faint of heart, the polar plunge!  Since there was not enough space on the deck out back of the ship where they do the plunge, spectators were not allowed, and since our one fearless adventurer was out of commission, we simply observed the plungers as they ran shivering down the halls and back to their cabins.   Then it was another lovely dinner, a little celebration of Greg and Melissa’s engagement where the serving staff prepared a happy engagement cake, and then Sea Spirit trivia in the lounge (no shuffleboard on the Lido deck here).  Now it’s off to bed.  Tomorrow we land in Port Lockroy, the southern most post office on the planet (and gift shop for that matter). So....

Until then......

Day 6: A continent with a view!

So the day dawned brightly again this morning as we prepared for yet another landing – this time on  Antarctica proper, specifically Neko Harbour.  Now this spot has to rank with the best views in the world.  So we landed on the continent and proceeded to frolic again with the gentoo penguins while we made our way up the long and winding trail to the top of the cliff that overlooked Neko Harbour.  It was a bit of slippery walk up with the sun shining and melting some of the surface snow.  But it couldn’t have been more perfect.  The notable Quark yellow parkas formed a continuous dotted line all the way up the mountain until it ended at a rock outcropping that overlooked the bay. And what a view!  Water as smooth as glass and a deep, dark midnight blue, white icebergs dotting the unbroken surface, and an icy blue glacial wall surrounding it all – magnificent!  One could not imagine a more special and unique place; so it was a lovely surprise to find that just as I was coming up to the summit I met Melissa who informed me that her boyfriend Greg who was right behind her had just proposed – now a very special place indeed!

                                         Neko Harbour

                                         The view of Neko Harbour

So after we returned to the ship we were treated to a special barbecue lunch on the outside upper deck.  I think the photo below says it all – surrounding icebergs, bright sunshine, good food and friends – what more could one want?

                                         Lunch on the upper deck

Then in the afternoon it was a landing at Paradise Bay – another stunning view! This trek up the hill was quite a bit more challenging – slippery snow and a vertical climb.  In the end it proved to be Push’s nemesis as he ended up putting out his back just before reaching the summit.  He reckons it was nature’s payback for him wishing a more exciting crossing of the Drake Passage.  Nature always gets her way in the end.  Anyway, while Push was incapacitated leaning against the rock outcropping, I snuck in a few photos both of the view and of him (he wasn’t going anywhere and I figured that one day we would look back on this and laugh and we should have some photographic proof).  So then it was up to Sue and I to half walk, half slide Push down the hill.  Some very nice women from Florida who were on their way down  offered to help and even offered to rub Push’s back for him.  In the end they sent some help up from below.  Push thanked them by sending them over some champagne during dinner.  So then it was back to the ship for Push for a visit to the doctor and the onboard massage therapist, and off in the zodiacs for Sue and I for a tour around Paradise Bay.  A quick note about the landing area – it’s called Almirante Brown Station which is an Argentinean scientific base, but it is currently under construction because the former doctor on the site was informed by the government that he had to spend another year on the base, and he didn’t want to, so he retaliated by burning it down.  Nobody is really sure whether he went to jail for it or whether he got off, but in any case, the base still bears the marks of his fiery exit.  So then it was the Zodiac tour which included some up close and personal visits with some Blue Shags (those are birds, by the way, not what you might be thinking) and 3 kinds of seals: fur,  Weddell , and leopard who were just lazing around on some icebergs.  You can see how close we were able to get by the photo below. There was also a good tour of the glacier where we witnessed a small avalanche of snow from the glacier into the water. 

                                         Lazing about...

Later in the afternoon, the expedition teams always does a recap and briefing in the lounge to get people caught up on the afternoon’s events.  It’s a good way to be reminded of the history and wildlife information which sometimes gets forgotten in the excitement of just watching the day unfold.  Then later that evening at dinner we celebrated Greg and Melissa’s engagement with a toast and a nice meal.  A perfect end to an almost perfect (sorry Push) day.  Tomorrow we pass through a very narrow channel called the Lemaire Channel which, if also filled with icebergs, could be quite a challenge for the captain and crew.  Should be exciting.

Until then......

Day 5: Whales, icebergs and camping!

So after a night of convalescence we were ready to face the coming day.  And since the sun was shining brightly, it looked like things were looking up, except this time we were way past penguins and seals – it was time for whales!  I won’t pun on the “whale of a tale/tail”, but I will say that everything they say about whales is true.  So picture it – Wilhelmina Bay, Antarctica, 2012, and there we were buzzing around in the Zodiacs looking at icebergs and discussing how they change form (incidentally, they rotate and flip and turn as they melt – just watch an ice cube melt in a glass) when all of a sudden ,off the port bow, whales!  Humpback whales!  And they were close – arcing beautifully over the surface of the water, their giant fins cutting through the glassy surface.  Sometimes they went across our line of vision, sometimes they were coming towards us,  often mere metres away.  Now not to sound clichéd, but they were so gentle and graceful and seriously huge!  When they came up towards the boat, I couldn’t help but have visions of Jaws and Orca in mind.  But that quickly dissipated as they disappeared under the Zodiac only to reappear just as our expedition leader asked, “Where did they go?” and right on cue, blowholes spouting  and backs curving almost right under our noses – and then the piece de resistance – the tail flip!  It got a bigger “Ahhhh!” than fireworks on Canada Day.  But wait, there’s more.  Just as our leader told us that Humpbacks hardly every breach (jump up above the surface of the water), just to show him up, both of the whales breached, and not once, but 2 times each.  The pictures don’t do any of the experience justice – just to be in such close proximity of such massive creatures is awe inspiring, humbling ,exhilarating and a little terrifying. 

                              A breaching Humpback whale

So after the whale watching it was back to the ship for lunch, a short break, and back in the Zodiacs and on to Cuverville Island.  By this point the trip is great, and the scenery and wildlife are beyond compare, but seriously getting in and out of our gear is beginning to take a toll.  Here’s how it goes – first layer, socks, polar long underwear, T-shirt;  second layer- more socks, pants, polar fleece ; third layer- waterproof pants, more socks, another polar fleece; fourth layer- zip fleece; fifth layer- parka, rubber boots, hat, gloves; sixth layer- another set of gloves and the lifejacket which doubles as a Chinese puzzle since we can never get them on properly.  Finally we are ready to go.  Originally it practically took us an entire morning to get suited up – now we do it in about 10 minutes.  Ta da! 

So, Cuverville Island: more penguins and then a Zodiac tour of the surrounding bay – the glaciers and ice bergs which dot the water around the entire area.  And they are everything you imagine.  They look just like in the movies.  Huge, white, blue, with parallel grooves from where the salt of the melting water has etched lines.  I think of this area as Mother Nature’s art studio – the sculpted icebergs, the incredible shades of blue: the deep navy of the water, the electric neon within the icebergs, the soothing blue of the sky – incredible! Apparently the reason the icebergs have this blue colour is because as the light is refracted through the crystals of ice, the reds, oranges, yellows and greens of the prism are absorbed into the iceberg while only the blues and indigos pass through the ice enough for us to see.  Fantastic! (P.S. to you scientists out there, that was the short and simple explanation of that – I neither caught nor understood the longer version).

                              Breathtaking glaciers

So then it was back to the ship for another lovely dinner.

Now, the next part of the day and evening still remains a bit of a mystery to me since Push has never camped and I don’t like the cold.  Maybe it was Sue’s presence that caused it.  Let me explain. 

                             Kevin and Sue preparing for camping

We signed up to camp overnight – that’s right, we paid good money to sleep outside, on the ground, in the Antarctic!  Call it a lapse in judgment, or more likely, it was a desire to do something we had never done (and perhaps would never do again);  but I also think it was because we had heard great things about the experience and didn’t want to finish the trip thinking, “I wish we had...”  So, after the afternoon meeting of picking up our equipment – and this is where it gets interesting – Sue with her sleeping bag and tent (sounds reasonable) and Push and I with our sleeping bags and Bivi bags – what’s that you ask?  Basically it’s an outer bag that you sleep in while in your sleeping bag, and it has an extra insulation that keeps you warm while also having a little hood you can pull up over your head.  Okay, the reason is starting to dwindle.  But it gets better – Push (and now I too, I have discovered) are just a little claustrophobic.  So the idea of stuffing our overly layered selves into what amounts to a large sausage casing wasn’t exactly going to help us get over it.  Now to be honest, the expedition leaders were excellent – very clear in their explanations, organization and execution of the outing.  And even after we helped Sue set up her tent  (see photo above) and went for a beautiful walk to watch the sun cast a pink glow over the mountains while setting, we still didn’t really realize what we had gotten ourselves into.  Even after sliding into the bags while simultaneously removing our rubber boots and parkas and water proof pants and trying to find room to stuff them down into the bag along with our bodies and the remaining 9 layers we still had on, we still had no clue.  It wasn’t until after we had finally gotten ourselves into our down-filled caskets (I don’t know how vampires do it.  I guess it’s the threat of sunlight and impending death) that we began to realise this might be a problem.  On the positive side, the view was stunning – the night sky darkening, and literally one by one , the stars showing themselves.  And this is a landscape where the stars actually sparkle.  It was enough to keep us still for at least an hour.  And in the distance, the great boom of the glacial ice cracking and breaking.  It was like the sound of faraway gunshots echoing off the mountain sides.  And the water lapping at the edges of the icebergs.  The cawing of the gulls.  And the snorts of the seals (did I mentions there were two seals sleeping a mere 15 metres away?) And then finally, once we decided it was time to turn over and sleep, we realised we couldn’t turn over.  Not only that, we realised, each of us in our swaddling, couldn’t move a limb.  So we debated for a few minutes and then decided to take the extremely competent and prepared expedition leaders up on their invitation to use the extra tent that was set up for campers in just such a situation.  So we moved to the tent, and from there had a more or less pleasant sleep.  All I can say is, check that one off the list.

Morning came early.  We packed up, went back to the ship for a much needed shower and breakfast, and then it would be off to Neko Harbour and Paradise Bay.  As long as there is no camping required, it should be good.

Until then.....

Day 4 - Half Moon Island and Deception Island

So, my apologies for the gap in blogging, but I was rather indisposed last evening.  They told us that the Drake Passage would be the most challenging in terms of seasickness – but personally, yesterday’s rough seas put me and a number of other passengers out of commission.  Imagine being on one of those amusement park rides that twirls round and round, or any roller coaster for that matter – it’s fun at first right?  But then you begin to feel a little queasy – not so fun anymore.  But you keep telling yourself that in about 45 seconds it will all be over.  Now imagine if you didn’t have that option ie.  the ride will never be over!  That’s about what it’s like to be seasick.  Having said that, the sights and experiences we have had in the last day and a half have made it all worthwhile.  Let’s start with yesterday’s outing.  We made a landing at Half Moon Island.  More sighting of penguins – this time, the chinstrap variety (not jockstrap as one passenger on a previous expedition thought).  And they were everywhere!  More than a few times did we have to stop for a penguin crossing.  In fact, the area we were walking had more traffic than highway 400 on a cottage weekend.  And since the novelty of simply sighting the penguins had worn off, we decided to take a walk to the other end of the island to see more fur seals and elephant seals.  This time, along with lazing around on the beach (this must be their holiday season – penguin cocktail anyone?) they were also playing in the water and what seemed to be battling for the best spot on the beach.  I guess, “Is that rock taken?” isn’t in their vocabulary. They just bang heads together until one of them moves.  So after a lot of walking around, seal spotting, and giving penguins the right of way, it was back to the ship. 

                                      Playful seals

A leisurely chat in the lounge over coffee to discuss the morning’s outing, then lunch and another outing – this time to Deception Island.  Deception Island is an active volcano (which Push was hoping would erupt since it is apparently 3 years overdue for an eruption – needless to say,  it didn’t).  But the island is covered in the black cinder and soot of past eruptions.  It also contains the remains of a whaling colony from years gone by, before authorities outlawed whaling.  So there are some wooden buildings, old wooden boats, and some large cylindrical containers which held water to be taken out to the whaling ships to produce steam.  But the whole colony looks like a ghost town, a decaying piece of history.  Unfortunately the winds were too high so we could not make a landing;  so the picture below is taken from the ship. 

              The remains of whaling settlements - Deception Island

And now you can see why some of us were a little queasy for the remainder of the evening .  Needless to say, Sue and I went straight to bed while Push, true to his nature, spent the evening in the lounge celebrating Valentine ’s Day with a few enthusiastic (and un-seasick) fellow passengers.  The next day it’s on to Wilhelmina Bay where we will remain stationary (thank goodness).

Until then

First landing!

So here we are, our first landing on the continent,  specifically the Aitcho Islands.  

Everyone is very excited.  It’s like the Leafs are playing for the Stanley Cup.  So we have a mandatory briefing on board about how to gear up, how to get in and out of the Zodiacs (the rubber dinghies that will take us to shore), and how to be around the wildlife.  The expedition leaders take this very seriously since the Antarctic really is as pristine a wilderness as you can find.  The reason the wildlife are not afraid of humans is because they have no reason to be– and the expedition leaders want to keep it that way.  Incidentally, during this briefing one of the expedition leaders interrupted to allow us to have our first iceberg sighting .  So everyone rushes off to the port side (that’s the left side if you are on the boat facing the front to you land lubbers) and sure enough, there was the most perfect iceberg –right out of a group of seven painting.  White, blue around the edges, peaked in the middle, and utterly majestic. 

So finally we suit up, get into the Zodiacs and head to the shore. 

And what do we notice first?  I’d like to say it’s the beautiful snow capped peaks, or the cute little black and white penguins – but it’s not.  It’s the smell.  Now don’t get me wrong, nobody would have traded a minute of time with those little guys because of the smell, but it is the first thing you notice – especially if you are down wind.  But we disembark and it’s hard to believe, but those little birds are just walking around freely, taking little notice or us and just waddling on their way.  Occasionally one would cross your path, and down here, as you can imagine, the penguins have the right of way.  So you stop, let him pass, get a good photo, and continue on.  And if you are really lucky, if you sit still, they will come up and peck at your coat or do a little sniffing around just to see who exactly you are.  You can see from the photo how close they came.  Incidentally, this little guy is a gentoo penguin, noted for the white patch above their eye. There were also chinstrap penguins which have a black line just below the chin.  We were told to leave at least 5 metres between us and the animals, unless they came to you – and even then, no petting.

After walking around in the sunshine (which we were told was not typical of Antarctica, as you can imagine) we all went for a hike over the hill to see the leopard seals.  At first I thought there were just a bunch of longs rolled up on the beach.  Upon closer inspection,  I noticed these logs started to move and make the loudest, most ancient honking sound – like creatures calling from the bowels of the Earth.  Then as we walked we realised they were all over – hanging out, socializing, relaxing – again, with little notice of us.  The little one pictured here was a little curious about us and perked up a bit to see what was going on. 

A few random penguins competed for our attention as we snapped photos of the seals, but by that point, penguins were seriously so 5 minutes ago. So after hanging out for a while with the seals, getting reacquainted with the penguins, taking in the beautiful rock formations and general scenery, and seeing some skewers (not the barbecue kind, but very large brownish birds – imagine  seagulls  on steroids) we headed back to the shore and back to the ship.  Then it was on to the captain’s dinner with some welcome speeches and general frivolity.  I sensed that up until this first landing people were uncertain as to what to expect and were hoping that the landing would live up to their expectations.  But from the laughter general sense of well being around the dinner table, I think that this first landing exceeded most people’s expectations.  I know it did mine.  Tomorrow is an early morning with two landings during the day – something special for Valentine’s Day.

Until then.....

Sea Spirit: Day 2

So it’s been our first full day at sea, and it has literally been up and down.  Many are suffering from low grade seasickness, which varies from light headache to slight loss of appetite and fatigue.  Others are even worse for wear.  The Drake Passage is notorious for rough waters, but we have been told that this passage is 1 on a scale from 1 to 10.  Little comfort for those who are nursing a bad tummy in bed.  But let’s not dwell on the negative.  We have been informed that we may be able to make a landing tomorrow – which is a full day earlier than normal!  Apparently  our travel karma is pretty good.   So we did some walking around the deck to get some air and enjoy the sunshine.

                              On the deck of the Sea Spirit

Then there were several lectures and slide shows on a variety of topics connected to the Antarctic region.  So we have now become experts on Antarctic birds – albatross and petrels and penguins, oh my!  And the next time you see us at a party we will probably be dropping some wildly impressive facts about the Antarctic krill.  What’s the Antarctic krill you ask?  It’s a small (3-5 cm) crustacean which provides a huge amount of food for the ecosystem here and is the second largest species by mass on the planet.  Who knew? (sidebar: cows are first and humans are third).  If you want to know more, you will have to invite us to your next party.

                          Lectures and briefings

 There were also lectures on photography, whales, and the history of exploration in the Antarctic region.  So much information.  But seriously, you cannot see the wildlife here anywhere else in the world.  Most of the species of birds here live the vast majority of their lives at sea.  In fact, the wandering albatross (pictured below) will stay at sea and never touch land for 5 years at a time! 

                             The Wandering Albatross

So then it was dinner as usual and more chatting with new friends.  Most passengers here are on their first Antarctic voyage.   And there are people here from all over the world – Japan, Germany, France, U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Austria and Argentina.  Chatting over dinner it’s interesting to learn of other people’s world travels – that’s one of the fun things about doing a trip like this – meeting new people and hearing about some new exciting places to visit.  A few people at our table talked about trips trekking through Nepal, hugging koalas in Australia, and sipping wine in the Napa Valley.  It makes you want to start planning your next trip.  So now it’s off to bed for a good sleep since tomorrow should prove to be a busy day.

So, until then.....

Goodbye Ushuaia: Hello Seaspirit!

So we said goodbye to Ushuaia, literally the end of the Earth (in Spanish on the sign I am standing beside)

                            Ushuaia - The end of the Earth

and started on the next leg of our adventure – the part we have been waiting for – boarding the ship and setting sail!  After some lunch and walking around, we were finally ready to go.  Once again, the organization was excellent – meet at the bus, board the bus, catch a quick nap (that’s the Gravol kicking in, which we were told to take well in advance of boarding the ship), and finally board the ship. 

                 Boarding the Sea Spirit - The adventure begins.....

Once we were on board, we had a briefing from the expedition leader who introduced the expedition team and explained all aspects of the operation which included all the available activities such as kayaking and camping, as well as the expertise of the various team members, such as photography, ornithology (birds), geology, and wildlife.  We were even told where we could get an extra shot of anti-nausea medication if we had real trouble with seasickness. 

                             Introduction to the ship and staff

Incidentally, once we get out of the Beagle Channel, which is the smaller passage out into more open water, we move into the Drake Passage, which is often known for its turbulent water, due to the convergence of warm and cold ocean waters.  This is the reason most people pack Gravol or some other anti-nausea medication, because nobody wants to spend the 2 days of this passage seeing nothing but the inside of their bathroom.  But we have been told that recent passages have been rather uneventful, so we pray the trend will continue.  We went out on deck for a little while where the sky was sunny but the temperature continued to drop.  Going past the shoreline reminded me of sailing past the coast of Ireland or Newfoundland – green and hilly. 

                                    Dining on board

  Then it was a lovely 3 course dinner, some chatting with new friends, collecting our bright yellow Quark parkas, and finally a nightcap in the lounge.  Tomorrow there is a lineup of 5 lectures, so it’s early to bed, and early to rise.  Don’t want to miss a thing.

Until then......

Ushuaia: Day 1

So we arrived after our late night/early morning flight into Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego, the southern most tip of Argentina, where we will board the ship tomorrow afternoon. The flight was again, thankfully, without incident, unless you count the movie screen not descending properly an incident.  As it was, the three of us slept for most of the flight.  After a beautiful pass over the mountains we arrived in Ushuaia, checked into our hotel which is perched beautifully on the hillside overlooking the bay, had breakfast, read the welcome letter provided by Quark, the travel company,  and decided to hike up the mountain to the glacier park.  After a 40 minute hike (Push and Sue are pictured below on the road to the park) we took a chairlift up the mountain where I proceeded to have a lovely nap in the sunshine on a park bench while Sue and Push continued on up the trail toward the glacier.

                   On the way up to the glacier park


 Although they never actually touched ice, they did say the walk was refreshing and provided a spectacular view (also pictured below). 

                    The view from the glacier park


Then it was tea in a very cozy teahouse which looked like it belonged in a country inn in rural Quebec.  Then back to the hotel for a quick hot tub and nap.  After, we had our first briefing from Marcello, our Quark representative here in Ushuaia.  He gave us the low down on the embarkation procedure tomorrow: leave bags in the lobby clearly marked with our baggage tags, meet at the parking lot (clearly indicated on our map), board the bus with the other passengers, and proceed to the port to board the ship.  Touch wood, but he certainly makes it seem simple and straightforward.    Then in the evening  a really nice dinner at a restaurant we happened across on our way up to the glacier, called Chez Manu www.chezmanu.com which provided fresh local king crab and a variety of locally raised meats - delicioso!  And speaking of restaurants, I forgot to give the website of the fantastic restaurant we went to in Buenos Aires - Happening.  Everyone we have spoken to mentioned that they were told to try it, and since we actually did and loved it, I think it bears giving the website:  http://buenos-aires.restorando.com.ar/restaurante/happening-costanera-norte?gclid=CNP2s73-lK4CFYpR7AodsB4aJg Then it was back to the hotel and tomorrow up in time to check out, get our luggage labelled and off to the ship, and then some time to kill perhaps at the local naval museum - little known fact:  Ushuaia was originally a penal colony where the inmates actually built the prison themselves.  In fact, it was a very successful prison because there was literally nowhere to escape- you are on the southern most tip of the continent surrounded by mountains - where would you go?  Marcello told us there was only one successful escape in the time the prison was in operation, and that was because this prisoner had a ship waiting.  Unfortunately for him, he was caught later in Chile - so the moral of the story is......In any case, the former prison is now the naval museum.  After that we board the ship and we are finally on our way.  So whereas before I said it felt like two trips in one, now, after experiencing the mountain today, it feels like three! And tomorrow we set sail.
Until then......

Buenos Aires: Day 2

Here is a photo of the spectacular "Congresso" in the heart of the city.  This and the other parliament buildings borrow styles from both Spanish and French architecture.  This shot was taken while on one of those sightseeing buses.

                               The Congresso government building


Sue and I braved the noon day sun on the upper, roofless deck, while Push stayed below in the airconditioning.     The bus was a good way to see a lot of the city;  however, after about 2 hours we were only on stop 10 out of 20, so we decided it was time for some lunch and a drink to really cool off.  The sightseeing bus can be caught on Avenida Florida which is a pedestrian shopping street right in the centre of the city. And even though we were instructed what to do in Spanish (which none of us understood) we figured that as long as we were in the right line, we would eventually get on the bus - which we did. As I mentioned, most of the people we have come into contact with speak a fair amount of English, and those that don't are patient and adept at using a variety of hand signals.  Finger pointing when it comes to ordering at a restaurant is also a useful technique;  as in, "I'll have what he's having."

Later some shopping along the Avenida Florida and then another hotel rooftop cool off.  Then another fantastic traditional dinner - this time a more rustic Argentinian barbecue - meat, meat and more meat.  Oh, and some roasted red pepper for colour.  Another walk back to the hotel along the Avenida Florida under a full moon (I tried to capture it in the photo below) and back to the hotel.

                                   Full moon over Avenida Florida


We have a 2:00 a.m. wake-up call and a 4:30 a.m. flight down to Ushuaia at the southern tip of Argentina where we will catch our ship the following day.  We are getting closer to our ultimate goal - Antarctica!  But until then, it has been like having two trips in one.  Tropical and urban, and eventually rural (that's an understatement!) and polar.
Until then....

Arrival in Buenos Aires!

Here we are enjoying some relaxation on the rooftop terrace of the hotel in downtown Buenos Aires!

The air is warm, the breeze is refreshing, and the view is spectacular.

The flight from Toronto to Buenos Aires via Santiago was relatively uneventful - luckily.  Some much needed sleep, a couple movies (The Ides of March was rather disappointing, as was The Dream House.  Thank goodness for Modern Family reruns) - a couple mediocre meals, and voila - here we are!

Checked in to the hotel - the 725 Continental - very nice boutique hotel in the heart of downtown. We would definitely recommend it - here is the link - http://www.725continental.com/continen-ing.htmAfter our rooftop drink we were off to sample Argentinian beef at a fantastic riverside restaurant called Happening - which it definitely wasn't until around 10:00 p.m. - as per Latin dining culture.  So our early arrival at 8 only added to our obvious foreign sensibility.  But once the crowd started pouring in the place came to life. Had a lovely conversation with a retired couple from Kamloops B.C. who warned us to travel with a personal supply of toilet paper (you never know) and gave us a good tip on a free walking tour of the city which starts at the "Congresso" - we are assuming that is the parliament buildings, but will find out for sure tomorrow.  A brief chat with an Argentinian woman whose children and grandchildren were throwing her a birthday dinner - the people, by the way, seem very friendly and helpful with a pretty good grasp of English for those of us not worldly enough to speak Spanish - and then a leisurely stroll along the river to walk off the heavy beef dinner.  Passed a bridge somewhat in the shape of the Nike swoosh which a sign by the river informed us was supposed to be in the shape of a couple dancing the tango (artistic license, I suppose - but beautiful nonetheless) and finally a walk back to the hotel, after a brief disagreement about which way the hotel was.  Push was right, just for the record.
And now I am once again indebted to Erin for the relative ease with which this blog is coming along, photo and all - and if the technology gods are smiling down on me again, you will all be able to recognize us in the photo above and it won't seem as if we are seated behind a heat mirage.
Tomorrow more exploration of the city and perhaps some shopping.
Until then....

The Preparation: The Expedition Group!

Here's a link to the expedition company that I'm travelling with.

http://www.quarkexpeditions.com/

This is one of the company's pages that shows a video tour of what the experience is like.

http://www.quarkexpeditions.com/the-expedition-experience

The Preparation: Day 1

This is my first post as I prepare to venture on the trip of a lifetime - to Antarctica! Only 2 more sleeps and I will be on a flight to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Two days there to enjoy the hot and sunny weather, and then it's back on a plane for Ushuaia at the tip of South America where we will board our ship which will take us two days through the Drake Passage and then on to the least explored continent on Earth: Antarctica!

As I sit here in my dining room, trying to navigate my way (pun intended) through the technological world of blogging, I am struck by the stark contrast I will soon be experiencing: exploring an area of the Earth which has changed very little since the first explorers reached it 100 years ago, while sharing this experience with friends, family, colleagues and students, using the most modern of technology.

So, the necessities have been purchased. Quark Expeditions, the company we are travelling with, has been excellent in helping us prepare for the journey. They have provided us with lists of things to make sure we are well prepared: the requisite long underwear, the multiple pairs of waterproof gloves, a variety of hats - everything necessary for the trip. Keep in mind, it is summer down there right now so the temperatures are not as frigid as one might think - ranging from -4 to +2 C is what I have heard. We will see....

So I return now to my current life of teaching and preparing lessons for the coming week. But in 2 days I will be lucky enough to embark on a journey I never thought I would have undertaken.

Until next time.....