Antarctica - an overview
As I noted yesterday, attempts to describe my trip to Antarctica are limited due to the inadequacy of the english language to provide sufficient superlatives. I hope that pictures will suffice, however they must wait until I have access to a computer that has a reasonable work ethic, or the oft mentioned slide weekend.
But I can provide a brief overview in the meantime...
Day 1
Embarked and celebrated my 30th with strangers, a complimentary bottle of champagne, chocolate cake (with one candle) and a rendition of Happy Birthday from the filipino crew...
Day 2
Discovered that I am not prone to seasickness and thoroughly enjoyed rolling across the calm Drake Passage 4 metre swell (noted for being one of the roughest stretches of water in the world). There were birds, dont ask me to name them specifically, but Im told there were albatrosses and petrels; and also whales - yawn.
Day 3
Arrived at the South Shetland Islands (Aitcho Island), where I met my first 10 thousand or so pengiuns. They smell. But are cute, I suppose. I also took my first thousand photos. The ship also came across more whales, unfortunately they escaped before we could break out the harpoons.
That evening I asked whether I could go clubbing the next time we landed. I was told there are no night clubs in Antarctica. I said, no worries, I prefer clubbing in the day time, as it is easier to see and chase the baby seals and penguins. Moreover, I brought my own club......for some reason they were not amused. A couple of canadians were similarly disappointed.
The ship also came across the first outlying chunks of ice.
Day 4
Passed overnight through the Antarctic Passage (at the very tip of the peninsula) into the Weddel Sea. It was here that I found one of the most beautiful vistas I have been fortunate to view - the sea was flooded with ice, to the point where the ship was unable to contine and we had to reverse direction. I have lots of photos. We landed on Paulet Island and on the continent at Browns Bluff. Paulet Island is the site of a hut where some crazy exporers accidently stayed over the winter. Again there were penguins and seals and again, for some obscure reason, we were not permitted to go clubbing....
Day 5
Saw several hundred thousand penguins at Baileys Head, Deception Island. We then passed through Neptunes Bellows into the middle of the Island, where a volcano has created a caldera that is sailable (is this a word?). I was not able to visit the lair of the resident evil scheming meglomaniac (as you all know all evil schemers are obliged to have their secret lair on a volcanic island remote from the world) as he was testing his laser. Instead I looked at some more seals and went for a swim. The water was not so cold, perhaps somewhere around 0. In the afternoon I checked out some elephant seals - realising I had come unprepared and was without a large enough club. These things weighed in at a tonne or two. And they were juveniles...
It snowed.
Day 6
It snowed some more. Which made for something interesting as we visited the most isolated gift shop on the planet, fortunately it accepted visa. One could, if one was that way inclined, also send a postcard from this gift shop. I hope no one expects one from me....
From there, we steamed down the Lemaire Channel (note by this stage, I was getting the hang of nautical speak), with me standing at the pointy front bit taking another thousand photos. At the bottom of the Channel we entered Iceberg Alley, so called because there are lots of icebergs. This is where we saw many many leopard seals and I went for another swim.
Day 7
Saw another 30 million penguins, seals, whales and stuff. Realised that one can occasionally have too much of a good thing....I was a bit over the little buggers by this stage. The captain must have realised this as he decided to head back to port.
Day 8
Experienced what was apparently one of the calmest crossings of the Drake Passage in history. Much to my disappointment. I was hoping for 10 metre waves crashing over the bow and the opportunity to laugh at the unfortunate souls, pale of face and chundering....
Day 9
Arrived back in Ushuaia, thus concluding my so called 10 day tour. My achievements being, setting foot on my 7th continent, having a fabulous time and upsetting all the travel agents on the trip (it seems they dont like being called travel agents or being questioned....).
This afternoon I take a flight to Santiago and tomorrow night another to Sydney via Auckland. Yes, folks, much to the disappointment of many, Im coming home. See you all soon, Im sure you are all keen to check out pictures of penguins....
But I can provide a brief overview in the meantime...
Day 1
Embarked and celebrated my 30th with strangers, a complimentary bottle of champagne, chocolate cake (with one candle) and a rendition of Happy Birthday from the filipino crew...
Day 2
Discovered that I am not prone to seasickness and thoroughly enjoyed rolling across the calm Drake Passage 4 metre swell (noted for being one of the roughest stretches of water in the world). There were birds, dont ask me to name them specifically, but Im told there were albatrosses and petrels; and also whales - yawn.
Day 3
Arrived at the South Shetland Islands (Aitcho Island), where I met my first 10 thousand or so pengiuns. They smell. But are cute, I suppose. I also took my first thousand photos. The ship also came across more whales, unfortunately they escaped before we could break out the harpoons.
That evening I asked whether I could go clubbing the next time we landed. I was told there are no night clubs in Antarctica. I said, no worries, I prefer clubbing in the day time, as it is easier to see and chase the baby seals and penguins. Moreover, I brought my own club......for some reason they were not amused. A couple of canadians were similarly disappointed.
The ship also came across the first outlying chunks of ice.
Day 4
Passed overnight through the Antarctic Passage (at the very tip of the peninsula) into the Weddel Sea. It was here that I found one of the most beautiful vistas I have been fortunate to view - the sea was flooded with ice, to the point where the ship was unable to contine and we had to reverse direction. I have lots of photos. We landed on Paulet Island and on the continent at Browns Bluff. Paulet Island is the site of a hut where some crazy exporers accidently stayed over the winter. Again there were penguins and seals and again, for some obscure reason, we were not permitted to go clubbing....
Day 5
Saw several hundred thousand penguins at Baileys Head, Deception Island. We then passed through Neptunes Bellows into the middle of the Island, where a volcano has created a caldera that is sailable (is this a word?). I was not able to visit the lair of the resident evil scheming meglomaniac (as you all know all evil schemers are obliged to have their secret lair on a volcanic island remote from the world) as he was testing his laser. Instead I looked at some more seals and went for a swim. The water was not so cold, perhaps somewhere around 0. In the afternoon I checked out some elephant seals - realising I had come unprepared and was without a large enough club. These things weighed in at a tonne or two. And they were juveniles...
It snowed.
Day 6
It snowed some more. Which made for something interesting as we visited the most isolated gift shop on the planet, fortunately it accepted visa. One could, if one was that way inclined, also send a postcard from this gift shop. I hope no one expects one from me....
From there, we steamed down the Lemaire Channel (note by this stage, I was getting the hang of nautical speak), with me standing at the pointy front bit taking another thousand photos. At the bottom of the Channel we entered Iceberg Alley, so called because there are lots of icebergs. This is where we saw many many leopard seals and I went for another swim.
Day 7
Saw another 30 million penguins, seals, whales and stuff. Realised that one can occasionally have too much of a good thing....I was a bit over the little buggers by this stage. The captain must have realised this as he decided to head back to port.
Day 8
Experienced what was apparently one of the calmest crossings of the Drake Passage in history. Much to my disappointment. I was hoping for 10 metre waves crashing over the bow and the opportunity to laugh at the unfortunate souls, pale of face and chundering....
Day 9
Arrived back in Ushuaia, thus concluding my so called 10 day tour. My achievements being, setting foot on my 7th continent, having a fabulous time and upsetting all the travel agents on the trip (it seems they dont like being called travel agents or being questioned....).
This afternoon I take a flight to Santiago and tomorrow night another to Sydney via Auckland. Yes, folks, much to the disappointment of many, Im coming home. See you all soon, Im sure you are all keen to check out pictures of penguins....
posted by Flossie | 11:46 PM
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