To the end of the earth and back

Today we arrived back in Ushuaia, and disembarked the ship. The storm that had been predicted for our the Drake Passage never materialized, so we made it through just fine. The seas were a bit rough one day and several people were sick, but we made it through unscathed!

(On the boat, on our first morning in Antarctica) 

While there are some nice things about being back on land (we no longer have to climb up a ladder to get in to our beds), it is bittersweet. We said goodbye to some hilarious friends, and our days in Antarctica went by way too quickly. The crew onboard the ship were fabulous, and everything ran very smoothly. It was a really fantastic trip.

This afternoon we headed out to an island near Ushuaia for our last penguin outing. There is a large colony of magellanic penguin, which we hadn't seen yet. They build their nests underground, like little burrows, so that was interesting. Another highlight was seeing a king penguin. There are four rogue king penguins living on this island, and we were lucky enough to see one. Generally king penguins are found in South Georgia, an area that we didn't visit on this trip, as it is quite a distance away from Antarctica. We were very sad to leave the island and our last penguins.

Tomorrow morning we will leave Ushuaia and fly back to Buenos Aires for a couple of days of relaxation, hopefully in the sunshine!

Polar Plunge and other adventures

Sorry for the delay. The seas are rougher now and we are having a hard time
concentrating on things.

On Monday morning instead of a landing we did a zodiac cruise around
Paradise Bay. It was amazingly calm. We saw some beautiful leopard seals &
crabeater seals, and lots of stunning ice and glaciers.

In the afternoon we made a landing at Danko Island. On our way to shore we
saw another leopard seal resting. On shore there is a gentoo penguin colony,
and there was a steep climb up a hill to get a nice view. At the top you
could slide down the hill on your butt, lots of fun. You had to time your
slide, when there were no penguins in your path.

Tuesday morning we did a landing at Deception Island, which used to be a
whalers camp. There were tons of fur seals on the beach, and playing in the
water, and they like to chase people, so you had to keep an eye on them. We
did a short climb up to get a viewpoint. The wind was strong, and there was
blowing snow, so it wasn't ideal weather. Before heading back to the ship,
it was time for the Polar Plunge. A group of us stripped down to our bathing
suits, and made a quick dash in to the water. I remember being shocked at
how cold it was, so we got in as quick as possible and ran back out. Trying
to get dressed again was the hardest part, as your whole body was numb, and
trying to use your hands was nearly impossible! Finally we were somewhat
dressed enough to pile into the zodiac and back on to the boat, where we
rushed in to the sauna!

We are now back in the Drake Passage, heading away from Antarctica. It went
by so quickly!

Many people on the boat have been sick since we left Deception Island. We
are doing ok, not eating much, and spending a lot of time laying down, but
we haven't been sick, so we are thankful for that.

We've just got a bit of bad news, a storm is coming and the waves are
expected to be 12 meters. Wish us luck!




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Penguin Post Office

Sorry for the repeating text in the last post.

Last night we sailed to Port Lockroy and anchored there for the evening.

This morning after breakfast the postmaster from Port Lockroy came aboard to
speak to us for a few minutes, and answer questions. Port Lockroy is a UK
base/research station. The staff have been living on the island of Port
Lockroy for the past 4 months (the summer season here). There is no running
water and they share the island with many gentoo penguins. There is a
postoffice and small shop on Port Lockroy, which does most of the funding
for the base. Recently there was a documentary, The Penguin Post office,
featuring this island. Today is the last day of the season for the
staff/facilities and tomorrow the base will be closed, and the staff will go
home. We made it just in time!

Before heading in to Port Lockroy, we went to Jougla Point, another island
very nearby. More gentoo penguins, but there were also some large whale
bones on this island. Our fantastic weather from yesterday has diminished,
and today we had strong wind gusts and some blowing snow. It was about 0
degrees this morning.

From there we headed over to Port Lockroy, mailed a couple of postcards
(which will have to stay on the island for the Antarctic winter now, and
will be mailed in November/December!), and enjoyed the penguins some more.

We returned to the ship for a few minutes of relaxation before lunch.
After lunch we went out on deck to enjoy the scenery as we sailed through
the Lemaire Channel. Stunning icebergs, whales, and seals. The scenery was
epic. There was lots of brash ice that we had to break through and it made
amazing sounds as the ship crushed against the ice and compressed it.

We warmed up for a few minutes after lunch, before heading out at Petermann
Island. Again more gentoo penguin colonies, as well as a few adelie
penguins. They looked pretty similar. We sat down and enjoyed the many
penguins frolicking around, it was a beautiful spot. Kristin sat with the
penguins and made friends with one again. She is becoming quite a penguin
whisperer. We did a short walk up to some lovely view points. One viewpoint
was overlooking a stunning bay filled with beautiful icebergs. We sat and
enjoyed our time watching the penguins. We particularly enjoy the penguin
chases. The young penguins will pester their parents to feed them until
eventually the adult penguin runs away, chased by the hungry baby. They run,
and trip, and fall on their bellies all over the place. On our zodiac ride
back to the ship we saw a few crabeater seals resting on icebergs. They are
very cute.

We are back on board now, enjoying happy hour while we wait for this
evening's review and briefing for tomorrows activities.
Life onboard is very busy! Briefings and whale spottings, excursions,
meals, naps, loading photos. We havent even found time to check out the
sauna yet!



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On the Continent

Friday morning was spent was a zodiac and landing briefing. Instructions on
how to get safely in to/out of the zodiacs, the protocol for landings etc.
After that we all got our boots issued to us (waterproof boots provided by G
Adventures for the duration of the cruise), and then we had to take all of
our outer gear that we would take on shore to be inspected to make sure
everything was clean, and didn't have any dirt, organisms etc.

After lunch we attended a penguin lecture and relaxed for a bit, prior to
the briefing about the upcoming landings.

We tried to get to bed a bit earlier, to be prepared for the upcoming
landings.

This morning we had breakfast and then we went out on deck for a few minutes
to enjoy the scenery. After a couple of days of not seeing any land, it is
very exciting to see land and icebergs. There are several penguins leaping
through the water, and we spotted a lovely leopard seal swimming near the
boat. The water is still very calm, which made for an easy entry into the
zodiacs. We headed in to shore, and made our first landing at Couverville
Island. This island is home to a colony of gentoo penguins, charming little
fellows, everywhere! But also a lot of guano (penguin poop). A sea lion came
up on the beach. We enjoyed spending our time there. We returned to the
ship, spotted some humpback whales, had a BBQ lunch out on the open deck
while we cruised past icebergs. Time for a quick nap, and by then the ship
had taken us to Neko Harbour for our second landing. Again we headed off in
the zodiacs for a quick ride to shore. Neko Harbour is also home to a colony
of gentoo penguins. Neko Harbour is located on the Antarctic continent. Most
of the other landings we will make will be on Antarctic Islands, rather than
the actual continent. Onshore we wandered through the penguin colonies. The
baby penguins are very curious at this stage, and if you sit still they will
usually come and check you out. Kristin made friends with some lovely little
penguins, and I've got some great photos of her. Then we headed up on a
short hike up, to a great viewpoint over the harbour. It is a lovely sunny
day, and the views are amazing. We wandered back down through the colonies
and took a short cruise around on a zodiac. We spotted a leopard seal
lounging on some ice, and some crabeater seals also on some ice (crabeater
seals actually don't eat crab, they eat krill. There aren't any crabs in the
antarctic). We've just returned to the ship, we have a cocktail and we are
ready for tomorrows briefing.

We've had amazing weather so far, and the scenery and the wildlife is
absolutely amazing! Friday morning was spent was a zodiac and landing
briefing. Instructions on how to get safely in to/out of the zodiacs, the
protocol for landings etc. After that we all got our boots issued to us
(waterproof boots provided by G Adventures for the duration of the cruise),
and then we had to take all of our outer gear that we would take on shore to
be inspected to make sure everything was clean, and didn't have any dirt,
organisms etc.

After lunch we attended a penguin lecture and relaxed for a bit, prior to
the briefing about the upcoming landings.

We tried to get to bed a bit earlier, to be prepared for the upcoming
landings.

This morning we had breakfast and then we went out on deck for a few minutes
to enjoy the scenery. After a couple of days of not seeing any land, it is
very exciting to see land and icebergs. There are several penguins leaping
through the water, and we spotted a lovely leopard seal swimming near the
boat. The water is still very calm, which made for an easy entry into the
zodiacs. We headed in to shore, and made our first landing at Couverville
Island. This island is home to a colony of gentoo penguins, charming little
fellows, everywhere! But also a lot of guano (penguin poop). A sea lion came
up on the beach. We enjoyed spending our time there. We returned to the
ship, spotted some humpback whales, had a BBQ lunch out on the open deck
while we cruised past icebergs. Time for a quick nap, and by then the ship
had taken us to Neko Harbour for our second landing. Again we headed off in
the zodiacs for a quick ride to shore. Neko Harbour is also home to a colony
of gentoo penguins. Neko Harbour is located on the Antarctic continent. Most
of the other landings we will make will be on Antarctic Islands, rather than
the actual continent. Onshore we wandered through the penguin colonies. The
baby penguins are very curious at this stage, and if you sit still they will
usually come and check you out. Kristin made friends with some lovely little
penguins, and I've got some great photos of her. Then we headed up on a
short hike up, to a great viewpoint over the harbour. It is a lovely sunny
day, and the views are amazing. We wandered back down through the colonies
and took a short cruise around on a zodiac. We spotted a leopard seal
lounging on some ice, and some crabeater seals also on some ice (crabeater
seals actually don't eat crab, they eat krill. There aren't any crabs in the
antarctic). We've just returned to the ship, we have a cocktail and we are
ready for tomorrows briefing.

We've had amazing weather so far, and the scenery and the wildlife is
absolutely amazing!



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On the Drake

Yesteraday we had a leisurely day browsing some of the shops in Ushuaia, had
lunch, and enjoyed the warmth in the sunshine in a park. It was a lovely day
in Ushuaia, clear and about 12 degrees. In the afternoon we returned to our
hotel and got our boarding cards for the ship. From there we loaded on to
busses and went to board the ship.

Onboard we headed to our stateroom, with we are sharing with 2 other ladies.
There are two lower beds, and two uppers (accessible by ladder). Me and
Kristin have the upper bunks and to my relief there are bars on the beds to
prevent us from being tossed out of bed! We each have a decent sized
cupboard to unpack and keep our things organized.

We headed up to the Discovery Lounge to have some refreshments, and mingle
with our shipmates. There are about 9 of us in our 20's and 30's, and we've
had lots of fun and laughter. We headed up to the top deck as the ship set
sail and departed from Ushuaia. It was calm and sunny as we headed down the
Beagle Channel. As we sailed, a humpback whale was seen nearby. A great
start!

Once we were underway, we had a mandatory safety drill. Then the staff did a
very good information session, introducing themselves and giving some
helpful details about life onboard. Then we headed up to dinner with our new
friends. After dinner we picked up our jackets (provided by G Adventures)
and then we headed to the Polar Bear Pub to have a celebratory drink! A very
successful first evening!

Today the seas are still calm, but we are a bit uneasy on our feet, as we
stagger around. We prefer to be sitting or laying down, but we are doing
very well! This morning there we attended a photography lecture, and now we
are watching a BBC Documentary: Frozen Planet. Later on this afternoon there
is another lecture we will attend, Intro to Antarctica. Very busy, and we
haven't arrived yet!

Just a sidenote: we are posting on the blog via a webmail program onboard
the ship, we cant actually browse the internet, so we wont see any comments
that you leave until we return to land. If you want to reach us onboard, you
can email us at: guest+tomlin@ms-expedition.com

Hope everything is well back at home!



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In Ushuaia

Well after quite a bit of travel, we have arrived in Ushuaia - the southern tip of South America. 

Late Sunday afternoon we arrived in Buenos Aires and made our way to our hotel. Yesterday we did a walking city tour to orient ourselves with some of the city. It is a city of uneven sidewalks, many parks, and lovely historic buildings. We learned some interesting history, Kristin got a sunburn and we both got sore feet :)

We returned to the hotel to spend some time by the pool, and relax and repack our bags. 

This morning we were up early to head to the airport for our flight to Ushuaia. We had heard many horrible things about how unpredictable these flights are, with last minute cancelations, schedule changes etc, but everything went very smoothly. 

It is a sunny afternoon here in Ushuaia, between 8 - 10 degrees. Very lovely. Sort of like Skagway on a quiet day (but I haven't seen any diamond stores yet). 

Tonight will be our last sleep on land for a while, and also with our own space. Onboard the ship we will be sharing a cabin with two other people. 

Tomorrow we will start the embarkation process around 3pm, and then head off into the Beagle Channel. 

Hopefully another update to follow soon! 

It's finally time

About 20 months ago Kristin and I (well ok, mostly me) decided it was time to make our trip to Antarctica a reality. We booked our Antarctic Classic trip with G Adventures back in July of 2013, and then we waited, and waited (and waited). And now, amazingly, it's finally time. 

Our bags are packed with lots of merino wool and seasickness remedies. We are ready for a real adventure. We have a couple of nights in Buenos Aires, before flying to Ushuaia (the most southern city in the world). From there we will embark on our ship and cross the Drake Passage (reputed to be the roughest sea in the world) and then we have four days of exploring the Antarctic peninsula by zodiac landings. Locations of the landings are dictated by weather and ice conditions, so we don't know specifically where we will be exploring. But we are looking forward to icebergs, penguins, whales, and seals! Then back across the Drake and back to Buenos Aires for a couple of days of relaxation (on land!). 

Thanks for following along on our adventure!