You never know what kind of weather you’ll get in Antarctica, but we were lucky and our second day in Antarctica brought clear skies and reasonable temperatures at about 34 degrees Fahrenheit. So after breakfast we were able to go to Cuverville Island. Cuverville Island has about 6,500 pairs of nesting Gentoo penguins — the…
We continued sailing through the Drake Passage last night – the shaking subsided to a gentler lull and we were able to brave the shower. Showering with one hand while holding onto the rail is a fine art! After breakfast, our expedition leader called everyone together for a mandatory presentation and zodiac briefing. The presentation…
The ship entered the Drake Passage while we were sleeping last night. It started off with a nice gentle rocking of the boat but before too long the gentle rocking turned heavier and we found that we had more to learn about ‘Drake proofing’ the cabin – anything on the tables or not locked up…
This morning we checked out of our hotel in Ushuaia and headed to Tierra del Fuego national park. The name translates to ‘land of fire’ and comes from early explorers after seeing the campfires of the indigenous people in the area. It is here that the Andes mountains end, the southernmost national park in the…
This morning we were up at 3 am to catch an early flight to Ushuaia — the Southernmost city in the world and the gateway to Antarctica. The expeditions and cruises that head to Antarctica and Patagonia leave from here. I had expected Ushuaia to be a little frontier town so when we flew in…
We flew into Buenos Aires yesterday morning — kick-starting a week in Argentina before heading to Antarctica. My flight was non-stop from London and lasted 14 hours! That’s the longest single flight I think I’ve ever taken and (other than the bickering couple sitting next to me) it was pretty smooth and uneventful.
Today marks 3 months before our trip to Antarctica. It’s starting to feel so real! As I mentioned in my first post about the trip, all of the travelers on our tour are required to get a letter from their doctor verifying that they are fit enough for the journey. It won’t be a physically…
It’s done, the trip is booked. On December 21, 2019 I will board a plane from London to Buenos Aires and begin an adventure that will take me through the Patagonian Andes before embarking on a ship to Antarctica. If I was a frugal person I’d have invested the money, used it for a down…