Blog

December 8, 2011

We have been heading south. Finally, a stop on the Antarctic proper at Brown Bluff. Lots of penguins and a brisk walk. Then, a zodiac cruise around the harbor. While tooling around the area, the wind began to pick up and a katabatic wind off the glacier began to howl. And, I mean howl. I felt like singing the Gilligan Island theme song, because, now, the boat is being repositioned so as not to drag anchor into any of the ice burgs floating around and we are chasing the boat in the zodiacs, getting saoking wet.

More wind, and after 45 minutes chasing the boat, we are able to disembark the zodiac. Not easy as the winds have continued to pick up. All in all gale force when we arrived at the boat and hurricane and above before we got everyone and the zodiacs on board. 127 km/hour. Stiff stuff. The boat was listing at 12.5 degrees to provide some shelter for the arriving passengers.

When everyone was packed up and on board, we could not use the stabilizers and the wind continued to blow. The captain made an announcement to stay put and we rocked and rolled all afternoon. Even into the night. But Thursday dawned calm and bright and first stop was Cuverille followed by our most southern stop, Neko Harbour. Once again, lots of ice burgs, penguins, including our first chinstrap and a few seals, including a Weddell. We also saw Minke whales, though they were not too interested in getting up close and personal with us in the zodiacs.

A great day and now... we start heading north. The vacation sadly, is almost over.......

December 6, 2011

South Georgia Island. After two days of sailing from the Falklands, we land at South Georgia and immediately, the abundance of wildlife is hard to take in all at once! Salisbury Plain, where we landed at 5 am, was a virtual cacophony of sounds, from all the various penguin colonies on the plain. Not to mention the territorial fur seals, who, would attack and defend their territory. Though, I had the good fortune to walk across the plain with Micheala, a large rather gruff German girl, who, when the seals barked and approached, she just stopped, looked at them in a menacing way. Never clapped her hands, never spoke a word, and the seals would retreat.

In the afternoon, it brought the 6 km hike, the last of the 36 hour hike Shackelton did, after he arrived on the wrong like of South Georgia, looking for help at the whaling station, for his stranded crew. It was windy, snowing and the trail had petrified wood, shale and an incredibly whining couple in front of me down a steep slope. I have never heard the amount of complaining...you are going too fast, you are going too slow! Stop! Slow down, speed up! It was enough to drive one crazy. Unfortunately, I did fall on my elbow, that, even several days later, is still bloddy and sore. But, the hike, we did make it to Stromness and after taking a crusory glance at the whaling station, headed to the ship, took a shower and went to bed! Long long day.

The boat repositioned during the night and I decided not to attempt the harder 8 km hike, but instead, wandered into Grytviken, which is Swedish for Pot Cove. This is where Ernest Shackleton is buried and also where a booming ometropolis of 17 souls live during the summer months. I will say the touristy gift shop was terrific and the postal stamps, very pretty. That evening, most of the 17 denizens came aboard the boat for dinner. We had dinner with two, a marine biologist researcher here for the summer, and the one official on the island, a very nice man who obviously is comfortable living with few creature comforts.

Our last day on South Georgia, which really is a quite large island, we checked out the penguins of St. Andrews Bay. In the afternoon, we cruised to Gold Harbour, where I met my special baby elephant seal friend. The friendly elephant seal was really cute, in a seal way, and tried to eat my back pack strap. Adorable!

Then, two more days at sea to Elephant Island, where Shackleton left 22 men, while he and 5 others went to South Goergia for help. I know, we are doing his trip in reverse. On the way to Elephant Island, and annoucement was made that someone(s) had taken three pair of boots from the mud room. These are the rubber boots we wear ashore, that get covered in penguin and other poo. Perhaps someone took them back to their room (ick) Perhaps someone coveted someone else's boots (not likely) Perhaps one of the two or three couples who are rather icky on the boat took them and tossed them overboard. It's mystery.... the mystery of Das Boots......

Elephant Island has extremely rugged terrain. A very very very small beach, where 22 men where stranded for 4 months, and monument to the Chilean commander who rescued them with Shackleton on board. The statute is really an odd odd deal. But the island is primative and wonderful, as seen from the zodiacs. A landing was not possible in the rough seas.

Back on the boat and on our way to the Antarctic Peninsula. Yea!

November 28, 2011

Buenos Aires, the city invokes in me the thoughts of Malbec wine, throughbred horses, and the tango. So far I have drank Malbec, not seen any horses in the city, though many street vendors want to sell me saddle bags, and I have yet to see the Tango. I have eaten Argentinian beef, and I can honestly say, I'd rather go to the Brazilian steakhouse.

Buenos Aires is also HOT. And I mean Houston, Texas HOT. Really hot and humid. It's a city first and foremost, with thoughts of tourism second, or third or perhaps fourth. The people are nice but are not overwhelmingly friendly and the most interesting event we witnessed was several groups of people protesting something, but I don't know what. I do know that if I ever lead a protest, I will have drummers drumming, like one of the groups had today. It creates a festive atmosphere and you really notice the protesters (perhaps because at first glance one thinks it's a rag tag parade!)

A big priority during our visit was to check out hotels for our Phenom, around South America, tour. The Park Hyatt made the short list, and is a very nice hotel, as well as the Algodon Mansion, but it only has 10 rooms. Check these hotels out on trip advisor and cast your vote, if you are going on the SA trip!

We did make it to the Buenos Aires domestic airport, after the hotel gave the cab driver direction to take us to the international airport, so points deducted for the Sofitel, but we made it in plenty of time and the flight to Ushuaia was uneventful, except, it appeared as though we were doing slow flight for the last hour of the flight. And, it also looked as though we had to hold for a while before landing. The plane, an A320, was a bucket of bolts. The landing gear, when it cycled, sounded like the undercarriage of the plane was being rent into pieces.

We were in Ushuaia just long enough to catch lunch and then head to the boat. Then, a day at sea before reaching the Falklands. The land mass of the Flakland Islands is rather large, when sailing around it. First stop was a working farm to visit with penguins and albatrosses. But, more exciting were the Commerson dolphins that, as soon as they saw the zodiacs, were swimming along side and playing wth each other and with the boat. Someone took a picture that had 12 of them in the photo at one time!! I'm sure they were sorry to see us go. After viewing penguins at the farm, we headed to another island, Saunders, to see MORE penguins. Literally thousands on the beach!

Today, we were in the capital of the Falkland Islands, Stanley, and there is a museum there that has stuff from the islands. I saw stuff, because only a museum like this would have a photo book out with the royal wedding invitation of William and Kate and in it, have a life size cut out of William and Kate that the island denizens posed for photos with and under each photo was a caption, such as.... best homemade dress for the occasion of the royal wedding, and there was the proud owner of the new dress, with the cut out of the royal couple! Such is life in the fast lane booming metropolis of Stanley, population 2000+.

We are off to South Georgia, with a few days at sea. So far, so good. I'd rather be flying, but there is no airport in South Georgia!! Go figure......