Well, one "moderate" Drake passage and way too many hours on airplanes, and Wendy and I have gone back to our respective homes. It feels very surreal to have that trip over, and I already want to go back.
In the meantime, I've put a short slideshow on my website which covers the trip from the first few days in Buenos Aries to those amazing days in Antarctica and the too few hours we spent in Patagonia on the way back.
If you'd like to see the slideshow, just go to http://www.imagery-online.net/gallerylisting.html and click on the link for Images from Buenos Aries & Antarctica.
I hope you enjoy them. I sure enjoyed taking them!
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Last adventure before turning for home
We dropped anchor off Port Lockroy last night and of all the amazing sights we've seen, that was the most amazing of all. The glacier surrounded the ship and the sea was glass. There just are no words.
Todays adventure was the British station at Port lockroy, more penguins and the choppy sea and rock climb to see the chinstrap penguins which where the last ones on the list.
We're heading out now, watching for whales in the Gerlache passage.
Tonight we head back into the Drake passage and they tell us the weather is deteriorating, so well see what that means. I'll try and catch up with more later. I am going to be so sorry to leave this place!
Todays adventure was the British station at Port lockroy, more penguins and the choppy sea and rock climb to see the chinstrap penguins which where the last ones on the list.
We're heading out now, watching for whales in the Gerlache passage.
Tonight we head back into the Drake passage and they tell us the weather is deteriorating, so well see what that means. I'll try and catch up with more later. I am going to be so sorry to leave this place!
Friday, February 6, 2009
Zodiak Tour and More
Another amazing day! It was snowing lightly when we landed at Dorian Bay to see the Gentoo penguin colony. The hill was too steep for me, but Wendy is getting lots of practice at hiking up snowing cliffs and sliding down them.
Lunch was on deck with a light snow and mild wind, and was a complete blast.
Then we took off for a zodiac tour of Paradise Bay, just off Almirante Brown Station.
We saw cape petrals and others birds and then cruised into the bay in time to see an double ice cave collapse into the sea! Here's that word again. Amazing!! Very funny as our driver saw the swells coming and calmly said, please hold on to the ropes. We were all laughing and yelling so loud we barely heard him. It was such an incredible site, and then the square masted barq, Europa sailed into the bay like something from a pirate movie, and the humpback and minke whales were the icing on that amazing afternoon.
Just --here's that word again.
Amazing!
Lunch was on deck with a light snow and mild wind, and was a complete blast.
Then we took off for a zodiac tour of Paradise Bay, just off Almirante Brown Station.
We saw cape petrals and others birds and then cruised into the bay in time to see an double ice cave collapse into the sea! Here's that word again. Amazing!! Very funny as our driver saw the swells coming and calmly said, please hold on to the ropes. We were all laughing and yelling so loud we barely heard him. It was such an incredible site, and then the square masted barq, Europa sailed into the bay like something from a pirate movie, and the humpback and minke whales were the icing on that amazing afternoon.
Just --here's that word again.
Amazing!
Zodiak Tour and More
Another amazing day! It was snowing lightly when we landed at Dorian Bay to see the Gentoo penguin colony. The hill was too steep for me, but Wendy is getting lots of practice at hiking up snowing cliffs and sliding down them.
Lunch was on deck with a light snow and mild wind, and was a complete blast.
Then we sailed to Paradise Bay, off almirante Brown Station, and had another zodiac tour. And oh my. We were out in the zodiac and saw some minor calving off the face of the glacier, so our driver stuck around hoping for something big, and we got it! An entire double cave collapsed, and we got to ride out the swell and it was Cool, cool, cool. So were the humpback whales, the minke whales and the birds.
Just --here's that word again.
Amazing!I
Lunch was on deck with a light snow and mild wind, and was a complete blast.
Then we sailed to Paradise Bay, off almirante Brown Station, and had another zodiac tour. And oh my. We were out in the zodiac and saw some minor calving off the face of the glacier, so our driver stuck around hoping for something big, and we got it! An entire double cave collapsed, and we got to ride out the swell and it was Cool, cool, cool. So were the humpback whales, the minke whales and the birds.
Just --here's that word again.
Amazing!I
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Antarctic Ice
What a totally amazing day! First we went to the Vernadsky Station on the Argentine Islands. The station used to be British, but now is Ukraine and it's where the hole in the Ozone was first discovered. In fact, that equipment is still in use.
We got to explore the Wordie House--named after a crewman in Shackleton's party. Wendy and I (and a lot of others) climbed to the top of another glacier. The view was amazing! Wendy and I were the only ones making snow angels, though. And I was one of the few who slid part of the way down. Easier than walking and about as fast!
During the afternoon, we got a zodiac tour of the stranded ice bergs off Pleneau Island. There is no way to describe this. A garden of ice sculpture created by a grand master. Just...well, just...
To top off the afternoon, we were chased by a leopard seal who either decided our zodiac was the biggest penguin it had ever seen or it wanted to make little leopard seals, but it didn't want us to leave and between the pictures we were taking and Wendy's video, we have our close (and hysterical) encounter well documented!
Tonight we're at anchor. The clouds have moved in after two days of sunshine, and even the crew was taking pictures of the sunset yesterday!
Tomorrow--more adventures. More penguins and more of the most amazingly, incredibly beautiful landscape that anyone has ever seen.
We got to explore the Wordie House--named after a crewman in Shackleton's party. Wendy and I (and a lot of others) climbed to the top of another glacier. The view was amazing! Wendy and I were the only ones making snow angels, though. And I was one of the few who slid part of the way down. Easier than walking and about as fast!
During the afternoon, we got a zodiac tour of the stranded ice bergs off Pleneau Island. There is no way to describe this. A garden of ice sculpture created by a grand master. Just...well, just...
To top off the afternoon, we were chased by a leopard seal who either decided our zodiac was the biggest penguin it had ever seen or it wanted to make little leopard seals, but it didn't want us to leave and between the pictures we were taking and Wendy's video, we have our close (and hysterical) encounter well documented!
Tonight we're at anchor. The clouds have moved in after two days of sunshine, and even the crew was taking pictures of the sunset yesterday!
Tomorrow--more adventures. More penguins and more of the most amazingly, incredibly beautiful landscape that anyone has ever seen.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Antarctica update
Well, couple of days without internet access, but what an amazing couple of days! This place is just amazing. First stop in the Shetland Islands -- Deception Island was our first landing and our first site of icebergs! Amazing icebergs! Our second stop was at a thermal spring in Pendulum Cove. I stayed on shore and took pictures. Wendy was crazy enough to go for a swim--in Antarctica! (she was instructed to "take one for the team"--and the crew was very "encouraging").
The next stop was in the Weddell Sea at Devils Island, Icebergs and Adelie penguins and Gentoo penguins, lots and lots of penguins. And an amazing tour of the icebergs. (and I know I keep using amazing, but there are really no words to describe this place, so amazing will have to do.
Today at Cuverville Island, more penguins, and WHALES and even a basking Leopard seal. And more and more amazing scenery!
Oh, and Wendy just reminded me that I actually hiked up a glacier, and hiked and hiked, but I did walk on a glacier. I didn't slide down one, like Wendy did, but I walked on one.
More later if we have a connection.
The next stop was in the Weddell Sea at Devils Island, Icebergs and Adelie penguins and Gentoo penguins, lots and lots of penguins. And an amazing tour of the icebergs. (and I know I keep using amazing, but there are really no words to describe this place, so amazing will have to do.
Today at Cuverville Island, more penguins, and WHALES and even a basking Leopard seal. And more and more amazing scenery!
Oh, and Wendy just reminded me that I actually hiked up a glacier, and hiked and hiked, but I did walk on a glacier. I didn't slide down one, like Wendy did, but I walked on one.
More later if we have a connection.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
first full day out
First full day on the ship. They tell us the Drake passage has been kind to us-- only 5-6 meter seas, (yes, meters), although now it's picking up and there are less and less of us in the dining room for meals, but Wendy and I are still doing fine.
Today's sightings are petrals and albatross. Big birds! And it's still just incredibly gorgeous to stand on the stern with the wind howling in your face and the "small" waves crashing!
Tomorrow late afternoon, we should be at the Shetland Islands--calmer water and our first big ice!
As usual, there's no telling when we'll get internet access again, but I'll get back to this when I can.
Today's sightings are petrals and albatross. Big birds! And it's still just incredibly gorgeous to stand on the stern with the wind howling in your face and the "small" waves crashing!
Tomorrow late afternoon, we should be at the Shetland Islands--calmer water and our first big ice!
As usual, there's no telling when we'll get internet access again, but I'll get back to this when I can.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
