FUN-Travel:Antarctica

April 9, 2009 by · Comments Off on FUN-Travel:Antarctica 

Are First Impressions Lasting Impressions?

Ushuaia Fin del Mundo

Ushuaia Fin del Mundo

Day 12 – Sunday, February 8, 2009

  • Good News – going to Antarctica
  • Bad News – get up 0’dark 30 for 6:30 am flight
  • Good News – take off on time, arrive Ushuaia 9:30 am
  • Bad News – Motto here is “Hurry up and wait”
  • Good News – tour to National Park, lunch with typical Argentinian show, city tour, board ship
    3:00 pm, depart 5:00, see full moon, ship not full, try to get upgrade
  • Good News – Small world, Sooz runs into hotel director, Lech, recognizes him from first cruise,
    Barcelona to Barbados in 2000, where her glass of red wine went all over him in his dress whites,
    he upgrades their cabin, no extra charge, but must not tell anyone

Day Rating – 8

Lunch on deck

Lunch on deck

Day 13 – Monday, February 9, 2009 – Drake passage crossing – cloudy -sunrise 6:04 am, sunset 9:18, temperature around 40 degrees

  • Good News – had put on sea sick patches and seas are relatively calm
  • Good News – eat, drink, nap, eat, drink, sleep
  • Good News – Lech invites them to sit at his table for the Captain’s dinner

Day Rating – 10

Susan and Lech at Captain's Dinner

Susan and Lech at Captain's Dinner

Day 15 – Wednesday, February 11, 2009 – cloudy, rainy, windy, snow flurries – 38 degrees – sunrise 5:05 am, sunset 9:08

  • Good News – 1st landing 10:00 am, board Zodiak for Penguin Island, go to Sea World Chinstrap
    penguins & seal show, they still serve beer here! See Petrols nesting – Rating 10
  • Bad News – 2nd landing at Arctowski, Polish research center, very windy, snow, feels cold –
    Rating 7

Day Rating – 8.5

Zodiak Expedition Boat

Zodiak Expedition Boat

Day 16 – Thursday, February 12, 2009 – Sooz’s birthday – partly cloudy – sunrise 5:16 am, sunset 9:16, temperature around 36 degrees

  • Good News – wake up to card on floor from Dori, the travel agent, $100 on board credit
  • Bad News – 1st landing Half Moon Island 7:30 am, barely awake, lots of rocks & guano (penguin poop) smell is pretty gross – Rating 10
  • Good News – see lots of baby Chinstraps, whale bones, and seals
  • Good News – 2nd landing on Deception Island 5:30, see old whaling buildings, seals, take big
    hike up hill and see Antarctica continent in distant – Rating 10
  • Good News – have surprise birthday party with 23 ship mates in main dining room, was a
    surprise to see who’d show up – Rating 10

Day Rating – better than yesterday 10+

Who Says penguins don't fly

Who Says Penguins Don't Fly?

Day 17 – Friday, February 13, 2009 – partly cloudy – sunrise 5:30 am, sunset 9:30 temperature around 38 degrees, no wind makes it feel warmer

  • Good News – 1st landing Mikkelson Harbour landing, spectacular glaciers, Weddell seals
  • Good News – 2nd landing Cierva Cove, choked with ice, filled with sunshine, Zodiak only tour of
    incredible icebergs, see Gentoo penguins & Leopard seals
  • Good News – back on ship Humpback whales surround us
    Good News – see spectacular sunset

Day Rating – better than yesterday 10++

Leopard Seal Lounging

Leopard Seal Lounging

Day 18 – Saturday, February 14, 2009 – sunshine – sunrise 5:26 am, sunset 9:30 temperature around 40 degrees, no wind makes it feel warmer

  • Good News – 1st landing Port Lockroy, oldest British structure remaining on the Antarctic
    Peninsula, built 1944, see museum and lots of penguins
  • Good News – pool side BBQ lunch with band
  • Good News – go through Lemaire Channel aka Kodak Alley, 7 miles long, 1 mile wide, separates
    Booth Island and Antarctic peninsula with dramatic snow covered mountains
  • Good News – 2nd landing Pleneau Island aka Iceberg Alley, nd playful Minke whale w/in 5′,
    Crabeater seals, chunks of ice with seals perched on top snoozing pass by, Pablo (the whale
    whisperer) our guide, sees spout way away, only Zodiak to get close to Humpback whales

Day Rating – better than yesterday 10+++

Humpback Whale

Humpback Whale

Day 19 – Sunday, February 15, 2009 – sunrise 5:27 am, sunset 9:25 temperature around 38 degrees, no wind makes it feel warmer

  • Good News – 1st landing Neko Harbour, set foot on Antarctic Peninsula, hike up 300′,
    breathtaking views, avalanches of ice create sunami effect in water
  • Good News – special Antarctica BBQ lunch pool side, bananas foster for desert
  • Good News – 2nd landing Cuverville Island, watched penguins jump in & out of the water,
    squawking babies chasing their parents for food, low flying skuas attempted to get any leftovers,
    on way back to ship stop at “Lost Penguin Bar” for champagne toast in Zodiaks

Day Rating – better than yesterday 10++++

Champagne Toast at "Lost Penguin Bar"

Champagne Toast at "Lost Penguin Bar"

FFTK&T breaking sheets of ice sounds like a gunshot in the distant

Day 20 – Monday, February 16, 2009 -Drake Passage-sunrise 5:37 am, sunset 9:07 temperature around 42 degrees

  • Good News – eat, drink, nap, eat, drink, sleep
  • Good News – crossing is Drake Lake not Drake Shake
  • Bad News – no more landings and we are headed back
Iceberg

Iceberg

Day 21 – Tuesday, February 17, 2009 – Drake Passage – sunrise 5:51 am, sunset 9:03 temperature around 52 degrees

  • See day 20
Penguin Chick Feeding Port Lockroy

Penguin Chick Feeding Port Lockroy

Day 22 – Wednesday, February 18, 2009 – Depart ship 8:30 am, head for home

  • Good News – met lots of wonderful people!
  • Bad News – not ready for it to end!
  • Bad News – don’t get home until Thursday, February 19, 2009 at 11:30 am
Minerva

Minerva

First Impression/Lasting Impression Antarctica – gotta go back!

Cost of Airfare to South America – free (used points)
Cost of Marriott Hotels in South America – free (used points)
Cost of Antarctica Expedition, take home parka, drinks & tips included – $$$$$$$$$$$$$
Having spouse who really didn’t want to go say “this is the best trip we ever did” – PRICELESS!

*Made it to all 7 continents! Time to start over