Antarctica

The Journey Begins

2007-01-20T14:43:00.000-06:00

We flew into Buenos Aires, the capital and largest city and port in Argentina. It is located on the southern shore of the Rio de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the continent of South America. Strongly influenced by European culture, Buenos Aires is referred to as the "Paris of the South" and is a very sophisticated city renowned for it's architecture, night life and culture. It is amongst the wealthiest cities in Latin America, but poverty abounds on it's outskirts.

Recoleta Cemetery

2007-01-20T14:30:00.000-06:00

Recoleta is located in the center of Buenos Aires' ritziest and wealthiest neighborhood, with superb old mansions along the Avenida Alvear. It houses for their eternal rest most of Argentina’s forefathers and outstanding public celebrities as well as politicians. Eva Peron is there. Having earned a well recognized spot among the most interesting cemeteries of the world, along with those in the UK and France, Recoleta Cemetery beholds culture in its broader sense. Its perfectly planned internal streets lead into a journey of history and art. The many mausoleums exhibit a variety of sculpture styles that prove the timeless value of highly achieved craftsmanship.

Tango

2007-01-20T12:05:00.000-06:00

Buenos Aires is known internationally for being the city where tango music and dance was nurtured. The decade of 1880 marked the starting point of the music and the dance. In those years there was a proliferation of brothels in Buenos Aires, mostly sustained by immigrant women from Spain, France, Italy, Germany and Poland, whose clientele were also immigrants that had left their families and wives in search of new opportunities. As time went by, tango shows at brothels became monotonous and in an effort to avoid the public's boredom, the brothels' management hired different musicians' groups, who inspired the public to start dancing. Unexpectedly, these shows became so successful that they started to be more frequent. It is said that this is how tango was originated. Afterwards, the first tango ballroom dances were organized at tango academies, for men only. The tango grew in the suburbs and followed its way to the streets. Some time later it spread to the city and it was at that time when women were added to the dance and gave it its final touch.

On to Ushuaia

2007-01-20T10:00:00.000-06:00

Ushuaia is the southernmost city in the world, on the shores of the Beagle Channel and surrounded by the Andes Mountains. It is the capital of the Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and Southern Atlantic Islands Province, and its superlative location allows you to enjoy sea, mountains and forests at the same time. It is also a key access point to the southern regions; it receives regular flights from Buenos Aires, and cruise ships visiting the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and Antarctica dock at the port. There are a number of ski areas nearby, like Cerro Castor and Glaciar Martial.

Embarkation - Marco Polo

2007-01-20T09:00:00.000-06:00

Here's the hype from the brochure:

An Adventure Like no Other - Only Aboard the Award-Wining Marco Polo.

Antarctica -- it's a place that calls to explorers, pioneers, scientists and anyone with a love of nature. When you see Antarctica from the broad teak decks of Marco Polo, you'll feel a sense of wonder evoked by few travel experiences. It truly is the adventure of a lifetime. The hull of the Marco Polo is specifically designed to bring you closer to the Antarctic landscape. Our experienced captain, who has navigated Antarctic waters dozens of times, knows the many ins and outs of this magnificent land. Our naturalist excursions make face-to-face encounters with local wildlife a reality.

It's all true.

The Antarctic Peninsula

2007-01-20T08:00:00.000-06:00

The Antarctic Peninsula is the northernmost part of the mainland of Antarctica, and almost the only part of that continent that extends outside the Antarctic Circle. It lies in the Western Hemisphere, facing South America. It extends from a line between the Weddell Sea and a point on the mainland south of Eklund Islands, to Prime Head. The peninsula is highly mountainous, its highest peaks rising to approximately 2,800 metres (9,186 feet). These mountains are considered to be a continuation of the Andes of South America, with a submarine spine connecting the two. That is an argument used by Chile and Argentina for their territorial claims. The peninsula has a sharp elevation gradient, with glaciers flowing into the Larsen Ice Shelf, which experienced significant breakup in 2002. Since the peninsula has the mildest climate in Antarctica, the highest concentration of research stations on the continent can be found there, or on the many nearby islands. Many of the points along the peninsula had warmer weather than I found at home. It was consistently in the 40's as it is summer in the months of December through early February in and around this region.

Icebergs

2007-01-20T07:00:00.000-06:00

Although found in the ocean, all icebergs are composed of fresh water, not frozen sea water, since a glacier is frozen snow (I didn't know that). Icebergs are white, blue, or green and sometimes even black due to materials that were first in the glacier and ended in the sea. Also, they are often blue because the dense, compacted older ice absorbs every other color of the spectrum except blue--so blue is what is seen by the human eye. Sometimes the glacial ice appears almost turquoise. Its crystalline structure strongly scatters blue light. The ice on a glacier has been there for a very long time and has been compacted so that its structure is different than the ice normally seen. Glaciers move through rock and soil as they carve their way down a slope. The wind and the waves of the ocean may bring icebergs far away from where they first started. Icebergs can last at least 10 years, and most of the iceberg is hidden beneath the water. At least seven eighths of it is hidden. This is because the glacier ice is slightly lighter then the equal amount of sea water. As an iceberg melts an even smaller part can be seen above water, which makes it even more dangerous and can be hazards to smaller ships.

Blue Ice Icebergs

2007-01-20T06:00:00.000-06:00

Zodiac Cruising

2007-01-20T05:30:00.000-06:00

A real thrill of the trip was traveling in a zodiac (large inflatable boat carrying 12 at a time) around the various harbors and inlets in Antarctica, such as Paradise Harbor and Cuverville Island. You have to do this to say that you really were in, and not near Antarctica. You are provided with a bright red jacket (so you are can easily be spotted on land and if you fall into the water) and tall rubber boots are a must. Most serious adventurers bring black rubber boots but there are those who aren't afraid to be laughed at by the local wildlife and come with a twinkle in their eye and a wild pair of boots on their feet (I swear the pink boots are NOT mine). Cruising through ice and alongside large icebergs was fantastic, allowing one to see the colors and formations up close. We saw penguins, crab-eater, and Weddell seals lounging on the floating ice. One of the best stops was Paradise Harbor. With no wind on a completely motionless sea, the reflections off the coast into the water were stunning. And, there were penguins everywhere. We saw Gentoos, Adelies and Chinstrap penguins.

Zodiacs

2007-01-20T05:00:00.000-06:00

Penguins Galore!

2007-01-20T04:30:00.000-06:00

The Chinstrap Penguins are the most numerous penguins in the world. It is estimated there are 12 to 13 million located on the barren islands of the sub-Antarctic Region and the Antarctic Peninsula. These penguins live and breed in large colonies. They often live on large icebergs on the open ocean. They dive off to catch fish and krill. They are the boldest penguin and are most likely to fight other penguins. They got their name from the thin curved line of black feathers running under the chin. They stand about 28 inches (72 cm) tall and weigh about 9 to 14 lbs. (3.5 to 5 kg). Much of Antarctica is a desert. A vast region of a thin layer of exposed soil and rock, punctuated here and there by icy lakes, forms a frigid desert. In fact, some scientists believe that no rain has fallen in the Dry Valleys for over 4 million years. On this trip there was very little soil to be seen--only an abundance of gray, polished sea rocks which I imagine aren't the most pleasant of nesting, or walking surfaces for any wildlife.

Gentoo Penguins

2007-01-20T03:30:00.000-06:00

Gentoos are found over the widest range of any penguin, appearing on the coastal islands as well as the cooler sub-antarctic islands. It is the largest of the brush-tailed genus, averaging some 30 inches (75 cm) and weighing 12 pounds (5.5kg). They breed mainly on the Antarctic Peninsula and sub-antarctic islands. Two eggs are laid in September or October and hatching usually takes about 35 to 39 days from the laying of the last egg. After they are three-quarters grown, the young can look after themselves and leave the nests to form large crèches, usually in January. Gentoos are thought to fish closer to the surface than other species, although they can dive to at least 330 feet (100m). The Emperor Penguin featured in the movie March of the Penguins is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species and lives further south in the coldest parts of Antarctica. It is the only penguin that breeds during the winter. In the wild, Emperor Penguins typically live for 20 years, but some records indicate a maximum lifespan of around 40 years. There are also King and Royal penguins, which we did not see, although we did see a few Adelie penguins.

And More Gentoos

2007-01-20T03:00:00.000-06:00

And More!

2007-01-20T02:30:00.000-06:00

Cruising

2007-01-20T02:20:00.000-06:00

I don't know if I could ever get used to being waited on hand and foot. Orient Lines does a great job and they sure feed you well. Oh, those pastries! I can't imagine that Capt. Cook had access to such a vast array of delicacies to make his eyes grow large and his mouth water - 5 times a day. Or had a cabin steward that continually brought fresh towels and placed chocolates on his pillow. He probably didn't even have a cabin with a shower, or was offered disco lessons on the Lido deck in the evening. I doubt he even had a shuffleboard tournament, or bingo in the Polo Lounge. I much preferred the scientific lectures as it was easier to nap with the lights off (with apologies to all the nature lovers out there, all that fresh air made me sleepy).

Back to Ushuaia

2007-01-20T01:45:00.000-06:00

After a bumpy ride through the Drake Passage and around Cape Horn we arrived back in Ushuaia. Every time I relate the story of rough water the waves get bigger and bigger. Estimates were from 23 to 30 feet but I like to tell of the day we rounded the Horn and the 60 foot waves that ensued. They sure felt that high from my cabin bed in which I spent most of that day. A tour of the Tierra del Fuego National Park completed the adventure. In total the archipelago of Tierra del Fuego covers an area slightly smaller than Ireland, with 70% belonging to Chile. The border runs down the middle of the big island and then down the middle of the Beagle Channel. Tierra del Fuego is home to several of the world's largest birds, including the rhea, the condor and the albatross. Large animals include guanacos, otters, seals and sea lions.

Tierra del Fuego

2007-01-20T01:30:00.000-06:00

The last portion of sub-Antarctic forest is located inside the National Park Tierra del Fuego, a place of immense beauty. The park lodges centenarian beech forests, along with rivers, lakes and valleys. The different natural environments in the archipelago have conformed a wide diversity of flora and fauna. Although the temperature varied from minute to minute from 35 and foggy and rainy to around 55 degrees and sunny, roses, pansies, daisies and lupine in all colors were blooming all over the place. Every yard in town was alive with color. Even a dandelion could be seen here and there. I guess that they are a universal truth, but make you feel at home. This was an extremely colorful place, in more ways than one.

Summer in January

2007-01-20T01:00:00.000-06:00

Home Again

2007-01-20T00:30:00.000-06:00

Going from Ushuaia to Buenos Aires to Atlanta to Detroit (and finally to Milwaukee) was daunting, especially running through the Buenos Aires airport where it was around 90 degrees. Kudos to the (good looking) Delta representative who made sure we got to our plane which was, of course, at the furthest end of the airport. We got a surprise upgrade to Business Class which made the ride home very comfortable. The champagne was a nice touch too. A big thank you to John Bloom at Travelers Trails (http://www.travelerstrails.com/) for his expert assistance and attention to detail when booking this trip.

When we got to Atlanta we found it was colder than in many parts of Antarctica! Here is the airplane in Atlanta being de-iced.

It's good to be home but I'll be swaying from port to starboard for awhile, dreaming of the wicked Drake passage and all the wondrous animals, and places I never imagined I would see up close. And, all that wonderful food. I'm off to bed now, hoping to find a chocolate on my pillow.