Blog | Southern Latitudes

Our Friends

Tue, 07 Feb 2017 16:00:59 -0800

In case you didn’t see them along the way, here are our friends and travel companions. Love them all

Mark & Mauree Jane.

Astrid.

Per

Paula

Mark (S)

Lisa

Kevin

Carol (fresh from the dance floor)

Mike

Mark(P), thanks for the picture

What a great group. Feels like Family. Miss you all.

January 30, 31. Return home

Tue, 07 Feb 2017 15:52:55 -0800

We didn’t leave the hotel until around 7:30pm this evening because we had an overnight flight to Houston. Then connecting to San Francisco.

It was a bit of an anti-climax to filnally get on the bus to the airport and to depart home from this incredible journey. At Houston we said goodbye to Mark & Paula. That left four of us. At San Francisco, we said goodbye to Kevin and Lisa. Carol and went home feeling a bit stunned from the whole experience. During January the Bay Area was deluged with rain storms. A good thing. Given the weather in Antarctica, Patagonia, Atatcama and Rio, I wonder who got the most rain?

Thanks for following along and, special thanks to Amber at TCS for planning this whole thing. Great job!

January 29. Caipirinha!

Tue, 07 Feb 2017 09:17:50 -0800

This morning Kevin and I decided to take the cooking class. This involved going with Christina to meet a local chef, at a local market to see what was available. Great seafood. We then went to his apartment where he showed us how to make Moqueca - a dish of shrimp cooked in coconut milk and palm oil. This was accompanied with Farofa, a toasted cassava flour, and rice. For desert we had tropical fruits flambe’d in cachaça. It was all fun and delicious. But what is this cachaça stuff? It turns out to be a spirit made from sugar cane, but not like rum. It is the most popular spirit in Brazil and the vital ingredient in Caipirinha, Brazil’s mational cocktail. Bruno, our chef, made us one and it was dangerously delicious. One was enough!

Here’s Bruno.

After lunch we had some time off before the evening’s big event - Samba!

Around 6pm we went to a Samba bar, Leviano. Christina brought along a couple of her Samba friends who would teach us how to do it.

Two Caipirinha’s later we were dancing with the best of them!

But not quite as well as the pros.

Thanks whoever took this photo and shared it.

Things got pretty sweaty as the night wore on.

Reluctantly, at around 9pm we left and returned to the hotel for our farewell dinner. Tomorrow we would be going home so this was a fitting end to the journey.

January 27. Life in the Big City

Mon, 06 Feb 2017 14:18:21 -0800

Up early, of course, because we had an appointment with Christ the Redeemer, the giant statue on top of the hill overlooking Rio.

It’s not easy getting there. You need to take a rickety old train up the mountain, stuffed with tourists. Our traveling companions consisted of a boat-load (really) of English people fresh of a cruise ship. It takes about 45min to get up there with some stops & starts. At the top there’s no mistaking where you are. One giant statue.

And the view was spectacular. However, it was jammed with tourists most of whom were lying on the ground taking selfies or getting photographed, arms outstretched. It was also getting hot.

Our guide, Christina, had a better idea and took us to a different spot where we could get great views without all the crowds. Of course this meant taking the train all the way back down the mountain, along with our English cruise ship friends. but that was OK.

From this point on we took a bit of a City tour.

We drove through the Santa Theresa district, popular with artists and the graffitti community

We climbed the Selaron Steps, created by the artist Jorge Selaron as a “tribute to the people of Brazil”

We passed by the infamous Favelas but were warned not to go in.

We saw many other things but the one I admired the most was the massive mural near the port depicting various Nationalities. This is half of it.

This City loves its graffitti! Almost every wall and building is covered in the stuff. Some good (like above & below). Most not.

By now, it was getting really, really hot and we were are getting tired from walking around. Time for lunch!

By the time we were done it was mid-afternoon and we had the rest of the day off.

We had a great dinner that night at the hotel. The MEE restaurant. Lots of sushi, tempura and Pad Thai. Yum.

The next day (January 28) was a rest day for me - lunch by the pool, relax, take a nap. Carol went with the rest of the group up Sugarloaf Mountain and had a jolly time, despite the heat. She came back looking a bit sweaty and immediately hit the shower. I took the night off as well and slept. Sometimes it just catches up on you!

Per and Astrid left that night to go back to the US. We said our goodbye’s. I was sorry to see them go but knew they would be leaving before the rest of us. We are now down to six.

January 26. Copa, Copacabana

Mon, 06 Feb 2017 13:59:25 -0800

Today we were to fly to Rio on the final leg of our journey around South America but first, I wasn’t finished with the falls. Kevin and I got up early to photograph the falls in the morning light. I wanted to use a filter to slow down the images of the water so we set of with camera and tripod down the same path we followed the previous morning. There was lots of spray, mist and condensation so the reults were mixed but it was fun to try.

Later, we had to cross back over the border to Argentina. That’s where our plane was parked. We had the usual inspections and delays but got through OK and on to the airport. We did wonder if it was worth the hassle to land in Argentina but to see most of the falls in Brazil. We probably would do it differently if we did it again.

We flew out for our short trip to Rio De Janiero, landing late afternoon.

We were met with our guide, Christina who helped transport us and our vast amount of luggage to our hotel - The Palace Copacabana, right on the famous beach. First thing we noticed, it was hot. Really hot. And, true to form we landed in a thunderstorm so it was also raining. It was a bit strange and unusual to be in a major city after spending so much time out in the wilds. We were looking forward to a few days exploring what Rio had to offer.

January 25. Wet, Wet, Wet!

Mon, 06 Feb 2017 13:41:52 -0800

Today was Per’s Birthday and we were all happy to celbrate it with him.

First stop was a short walk from the hotel to view the falls from the Brazil side. This was much more spectacular than yesterday!

We walked down the trail towards the falls and the views kept getting better.

We began to wonder if we should have been on this side of the falls all along.

Next stop was a short helicopter ride to see the falls from the air. Exciting!

Carol got a front seat view.

This was turning out to be a busy day. Next stop was to take a boat ride on the river to see the falls from down low. We had a guide for this part of the day who gave us three choices - Wet. Wet, wet. or Wet, wet, wet. Obviously we all went for the wettest and got suited up accordingly knowing that no matter what we wore, we’d get soaked. Off we went,ready for action.

Thanks whoever took this photo and shared it.

We did, in fact get exceptionally wet. As we sailed directly underneath the falls,there was no amount of hermetic sealing which prevented every layer of clothing getting completely soaked. Great fun and we kept demanding more!

Thankfully, it was warm and it didn’t take long to dry out.

That evening we celebrated Per’s Birthday in the hotel restaurant with great food and fine wine. I think he’ll remember this one for a while.

Thanks whoever took this photo and shared it.

January 24, Off to Iguacu!

Mon, 06 Feb 2017 13:21:59 -0800

January 23 was a bit of a lost day. Most of our group set off on a (very) early morning excursion to see the hot spring on top of some 17,000ft mountain. They set off at 5am but had to return because the road had been washed out due to the heavy rains a couple of nights before. Frustrated, they opted for a tour of the Moon Valley nearby.

The next day we were to depart Atacama to go to Iguacu. It was an early morning departure for the 2 hour drive back to Calama to catch our jet. When we arrived at the airport there was nobody there to meet us. With a mountain of luggage piled up on the pavement outside, we went off to find someone who could help. Carol finally tracked down the right person and we were escorted through the usual immigration, security, passport control we had become used to along the way. On this flight we were treated to some more spectacular scenery along the way.

Iguacu falls, by any measure, is one of the great waterfall sights of the World. It’s a must-see on any South America tour. The falls themselves form the boundary between Argentina and Brazil to it’s a toss-up which country you choose to view them from. For a variety of reasons, we chose both. We landed on the Argentinian side late in the morning. After the usual formalities we were taken to a local Marriott hotel for lunch. From there we spent the afternoon viewing the falls. On the Argenina side, there’s more trails and walks to view the falls. There’s even a small railway that transports tourist to the very edge of the falls, known as the “Devil’s Throat”.

Thanks whoever took this photo and shared it.

While spectacular, it was crowded tourist hell and we quickly burned out on barging through the throngs of tourists with selfie sticks trying to get a good view while being soaked by the spray from the falls. Our guide found some quieter trails from which we could get a better view.

Per , Carol and I had had enough so we made it back to the Marriot for a beer while we waited for the rest of the group to finish their walk.

Next, we needed to cross the border to Brasil. Seemed simple enough and, in fact, was quite easy. Once in Brasil we drove to our final hotel - the Hotel das Cataratas. This was a luxurious resort with great views of the falls, from the Brazillian side.

Nice dinner by the pool.

Jaunary 22. The Real Atacama

Mon, 06 Feb 2017 12:39:56 -0800

Sun was shining, more or less. The air was cool but getting warmer. We all set of for a full day excursion to the Altiplanic Lagoons two hours south east of the the hotel. The day promised spectacular scenery, plenty of wildlife and a picnic lunch by the Piedras Rojas (red rocks). The area we were visiting was 4,000m above sea level (~13,000ft). We had been taking high altitude medication which we acquired in Bariloche from the hotel doctor (who was around 12 years old and happy to prescribe anything and have it promptly delivered to the hotel). All good.

It was a long drive, over mostly dirt roads, gaining altitude. As we approached the area we would explore we saw our first Vicuñas, a member of the llama family but smaller.

As we descended to the salt lagoons we could a glimpse of a strange rabbit-like animal with a big tail. I think they called it Viscacha

Finally, we reached the lagoons and marvelled at the amazing scenery.

And, yes, there were Flamingos!

It was quite a spectacular and unique place. Quite chilly since we were 13,000 ft up.

And, we had a nice picnic by the red rocks, behind which could be used as a convenient toilet.

Then somebody spotted a couple of Vicuñas with a just new-born calf. It must have been born just minutes before and we watched as it got up and tried to walk about, bambi - style. They let us get quite close which was surprising but probably smart to keep away the pumas, their natural predator.

It was a remarkable sight to see the baby gain it footing and conficence, within minutes.

On the return journey we saw other ostrich-like animals in the distance.

Since it took 2+ hours to return we took advantage of a local ice cream vendor who just popped up at the right moment.

This was definitely a grand day out.

We weren’t too impressed with the hotel food but discovered an “alternative” menu with burgers, steaks etc. This worked out well.

January 21. Dryest Place on Earth?

Mon, 06 Feb 2017 11:33:10 -0800

In the morning, on our way back to the airport, Nahuel insisted that Bariloche had the best croissants in the World and that we should try some as we drove along. With the best intentions we stopped at a local bakery that he had recommended. Just one problem - it wasn’t opened yet. This did not deter Nahuel who promptly barged in the siode door and instructed the baker to put some croissants in the oven. 20 minutes later, and slightly anxious to get to the airport, a big bag of hot croissants arrived with Nahuel smiling with success. The were very good. The best? Don’t know but appreciated the effort nonetheless.

So, we were back on the jet for the flight to Calama, near Atatcama. Back in Chile. Along the way we were invited into the cockpit to appreciate some spectacular views of the Andes.

Upon arrival and clearing immigration and customs (every bag in our group was searched), we headed off with our driver to San Pedro de Atacama, about 2 hours drive away. There we would be staying at the Tierra Atacama hotel. This is just like the Explora concept with daily activities and excursions.

Along the way, we got an appreciation for the desolate landscape of the desert with high mountains and volcanoes in the distance. We arrived at the hotel, embedded in a rustic village of dirt roads and farm fields. Of course, we were invited to sign up for activities right away. I had read there are vast salt lakes in the region famous for flocks of Flamingos. That sounded like fun for this afternoon so we signed up for that. Only one little problem. Despite being the dryest place on Earth, with a mere 5mm of rain per year, we were now looking at dark skys and the occasional flash of lightning. Aparently we had arrived during the rainy season. We set off anyway as the sky darkened further and lightning became more frequent. We stopped at a local village on the way.

Since we were traveling on dirt roads, things were not looking good. Determined to see the Flamingos, we pressed on for about an hour being followed by the impending storm. Well, we got there just as the wind was getting up and people were rushing back to their transportation. There were several Flamingos but most have also seen the approaching storm and had flown off to wherever they go when this kind of weather happens. I got a few shots.

Mark was determined to take pictures.

Back to the bus and off on the 1-2 hour drive back to the hotel. Flashes of lightning, thunder, more flashes of lightning, torrents of rain. The guide, from the front seat of the bus, described it as like an Armageddon movie. There was certainly more than 5mm of rain dropped that evening!

Safely back in the hotel we all had dinner and crashed for the night. It was still raining as we went back to our rooms.

January 20. Basking in the Sun

Sun, 05 Feb 2017 17:21:56 -0800

After yesterday we had high expectations for a great day out. We travelled by boat to Victoria Island. This was a short 45min ride from Bariloche. The weather was warm and sunny and we were rapidly forgetting the cold of the Antrarctic. Technically, Barilche is still in Patagonia but the weather was much different than the south. Unfortunately we still couldn’t keep Per from his cell phone.

We arrived on the Island and posed for the obligatory group photo.

Thanks whoever took this photo and shared it.

While the Island is now uninhabited and is a National Park - Parc Nahuel no less, Nahuel explained that he had grown up on the island and went to school there. We needed to visit the school.

After a few miles of gentle ups and downs (Nahuel advertised this as a “walk” not a “hike”) we ended up a t a secluded beach and, you guessed it, another fabulous picnic!

Thanks whoever took this photo and shared it.

Before eating, however, it was necessary for some of our group to cool off.

We had a great lunch, same chef as yesterday. No seranading this time just lying back on the beach taking in the warm sun. Before too long other boats started to show up on the beach so it was time to leave. I think the new arrivals were glad to see the back of us.

Back at the hotel for dinner we reflected on two great days in Bariloche. We started to get a sense of just how diverse our journey was becoming since we were about to move on to even warmer climes. That was for tomorrow.

January 19. Best Picnic, ever.

Sun, 05 Feb 2017 16:58:45 -0800

Today Nahuel took us on a hike around the hilly countryside behind Barlioche. On the way we visited his home - a geodesic dome which he had built himself. For his 10 year old son, he built a climbing wall to get up to his bedroom and a slide to get back down to the living area. Really clever and innovative home. We were beginning to sense the energy in him. It was infectious.

Back to the hike. Not far. Probably around 3-4 miles. There was lots of scrambling up and down as we followed a river through the hills.

Thanks whoever took this photo and shared it.

And a congratulatory kiss from Nahuel for Carol for making it the whole way

And nice views at the top of the hills.

When we got back down to the river we were surprised, and delighted, to see that there was an area set up for a picnic. Not just any picnic but a complete sit-down meal cooked right there on the spot. It looked fantastic!

A chef appeared out of the undergrowth to cook us lunch.

The food was delicious, local cuisine. We had great wine. The river was flowing right next to us and we had the place to ourselves.

As we relaxed after lunch a woman came out of the undergrowth and seranaded us with local folk songs. Really.

It was almost fairy-tale like as everyone started to doze off to the sound of the music. Nahuel, you put on one hell of a picnic!

After a while we had to leave and only had a short walk to find our bus and travel back to our hotel. Just as well.

A high bar had been set for our trip to Bariloche. Who knows what tomorrow would bring.

January 18. The Jet!

Sun, 05 Feb 2017 14:50:35 -0800

I’m not sure what happened to January 17. I think I took the day off, again, but I know others were off doing strenuous activities. Carol and I agree we were more “walkers” than “hikers” but nevertheless appreciated the experience. I do recall that Mark (P) and I were keen to taste some high quality Chilean wines. The wine at the hotel was included in the rate but they did have some premium wines for purchase. Too tempting to miss. So we tried the most expensive wine they had - a blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Carmenere. It was good, not great. But fun to do a tasting.

While I chose not to do 2 hikes a day - the standard rate of activity, I really liked the atmosphere of the hotel and the surrounding scenery. It was very relaxing and I’m happy I got to do the stuff that I had planned.

But, today was different! We departed to go to our next destination - Bariloche. This would be the first leg on our charter jet. The nearest airport was back in Peurto Natales, near the Singular, so, after we said our goodbye’s to Mark & Mauree Jane, we got on our bus back down the road for over 2 hours to reach the airport. When we got to the airport, it was closed but they had especially opened for us. Since we were traveling to Argentina, we needed immigration and customs and security people who all showed up and got us to our plane on time. It was a short 1 1/2 hour flight. Too short.

We asked Lisa to put on her Jackie O super-rich look for the journey.

When we arrived, we cleared immigration and customs and was greeted by our guide Nahuel (pronounced “Now-elle”. He is a wild and crazy guy. A true entrepreneur.

We arrived at our hotel about an hour or so later - the Lao Lao (pronounced Yao Yao). The hotel is an old lodge, very European style. They had built an addition which had nice views of the lake but was separate from the main building. While very nice, it was an exercise in navigation to get from our room to the restaurant and back.

Bariloche town is also very European - German, Swiss. Clearly it is a popular spot in the winter for skiing. In the summer it’s popular for hiking,water sports. All sorts of outdoor activities. It’s only a 1-2hr plane ride from Buenos Aires.

That evening we went to a local steak restaurant (we were in Argentina afterall). We ate huge steaks, great beef properly cooked. It was fun.

January 16. The Big Hike

Sun, 05 Feb 2017 14:18:29 -0800

OK, we were a go for the Grey Glacier, despite the weather. The deal was that we would take a boat ride from the hotel to some unspecified location. About 1 hour. We would then hike about 7.5 miles to an unspecificed sandy beach where we would meet another boat. 5 hours were allocated for this part of the journey which should have given us pause. The boat would then cruise around the galcier and drop us off at some other unspecified location from where there would be another hike (of unspecified length) to catch a bus back to the hotel. No problem.

It was windy but the first boat ride was nice, right across the lake in front of the hotel. We were then deposited on the shore and began our hike. Normally 7.5miles is quite a stretch on its own but by now the wind had got up and it ws raining, hard. I stopped to put on my waterproof pants (why am I smelling penguin?) and tripped over them struggling to get them on. Carol and I had then to catch up with the group which we never quite got ahead off. The hike (rated as moderate, yeah, yeah) got steeper and rockier. The Perry’s and Per & Astrid were striding ahead. The wind got stronger and the rain turned to horizontal sleet. We had only come about a mile!

By the time we got to the high point we knew this was a real challenge. But we managed to stop for a group photo. Carol (second from the left) was not having a very good time.

Thanks whoever took this photo and shared it.

Long story short we made it with about 15min to spare before the boat arrived. The guides tried to amuse us by saying that if we missed the boat we’d need to hike back the way we came. That didn’t get a good response. During our brief rest we had some hot soup and and a sandwich of unspecified nature. Carol began to recover and gave our guide a big hug for getting her through this.

The boat was big but it just slid right up to on to the beach and we all piled on. There must have been 100 people on the boat. The cruise was definitely worth the effort (although I can’t speak for Carol). The views of the glacier and surrounding mountains were spectacular.

We got really close to the glacier

Mark was having way too good a time for the effort involved, carrying the flag for KQED to the ends of the Earth

And, the surrounding mountains were breathtaking.

This cruise lasted about an hour and was a delight. The boat ended up cleverly sliding up on to another beach and we were told that there was about a mile hike to catch our bus to the hotel. Carol, who had perked up by now, was not happy. The hike was bizarre. 1 mile of sandy beach and what felt like 100mph crosswind. We were all walking sidweways, slowly. A whole boatfull of people. Probably 100 or more. We did, in the end, find our bus (after crossing a rope bridge that only held 6 people at a time) and lived to tell the tail. Today was an adventure.

January 15, Day off

Sun, 05 Feb 2017 14:14:04 -0800

The big event for me at this destinaion was to see the Grey Glacier, a huge spectacular glacier several miles from our lodge. Today was to be the day but the weather didn’t cooperate. So it was cancelled. Some of the others went on hikes, including Carol, but I took the day off. Good idea.

I took some pictures around the hotel. It was hard to take a bad shot.

January 14. On the Road Again

Sun, 05 Feb 2017 13:54:49 -0800

Today we had to leave the Singular. I was sorry to leave. It’s hard to describe in the blog but it was really a special place and I recommend it if you are going to Patagonia. The empanadas were good too.

We all piled into our bus to go to Torres Del Paine, a 2-3hr journey up the road. We were staying at the Explora Lodge. This is the “signature” destination if you are visiting Patagonia and want a luxury experience. As we traveled north the weather started to give us hints of what to expect - WIND! We stopped for some fresh air along the way. (Astrid)

Paula got the same hair treatment.

We also got a hint of what to expect from the scenery.

We checked to the Lodge and were immediately confronted by guides who enthusiatically wished us to sign up for various activities. It became clear there’s only three things to do in Patagonia - hike, horse-back riding and the spa. The first is madatory. The rooms were nice but basic. However, the view from the room window is arguably the most spectacular of anywhere.

Seriously, this shot was taken right out of our room window.

We were immediately suckered in and signed up for a hike that afternoon, up a nearby hill. It was billed as “moderate” although I was becoming wise to their rating system.

While the hike was not especially challenging, what made it difficult was the 70mph wind blowing us off our feet. People were coming down the mountain saying “don’t go any further, it’s too dangerous”. With our guide, we soldiered on nevertheless. At one point, near the summit but only half way around the hike, we were beginning to get blown over and had to turn back. Pity because the scenery was spectacular. Per, being the tallest, was our measure of how much wind it takes to become airborne.

That evening all 10 of us had dinner together. Great fun.

January 13. Underground

Sun, 05 Feb 2017 13:32:12 -0800

The activity of choice for this morning was a short hike and tour of various local caves - Cueva del Milodon. It was an interesting walk through dark caverns.

Parts were a bit touristy but I won’t show you any pictures of those parts

Mark and Per enjoyed exploring dark passages.

And enjoyed a snack and a beer afterwards.

Carol and I took the afternoon off while the others went on another hike. They saw some great wildlife including the birth of a Guanaco.

January 12. First Hike

Sun, 05 Feb 2017 13:15:36 -0800

Today (excl Mark & Mauree Jane, I can’t remember what they did) we all went on our first hike. We chose the so-called Condor hike. This was a 3-4 mile hike up a local mountain with great views from the summit. We would see Condors and Eagles as well as get a taste for the local countryside. It was also a good time to calibrate on what level of hike the guides classified as “easy” or “moderate or “difficult”. This was considered a “moderate” hike. It felt quite challenging to me & Carol! Nevertheless, the view from the summit was stunning.

Here you see our guide who had obviously done this several hunderd times!

We descended through a forest to our van and had some well deserved refreshment.

That afternoon, I took a cooking class at the hotel. With some help, I made empanadas in the hotel kitchen. I was the only participant so I got personal attention. We made lamb ones and also king crab (which is big in Patagonia, and with me). After cooking them, the rest of our group conveniently showed up to help in consuming them. I have the recipes if you would like them.

Thanks whoever took this photo and shared it.

That evening we signed up for the special barbeque dinner. Fun evening!

January 11. Off to Patagonia

Sun, 05 Feb 2017 12:57:27 -0800

Given the late arrival last night we opted to leave Punta Arenas around 1pm for the 2 hour journey up to Puerto Natales. Our friends arrived at Punta Arenas airport around 2pm so we were on much the same schedule.

Mid afternoon we arrived at the Singular, Patogonia, our home for the next few days. The Singular was billed as one of the great hotels, not just of this region, but in the World. It did not disappoint. However, upon arrival, it’s a little disconcerting because, from the outside the hotel looks like a converted factory.

In fact, it used to be an abatoir. However, the designers have skillfully converted it into one of the most luxurious hotels, definitely my favorite of our entire journey.

We all arrived about the same time. Mark & Mauree Jane had independently booked to stay there for the same time as the rest of us plus they would also be with us during our stay at our next stop, Torres Del Paine. So we had 10 of us - Mark, Mauree Jane, Kevin, Lisa, Per, Astrid, Mark & Paula. Since we hadn’t seen some of these folks for a couple of years it felt like a reunion with hugs and kisses all round.

The Singular gave us a first taste of how things operate in Patagonia. The hotels organize activities for the following day so we all signed up for various activities before enjoying a great dinner at the hotel restaurant. We already knew the weather would be more forgiving that the Antarctic but not by much. It would be slightly warmer, but cool. It would be definitely windier and, at some point it would rain. Felt familiar to me.

January 10. Surprise!

Sun, 05 Feb 2017 11:50:42 -0800

The plan was to leave Antarctica on January 11, returning to Punta Arenas. So, on the evening of the 10th we were getting ready to start packing and preparing to leave the next day. Wait! Change of plan. We were informed at the evening meeting that the weather was getting worse and that not only would it be hard to leave but it could remain that way for several days. As a result the decision was made to leave tonight! Ok, off we went to get everything ready, settle our account with the boat crew and generally panic. I don’t recall the exact timing but I think we left the boat around 10:30 -11:00pm (still daylight). We retraced our journey on the zodiac and the hike back down the runway to the plane which was, thankfully, sitting ready to go. We met the next group on our way and told then “you’ll love it!” and off we went.

Being in a sizeable commercial jet taking off on a short, dirt runway, is a unique experience. Lots of screaming jets and rumbling along, leaping into the air at the first opportunity.

I think we landed around 1am and went back to the Cabo de Hornas. 70-odd people and luggage arrived all at the same time and it took ages to find our bags, collect the ones we had left behind and wait for one of two elevators to arrive before we could get to ourt room. It was probably around 3:30 -4:00am befor we got to bed.

The good news is that I had contacted our travel folks and arranged to go to our next destination (Puerto Natales) on the 11th instead of the 12th. This is where we would meet up with the rest of our friends who were flying in from the US. So, we lost a few hours in Antarctica but gained them back in Patagonia. On to the next part of our journey, smelly pants packed in the bottom of lauggage.

Januray 10, Fire & Ice!

Sun, 05 Feb 2017 11:20:10 -0800

This morning we entered the narrow entrance to Deception Island and landed at Whalers Bay. The island is the caldera of a previously active volcano. The last eruption was in 1970 so it is still quite active. There’s lots of geo-thermal activity which makes the place quite spooky and, importantly, a great place for the polar plunge!

In places, the water was quite hot but in other places it was freezing cold. This didn’t seem to dampen the enthusiasm of those brave enough to have a heart-stopping experience.

Or a fashion shoot.

Even the Kayakers were in on the game.

Lisa, Kevin, Carol and I decided to hike up to the top of a nearby hill for a view.

The Island was also a whaling Station with remnants of a bygone era littering the landscape.

I have to say, this is a very unique place. It could be a different planet! Not a place for your average summer vacation.

In the afternoon, we landed at Half Moon Island, home to a large colony of Chinstrap Penguins. These are the ones that look like they’re smiling at you when you look at them head on.

They were much further along in the breeding cycle than the Gentoos and the chicks were big enough to become a handful.

All in all a good day. I was getting used to the place. Despite the snow and wind, our cold weather gear was more than adequate. And we were getting expert at putting the stuff on and off several times a day. The only problem was the increasing smell of Penguin poop, especially on the waterproof pants. Despite thorough scrubbing in the water each day, there was no way to get rid of the smell. Penguins have a high metabolic rate and when they poop, it comes out in a projectile stream. You don’t want to be behind a penguin when it needs to relieve itself! Other penguins fall victim to this regularly so it’s just as well they spend most of their time in the water.

I have some sympathy for penguins, they have a hard life. During the summer, mates take turns at caring for the young while the other goes to sea to gorge on food needed for the chicks. They build nests high up from the beach because that’s where the snow melts first and the nests need to be on rocky ground. So, the journey back and forth to the water can be long and arduous. They must be relieved when the breeding season is over and they can return to the ocean to swim around to their hearts content. Or get eaten by a Leopard Seal.

January 9. Civilization?

Sun, 05 Feb 2017 10:29:43 -0800

This morning we landed at Waterboat Point / Gonzales Videla Station. This is a Chilean Summer base named after a previous President. There’s actually people here!

This is the place where two crazy English explorers, Thomas Bashaw & Max Lester spent a winter with only an up-turned boat for shelter. Presumed dead, they survived to become legend. Penguins outnumber people by a vast margin, however. The weather was quite mild and under foot we trudged through a smelly “soup” of slush, mud and penguin poop.

More Penguins

Even a white one (Leucistic)

And, while most Pengins already had eggs or chicks, some were still having a go.

This was also the place where Kayakers came out to play.

In the afternoon, the weather turned nasty - snow and wind. We had intended to land at Neko Harbor but it was too dangerous to land. So, we cruised by and were rewarded with sightings of Killer Whales and also Humbacks playing around.

It’s a mystery why they do what they do.

But wait, there’s more!

They put on quite a show.

This evening we had another enjoyable dinner with our friends Kevin, Lisa Mark & Mauree Jane. It has been a real treat to travel with them and share pretty well every experience.

January 8. First landing

Sun, 05 Feb 2017 09:30:48 -0800

The boat rolled a bit during the night but nothing that my trusty patch couldn’t handle. I don’t think sea-sickness will be a problem.

We woke to our first view of the Antarctic landscape. Wow! The boat was anchored of Cuverville Island and we had our first visual experience of this vast, mountainous, barren land. In the height of summer!

We piled on to zodiacs and headed for shore where we made our first “wet” landing (make sure the water is shallower than the top of your wellies).

Carol made sure she was well dressed for the occasion.

The island is home to a large colony of Gentoo Penguins so this was also our first opportunity to get acquainted with these hardy animals

We were lucky that this was chick-hatching season so we saw some of nature at work.

We spent the morning exploring the Island, climbing up to get a good view of the landscape. After lunch on the boat we landed at Danco Island nearby. More penguins but also (Leopard) seals.

Before returning to the boat we took “cruise” on a zodiac around the island. The guide had us take water samples and other measurements to collect research data. Somebody, somewhere, is benefitting from all this!

January 6, 7. Off we go!

Sun, 05 Feb 2017 09:20:48 -0800

The tour folks did a fine job entraining the group instead of flying out - bus tour of the City, etc. Carol and I took the day off to (re) pack our luggage. There is a strict 20KG limit on luggage for the flight, including carry-on ( a slight downside to flying rather than sailing). My camera gear alone was about 10KG so we were challenged. We would take one suitcase with us and leave another (for warmer climes later on) in the hotel to be collected on our return. You could tell the tour group was serious about weight because they gave each of us a handy little scale to weigh our luggage, although they didn’t check it, trusting us to do the right thing. The good news (obvious) was that we would be wearing our full cold weather gear while on the plane so this didn’t count in the total weight. After considerable juggling, and arguing with Carol about how many shoes are actually needed in Antarctica, we finally got everything packed and ready to go in anticipation of leaving later that day.

Good news and bad news. Bad news is that the flight is cancelled for today. Good news (I think) is that the flight is on for tomorrow. Early am.

January 7, up bright and early (bags out at 4:30am) and off to the airport for an 8am flight. We arrived at Frei Base on King George Island about two hours later. It’s a dirt runway so you really feel the landing. When they open the door of the plane you get your first wiff of fresh Antarctic air - cold with a slight hint of penguin.

So, we lost half a day because of weather. Not bad considering.

We hung around the plane for a while, taking pictures. We were then instructed to walk, single file, down the runway to a nearby beach where we would jump on zodiacs to get to our boat. Frei Base is a multi-national reserch station so there were odd buildings dotted around (including a Russian Orthdox church). Along the way we met up with the departing group who had the benefit of an extra half day on the boat. They all greeted us and waved enthusiatically. “You’ll love it!” It reminded me of the iconic picture of Shackleton’s crew waving to his tiny boat as it departed on its epic journey to find rescue.

The boat, The Hebridean Sky, was anchored in the nearby bay and we were shuttled out 8 at a time on Zodiacs to what would be our home for the next several days. Nice boat. A benefit of having planned this trip nearly two years in advance is that Carol & I, Kevin & Lisa and Mark & Mauree Jane had snagged the best cabins on the boat - the Presidential Suites. So, it felt like luxury.

We had lunch followed by a safety exercise where we all donned life jackets and got briefed on what to do if we had to abandon ship (into sub-freezing water) while freezing our butts off. Felt just like the Titanic (do you have enough lifeboats?)

Thanks whoever took this photo and shared it.

After this exercise the boat set sail south and would take us, overnight to our first stop. Meanwhile we spent the afternoon in briefings and introductions. The restaurant on the boat was really quite good. A major relief following our culinary experience at the Cabo de Hornas. The (Ukraininan) crew joined us at dinner and promptly got themselves lubricated before navigating the tricky passages of the Antarctic Peninsula. (who’s on the bridge?)

Thanks whoever took this photo and shared it.

January 3-5. The Journey to the end of the Earth

Sun, 05 Feb 2017 08:49:28 -0800

It took close to 24 hours to get from San Francisco to Punta Arenas, Chile. Other than a mad dash through the airport at Santiago everything went smoothly. We were traveling with Kevin & Lisa and also met up with Mark & Mauree Jane at the departure gate in Santiago. Arriving in Punta Arenas was like arriving in Edinburgh in March (except January is the height of summer in this part of the World). Cool, windy and damp.

Our hotel was the Cabo de Hornas (Cape Horn). Nice enough. Good rooms. Arguably the worst restaurant food in the Universe. But the Chilean wine was good, and cheap.

The next day (5th) we got oriented by the AntrcticaXXI folks and fitted with rubber boots (aka wellies) which we would need for Antarctica. We began to get the vibe that the weather would be an issue for the flight in the next day. Nevertheless, we had time to explore the town and relax after our journey. Frankly there wasn’t much to see - this was a town used to a harsh climate but got on with life anyway. Some interesting local color:

That evening we had a group dinner (thankfully not at the hotel). We got to meet the rest of the group - about half were Asian, mostly Japanese. About 70 people in total.

We got the news that the weather was bad and that we would not depart the next morning as planned but during the afternoon or evening at the earliest. OK, looking forward to another fun day in Punta Arenas!