Greetings! I am not getting any younger. The planet is not getting any cooler. Now, is the time to visit Antarctica!
Here’s to penguins, ice, and no seasickness!
Day Twelve
Sadly, this has been our last day aboard ship. It unfolded much like yesterday: Eating, lecture, eating, lecture, manicure, lecture, and eating. The first talk was on Humpback whales. The second was less a lecture than a discussion led by one of our group members. In the early 70s, he was a Naval Flight Surgeon posted at McMurdo Bay. He told us about four New Zealand scientists who ignored the rules and went out into a boat. After four days, they were retrieved from the ice. The ice had crushed their boat. They all survived virtually unscathed. After that, I went to the spa to have a manicure. (Mais oui, there is a spa on L’Austral.) The last lecture/presentation was by the Expedition team recapping our trip. This included a “name that animal” quiz. I did pretty well, if I do say so myself! The one presentation that I missed was how to fold your parka for packing. We each received a VERY WARM red parka that we used during our trip and that we could keep. I really do not need (a) another coat and (b) another coat that is so warm. I will leave mine in the cabin; Ponant takes left-behind parkas and donates them. Works for me.
Location-wise, we are sailing up the Beagle Channel to dock in Ushuaia within the hour. The channel is named, of course, after Charles Darwin’s ship. While Carls are interested in walking about Ushuaia, we are more interested in having our final dinner on board. I happened to be on my balcony when the small ship dropped off the pilot to guide us down the channel. The boat sidled up to the side of the ship more or less six floors below me and the pilot stepped from his ship onto L’Austral. Piece of cake!
From tomorrow afternoon until Monday midday, I will be traveling home. When I get home, I will add pictures to the Gallery section of this Web site. I’ll notify everyone when they are available for your viewing pleasure.
In conclusion, this has been an amazing, fun, intellectual, educational experience. Antarctica is spectacular and spectacularly unique. That such a place exists on earth is, well, mind blowing.
Day Eleven
Greetings from somewhere in the Drake Passage! Fortunately, it has been much like it was on the way out to Antarctica. Plus, I think that I have become accustomed to the movement of the ship. I have on my Seabands and I’m taking my Bromine–all is well. Several of us on Bromine, however, feel that it makes us sleepy (which it is not supposed to do). Today featured several lectures and eating. This morning, we learned more about penguins, including how they have sex. No, Barry White is not involved! Researchers often rely on watching penguins get it on to determine which one is the male. Less exciting was a 15-minute overview of disembarkation on Sunday morning. It is all very organized with color-coded bag tags, multiple departure times, and various buses. This afternoon was the screening of the video that the on-board videographer made of our cruise. It was okay. I wasn’t planning to buy it anyway because I would watch it once and end up tossing it in a few years. I fully intended to attend the lecture on Shackleton’s voyage to Antarctica, but I woke up from a (short) nap at 5:30 instead of 4:00 pm! It was a good nap, too. I didn’t make it down to the Farewell Cocktail party until the end. I still got my glass of champagne, though! I don’t know why I don’t buy it for myself at home. I’ve had a glass almost every day of the cruise. I think it has to be a healthy habit. After cocktails, we had the Gala Dinner. Excellent as always with good food and good talk among the Carls.
Tomorrow will be more of the same, plus packing. We expect to dock in Ushuaia around 6:00 – 6:30 pm Saturday evening. If we want, we can go ashore to walk around Ushuaia. On Sunday, checked bags have to be outside our doors by 6:00 am; we have to be out of our staterooms by 8 am. Then, it is on to buses for an Ushuaia tour followed by brunch followed by a free hour to shop followed by our charter flight to Buenos Aires followed by the overnight flights back to the US. How many modes of transportation can you fit into one day?
Fun Fact of the Day: The L’Austral does not anchor when we spend time in one location in Antarctica. For one reason, the water is too deep. For another, the ship needs to be ready to move quickly in case of bad weather or icebergs.
Day Ten
This was our last day in Antarctica before returning to Ushuaia. It was cloudy but calm. It only started to snow when our group was walking around Palaver Point. The highlight was the colonies of Chinstrap penguins, so named because of a narrow band of black feathers that encircles their necks. They were very busy going to and from the water and making lots of noise. They also make a lot of poop, lending a certain je ne sais quoi to the fresh Antarctic air. Again, we had our path demarcated by red flags. We saw several colonies and climbed up a steep slope to see the view. These penguin chicks were close to the same size as Mom and Dad–but still gray and downy. In addition to the penguins, there were a couple of Fur seals and Weddell seals snoozing. I expected (based on nothing) to see large numbers of seals romping in groups. But no. Most of the seals have been solitary and asleep. The other significant event of our last landing was the engagement of two very nice, good looking, guys from England. The “proposer” planned the whole thing and his now fiancé was totally surprised.
Early this afternoon, we all watched a documentary on a scientific expedition to the South Georgia island. They sailed on the Laurence M. Gould research ship. Gould was a significant Antarctic researcher who was second in command to Admiral Byrd. More exciting to Carls is that he went on to be the president of Carleton College. I learned at dinner tonight that there was a push in the 90s or 2000s to change the Carleton mascot from the Knights to the Penguins.
This afternoon, we had a zodiac cruise around Spert Island. Many of the large rock formations are volcanic. They are also positioned in such a way that the wind blows away the snow and ice. Also, because they are volcanic, the rock is basalt and, therefore, black. This means that it absorbs the sun, which also keeps the rocks clear of snow and ice. This was all very dramatic: the towering, bare, basalt rock adjacent to blue/white icebergs. Lots of photos. Of course, it snowed some more.
When we returned, we had the official Carleton photo on the pool deck. Yes, there is a pool, which was filled with sea water and heated after we crossed the Drake Passage last week. They heat it once, so if you don’t hop in during the first two days, you need to be prepared for cold water. Meghan, our tour manager, jumped in this morning for about a minute. This was followed by a Carleton only wrap-up reception in the Observatory Lounge. Prior to this reception, the ship had caviar testing in the main lounge. I thought I might have to fight through the Chinese group to get some caviar, but, weirdly, they were not around. As usual, the dinner that followed was tasty–and long.
Tomorrow, we have a few lectures. It will take just under two days to cross the Drake Passage. The captain says it will be similar in wave height and wind to our crossing last week. Maybe a little rockier. I’ve started back on my first line of seasickness defense and will put on the sea bands before I go to bed.
Fun Fact of the Day: Bits of icebergs in the ocean have different names depending on size. These include Brash, Bergey Bits, and Growlers.
Another Fun Fact of the Day: Humpback Whales have very small (by circumference) throats. This means that Krill goes down just fine. If they accidently scoop up a seabird, however, it won’t fit and gets spit out. Generally, the birds don’t survive this process.
Day Nine
“What a difference a day makes.” I woke up this morning to clouds and snow. We learned at our Expedition Recap/Preview last night that we couldn’t go where we wanted to go today because of high winds. Instead, we would sail to Graham Passage, then to Enterprise. Bay These sites are protected a bit from the wind. Today also featured two “zodiac cruises” as opposed to a landing in the morning and a cruise in the afternoon. “Blue” group set out at 8:30 am this morning. In the snow. We did not see much wildlife: a couple of Skuas, some Antarctic Terns, and a few Minke whales. The latter was the highlight, of course.
Rika gave her final lecture of the cruise this morning, talking about how micro-organisms survive during the winter and why they are so important to life in Antarctica. She also talked about Astrobiology, a field that studies micro-organisms to better understand our past and to understand what bodies in our solar system might have (or be able to sustain) life. Rika is (understandably) very excited about these tiny organisms; she refers to whales, penguins, and the like as “charismatic mega-fauna.”
This afternoon featured another zodiac cruise. Many of us debated whether or not to go because it was still snowing a bit. Most of us decided to go because we wanted to soak up every moment of Antarctica. “Soak” is an apt word because it was windier than this morning with rougher seas. Those in the bow of the zodiac did get splashed. We bounced through the waves to see more Skuas and Antarctica Terns. Here in Enterprise Bay, we could see the wreck of a whaling ship from 1915. The bay is striking for its immense glaciers sort of overhanging the water. When it became even windier, we returned to L’Austral. The ship canceled the zodiac cruises for the last two groups. Fortunately, they had hot mulled wine for us. It was teatime, too, so there were some yummy, delicate sandwiches and delicate pastries.
I’ve said that I’m part of the Blue group. The expedition leaders have divided us into four groups: Blue, Red, Green, and Yellow. Our landings and cruises go by groups. Our times flip-flop: Yesterday, the Blues left at 10 am; today, we left at 8:30 am.
I will write a bit more later. Time to go to our daily recap,
Tonight, was the “White Dinner” that stressed Carls out prior to departure. A couple of guys wore white pants and white shirts. Most of the women wore black. Mark, my kayak partner, wore white pants that he said he ordered from Amazon. Another passenger–likely one of the Aussies–wore the white bathrobe that was provided in our rooms!
Tomorrow is our last day before heading back across the Drake Passage for a day-and-a-half to two days. We have been promised Chinstrap penguins during our morning landing.
Interesting Facts du Jour: Antarctica is the largest desert in the world; a Humpback whale has to eat 1.5 tons of Krill a day.
Day Eight
In the “pre-departure” section below, I noted that Antarctica does not have a time zone. I can confirm that we maintained Argentine time, which is two hours ahead of EST. The passengers are composed of various groups and a few independent travelers, from what I can tell. The Carls are about 40. There is a Chinese group of about 40. There is a small contingent, maybe 10, of passengers touring with Backroads. There are about 20 middle-aged gay men who signed up with a travel company that specializes in “gay” tours. There are various clusters of other nationalities, including Australian and, of course, French. The French actually comprise a big chunk. The officers of the crew are mostly French; the staff seems to be Malaysian and Filipino. The naturalists come from all over. Of note is Phil, who was born in Kansas, but has lived most of his life (when he wasn’t traveling) in Alaska. He was a commercial fisherman for a while. One of my colleagues said that if you had to guess which state Phil comes from, you would guess Alaska. Think long hair and beard and fabulous big furry mittens.
Now, on to the day’s activities. I woke up this morning to bright sun, clear blue skies, and regal glaciers out of my windows. It was a glorious day! We started out landing on Damoy Point. We hiked up through the snow to see a colony of Gentoo penguins. This colony had chicks. With the bright sun and my ski goggles, it was hard to tell if I got good shots with my camera–but I did! I will share them when I get back home. On the other side of the slope was a British research station. It was about 40 degrees and very warm because of the intensity of the sun. Most of us took off our very warm Ponant parkas and walked around in our base layer (mine is merino wool). It is a curious cultural difference that the Chinese passengers like to pose while giving a “thumbs up” gesture. They also are like locusts at the buffet–sorry for not being very social worky in this description. I remember when Neil and I were in Japan, and the Japanese posed while giving the peace symbol.
Anyway…this afternoon we had Tony’s second lecture, which was on the history of science and politics in Antarctica. So interesting! About 4 pm today, we mounted up in the zodiacs for a cruise around beautiful Borgen Bay. The description in our daily program says, “This area is known for its dramatic landscapes, including towering glaciers and ice formations.” True that. Just spectacularly gorgeous in the bright sunshine. We were primarily looking for a glacier to calve, but no luck. We did, however, see a Leopard seal and a Weddell seal. The Leopard seals are big and tough and eat young penguins. Our naturalist said that even killer whales don’t like to tangle with them. They prefer Weddell seals who are more docile. Phil from Alaska says that he doesn’t trust Leopard seals because they have a creepy smile. About halfway through our 90-minute zodiac cruise, our driver/ naturalist (Emma) brought out champagne for us to sip while cruising. Let me tell you that the Ponant cruise line does things right! In 15 minutes, we have our daily recap and briefing on tomorrow’s activities. Then, dinner!
Interesting Facts du Jour: Antarctica is governed by a treaty signed by 54 countries; Antarctica is one-and-a-half times as large as North America; the gelatinous stuff that splatted on my leg during kayaking yesterday is an organism called Salp. I’m glad that I tossed it back into the ocean.
Day Seven
It is hard to believe that I left home seven days ago to start this amazing vacation! It is so unique to get up in the morning to towering mountains of ice and snow outside of your window. Today was special because we landed this morning on Danco Island, where there are about 1600 breeding pairs of Gentoo penguins. It was very cool. The birds mostly ignored us and carried on doing birdy things. To get to the sea to eat, they have to go down a snowy slope. They don’t slide on their bellies but walk down paths. You can see these paths up and down the slope. Going up the slope, they stumble from time to time and do a face plant. I’m sure they must be embarrassed! Most of the penguins in this colony already hatched chicks. We saw a few of them. Until they get a bit older and grow out their feathers, they have to huddle with Mom or Dad to stay warm.
Late morning, Rika (one of the two professors) finally could give her first lecture on the food chain of the Southern Ocean, starting with diatoms and phytoplankton. I would go into more detail, but I was an English major. I can share that the food cycle involves whale poop, which provides nutrients for various organisms.
Toward the end of lunch, the captain announced that there were Orca whales in front of the ship. Well, you’ve never seen a dining room empty out so quickly! Passengers actually left their dessert pastries. (It is a French ship.) There were quite a lot of Orcas (10 maybe; hard to tell) including a baby.
In the afternoon, we relocated to Paradise Bay, where the glaciers shoot up straight out of the sea (well, actually, the other way around). The icebergs contain different shades of blue–and the water is blue, as well. The conditions were favorable, so Kayak Group #2 went out This included me! We had to put on special onesies/wet suits followed by a special life preserver (not our regular one). Then, we left the ship by zodiac and transferred to another zodiac attached to a platform. The “in and out” of the kayak was easier than our test several days ago. I paired up with Mark (the Carl) who is traveling with his sister because their respective spouses are not travelers. Diana, the sister, failed the test. I was very pleased to have Mark in the kayak because he has spent days kayaking in the ocean on previous trips. Plus, he is tall and strong. We set off with two guides and 9 other kayaks for the far side of the bay. Of the 10 total, 2-person kayaks, only 1 contained non-Carls. (The non-Carls pooped out early and had to be retrieved by a zodiac.) Our lead kayak guy, Chris, complimented our collective kayak prowess…and kept going across the bay. While his confidence in us was pleasing, we were all getting tired! On the way back, the zodiacs came to meet us, and we effected the transfer without a platform. No one fell into the water. Chris, the guide, who is Chilean, kept saying, “Yeah, Minnesota! Minnesota is in the house!” Adjacent to the ship, we paused while the zodiac drivers had what seemed like a long discussion about who was towing the kayaks and (I guess) logistics of actually getting us to the ship’s marina. While we were pleasantly warm kayaking, we were chilly sitting in the zodiac. Let me just say that I took the elevator for the first time this trip to get from 3 to 6. A hot shower and hot tea revived me for our end of the day briefing.
Tomorrow, we should see more penguins!
Fun Fact of the Day #1: There are 18 different species of penguins. The Gentoo is the third biggest after Emperor and King penguins.
Fun Fact of the Day #2: The fluke of a young Humpback whale doesn’t get hard with cartilage until he/she is 18 months. Prior to that age, they have floppy flukes! (Fluke means the tail fin, so don’t go thinking that I mean something else!)
Day Six
Apologies for not blogging last night, but I was tired and fighting a cold. Day Six, yesterday, was our first landing on the continent of Antarctica! So exciting! We were in Portal Point. I was glad to have my hiking poles because we trekked up snow and ice to a high point. Then, we went back down to see a sleeping Weddell Seal. He yawned and stretched and generally ignored the paparazzi. We routinely see penguins at sea zipping around looking for food. Speedy devils. Hard to photograph. The highlight of yesterday was all of the Humpback Whales in Recess Cove. Because it was cloudy, the Krill came closer to the surface (which they do in the absence of sunlight). This attracted lots of these whales. Lots of them. The excursion for the afternoon was a zodiac boat tour as opposed to a landing. Also, the first group of kayakers went out. As the “Blue” group (my group) was waiting to go down to get into the zodiacs, the zodiacs were delayed returning to the ship by the whales. The whales were between the zodiacs and the ship. We all gasped when one whale dived under one of the zodiacs. Cool but scary!
Each time we get in the zodiac for a cruise or to land, we have a naturalist from the ship. When we land, we get a short briefing from a naturalist. There are others positioned along our route, which is demarcated by red flags. This is an amazing group of experts. And the boarding is very organized and works like clockwork. Our room key is coded with our passport number and photo. When we head down the stairs to get into a zodiac, our key is scanned. When we return, we are scanned back in. No running away and camping on the ice. Because of the sensitivity of the Antarctic ecosystem, we disinfect our boots and tips of our hiking poles coming and going. Not that I have tons of context, but the Ponant line seems appropriately strict and concerned about our impact on the continent. If we get slightly too close to the wildlife, we are told to get back. If a penguin walks by, we have to back away.
I will conclude this post by saying that this is the most other-worldly and amazing place that I have ever seen.
Fun Fact of the Day: Weddell Seals are brown/gray mottled on their backs, so that they look like rocks. Their bellies are white, so they can roll over and blend in with the snow.
Another Fun Fact of the Day: L’Austral has its own water filtration system. We are actually bathing in sea water that has been filtered. Water on board is generally safe to drink, but–for drinking water–we have been given a water bottle to fill at water stations.
Day Five
What an excellent day! We made good speed on the trip from Ushuaia, so we were able to go ashore a half day early. Overnight, we passed through the convergence, which dropped the temperature. It was still mid-30s this afternoon when I was out. One of our two faculty leaders (who are married to each other), Tony, lectured on the Environmental History of the Southern Ocean. It was, he said, about how human history is entangled with animal life. We learned about the history of exploration and exploitation in this region, which was primarily fueled by commerce: Whales and Fur Seals. Today, commercial interests harvest Krill to use for supplements.
The second significant event of the day was the briefing and physical test for those of us who signed up to go sea kayaking. If the weather remains calm, the first group will go out tomorrow afternoon. First, however, we had to demonstrate on dry land the movement required to get into and out of the kayak. If we couldn’t do it, we couldn’t kayak. The kayak expedition team ruled out a good number of people. What was a bit intimidating was that this test was given on stage in the theatre. I took center stage, however, and waved to everybody. Fortunately, I passed. And I bowed afterward. The expedition leaders have been efficient and strict, which is good.
The third big event is that the ship went through a narrow channel and entered a flooded caldera. The last eruption of this volcano was in 1969. Even after so many years have passed, the water in the caldera is warm–well, warmer than the air temperature. On one side of the channel was a small rookery of penguins. OMG! Amazing to see them. For much of the day, penguins have been swimming near the ship. We’ve had some Humpback Whales, too.
The next major event was our first landing via Zodiacs. We had smooth water and a beach landing at an old Norwegian whaling station. It was in operation from the early 1900s to about 1930. While there, I saw several Skuas. This is a large bird that looks a bit like a big seagull. They can gobble up penguin chicks with one bite, so they are rude birds.
My last observation as I sit in bed and look out the glass doors is that a Humpback Whale just passed by. In the evening, the Krill come closer to the surface. Consequently, the whales are closer to the surface.
Interesting Facts of the Day
–A group of penguins swimming is called a Raft; a group on land is called a Rookery or a Huddle; and a group walking is called a Waddle. (I kid you not!)
–Whales in the Southern Ocean seldom breach because they are too busy eating: There are only a few months that they can do so.
–More appetizing is the food on board. It is excellent! If you know me, you know that I’m not a big dessert eater. The pastry on this French-owned ship is so yummy that I’m eating it.
Day Four
Today (Friday, I think) has been a day filled with various briefings and food. We are still en route to Antarctica. Rumor has it that we may get there early enough tomorrow to have an “outing” in the afternoon. If not, we get a lecture on Penguins. The ship has a number of naturalists and expedition leaders with a wealth of expertise and experience. We met them all today in the briefing about our expeditions. These will be either tooling around in the Zodiacs or using the Zodiacs to land and walk around on the ice. Because of the need and desire to preserve Antarctica, items like back packs need to be vacuumed and hiking poles need to be disinfected. We did this today, as well. The vacuuming is to eliminate any stray crumbs of seeds that might have become stuck in Velcro or in seams. We had to sign that we complied with the decontamination protocol. We also had to sign that we attended a mandatory “expedition” briefing. This included rules, such as how far back from the wildlife we have to stand. We are not allowed to put anything on the ground. We are not allowed to squat because backpack straps may touch the ground and inadvertently introduce a foreign microbe to the continent. We did learn that, sadly, avian flu has made its way to Antarctica. On the positive side, the timing is right to see baby penguins!
There was some relaxing and hanging out with other Carls. I put on my cruise-provided parka and went outside to get some photos. It was windy with lots of sea spray. This evening, we had a cocktail reception with an introduction of the department heads of the ship. There are 200 passengers and 155 crew members. Yes, we are pampered! This was followed by the Gala Welcome Dinner. My fuchsia-colored leggings were a hit! The food was amazing and included lobster. All food and drinks are included throughout the cruise unless you want premium liquor. The Carls have several tables in the main dining room; we all had a good time.
I have posted a few photos on the gallery page (click on link in the navigation bar). The Wi-Fi on the ship has a landing page–an extra step to get the internet connection. Unfortunately, this means that I can’t transfer the images from camera to laptop. I would need a compatible cable to do so. No, I don’t have one. But I can take some photos on my cell phone and get those to my laptop to post. I will try to do this throughout the trip. At 9:00 am tomorrow, we have our first lecture by one of the two faculty leaders on the History of the Southern Ocean.
I learned today that one of my traveling companions is a vascular surgeon; another is an OB/GYN. The latter has a stockpile of meds, which is good to know. There is also a ship’s medical doctor and mini hospital. If anyone has a vein problem or gives birth, we are covered!
Interesting Fact of the Day: Antarctica is the largest wilderness in the world.
Bonus Coverage
So, what is this Drake Passage? Named after Sir Francis Drake, it is the area between Cape Horn and Antarctica where the Atlantic and Pacific oceans meet. With no landmass to break up the waves, they can be very high in this area. Fortunately, they have not been very high: one to three meters our captain says, which is three to nine feet. Between drugs (Bomine) and sea bands, I feel just fine. At some point this afternoon (on Day 4), we will pass into another zone with much colder water. Apparently, we will feel the change in air temperature immediately. Right now, the temperature is about 40 degrees. Very windy, though.
Day Three
Finally. On the good ship L’Austral! We are still in port in Ushuaia, which is on the southern tip of Argentina. We had to be on the bus from the hotel in BA to the airport at 5:30 am this morning. The charter flight ended up leaving about 45 minutes late. It was a three-hour flight to Ushaia. Argentina is very big! Because of the mountains (part of the Andes) and the wind, the descent was very turbulent. Perhaps a slight taste of what might be waiting for us on the ship going across the Drake Passage. The wave height has changed, so we will have some waves, but our captain said that they “aren’t bad.” Well, he is a sea captain, so I don’t know if his “aren’t bad” is the same as mine! I’ve taken my first line of defense for seasickness with the second line at the ready.
The ship is lovely and elegant with lots of staff longing to help. I opted for an upper deck stateroom because I will not likely come this way again. It is very nice. There is a small gym, game room, and spa on the ship. There is also a theatre for movies and lectures. There are, I believe, about 200-250 passengers.
Before we embarked (nautical word usage), we had a tour of Ushaia en route to a late lunch up in the mountains/hills outside of the city. They specialize in very slow-barbequed lamb. I hardly eat meat, but I do like lamb. Our long table had two platters of lamb bones and meat. It was tasty, but I didn’t find much meat. There were many long tables in this room; it became noisy (with the Malbec flowing) and hot. Before dessert, I went outside to get some fresh air. It was in the 60s and sunny. The original forecast said rain, but it was a lovely day with big fluffy clouds floating around a blue sky. While I was outside, a fox came near and hung out near the restaurant. More accurately, he or she was hanging out next to the glassed-in fire pit that had several lambs cooking. As it turns out, someone from the restaurant emerged from the cooking gazebo with a hunk of lamb. He tossed it to the fox who then ran off. Clearly, the fox came for a late lunch!
Fun Fact of the Day: Our tour guide in Ushaia said that they have about 150,000 beavers in the area who are damaging the trees. At one point–I think she said 1950–the Canadians gave the Argentines in this area some beavers as a starter kit, as it were, for a beaver fur industry. Well, this didn’t work out well because the color of the beaver’s fur was different because the immigrant beavers were eating different stuff than they had been in Canada. With this experiment deemed a failure, some of the beavers were freed. In this area. The catch is no predators who enjoy a bit of tasty beaver. The beaver population exploded along with the beaver size. Some of them are now about 100 lbs. Wish me luck when we enter the Drake Passage later tonight!
Day Two
After a good sleep and a great breakfast, I headed out to walk to the Teatro Colon, a truly spectacular theatre that is home to the symphony, ballet, and opera. In 2025, the hall is celebrating 100 years, even though it dates back earlier. The 11:00 am English tour was sold-out, so I bought a ticket for 12 noon. This gave me time to walk back several blocks to a park in which there is a dog park. As you might expect, I passed a very pleasant 30 minutes or so watching the dogs.
The theatre is very ornate and beautiful. The chandelier in the actual theatre is on a mechanical contraption that lowers it, so that the bulbs can be replaced. This design allows space in the ceiling, around the chandelier, for a balcony. Audience members can’t see anyone in the balcony. It is often used for singers or orchestra members (not with large instruments!) to sing or play in the ceiling. Music from the heavens! After this tour, I walked to the famous Recoleta Cemetery. All of the “graves” are pretty elaborate mausoleums. Many have lower levels for additional coffins. Perhaps the most famous resident is Eva Peron. I signed up before leaving home for a two-hour tour, which was very informative. The story is long and complicated, but it took many years after Evita’s death for her body to be placed in her family’s mausoleum. As you might expect in a cemetery, there are stories about ghosts and stories that are likely untrue about various people and their tombs.
Weather today was low 80s and humid and sunny. I was out and about for about seven hours. The shower when I got back to the hotel was the best ever!
Argentina has high inflation and the cost of anything in Argentine pesos is hard to wrap your brain around. Roughly, you take the cost and divide by 1000. A bottle of water, for example, cost me 1300 pesos, so $1.30. The fabulous two-hour tour of Recoleta was 13,000 pesos or $13.00. Yup. The dollar is pretty strong.
Tomorrow, we leave VERY early for the airport to fly to Ushaia on the southern tip of Argentina. After lunch, we board our ship, L’Austral. Next stop, Antarctica! A topic of great interest and concern to our group is the wave height in the Drake Passage. If we are going to have rough water, it will be here. If the forecasted wave height is less than eight feet, it is known as “Drake Lake.” I dunno: Eight feet still seems plenty high to me. Fortunately, the forecast is for wave height of less than four feet. Maybe I’ll need only one of the three anti-seasickness options that I have in my bag! Or, maybe, just two of the three. Better safe than hurling.
Once I’m on the ship, I’ll add some photos to the gallery page of this Web site.
Day One-and-a-Half
Well, I made it to Buenos Aires. Woo-hoo! It, however, took time to get out of the airport. I descended the escalator to Passport Control and was confronted with a sea of people in lines that snaked back and forth across the floor. When the flights from the US all land around 9 am, there are a lot of people. It was organized but still took an hour. Once I picked up my purple duffel, there was a scrum to get past customs. Fortunately, the driver that I requested was there holding up a sign with my name. About 45 minutes later we got to the hotel. The driver (wish I could remember his name) told me that there are 10 million people in the greater BA area with 3 million in the city center. So, yeah, BIG city.
Between checking in and finding an ATM and a grocery store (big bottles of water), I needed food. I was sad to miss the public art tour, but I needed to eat, or I would pass out. (Thanks for the inedible breakfast this morning, American Airlines!) Weather is similar to DC on good day in the summer: low 80s and humid. About 12 or so of our Carleton group members arrived today–a day before the “official” start day. We met up in the bar for a drink. Some are headed to the tango/dinner evening that I decided to cancel (it will last until midnight); five of us are going to meet in the lobby in 30 minutes to go out to dinner. Let the adventure begin!
Day One
Day one is not too exciting because it is a travel day. I am, however, enjoying a glass of champagne in the American Airlines Admiral Lounge in Miami. I had the choice of one hour or three hours between flights. Not trusting that the DCA-Miami flight would be on time, I chose three hours. Naturally, the flight from DCA was slightly early! I can’t remember the last time I flew American Airlines. I’m more of a Delta girl. American has a cheesy phrase about how everything that they do is for YOU. I do like their app, particularly the feature that tells you whether your bag is on the plane. Currently, the app tells me that it has been transferred in Miami. Transferred….where? We’ll see when I get to Buenos Aires in the morning. I’ve also deployed Apple Air tags in my checked bag and carryon because “one never knows, do one?”
It is interesting to see the differences among people at DCA and those in Miami. A fair number of sunburned people roaming around D and E Concourses. A fair number of people who look like they could be extras in a Jimmy Buffett music video. The guy next to me on the flight down to Miami had a photo of a very cute dog on his cell phone. I commented, of course. I was also thinking about how I miss traveling with Neil. We had great trips together. Many, many years ago, we took a Red Top cab to Dulles airport. The driver was starting his own limo company and offered to pick us up on our return. We took a chance. Ever since then, Mohamed (Swift Transportation) has been our go-to for trips when we aren’t driving to the airport. It was good to catch up with him today. Yesterday, he drove some guys up to Philly for the Commanders game. More lucrative for sure than driving me to National…er…Reagan.
Tomorrow afternoon, in Buenos Aires, I am taking a public art/mural walking tour. It will do me good to get out and about after a long overnight flight. Until tomorrow….
Pre-Departure
“My bags are packed, I’m ready to go!” Well, not quite. If you know me well, you won’t be surprised that I have typed lists of what to take, what goes in my carry-on bag, and what I’m going to wear on the flight(s). It will be around 80 in Buenos Aires, where I’ll be for two days. Then, it will be 40s or 50s in Ushuaia at the southern tip of Argentina. Antarctica itself (herself?) will be in the 30s. It is summer, after all, at the South Pole.
The Carleton group is about 30 people strong. Carls are chatting on the listserv about clothing, shoes, and suitcases. And meatier topics, too, like weather. There may or may not be a “White Dinner” on board. Where, you know, you wear all white. I’m going to stick with black. Maybe a scarf. One of our group members said on the listserv that he doesn’t even have white underwear. TMI! No jeans allowed in the fancy restaurant. We were reminded that there will be Europeans on the ship. It is true that they are, in general, better dressed. But I’m not trying for effortless chic when I’m in Antarctica. I mean, really.
It turns out there are a bunch of us arriving a day early on Tuesday, January 28. We asked about getting one shuttle to the hotel, but the answer was, “no.” We have to pay for a “private transfer” because flights might be late, etc…. Oh, well. One of group members shared that she has always aspired to be like Julie on the Love Boat. Fittingly, she has organized a Tango/Dinner evening on Tuesday night with a meet-up for cocktails ahead of time. I signed up, but I’m having second thoughts. I can cancel for a full refund. I need to decide this weekend. I expect that it would be better for me to have an early night.
Three days before departure, I finally got the image transfer utility installed on the laptop that I’m going to take on the trip. This will (fingers crossed) allow me to add photos to this blog in real time–or thereabouts. Speaking of time, there is no official time zone in Antarctica. The longitudinal lines all converge there. So, like, WTF: What time will it be? Stay tuned for the answer once I find out.
Two days before I head to the airport for many hours traveling. I DID decide to cancel the Tango/Dinner evening. I would rather see some of Buenos Aires than take a nap to prepare for a late night. Yesterday, I took the risky move of finally getting my fall 2024 Covid vaccination. My three-months-of-immunity-from-having-Covid-in-September expired at the end of December. My arm is sore and I’m a tinge achy. I’ll take it. When we board the ship, we have to turn in a health declaration form, mostly about Covid. The form has check boxes for up to five doses of the vaccine. When I counted, I have had eight. I’m positively bristling with antibodies!
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