2022 Early December - Chile, Antarctica

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Punta Arenas

Punta Arenas

Our flight arrives in Punta Arenas at 800 AM.  We were able to doze a bit during the flight, but no real sleep.  It is cool, 50’s, and windy as we arrive, coat time.  There is no traffic on our 20-minute taxi ride to the hotel.  Punta Arenas has a population of 127,000, very small in comparison to the multi millions we’ve experienced in the big cities.  We arrive at the hotel at 830, the room is not ready.  We sit for a while searching the internet for a nearby restaurant.  We find a coffee shop/restaurant three blocks away. 
We pass the time, coffee for Nicida, hot chocolate for me, breakfast for both.  Returning to our hotel, we find our room is ready.  We settle in, relaxing a bit, before heading out for groceries.  It is convenient being in a small town, almost everything we need is within a three-block radius of the hotel.  After shopping we stroll down to the water, the Straits of Magellan.  The wind is still blowing, the deep blue water is covered with marching whitecaps.  Tomorrow, we learn about our Antarctic Expedition.

Breakfast is included with the room.  The room has a kitchen with coffee maker, refrigerator, hot plate and the necessary cooking utensils.  We’ve stayed in lots of hotels with included breakfast, but not where we have to make it ourselves.  Inside the mini fridge we find eggs, ham, cheese, bread, and yogurt.  Breakfast completed, we pack and move to the hosting hotel, one block away.

Our room is ready at 1000, a corner room on the 7^th floor.  We have wonderful views of Punta Arenas and the Straits of Magellan.  The air is noticeably clearer here.  The green of the trees several miles away is just as green as the trees across the street; no haze, no pollution.  We head to the basement, meeting our trip hospitality team, getting an introduction to the process.  We are given our boots for landing on Antarctica.  We are also informed of requirements for landing, we must bring our outer clothing and bags we will be taking on the continent.  They are to be vacuumed, removing all foreign matter (i.e., seeds, pests) from those items, keeping the continent pristine.  Shop vacs wait to be used.

We attend the meeting where we learn about the procedures visiting Antarctica.  We are given scales to weigh the stuff we are taking.  44 lbs. is the limit for both the checked and carry-on bags.  We are told to dress for cold weather, expect 32°, when we land.  This helps bring down the weight of our bags, we will be wearing our heavy jackets, base layers, hats, gloves, rain gear…  We will wear the rubber boots we received this morning, from trip departure until we reach the mudroom on the ship.  There we change into shoes that will be worn only on the ship.

After the meeting, we attend the dinner, meeting a couple from India.  We compare stories of travel.  During dinner we receive an update that we should plan on having breakfast in the hotel tomorrow, at that time we should receive updated flight information.  We retire to our room sorting items we will take with us, weighing them to see if we are good, or having to pare down some more.  Several tries later we are just under the 44 lb. limit.

Zodiac to the ship

After breakfast we find a pharmacy, picking up cough drops and extra Kleenex; now we are ready.  Around 1130 AM we receive a message.   Lunch will be at 130 PM.  Bring bags that are staying at the hotel, to the basement at 515 PM. Bring bags that are going with us, to the lobby at 615 PM.  Meet the bus at 700 PM, for a 900 PM flight.  As the departure time approaches everyone is anxious.  Finally, we board the bus for the airport, but the bus seems to be driving slow, or is that my imagination…  At the airport, we check in, getting our checked bags weighed but the carry on is ignored.  We sit at the gate waiting patiently, then we stand in line, patiently waiting to board the plane.  Finally, we board.  The flight takes two hours.  We are scheduled to arrive on King George Island at 11.  The sky never gets totally dark during the entire flight to King George Island.  We watch the full moon barely rise above the horizon; it never really goes high in the sky for the several hours we see it.  Being at the end of the world does strange things to the paths of the sun and moon.

Antarctica

We land at Frei Station, Chile’s Antarctic Base, on King George Island.  We disembark, directly to vans waiting for us.  They take us to the Zodiac launch point.  For those of you not familiar with Zodiacs, they are inflatable boats used to transport passengers.  The first place I remember hearing about them was watching ‘The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau’.  At the launch point, we receive life vest training before we are left on the Zodiacs.  The sea is rough with windblown waves coming right at us.  It’s not dark, we don’t need flashlights, the sky has a bit of glow off on the horizon.  One Zodiac lands at a time, filling with ten passengers then taking them to the ship.  Several Zodiacs take their turns ferrying passengers.  Crew members assist us in the turbulent shin deep water as we get into a Zodiac.  It’s a bouncy ride to the ship.  Occasionally a wave breaks over the front of Zodiac showering us with salt water.  Pablo, our Zodiac driver and guide, informs us that normally we will not be going out in such rough water.  This is extraordinary, they are doing this to get us on board the ship so we can start our expedition.  We learn Zodiac etiquette, no standing in the boat unless you ask permission.  With the waves acting as they are, none of us seem interested in standing on this trip.  Between five and ten minutes later we are boarding the Magellan Explorer, our ship.  We are directed to the sanitizing scrubbers for our boots, before going any further.  Think small scale car wash with rotating bristles cleaning your boots.  We will follow this procedure anytime we board the ship.  Then we are directed to our lockers where we remove the boots, putting on our regular shoes.  Shortly after midnight we head up to the lounge where we are briefed.            

Our first expedition

Our Cruise Director informs us that before we can sail, we must practice putting on the life vest then, participate in a lifeboat drill.  We all depart to our rooms, find our life vests then wait for the alarm.  Having sounded, we grab our life vests, heading up to the lounge.  There, we are shown how to properly put it on.  Once complete, we are directed to our lifeboat.  We are told the crew will direct us on how to proceed, if the need arises.  It is 200 AM, I’m not certain if what they tell me now about getting into a lifeboat will be remembered.  I’m glad the crew knows what to do.  After the training, the Cruise Director says we will be able to maintain our schedule by sailing to our first destination while we are sleeping.  Tomorrow starts at 700 AM.  Have a good night.  We get back to our room at 230, to unpack, the sky is still bright.  We find out later the sun sets after 1130 rising sometime after 200.  We are tired but excited being here.  It has been a long time from first proposing this trip.

Day 1

We wake at 700 to announcements.  Breakfast is served between 800 and 900.  A briefing will follow.  The ship is still moving.  A few minutes later, I hear the clanging of chain against the ship; we are dropping anchor.  We are surrounded by mountains, snow, ice, and wavy, (but calmer water than last night) blue water.  Puffy white clouds float by.  We step on to our balcony taking everything in.  It’s cold, but nothing we aren’t prepared for.  Stepping back into our room, ‘Let’s have some breakfast.”  A buffet is set up with eggs, potatoes, bacon, fruit, yogurt, French toast, juices, coffee. Custom made omelets are also available.  Already, I see we won’t be going hungry on this trip.

Our first expedition

We receive our schedule for the first full day:

·         7:30                        Pastries will be available in the Lounge

·         8:00 – 9:00          Breakfast will be served in the Restaurant

·         9:10                        Briefing in the Lounge

·         10:00                     Zodiac excursion of the Ezcurra Inlet

·         12:30 - 13:30      Lunch will be served in the Restaurant

·         13:30                     Kayak team meeting in the Lounge

·         15:00                     Landing at Italian Valley (Ezcurra Inlet)

·         18:45                     Welcome Cocktail & Briefing in the Lounge

·         19:30                     Dinner will be served in the Restaurant

This level of activity happens each day.  We are part of the Kayak team, instead of taking Zodiac tours or hiking on land we will be kayaking.  We can opt out kayaking at any time, if we want.  There are ten of us plus two guides.  We start tomorrow.

Following breakfast, we put on our waterproof, cold weather gear.  Cameras go into dry bags then are sealed.  We put our iPhones in the waterproof housings, put chemical hand warmers in our gloves, then head down to the mudroom to put on our rubber boots.  The Zodiacs handle ten people, plus our driver/guide.  We follow the procedures getting into the Zodiac, sit down on the pontoon then slide to our spot.  We are reminded to ask permission before standing, once the action starts, it’s easy to forget.  Everybody ready, we take off into the wind, waves crashing into the front of the Zodiac throwing sprays of salt water in our direction.  

Our driver has us move back so the front of the Zodiac rides higher in the water resulting in fewer crashing waves.  We are surrounded by glaciers, and snow covered mountains.  Touring around the shore we find a mother humpback whale and baby feeding on krill, small crustaceans near the bottom of the food chain.  We keep following them, at a safe distance.  Suddenly one of the glaciers calves, dropping a large amount of ice into the water.  We are far enough back that the impending wave will not be an issue, but we see how there is no warning, it just happens.  The humpbacks seem unfazed by the calving, in fact they swim towards the disturbed area.

Time passes too quickly.  It seems we just got on the water, now we are returning.  Our phones say we have been out for two hours.  On our return, we see many growlers washed up on the shore.  Growlers, are small icebergs with less than three feet of ice above the surface of the water.  We spot our ship, in the distance, a dark blue and white speck among other white specs – growlers and icebergs.

View from Italian Valley

Once on board, we go through the sanitizing routine, changing back into our regular shoes.  Back in our cabin we compare notes.  It was great, no, neither of us is cold, we got some great shots, the mother and baby humpbacks were exciting to see.  We took our cameras out for a few shots but we didn’t feel comfortable with the waves breaking on the Zodiac causing spray.  We will continue to bring our cameras with us, using them when the water is calmer.

After lunch we break off from the rest of the group to meet our kayaking guides and fellow kayakers.  Sophie and Ewen are from Australia and New Zealand.  They have been guiding people in the Antarctic for years, returning each year - they love it here.  They inform us what to expect, the clothing, gear, and how we all will be working together to have a safe, fun, and rewarding time.  We are introduced to our dry-suit, personal flotation device (PFD), water shoes, and spray skirt.  Under all this, we wear our base layers, fleece pants, heavy socks, and warm jacket.  Sophie demonstrates putting on the dry-suit.  Booties are built into the suit.  The zipper for the dry-suit is in the front, diagonally across the chest.  Legs go in first, then one arm, the second arm, then you have to push your head through the ‘birth canal’ as Sophie calls it.  The neck has a neoprene gasket closing tight around your neck.  Additional rubber gaskets are around each wrist.  Properly sealed and zipped up, no water will enter the suit.  We are told, ‘the last thing you do before you get into the suit is pee”, especially women, the only way to pee is to take off the suit.  Men may be able to use the second zipper going across the front.  These suits are not user friendly that way.

We pick up or suits taking them to our rooms in preparation of tomorrow’s first kayaking expedition.  We are excited.

The second expedition today is a hike in the Italian Valley on King George Island.  The water is choppier than this morning and clouds are flying by but we are on for a hike.  The landing site is rocky, the guides assist us making it safely on land.  We see our goal, a ridge overlooking the bay.  The valley is rock filled, little to no soil.  Still, we see bits of green sprouting between rocks.  Hiking is not as sure footed in these boots as our normal hiking shoes, but it works.  

Italian Valley hike

On our way to the top, a brief, ten-minute snowstorm blows through, obscuring our view of the ship.  Then it clears.  Views from the top are fantastic.   We see more snow, mountains, and glaciers on a larger scale being at this height.  Seeing the ship, a small spot in the bay, shows how minute we are in this place.  After taking in this wonderous scene, we pick our way through the rocks, returning to the landing point.  It is slow going.  Take a few steps, look around taking in the view.  Repeat.  Back on shore, waves continuously send small bits of ice crashing on the rocks, brash ice.  We see our first penguins.  Our guides inform us we will see more tomorrow.

Back on ship we try on our dry-suit, PFD and spray skirt.  It takes each of us almost 30 minutes to get into all the gear to the point we would be ready to kayak.  More practice is needed.

Once everyone is back on the ship we depart for our next destination, Harry Island.  We will be sailing all night, reaching it sometime tomorrow morning.  We will be sailing the Bransfield Strait.  We have Antarctica on one side, open ocean on the other.  Winds are blowing, we are warned that the ship will be rolling.  “Keep one hand for the ship”, we are told.  The rolling is not bad enough to keep us from eating, but it is a little hard falling asleep.  Nicida has trouble sleeping, I take a little longer, but after a while I am out.  The seas are 6 – 8’.  We find out later we are going head on into the waves, making the ride rougher.

Day 2

Waking shortly after 7, the sea is still rough.  We are approaching islands on the ocean side of the ship.  Within 15 minutes of passing them we are in calmer water.  We gather our cameras, heading up to the Observation deck for a better view.  We are in a black, white and blue world.  There are announcements of whale and penguin sightings as we eat breakfast, the advantage of many, observant eyes.

We head back to our room giving ourselves 30 minutes to dress in our kayaking gear.  It only takes us 25.   Indoors, the suit becomes a portable sauna.  The ten of us are excited and ready to go.  The water is calm, like glass, with only a few ripples.  Our little group is the first one out for this expedition.  Sophie and Ewen study the area, picking a spot for us to disembark the Zodiac for our kayaks.  It takes a bit for us to figure out the order in how to do things but we get better each time we set afloat.  As each couple slides into their kayak we hear humpback whales exhaling, take in a breath, then diving.  This is what Nicida and I were hoping for when we signed up for kayaking.  On kayaks we are silent, only the sound of our voices and paddles passing through the water.  Paddling, we pass several small islands each with a group of penguins.  We hear them squawking, calling, discussing the latest fish perhaps?  We also see the brown snow from walking up and down the same track to their favorite resting site or nest.  We also smell them, or their poop.  All this activity grabs our senses.  Other humpback whales pass by within a few hundred feet of us, exhaling, inhaling, as they dive for krill.

Two of the Kayak Kids

Again time passes quickly, we have to paddle back to the Zodiac for the ride back to the ship.  All the kayak kids, including Sophie and Ewen have smiles on their faces.

Once everyone is back on the ship, we depart, sailing for Orne Harbour, while enjoying lunch.

On the way to Orne Harbour, we pass growlers; bergy bits, small ice bergs 3’ – 15’ above the water surface; and real icebergs, taller than 15’ above the surface.  At times I feel we are among an armada of icebergs.  We spot Spigot Peak, marker for our destination.  It is a 938’ tall, black spire, named after a spigot – a wooden peg or a cask plug.  Other black peaks line the opposite side of the harbour.  Each one is topped by a thick layer of windswept snow.

Chinstrap penguin

We ready ourselves for another kayaking expedition, only six of us this time.  The rest of the visitors are ‘officially’ landing on Antarctica.  Technically, anything south of 60° south latitude is Antarctica, but putting ones foot on the continent counts for more than saying, “Technically we landed on Antarctica….”  Sophie and Ewen promise we will stop to set foot on Antarctica ourselves before we return to the ship.  The non-kayaking guests will hike up several hundred feet to a ridge enabling them to look on the other side of the peninsula.  We will be kayaking around that peninsula.

Paddling past the landing point we inquire about the small tracks going straight up the side of the mountain.  “Those are penguin tracks.”  Astonished, we compare their tracks against the switchback trail humans use to get to the top.  It’s tough being a penguin.  

Human and Penguin tracks

Paddling along the shoreline we see many Chinstrap penguins coming and going.  Some watch us, most are doing whatever penguins do, discussing fishing conditions, preening each other, climbing to their nests, or sliding down the mountain on their bellies, to go for a swim.  Continuing around the peninsula we find icebergs of all shapes and sizes.  Ewen cautions us to stay away from them, they can break apart, rolling in unpredictable ways causing problems for kayakers.  Some are so large that they can cause substantial waves if they break and roll.  On our return trip we see one rocking back and forth, a large piece of ice had just broken from the main body.  In all, we witness four separate icebergs wobbling from breaking apart.

We paddle back to the Zodiac riding to the landing point to have our photo taken next to a flag proving we landed on Antarctica.  We want to hike but the water shoes have little to no treads, which isn’t good climbing on ice or snow.  We enjoy our brief time on Antarctica before returning to the ship.

Today is the day for the polar plunge.  All those who are brave/foolish enough to want to jump into the South Ocean can do so this afternoon.  Nicida and I are brave enough to do it.  We put on our swimsuits then stand in line waiting for our turn.  We are not the first ones, we are third couple in line, we want to see if people actually survive the plunge, before we do it.  Four people went in and four people came out, so we are going.  We actually have a strap wrapped around our torso so we can be retrieved if there’s an issue.  The strap is cold, but not as cold as the water we are jumping into, by choice.  Nicida has some issues climbing the ladder back out, but finally makes it, so I get to float in the ocean a bit longer.  It wasn’t bad, I would have to think about doing it again, if that’s any indication.  We pass on the shot of vodka we are offered as we put on our robes.  Making our way back to our room my skin feels like it is being pricked by a thousand needles.  Thankfully, the needling lasts for only a minute or two, then I just feel cold.  In all 35 of the 61 visitors take the polar plunge.  I’m happy to report the same 35 are still on board.

A hot shower, and we are ready for dinner.  We sit with one of the other kayaking couples, Ben and Tini.  They are here from Singapore, their two children staying with grandparents in New Mexico.  After this trip, they are picking up their children then heading to Disney World.  Covid shut them down for the past few years, now they are making up for it.  We trade stories of how we met and our careers.  We head up to the Lounge to hear a presentation from Bill, one of our guides, about bringing a safety culture to Antarctica.  The night is still young, 10 PM, but still light.  Nicida and I grab our cameras catching the beautiful light of the setting sun in the Antarctic.

Day 3

We set our alarm for 5 AM hoping to catch a morning sunrise, we miss that by a few hours.  Making our way out on deck we see many photo ops.  The ship begins our trip to the Plan ‘A’ location, one of the nearby bays.  Approaching, the captain sees it’s ice clogged, so we go with plan ‘B’, Useful Island.  It is named ‘Useful’ because it was a useful island used to spot passing whales when whales were hunted.  It is also a Gentoo penguin rookery.  

Penguin tracks

All the kayak kids are on this adventure.  We hear Gentoo penguins squawking and trumpeting.  We see more brown tracks, in some places they are deep ruts; roads they regularly use.  We inhale the scent of Gentoo penguin poop.  Males pile rocks to impress the lady Gentoos of their nest building expertise, hoping to mate.  Occasionally there is some rock stealing between the males.  We witness a heated discussion followed by the offending penguin getting chased.  In his dash to escape the ire of the nest building penguin he runs into other penguin bystanders causing several to be knocked over.  The scene reminds me of a bowling ball doing its thing to bowling pins.  We see all kinds of penguin activity; swimming with popping out of the water like dolphins.  Scientists believe they do this to clean themselves.  Others dive into the water, still others, just stand around enjoying the day.  We land for a brief time watching all the activity.  Heading back, we pass many icebergs, each with random shapes.  One can imagine almost anything from these shapes, much like staring at clouds.

Arriving back at the ship we prepare for lunch, anticipating our next kayaking expedition.  Before arriving at the restaurant an announcement comes over the intercom.  Orcas have been sighted on the port side.  I remember just enough to know we must head to the left side of the ship if we want to see orcas.

Orca

They are off in the distance, we put long zoom lenses on our cameras so we can see them.  Only two other people are on the deck where we decide to photograph this event.  Announcements continue, more orcas are sighted, three pods in all.  One of the pods, with ten orcas, decide to checkout our ship.  They swim directly towards us, then alongside the ship, under the ship, returning to the port side.  Curiosity satisfied; they head off.  All the visitors, and crew are excited at the close encounter.

We stop for lunch, then head back to the room.  We each need, and take, a nap for our next round of activity.  Thirty minutes later we are ready for our afternoon paddle.

Image courtesy of Nicida

Image courtesy of Nicida

We are in Fournier Bay, known to be rich in krill, humpback whale’s main food source.  Even before we enter our Zodiac we hear humpbacks have been spotted.  Our little group is ready to go, heading off in one direction where we see the mist from exhaling humpbacks.  Once in our kayaks we stop to listen and watch.  Listening give us a clue where we can see them.  They come to the surface just enough to take a breath then head down again.  We spot three in the first group.  Oohs, Aahs, and giggles of joy are heard from everyone.  What we are seeing is special.  The first group passes, replaced by another group of three.  At the same time we hear loud cracks, like thunder, from calving glaciers in the distance.  They are far enough away that by the time we hear them the ice has already collapsed into the sea.

We witness the humpbacks bubble feeding.  They swim in a circle releasing air, as more air is released the krill are trapped inside this shrinking circle of air.  At some appointed time, determined by the humpbacks, they head to the surface taking in mouthfuls of krill.  We see between five and eight humpbacks rising to the surface, feeding within the circle.

Antarctic sunset

Thinking they are moving on, we paddle looking for more activity.  The water is like glass.  We see several glaciers calving, one is so large Sophie warns us to paddle away expecting a large wave coming in our direction.  Instead, it is a gentle swell, we can see the water level gently rise several inches then subside as it passes us.

As we paddle back to the Zodiac, the humpbacks are back, bubble feeding again.  We see the circle of bubbles form, increase in intensity, the circle shrink, then five or six humpbacks rise to feed.  This happens two or three more times as we are watching from our Zodiac.  Nobody wants to leave.  Sophie and Ewen, who have guided kayaking trips for over ten years, over 1,000 trips, exclaim this is one of the five best kayaking excursions they have ever been on.

Tonight is Bar-B-Que night on the rear deck of the ship.  Grills are covered with hot dogs, burgers, chicken, and sausages.  We also have pastas, and salads.  Music is playing, impromptu dancing appears among the guests.  A great time is had by all.

We get briefed on tomorrow’s agenda.  We are heading back towards King George Island, where our adventure began three days ago.  Two more excursions are planned for tomorrow.  Our actual departure, is scheduled for the following day.  Tomorrow starts at 500.

Day four

Sunrise
Image courtesy of Nicida

Nicida has trouble sleeping, getting up at 230 she catches the sunrise.  I sleep right through it, waking at 500.  We visit with several of the other early risers, anticipating breakfast.  We all have great stories.   Breakfast is at 615.  We are at Snow Island, President’s Head, a peninsula of the island.  Penguins and several species of seals, including elephant seals shelter here.  From our balcony we see large rocks on the shoreline.  But those rocks are moving.  I also hear sounds coming from that direction.  It sounds like a bunch of old men sitting around after a big meal, belching.  Closer inspection identifies that the rocks are actually elephant seals.  We are told the big males are off elsewhere, we will see only the juveniles, and females.  No big battles between the juveniles, only mock fighting, practice needed for when they get older.

We put on our dry suits; our time has gone from 30 minutes to 20.  This location is a little more exposed to the open sea.  We also feel a stronger breeze than in the past outings.  Sophie and Ewen are forced to deploy an anchor to hold the Zodiac in place for us to launch.  The breeze is blowing offshore, we must be observant, staying close to the shore where the water is calmer.

I confirm the belching sounds I heard from the ship, are from the elephant seals.  Up close, they sound more like a backed-up sewer, bubbling back up into the kitchen sink.  It also smells like a backed-up kitchen sink.  We witness a pair of the juveniles practicing their fighting skills.  A lot of raising their heads up in the air, then crashing onto their adversary, then do it all over again, no damage is done to either combatant.  Most of seals are just lounging on the beach.  Occasionally they open their big dark eyes, causing us to smile.  They really attract our attention when they open their mouths, a big red spot against their mottled brown fur.

We are back in the South Shetland Islands, further north from Antarctica.  There is some snow, but very little.  The island is volcanic, the rocks are black and gray with reddish/brown lichen growing above the intertidal zone.  We land on the island wanting to see the seals from land.  Most of them are sleeping.  We see one ‘family’ of seals squeezed together in a row.  It reminds me of kids squeezing into bed with mom and dad because they are afraid of the thunder.  A large juvenile lays on the beach, breathing heavily.  He opens his eyes just to see what’s going on then closes them again.  I interpret that as ‘don’t bother me’.  Another single female lounges on the beach, not a care in the world.  A Zodiac returns us to the ship, we are ready for lunch.

Once we are all onboard, we are called to the Lounge for an announcement.  The flight schedule is set.  The plane leaves Punta Arenas this evening at 800.  We will be returning to Punta Arenas at 1030 tonight, arriving around 1230, and the hotel around 130.  Weather is moving in.  If we don’t leave this evening, we may be stuck here for a couple of days.  The decision was made to get us out and get the next group in.  This means our trip will be cut short by a half day.  This afternoon’s excursion is not happening, we are sailing directly for the Frei Station, where we landed when we came.         

The mood at lunch is somber.  We really enjoyed our visit.  With the exception of the rolling sea, we experienced crossing the Bransfield Strait, we’ve had phenomenal time.  We’ve had up-close and personal experience with penguins, humpback whales and orcas.  We’ve seen glaciers, calving glaciers, icebergs, growlers, and bergy bits.  We also met great people in our kayaking group and others we met onboard.

During our last excursion Sophie and Ewen requested that we take a shower in our dry suit.  It is covered with salt, the easiest way to clean it is to shower with it on.  It is strange taking a shower in clothing, and not getting wet.

Now our work begins, packing for the upcoming flight.  It has been nice spreading out in our room the last few days, now we have to gather up all that stuff, fitting it back into our luggage.

Early in the afternoon the ship’s photographer shows a slide show of our trip.  Many candid's of us, and images of the wildlife.  It is moving.  We all meet at the bow of the ship for a photo of our group.  After that, we head to our rooms continuing our packing.  Once our bags are ready, we place them in the hall outside our door for the crew to pick up, moving them below, so they are ready to be taken ashore.  The entire crew works on transporting us off the ship and the new guests on.  After our Zodiac ride to the island, we are taken to a series of trailers, our waiting room.  We visit, getting to know one of the other kayakers we hadn’t met yet.  He tells us his story of hiking to Everest basecamp.  It was not a good story, he experienced problems with the food and possibly altitude sickness, having to be flown out.

Our flight goes well.  We sleep a bit, exhausted from all the activity.  We arrive at the hotel, pick up our luggage we left at the hotel, finally checking into the room around 300.  We are in bed shortly after that.

Punta Arenas

We sleep in late.  Going down to the restaurant we see the couple from Spain with their grandson.  They are returning to Spain later today.  We are staying an extra day, some of the people we read about on previous trips got back a day late, so I planned for that possibility.  As the day progresses we recognize very few faces.  We see the next group attending the briefing meeting for their upcoming trip.  We repack our luggage for the flight back to the US.  Tomorrow we move into a different hotel, the one we stayed in when we arrived.  

We are still bothered by sinus problems and sore throats.  Stopping at a pharmacy for help from a pharmacist, I look over the shelves of products.  I see the familiar; Colgate toothpaste, although not as many flavors; Nivea hand cream, Banana Boat sunscreen; and Listerine.  Unfamiliar and odd, scented sunscreen – coconut, bubblegum and chocolate.  I didn’t find bacon scented…

We do the tourist thing, looking for, and purchasing a few items.  We find small refrigerator magnets that look like sheep, very cute, along with a few other items.  We are still experiencing rocking of the ship while on solid ground.  This actually stays with us for several days, so we blame part of it on our sinus conditions.  The wind picks up later in the day, 35 – 45 miles per hour.  It almost knocks us over when it gusts.

Back home

We are moving slowly, these last days of our trip.  We have done a lot and are still recovering from colds.  Once home, we stop at a clinic, Nicida is diagnosed with a sinus infection, and given medication.

Back home, I have the opportunity to check into an email message from my credit union.  Someone hacked my debit card in Brazil, trying to use it.  The card had been shut down until they heard from me so there were no issues on that.  But in looking at my back statement someone had withdrawn several hundred dollars at an ATM machine, while we were in Antarctica.  The credit union looked into the charges and reimbursed me so that came out okay.  Prior to the trip we had called our credit unions alerting them to our plans.  One credit union said 'No', they will not accept charges from Brazil, there is too much fraud.  The other said okay, they put us in their database saying everything would be okay.  Based on our experience DO NOT USE A DEBIT CARD ON AN ATM FOR CASH WHEN IN BRAZIL.  The machine I used was in the Sao Paulo airport, I thought it would be safe, I was wrong.  I got hacked, I receive statements from the card company a month after our trip, informing me another charge was denied against the closed, and destroyed, debit card.

Our trip to Antarctica was great.  In speaking with some of the guides, we had the best weather, seeing nature doing fantastic things.  The kayaking was great, seeing whales and penguins under quiet conditions, kayaks are the only way to see them.

All of the crew onboard did their best to take care of us.  The cabin crew came in the room whenever we were gone, replacing used towels, turning down the bed at night.  They always had a smile, greeting us with a cheerful good morning.  The food was fantastic, we had several options at the dinners where we selected from the menu, and many options at the buffet for breakfast and lunch.

Would we go again?  In a word no.  Not because we didn’t like it, but because we cannot top this trip.  When asking our guides about other trips, they mentioned going longer and further in and around the area, but that means more time on the boat traveling between locations.  Going further exposes us to possible weather conditions and maybe ice filled destinations like we came upon at one of our locations.  We recommend seeing Antarctica, it is truly a special place.  It needs to be preserved, it’s not just rock, ice and snow, it is full of life.

I hope you enjoyed reading about our adventure.

Thank you for stopping by,

Mark