We are finally back in Buenos Aires, so I have email access for just a few hours before leaving for Iguazu Falls. I am going to post the entire two weeks of my journal from the trip beginning with Buenos Aires, then to Ushuaia, and finally on to Antartica. It has been a most amazing journey to experience such a spectacular and untouched part of our world. I hope you enjoy our adventures!
Blessings,
Barbara
ANTARCTICA TRIP – January 10 -28
Day One-January 10 — 11: Leaving the USA and Arriving in Buenos Aires, Argentina
After all the trauma of finding out just a few hours before we left that my assistant was quitting in two weeks, a sleepless few nights trying to get everything ready to go, especially packing for almost 3 weeks with just two 30# bags (I cheated and will leave one BIG one at the hotel in between! ;-), and then the usual stress about leaving the country and making sure all the legal and family issues were covered, I could hardly believe I was really on the plane.
I got to Dulles and waited at the gate for my friend, Nancy Cobb, who was flying in from Chicago. When she hadn’t come and everyone else was on board, I checked with the agent. He said, “If she runs, she might make it!” Anyway, she did, and we were on our way. The 10 hour overnight flight was pretty uneventful except for having to go back to the gate for a sick customer to get off. I had a lovely Spanish woman next to me who was a lawyer in the US and was coming to visit family. She suggested lots of things for us to see, directed us to the best shopping areas ;-), and especially the best wines to try! We got a couple of hours of sleep and finally arrived at the airport in Buenos Aires. The customs forms were in such small print that no one could read them, and even the flight attendants did not know what they said.
We whizzed through customs and must have looked honest as they put us in a special line so we didn’t even have to have our bags checked. We immediately felt comfortable here as everyone was so helpful and kind, not at all like other countries we have visited. We took a private car for 65 pesos ($22 US, exchange rate is 3 pesos to the dollar) and arrived at the hotel about 12:30. As we were waiting in line, an American woman came up and introduced herself as Lynn, and we found out she was on our trip as well, our first new friend! Since our room wasn’t ready, we went down to the fitness area and had a lovely buffet lunch – freshly made pasta, several choices of quiches, many different salads – all for about $7 US! On our way to our room of course we had to stop at the hotel gift boutique. Nancy found several things and I tried on a BEAUTIFUL black hand-knit stoll/coat, which was a real bargain, but I either will have to buy another bag or have it shipped home. We were off to a great start!!!!
We are at the Marriott Plaza Hotel, a lovely old but newly refurbished hotel, right in the heart of the city, and of course , in the middle of the best shopping area in town (more about that later since you know that is my “thing!”). Alan Black, a world-traveling speaker friend, had connected me with a lovely woman who is a consultant here named Alejandra Benitez. After we had checked, unpacked, and had a most WONDERFUL shower, we met her at 4:00 for a bit of exploring from a native’s perspective. We began walking down Florida Street, the major shopping area, and she explained various Argentinian customs to us. One of them was el Mate which is a special tea drunk from containers usually made from uniquely decorated gourds with a sort of hollow metal straw that everyone drinks from –which Nancy suggested might be like passing the marijuana! 😉 We plan to bring some of these home to share as gifts specific to the culture. We have yet to try it ourselves!
We were amazed by the number and varying quality of all the leather shops lining the streets. We stopped in several of them as I was determined that I should get a new leather jacket while I am here. (Nancy says we stopped and sampled them all! 😉 While Alejandra and I were in one shop, we completely lost Nancy. We looked inside and out and almost thought she had been kidnapped our first 24 hours in Buenos Aires! We finally found her, in the very back of the shop, purchasing a handmade belt and of course felt relieved but also that it was very apropos that she was engaged in my favorite pastime.
The streets were filled with people, flowers, beggars, lots of musicians and entertainers, many people handing out flyers, and huge posters of the Simpsons, (even in Argentina!) We were amazed at the number of bookstores, but that seemed appropriate since Nancy read that there is 97% literacy here. Although it was a bit chaotic, we felt comfortable, just warned to be wary of our purses. The temperature here had been in the 90’s but it was lovely yesterday – mid-70s. On the front of one store, there was a giant leather jacket, just another demonstration of how important a product leather is to the country. Another famous product is a pinkish stone almost like rose quartz. I bought a small penguin made from it, but it is very expensive. One of the pieces we loved, a penguin with an attitude about 6 inches high, was over $300!
We were amazed at a couple of the beautiful shopping galleries with hand-painted ceilings and all the famous US stores. Many alleyways were lined with small shops as you walked down the street. She showed us one street where there used to be 35 – 40 cinemas. Anyone who wanted to go to the theatre had to come here. The buildings were old but beautiful and now most of them are filled with shops. We stopped in several art galleries and learned from Alejandra many interesting things about the culture.
Finally, we found it!!!! Nancy spied a lovely lime green leather jacket with small inserts of white leather-just made for me! The people in the store were lovely. One young woman was from Cuba and she and Alejandra had an interesting discussion about Castro – in Spanish. I bought the jacket ( I just love it!), and then Alejandro treated us to their dessert specialty – a kind of ice cream. We each tried two flavors, and it was scrumptious, very rich and creamy. We enjoyed our discussion about creativity and the various exercises we each use in our work with corporations.
After Alejandra left, Nancy and I went into a department store to find a restroom. As I went to leave, I discovered the door on my stall had no knob to turn, and I COULD NOT GET OUT! The space underneath the door was about 8 inches high, so Nancy went for help. Several of the female employees came in, one of them, the tiniest one, stood on the toilet next to me to show me (none of them spoke English) to move to the very back of the stall. With that, she gave a running start and crashed the door open with her foot. I was FREE!!!! We were all laughing hysterically, and then I asked to take her picture in front of the stall as “my hero!” I am sure they will never forget us, the goofy American women.
Everywhere we’ve gone, the food has just been wonderful. As we were walking home, we decided to stop in a cute little outdoor café that was very busy with native people. Nancy had fish, and I ordered a filet mignon with veggies and a bottle of their famous red wine. The bill was 56 pesos for everything (about $20 US). However, we made up for it at breakfast today at the Marriott, a beautiful buffet but the cost was 82 pesos (almost $30 US). The wine was much better than the breakfast! 😉
After dinner, we walked home, shopping along the way, and noticed a whole new group of street vendors, mostly people with their own handmade products. I found out I could get email here, so finished up that, and we finally went to bed for our first good night’s sleep in a week! So, in our first 10 hours in BA, we ate good food, met lovely people, found many things to buy, lost Nancy, and I got locked in the restroom. Then this morning at breakfast Nancy had some funny round brown things on top of her oatmeal. She wondered what they were – a kind of fruit, nut, or odd native product. I tasted one and discovered with lots of laughter – they were cocoa puffs! We are now off for our second day in Argentina…
Day Two-January 12: Buenos Aires, Argentina
After a luxurious and much-needed night of sleep, we had a late start and just barely made it to breakfast before it closed at 11:00. They have a nice buffet with lots of fresh fruit. Got caught up on email and then gathered our “stuff” and headed out on the street. We decided to walk to the museum area but took many detours along the way. We had read about the first place we stopped – their mission was to share cultural artifacts made by natives. I got a couple of pieces of lovely silver and horn jewelry.
As we wandered, we popped into various interesting shops and finally arrived at the museums just about the time we had to go back to the hotel for the opera tonight! We did have a lovely late snack at an outdoor garden area in one of the most exclusive shopping galleries in the city. One interesting thing we noted in the whole “Rodeo Drive” of Buenos Aires was that so few people in the shops spoke English, completely unlike all the small shops on Florida Street where it seemed almost everyone knew our language.
As we walked, we were fascinated by the detailed architecture of the buildings and especially the handmade doors, lovely gates, and balconies with lots of flowers.
When we got to the museum area, we were distracted once again by an outdoor craft fair and spent our last few minutes combing the booths for special treasures. I found some handmade mate holders that were very interesting, but most of the things were quite folksy. We grabbed a taxi and came back to the hotel to get ready for our evening.
The concierge suggested to Nancy that we attend Opera Pampas that evening which included dinner. As we were waiting in the lobby, an older gentleman came up, introduced himself as a judge from Milwaukee, and invited us to the Executive Lounge for a glass of wine. (Hooray!) I think it was the first time we were reminded about time in different cultures. Although the bus was supposed to pick us up at 7:00, they did not come until about 7:40; however, at that point we had gone upstairs for hors d’oeuvres and wine, so it didn’t really matter.
The bus ride to the Opera was very interesting as it gave us even more of a feel for this wonderful city. When we arrived at the outdoor arena for the opera, we were first invited inside for more wine (we LOVE the Argentinian red wine!) and empanadas. There were small stalls and I tried on a gorgeous silver silk shawl coat which everyone there decided I should buy! The Opera was not at all what we had expected, but it was extremely well done. It was the story of the history of Argentina with a large cast, many beautiful horses, and extremely talented singers– a collaboration of dance, song, and horsemanship. It was a lovely setting under the stars with the skyline of the city in the background. The only thing that could have made it better is if we had had an English translation or if we had had time to read the program since it was all in Spanish.
We continue to be amazed at what a small world it is! When we were seated for dinner inside the arena where huge carcasses of beef were cooking in an open pit, we discovered that everyone at our table was in some sort of HR. We continue to discover that although we come from different cultures, we seem to always find great similarities in the issues all of us face in our work and lives. A couple with a little girl had their own company in Buenos Aires, and the other gentleman at our table was from South Africa and had just retired as head of worldwide Human Resources for Volkswagon. We had some very interesting and energetic conversation even though the food left a lot to be desired! We took the bus home and got to bed about 1:00 am.
Day Three – January 13: Buenos Aires, Argentina
We slept in and had breakfast about 10:30. After my shopping spree the day before, we ran out of pesos after blindly following the advice of the group about not needing to bring much money because almost everyone took credit cards. We waited in line at an exchange for a long time, only to find out that we needed our passports which, according to our instructions, we were supposed to leave in the safe at the hotel. Our next plan was to try the ATM machines with our credit cards, which did not work, so finally we were able to get 100 pesos each from the hotel to be charged to our room. Our other task for the morning was to try to find somewhere to buy a battery charger for my camera since mine was left plugged into the wall in my living room in Florida!.
After a frustrating few hours, we did find the charger ($70 US), I went back to the exchange with my passport and traveler’s checks, and Nancy headed off to the Design Center and Museum. Now that I was “flush” again, I decided to do a bit more shopping ;-), found one more leather jacket and several fun gifts for the kids and friends. We continue to be amazed at how nice everyone is and what good bargains there are here! (You will be surprised to know that I did have to buy an extra bag today to accommodate all the fun things I purchased..)
We met back at the hotel at 5:00, took showers, and got ready for the opening reception for the tour group. I got to model my new purple leather jacket and handknit scarf for our new group of friends at the party! Although a bit disorganized, it was nice – we met some interesting people, including the others from KU, got lots of instructions about the dreaded 33# limit of one bag for Antarctica, had some wonderful Argentine wine, and then went to our 8:00 pm reservation at Juana M’s which had been recommended by the man we had met the night before.
When we got there at 8:00, there was not a soul in the entire restaurant, so they asked us if we could come back a little later. We walked around a bit and finally got seated about 8:45. It turned out to be one of the best meals we have had here! We ordered filet mignon with mushroom sauce. We each got two delicious filets, they had a wonderful salad bar, we ordered our favorite Malbec wine, and the bill came to $91 pesos (about $30 US) for the two of us. Everyone had told us about the Argentinian beef, and we are now converts! It was the best filet either of us has ever had. The culture is interesting because when we would be going to bed, they are just going out to dinner. We both have had some trouble sleeping after such late meals.
We did learn that Malbec is a kind of wine and not a brand, and we were disappointed in the first bottle we ordered at the restaurant. We are now on a search for the perfect Malbec-like the wonderfully smooth varieties we were served the first two evenings in Buenos Aires. We may have to sample LOTS of them on our incessant search for the best! IF you have any experience in this variety of Argentinian wine, please email us and help save us from such a daunting task…
Day Four – January 14: Buenos Aires, Argentina
The Tour Begins!
Today was our first early day and a bit of a disappointment. We were told by the travel staff to be at breakfast at 8:00 am (UGH!!!). We arrived and found that there were people standing everywhere – there were not nearly enough tables and seats for everyone, we never did get coffee, and the whole thing was chaotic – we hoped NOT an indication of the days ahead!
At 9:30 we all boarded 6 buses and headed out for a city tour. Our first stop was La Boca, an area near the river that used to be a bustling port town established by the Italians. There were large comic papier mache’ figures of the Perons and other famous Argentinians on the roofs, and all the buildings were painted in many different bright colors. We were told that when the ships came in, they gave any extra paint they had to the residents and that is why the buildings are so colorful. It was striking to enter this area as the rest of the city was made up of the usual drab colors of stone and cement, and all of a sudden your senses were infused with color.
It reminded us both of New Orleans, since like that city, they have had trouble with flooding and have had to raise the sidewalks in several places. Everywhere we go there are Tango dancers in the streets – such spirit and fun! Even though it is a small area of the city, it still houses a soccer stadium that seats 58,000, reminding us of the importance of the game in their culture. Legend has it that when they were trying to choose the colors for their soccer uniforms, they decided that they would pick the colors of the next ship to come into port. Thus, the colors became blue and gold.
Another interesting thing about this area, which is surrounded by poverty, was that it was the home of Mendosa, a famous artist. After studying with Rodin in Paris, he came back and donated all the land he owned to build a school for the children of the area which still functions today. Throughout the school he measured parts of the wall and did original paintings for each room so all the children could be surrounded by art and beauty. What an amazing gift he has given to thousands of children in the area who might not otherwise ever experience true works of art!
We had about 30 minutes to take pictures and explore a small art and craft show made up of many tiny booths. Of course we found a couple of things we could not resist! We wished we could have stayed much longer, but there was lots more to see. We especially enjoyed the drive along the river where new restaurants and apartments have begun to spring up. It is a beautiful place to walk and jog. Our tour guide mentioned that it used to be filled with old, rusted out ships, so this is an important part of the rehab of the city and has become a very exclusive place to live.
INTERESTING FACTS WE’VE LEARNED ABOUT ARGENTINA:
Education from Kindergarten through university is compulsory and free. However, if parents want their children to truly learn another language, they send them to a private school if possible. In public schools the children only go in the morning and they get English perhaps once or twice a week. In the private schools, they study another language all afternoon. This explains the high literacy rate (97%) in the country. We also noticed many bookstores during our shopping excursions.
Voting is compulsory. There is a stiff fine if one does not vote.
Healthcare is free, but you often have to wait six months for an operation!
The economy is changing from an emphasis on beef to much more focus on agriculture. They are the number one exporter of soy flour in the world.
Argentina is one of the richest countries in the world in spite of all the turmoil they have experienced. In 2001 they had five presidents in eleven days!
Our next stop was Plaza de Mayo where Eva Peron spoke from the balcony of the President’s Palace just before her death, and Madonna sang from the same spot in the movie, “Evita.” This is the large square where the Mothers Revolution demonstrates on a regular basis to try to find their children who were arbitrarily put up for adoption or tortured and killed during the revolutions. The square is surrounded by beautiful government buildings, a cathedral, and looks out toward the famous obelisk. We were amazed at the excessive number of policemen patrolling the square when there were very few people present. They also have the largest subway system in South America which leaves from the square.
When we returned to the hotel, we met a number of our group at Filo, a wonderful pizza place that had been recommended to us. We had a lovely salad with fresh fish and a fire-grilled pizza. Afterwards we spent the afternoon at the Recoleta Street Fair in the museum area. Unfortunately, when Nancy stopped to buy water, she set down her bag of purchases and someone must have picked them up because they were gone when she went back. We had dinner at a famous steakhouse (my t-bone steak was huge!) and then boarded the buses for the highlight of the trip so far, the Tango Show.
We were amazed at the talent, spirit, and class of the show which did not start until 10:15 pm. The elegance of the dancers, both young and old, the skill of their footwork and ease of their synchronized movements, the sensuousness of the music, and the beautiful voices of the singers overwhelmed us – there are not words to describe this experience adequately! Even though the songs and dialogue were all in Spanish, we marveled at how the performers could communicate the spirit of the dance and genre. The beautiful setting was the theater named after Carlos _______, the originator of the Tango. The use of keyless accordions was interesting along with piano, bass, and violin. We all were intrigued with the skimpy, “naval-less” outfit of the violinist – the first woman allowed to participate in a Tango orchestra, She certainly competed with the gorgeous and very sexy costuming of the dancers! We all left wanting to DANCE!!! It was the perfect ending to our “official” introduction to Buenos Aires. Then…on to the challenge of packing..;-)
Day Five – January 15: Leaving Buenos Aires and Arriving at Ushiaua, Patagonia, Argentina
After a VERY short night and lots of anxiety about mixed messages re the packing, we went to take our bags down, only to discover that the elevators were not working! The hotel is lovely and the staff has been so kind and helpful all long that this was an unwelcome surprise. We were advised to take our carry-on bags with us on the bus tour in the morning as the lines to retrieve bags would be so long, and our flight was leaving just 90 minutes after the bus returned from the tour, so our time was short to get a bite of lunch and do our final emails since we will be completely out of touch for the next ten days.
I PRAYED that my checked bag was not too much overweight 😉 and I already KNEW that my carry-ons were well over the 11# limit, but I was lucky and everything got through all right. (Nancy was sure that the plane would not be able to take off until they dumped my bag 😉
The morning tour began with a trip to the famous cemetery where Eva Peron is buried. Very exclusive and only open to dignitaries and the very wealthy, it is entirely made up of mausoleums, and our guide told us many interesting stories, including one where a young girl was buried alive in 1802. She had catalepsy, and some days later when a cemetery worker discovered blood on the steps, they opened her casket only to find scratch marks from her trying to get out. Other very tragic stories make up the legends of this rather eerie place. The burial vaults range in style from modern to ancient, predominantly French and Spanish architecture, and they can hold up to 40 bodies, some being 4-6 floors deep. When they run out of space in a mausoleum, they simply create the remains, put them in urns, and bring in the next inhabitant.
They do not embalm the bodies in Argentina; however, they made exceptions with the Perons because their bodies lay in state for quite a few days after their deaths. We were also intrigued with how some of the bodies of government leaders were “kidnapped” and used for ransom. At one point soon after her death, Eva’s body “disappeared,” so for some time, she was entombed in Spain. Because of this, upon the return of the body to this cemetery, the Guide said they had buried her 30 feet deep. It made us wonder if Eva’s body was REALLY there! Her family name was Duarte; however, her mother was simply her father’s mistress, so he did not recognize these children until just before his death.
We came back to the hotel, Nancy grabbed sandwiches while I finished up our last email for about 10 days in the business center, and in the meantime there was a fire in the hotel bar so lots of fire engines and activity. (Little did we know that this was a foreshadowing of things to come!) At last we boarded buses for the airport where we went through security. We did not have to take off our shoes or take out computers – MUCH more lax than in the US. We were the first flight to take off for Ushuia and found out that we had one stop in Rio Gallopos (?). The tiny military base was truly in the middle of nowhere! Flying into Ushusia was truly amazing as we passed over the snow-capped Andes mountains-Nancy said it looked just like the postcards she bought in BA!. This was their new international airport where the Concorde even landed at one time.
At last we arrived in Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world. It was certainly a change from the beautiful weather in Buenos Aires. As we drove in on our buses, the extreme gap in living conditions was very obvious-some of the homes were nothing more than shacks, so we were especially concerned about the children. We wondered what all the people do for most of the year since the tourists only come from September through March. One of the things that surprised us were the huge lupine plants of many colors. Little else grows here because it is so cold most of the time -rarely gets above 50 degrees, even in the middle of summer.
The state of Patagonia where Ushuaia resides is divided in half – half owned by Chile and half by Argentina. Ushuaia is an Indian name meaning “end of the earth,” and it is surrounded by the Andes Mountains. The Beagle Channel is a part of this divided empire, however our guide told us there was lots of cooperation since all tourists who visit Antarctica must come through this small city of 60,000. It was founded first as a prison for the worst offenders, but now the prison is a museum. The only barber in town was a prisoner, so if you wanted a haircut, you had to go to the prison! Because of so few inhabitants at that time, the prisoners were quite involved in the community, building roads, etc. There were only 5000 people at the beginning, but then the government offered new residents freedom from taxes, so the population began to grow.
We drove up a winding mountain road to our green-roofed chalet where we were to spend the night-Glaciar Hotel. After waiting and waiting for our dinner (we did not feel they were prepared for 200 people), we finally finished eating about 11:30 pm. Just as we were all going back to our rooms, some people already in their pj’s (Nancy) and even some in the shower, we heard lots of noise outside, finally making out people shouting “Fire, fire!” Just then someone ran down the hall and rapped on our door yelling, “Get out NOW!” I grabbed my computer and purse while Nancy got some clothes on, and down the fire escape we went! All of us gathered out in front for about 30 minutes while the volunteer firemen, who arrived in taxi cabs, looked for the source of the fire which turned out to be a Flue fire. Nancy and I huddled in a blanket with a man whom we did not even know – a sign of how everyone comes together in a crisis!
When they finally let us in again, they made us all gather in the dining room while they used machines to suck all the smoke out of the halls and rooms. To appease us, they opened bottles of wine and water and passed them out among the group. We were all exhausted after such a fright on top of an early morning in BA, the tour and packing, and the 4 hour flight, so the tour leaders postponed our leaving the next morning until 10:00 am. We finally got back into our rooms about 1:30 am. We were appalled at the lack of safety conditions – no smoke detectors or sprinkler systems, and one side of the hotel did not even have fire escapes. The comment we heard most was, “You always hear about things like this but never think it could happen to you!” Although it was a scare we were lucky that we were able to get back in to our rooms, that were left undamaged.
Day Six – January 16: Leaving Ushaia and Boarding our Ship, the LMS Le Diamante
The next day we took buses through the magnificent Terra del Fuego National Park. The beauty was stunning, and we learned lots about the flora and fauna of southern Argentina. We stopped several times and even had our passports stamped from the “end of the earth.” It would be a wonderful place to hike someday on a return to Antarctica. For lunch we stopped at a local family-owned restaurant that was in what appeared to be a large barn with hay on the floor and known for its barbeque. Afterwards lunch we were treated to a most delightful show of local dance with 6 young men and 6 young women, all from two families. We then came back to the town where it was raining (they say the weather in this part of the world changes every 15 minutes which we definitely found to be true) and had about 30 minutes to shop. Mostly we bought postcards and each a small penguin.
Then we boarded our ship, the MLS Le Diamante, a French vessel that holds 200 passengers. Just after arriving, we had a required safety drill during which we all had to put on our lifejackets and find our assigned life boats. It was a bit scary to think of abandoning ship in these icy waters! We were pleasantly surprised about the size of our stateroom and the lovely condition of the ship. Although this is an expedition trip, we are lucky to be on board a luxury vessel. Our group from the University of Kansas was invited that night to a special dinner in the small, elegant dining room. We were served several lovely courses, egg on egg (soft boiled egg with two kinds of caviar), a wonderful pumpkin soup, a chilled palette cleanser with herbs and vodka, all the French wine we wanted, and filet mignon with lovely vegetables for the main course. It was a delightful evening followed by a show of Argentine dancing. Then the real adventure began as we started through the Drake Passage, known as the roughest waters in the world!
By the time we were going to bed, the ship had begun to rock and roll, and all through the night things crashed around us, falling off the desk and shelves in the bathroom, the ship creaking and groaning, and several times we almost fell out of bed! I hardly slept all night. Later the crew told us it was one of the worst trips they had ever experienced. There were waves 30 feet high and winds of up to 75 knots.
Day Seven, January 17; The Notorious Drake Passage
The terrible weather continued all the next day. The captain warned us over and over to “stay in our cabins” to avoid getting hurt as one could barely walk without falling down. This continued through most of the day, but by evening it had calmed down just a bit. MANY people were sick, and all down the hallways were lined up “barf bags!” Nancy did not take anything and managed to survive without getting sick, but I was really queasy by lunchtime so began the medicine which was prescribed for seasickness. The only drawback was that it made me drowsy.
We ended up sleeping most of the day as that was about all you could or felt like doing. Everything that was planned ended up being postponed. We were surprised, however, at the number of people who did make it to dinner that night. After dinner, we managed to watch a movie before we went to sleep. It had been a wasted and awful day for almost everyone. We decided that our group had had enough excitement with two fires and a horrible passage, so now things should turn around a bit.
Day Eight – January 18: Reaching the Islands of Antarctica
Each meal we have here is a treasure because of the wonderfully interesting people. The age range is from 14 to 86, and the most interesting part is hearing about their avocations and hobbies. Several men brought their mothers with them, so Nancy and I are hoping that our sons will take note! 😉
We were excited to see our very first iceberg, and interestingly, the first land we were able to see in Antarctica was Livingston Island. We saw hundreds of penguins with our binoculars as well as two breaching whales during our passage through the English Channel. Flexibility is the word for a trip like this, both because of the changing weather and the popularity of this adventure during the months of December to February (we were told that there are 30 other ships somewhere in the area)! They had planned for us to land on Aitcho Island but another ship beat us to it, so we had to go on to Half Moon Island instead. Nancy and I are in the “yellow” group. We had a briefing this afternoon about how to load the zodiacs, what to bring with us, and the process of landing. It certainly is not a place for the weak-willed!
We quickly discovered that putting on all our gear is as tiring as the hiking on the islands – first the silk underwear, then the turtle necks, then the fleece jacket and pants, then the waterproof pants, then the sock liners, then the waterproof socks (which are nearly IMPOSSIBLE to get on and off!), then the mountaineering socks, then the dark glasses, hat, gator, and waterproof gloves. We have to carry our knee high rubber boots up to the docking station with us and put them on just before we leave. We also have to prepare our backpacks with our cameras and binoculars in waterproof bags, a bottle of water, extra camera batteries, Kleenex, our ID card which they scan when we leave and when we return so they don’t leave anyone on the island, and finally a scarf and chapstick. What a pleasant RELIEF it is to come back in and take it all off!
Antarctica is not owned by any country, so an international treaty called IOTA has established policies and environmental protocol for all visitors to the area. No one ever takes anything away from the places they land, and the animals ALWAYS have the right-of-way. There is a great respect for this amazing land. Before we leave the ship, we must walk through a tub with huge sponges filled with disinfectant so that we do not carry any bacteria onto any of the islands. On our return we must do the same, and then we each step our boots into crates with huge brushes on each side to remove any other residue. We climb on and off the zodiacs by putting our legs over on the seaside and then sliding down to the end of the boat. It is quite a fun ride!
Half Moon Island has several large penguin rookeries of chinstrap penguins. They are small and very cute. We learned much about them from the naturalists who were with us. It is interesting because they always come back to the same spot year after year. We saw many babies still in the nests which are made of small rocks. Part of the courting process is that the male brings the female small rocks to make her nest. We laughed as we saw one supposedly male (they cannot tell the difference, according to the naturalist) stealing rocks from another penguin’s nest to take to his sweetheart! They usually mate for life and when they come back each spring, they try to find one another by their sound or at the same nest from past years. However, if they come back and they can’t find their mate, they take whoever is available! The eggs take about 5 weeks to hatch and at 7 weeks the chicks can then swim, so the parents’ job is done. During the time of raising the chicks, the parents take turns caring for them – one stays with the egg or the baby while the other goes out for food, and then they trade shifts. We saw many parents feeding their young. As soon as the chicks are independent, the parents take off and stay in the water until time for the next mating season. They can sleep in the water or on an iceberg.
Many of the nests were up VERY high in the mountains, and the naturalist told us that that is a good thing because that is where the snow melts first, so these chicks get a faster and stronger start even though it is an awful hike for the little penguin parents. The nest can never be made on snow or the egg will not survive, so the higher up the nests are, the more likely the young are to make it. While there, we also saw several seals lying right among the penguins. We learned that they never attack the penguins on land, only in the water. We also took a short trip to an Argentinian research station. It was very barren, but the scientists only stay there four months of the year.
Because we went out late this afternoon, we did not even start dinner until about 9:30. When we finished at 11:30 pm, it was still light outside (someone told us that the sun came back up again at 2:30 am!) It was a very exciting day. The only downside for me has been the “death” of my curling iron when the steward plugged it into the wrong socket and burned it out. I HATE the way I look, but then this IS an adventure trip! 😉
Day Nine – January 19: Islands of Antarctica
We lucked out today because we were the last group to leave in the morning, so we could sleep in a bit, and then we were the first group to go out this afternoon, so we had more free time before dinner. This was the best day yet! Our first stop was George’s Point on Roget Island where we again saw many penguin rookeries. We hiked around the island and saw many baby penguins in their nests; however, these were gentoos which are a bit larger than the chinstraps and have orange beaks. They also mate for life and leave together when the chicks are grown, so they do not always return to the same sites like the chinstraps do. This Point was surrounded by large icebergs and glaciers, so the scenery was spectacular.
The next stop was Cuverville Island which again was covered with gentoo rookeries. I sat for a time and the little penguins walked within two feet of me, never seeming to take any notice of all of us in our red parkas. We saw a lot of whale bones on this beach from the 1960’s when this used to be a booming whaling area. Then the whales began to disappear but are beginning to reappear again recently.
One of the interesting things was that when the penguins get too hot on a day like today (we have been BLESSED with perfect weather the last two days- one shipmate was even on the beach in a tank top!), they flap their wings which turn red when hot and open their mouths. They also lie on their stomachs and put their feet up to deflect the sun. Sometimes they even eat ice.
When we returned to the ship, we were surprised with an invitation to a barbeque out on the poolside deck. What an amazing sight to be eating hamburgers and hot dogs in the bright sunshine surrounded with icebergs and glaciers! One young man on the ship was even sunbathing in his swim trunks and another lady was swimming in the heated pool. (I was tempted, but there were too many people watching! 😉
Mid-afternoon, we were called up again to board the zodiacs which took us to a Chilean Naval Base. This was my favorite stop of all because we were within several feet of the gentoos on their nests and we got to see the fluffy little babies up very close. (We each must have hundreds of penguin pictures by now!) There were two leutistic penguins which were pure white, quite a phenomenon we were told. These poor little ones are more vulnerable than the other penguins because they are more visible in the water. We laughed because the officers had a little shop, and many of us bought souvenirs on our first touchdown on Antarctican soil. I got a certificate that I had visited the Chilean base in Antarctica, signed by the Governor of Chile!
We have been so fortunate to have made four landings in our first two days here when some trips only get one or two the whole time because of bad weather. We are also amazed at the spirit and agility of so many older people on the trip-no one is sitting back on the ship!
Tonight we have a KU cocktail party and dinner together and then an early night to prepare for our last two days in Antarctica before heading up the Drake Passage again.
The staff here has been excellent – the food is wonderful, especially the wine and the French pastries, and each time we come in from a landing, there are hot drinks and snacks waiting for us. Our captain is a darling Frenchman who spends two months on the water and then two months home with his wife and two children. We must say that the South American and French men are quite attractive and very attentive!
Day Ten -January 20: Stepping on the Continent of Antarctica
We were awakened today by the Captain at 6:15 am as we were going through the Le Mer Channel, one of the most beautiful scenic spots in Antarctica and according to him, THE most photographed place in the world! Not being a morning person, I dragged myself out of bed, brushed my teeth, grabbed my red parka and gloves, hat and camera and rushed up to the Observation Deck. It was windy and COLD outside, but I managed to get a few pictures and then watched the rest of the passage from inside. It truly was spectacular – very narrow, and evidently boats can rarely get through because of the ice. We saw many icebergs and glaciers and at one point during lunch, I heard a “crunch” so wondered if we had done battle with one of them.
We had a briefing about the landing today and at 7:45 am our group boarded the zodiacs for Peterman Island. This was our first viewing of Adelli penguins. They have a completely black head with just tiny white rings around their eyes, and their chicks are brown instead of gray and white like the gentoos and chinstraps. According to the naturalist, they are the shyest of all the penguins. We loved seeing more babies; however, these were just about ready to swim and now could be left alone while the parents went for food.
This terrain was the most rugged we have been in – we had to climb a steep rocky bank and then go through large patches of ice and snow. It was really difficult for some of the older people in the group, but again we admired their fortitude. The scenery was again spectacular with mountains and glaciers surrounding the rocks and then looking out to the ship and the sea. We did see another very large ship here, the Marco Polo, and in fact, gave up a landing to them because they were not allowed to go into some spots that we could as our ship is a member of the IOTA. It was a bit cloudy and colder than other days but still not unbearable at all; however, it was the first day that we had to finally wear all the gear we had brought along, expecting it to be colder than it was.
When we returned back to the ship, I went for a massage, a wonderful treat, and then we had lunch. After lunch, a visiting professor from Georgetown gave a lecture on the Geo-Politics of Antarctica and which countries have laid claims to parts of the continent. It was very interesting to hear about some of the overlapping claims, especially among Argentina, Chile, and Britain, and issues that may come up in the future.
Afterwards we again boarded the zodiacs in our yellow group and headed out to Port Lockroy, a British naval base, where we saw more penguins, whale bones, and an old dog sled. It was fun to see the British flag flying. This is where our post cards will be postmarked from Antarctica. The expedition leader said that wherever a Chile or Argentina establishes a base, the other country follows suit with one nearby to keep tabs on what the other group is doing! The ride back was a real experience – the waves were high and the winds were about 35 knots, so it seemed like an amusement park ride. Everyone was sprayed with salt water and came back soaked. We were REALLY glad for our waterproof pants and rubber boots today!
When we returned, we had a short briefing for the three landings tomorrow and then a talk on how to tell the sex of seals and dolphins (we thought perhaps this was for a touch of humor???) The most interesting thing she told us was that the elephant seal can have a penis up to two feet long – I think many in the group were envious of that! 😉 By the way, John, the expedition leader, told us that they call the elephant seals “OBS’s” – odoriferous blubber slugs (a bit like how I feel like after all the eating we have done on this ship! 😉
Then we had dinner and our final landing of the day at Neko Harbor, where each university group posted their flag and took a group picture as we landed for the first time on the actual continent of Antarctica. Nancy was not feeling well, so she did not come on this landing; however, the rest of the KU group was there, and we had several group pictures taken with our famous Jayhawk flag flying.
I DID IT!!!!! I just spoke on my seventh continent – on the shore at Neko Harbor to a large group from the ship, and I was paid on the spot – 10 pesos from our KU hosts! My kids think I should now be in the Guiness Book of World Records. 😉 This trip has been an amazing experience in so many ways, but this was perhaps the very best part of all–who would have thought that a small town girl from Harlan, Iowa, would ever have been blessed to speak on all seven continents? My Grandpa and Daddy would have been so very proud and my husband, Charlie, too. (Do you suppose this was all orchestrated in Heaven?) What a day it has been of amazing and challenging experiences topped off with the meeting of an unbelievable goal!
Day Eleven-January 21: Deception Island, Antarctica
Today was our last day of excursions and the best one of all. We began the day early with a difficult landing at Baily Head, a landing that many other ships and captains do not even attempt. In fact, to achieve a membership in the Zodiac Antarctic Pilot’s Society (ZAP), they have to do three things, including drinking four fingers of rum and a landing at Baily Head! The seas were very choppy, and it was quite a ride to the shore where the zodiacs had to go in stern first, and then we had to hop out of the boat quickly before another wave came in. We all were so grateful for the staff who stayed soaking wet in the freezing cold water to help us in and out of the boats. In fact, John, the expedition leader, said that they were all “shaking in their boots” about whether we could make it or not. Many folks were not up to this difficult trip!
One of the naturalists said this spot was the highlight of natural wildlife in all of Antarctica. It has the highest concentration of penguins on the continent, an estimated 300,000! It was a most amazing sight – everywhere you looked, on every ridge and surface, there were penguins. What was the most fascinating was the “walk of the penguins” with literally dozens of them marching right past us in long lines to the sea. We laughed because the largest group was toddling down to the sea on the right hand side of their path while the ones coming back with food for the chicks passed on the left. It almost seemed like an orchestrated plan. One of our new friends commented that they could not possibly be British penguins because they were “driving on the right hand side of the road!” Those going out for food were filthy while those coming back from the sea were sparkling white. Everyone commented about the smell, and the winds were high here, but this was in many ways the high spot of our trip, and we all would have liked to stay even longer as it was such a delight to watch all the activity.
While there, we observed a helicopter hovering above the rookeries. Later we learned that they were probably doing a survey of penguin numbers. They divide the area into sectors, photograph it, scrutinizing one area, and multiplying it to determine a total. They want to see if the species are growing or decreasing which can indicate if there is sufficient food supply, environmental changes, etc. Because most of their predators come from the sky, the penguins appeared to be nervous about this HUGE bird overhead.
The zodiac trip back was even harder. Because of the height of the waves, it was difficult for us shorter people to get our butts up on the edge of the zodiac, so I literally FELL back into the boat! Then getting off at the ship was difficult, too, because the waves kept the boat bouncing up and down. One man even dislocated his shoulder trying to get off.
We all gratefully arrived in the lounge, stripping off our wet gear, and headed for the hot chocolate laced with rum awaiting us. Then, we began preparing for the adventure we had all heard about – swimming at Deception Island. Everyone gathered on the observation deck as the ship navigated between Neptune’s Bellows, a very narrow and difficult pass to get through, to enter Pendulum Cove. This whole area is the crater from a still active volcano, and it is surrounded by mountains and glaciers. The staff went ahead of us and began digging channels on the black sand beach to retrieve the 120 degree water from the underwater hot springs. As these channels of very hot water met the cold water of the sea, it became possible (WITH COURAGE) to swim in Antarctica.
What a sight it was to see all of us hardy souls stripping off all our layers of cold gear down to our swimsuits which we wore underneath, young and old, all dumping everything on the black sand beach and running into the sea! I was DETERMINED to join the group if only to prove that I really could do it. Nancy took my picture, so I have the REAL proof! Many of the folks even stayed in the water for a few minutes and played, including a young man and his mother and one older gentleman who needed help getting his clothes off but was committed to the task! Some people just rolled up their pants and stuck a toe in, but others really did swim.
The amazing thing was that even though it was freezing on the beach, when you stripped down to your swimsuit and got into the water, it really was not bad. We did all rush back, though, and quickly cover up our wet stuff with our outer gear again. The worst part for me was after I got all my clothes back on, my fingers were FREEZING. I only wish I could have watched everyone else as they took their plunge. I would say about 1/10 of the passengers actually swam and the rest were in the “peanut gallery.” It sure did feel good to get back on the ship, strip off all the wet and sandy gear and get into a hot shower. . what a “once in a lifetime” experience!
One funny experience occurred at lunch. I was wearing my size Large hooded zipper sweatshirt from Disneyworld (I love them BIG!) that had the words “GRUMPY” in bright colored capital letters on the front and a picture of Grumpy, my favorite of the Seven Dwarfs, on the back. One gentleman across the table, with a quizzical expression on his face, asked me what the letters “RUMP” stood for. What I realized was that the way the jacket fit, the letters “G” and “Y” could not be seen by anyone when I was sitting down. Needless to say, we got a good laugh as I certainly would never want to advertise that part of my anatomy! 😉
Soon after that we were called again to the club lounge for our final excursion of the trip to Telefon Bay. We arrived at a very barren beach surrounded by ash and glaciers. It was the only place we landed that did not have any penguins; however, there was a flock of birds on the shore — terns, skuas, and Antarctican seagulls — the first gathering of birds we had seen the whole trip. The naturalist explained that this was quite a treat both to even see birds there and then to see all three species in one place. They came because the sea had just washed in a plentiful supply of kelp filled with krill. Nancy’s group even ate a bit of krill – raw. It is the main food supply for all wildlife on the entire continent. (I suggested that they simply think of it as Antarctican sushi!)
There were three walks offered by the naturalists-one on the beach, one to the middle of the crater, and one to the top. I did climb all the way to the top, certainly raising our heart rates, but the end result was a spectacular view of a huge lake, other smaller craters from the volcanic explosion, the last known activity in 1969, and dramatic surrounding glaciers black from the ash cover. It really created an eerie sensation, almost like being on the moon. This was the first time for most of us that we felt really cold on the whole trip. It was such a contrast from the stunning whiteness of the other scenery we had seen and very desolate without our constant friends, the cute little penguins.
As we were leaving, there was a real sense of sadness that this was our last landing, yet there was a JOY in finally being able to pack up all our smelly gear and not have to struggle with it again … until perhaps our next trip to Antarctica! As we got off the zodiacs, the senses of accomplishment, nostalgia, relief, and exhaustion were mingled on everyone’s faces, and these sentiments were shared all evening long. We showered, cleaned up our room, had a lovely dinner which ended abruptly for several people as the ship began its passage back to Ushuia, and ended the evening with a wonderful performance of classical music. Leaving the white continent and memories that will linger forever, we had begun our return back to civilization through the dreaded Drake Passage….
Day Twelve – January 22: Returning Through the Drake Passage
Today was a day of sleeping in, rest, and lots of lectures. The first one of the day was a fun talk about “The Race to the Poles.” He pointed out that Roald Amundson really won but lost. Although he was the first to get to the South Pole, his dream had always been to conquer the North Pole, and he and his men all died on their attempt to return from the South Pole. Ernest Shackelton lost but really won because even though he did not make it to the South Pole, he saved his life and all the lives of his men, so he was regarded as the real hero. James Scott, on the other hand, simply lost -he did not make it to the South Pole AND he and all his men died on the trip. It was interesting to learn that the interest in the South Pole really was stimulated by explorers reaching the North Pole and now this was the only place left on earth to conquer.
We then learned about Geopolitical issues of Antarctica, seals and sea lions, climate change, and the Orcas, all presented by extremely knowledgable naturalists and professors. An interesting learning was that all wind and water currents originate in Antarctica, a fact that impacts the climate of the whole world. With the frightening changes from global warming, we were all concerned with what we might individually do to help preserve our environment. The professor referred us to a website, www.globalfootprint.com, where each individual can determine how much energy he or she is using in a day and then plan ways to change one’s lifestyle to minimize our overuse of our precious resources.
We were finally blessed to have what the Captain called one of the best and smoothest trips through the passage – from the worst to the best in ten short days! We calculated that we will have traveled about 1700 nautical miles on this trip (there are 1.1 regular miles in a nautical mile), I think for all of us the experience of a lifetime. After dinner and a fun Tango show, Nancy and I watched “An Affair to Remember.” We both went to bed with tears streaming down our faces. Unfortunately, real life rarely has such happy endings!
Day 13 – January 23: Finishing the Ocean Voyage
Today is our last full day on the ship. Right after breakfast we met in the Grand Salon for a movie titled “Around Cape Horn,” a home movie filmed in 1929 aboard the ship Peking by a sailor who wanted to record his voyage around Cape Horn. It was absolutely AMAZING that he could record a movie like this at that time – he even mentioned that the camera had been underwater numerous times, and “it was not made for this.” He narrated the movie in 1980, and we were delighted many times by his sense of humor. He shared how everyone almost became hypnotized in their devotion to the ship, and they all did things they never would have done otherwise. His admiration for the Captain was repeated throughout – the Captain must have been quite a man, knowing how to do everything on the ship, cutting hair, saving sailor’s lives, and even training his dog to bite the sailors who were moving too slowly! This Captain had been on 57 voyages around Cape Horn. The movie showed pictures of the huge waves that washed completely over the ship which weighed 800 tons with its cargo and whose sails were 17 stories high. This same ship can be seen in a maritime museum in Boston.
Then our Captain announced that we would soon be rounding Cape Horn. We all went out on deck to take pictures of the Chilean naval station where three people and a cat live, and we could see on the top of a hill the monument which marks Cape Horn and memorializes those who have died here. We approached from the west side and then circled around the island until Captain Garcia asked us all to come to the pool deck for a surprise. There the crew served us champagne as we pulled right up to the actual Cape where so many ships had crashed into the rocks. ( When seas were particularly rough, it could take as much as 3 months to sail around this southernmost tip of south America.)
The Captain read a beautiful poem about the albatross which honored those who lost their lives here in over 400 documented ship wrecks, and then the tenor on board the ship sang “Time to Say Goodbye.” Afterwards they played wonderful, powerful classical music and everyone took pictures with their new friends, the crew, and their traveling companions. A group picture around the pool and one hardy soul who decided to try a last swim in Antarctican territory added to the memory of this sparklingly beautiful day with the music playing, the picturesque mountains of the Cape standing guard in the background, and the feeling of almost a time warp as we realized all the amazing experiences we had had in such a few short days. We had been a part of a whole new world, and now there was a reluctance to have to return to our own realities. John also reminded us of the “Rule of Two” which applies to everything in Antarctica – whatever you see both in distance and in height, multiply it by two – and this reminded us that we can never expect anyone who has not been there to understand the magnitude of what we have experienced. What an emotional time it was for us all – the perfect ending to a most marvelous trip (except for our first Drake Crossing).
We had lunch, a lecture on volcanos, and then I had my hair done so I could feel like normal again (my curling iron did not work the entire trip!). At 5:00 the expedition leader did a wonderful recap of our trip, including a powerpoint presentation of pictures from the trip which they will make available to all of us. The evening began with a farewell cocktail party given by the Captain with lots of “thank yous” for the crew and a sometimes emotional farewell from each of the leaders with the most touching being Captain Garcia reading “The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner.”
Then we were treated to a lovely five course dinner. I loved that at dinner there was a recognition for all the kitchen staff who had served us with such joy and caring, all of them such hard workers with families in other countries and ten month contracts to be on this ship. The last show of the trip was a sort of follies with the wonderful tenor, Filip Roystenkovski, and finally a delightful performance by all the staff from Indonesia playing their native bamboo instruments. Our bags had to be out before 5:00 am, so we finished packing LOTS of dirty clothes and went to bed about 12:30 am. In the meantime, the ship had docked at Ushuaia.
Day 14 — January 24
Today we got up early, said goodbye to the Captain and his staff, got on a bus, and headed to the airport in Ushuaia. We boarded our plane with one stop on the way and arrived in Buenos Aires about 3:00 pm. We took another bus to the Marriott and will stay here tonight. We leave tomorrow at 6:00 am for the airport to fly to Iguazu Falls, on the border of Argentina and Brazil. We will stay there for two nights and then return to BA and finally board our flights to the USA on January 27. It has been a most amazing experience! As Nancy said, it has met all our needs for adventure, learning, beauty, peace, relationships, and fun.
