Home again, home again, jiggity jig! What a trip!

Hello Everyone! It's good to be home but what a fantastic trip it was! Best I've ever taken in every aspect, including ship, food, scenery, tour staff, and excursions. I'm going to try to give you as much info as I can, but not overwhelm you. I kept a diary on the trip, so it will be the basis for the next few posts. Since it takes a while for pictures to load, I will break up the "travel log" into several posts, probably over the next few days, unless I get up a head of steam today. Green text is dates; black is picture ID and blue is from the diary. (Blue in parentheses is additional explanation where indicated.) Enough of that. Here we go:

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31 st and FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1st, 2008 (since they sort of blurred together.)

Took BART (Bootheel Area Regional Transport) to St. Louis, leaving at 10:15 am. About halfway there it began to snow. Flight was delayed 40 minutes for "de-iceing". Arrived in Miami safe and sound. Departed Miami at 8:30 pm EST for Buenos Aires. Nice flight, quiet, but I only grabbed about 1 to 2 hours sleep. Arrived in Buenos Aires around 9 am on 2/1. Quickly cleared customs and got a taxi to the Hotel Colon. After checking in I called our room and Ellie Gates, my future cabin mate, came down to meet me. We went for a light breakfast and then some walking, exploring downtown. Temperature in mid-80's and sunny.


This is a well known landmark in the city, a beautiful obelisk that was only a few blocks from our hotel.

On the right is a typical street scene with lots of small shops and cafes.

No cars on this street, since it's a pedestrian walkway, but on the streets where there is traffic, one has to be careful not to become "roadkill". It seems the red lights are only "suggestions" to stop.

Recognize this building? It's the location of many public appearances by Argentina's most famous (? infamous) presidential couple, Eva and Juan Peron. It was also the site where scenes from the film, "Evita" were shot, with Madonna standing on the center balcony.

Buenos Aires has many small parks and plazas with lots of refreshing green space. You know you're in a different place when you see parakeets pecking around on the ground like sparrows! (Look closely--they're the little green guys.)

After about 1 pm I was too tired to continue, so I caught a cab back to the hotel for a much needed shower and nap.

At 8:15 pm a van picked us up to go to "El Querandi", the Tango Restaurant/Theater. Fabulous meal and show. I had a yummy potato-based appetizer, excellent spinach crepe, and fruit with ice cream. Ellie and I shared a bottle of Chardonnay and there was a complimentary glass of champagne--all this for about the equivalent of U.S. $80 a piece. I hadn't brought my camera along, since I figured they probably wouldn't allow pictures--wrong! Ellie took some and will send them to me, but take my word for it, the dancers were great!

Back to the hotel after midnight and a short sleep to catch our early flight to Ushuaia.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 2nd

Up VERY early (4 am) for our 4 hour flight to Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, locally known as "el fin del mondo" (the end of the world). Nice room in the Hotel Albatross. Lunch in hotel restaurant and then out to walk around the waterfront area.

This picture was taken from Ushuaia's dock area. I believe the largest vessel is a Princess

Line cruise ship, either coming or going to/from Antarctica. The large ships cruise the peninsular

area but due to size cannot reach many of the areas where we will go, nor can they offload passengers in any of the Antarctic region.

The mountains in the background are the southern tips of the Andes. Tierra del Fuego, an archipelago off the tip of South America, is split between Chile and Argentina. The eastern or Argentinian section is part of the region of Argentina currently known as Patagonia.

This picture taken from the dock looking back toward part of the town. Ushuaia is currently a bustling little city of 65,000 and growing rapidly. Because there is work here in the tourist and electronics industries, people come from outlying areas seeking work and a better life. The temperature was in the high 50's and windy. It didn't rain while we were here--highly unusual, since it normally rains virtually every day in the summer, which of course it currently in southern hemisphere.

Ellie and I had a nice dinner in a local restaurant (trout, potoato and salad) and walked back to hotel. Finally--a good night's sleep!

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 3 rd

Breakfast at 8:30 am (buffet style) and off on a motor coach to tour Tierra del Fuego National Park. Lots of rabbits! Beautiful views of river, lake and the Beagle Channel Bay and Mt. Condor.

Left: Bay, Part of the Beagle Channel

Below: Mt. Condor

Back on motor coach and heading for lunch, which is to be a "typical" Argentinian BBQ--lots of lamb, chicken, and sausage, and salad and dessert. Back to Ushuaia for a little shopping and then on board our ship, "Lyubov Orlova" (named after a famous Russian actress). Nice roomy cabin. considering the size of the ship.


I'm jumping ahead with this photo, taken from one of the Zodiac rafts, but it gives you some idea of the size of the ship. Of course, the Antarctic mountains in the background dwarf everything.

My side of the cabin. Some of my outdoor gear laid out ready to don. Technically the cabins can hold four (note the upper bunk bed which can fold down above mine), but that would really be cramped. I'm glad they put comfort over the extra dollars of having more passengers per trip. The bright light at top right is coming from our porthole. Since Ellie often works at night (she's an astronomer) and is used to sleeping during the daytime, we had some minor disagreement as to whether or not the porthole cover should be shut at night, since it never got completely dark after we reached Antarctic waters. It turned out I was tired enough to sleep under a spotlight, so it didn't really matter. Since we were on the 4th deck, not far above the water level, we couldn't open the porthole to the air or we'd get splashed. The in-ceiling ventilation fan/heater control was somewhat difficult to adjust, so the room tended to be stuffy. We often left our door open while we were in the cabin.


Our miniature bathroom At least if we lose our balance we have something close to grab--since everything is close!

Shortly after boarding we attended a meeting to meet the staff and get a briefing, then lifeboat drill. Believe me, I paid close attention this time! (A passenger cruise ship hit a small iceberg and sank in Antarctic last November--all aboard were rescued but lost all their luggage, etc.)

We are late leaving port due to heavy wind. (Should have left at 6 pm or so.) Dinner at 8--back to the cabin and bed at 11.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4th

Finally we are at sea! I woke in the night to the movememt of the ship. Woke again at 5:30 or so when the medicine cabinet door was banging. I got up and secured it and returned to bed but couldn't get back to sleep. We are both awake. Ellie isn't feeling well. I'm a little shakey but otherwise OK. A lot of ship motion here in the Drake Passage, (an area known as some of the roughest water in the world.) I estimated 12 foot swells, and later over the PA was announced 5 meter (15 foot) swells, so I wasn't too far off.

Went for coffee at 7:30 and then breakfast at 8. I took Ellie a cracker, but she won't eat. She did manage to make it to the dining room later for some tea. It appears about a third of us are "missing in action" due to seasickness.

9:15 am Lecture on "Birds"--very interesting. Hope I can remember it when I see them. Then went to get my credit card imprinted for use on the ship. Feeling a little woozy, so took a dramamine and drank some ginger tea.

11:00 am Lecture on Antarctica, general info and some history. Very good but I already knew a lot of that from my reading. The forward lounge where we have our meetings is very warm, and I was feeling more queasy and very sleepy. Back to the cabin for a nap--slept through lunch, but had some raisins and Ellie's cracker, which she didn't eat. Awake at 2 pm and feeling much better. Probably just needed rest. Did some video filming in the room and then geared up to go out on deck. The sea is a little calmer than earlier, and I feel great now. Saw several wandering albatross, storm petrels, and what I think was a sooty albatross. Back to lounge at 3 for lecture on "Whales and Dolphins". Then "tea" at 4 pm in the dining room, with tea and coffee and a lovely selection of pastries.

5 pm Lecture on the geological history of Antarctica, extremely interesting.

8 pm Nice dinner--Chinese BBQ pork, veggies, salad and excellent bread. Another recap and briefing (ship's position, weather, etc.) and a film, the first part of the National Geographic video, "Antarctica". To bed by 11.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5th

Up at 7 and had a very careful shower. Much less severe ship motion this morning. Overcast sky. Noticeably cooler outside, about 40 degrees F. and a chilly wind. Out for coffee, then breakfast. Lecture this morning on "Penguins". Came back to cabin and napped for an hour. Lunch at 12:30--turkey enchilada, mushroom soup, and semolina with pistachio pudding (which tastes way better than it sounds.)

A note about the meals: at all meals the tableclothes are wet to reduce sliding of plates, etc.

(Notice I said reduce, not prevent.) Glasses and cups are in a wooden holder at the center of the table. Tables seat 6 and we are encouraged to eat with different people to get to know one another. There are 110 passengers, and we are a very polyglot group, with Americans, British, South Africans, French, Swiss, Germans, Slovenians, at least one Canadian, and some others. Most of the dining room staff are young Russian women. (Most of the ship's crew is Russian, including the captain.) Some of the diningroom supervisors are Americans, however, including one who is engaged to our tour staff's ornithologist, Akos (a young Russian). They are a cute couple and very sweet together. (More about Akos later.)

Some views in the dining room. Breakfast was always buffet style, except hot drinks were brought to our table. Other meals were partially buffet (salad and breads) and the rest sit down and order from menu. For lunch and dinner we had three choices of entrees: a fish, a meat, and a vegetarian dish. All the meals were excellent, equal to those I've had on any other cruise ship. The soups were especially good, and many of the desserts were made on board the ship by the pastry chef--all were excellent, which I can verify since I had them all, more's the pity for my waistline. Good thing we were burning a lot of calories just trying to stay upright!

As you can probably see from the photo, many of the folks on board were in my general age group (ahem, upper middle age). There were several I would call downright old, including one fairly elderly and somewhat frail lady who as far as I know never got off the ship during the cruise. She fell as we were going through the Drake Passage, and was having trouble moving around, so didn't feel she should chance a landing. Probably a wise choice. I hope she was able to see a lot from the ship's decks. She seemed to be enjoying herself.


I saw a whale spout during breakfast, and I think I'll go out to see if I can spot some more, as it's very stuffy in our cabin...saw no whales but did see more birds. Then took another nap. (Skipped the lecture on digital photography, figuring I'll just wing it.) This time I didn't sleep through lunch, but I ate lightly. Seas somewhat rough again but dramamine working. Nevertheless, I don't want to push it.

Lecture on seals after lunch.

I forgot to note after breakfast this am there was a lecture on whales. Very interesting. Spent some more time out on deck after lunch and this time did see some small whales. Couldn't tell what kind from the distance. Also more birds.

"Tea" again at 4. How can I resist?

Later this pm lecture on Zodiac raft landings, the first of which is planned for early am tomorrow!

Supper: French onion soup, nice fish and veggies and plum-something for dessert

(This post has taken over two hours to set up , so tune in later. Next post, "Land Ho!")

Countdown to Antarctica!

I'm counting the hours....making my final "to-do" list, and almost literally hopping from one foot to the other with excitement!

I leave Thursday am for St. Louis via the BART (Bootheel Area Regional Transport), since I refuse to drive any longer in the city. In St. Louis I will board a plane for Miami, and after a two-hour layover transfer to a plane bound for Buenos Aires, Argentina. That's an overnight flight, and I sure hope I can grab some sleep, since we have a full day and evening planned the next day in Buenos Aires.

After I clear customs in Buenos Aires, I will hire a cab to take me the 21 miles into the city to our hotel, the Hotel Colon, where I will meet the lady who will be my cabin mate on the cruise. After lunch we plan to do some sight seeing. At around 8 pm a limo will meet us at the hotel for transport to El Querandi, a restaurant/theater, where we have reservations for a Tango Dinner Show. El Querandi comes highly recommended, so I think we're in for a treat. Since the show doesn't start until 10 pm, it will be late when the transport service returns us to our hotel. I'm hoping there is going to be time in the afternoon for a brief "siesta"!

Our plane leaves the next morning around 8:30 am for Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, the southernmost city in the world. Partially because of businesses generated by tourists and researchers headed for Antarctica, Ushuaia has grown from a small village nestled under a mountain to a thriving city of around 50,000. The tour company has activities planned for the afternoon and evening, and the following day we will board our ship, the Orlova.

The cruise will last for 10 days, and our itinerary will depend on the ice and sea conditions near the Antarctic Peninsula. Lots of people have asked me if I will be going to the "South Pole". The answer, of course, is no, since this trip includes only the peninsula at the northwestern tip of the continent, hundreds of miles from the Pole. No problem, as there will be plenty to see and do on the peninsula. If weather and sea conditions permit, we'll stop at Deception Island in the South Shetlands, where, if I'm brave enough, I may take a dip in the bay, portions of which are warmed by volcanic vents. Since only the water is warm, not the air, I anticipate goose bumps the size of hen eggs!!!

Since I'm not sure exactly where the ship will be going, I can't say too much about the rest of the cruise, other than to say that the first leg of the cruise, the 2-day trip through the Drake Passage, is likely to be, uh, shall we say, interesting. The Drake Passage is known as the roughest patch of ocean in the world! It is the area which gave 18th and 19th century sailors on wooden ships sailing "'round the horn" of South America such cause for concern. Even on modern vessels, the rough water has a reputation for making some seasoned sailors seasick to the max. I'm taking ginger capsules, ginger tea, crystalized ginger, dramamine tablets and a wrist band--more than that I can't do. I've never been seasick in the past, so we'll see how it goes.

For the past several years I've taken a major (over a week long) trip somewhere at least every six months or so. My refrigerator also gets a good cleaning out every six months or so. This is not a coincidence. If I didn't travel, no telling how long I would let languish the sticky spills and moldy jars of whatever that have been pushed to the back unnoticed. Since I would be embarrassed for my house sitter to see my refrigerator in its normal state, the fridge gets a good cleaning at least every six months. I did that-not-so-little job this afternoon, and crossed it off my list with a flourish!

In addition to cleaning out the refrigerator, I'm trying to use up as much perishable food as I can. This has resulted in some strange, if still nutritious, meals, such as peanut butter and jelly on pita bread and Harvard-style beets, which I had for lunch one day last week. That was the last of the pita bread and the beets. Now I'm down to four meals remaining. Since I'm taking my Mom out for lunch tomorrow, that leaves two breakfasts and one supper. My cereal and fruit for both breakfasts will use up most of the soy milk on hand. I plan a large salad of mixed greens, cheese, and fruit for tomorrow evening, which will empty out the produce and meat keeper bins. I'll tell the house sitter to help herself to the rest of the clementines and any milk that's left. There will probably be about a half loaf of bread I won't be able to use up, so I'll pop that into the freezer to use for toast when I get back.

This will be my last blog post before I leave, since I think tomorrow will be hectic with last minute chores. I've been asked if I can blog from the ship and post pictures, and I frankly doubt I'll be able to. I'll be lucky to get some email out so my friends and family will know I haven't fallen into the Southern Ocean and/or been eaten by a killer whale! (They aren't really whales and don't eat people, but you get my point.) I'll be back Feb. 14, and after a rest, maybe a day or two, I'll pull the best pictures together and blog away!!! Tune in later!

*Something I omitted from my post about Sir Earnest Shackleton was a recommendation for two TV programs based on his adventures. "Shackleton", a four-part A&E mini series filmed in 2001, is excellent. I saw it a couple of years ago on TV. Kenneth Branagh plays the title roll marvelously well, and he even resembles pictures I've seen of the explorer. The other is a PBS NOVA program, produced in 2002, also entitled, "Shackleton". Neither was available at my local Family Video store, but they are probably both available on Netflix or Blockbuster online

Shackleton: The Antarctic Challenge

Today's blog title is also the title of a book by Kim Heacox. This book too was on the recommended reading list for travelers headed to the Antarctic, but I heartily recommend it to any person who enjoys an exciting and fascinating story, regardless of whether or not you ever plan to go anywhere near the white continent. The foreward to the book was written by Alexandra Shackleton, granddaughter of the great Irish-born explorer. The book is not just a well written account of Sir Ernest Shackleton's adventures in the Antarctic, but is chock full of amazing pictures , many of which were taken on the most famous of his expeditions, the voyage of the ill-fated Endurance.

Shackleton's first expedition to Antarctica was in 1901 as a member of the British merchant navy with the voyage led by British explorer Robert Falcon Scott. In 1907 Shackleton mounted the first of his own expeditions, the first announced attempt to reach the geographic South Pole. He got very close, within a record-breaking 97 miles, but illness and harsh conditions forced a heartbreaking retreat. His efforts gained him a knighthood, but he was determined to achieve another major first--a trek from the Weddell Sea, an extension of the southern Atlantic Ocean, across the entire Antarctic continent to the Ross Sea, an almost opposite arm in the southern Pacific Ocean. That expedition sailed from the island of South Georgia in 1914, and regardling its fate, the entry in my obsolete hardcover encyclopedia simply states, "...the expedition was unsuccessful." But oh, what an amazing story of courage, determination, supreme leadership and sheer guts lies behind those few words.

Although Shackleton's ship, Endurance, was eventually caught in the drafting ice--crushed, slowly ground apart, and ultimately sunk--Shackleton managed to lead his entire crew to safety. And, like the encyclopedia entry, that is a massive understatement. Reaching "safety" initially involved pulling long boats loaded with supplies many miles across the ice, man-hauling the boats, since all the expedition's dogs had died by this time. They eventually reached uninhabited "Elephant Island" on April 15, 1916 the first landfall since sailing from South Georgia on December 5, 1914. A temporary encampment was made for the majority of the crew, many of whom were too ill for further travel. Fearful that some of them could not survive another oncoming winter in the Antarctic, Shackleton and his men outfitted one of the boats, a whaling long boat called the James Caird, and prepared to sail for help back to the island of South Georgia, 800 miles across open ocean. That daunting journey began on April 24, 1916, with Shackleton and five others manning the open boat with its single short mast and sail. Incredibly the tiny boat made landfall on South Georgia on May 10, 1916 after a harrowing 16-day ordeal. They soon realized they had landed on the opposite end of the island from the inhabited whaling station of Stromness. Shackleton decided neither the battered long boat nor the exhausted men could face the 130 mile sail around the island. Therefore, he reloaded the boat and they sailed a short distance to a more sheltered cove, where the boat was turned over to make a temporary shelter for three of the men, one of whom was now too ill to move. Shackelton and two others then began the as-the-crow-flies 20 mile overland hike to the whaling station. Crows, of course, are able to fly over mountains and glaciers; Shackleton's group had to climb them, seeking a pass through to the other side. It took four tries to find the pass, four exhausting climbs up to 5000 feet above sea level and back down, before they finally were able to look down from a ridge to the bustling activity in Stromness Bay. When they stumbled into the station, looking like some sort of frightful ice demons with their long hair, red-rimmed eyes and clothes now disintegrated nearly to rags, several of the sturdy whalers ran from the sight! The following day, Shackleton insisted on accompanying a whaling vessel back to Elephant Island to rescue the 25 castaways from the James Caird. On May 23, only three days after arriving at Stromness, Shackleton set out for Elephant Island to rescue the remaining crew. After multiple frustrations, dreadful winter sailing conditions, and other delays, Shackleton finally reached the island on August 30, 1916, the 137th day for the stranded crew. Miraculously,every man was alive, although one had lost a couple of toes to frostbite.

Although the expedition was technically a failure, Shackleton's amazing feats of leadership and endurance during the two year ordeal were a thrilling distraction for a world torn apart by a bloody war.

To me the words "Shackleton" and "Antarctica" will be forever linked in fascination.

The race to the white continent...

The title of this blog entry is also the title of a book I read recently, "The Race to the White Continent: Voyages to the Antarctic" by Alan Gurney. This book was one of the dozen or so on the suggested reading list I received with my first set of travel documents. Several of the books were under a heading marked "Essential Reading". Hmmm. I wonder what happens if one doesn't read all of these? Do you get smacked by an angry penguin?

In any case, I obtained and read as many of the books as I could locate in the relatively short time I had to prepare for this journey. Since I signed on in November, I am a johnny-come-lately to the group, most of the others having signed up in the spring or summer. Better late than never, but not much time to waste if I wanted to read many of those books.

"Race" chronicles the tale of three major sailing expeditions to Antarctica, all taking place in the late 1830's. The three expeditions launched almost simultaneously from the United States, Great Britain, and France, each nation trying to be the first to reach the Pole and venture further south than any previous voyages to the unexplored and mysterious territory of the Antarctic. The French were led by the seasoned explorer Dumont d'Urville. Royal Navy captain James Clark Ross, a veteran of several Arctic voyages, headed the British flotilla, and the American expedition was led by U.S Navy officer Charles Wilkes, a comparative novice when it came to sailing in uncharted, icy waters.

Wilkes had experienced twenty years in the American Navy, but very little of that time had been spent at sea, and most of that in the Mediterranean! He did have extensive scientific and surveying expertise, and, according to Gurney, boundless "energy, determination, ruthlessness, ambition, and an even greater sense of his 'consequence' " than that of some of his more seasoned crew. In addtion he was apparently of a very suspicious nature, almost to the point of paranoia.

While it would be lovely to be able to say the American expedition accomplished great things, the truth is considerably disappointing to anyone who thinks Americans are and always have been the best at everything. Wilkes' limited seamanship, rancorous personality and harsh disciplinary measures resulted in a difficult voyage that accomplished only a small part of the intended goals, and actually surveyed and mapped several islands that were proven not to exist when Ross's expedition later sailed directly through the coordinates where Wilkes had supposedly documented land. Wilkes' career ultimately ended in a court marshall in 1864, after which he was retired and later commissioned to the rank of rear admiral. Leave it to us Americans to make the best of a bad thing.

Sir James Clark Ross had accompanied his uncle Captain John Ross on several historic Arctic voyages, including the discovery of the magnetic North Pole. During the British Antarctic expedition, which lasted from 1839 until 1843, a number of important geographical discoveries were made and correctly charted, but Ross, confronted by the massive eastern Antarctic ice shelf that now bears his name, was unable to achieve his dream of reaching both Poles. His discovery that Wilkes' coordinates for several "land masses" were, in fact, incorrect, led to a bitter transoceanic rivalry between the two explorers that lasted throughout their lifetimes. Although Ross charitably commented publicly that the fog and icebergs, which often combined to present the illusion of land, made Wilkes' errors understandable, Wilkes reacted in typical fashion, taking the corrected and more accurate British charts as a personal affront. He never forgave Ross for exposing the errors.

Leader of the French expedition, d'Urville is described as "an aloof, serious, clever young man", born to a family of minor aristocrats who were fortunate to escape the guillotine. He later married Adele Pepin, an action which infuriated d'Urville's mother, who felt he had married beneath his station. I found it interesting to note that among his earlier accomplishments in life, d'Urville was responsible for the French purchase of a marble statue that had been dug up by a Greek peasant. Having experienced a classical education, D'Urville recognized the subject of the statue as Aphrodite/Venus, and persisted in convincing the French ambassador to purchase the artifact--which now resides in the Louvre and is known as the "Venus de Milo"!

D'Urville's ships were the first of the three groups to sail in September, 1837. D'Urville's goals included attempting to sail his primary vessel, the Astrolabe, as far south as possible, particulary trying to best the previous mark of 75 degrees south achieved by American sealer James Weddell. Sailing with its sister ship, the Zelee, Astrolabe made two probes into the Antarctic from 1837 to 1842. The expedition accomplished multiple important chartings, and on the second trip was successful in reaching the South Magnetic Pole. With both crews diminished by dysentary (from rotten canned French meat!) and scurvy and d'Urville himself suffering with gout and stomach pains, the French expedition was forced to return home sooner than planned, but was still considered a rousing success. Upon his return to France, D'Urville was also commissioned a rear admiral. He died, along with his wife and children, in a fiery train deraillment in France a few years later.

A bit here about the "South Pole". The South Magnetic Pole is a wandering compass point where the Earth's geomagnetic field lines are directed vertically upwards. It changes due to changes in the Earth's magnetic field and appears to be moving northwest by about 10 to 15 kilometers a year. The South Magnetic Pole is not to be confused with the South Geomagnetic Pole, a different point, which is also "wandering" for the same reason. Furthermore, these two are not to be confused with the Geographic South Pole, the southernmost point on the surface of the earth. This one is fixed (thank goodness!) and lies somewhat southwest of the center of the Antarctic continent. It is the site of the US Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.

(Got all that? There will be a test.)

Early explorers in the Antarctic were keen on locating all these poles and other reference points, since the far southern latitudes remained the only uncharted places on the earth. These were unquestionably brave individuals, sailing in wooden ships through poorly charted or uncharted waters, struggling through rough seas, churning ice and cutting winds to forge further and further south, each nation trying to be first to claim "The Pole" and describe as accurately as possible the characteristics of the bottom of the world. Their efforts resulted in detailed new maps, replacing maps that since Captain Cook's voyages in the 1780's had only shown detail to 72 degrees south, with a notation below saying "The Antarctic Ocean: Many Isles & firm fields of Ice; Islands of Ice innumerable; Firm Field and Vast Mountains of Ice."

Next time: Shackleton: the stuff heroes are made of.

Riddle: How many pairs of fleece pants can you stuff...

...into a duffle bag? Answer: Way more than you might think!

Instructions from the Antarctic tour company were to bring "soft-sided" luggage due to storage limitations in the cabins. I presume that implies these cabins will be smaller than those I'm accustomed to on larger cruise ships such as Carnival, Holland America, and Princess. That stands to reason, since the Orlova is much smaller than those trendy liners. The maximum passenger load is 110, and with crew and staff, I'm guessing there will be fewer than 200 people on board. Althought she's relatively small, 90 meters in length, the Orlova is a double hulled, ice-strengthened ship, originally builtin 1976, with refurbishing and upgrades in 1999 and 2002. Pictures in the travel documents show what appear to be comfortable chairs in a relatively spacious diningroom and well-appointed lounge, bar and promenade areas.

I received an impressive list of the tour staff who will accompany our group. They include several naturalists, a marine biologist, a geologist, an ornithologist, a physician, and an artist. I found it interesting that four of them, including the Expedition Leader, are women. Yay! There will be numerous lecture programs to prepare us for what we will see on shore and from the decks.

I've been reading up on Antarctic wildlife, but without an expert I'm certain I would be unable to differentiate between multiple species of albatross and petrels. The penguins, on the other hand, seem to have fairly identifiable characteristics, so I'm pretty sure that if I can see the birdies well enough, I can tell if they are chinstraps, macaronis, or Adelies. Royals and kings could be a little tougher, since they are similar except for size. The largest and most readily identifiable penguin species, the regal emperors, will probably not be seen, since their rookeries are located on the oppposite side of the continent from the Peninsula, where our excursion is headed. Once in a while a lone emperor is spotted that far north, but I really don't expect to see any of the denizens portrayed in "Happy Feet".

Whale spotting will be interesting, and I hope we'll be fortunate enough to see some. The tragic truth is that some of the whale species that swim in Antarctic waters were hunted nearly to extinction from the 19th to the late 20th century. Although most whale species are now protected by international agreements, some nations still send factory boats, thinly disguised as "research vessels", to slaughter them by the thousands. The Japanese in particular have a fondness for whale meat, and continue to harvest thousands of whales each year, despite the protective regulations. Notably, the largest of the whales, the blue whale, are reduced in numbers to the point where scientists speculate the species may become extinct simply because there are not enough of them left to be able to locate mates in the vast oceans. How sad it is to think of these huge, gentle creatures, roaming the world, seeking in vain another of their kind in order to procreate. It makes me want to weep.

Back to packing. The luggage I'm accustomed to using on lengthy trips is not soft-sided, so I hauled out two duffle bags and proceeded to determine whether or not I could cram all the items I deemed to be essential into these two bags plus a carry on backpack. After much packing and repacking, eliminating this and that, and pressing thick fleecy pants and sweaters into compressible plastic packing bags (thank heaven for those!), I think I have it licked. Except for the few last minute items to be added, I'm essentially ready to go.

One knotty packing problem centered around the 24 hour stay in Buenos Aires during the first leg of the journey. It's summertime there also, and the temperature, according to internet sources, is in the balmy high 80's. Obviously I wouldn't be comfortable in fleece pants and sweaters. In addition, I'm meeting my cabin mate, and we have plans to attend a Tango Dinner Theater that evening, which calld for a dressy, fairly lightweight outfit. I hate taking any item of clothing to wear only one time, but I compromised by choosing a silky pantsuit that will fold to almost nothing. I'll roll it up in tissue paper at the last possible moment, but I hope I can scrounge up an iron in the hotel in Buenos Aires!

Thank goodness there are no "formal nights" on this cruise. They made it clear in the tour info that casual, comfortable clothing is in order for the entire trip. My kind of travel!

More coming up on getting ready to encounter the white continent!

So many things to do....so little time...

I've done a lot of traveling, therefore I've done my share of packing suitcases, and pretty much had it down to a science. Going to Ireland or England? Take a raincoat and umbrella. Going to Germany or Switzerland? Be sure to have an extra pair of hiking shoes. Going to Mexico or Thailand? Remember to keep your mouth closed while you take a shower and don't forget the immodium. Going to Australia? Be prepared to ask for a translation even though they ostensibly speak "English".

However, packing for a trip to Antarctica is quite different than preparing for any other trip I've ever taken. I've never been anywhere before where, if I forgot some essential item, I wouldn't be able to make a quick dash to a store to get what I forgot. I've never been anywhere before where it will be so cold that I have to remember to take chemical handwarmers to keep my freshly charged camera batteries from losing power in only a few moments. I've never been anywhere before where we will be required to wash our footwear before leaving the ship and before getting back on--to avoid contaminating the various areas with non-indigenous seeds, spores, or bacteria. I've never been anywhere before where I won't be able to bring so much as a pebble back to add to my worldwide rock collection--unless I can remember to grab one up from South America on the return trip.

Antarctica has no permanent population and no "government" per se. While several nations have claimed "ownership" of various sections of the continent, none of the claims are recognized by the world in general. Therefore, Antarctica is the only place on earth where a number of nations of the world have managed to cobble together an agreement on how to manage and protect the continent. The Antarctic Treaty was created in December, 1959 in Washington , D.C., and as of 2001, 45 nations, including most of the "heavy hitters", have ratified it. It's a remarkably short document, containing only 14 fairly brief articles, the first of which is probably the most significant: "Antarctica shall be used for peaceful purposes only. There shall be prohibited, inter alia, any measure of a military nature, such as the establishment of military bases and fortifications, the carrying out of military maneuvers, as well as the testing of any type of weapons." Considering the treaty was developed during the height of the cold war, it is notable that both the United States and the then USSR ratified the treaty in 1960. (With the dissolution of the USSR, the Republic of Russia assumed the rights and obligations of being a party to the treaty.)

Additional articles in the Treaty provide for "freedom of scientific investigation" and require cooperation and sharing of all knowledge among the nations which glean scientific data from their research activities. (Wouldn't it be great if we could operate the rest of the world on the same principles?)

Anyway, inspection personnel are maintained by the treaty signatories to check that all the research stations and tourist companies are abiding by the rules. We have already been told--and doubtless will be told several times again--that we are not to remove so much as a pebble or a feather or piece of driftwood from the areas where we will be landing. We have also been told to be very careful that we leave nothing behind, not so much as a scrap of paper, let alone a cigarette butt or dead camera battery. There aren't even accomodations made for "privy calls" while on shore. Suggested plan: go before you land and then hold it or ask a Zodiac raft driver to take you back to the ship if you have to answer an urgent call of nature. Obviously the shore excusions will be of relatively short duration, partly because of that and partly because of the cold.

While it's currently "summertime" in Antarctica, all things are relative, and summer means temperatures can range from 5 to 40 degree F. A significant factor in dealing with the environment ashore is the wind. Antarctica is the windiest continent on earth. The infamous"katabatic winds", caused by denser, colder air rushing down off the polar plateau, can achieve velocities of up to 199 mph! That's greater than hurricane force wind and it's cold air! Talk about your wind chill factor! No wonder we've been told to bring water and windproof parkas, pants, hats, gloves, and scarves and plan to dress in multiple layers.

Much of the information in this post is coming from a little book called, "Antarctica", published by Lonely Planet. The book is chocked full of interesting facts, pictures, and general information of use to the traveler bound for the white continent. Most of the information has wheted my appetite even more to see and experience the area below 60 degrees S latitude. However, there are a few comments that give me pause. One in particular has to do with the unique hazards of life aboard ship in the Antarctic waters. Lurching through floating ice can result in sudden movements of the ship, resulting in falls, doors being slammed onto unwary fingers, and even the occasional man overboard. Here's an interesting quote: "If you fall overboard, you will die--simple as that." The 4 degree C water of the Southern Ocean doesn't allow for more than a few moments survival, and yes, there are accounts of tourists who have fallen overboard and been seen no more. I plan to heed the warnings to "always keep one hand for the ship" to hold on in case it rolls in the sometimes turbulent seas.

By now I expect some of you, dear readers, are shaking your heads and muttering, "This woman is undoubtedly out of her mind to want to make this trip." Perhaps so. But I'm willing to take the risks to take part in what I consider the experience of a lifetime.

More later on preparing for Antarctica.

(singing) "I'm leaving, on a jet plane.....

...don't know when I'll be back again..." Well, I hope to be back on February 14, but since we've been told to pack an extra week's supply of medications or other essentials, who knows? After all, I'm going soon to a place where one doesn't run out to the nearest pharmacy or grocery or convenience store ...a place so remote the only roads are the ones used by scientists at their mostly tiny research stations...a place so remote the number of humans setting foot on it still only numbers in the thousands, not the millions...a place so remote there are no souvenir shops, no monuments for tourists to gawk at, no famous buildings or bridges or ritzy restaurants, no traffic, no smog, and, other than those associated with the natural world, no sounds...virtually total silence. I wish I could also add there is no pollution, but alas, mankind has managed to pollute to some degree even the remotest place on earth.

Yep, you guessed it, I'm heading down under, waaaaayyyy down under, all the way to Antarctica!

For many years I've been fascinated by the thought of enormous icebergs, ice shelves extending as far as the eye can see, penguins tame enough to touch (except you must NOT touch), and all the other interesting and unique phenomena associated with the great icy continent, one and a half times as large as the United States and uninhabited, except for the intrepid scientists who come and go. I had checked out trips on line and found them either prohibitively expensive and/or too lengthy, extending to three or four weeks or longer.

Then, unexpectedly, early last November a newsletter from an organization called Natural Habitat came into my hands: "Classic Antarctica Expedition--Small group expedition of the Last Frontier!" Sounded interesting so I called the 800 number. The time was right, the money was right, and when I said, "Sign me up!", the tour coordinator informed me I was booking the last female double cabin on the ship! It was as if it were meant to be!

I called my local pet travel agent to book the requisite flights, and lo and behold, I got the last coach seats on the flights to and from Miami/Buenos Aires, the first and last legs of the journey. Now I knew it was meant to be!

The tour coordinator put me in touch with my future cabin mate, who happens to be a woman my daughter's age who is a professional astronomer and amateur thespian! I was charmed before I ever heard from her, and even more charmed after I did. I think we'll be excellent cabin mates. In addition, prior to heading further south, we're sharing a room for one evening in Buenos Aires, planning to "do the town" that night. We already have reservations at a Tango Dinner Theater club! Whoo hoo!

I leave for Miami January 31st, and I'm already nearly packed. I had to start packing early to be certain I could squeeze in all the fluffy fleece garments I'm taking. There are still a few items to add, plus the last minute things, and then I'll be ready to roll.

More later on getting ready to go south.