Everyone In The Pool

Another beautiful day in Antarctica. Just wanted to share.

Antarctica ~ A visual at last

Just a taste. Have not done a thing with my photos - other than quickly scan through them. This one needs some attention - horizon straightened, color correction - however, it says "Antarctica". Hope this can/will hold you until I find the time to put something together. Thanks for asking and thanks for your interest in my travels. Feel free to share, keeping in mind that all photos remain my property. A LOT MORE TO COME - eventually. For now the real world calls - it's off to work.

Judi
thewanderingju.blogspot.com

February 6 ~ Iceberg Ahoy

I do hope this reports gets out, because somehow, our e-mails have been bouncing back. With a strong feeling of faith (and a heart filled with hope) I am writing - for the first time - and do hope you will see this. We are close to Elephant Island, and will be going ashore around 8:00 tonight. It has been a day filled with lectures (I got everybody's attention by snoring in a corner) and we left our cabin a few moments ago to get our first glimpse of an iceberg. It was COLD on the bridge so I did not stay outside for longer than it took to snap a couple of photos. They are calling us for another lecture. I am sure we will write later in the day, and if my stomach allows, I will be going ashore with the rest of the group.

Judi, Felice, Bob
Your Antarctica Explorers

Home Is The Sailor ....

.... home from the sea. We are all on terra firma and home - via different routes, but back in South Florida. My route - Ushuaia, Buenos Aires, Miami. Felice and Bob's route - Ushuaia, Buenos Aires, Dallas, Miami. I unlocked the front door at 5:45 yesterday morning, dropped my packs on the floor and slept most of the day away. When I sit, I find myself swaying as if I am still aboard MV Polar Star. Standing, walking, lying down - no such sensation. However, when sitting - I sway. I am anxious to see the photos - hundreds of them - in order to give myself a visual "pinch" that will prove I was there - Antarctica. Please check back in a few days. I promise to post some FABULOUS stuff.

Thanks for coming along. See you soon.

TheWanderingJu

February 13 ~ Drake Passage

Good morning, all:

Just came up from breakfast - best meal of the day, even if it is quite
redundant. Not saying they serve a boring meal (they do not), but my
breakfast choice is always the same - toast, oatmeal with raisins and
sugar, watermelon, yogurt, and coffee. I have been told, by those who
ate last night, that I missed a delicious desert. Why, you may ask, did
I miss desert (and dinner)? Mal de mer! Just not feeling quite up to
anything other than being horizontal in my bunk. Felice got some of
those magic blue pills from the doctor - and I slept. Took one this
morning, and will continue to pop one every six hours until we are back
on terra firma.

It is a lot of fun watching my fellow travelers bouncing around while
attempting to move from place to place. "Keep one hand for the ship"
is the rule, and as I write, the ship is bobbing around on large swells.
We have been told to expect heavier winds later in the day. Since I am
fairly sure that today is Wednesday which means we have another couple
of days of acrobatics before docking in Ushuaia.

Time to begin the packing/unpacking/repacking routine. My Wellies are
stuffed full with small items, and that is as far as I have gotten. We
have a couple of lectures today, as well as the movie "An Inconvenient
Truth". If nothing else, we are kept busy. Did I tell you we took a
tour of the engine room? I believe I did - so won't tell you again.

An interesting point of information - I could have brought half of what I
packed and done just fine. All of us are walking around in the same
outfits most days. There is really no reason to change other than if
your clothing gets wet.

Already it feels as if it has been days and weeks since we sat among the
penguins, watched humpbacks breech, identified various species of birds,
visited Polish, Ukranian, and British scientific stations, and captured
photographs of leopard seals looking directly in our faces as we skimmed
across the water to our next landing. As with most adventures - this has
been too short (Other than our time in The Drake Passage, which has been
to long), and I am unwilling to leave this pristine world.

Gotta close. Four albatrosses behind the ship. Until later..

TheWanderingJu

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Heading North

It's been a couple of busy days down here. Landings, penguins, seals,
birds and icebergs. We made it south of the Antarctic Circle. And
todays landing was at Prospect Point, on the continent. So, it's
official, we have set foot on Antarctica!!! We have now started our
journey north and are heading for the Drake. No one is looking forward
to that part of the voyage!! The seas are already picking up and
everybody on board is checking their sea sick patches. I'm sure the
doctor is filling his syringes getting ready for the crossing. Words
cannot express what it's like to cross the Drake. You know that crab
fishing show from Alaska (Deadliest Catch). The Drake makes that look
like a wave pool!!!! It's quite intense.
"A Trip to Antarctica is the worst way to have the time of your life"
I'm sure that was written by someone crossing the Drake. We're doing
our best to prepare as is the ship. Chairs are being bolted to the
floor (no kidding), and Everything in our cabin has to be placed on the
floor because furniture will be traveling around in the night. Nothing
we can do but go through it! Everything that is loose is strapped down,
tables, chairs; even the computer monitor is bolted to the desk that is
strapped to the wall.
Pray for smooth sailing for us.
Love,
Felice, Bob and Judi

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February 11 ~ Close, but no cigar

5:30 AM - the first wake-up call of the day. "Good morning. Please do
not bother getting out of bed, as we will not be doing an early morning
landing." In the end, we did not make any landings today. The Captain
took us further south, into the Gullet, but we were unable to get
through. We returned to Detaille Island where Zodiacs were sent out to
see if a landing would be possible in today's weather - cold, rain,
sleet, snow, wind, and choppy seas. Not for the faint of heart - nor for
amateurs. The entire day was spent in the company of icebergs - and we
could not get enough of them. We "played" the cloud game - you know,
where you see a cloud and talk about the shape it has taken on. However,
this time icebergs were our imaginary shapes. When we finally dropped
anchor for the day, we were surrounded by snow covered mountains and
more icebergs.

Throughout the day we found ourselves busy. Gabe lectured on marsupials
and forests in the morning, Trivial Pursuit took up most of the
afternoon, followed by happy hour and a BBQ dinner.

At 10:00 the anchor was raised and we are on our way north. The schedule
shows a 6:30 wake-up for tomorrow, after which, if the weather
cooperates, we shall step onto The Antarctic Continent. By tomorrow
afternoon we will be headed north to the Drake Passage and, ultimately,
Ushuaia. It has been a long day. Until tomorrow. Thanks for coming along.

TheWanderingJu

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