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.
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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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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Vernadsky was originally operated by the British Antarctic Survey between
1954 and 1996 - and was called Faraday. The Ukraine purchased the
station for one British pound, with the agreement that they would
continue meteorological observations. Faraday's claim to fame is that
it was integral to the discovery of the ozone hole above the Antarctic.
We were taken on a tour of this year-round Station - quite impressive -
and made our way to the most southerly gift shop on the planet. When
Vernadsky was Faraday, the carpenter who built her used the best wood
that was sent to build the bar, and the wood that comprised the shipping
crates to build the building. He was fired! The bar is great, offering a
drink of their home brewed vodka to any woman who leaves her bra with
them. Felice, good sport that she is, left one of hers behind, stating
"it was worth it, and I'd do it again." We returned to the coat room,
put our top layer and boots on, and headed back to the Zodiac landing at
the bottom of a rocky beach. Next stop, Wordie House.
Before I go on, I must share a few interesting points of information.
Four of our group were in a Zodiac this morning when a leopard seal
began following them, swimming under their boat, and doing everything
short of jumping in the boat with them. Additionally, last night,
Megan's Zodiac saw a leopard seal pair with a pup - apparently a very
rare sighting. And, last night, on Petermann, I stepped into a hole in
the ice that was knee deep. (Did I tell you this already?) My ski pants
kept me dry - and I had a great laugh from the experience. This morning,
Nancy fell while getting out of the Zodiac and ended up quite wet. One
person loaned her a pair of socks, and once she poured the water from
her boots, she was fine - and laughing all the time. We have a very nice
group, and everybody is willing and able to laugh at themselves - and
happy to laugh at the experiences of their fellow travelers.
On now, to Wordie House - operated as a British research station between
1947 and 1954, now an Antarctic Historic Monument. The building is named
after Sir James Wordie who was a member of Shackleton's Endurance
expedition. It gave us a very good insight into how men might have lived
during the era of early Antarctic Expeditions. The only wildlife on
these landings were some Skuas (birds) - and us. We did pass two
beautiful sailboats anchored in a cove. Quite an interesting thing to
see among all the ice and rock. I climbed a snow covered hill and was
rewarded with a breath taking view. Came down on my tush - faster and
more fun.
We returned in time for our 12:30 lunch, followed by a tour of the engine
room - including the area where they make fresh water via reverse
osmosis. The entire tour was quite interesting. There were ten of us,
and they are just winding down with tour number eight or nine. At 1530
(3:30 PM), Bernard gave a terrific lecture on glaciers, and as I write,
Happy Hour is in full swing. After dinner, Megan will give a lecture
entitled, Seals and Seal Research. It is amazing how busy we are kept.
If it's not the lectures, it's the landings, or it is the hundreds of
icebergs we are passing as we head south.
What, you may ask, does any of this have to do with "Snow in The
Ukraine"? Well, it began snowing this morning as we headed to Vernadsky
- and has continued all day. It was a cold day - two pair of socks; two
pair of thermal bottoms, plus jeans; two thermal tops, plus my jacket; a
headband and a hat; a neck gaiter to keep the wind out; two pair of
gloves and one pair of mittens; one pair of Wellies to keep my feet dry.
Does this outfit make me look fat?
During the night we will reach 66 hours, 33 minutes, 6 seconds - the
Antarctic Circle - sail below it and head to our destination for
tomorrow - Detaille Island. The adventure continues and I am glad you
have come along.
TheWanderingJu
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Our first stop would be at Jougla Point on Wienke Island, home to
thousands of Gentoo penguins. Two distinct features - they make a lot of
noise, and they stink. That being said, it was hypnotic. If you sit
yourself down on a cleanish rock and remain still they often approach.
A chick came up to me and nibbled on my leg. Human presence does not
concern or frighten them. We walked around, shot dozens upon dozens of
photos, and reminded ourselves over and over again what a privilege it
was to be in this place. There were many old whale bones about - even
one small, nearly intact skeleton.
Our next stop was Goudier Island, site of the world's most southerly
Post Office, and the first British base in the Antarctic. The base was
established in 1943 and closed in 1962. The UK Antarctic Heritage Trust
restored the buildings and runs it as a museum and shop - yes, SHOP. I
was mistaken. There is shopping in Antarctica! And shop we did. We also
spent approximately an hour visiting the Gentoo colony on Goudier - even
saw two nests with very, very young chicks. We were told the likelihood
of these chicks surviving was quite slim. With March comes autumn, the
base closes, and the sea is iced over. If a penguin is not mature enough
to sustain itself at sea until next spring, it is bound to perish.
As we sailed southward, we entered the Lemaire Channel, a/k/a Kodachrome
Alley. The reason for the name is obvious - photo opportunities abound.
The beauty and starkness of the black volcanic mountains, white snow,
and blue glacial snow keeps shutters clicking.
This afternoon Zodiacs took two different groups (broken up into port and
starboard cabins) out for an afternoon cruise around Pleneau Island to
view seals and icebergs.
At 2030 (8:30 PM) we will take a cruise to Petermann Island, landing at
Circumcision Bay, to visit Gentoo and Adelie penguin colonies. Dark
comes close to Midnight, and daylight returns around 3:30 AM.
I've filled a number of memory cards already. From professional to
amateur, this is a photographer's dream. We continue to head south,
hoping for our Antarctic Circle crossing. Until the next time, thanks
for coming along.
TheWanderingJu
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During this morning's landing we walked along the beach at Whaler's Bay
and met up with a pair of chinstrap penguins who, for the right price,
would pose for photos. Needless to say, we paid up - and shot until,
with a wave of their flippers, they dove into the incoming waves and
left us. When we got back to our landing spot we had the marvelous
opportunity to "swim" in a thermal pool. This "pool" was dug by
members of the crew, was directly on the edge of the bay, and was
DELICIOUS. Those of us who took the plunge changed out of our many
layers of clothing behind a rusted out whaling station. It was GREAT. I
didn't bring a bathing suit, but I didn't care. Clothing back on, we
headed back to our ship and were greeted with hot cocoa laced with rum -
mmm, mmm, good!
After another wonderful lunch, and a few moments to nap, we donned our
gear and headed out to Telefon Bay - no wildlife (other than all of us),
but the stark beauty of life amid volcanoes. The entire landscape looked
as if belonged on the moon - stark and empty. Black and white or brown -
those were the choices. We had a long walk up a steep incline to get to
the top where we could have an incredible view of the entire Caldera. I,
and many others, hiked half way up, rested a bit, and hiked back to the
beach. Every so often there were strong gusts of wind to remind us that
we are not in charge. When we were safely back in our Zodiac, we took a
bit of a tour and found out that the mountain we had been hiking on was
actually a glacier. Back to the ship - no cocoa waited for us at the top
of the stairs this time - and out of our gear for the last time today.
For those of you who are asking "How are Bob and Felice?", here's the
story. Felice is fine. She and I went ashore together this morning, but
after lunch she fell asleep while studying and missed the shore
excursion. Bob? He's been asleep the entire day. Perhaps we'll see him
out and about this evening. This is NOT mal de mer. This is a virus that
is traveling the ship. We are all making every attempt to keep ourselves
germ-free.
There is a briefing that begins - oops, five minutes ago, after which
there will be dinner and a couple of movies. It seems to be getting
choppy. I am headed to the briefing. Talk to you soon.
TheWanderingJu ~ Judi
Noticed that the e-mail address I used to send yesterday's report to
Felice and Bob's BLOG was incorrect - as was the day of the week. It is
so easy to lose track of time - very long days filled with lectures,
landings, meals, and "Gear on, gear off". For those of you who may
remember the movie The Karate Kid, you will recall the line used by Mr.
Miagi (my excuses to the Miagi family for butchering their name), "Wax
on, wax off". We are doing much the same thing, and for Floridians,
whose gear consists mostly of shorts and tank tops, it is a chore that
leaves one breathless. But, I ramble. To Felice and Bob's friends and
family; in order to read yesterday's report, please click on the link
that will take you to my BLOG.
Friday, February 8 - At Sea
Yesterday was sent from heaven - blue skies, fluffy marshmallow clouds,
calm seas, seals (brown fur and elephant), penguins (adelie and
chinstrap), and the promise of more to come. We had two landings -
morning and afternoon (please forgive me, I did not bring my notes up to
the library, and have forgotten a few facts). Our morning landing, which
I wrote about yesterday, was on Penguin Island. The name of the island
we visited during our afternoon landing escapes me, as does the name of
the Polish Antarctic Station we visited. What a glorious afternoon it
was. I was much stronger, walked the beach, took dozens of photos,
tripped and fell over a whale vertebra (no injury to me or my cameras),
and saw my first penguins close up (having missed the chinstrap colony
in the morning), and visited at the Polish station. We were well
received and felt like honored guests. One woman, a 25-year old marine
biologist, left her husband behind and came down here for a three month
opportunity of a lifetime. Another woman, also a marine biologist, was
here for her 6th or 8th year.
We returned to our home, MV Polar Star, did the "Wax on, wax off"
thing, went to the evening's briefing, and readied ourselves for
dinner. Felice took a couple of naps throughout the day, but said she
was fine. After dinner, Felice went straight to bed, with a low grade
temp, and Bob and I went to a lecture on Whaling. Half way through, he
headed back to the cabin - not feeing well - and later in the evening he
joined our little group of "unwells". Both of them are still asleep,
and I am sure they will be up and about by breakfast. It is lousy to
feel so lousy on this once in a lifetime adventure. However, we know the
drill - "Man proposes, G-d disposes.", "The best laid plans...",
etc. We, the entire ship are just going with the flow and pushing
ourselves to grab each and every experience.
We will write later this evening after our two landings on Deception
Island - knowing full well that those plans can change as quickly as the
weather in Antarctica. It is GLORIOUS here, and I feel privileged and
fortunate.
TheWanderingJu for Judi, Felice, and Bob
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Weather cooperative, company excellent. We had our first landing this
morning - Penguin Island. There were seals as far as the eye could see -
and penguins at the far end of the island (where I did not go - still
feeling weak). This dressing, undressing, redressing thing is exhausting
- even for the people who are 100% healthy. We are wearing so many
layers, but learning to cope. Felice and Bob get into shorts and
tank-tops as soon as they get back on board. We had a delicious lunch,
and are being called for this afternoon's landing - another opportunity
to "dress up" We've had so much trouble sending these e-mails. Below
you will find a few we sent out but are fairly sure did not get through.
They are unfinished because the system truncates them. But, it's
something to read. Will try to write tomorrow morning - depending upon
our schedule.
Thanks for coming along - Judi, Felice, Bob, and the entire Antarctic
Peninsula.
MONDAY - Felice Report (Judi in bed)
Greetings from Drakes Passage, and what a ride it's been so far. We
left the port last night at 6pm. All was smooth sailing. But not for
long. We first went through Beagle Channel, which was smooth and
beautiful. Out one side of the ship was Chile and the other side
Argentina.
Then we got in Drakes Passage (check it out in an atlas, or wikipedia or
google it for more info) at about midnight. The winds were 30-40
knots, the seas were 35-40 FEET. What a ride! The furniture danced all
over the room, crap was falling off shelves, and we were sliding on the
sheets. All three of us are wearing our sea-sick patches. Apparently
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TUESDAY - Felice Report:
Good Morning Everybody. It's 7:50 am and all three of us are here.=20
Yes, Judi is here. She's finally better. She slept all day yesterday
and all night with no problems. Other than feeling a little weak,
she's fine. We're waiting for breakfast and have already seen some
Cape Petrol (birds). Again, check out Wikipedia or google. They're
beautiful.
There's been a change of schedule due to the weather. In order to keep
Judi (and everyone else) from being sick we're heading further east and
will make our first landing tonight at Elephant Island, where Shackleton
is throwing a party for us. We're finally gonna find out if penguin is
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TUESDAY - Judi Report
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 ff a an iceburg. 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
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What a day we had yesterday. If you have traveled in a group, you know the drill - bags outside your hotel room by a certain time (for us it was 8:00), breakfast, meet in the lobby for a tour of the city. We did all of the above - went to the cemetery where Eva Perrone is buried (could have spent hours just walking around this interesting cemetery), strolled through an artisans market, had another delicious meal (huge portions for the carnivores in the group), and headed to the small airport for our flight south - they even fed us on this flight - my favorite, a ham sandwich. 
