USA Today Logo New York Times Logo Outside Magazine Logo Conde Nast Traveler Logo National Geographic Traveler
Create your Trip Journal [click here]

Memories of the Falkland Islands, South Georgia & Antarctic

By : Michelle Sombuchner
Trip Begins December 21, 2011
Trip Ends January 5, 2012

We were on board the holiday 2011 sailing of L'Austral with stops on the Falkland Islands, South Georgia Island, Antarctica, the South Shetland Islands and Cape Horn.
See my photos : Memories of Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica

Want to go? L'Austral: Antarctica

I went to: Argentina, Ushuaia, Antarctica, South Georgia, Weddell Sea, Drake Passage, Antarctic Peninsula
[enlarge map]
[reduce map]
December 21, 2011
Top

Leaving for Adventure and Ushuaia

Ushuaia, Argentina

Friday, December 16th

This morning, the alarm sounds off at 2:45am. We have thirty minutes before our ride comes. We hustle with the excitement of a trip to Antarctica, South Georgia, and the Falkland Islands. At the airport, we are greeted by long lines, but it turns out they will not impact us as we have somehow managed to bring only carry on bags for our three-week dream trip. The key is wearing our Muck boots on the plane and stuffing our coat pockets to the gill with hats, gloves, and our neck wraps. At least airlines don't charge extra for bulky coats; not yet anyways! We get through security and have about an hour before boarding our flight to Miami, which eventually connects to Ushuaia, Argentina. Other travelers give us second glances as they figure out we are headed for Miami too. They must wonder why we could possibly need insulated 16-inch boots in 70-degree Miami? Oh, if only they knew!

Wednesday, December 21st

We enjoy a few days in Ushuaia prior to the departure of our cruise. We trek through Tierra del Fuego National Park, hike up the local glacier, and cruise the Beagle Channel. What a beautiful city! On the day our cruise ship L'Austral departs, we discover that another couple headed for the same cruise is staying at our hotel. We leave for the dock with them in the afternoon.

At the ship, well-dressed French men and women greet us. When we board, a crewmember immediately takes custody of our passports, so that it can be stamped at each island or continent. In exchange, she hands us ID cards that will be swiped each time we disembark for an excursion and again when we return.

Another crewmember leads us to our room, and what a fancy place it is, too! A king-size bed, built-in dresser, and large flat screen provide the cozy space with a luxury feel. But, the large walk-out balcony helps to keep the focus on the outside and the sites that await.

We take a tour of the boat and receive a welcome drink in the lounge. A few hours later, the captain welcomes everyone on board and introduces his associates. As La Compagnie du Ponant is a French company, the speech is in both French and English.
The Master of Ceremony briefly dismisses us but has us return with our life jackets to perform the mandatory life-boat drill.

We make a reservation at Le Rodriques, the buffet on deck six, and we are amazed by our first meal! The buffet has an impressive spread of cod, chicken, salad bar, fresh fruits, cheese, breads and soups. Friendly wait staff serves wine and cappuccinos. And a detailed dessert bar ensures that weight gain is a real risk.

That evening we watch March of the Penguins in the large theater with our new friends. We make sure to enjoy our first sunset, which happens at 10:15pm. So late!

December 22, 2011
Top

IAATO

At Sea

Thankfully, we have good traveling weather. We're happy to postpone the rough seas for as long as possible. We wake at 7:00am to a very bright room. I guess that is the danger of leaving the balcony drapes open. At breakfast, we are again impressed with the food selections. We sampled mini-waffles, pancakes, fresh fruit, cheese and smoked salmon.

Next we select our red expedition jackets, which we can take home at the end of the trip. The extra small is quite roomy, but hopefully it will shrink.

We attend a mandatory IAATO briefing where we all agree not to get too close to the animals or to litter. IAATO stands for the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators, which is an organization that promotes safe and environmentally responsible private-sector travel to the Antarctic. During the meeting, we also meet our naturalist team. Then we go to the bridge and watch prions, albatross, and petrels and hear a short lecture about the navigation system. Interestingly, Rolls Royce, Saab and Shindler all make parts for our boat.

Lunch is another formal affair. We eat quiche, salmon salad, and fresh fruit and yet another dessert bar. Wow!

The captain announces that we will be arriving at the Falkland Islands around 8:00pm. We attend a meeting soon after to learn about our first embarkation: Grave Cove in the west Falkland Islands. The naturalists tell us that we will see a rookery of gentoo penguins, which means we will see a breeding colony and hopefully some penguin chicks.

We get ready for the formal Captain's Welcome Gala where the crew serves champagne and appetizers. Live music plays while people filter in. We aren't the best dressed as many women brought fine jewelry, and the men are donning suits. Still, we liked the idea of traveling light, so we could bring back treats and souvenirs!

The dinner following the welcome speech is a four-course meal with soup, risotto, veal, foie gras custard creme brulee and an opera pastry for dessert. The food is good as always, and it is fun chatting with new friends.

The boat makes its approach into the cove and you can really feel the boat hang a sharp right before dropping anchor. We go to the theatre to watch ''Paris,'' a singing and dancing show. It feels a little like Vegas, but it is definitely entertaining and fun.

Back in our room, we prepare our belongings for the first disembarkation in the morning.

December 23, 2011
Top

Rockhoppers Like to Hop

New Islands, Falkland Islands

This morning we didn't hear our alarm. Instead, we wake up to a shrill voice over the loud-speaker: ''The lecture will start in twenty minutes.'' We jump out of bed, quickly dress, and run to grab food. We enter the theatre, missing only the first five minutes of the lecture. A French woman named Marie-Paule lives in Grave Cove and talks about her life there.

Back in our room, we grab our gear and head out to the zodiacs, swiping our new ID cards before boarding. It's windy and the waves splash us as we head towards the coast. On land, we watch a magellanic penguin and some gentoos interact as they approach the water. Further from shore is a large gentoo rookery with some hungry predatory birds hovering overhead. There are many chicks amongst the gentoo parents. Taking pictures is challenging as salt spray, rain, and wind harass our cameras. Eventually, we decide to walk down to the other rookery further inland in hopes that the weather conditions are better there.

The walk is fairly challenging as we fight winds and try to keep our balance on the squishy soil. Finally after ten minutes, we arrive at the other rookery. We are greeted by hundreds of gentoo penguins. They are busy ''crossing the street'' and going from one side of the rookery to the other. They don't seem to mind our presence. We watch while the gentoos feed their chicks and steal nesting material from each other. Amongst the gentoo and magellanic penguins, we see a lone king penguin. It looks out of place; even though king penguins are native to the Falklands. We stay until it is our time to return on the zodiac. Thankfully, our ride back is smooth.

Back on the cruise ship, we have some time before lunch so we go outside on deck six to watch the sea birds. The winds are so strong I feel like I can almost be blown away. I can hardly imagine what the winds will be like once we arrive in Antarctica!

We have a nice lunch and wait for our next landing at 2:30pm where we will see rockhopper penguins. For a minute we hold our breath, as they almost cancel the landing. The winds are strong and there are white caps. Fortunately, the winds die down making it safe to go onshore.

The zodiac ride to New Island is rough, but the waves only splash us a little getting us damp but not soaked. The sandy shore is deserted except for an old wooden boat. After a half mile stroll over spongy grass, we find our first rockhopper penguins! There is a huge rookery on a rock outcropping over the ocean. It's a beautiful cliff and the penguins make it even more amazing. There are albatross, some magellanic penguins, and many rockhoppers. We see a few chicks feeding. The mothers fuss when the tourists get too close. Albatross and rockhoppers continuously fight for space on the crowded cliff side, and the penguins usually win. The albatross like landing and taking off from the spectacular cliff. We see rockhoppers gathering twigs and rocks to bring to their nesting area. And the rockhoppers live up to their name as they literally hop from rock to rock. They jump all over and when they aren't hopping, they waddle with their backs hunched like elderly men. Our two favorite rockhoppers are a couple on a rock who are cleaning each other and look like they are kissing.

Suggesting that a couple of us may be pushing the timeframe, a naturalist jokes that we can't all take the last zodiac back to the cruise ship. We take the hint and make our way back to the zodiacs and are fortunate enough to see two dolphins surfacing right next to our zodiac. The zodiac driver plays with the dolphins by driving around. We end up getting soaked by the waves, but we don't mind as we are glad to have been so close to the dolphins.

Later on, the waves become quite bad due to an approaching low-pressure system. During the post-expedition briefing, we discuss the wildlife we saw. We learn that rockhoppers usually lay two eggs; one a few weeks after the other. The second egg is larger and more likely to produce offspring. So, once the second egg is produced the mother usually abandons the first egg. During the briefing the theatre continues to rock and then shake as the waves pick up. Back in the room, we see some sea lions playing in the whitecaps from our balcony.

The ship closes the level six restaurant due to the waves, so we go downstairs to level two. The waves violently crash against the windows. It looks impressive, but I start to feel ill. My husband feels fine, but all I can eat is apples, ginger ale, and some chicken broth. I didn't make it through the whole meal as I just wanted to lie down. Eventually I did get sick, like many others that evening.

December 24, 2011
Top

Christmas Eve on L'Austral

At Sea

I sleep until 8:45am and wake up feeling refreshed. We have our breakfast and perform the mandatory gear cleaning in preparation for our stops in South Georgia. There is a lecture on king penguins and one on sea birds. I enjoy learning more about the animals we will be seeing. Around 7:00pm, we eat appetizers in the lounge and meet more of our cruise companions. Then we watch the Christmas Show in the theater. Dancing on a moving boat looks tricky. The four dancers have an interesting act with one of the dancers inside a blow-up bubble. For a small cruise ship, the entertainment has been diverse and well done.

Next we go to the Christmas Eve dinner, which is a lengthy affair with music and a four-course meal. We have soup, foie gras, scallop souffle, veal, and turkey. Most of the dishes are good. But, I don't care for foie gras, so my husband gets two servings.

After dinner, we go to the Christmas mass, which is in French with no translation. So, we quietly leave early and go to the Christmas party where we enjoy the live music. We dance a bit, but mostly observe the crew as they are the most animated on the dance floor. It feels a little bit like a French disco!

We decide to leave with the friends we met at our hotel and play a few rounds of cards. But, dawn starts to appear and suddenly we realize that it's 3:00am. We quickly dash off to bed and are excited to discover that the turn-down service includes a large box of French chocolates as a Christmas gift from the cruise company.

December 25, 2011
Top

Christmas Day on L'Austral

At Sea

Having gone to bed late, we do not wake until 9:15am. We relax a bit before the lecture ''Marine Mammals'' begins. Then for our lunch they serve a fixed-course Christmas meal with sweet potato soup, salmon, and a special yule log for dessert.

In the afternoon, we attend a lecture on the elephant seal. Then the expedition leader tells us about our first disembarkation on South Georgia. The plan is to arrive in Fortuna Bay and go on a six kilometer hike which follows the last part of Ernest Shackleton's famous hike across South Georgia. We will hike up for 300 meters and see waterfalls, elephant seals, fur seals, and perhaps penguins on our walk ending in Stromness Bay.

December 26, 2011
Top

Shackelton's Hike

South Georgia, Antarctica

We wake up while the ship is still a few hours away from South Georgia. Fortunately, the animals of South Georgia came to greet our boat. We see fur seals porpoising as we continued on our way. We eat breakfast on deck two while seal spotting out the window.

We depart by zodiac for our five-hour hike, braving steep rocky steps, snow-covered passages, and enjoying waterfalls. The hike begins at Fortuna Bay where we see many fur seals and one lone king penguin. We start our ascent and see caribou in the distance. There is one fur seal high up the mountain side enjoying the view, but he is alone as he is far from the water! We continue up our broken slate walkway coming to a hidden lake at the top of the mountain. The lichens are peppered with dew drops and are quite beautiful. The view of the mountains is spectacular. We walk through a snowy valley and trek past a waterfall. The creek turns into a marsh that we must walk through. Good thing we have our Muck boots. We see caribou again in the distance. The descent down to the valley is steep, and two people accidently slide almost 100 meters on their butts (unharmed).

As a special surprise, a group of gentoo penguins is waiting for us on a small ridge above the marshlands. The adults stay very busy either feeding their chicks or picking up nesting materials with their bills. Their effective use of their bills almost makes it feel like they are mocking us: ''Look at us. We don't need no stink'n opposable digits.''

We walk through more marshes in the valley before arriving at a deserted whaling station. However, it isn't really deserted because king penguins, fur seals, and pups have made it their home. It is a busy place, and we enjoy watching the animals interact.

That evening we have dinner on level two, while watching for more fur seals in the water.

December 27, 2011
Top

200,000 King Penguins!

South Georgia, Antarctica

Luck is on our side, as our group gets to disembark at 9:00am. Happily, we aren't in the group that must disembark at 5:00am. This next stop is St. Andrew's Bay where 200,000 king penguin pairs and their chicks are filling the bay with their joyful cries.

We arrive on shore with a splash as a huge wave welcomes us onto the coast. We see skuas flying, fur seals sunning, and hundreds and thousands of penguins prancing around. We walk along the beach, into a valley, and up a hill. Each area offers amazing views of king penguins, but the view from the top of the hill is our absolute favorite.

From the top of the hill looking down, we see a small stream where penguins are swimming and beyond the penguins create a sea of black, white, brown, and orange. So many penguins, you can't even try to count them all. The scenery beside the penguins is impressive too. We love how the snow tipped mountains contrast with the field of penguins.

Back at the shore, we see the reflections of the penguins in the small ponds. The penguins look like they are posing for our photos, as the pond is too shallow for fishing or playing. We also see penguins feeding, fighting, and avoiding flying predators. But, the most surprising part is the noise. The penguins all seem very happy, and the noise is a delightful soundtrack--a musical piece with thousands of unique instruments that are half harmonica and half kazoo.

Our next stop is Grytviken, which was South Georgia's primary whaling station. Grytviken means ''Pot Cove'' and geographically is a bay within a bay. This whaling station operated from 1904 to 1965. Shakelton's grave is also here in the whaler's cemetery. We see some juvenile elephant seals here, and they are already quite large, perhaps twelve feet long. If the naturalists hadn't told us they are juveniles, we would never have guessed.

Walking through the rusted shelters and machinery, we can feel the past echoing through to the present. There's a strange mechanical-organic symmetry between the rusting metal on the buildings and the molting skin on the elephant seals. Both are shedding a former skin. And while the buildings have already been left alone, the elephant seals clearly still want to be left alone. They let out loud belches to remind us, whenever we get too close. While it's effective insofar as we move away, I can't help but to ask myself, ''Who thinks belches are scary?'' We head over to the museum and a shop, where we see the whaler's quarters and their tools before heading to the zodiacs.

Back on board, the expedition leader briefs us about tomorrow's early morning outing to Gold Harbour. While a low pressure system is on its way, we cross our fingers that it won't prevent us from seeing more of South Georgia. Fortunately, our group has the latest wake-up departure time once again. We will disembark at 7:30am which is quite reasonable compared to the 5:30am wake-up call others have. Most people go to bed early tonight.

December 28, 2011
Top

Off to the White Continent

South Georgia, Antarctica

We wake up early to have breakfast before our 7:30am zodiac ride to Gold Harbour. Gold Harbour takes its name from the pyrite or ''fools gold'' found here in 1911. We wonder whether we will see any on shore, as we enjoy the view of the glacier in the distance and king penguins swimming nearby the boat.

On shore, we are greeted by elephant seals grunting and king penguins chirping (or actually kazooing!). The elephant seals are fun and unpredictable. One minute they are lazy, then suddenly they prepare to fight with threatening belches, and then a few moments later they are sleeping with their heads on top of each other. Further down, a meadow hides some more elephant seals that are calmly lying in a group enjoying the sun. But, all of a sudden one emerges, pushing itself forward awkwardly. When it moves, it looks like an enormous caterpillar. It has an amazing amount of blubber, making each movement look like an impressive amount of work.

Elsewhere, a few gentoo stragglers mix in between a king penguin rookery. While there are many king penguins, it's not as vast as St. Andrews bay. Still, we get to see many brown king penguin chicks. Many of the brown chicks are almost as large as their parents, but they still constantly beg for food. Watching them get fed directly out of the parent's mouth seems comical. The brown chicks just seem lazy. Is fishing really that hard?

After about an hour on land, we are ushered back to the zodiac and by 9:00am L'Austral sets sail for Cooper Bay. We arrive at Cooper Bay and gather into groups of eight for a zodiac tour. The eight of us ride the zodiac along the coast and around large rocks that are sticking out of the water. We see a large group of macaroni penguins, many of them perched high on the large rocks and coastal bluffs. They look and act much like the rockhoppers that we saw in the Falkland Islands. They both have arched backs, red eyes, and colorful crests on their head. The biggest difference between the macaroni penguin and the rockhopper penguin is that the macaroni's crests are larger and meet in the middle by its eyes whereas the rockhopper's crests do not meet.

As we continue down the coast, we see many fur seals and one large elephant seal swimming around in the bay. We watch countless porpoising penguins as we start cruising through the Drygalski fjord. There are blue-eyed cormorants and shags nesting on some of the rock outcroppings. For the first time, we see a chinstrap penguin. This lone penguin must have forgotten where his friends are.

We return to the cruise ship just in time for lunch. Today, we have a seafood buffet with prawns, scallops, and fish. We start sailing for the white continent.

December 29, 2011
Top

Ice Is Nice

At Sea

Today we are at sea, so we spend most of the day enjoying lectures and reviewing our photographs from South Georgia. There is a lecture called ''Ice is Nice'' and another lecture introducing us to Antarctica. We have dinner with naturalists and ask many questions about the animals and their habits. Our biggest question is if the Drake Passage will be like the low pressure system we dealt with several nights back. The naturalist assures us that it is likely to be similar or perhaps a bit more intense. I try to stay optimistic.

December 30, 2011
Top

Entering the Weddell Sea

At Sea

Today we attend the mandatory cleaning and decontamination to prepare our outerwear for Antarctica. We are excited that we will arrive in Antarctica soon!

There are two English lectures ''Life of the Whale'' and ''Albatross, We Have a Problem.'' Both lectures are interesting, but the highlight of the day is spotting our first iceberg. It is fairly large and blue in color.

In the afternoon, we attend a behind-the-scenes tour of the ship. It is loud and a bit more rocky-feeling on deck one. Deck one is exclusively for the crew. We see the engine, the stabilizers, and the water storage and filtration system. It's amazing how much goes on behind the scenes.

Later, we go to bed a bit after dinner as our group is the first zodiac disembarkation once we arrived in the Weddell Sea. The Weddell Sea is named after James Weddell who discovered the great ice-filled sea in 1823.

December 31, 2011
Top

New Year's Eve with Icebergs

Weddell Sea, Antarctica

We wake up early to get ready for our 7:00am zodiac cruise. As a special treat, we are able to disembark on an ice floe. In our prior ''Ice is Nice'' lecture, we learned that ice floes are formed from the saltwater of the ocean. At subzero temperatures, the ocean water freezes; the salt settles out eventually creating sea ice. This means that the ice floes are sturdy, especially compared to icebergs, which are compacted snow. While we remember the lecture and see our smiling expedition leader, we are still a little nervous to step aboard, and yet we do.

Happily, there are nine adelie penguins ready to greet us on the ice floe. They have an amazing amount of energy. They walk around the ice, but when they want to move really fast, they lie on their bellies and toboggan with their flippers. The nine adelies seem to be connected. All will stop moving, and then all of a sudden they all move at the same time. Their sudden, comical, and directionless movements make them look like slapstick comedians. Each person is only permitted about ten minutes on the ice floe, but we take some great pictures and have happy memories. Later, we find out that L'Austral is the only ship that allows landing on ice floes as many consider it too risky.

We return to the zodiac to continue the cruise. We see tabular icebergs in the Weddell Sea and what looks like pancake ice (newly formed sea ice). However, I found out later it is actually just fragments of the icebergs. Many of the icebergs are blue as pure ice is blue in color because it absorbs red light most efficiently. Glacial ice range in color from white to milky blue because air bubbles trapped in the ice scatter the white light.

Unfortunately, our afternoon disembarkation is cancelled as the weather conditions are not safe for our first landing on the Antarctic continent. We are not surprised as the wind has picked up and we can see whitecaps. Despite our landing cancellation, we have a bit of luck seeing a mother humpback whale and her calf. The ship stops so we can watch the whales while they feed. We are able to see the tail. But, it's almost impossible to time the pictures perfectly. We continue to try, but are ultimately very happy that we happened to see a whale. It's a large ocean, and you can't exactly schedule their visits.

For New Year's, the pianist and vocalist put on a special Jazz Show. After the show, the kitchen treats us to a special five course New Year's Eve dinner, including scallops, a limoncello palate cleanser, and dessert. We eat with friends as well as the staff captain. He tells us about the ship and the upcoming Drake Passage. The three hour meal goes by quickly.

After dinner there is a show with a modern-style dance and then a New Year's party with champagne, balloons, and noise makers. We stay up late and enjoy the party.

January 1, 2012
Top

Sunshine in Antarctica

Neko Bay, Antarctica

This morning we look outside and see the sun shining, and the water is so still it looks like a mirror. The water is so still because we are in Neko Harbour, which is a small bay indenting the shore along the west coast of Antarctica. We are lucking out with a beautiful Antarctic day!

After riding the zodiac to shore, we hike up a path towards a cliff that provides a view of Neko Harbour. On the way, we see a gentoo rookery. This is the first rookery that smells really badly. We take a few pictures, but quickly decide to advance up the hill. The view at the top of the hill is magical, and it is quite warm for our first landing on the Antarctic Peninsula. We take off our jackets and sit down to enjoy the view.

Back on the cruise ship, lunch is outside on the sixth floor. Lunch outside in Antarctica, who would have guessed? While the ship travels to Paradise Bay, we see another humpback whale. The whale is feeding so it repeatedly surfaces. The ship continues, but a little while later we see our sister ship: Le Boreal. The ships' crew exchange resources and the ships' passengers exchange hoots and hollers. It's fun to see another ship, especially after feeling so isolated out in the middle of the ocean.

We enter at Paradise Bay and have another sunny expedition. We take a zodiac excursion around the Bay and Skontorp Cove to look at the interesting tabular icebergs. Some of the icebergs have patterns on them, and the icy glacier cliffs each look unique. We watch some small avalanches. Some of the snow is piled high in the air, perhaps 150 feet. The snowy cliffs give way to some rocky cliffs where blue eyed shags nest.

We arrive at Almirante Brown where there is a gentoo penguin colony near the Argentinean research station. The smell of gentoo guano fills the air, but we enjoy watching the gentoo penguins wander to the shore.

There is a path to the top of a hill where we hike to a great view of the icebergs we visited on the zodiac. Once at the top, we slide down the hill on only our snow pants. We thought we would practice feeling like penguins. Unfortunately, our sliding speed is fairly slow, and we get snow in our pants. Apparently, being a penguin is harder than it looks.

January 2, 2012
Top

Swimming in Antarctica

Deception Island, Antarctica

We are lucky to be awake while entering the portal to Deception Island, as the weather ends up turning for the worst a few hours later when we exit. Deception Island is a sunken volcano and creates a horseshoe shaped island with an opening 230 meters wide. It is one of the safest natural harbors in the world, but it still gets windy. We arrive at Telefon Bay and a blizzard is hitting the island. Fortunately the conditions for the zodiac aren't too bad, so the crew allows us to land.

Once on land, we realize we will only want a short amount of time here, as strong blowing wind makes it unpleasant. This landing is more consistent with what we expected from Antarctica. It is windy and the snow is whipping at our faces, finding every bit of exposed skin we have. We both wear our sunglasses to block out the sun and to protect our eyes from the blowing snow. We make it to the top of the lookout and are surprised the snow isn't sticking to the volcanic ash. It just keeps blowing around. There is no wildlife here, but seeing the effects of the volcanic activity is interesting.

After lunch, we try out the on-ship pool which has just opened. Some people say the pool's water is 30 degrees Celsius (or 90 degrees Fahrenheit), but I quickly confirm that is not the case. We stay in the pool for about three minutes. Oh well, the experience is more memorable cold!

Our next stop is Aitcho Island which is part of the South Shetland Islands. Barrientos Island is covered with extensive beds of moss and lichens. It is home to gentoos, chinstraps, and elephant seals. This is our first opportunity to see a chinstrap rookery, and we are pleased to see chinstrap chicks. We also see many skuas nesting. We are on the island for about two hours, and our fingers are getting cold, so we decide to leave. However, right as we are leaving, we see a skua take off with a gentoo chick. It is stressful to watch the little guy struggle to get free. Many other gentoos try to rescue the chick. However, in the end the chick is sacrificed.

We return to the ship and have hot chocolate in the lounge to warm our hands before dinner on level six. Thankfully, we learn that the Drake Passage is predicted to be quite mild.

January 3, 2012
Top

The Mild Drake Passage

Drake Passage, Antarctica

So far the Drake Passage is uneventful. We attend a lecture on bird migration and go on a behind-the-scenes tour of the kitchen. It looks like a challenging work environment and makes me appreciate all that fresh French bread even more. The captain calls a special meeting and announces a surprise landing on Cape Horn for tomorrow morning. The agreeable Drake means that we are ahead of schedule and have extra time. We all feel very lucky.

January 4, 2012
Top

Surprise Landing

Cape Horn, Chile

We wake up around 7:00am and see the big cliffs of Cape Horn, Chile from our balcony. Landings at Cape Horn are expensive and quite infrequent. Our cruise company must contract a Chilean captain to navigate the ship in the shoal-filled waters. A steep wooden staircase of 110 steps leads up to the Cabo de Hornos light house. There is also a small wooden chapel called Stella Maris or ''Star of the Sea.'' But, the primary attraction is a monument made of steel with the image of an albatross commemorating the lives lost at sea.

The winds here are quite powerful. Each step requires great care. Guardrails and railings are lacking, so we advance slowly. Perhaps we are spoiled, but the view isn't as impressive as our other stops. Still, the wind's force makes the stop memorable. We don't see any wildlife, but I am told magellanic penguins nest here earlier in the year.

The final show on board L'Austral is this evening. We toast to the crew afterwards. Our final meal on board consists of lobster, beef, and chocolate torte. It is a nice way to end such a wonderful trip.

January 5, 2012
Top

Back to Reality

Ushuaia, Argentina

This morning we wake up early as we need to disembark before 9:00am.

We feel hesitant to leave the boat and our friends. While Antarctica is no longer uncharted land, it was still uncharted by us. And while the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration ended decades ago, our stage of Antarctic exploration ends today. The diverse flora and fauna will never leave our minds, and the sheer remoteness of the white continent ensures it will hold a special place in our hearts. And as we age and our crisp memories fade, we'll at least have many photos and this journal to help take us back to that special time when we were both explorers.

1-5 of 46 imagesMy Travel Photo Album


Share