Snowy days in NJ

Well, it's been a little but of a letdown coming home. I got my hair cut. And no, I did not post a stupid youtube video, though my hair does look quite nice now. I don't think the showers in the Drake Passage really did it for me.
I am about ready to kill all the beavers in Tierra del Fuego myself after reading about 20 papers and writing a 6-page paper myself. So at least one problem down there is solved.
Visited my grandmother today. My mom's mother. That's always a treat. Well, first I went to the mall with my sister and mother. I am definitely from the wrong state. I could survive well enough without malls. Then, we drove down to my grandmother's and went out to dinner with her. It is always a treat to go out with her. She talks so loudly and so much and embarrasses the rest of us. (And we went to a Greek place and the waiter was a definite green light.) Good thing it didn't get busy until we left. I do miss being able to order a glass of wine with dinner, though. America is so backwards.
I did learn one interesting thing today: my great aunt married a black man. A white woman from upstate NY in the early half of the century going out with a black man. Major no-no. No wonder I never heard of this woman before.
Anyways, enjoying a nice glass of Torrontes and plotting how to eradicate beavers from TDF.
Sweet dreams.

The adventure ends...for now

I got home last night/this morning about 1 or 2 AM. My dad is making pancakes for breakfast now (did I not tell practically everyone that this would happen? fine by me) and already questioning my mother: where's the flour? are there any more eggs? and my mother is just trying to get some sleep after waiting up for me. Ah, home sweet home.A recap of my long travel day yesterday:

January 10, 2011; afternoon, on flight to Miami:

So, today has been fairly interesting so far. But let’s back it up to last night first. I had a delicious dinner at Los Cabanas las Lilas, a fine dining establishment (that is such a terrible phrase, ugh, hate the ring to it, but I’ll use it for kicks and giggles) in the Puerto Madero area of Buenos Aires. Two other guests at the Hilton and I enjoyed a leisurely meal outside, looking over the canal. I got to pick the wine – their wine list was pretty damn thick and the first couple pages had bottles of wine for over US$500. (This has to be at least the fifth time I’ve been called on to do this. I love Malbecs, and we had a wonderful Luigi Bosca from 2008. I do not like Temperanillo, another red common in Argentina. Torrentes is a white, and, though delicious and I absolutely adore it, it would probably not have paired well with our meals. I wanted to try a Bonarda while in Argentina, but I did not get the opportunity.) So, the waiter uncorked the bottle and poured it in my glass to test. When we ordered our meals, I got some interesting looks. Argentina is pretty famous for red meat. Los Cabanas las Lilas is a steakhouse. I ordered rice and sautéed veggies. That’s all? Yes, that is all. Actually, it turned out to be pretty darn good. I mean rice is rice, but the veggies were prepared nicely. And the people I was with enjoyed the T-bones they ordered. Though everyone was full, someone decided it would be a good idea to get dessert. We didn’t even finish a third of it. We sat there a while longer, drank a few mojitos, and, finally, when it got chilly out, we walked back to the hotel. We took the long way, so we could walk off some of dinner, and walk over the bridge of woman. Beautiful piece of architecture.

I passed out when I hit the bed and woke up early this morning to get to the airport on time. The hotel arranged a car for me. My driver spoke little English, but he did love Elvis, as he told me numerous times. BA is a wonderful city and I had a great time. I met some wonderful people at the hotel and saw the sights (though not as much as I would have liked to – if only more time and money!). But their international airport…well…maybe it was just the airline. Well, I don’t know. But boarding was a huge mess. (And about 45 minutes later than scheduled.) I got trapped where I was sitting and watched everyone else get on before me. I saw a toddler cry for his father’s Acer. Stupid man gave it to him. Toddler proceeded to drop it on the ground and cry some more.

Right now I’m watching Glee. Never saw the show before. We still have a few hours left in the air. Babies are crying. The old woman in the front row of coach is rather needy and has stopped the flight attendants a number of times. The little boy across the aisle from me is a spoiled brat.  

Later:

We have to wait a few minutes to unload because a kid hurt him or herself. What were the parents doing? I discussed this with the passenger next to me. He is in the marine corps, travels to embassies around the world. (He told me South Africa is a great destination.) He said this was one of the worst flights he's been on in terms of bratty and crying children. I thought it was pretty bad. Nice to have it confirmed by someone. 

Now:

My review of some items from SkyMall. You know you think some of the same things:

-Ceramic pet fountain: so my pet can drink better quality water than I do. Great. 

-GPS homing device: GPS locating device you can put on your keychain and use to find your car. But then you miss the fun of wadnering around mall parking lots. In NJ, it's sometimes a game of life and death. 

-Canine genealogy kit: no comment.

Peaceful regression wake up clock: gradually increases in light, aromas, and peaceful sounds, then nature sounds, then a buzzer. Or, I could just burst in your room: morning sunshine!

-Pet ramp and staircase: ashamed to say my parents looked at getting stairs for our dog

-throne chair: this is what my room is missing

-Harry Potter wand: authentic recreations of fictional items....great

Can't wait for more adventures! Spring Break!

My last night in BA

Today was a fantastic (tiring) day. Even though I sat in the bar last night and got to bed pretty late (or early, as the case may be. Early in two senses I suppose. Early, as in it must have been like 3 or 4 AM. And early as in Argentineans don't start partying really until 3 or 4 AM.) I woke up at 6 AM (when most Argentineans are still partying or staggering home). God knows why. (Maybe God really does know why. I should ask.) Before breakfast, I took a walk in the ecological preserve and saw some beautiful birds. After breakfast, I strolled over to Recoleta to see the cemetery. A long, long walk, but I got to see a lot of the city, including the Casa Rosado. The Argentineans definitely are onto something. I mean, white is so blah and gets dirty really easily. Pink is in. There are other beautiful buildings scattered throughout the city.
Recoleta seems to be a wealthier district. At least what I saw of it. Luois Vuitton. Cartier. Need I say more?
Also in Recoleta is an artisan market. The handicrafts were stunning, for the most part. If I could have, I would have bought everything. But I was hot and tired and a jugo de naranja sounded most appealing. Freshly squeezed. Ah, delicious. (If I had the  tool they used to squeeze the oranges I'd be making jugo de naranjas all the time, too. Hmm...business venture? Watch out Rutgers.)
The cemetery was awe-inspiring. Like in New Orleans, everything is above ground. The mausoleums and statues and monuments...it amazed me. It still amazes me. (I am a simple person - just use me as mulch please. Maybe for an apple tree.)
Then, walked all the way back from Recoleta. By that point I was starving. I had a nice leisurely (about 2 hours, when all was said and done, I think) lunch with some other Americans from the hotel. Delicious. But did I expect less? (I was a little nervous the pizza I ordered would come out with ham on it. They tend to just throw ham on things. And advertise it on billboards.)
I checked out the bathtub in the hotel. So wonderful. I needed a hot bath. I'm definitely coming down with the ship sickness. Ugh. By the time I get home I'll be miserable. It's supposed to snow in Jersey later this week anyway. Good, it'll keep me inside.

Lovin' Buenos Aires

I arrived in the domestic airport in Buenos Aires yesterday afternoon. I can proudly say I am now one of those "sign people." My hotel picked me up at the airport; the driver was waiting outside baggage claim with a sign with my name on it. I felt pretty darn special. It was nice to not have to worry about transportation. It was also nice to have a driver who grew up in BA show me a bit of the city on my way to the airport. His broken English, and my horrible (pretty muchnon-existent) Spanish, we made it work.
I waited (a long time) to check in. I'm in a lovely hotel, really five-star rating here, but the wait to check in...man, a bench would have been nice. And the concierge took my bags. So, when I finally got into my room, I had to wait for someone to bring up my luggage. What, wait? How could I wait? Only a day and a half to see BA and you want me to wait in my hotel rom for my luggage? No. So, I went back downstairs to get it my damn self, which is what I should have done in the first place, only to find they had finally brought it up. Whatever, It was in my room. Good. Great. Let's go. I had every intention of visiting the botanic gardens. I got a ride from the hotel to the gardens only to find the gardens closed. Why? No clue. So I wandered around Palermo looking for dinner. Only 6PM and I was already looking for dinner. I guess I could never be Argentinean. I finally found a cute vegetarian cafe. I did not realize how hungry and thirsty I was. By the time I got there, it was 7PM, I had been walking for two hours, about. The carrot juice hit the spot. And, of course, I found ice cream before heading back to the hotel. Heladerias on every other corner, how could I not? Dulce de leche ice cream is pretty delish, not gonna lie.
I took the subway back. Only 1.1 pesos. Wow. Pretty darn cheap. Also pretty clean and safe at 8:30PM. (No one goes out till 1 or 2 AM anyway.) There was a man playing the accordion. And I picked up on an American accent. Another college kid - from Washington state. I walked a bit on Florida St - the vendors were setting out their wares. Then headed back to the hotel. I sat at the bar (isn't it amazing?) and ordered a glass of wine. I had tried and liked Malbec and Torrentes, but not the Turrialba. They happened to have one by the glass. So, I tried that. (I have to say I prefer the Malbec and Torrentes.) I had a nice chat with the other Americans at the bar: two from Florida, one from upstate NY, one from Missouri, and a couple from CA. The couple is boarding a cruise to Antarctica today. They were interested to know how I liked my experience. Liked. Loved! Unfortunately for them, their ship has over 2000 passengers. They definitely will not get to do as much. I would love to go back.

I survived...I'm not always cold and terrified, I swear

We went horseback riding this morning. Not, let's trot around the ring on a pony riding, no, ungroomed trails through the woods of Ushuaia riding. On a horse named Satan. Damn! WTF, mate? Oops, sorry, no Aussies around anymore. But really, who would name their horse Satan? And then let me ride it? Obviously, they do not realize I am afraid of life. (Yes, I have come to this conclusion. I am afraid of life. All my photos seems to have me looking terrified. And cold.)
Well, Satan decided he didn't like me. Or was just tired. I don't know. But he sat down. With me still on him. He sat down and proceeded to rolled over. I could have been crushed. So they gave me a different horse. A stubborn horse. Thought I was grateful he trotted fairly slowly. By the end, I was feeling much better. Still nervous, but not as much.
Then we arrive back at the ranch and kids are running around getting ready for their riding lessons. And here's 20-year-old me flipping out. Ah. I have so much more respect and admiration for the equestrian team, mounted patrol, and equine science majors.

Cracked

Last night, we went out for our group dinner. My meal was horrible. But, dessert was delicious. Chocolate volcano cake with ice cream. Sinfully good.
This morning at breakfast I cracked. This might have something to do with the fact that by 8AM I had read a 40-page report on beavers in Tierra del Fuego. (Nasty little buggers.) Anyway, one of the girls going on a full-day excursion today was wondering aloud if the zodiac drivers would go really fast in the lake. She brought up her last zodiac ride. She wanted Keith to drive through the rock formations and couldn't understand why he decided not to. I lost it! If someone got hurt it's not like we can send you in an ambulance to a hospital around the corner! You are poking fate I tell you! Poking fate!
Oh, I am a nervous soul at heart.

My Voyage Log

January 3, 2011

By Stacy Brody

The view from the bridge before breakfast was beautiful. The sun made a showing today and there was blue sky. The water was calm, spotted with some spectacular icebergs. John pointed out one that looked like a ship; it even had passenger penguins. John gave a morning wake-up call (which was only partly effective) and told us all it would be a “cracker” of a day. A cracker? I really do not think that is specific enough. A saltine day, I imagine, is much different from a graham cracker day. But, what do I know, I am an American on an Aussie boat?

We had breakfast at 6:30 AM. Some people were more chipper than others. Some people weren’t even awake.

We made our way to Cuverville Island, home to one of the largest gentoo gatherings in Antarctica, and dropped anchor soon after breakfast. Zodiacs left the boat at around 7:20 AM and cruised around the icebergs for a bit. By now, it seemed, most of us were jaded. The first zodiac cruise, everyone had their cameras out, snapping pictures. Oh, look at that hunk of ice. Today, only 3 out of the 13 passengers in Keith’s zodiac took any photographs of the icebergs. However, the penguins were still endearing (and we have started to become indifferent to the smell of rookeries). We were lucky to have beautiful weather, so warm that many gentoos were lying on their stomachs on the snow with the feet outstretched, “chilling out,” literally.

Most of us spread out along the beach, but some of the more adventurous passengers trekked up the hill for a better view. The kayakers, I am told, had a wonderful paddle. The waters were calm. We watched the penguins come in and out of the water and around the island. They have made little roads in the snow. I wonder what penguin street signs would look like. And do they have speed limits? (I also believe that penguins have severe identity issues: they look like birds, swim like fish, wag their tails like dogs, and waddle like my aunt and grandmother (don’t tell them I said that)). We noticed a penguin with an injured foot – he had a great deal of difficulty getting around. How do you have highways and no hospital? Such poor infrastructure.

From the beach, we saw a leopard seal enjoying second breakfast. It caught a penguin and proceeded to toss it about. Didn’t your mother ever tell you to never play with your food? A skua circled overhead, looking for pieces the seal missed, perhaps, but thought better of interrupting a top predator at mealtime.

A chinstrap penguin popped his head up out of the water but never came ashore. This is a shame – all colonies need one lone chinstrap stirring up trouble.

Some skuas flew around the island, looking for unguarded chicks and eggs. Instead, they found an MSU student. A piece of advice: do not wear white hats; your head may be mistaken for an egg.

While we were on Cuverville, there were avalanches on nearby mountains. Though we could not see them, we heard the loud, thunderous sounds to the east.

The kayakers did see some avalanches. Leonie also found an isopod, Glyptonotus antarctica.

Not long after we all returned to Polar Pioneer, it was time for the polar plunge. Those of us not diving were surely thinking, what are these idiots doing?, and those of us diving (well, as least me) were thinking am I an idiot doing this? We had 25 plungers, nearly a record we were told. Congratulations to everyone who dove, and thank you to all the staff members who helped the crazy divers (and to whoever the genius was that put a sauna in the ship).

After the plunge, many passengers gathered in the bridge of the ship. There were a number of whale sightings.

The chefs amazed us once again with lunch. Most people can’t cook that well on dry land and here the kitchen brings out masterpiece after masterpiece. Burgers (or veggie burgers) and oven fries. (Homage to the Americans on board, perhaps?) Compliments to the chefs, and the lovely ladies in the galley.

After lunch, the skies looked a little grayer, but we couldn’t have perfect weather all day, could we? The kayakers prepared for their last paddle and we all bundled up for the last zodiac cruise. We cruised around the Melchior Islands, 16 small islands between Anvers and Brabant. The Argentineans have a station on one of the islands. John promised seals, but for the first part of the cruise, all we saw were kelp gulls. I was about to ask for my money back when we spotted one Weddell and one crabeater seal (and, of course, a chinstrap penguin). Closer to the station, we saw a fur seal. Maggie anchored the zodiac and we did a little walk-around on the rocks. We got a little closer to the fur seal, but I was more interested in watching the little krill in the tidal pools. Such small creatures help hold up the Antarctic food chain. Amazing. Towards the end, it got a bit windy; the kayakers surely noticed this much more than I did. In fact, on the way back to ship, they used the wind to their advantage, turning their paddles into sails. (I thought they were just posing for a photograph.) By 4 PM, we were all back on the ship, the anchor was pulled up, and the Polar Pioneer set off on its way back to Ushuaia. 

A number of people gathered in the bar for light conversation and drinks before dinner. Attendance at dinner was lighter than usual as we started encountering rougher seas.

Now, I know there are a number of couples on this boat. Before I get married (if I find someone good enough for me, that is), we are going to cruise to Antarctica. If we last 10 days sharing small cabin, the rough seas of the Drake Passage, and not being able to escape each other, then it’s true love. (Of course, after the trip, we may not have enough money for a wedding, which may be an obstacle to consider.)

Photos

More photos to come. Will also post on FB.

Life Lessons Learned

December 27, 2010

We boarded the Polar Pioneer at about 4 PM. About an hour later, we received a briefing and welcome on the flying deck, the top deck of the ship. The expedition leaders, doctor, chef, hotel manager, and naturalist are Australian and the kayak leader is from Vancouver. The crew is Russian. There are a total of 53 passengers, many of whom are also Australian. (I am loving the accents.) One couple, probably in their mid-thirties, decided it would be oh-so-adorable to buy matching gear. And this is more than matching hats (which they do, in fact, have). I’m talking nearly 100% identical. Same gray jacket, jeans, same camera, same Nikon camera strap. They might even have matching underwear. I’m thinking white. Yes, definitely white. 100% cotton.

One of my classmates comes out wearing flats, no socks, and a fuschia hat with a pom-pom on top. I’m not really sure what she was thinking when she decided to go without socks. I’m pretty sure I know what she was thinking when she picked out the hat: O-M-G (and it must be o-m-g and not oh my god) this hat matches my sweater. I should definitely wear them together.

We are on an “expedition ship,” not a cruise boat. Thus, we can get to places a big cruise boat cannot reach. It also means we can all see most of the sights. There are limits on the number of people that can go ashore at certain sites. If you’re on a boat with more than a hundred people, you are less likely to be one of the ones that can go on land. On a boat with less than 60 passengers, you’ll probably get to land at most, if not all, of the sites. See people, smaller is better. (At least that’s what I always tell myself when I am feeling especially short.) And this boat is small and strong. A class 3 ship, it is only one step below an icebreaker.

Our group was pointed out during the briefing. John, the expedition leader, pointed out that we were running a little behind schedule, waiting on 8 more cases of beer for the 16 American college students. Very funny. But poor guy made the mistake of saying University of Michigan instead of Michigan State. Uh-oh. Big oops.

We begin our journey traveling east through the Beagle Channel. Open ocean by midnight. Drake Passage (i.e. lose-your-dinner waters) by 5 AM.

John introduced the other staff members. (WTF?!? How are they wearing tee-shirts?) Terry is the hotel manager and barman.  When he is not there, the bar runs on a self-help honesty system. There are also no locks on the doors. (If you can afford this trip you are not interested in stealing from a college student.) We are one big happy family. Terry also modeled the tres-chic life jackets for us. Orange is definitely his color. Keith is our naturalist. He will be giving lectures tomorrow. I find it slightly sad that I am really excited for these lectures. Graham is our chef. At least I think his name is Graham. Someone said Gray. But I really hope it is Graham, as in Graham Cracker, because that would just be priceless.

Smoking is allowed in one small area. And definitely not allowed on landings. Cigarette butts on Antarctica? No thank you.

In our cabins, there are thermoses for us to keep. I think I have discovered why this trip is as expensive as it is. It’s the thermoses.

As we waited to leave port, I observed the wildlife. There were of course gulls and skuas and annoying tourists from the huge cruise ship walking around the dock and getting in the way of people trying to unload cargo.

We had an abandon-ship drill, then dinner. (It is so wonderful having fruits and vegetable again.) after dinner, I spent some time on deck, but I am so exhausted! I think it’s almost time for bed.

December 28, 2010

Of course I woke up at 6:30 AM. Of course I did. Well, more like 5:30ish, but I was in and out of sleep, trying to wake up at a more “godly” hour, like 7 perhaps, but gave up the struggle around 6:30AM. I sat in the bar, watching for birds and other wildlife until breakfast. Fortunately, it has not been too, too rocky.

Even before breakfast, I saw a number of birds, including skua, petrels, and albatross, as well as what I believe were hourglass dolphins.

Then a nice breakfast with the Aussies. I of course had to ask about their wine industry. And now I of course have to visit a winery over there (if I was in NJ, I would have to say down, but now I think it’s pretty acceptable to just say over). For educational reasons of course. I also wondered how much vacation they get. One couple I spoke with is taking at least a month-long vacation. If not longer. So either they get a lot of vacation, or this couple is retired (in which case, they just retire early or I am a bad judge of age because they seem like they are only a little older than my parents, who are not anywhere near retiring.) I also liked learning about more about their food culture. For instance, whole wheat toast is “whole meal.” And they grow up eating vegemite. I can now cross “try vegemite” off my bucket list. It’s a little salty for me, I have to say.

I do need to point out that there was delicious fruit at breakfast. The whole time we were on land, we ate hardly any fresh produce. Now that we get on the boat there is fruit and salad and all sorts of wonderful. Irony of ironies.

After breakfast, some more observations. This time on the bridge. I like that there is an open bridge policy. Great views without the cold and the wind. And I feel much more stable on dry carpet with walls around than I fell on wet deck with only railings around me. There is also some awesome techno music playing in the bridge. I have a feeling New Years’ Eve is going to be a blast.

Fur vest girl…ok, she needs a name, let’s say Natalie. We are supposed to be wearing name tags on the boat, but I couldn’t see hers. So, for now, Natalie. Natalie was wearing her fur vest and some trendy flats today. I don’t think I packed anything stylish. Unless long underwear and turtlenecks are in vogue nowadays.

My classmate and I spoke with John, the expedition leader, and Keith, the naturalist. Both are very nice men who seem to truly know what they are talking about. I wonder what they studied in school, and how they came to land jobs with such great titles. I mean naturalist?! What a great title. I could truly be one of Darwin’s disciples.

Then the great gumboot giveaway. Gumboots are the rubber boots to be worn on all landings. Of course, they called 5^th (top) deck first. And 3^rd deck starboard (where my cabin is) last. In the wordsof my classmate, “isn’t it great being 3^rd class citizens?” I would say it reminds  me of Titanic, how Leo’s character has a bunk in a room on the bottom deck, but I am trying to avoid any and all references to that movie. Anyway, back to the rubber boots. I brought a pair from home. (And will be donating them to the ship after they become soiled with penguin feces.) I asked Keith if they were suitable. Without looking at them, he asked, “Do they fit?”

“Yes.”

“Then they’re suitable.”

And all done, no fighting for gumboots that somewhat-kind-of-if-i-stuff-a-sock-in fit.

I went back up to the bridge after that and promptly decided that the music made me feel like I was in a trendy coffee shop and not on a boat in the Drake Passage destined for Antarctica. A little confusion there for a minute.

Some more time on the bridge – it makes me feel powerful, up there, on top of the boat, looking out in front, seeing where we’re heading. And it makes me less queasy. Though I am doing pretty well. The doc gave me some motion sickness medicine the first day and I have been taking that and all is right with the world except my roommate has a cold and some of my classmates are not feeling so hot.

Then a delicious lunch, complete with a salad. (Wait for it, wait for it, that’s not even the best part. There will be cauliflower at dinner. An underappreciated vegetable. The chef has been doing well so far, he better not let me down with that. My mother does not like cauliflower, no matter how it is prepared. Sorry, random, but I was just thinking how much I would love to share this experience with my family. Oh wait, maybe not, I’m imagining my grandmother (who is in fact following this blog) on a boat like this and it seems kind of dangerous. Ok, so, I would like to share this experience with my nuclear family and my grandmother can live vicariously through us. Sorry for the tangent.) not only am I loving the fresh produce (and vitamin C I had probably been missing out on), I am also quite happy that our meals are no longer filling the day. In Ushuaia, you had to first walk to and find a restaurant, then do some translating and guessing, wait for your food, somehow get the check (and we all know how awkward that is for me and how awkward I am when asking for it) then figure out change (because apparently no one has change for the cien peso bill that the ATM spits out) then walk back to wherever it is you need to get to. Huge ordeal. Then you sit for an hour or two and it’s time to do it again. Ah, but I’m on a boat now. So much simpler.

Back to the bridge. (Come on, where else would I be? The bar.) One of the crew members asked me about school, what I was studying, etc. Nice guy. Not bad-looking. Then he went back and talked to Natalie, whom I think I should now rename Natalya or Natasha, or, as per my friend’s suggestion, Sasha. But I know a couple of guys named Sasha. So Natasha it is. Fur vest girl, you have been redubbed Natasha. Anyway, she talks quite a bit. As my colleague observed, she talked non-stop (in Russian, so eavesdropping was a lost cause) and the men just stood there and sat there and walked around and twiddle their thumbs (and maybe even wrote a novel) all the while.

I spoke a bit with Terry. He studied marketing and business and has apparently been to Manasquan, NJ. Umm…pourquoi? Why Manasquan? (So he had heard of NJ, and not just by watching the show Jersey Shore, to which he also reference.) I made sure he had not visited Jersey without seeing NYC and was relieved to learn he spent a day in the city. Thank goodness.

Another lecture in about an hour. My roommate is passed out, as are a few others. I’m not too sure where everyone is though. I think some people still haven’t woken up today. Ah well. Lecture then captain’s drinks. Keep reading.

Terry sported a suit and bowtie for captains’ drinks. I put a red ribbon in my hair. That was the extent of my dressing up.

Dinner was, of course, delicious.

I was glad that the most exciting part of the day was not the shower. I was quite nervous. Slipping and sliding and water and soap everywhere – I really did expect this to be messy, much messier than any shower should be. But it was good clean fun. The one thing I did not expect was the mirror in the shower. That I found a little odd. But these Aussies are a rather eccentric bunch.

December 29, 2010

I slept in till 7:30 AM. By 7:45 I was up in the bridge, looking for birds and other wildlife. Not much today, mostly the same birds we have been seeing. Then breakfast. One of my classmates was absolutely thrilled by the bacon served at breakfast. I ate then went back up to the bridge. There may be no gym on the boat, but I am getting plenty of exercise going up and down these stairs.

I’ve become jaded. I was so excited to see albatross in the beginning. These magnificent birds I’ve read about in Smithsonian and National Geographic. Imperial creatures. Now, I find myself saying, oh, only another albatross. It’s sad, really, for these are truly amazing birds, gliding, wings outstretched. You should at least see one. But maybe not as many as we have been seeing. Still, I love looking out from the bridge, perhaps because I can see everything, and, being short, I find this a novel experience. My only request is that they develop a longer, more varied playlist. I heard the same exact techno songs this morning as I heard yesterday. I know my roommate has some Keisha on her Ipad. Let’s try plugging that in to the speakers.

At 10AM, we had briefings on zodiac landings. Apparently, there was a little bit of miscommunication. We were told to go to the starboard dining room for our first briefing. I walked in there and the women from the kitchen said cleaning and tried to shoo me out. I began explaining that we were told to go there for a lecture. “No English. Cleaning.” No, but. And then more people started walking in, so the women gave up and cleaned around us, sweeping crumbs off the blue mats that keep our plates and cups from sliding around. Lovely women, really. There’s just this darn language barrier. If only I knew some Russian.

There are 2 checks in place to make sure everyone gets back to the ship. The first is the tag on the board on deck 4. Everyone is assigned a number and you turn your tag to “off” when you leave and turn it back when you come back on the ship. I thought I was more than a number, but apparently I am number 7. A fine number, better than something dull like 22 and certainly much better than 13. There is a second check on the landing site. You leave your life jacket in a central location and pick it up when you get back on the zodiac. I thought it would be much better if we wore them around the island. So fashionable, these blue and yellow vests. We would make all the penguins (even the macaronis, which have yellow feathers around their eyes) jealous.

We then received an environmental briefing: how to minimize our impacts, what to do and what not to do, international efforts, etc. I love it when the Aussies mention Quark, a U.S. tour company I suppose is equivalent to Aurora, because, to me, it sounds like Quack. We were also warned that it could get fairly windy at the landing sites. I thank my classmate for the following rule of thumb: if you leave it lying around, it will be flying around.

I vacuumed my coat and backpack, as instructed, to avoid brining in seeds and then, predictable me, I returned to the bridge. I decided I could use a little fresh air, so I went outside and stood there, staring out to sea. And I thought to myself, how wonderful it would be if a handsome man just came up and put his arm around my shoulder. Ah, I am so pathetic.

Natasha was not wearing her fur vest today, but she was wearing a pink Hello Kitty jacket. I think I like the latter better, but it is quite a tough decision. The captain came to the bridge. (and Natasha started talking at/to him.) I am still amazed by how tall he is!

I attended the lecture on seals. A girl in front of me unwrapped her candy and proceeded to play with her wrapper. The lights were off, it was dark, the boat was rocking, and she was playing with her candy wrapper. Oh, so difficult to pay attention! But fascinating nonetheless and of course I took pages of notes. That’s just me.

Then more observations. One of the crew members pointed out a seal to Natasha and us. One lonely seal. Then another crew member pointed out some humpback whales. He spotted the spouts from the blowholes. (Thank you. Spasiba. (Russian word of the day). Thank you to the crew member who pointed out the whales. P.S. you are very attractive.)

Plenty of cape petrels. They are getting to be like seagulls on the beach. No, I take that back. That’s just mean. Though we are seeing them in greater numbers as we approach land, I still find them beautiful. We are also seeing more and more chinstrap penguins, porpoising in the water. I never thought I would encounter penguins in their natural habitat. Kind of amazing, isn’t it? Jersey girl traveling to Antarctica!

I’m sitting in the bar now, reading an article on Yerba Mate. Tonight’s special drink in the Aitchopolitan, in honor of the island we will be landing on this evening after dinner. Sounds delicious. It’s quite pink. Seems rather popular. I see some glasses empty already. My friends ordered some of the aitchoo-politan. Delicious.

We had our first landing after dinner. (I was pleased by the Indian food, actually. I was afraid I would be disappointed, but these chefs know their stuff.) John, the expedition leader, sat with us. He said I could not be from NJ, as I said New Jersey and not New Joisey. Oh man, poor Jersey and its terrible reputation. I am Jersey-bred, through and through! Then, our landing, at about 8:30PM, on Barrientos Island, of the Aitchos group, in the South Shetland Islands. Penguins all about. And definitely could smell it! The penguins were cute and all, I never really thought I would be on such an island, with the penguins, with the penguins!, but there I was. And I was frickin’ freezing. The wind and the cold and my toes were numb pretty much as soon as I stepped off the boat. Oh, stupid me, not enough layers. We saw elephant seals on the island. Maybe I should just get a layer of blubber. That could work. I’ll work on it. Ellen, if you are reading this, I think you should start making cookies. Haha. No, not cookies. Something rich in chocolate. A torte perhaps. The only flora on the island was moss. We walked single-file up a stream to minimize our impact.

Cold, through and through. I was miserable. I was told I looked pretty miserable as well. So miserable that people began offering their jackets and extra layers.

Well, I made it back alive. The cold sea spray on the zodiac ride back was, umm, refreshing. Yes, refreshing. That’s a good word for it.

I made the mistake of washing my hands with warm water after coming in. Ow, feel the burn!

I passed out. Most people went to the bar. I cried and crashed. Maybe I should stick to temperate and, preferably, tropical, climates.

December 30, 2010

I woke up at 5:30 AM and could not go back to bed. I was so nervous about the landings today and upset about yesterday. I went up to the bridge. I love it up there. It’s where everything happens. Poor visibility today though.

The playlist is different today, though. They are playing songs I recognize. From middle school. For instance, “Thong Song,” “Sorry Miss Jackson,” and “Scrubs,” even a smooth rock version of “Livin La Vida Loca.”

We spotted our first iceberg at about 6AM. One of the Russian crew members (he seems important, maybe like co-captain (if there is such a thing), he’s always wearing this black sweater) pointed this out to me. The language barrier wasn’t so much of a problem. More of the accent barrier. He must think I am an imbecile. I just kind of stared at him for a bit, questioning look in my eyes. Then he told me to look at the rudder. The rudder? Yes, the rudder. He brought me around to the computer screen. Ah, the radar. I gotcha now. There is a lot of ice out there, isn’t there? Oh, and the man who pointed out the whales yesterday (Jeremy found out for us that his name is Alexander, thank you very much Jer) was up in the bridge also. So, even if there wasn’t much to see outside, there was eye candy indoors.

The plan today was to do to two landings – Gourdin Island and Brown Bluff. My stomach was in knots. Two landings? Oh damn. I’m going to freeze. Stomach in knots. I don’t want to hold anyone back. Maybe just leave me on board.

I spoke with another passenger in the bridge. An older Australian gentleman. We spoke for a bit about where we had traveled to. Of course, he has visited many more places. We have both been to the Grand Canyon (though he has not been to New Joisey).

                Was the glass overhang there when you were? He asked

                No. that scares me.

                Nothing to be scared of. You just have to ask yourself if it’ll hurt you (well, technically, no, but a fall would) and it won’t. You may be scared, your knees may tremble, but it won’t hurt you. The fear hurts you more than anything.

Turns out he had been in a refinery explosion. Saw his two coworkers die. But he has worked through his fear. I can too. Though I am still scared to do another landing.

Then breakfast. I got more and more nervous, as the first landing was planned to be before lunch.

Back to the bridge. (Umm, duh. Do I need to say this anymore? I think you can assume that most times, I am in the bridge. There, or the bar.) more wildlife this time. Adelie penguins, in the water and on ice. There was one lone one on the top of a berg. The sides of said piece of ice were rather steep, I thought. How did he get up there?

Apparently, our paths to Gourdin Island are all blocked by ice, so we are proceeding to our second landing site. I am somewhat relieved, though I know everyone else is disappointed.

Doctor John caught me in the hallway and asked if I would be okay to go on the landings today. Would I be warm enough? Do I have enough warm layers? He found me some more clothes. Gloves. Socks. A hot pink scarf that I am now sporting. I really love this scarf actually. Digging the pink.

Florida went on deck in her flats (but they’re  waterproof) and fuschia northface and pom-pom hat. So stylish. Who she is trying to impress I don’t know. Maybe the Russian crew? Better not be Alexander. I had my eyes open in Argentina and saw nothing, but some of these Russian crew members…not bad. I think I (or Jer, depends on which way he swings) should get Alexander.

This is the new style: socks and gumboots. I love our naturalist. Keith is at the bow wearing the gumboots and shorts and a jacket. That’s all. I’m inside, in the relatively warm bridge, wearing long underwear, a turtleneck, two pairs of socks, and this hot pink scarf, and I’m comfortable.

More penguins.Adelies porpoising.  And more great jokes from Jim: I wonder what their porpoise in life is.

The fog has lifted. There are a couple white clouds in a blue sky. Two humpbacks and the tip of the Antarctic peninsular on the starboard side. Shit, it really is Antarctica!

We all gathered on the bow for a group photo. I find it amazing that they were able to get all passengers together at one time for a photo.

We passed Esperanza Station, an Argentinean Base near Hope Bay. There is a large Adelie rookery at Hope Bay, which helps explain the abundance of Adelie penguins. According to the Lonely Planet guidebook, Esperanza was established in 1951. In 1978, the first child was born there. When 7 months pregnant, Silvia Morella di Palma flew over to the station. (Oh dear God, if I were 7 months pregnant, I would not be getting on a plane to Antarctica!) Today, families live there year-round.

Before lunch, there was a larger cruise ship at Brown Bluff, so we ate (a delicious) lunch before landing.

Today’s landing went much better. I had five layers on top and two pairs of socks on and it was warmer, sunny, and earlier in the day. Everyone, or so it seems, already knows that I get cold very easily.  At this site, there were two penguin species: Adelie and gentoo. I sat on the rocky beach a bit, just observing the penguins. I think one of the Adelies checked me out. He eyed me, gave a little nod. I don’t know. Language barrier I may be able to handle. Species barrier…not so much.

I love that watching penguins is schoolwork now. I was so comfortable on that beach. Well, my butt is a little bony, so the rocks weren’t as comfortable as sand may have been, but overall, I was comfortable I would say. I was at least warm. Layering is a wonderful idea.  

Unfortunately, the weather changed. Rather quickly, as it tends to do in these parts. The fog rolled in. the temperature fell. And I got cold. What else is new?

There was an Adelie falling asleep on the rock in front of me. He had just laid down when some other passenger walks by. Adelie did not like this. He got up, stepped off his rock, and gave the passenger an angry stare. Oh no you didn’t. You did not just walk in my bedroom like that. He looked around to make sure there were no more intrusive tourists and hopped back on his rock. I am king of this rock I tell you. (I didn’t want to break it to him that he was an Adelie penguin, and not a king or an emperor.) His eyelids started to droop again and he finally fell asleep.

And guess who helped us off the Zodiac when we returned to the ship? None other than Alexander.

Now, I know some of my readers are interested in the academics of this trip. I apologize as I expect you are feeling somewhat short-changed. As part of the course, I am required to keep a field journal. Each day, I record what the species I observed, the weather, etc. Please find today’s journal (up to 6:30 PM) below. I hope this provides some satisfaction. I will include more entries in the future, as well. If you are interested in reading more from my field notes, please feel free to leave a comment and/or contact me.

December 30, 2010

Poor visibility but calm waters.

From the bridge. 5:30 AM

I saw bergy bits and growlers. I also saw more Antarctic fulmar, Fulmarus glacialoiodes, and Wilson’s storm-petrel, Oceanites oceanicus. I have noticed that fulmars seem to flap their wings more than some of the other large birds we have seen. We saw our first iceberg around 6AM.

One of the crew members showed me the radar screen. There are plenty of icebergs.

After breakfast, I went back to the bridge and there was some more wildlife to see. Adelie penguins, Pygoscelis adeliae, were resting on an iceberg, and also porpoising in the water. They are so quick and agile in the water, but on land, they are rather sedentary. There was a lone one on the top of a berg. I wonder how he got up there.

The fog has lifted and the sun is out. Visibility is much greater now.

Two humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, on the starboard side.

We are now cruising with the tip of the Antarctic peninsula on our starboard side. On the port side, I spotted a tabular iceberg.

We passed Esperanza Station, an Argentinean Base near Hope Bay. There is a large Adelie rookery at Hope Bay, which helps explain the abundance of Adelie penguins. According to the Lonely Planet guidebook, Esperanza was established in 1951. In 1978, the first child was born there. When 7 months pregnant, Silvia Morella di Palma flew over to the station. Today, families live there year-round.

At about 2:30, we landed at Brown Bluff. It was sunny and mild, and the seas were relatively calm. Adelie, Pygoscelis adeliae, and gentoo, Pygoscelis papua, penguins nest on the island. (There was also a lone chinstrap penguin, Pygoscelis antarctica.) The gentoos can be differentiated from the adelies, which were more numberous at this site, by their orange beaks and feet. They are alsio unique in terms of breeding habits. Whereas the gentoos breed in small patches of only a small number of breeding pairs, the adelie penguins form larger groups. The penguins did not seem too disturbed by our presence, though they are curious creatures and seemed to be interested in us. I sat on the rocky beach for a bit, simply observing their behavior. I noticed that the penguins did appear rather shiny, which may be from water, or the oil they secrete, or a combination of both.

An interesting behavior of the Adelies I noticed was that a group would go to the water’s edge together and hesitate. A few would jump in and then the rest would turn around and leave. They seem to exhibit follow-the-leader-type behavior.

I noted that both species of penguins seem to preen themselves with their beaks. Also, they tend to hold their wings out when they walk. I wonder if this is for balance.

The penguins extend their necks periodically. It seems as if they are trying to sense something, to get a better understanding of their surroundings.

Several adelies were lying on their stomachs, feet stretched out, cooling themselves off.

Kelp gulls, Larus dominicanus, also breed on the island and I observed many.

The weather changed rather quickly. The fog rolled in, obscuring the ship, and the temperature fell.

December 31, 2010

Let’s go out with a bang, shall we?

I actually slept in this morning. I think the red wine last night helped. I slept until 7:15AM, when John announced that breakfast would be ready in 15 minutes over the loudspeaker. I slept in. there were delicious pancakes at breakfast. We were off to a great start. I got all suited up for the zodiac cruise around the dragon’s teeth, off the northeast coast of Astrolabe Island. Flossing is fun, right kids? So I was all suited up, all ten thousand layers. Ready to go.

So I’m so eager, I get out on deck early.

                Water so still

                Eerily so

                Ice bobbing

                No one else on deck

                Alone in a world of ice, all white and blue

                Stranded at sea

                Gently snow falls

                No sound but the engine

                No wind, no bird calls

                Calm, no petrel, no albatross gliding, soaring

                No playful penguins porpoising

                Gently snow falls

                Alone in a world of ice

                Fog obscures snow

                Obscures ice

                Hides glaciers and mountain peaks and nunataks

                Gives cover to nesting birds

                And patient chicks

                And one “w”

                In the distance

                Flies in and out of the fog

                Carrying the veiled secrets

                Of the Southern continent

So I’m pumped. Ready to go. Lucy, Hannah, and I (best roommates ever) got on the first Zodiac with Keith. We saw chinstrap penguins (and a couple stray Adelie penguins), elephant seals, Antarctic terns, and fulmars. The icebergs were beautiful. White and blue and majestic and simply awe-inspiring. Then, I switched boats. John’s Zodiac needed more weight (though why I thought I would be a good candidate for adding weight to any Zodiac is beyond me) so I transferred to his.

Again, things were going well. He gave us opportunities to touch the icebergs. We even saw leopard seal. Curious bugger, kept poking its head up to take a peek at the crazy tourists in the Zodiac. Everyone was click-clicking away, taking photo after photo. Then off to help the dragon floss his teeth. (Along the way, we spotted an American shearwater, also called a shit-chicken (it eats penguin guano). We were encouraged to use the latter common name in our reports.) John asked, calm and serene or fast and dangerous? Of course, Florida screamed for the latter. Oh dear God. And we were going through between two large rocky outcroppings and a wave came. And oops. We all got soaked (two people fell over) and the bottom of the boat was filled with water. Why, oh God why, did I switch boats? Florida was laughing, as were several others. I was hyperventilating, practically. Jim (oh thank goodness for Jim) kept calm and helped John. The motor would not start up again. As we waited for the other Zodiacs to come fetch us, several more big waves came. People were very concerned about their cameras. I thought we had a near-death experience just then and you are upset your camera got wet?!?!?! WTF, mate? Seriously, WTF? I can’t feel my toes and you are asking me if I have anything waterproof you can put your camera in? F*** no! So the other zodiacs came along. As we were waiting, more waves came. So we were stuck between waves and rocks. Then we saw the other zodiacs. Our TA looked terrified (insurance and liability issues). Hannah and Lucy waved to me. David was snapping photographs. (I probably look miserable. I’ll see if I can get a hold of some of these photos.) Some transferring of passengers from zodiac to zodiac. All the wet folks got on Terry’s and were taken back to the boat. My friend helped me unzip my jacket. I pulled my boots off in the shower and emptied out all the water. I took a hot shower. And now I’m here, sitting in my room in my fleecy pj pants, feet over the heater, wet clothes hanging anywhere there is a hook, feeling absolutely exhausted. I am very impressed by Eastern Mountain Sports: my camera, which was just in a pocket in my backpack, was dry. Also, my top layer was dry. Thank you to my grandma for the jacket from Kohl’s. My dad may laugh and mock her; he doubted the jacket from Kohl’s, but my top was dry. (My underwear and feet weren’t, but that’s beside the point.) Also, I was very impressed by how Aurora Expeditions handled the situation. This could happen on any trip to Antarctica. And they handled the situation very well. I am so glad we are working with this company.

Counting down to New Year’s Eve. John owes us all drinks.

At about 6:30 PM, I arrived on-shore at Deception Island. (John drove the zodiac I took from the boat) There was once a whaling station there, which was then converted to a scientific base, then abandoned after two eruptions: 1967 and 1969. It was just an odd landscape. Almost Martian. The oxidized rocks were red. The metal was rusting. There were whale skeletons and bones on the beach. A perfect movie set for a post-apocalyptic film or sci-fi thriller, except for its remote location and the cute little chinstrap penguins waddling around. That kind of ruins the atmosphere. I love how the couple with matching gear was walking around holding hands. Such a romantic place, Deception Island.

Some of the Michigan State students swam in ocean at Deception Island. There was much shrieking involved. Shrieking and shivering. We loaded all the crazy wet Americans onto a zodiac and sent them to the sauna. Three of the people involved in the wave incident earlier in the day participated. Why you would want to get wet again is beyond me. I had enough of the Antarctic Ocean for the day.

American college students + Aussies + alcohol + music = …

After dinner, we had a New Year’s Eve Party. In the beginning, it was relatively calm. Our professor did model a penguin hat for us, which was quite funny. As the alcohol continued to flow, things picked up. I had a glass of the house white, chardonnay from Trapiche. Not bad. Usually I’m a red fan, but that would have knocked me right out, I have a feeling. I’m glad I stayed up. So glad. Best New Year’s Eve of my life.

I’ve decided our naturalist is the George Clooney type. Older distinguished gentleman who will always be handsome, no matter what age. He left the top two buttons on his shirt unbuttoned and at some point during the night popped his collar.

Terry, the chefs, and several of the other staff came in as penguins. One of them was wearing a hot pink wig as well. What this has to do with penguins (or the black-and-white theme) I don’t know. However, the bright pink wig made its rounds throughout the night. At some point it landed on my head even. But we’ll get to that later.

Champagne was served at midnight. But wait, what about New Year’s in NJ and Michigan. Not for another two hours. We decided it was very important to stay up for this. We needed to celebrate more. I mean, when are you next going to be on a ship in Antarctica for New Year’s with Aussies?

One of our group brought up her Ipod and we showed the Aussies how to break it down. Many of them took pictures of us dancing. Some of them even videotaped us. Maybe Aurora should have some resident college students to entertain the passengers and teach them such dances as the Cuban Shuffle. Yes, we did teach the Aussies how to Cuban Shuffle. My roommate danced next to the expedition leader, who is also a professor. She found it particularly entertaining to watch him learn this dance. (Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, the second time the song came on, too much alcohol had been poured and/or the ship was rocking too much for us to make lines and follow the directions in the lyrics. So Jeremy and I decided any attempts at doing the actual Cuban shuffle were futile and followed the Aussies in just bustin’ a move whatever which way.) Our TA taught us a great new dance: the geologist. Pretend you are using a tool to break open a rock. Look at both halves after you have broken it. Use facial expressions to convey emotion (excitement, disappointment, etc.)  and throw the pieces over your shoulder. Repeat.

We also brought a little bit of Jersey in – fist pumpin’ on a boat in Antarctica. Fantastic.  A young woman in our group taught us all how to Douggie, a very important life skill all college admissions officers look for when considering applicants. (Someone please tell me, is that how you spell Douggie?)

Some of the Aussies started to leave. We kept going. So did the music. The staff danced with us. At least those members of the staff who were not pouring. The naturalist was breaking it down. With some MSU students. And the chef was dancing quite a bit as well. (There has to be a pun for this, there has to be! I mean a dancing chef. Someone please help.)

The windows in the bar clouded up, it was so hot in there. I wiped a little of the condensation off to see what was going on outside. It had never gotten truly dark and the sun was rising. So Jeremy went to the bridge to get a better view. It was absolutely gorgeous. Bright orange light between the clouds, above the mountain peaks.

When we went back downstairs, many from our group had left. But most of the staff was still there. And even the captain joined us for a dance. Just after the captain left (I had lost track of time, maybe 2:30AM), I had the pink wig on my head. After that (and being tickled a bit), I decided it was about time to leave. (I also decided it would be most wise to wait until at least noon to get in a zodiac with any of the staff.)

I was sitting in the cabin, talking with my friends, unwinding a bit before bed, and we here a retching sound. oh, bad news bears. The cleaning crew surely hates us now (if they didn’t already.) Another interesting observation: apron in the hallway this morning. Apron…where’s the chef? good question. Very good question.

Now I am up on the bridge. It’s about 9 AM. I hope to get some input from my classmates on this entry. It needs to be epic, for we had a truly epic evening.

When I went back down to third deck, Florida offered to share some chocolate with me. Apparently, she partied a bit with the Russian crew last night and one of the crew members gave her some chocolate this morning.

I didn’t follow my own advice: Mid-morning, we took a zodiac cruise around Paradise Harbor and Skontorp Cove, finishing with a landing at the Argentinean station Almirante Brown. The water was still. First, we landed at a large iceberg. I was dying. My stomach was in knots I was so nervous I would slide off the damn ice. Then my friend hands me his camera and asks if I could take a picture of him climbing the iceberg. And this is not some cheap camera. This is professional quality, hundreds if not thousands of dollar equipment. Shit. Damn you. I was moving maybe a couple inches a minute, then I was down to one. When it came time to board the zodiac I went on my ass. No joke. I figured, if I’m already sitting down, I can’t slip, right? I was the last one on the boat. My stomach still hurt from the anxiety. We continued to cruise around, drifting along, watching the birds nesting on the cliff face.  We also saw a weddell seal resting on an iceberg. There was a yacht anchored in the cove. Who would bring a yacht through the Drake Passage? How? Crazy people. But it would be awesome.

While we were going around the cove, we heard (and saw) snow falling in the mountains. And we remained in that area. We even got closer to where the sound was coming from. This boggles my mind. Why go towards the avalanche? Anyone? Anyone?

Before returning to the ship, we landed at Almirante Brown, an Argentinean base. It was a permanent base until the mid-1980s, when a doctor stationed there cracked and set it on fire. The men had to live in a small emergency shelter for months, waiting for the ice to clear so a rescue vessel could get in to the bay.

Currently, there are 7 men living there temporarily. Apparently, they had a pretty miserable New Year’s Eve. Seven men and two bottles of champagne. Sorry, chaps.

At the base there are some nesting gentoo penguins. I learned from one of the men stationed there that these penguins have only begun nesting at Brown in the last 20 years. Other changes in the last two decades include decreased snow cover as well as shrinking fish populations, and, consequently, shrinking seabird populations.

Our visit to the base was cut short. From the zodiac, we saw our ship leaving as a French cruise ship set anchor.

Lunch was enjoyable. Good food, good people. I decided to branch out and I sat with a group of people not from MSU (except one).  Keith, again in the shorts (WTF, mate?), joined our table as well.

I returned to my roost (ahem, the bridge) after lunch. There was little wildlife, but the view was still spectacular. And, as usual, there was an interesting playlist. At one point, Boom Boom Boom came on.

We landed at Port Lockroy in the evening. The site was discovered in 1906 and was used by whalers for the early part of the century. In a secret occupation, the British set up a permanent station there in the 1940s. the station closed in 1962, but was restored in 1996. The United Kingdom Heritage Trust now manages the site, which has a museum, post office, and gift shop. Workers are stationed there from November to March, approximately 4.5 months. I think I would just go bonkers. Only a few other people to talk to (unless you whale whisper or talk to the penguins, in which case you probably would not pass the psychological exam), nowhere to escape to, and very cold. Besides, I probably wouldn’t be able to pass the examinations, which test skills ranging from carpentry to electrical wiring to accounting. I have no practical skills.

The weather quickly changes while we were in the museum. The wind picked up, the fog set in, and the temperature fell. It makes me nervous how quickly the weather can change here.

I sat in the bridge a bit. While anchored, the boat rotated in the wind. The scenery was truly beautiful. And then the little hut/museum sitting plop there on the island.

They’re out there

(he’s out there)

And the clouds like steam hug the mountain peaks

And gray clouds threaten

The flag waves wildly

The sea churns

White caps on the water

The boat

(his little boat)

Where?

Rain falls harder now

I cannot see the mountains

While I was sitting in the bridge, the third mate started talking to me. Very simple. His English is quite limited and my Russian is non-existent except for the phrases of the day Maggie gives us in the Penguin Post. Anyway, third mate asked if I had any new dance music. I guess he is getting sick of the songs on replay up here. It is a rather short playlist.

Dinner was delicious. Puff pastry with fig and red onion and cheese. I was quite impressed. Though I should not have been surprised. All the food has been great, really.

January 2, 2011

It is windy and snow is blowing and the visibility is low. Why are we going out on zodiacs in this? I am getting a lovely view from the bridge, thank you very much. And the deck looks rather slippery.  

It is 8:30 AM, and we are sailing into the Lemaire Channel, a deep passageway between Booth Island and the Peninsula. WTF, mate? Why is Graham out there in a tee-shirt? These crazy Aussie men.

Despite the cold and the wind and the fog and the precipitation, we went on a two-hour zodiac cruise at 10 AM. We could not drop anchor because the channel is too deep and ice blocked our course. We launched the zodiacs from a drifting ship. The rain got heavier while we were on the zodiacs, and gradually turned to snow. We saw some spectacular icebergs, including some carrying debris (rocks and dirt). We saw a kelp gull, Larus dominicanus, and gentoo penguins, Pygoscelis papua. The penguins were nesting on the rocky shores of Pleneau Island.

I had a terrible headache at lunch. But I found the perfect cure.

In the afternoon, we visited Vernadsky Station, a Ukrainian research base (with its own bar). They work mainly on atmospheric and meteorological sciences, though they also have some research focused on the biological sciences. The base has a souvenir shop and bar. My female classmates and I gladly donated our bras to their collection (in exchange for homemade vodka. Probably the best vodka I have ever had, actually. But having 3 shots and then getting into a zodiac is probably not the best idea.) A part of me (my wardrobe) will forever be in Antarctica.

Dinner was served on the back deck. In the snow and cold. We all put on funny hats (supplied by the ship), ate delicious food, and danced about (to keep warm). Terry made hot, mulled red wine. I believe it was Glugg, or something equivalent (I did get the recipe). Amanda may be disappointed that I did not drink more of it, but I had plenty of alcohol at Vernadsky. Dessert was ice cream, also (ironically) served outside. Strange folks, these Aussies, but it works for them. I love it. Great times, great times.

January 3, 2011

I volunteered to write the voyage log today, so I will upload that. I hope the Aussies appreciate my humor. I suppose it doesn’t matter all too much. We won’t be getting these logs for a couple months.

But, some things I did not include in the voyage log:

Post-lunch gossip in the bridge: subjects 6 and 9 enjoying one another’s company in the lecture room.

January 4, 2011

It has been a very dull, quiet day. We entered the Drake Passage last night and people are dropping like flies. On top of that, there is a cold making its way through the ship. Just peachy.

I realized I need alone time. A rare commodity on a boat with 50-some-odd passengers plus staff and crew. Sure, I can go and read on the bridge, but I can never really escape. There is always the chance that someone will sit next to me and start talking to me. I have a huge book in my hand (Count of Monte Cristo). Is it not obvious that I am trying to avoid talking to you? If I do being talking to you, I might just say something I shouldn’t, and we still have a few days together, on the boat and in Ushuaia, and though you do not go to my school and it is unlikely I will see you after this trip, it would be nice to part on good terms? Capiche?

Ah, I’m overreacting. It’s not so bad. In fact, I’m upset that tomorrow is our last full day. Then Ushuaia for a few days, a couple nights in Buenos Aires, then back to Tinton Falls. Then back to school and research and work and what is my real world, but is not even the real world. Oh gosh, if it scares me to go back to college, what will I do when I have to enter the real real world? An unsettling thought.

Anyway, what happened on the ship today?

Breakfast. Lunch. (Delicious homemade focaccia bread. I took a couple pieces back to Hannah. Florida asked me if there was more bread. Was there not enough at her table? I’m just trying to bring some to my sick roommate!) Impressive waves from the bridge. Photo sharing. (Keith got some great ones from Vernadsky and from the Polar Plunge.) John gave a couple lectures. In the morning, he presented on seabird mortality

I am in the dining room, reading some papers on beavers. There is a cold going around the ship, as I have mentioned. A woman is coughing up a lung behind me. I wish I had some cough drops to throw at her. If I get sick, oh man…

January 5, 2011

Traveling on the Drake. We were so spoiled on the way down.

We watched Lord of the Rings in the lecture room. There is much less movement on second deck than the upper levels. There was some Special K action in the last row, maybe? And subjects 6 and 9 were holding hands.

Before lunch, I went up to the bridge. It’s my roost. Though you get tossed about quite a bit. As John told me, the more you pay, the more you sway. I guess there are advantages to being a third-class citizen. I saw how huge the waves were and how much the boat rocked. Very good thing I have faith in the ship and the Russian crew.

Captain’s drinks before dinner. One couple shared their bottle of champagne with me. Hanging out in the bar pays off, apparently. At the captain’s drinks, John announced the winners of the oceberg competition. Guess who was number one? Moi! Nice bottle of malbec. And I also got a free drink from John for my suffering in the zodiac/wave incident.  I saved the bottle to take with me and the free drink for after dinner. I was a bit heady from the champagne.

After dinner, we returned to the bar for some reminiscing and drinks. I could have used my free drink ticket for a glass of wine, but that’s so dull. So I asked John, who is also a college professor, what I should get. His recommendation: Bailey’s + cointreau. Very good. Highly recommend it. He also noted that this is called an orgasm.

So, overall lesson from my trip to Antarctica: when you go to a bar, hand over your bra and ask for an orgasm.