Antartica…..a little difficult to reach….impossible to describe!

The seventh one is checked off!

We did it!   We’ve now visited all seven continents.  There have been so many amazing experiences along the way.  Some of them are easy to describe, others difficult to describe, and a few that are downright impossible to put into words.  Antartica falls into the impossible to describe category.  

Size wise Antartica is huge.  It’s larger than the contiguous United States.  According to what we’ve learned from the Antartica experts on board, 61% of the world’s fresh water can be found in Antartica….as ice.   Ironically Antartica is considered a desert.  The accumulation of ice and snow has been millions of years in the making.  

Antarctica is the only continent without a human population    Thanks to some forward thinking people the Antarctica Treaty Alliance was signed on December 1, 1959.  The treaty was signed by twelve countries (including the US), to protect and preserve the fragile and important ecosystem.  The treaty provides oversight for all activities in Antarctica.   Scientific research projects must be approved and tourism is very limited.   From the limited research I did on the treaty it appears to be working extremely well, and is a model of international cooperation for the benefit of everyone.   Hopefully it continues!

From Cape Horn we cruised southward across the Drake Passage for two days.  We felt very fortunate that we had the “Drake Lake” both days…….smooth water and dropping temperatures as we made our way.   We’ve seen icebergs on other adventures, but we quickly realized that there are icebergs and then there are Antartica icebergs.  It wasn’t unusual to pass between two icebergs that appeared to be much larger than the ship.  We did learn that no matter the size of the iceberg, only around 10% is visible.  We didn’t see it, but we were told that the largest iceberg out there is A23A and that it is currently 4 times the size of New York City.  Thankfully we have on board skilled ice pilots who along with our very personable captain kept us from turning into the Titanic.

The Cape Horn Lighthouse. A family of four and a cat live there.  Their nearest neighbors are a few hundred miles away!

One of many Albatrosses that entertained us around Cape Horn.  

One of the first iceberg sightings as we traveled south across the Drake Passage.  Note the lake conditions.  There are no pictures of the “Drake Shake” conditions because the outside decks were closed.

Our cruise took us to the Antarctic Peninsula, which with a little imagination looks somewhat like Florida jutting out.  We had four wonderful days cruising in and out of bays and channels, as well as getting close up looks of both Deception and Elephant Islands. All the while we were marveling at the scenery and enjoying watching hundreds of thousands of penguins swimming along beside the ship and standing guard over their babies on the rocky shore line.   We also had a daily dose of whales, sea lions, Antarctic birds and snow.   

The weather was about as cooperative as the weather can be in that part of the world.  The skies were mostly overcast with the temperatures ranging from the single digits to the upper twenties.  It was never intolerable when we were outside, especially since we were never more than a few steps away from being out of the wind and weather and back in the cozy confines of the Oosterdam.  Sunset was close to midnight and sunrise around 4 am, but it never really got completely dark.

It really is impossible to describe Antartica with words.  Pictures capture just a glimpse of how spectacular this frozen continent really is.  Below are some of our favorites.  I’ve captioned some with specific points of interest……enjoy!

Approaching the Antartica Peninsula! 

The Palmer Research Station.  It’s one of the US Research Stations.  In the summer it is staffed by around 60 people.  During the winter it is staffed by around 30 people.  

The dark line leading to the water is the penguin trail.  There are a few penguins near the water’s edge.  

The great majority of the coastline around Antarctica is classified as “glacier”. 

A future iceberg calving off the glacier.

The two things that look like logs are actually humpback whales.

Iceberg with a built-in swimming pool.  We had seen one earlier that had a seal frolicking around inside.  

Morning Tai Chi by the indoor pool

Penguins on the slope!

Penguins on the Rocks!

Penguins chilling on ice!

Polar plunge in the outdoor pool.  No!  We did not participate!

 

We didn't earn the Polar Plunge Certificate.  However, we were inducted into The Order of the Moss Back for rounding Cape Horn and The Order of the Red Nose for traveling to Antartica.  I'm not sure what benefits come with being inducted other than these spiffy certificates.  

Elephant Island.  It was so named because the island resembles the head of an elephant.  It was here that 22 men spent four months after their ship was destroyed by an ice pack. They survived under lifeboats, eating penguins and seals.   True to his word, the expedition leader  (Ernest Shackleton). who left to seek help did come back to rescue them.  The small thing sticking up in the lower middle of the picture is a monument to the rescue.  

Penguin covered rocks at Elephant Island.  

Ushuaia…….”the end of the world”!

 

The End of the World!

While it’s been pretty well proven that the world is round, if you travel far enough south in South America you’ll likely end up in Ushuaia, Argentina.  Although it’s quite remote, it’s a surprisingly vibrant city (population is around 90.000) that is the world’s southernmost city and proudly proclaims itself as “the end of the world”.  

Cruising towards Ushuaia!  A huge glacier feeding a huge waterfall. 

Like Punta Arenas, Chile, Ushuaia is a gateway city to Antartica. For our journey, it is our gateway city.  When we leave here our next destination will be four days of scenic Antartica cruising.  

Arriving at Ushuaia!

Although it’s mid-summer, it’s a bit nippy here at the end of the world.   Today’s high was around 40.  Sometimes it was sunny, sometimes cloudy.  There was a little drizzle, a little sleet and even a few snowflakes.  Weather wise, the only thing consistent was the steady wind that made it seem colder than the actual temperature.

We arrived around 11:00, and have a late departure, which has given us a full day to enjoy the city and surrounding area.  We hired a cab for a three hour tour that took us to the Tierra del Fuego National Park, which is just a short 30-40 minute drive from the city center.   The park is close to 300 square miles in size, so our visit just hit some of the many incredible highlights.   All the pictures between this paragraph and the next one were taken in the park.

Our cab driver!

After returning to the city we said goodbye to our friendly cab driver.   His English was as bad as our Spanish, but we had a lot of fun along the way.   We still had plenty of time to walk around the city before returning to the ship.   It’s getting close to time to depart the end of the world……we’ll be heading further southward to what I guess is the bottom of the world.   The adventure continues!

Main Street Ushuaia 

Near the city center

Adios from Ushuaia!

Punta Arenas

We had a whale of a good time in Punta Arenas!

It took two days to cruise from Puerto Chacabuco to Punta Arenas.   Most of the journey was through the calm and very scenic Chilean fjords.  Along the way we passed the Amalia Glacier, which is located in the Bernardo O’Higgins National Park (Chile has 42 National Parks).  This large, tidewater glacier covers over 60 square miles, making it one of the country’s largest. 

Great scenery in the Chilean fjords!

The Amalia Glacier!

Punta Arenas, which has a population of just over 125,000, serves as the capital city of Chile’s southernmost region.  Because of its location, Punta Arenas has a long history of being a vital port city for ships passing around Cape Horn.  Its importance was significantly diminished by the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914.   At that time, a visionary business woman named Sara Braun was credited with encouraging the diversification of the economy to include agriculture (sheep and cattle).  Today Punta Arenas, like most of the country of Chile, has a diverse and thriving economy.  Tourism in the region continues to grow as Punta Arenas serves as a starting point for Antartica adventures.

We enjoyed roaming around the city, even taking time out for us both to get our hair cut.  During our time roaming around we experienced all types of weather, ranging from sunny blue skis to thick clouds, a bit of rain, a little sleet and a steady wind that made the mid-forty degree temperature feel a little chilly…..no pun intended.   

Haircut Day……Beth’s is a little more complicated than mine!

Sara Braun Palace

The cemetery is known for its large, family crypts and is a popular tourist attraction that’s worth visiting.  Sara Braun’s final resting place is in the cemetery which is named after her. This is not her crypt.   

Plaza de Armas.   Many Chilean towns have a city square named the same thing!     It looked like everyone was rubbing the foot of the statue located there.  We assumed it was for good luck so we rubbed it as well.  

We found the Oosterdam!

Tomorrow we head a bit further south, and will leave Chile behind.  We will be docking in Ushuaia, Argentina for a few hours before heading further south to Antartica!   

To reach Antartica we’ll be crossing the Drake Passage, which at times is known as the Drake Lake because the water is as calm as a lake.  Other times it’s known to produce the “Drake Shake”!  Right now it looks pretty good, but we’ve been warned it can change quickly and often.  We will keep you posted!!

Antartica Bound Puerto Chacabuco, Chile

Lay over in Panamá City…..a very nice airport!

On December 29, we (me, Beth and Ben) flew to California for a weeklong celebration with Sarah, Joey, James and Emma.  We celebrated Christmas, a birthday for the oldest and youngest in the picture above, New Years and just being together.  There was a definite theme to the Christmas celebration.  It ended with the announcement that in February we're all going to Disney World!

Taming the lion at the San Francisco Zoo

James is seven......I've had the good fortune to have a birthday picture with him for seven years in a row!

It's great having Emma as my "birthday buddy".  She's an expert at blowing out candles.

Ben had us laughing all the way through numerous games and activities.  This one was stacking and unstacking cups to see who could do it the fastest.

Emma and Sarah took us on an wonderful hike in the Mt. Burdell Preserve near their house.

Tunnel Tops Park overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge

First, six hours from San Francisco to Panama City, Panama, followed by a ten hour layover in Panama City.  Then a six hour flight from Panama City to Santiago, with a midnight arrival.  Thankfully we had a hotel at the Santiago airport!   After a hot shower and a few hours sleep we were ready for the short (hour and a half) bus ride to the port, which is located in San Antonio.  The Oosterdam had arrived that morning and boarding started about the time we arrived.  

We boarded quickly, and since we travel very light (a carryon and a backpack each) we were unpacked in minutes and ready for our 6:00 PM departure.  Travel is rarely uneventful, and we soon found out that was going to be the case with our departure. Due to high winds, tidal issues, and over 200 passengers flights being late, our departure was going to be delayed until 4:00 AM the next morning.  4:00 AM turned into 6:00 AM before we were on our way.

The delayed departure allowed most of the guests  to make it to the ship sometime between 1:00 and 4:00 AM.  However, the delay had a “ripple effect”.  Our timing was now off, and the ship would not be able to pass under a construction cable at a location where a new bridge was being built.  The captain had to scrub the first port of call (Puerto Montt).  We had been to Puerto Montt on a previous South American cruise.  We remember it was nice, but there’s no use crying over missed ports!

After two uneventful, but relaxing days at sea, we arrived this morning in Puerto Chacabuco.  It’s a small port city in the Chilean Fjords.   We enjoyed walking around the town a bit before taking a minibus to the slightly larger (17,000 residents) town of Puerto Aysen.  

The Oosterdam in Puerto Chacabuco!   It’s a tender port, but an easy one.  

It’s mid-summer in Puerto Chacabuco……

the wildflowers are everywhere!

We enjoyed walking along the river and crossing the bridge that looked like a miniature version of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.   An empanada and two ice cream cones from a small store set us back a little over four bucks.  Satisfied that we had taken in the great majority of what Puerto Aysen had to offer, we caught the minibus back towards the ship………but the adventure wasn’t quite over.  

Puerto Aysen has it’s own version of the Golden Gate Bridge!

I’m no mechanic, but it looked like the minibus’s best days were behind it.   It was only a six mile journey to the ship.  However, about half way back, smoke started coming up through the floor board and we slowed to a snails pace before pulling off the road.   Thankfully, there were no flames, and the smoke dissipated once the friendly and unfazed driver turned off the ignition.   

Beth must have had a premonition about what was going to happen.  Just before we loaded up she took this picture.  We got a great story from being a part of what was probably it’s last journey…….all that fun for only $1.50 each!

He called for another minibus to take us the rest of the way.  It showed up in minutes and compared to the one sitting on the side of the road, seemed like a Rolls Royce.   

It was a nice day’s adventure and the smoking minibus added to the excitement.   Soon it will be time to head back onto the Oosterdam……no telling what adventures lie ahead!