You will see much shorter posts from me. The free wifi isn’t that great and I don’t want to pay $50 A DAY for premium wifi.
Hopefully you saw my update to the 12/28 post. If not, here it is again with some additional details—
Holy moly—last night we were rocking. Up to 7 meter waves. And the Dramamine did the trick! This was in the Beagle Sound. We started in the Drake Passage but had to turn back so we remain in the Beagle Sound until the storm recedes and we can make it through. 4-5 ships are sheltering here now. The sound of the waves—the creaking! Comforting but yet frightening. Laura was talking to our head Expedition Leader, Ali, and we were planning to head into the Drake last night even with 7 meter swells but there was a ship coming out that told us to stop—the swells were up to 12 meters. That’s almost 40 feet!
I started early today. And you know what they say about the early bird? They get to fly to the end of the world! The day started at 3:45 am and we made it to the airport by 5:30 am. That’s where I was finally reunited with my roomie, Laura. She arrived after 3 days of trying to get here!
After a 3 1/2 hour flight, we landed in Ushuaia, on the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, the southern most tip of South America.
It was a rainy, cloudy start to the day, which made this resort town even more mysterious. While it was 80 degrees in Buenos Aires yesterday, Ushuaia was a chilly 46 degrees today.
After we explored this resort town, we enjoyed lunch with Laura, Sian and Hayley, plus got a stamp in the passport. We boarded the UltraMarine at 4:00 pm.
Our room is fantastic and a perfect place to sleep over the next 10 days. Lots of amenities and storage! We did the obligatory muster station drill and met our expedition crew. Laura and I explored the ship, tried on our yellow parkas and ensured our muck boots fit. We were able to leave our expedition clothes in the ready room. Btw—this ship is about 3/4 full—so around 150 passengers.
In addition, we are in for a rough ride through the Drake Passage where storms are a brewin’! We watched a colored coded weather map of Antartica and it showed the Drake passage in a very bright shade of magenta, which means waves around 6 meters. For you non-metric people, that’s 18+ feet. We all immediately loaded up on Dramamine as the ship pulled out of the harbor to the view of a rainbow 🌈 —that has to be some sort of luck, right?
We were a couple of hours late to leave due to high winds. Fact—you have to be flexible in an Antarctica expedition. Weather changes the itinerary and we have to roll with the waves (pun intended).
As I sit here and write this, it’s 10:30 pm and still light out and should be for another hour or so. Right now we’re in the Beagle Channel. Once we get to open water, watch out! I need these drugs to knock me out for the next 48 hours. Wake me up when we get there!
Fyi- pictures are not uploading. Wifi isn’t great so will try and post more later.
UPDATE:
It’s December 29th at 6:00 am:
Holy moly—last night we were rocking! Up to 7 meter waves (22 feet). And the Dramamine did the trick! We started to head out into the Drake Passage but had to turn back due to the rough seas so we remain in the Beagle Sound until the captain thinks we can make it through. 4-5 ships are sheltering here now. The sound of the waves were incredible—the moaning and the creaking other worldly. I couldn’t see anything—it was during the middle of the night and I stayed in bed, in and out of sleep due to the Dramamine.
First, the unfortunate news…as I was taking off last evening from ATL, I thought Laura was taking off from DFW. When I landed, I found out she was still there! They were on the runway, started to take off, and the pilot aborted due to a problem with the landing gear. And then the crew timed out. So…the flight was rescheduled for today at noon. I am happy to report that she is finally in the air and 4 hours away! She, along with the other passengers on her flight that happen to be on our expedition, will stay at the airport when they arrive at 1:30 am. We will be there by 5:30 am for our flight to the “end of the world”. Although she missed the day in Buenos Aires, she will make it in time for the flight to Ushuaia! I am so excited to see Laura and give her a big hug—talk about an unexpected adventure!
I checked into the hotel in Buenos Aires mid morn. Instead of exploring by myself, I spent the day with my new friend, Hayley. We met last night before we boarded in ATL and the irony is that her friend/travel companion is on the same flight as Laura! Hayley is an incredible person—Physician Assistant at St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital and an astronaut on SpaceX’s first private space flight, Inspiration4. I was fortunate to see some of her videos today—have to admit, I am a little star struck. What an inspiration! If you have the opportunity, check out her book, Wild Ride: A Memoir of I.V. Drips and Rocket Ships, https://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/575052/?refId=48646&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4NiRh5Gb_AIVGT-RCh0epAD1EAAYASAAEgLcf_D_BwE
She and her friend (also on Inspiration4), Dr. Sian Proctor, will be speaking on our expedition. Check out Hayley Arceneaux’s Instagram here (you will see more pics from today): https://instagram.com/hayleyarc?igshid=MWI4MTIyMDE=
For only 1 day in Buenos Aires, we nailed it! The town is still celebrating from the World Cup win and signs of this are visible everywhere. Here was our agenda today: La Recoleta Cemetery (where Evita Peron is buried); a walking tour through Free Walks to learn about the city center, the culture, and history of Argentine politics; La Boca Barrio (neighborhood); dinner with some tango entertainment; and a chocolate caliente as a night cap. Whew!
Hayley and me in La Boca Barrio – this is quite the colorful neighborhood full of artisans, food, and tango!This is La Recoleta Cemetery—to say it’s the most amazing cemetery I have ever seen would be a true statement!La Recoleta sits on 14 acres and contains over 4690 vaults. They are all above ground. Almost 100 are National Historical MonumentsEva “Evita” Peron’s vault.Empanadas! Definitely a must.Plaza de Mayo and the Casa Rosada in the background (where the President of Argentina goes to work). Plaza de Mayo is representative of political life in Buenos Aires and commemorates the 1810 May Revolution, which started their process towards independence from Spain in 1816. This plaza has been the site of many protests —including a weekly protest since 1977 where The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo have met with pictures of their missing children. These children were those who “disappeared” in the Dirty War. Tango! A traditional dance originated in the late 1800s along the Rio de la Plata between Argentina & Uruguay.So reminds me of my time in Espana. I miss Fanta Naranja y limon!
1. My friend and co-adventurer, Laura, lives in Whitefish, MT. She was planning to fly from Kalispell, MT (FCA) to St Louis (STL), with a stop in Salt Lake City (SLC) on Christmas. Then we would fly to Atlanta (ATL) together on the 26th to catch our flight to Buenos Aires (EZE) that evening.
2. Laura found out (by proactively looking on the Delta app) on Christmas Eve that her flight from SLC to STL was cancelled. Nothing else out of FCA would work so plan B…
3. Laura’s wonderful husband, Mark, drove her 3 hours on Christmas morn to Missoula, MT (MSO) to catch a flight to STL, with a connection through Minneapolis (MSP).
4. Laura was on the flight—they pushed back from the jetway and spent time de-icing. Then, much to everyone’s surprise, they announced that the pilot had too many hours. They came back to the gate, deplaned, and the flight was subsequently cancelled.
5. At that point, there was no way to get to MSP/STL or even to ATL on the 25th nor 26th from MSO.
6. We found a flight from Bozeman, MT (BZN) to ATL through Denver (DEN) first thing on Dec. 26th. Yay!!
Enter United Airlines:
7. Laura and Mark spent another 3+ hours driving on black ice from MSO to BZN on Christmas night.
8. They checked into a hotel at midnight. At 4:00 am, Laura received a text that the flight out of BZN to DEN/ATL had been cancelled—no crew. She called me as I was getting up for my flight.
American Airlines to the rescue!
9. While we were on the phone, Mark, being the expert he is (btw, he’s a pilot:), found 1 seat…yes, 1 seat, on a flight out of BNZ to EZE through Dallas (DFW) which will land in EZE about an hour after I land tomorrow morning. Bingo! But not out of the woods yet…
10. So as of 3:00 pm MT on the 26th, Laura has taken off from BZN and is in midair as I write this. She should make it in plenty of time for her 8:24 pm CT flight from DFW to EZE.
Meanwhile, my flight from STL to ATL was about 20 minutes delayed, but I met an awesome couple at the gate—Nick and Nat—on their way to Rio de Janiero, Brazil (GIG) to celebrate the New Year. (Hi Nick and Nat—cheers!). They were also delayed by a day.
Now I sit in ATL for my 8 hour layover until my flight leaves this evening at 9:00 pm, hoping and praying to be reunited with Laura tomorrow morn in EZE.
What have I learned?
• A lot of airport codes!
• DON’T GIVE UP no matter how many curve balls the airport gods throw your way.
• Mark is awesome!
• Think twice about traveling around a holiday when it’s time sensitive (or leave super duper early).
• Give up the worry and make it part of the adventure. You will simply have another story! (Ok, so I can say this now. We may have shed a few tears throughout the process).
Oh and there was a water main break at ATL so bathrooms aren’t working well, But as long as that doesn’t cancel my flight, I am perfectly fine with no flushing!
3 days until we leave! Did I mention that I am also super excited about spending Tuesday, December 27th in Buenos Aires and speaking Espanol?
Buenos Aires is known as the Paris of South America. And while we won’t have a lot of time to explore the city, we will make the most of it! The empanadas, the wine, Plaza de Mayo, The Recoleta Cemetery (where Eva Peron is buried), and maybe a little tango??
The packing is ALMOST done. Tip—if you plan to go to Antarctica and have luggage weight limit requirements, start packing early. What started with 4 pairs of shoes is now down to two – the boots I am wearing and a pair of tennis shoes. The cold-weather gear takes up a ton of room and weight but you can’t go without it.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all my family and friends that are following my blog site. This will be my last post until the adventure starts.
FYI I will post the contents of my suitcase in another link. I know it was very helpful for me when I was packing to use other people’s blog posts about what to take and what to leave at home.
Feliz Navidad y hasta pronto!
Here’s a Penguin blanket that I received at Christmas🐧
9 days to go…I have been checking off all the things that need to happen prior to departure. Work, school, Christmas festivities…each tick mark represents another step closer to the 7th continent. Laura and I were talking and it’s kind of surreal. Our Antarctica adventure is right around the corner (well, around the corner meaning waaaay down south)
So let’s talk about our actual ship, Ultramarine. You will find a little more about it in my first blog post. The company we are going through is Quark Expeditions, which has specialized in polar adventures since 1991. Their fleet of research vessels were purpose built for navigating the polar regions, and their newest ship is no exception. Ultramarine has an ice strengthened hull and is still in her inaugural season. Our expedition will round out her first year exploring Antarctica and the Artic.
There is capacity for 199 people + 140 crew. THIS IS IMPORTANTbecause 200 people is the maximum number that can leave any ship at the same time in the Antarctica, according to IAATO regulations.
Ultramarine is 420 feet long with a cruising speed of 16 knots. There are two twin-engine airbus H145 helicopters on deck and we have two opportunities while in Antarctica to fly on them.
Our room is on the 4th deck toward the middle. We have a balcony, which will be amazing to take in the sites.
There is a water-level zodiac hanger (see prior post), and two ready rooms where we change in and out of our expedition gear (parkas, boots, rain pants, etc) as we use the zodiacs.
The ship has plenty of amenities, such as a polar boutique, restaurant, bistro, ambassador theater, sauna, spa, fitness center, lounge and bar. The focus is also on environmentally responsible tourism and Ultramarine leads the way with special systems to convert waste to energy. This minimizes fuel consumption and helps navigate narrow passages without impacting the land or seabed.
Happy holidays to all my family and friends. I will be dreaming of a white after-Christmas with visions of penguins dancing in my head!
But who’s counting?? As I celebrate Thanksgiving and share my gratitude with those that mean the most to me, I am in full packing mode. If you know me, you know I am not a light packer!
When we travel on the charter flight from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, we are limited to 1 checked bag, 50 pounds max, and 1 carry on, no more than 17 pounds. It’s amazing how fast you get to 50 pounds with all the cold weather gear we need – base layers, wool socks, mid layers, fleeces, rain pants, neck gaiters, ski hats, ski goggles for the Zodiacs, medication “just in case”, etc. Luckily, they have laundry facilities on the ship, they give us a parka (to keep) and muck boots (to use for our adventures). Therefore, I am modifying Marie Kondo’s famous quote, and using this for my packing strategy — “Does it spark comfort and warmth? If it does, keep it.If not, take it out of the suitcase.”
This is a Zodiac! (Can’t wait to take a photo myself) Photo Credit: Quark Expedition from their 2022-2023 Antartica Explorer guide
Let me explain what a zodiac is/does because these little “rafts” will be a major part of our expedition once we arrive in Antarctica. Zodiacs are rigid-hulled inflatable boats that will carry us from the ship to land. Once used by Jacques Cousteau, they are advantageous in remote locations, allowing passengers to get close up with nature during the voyage (think whales!) and land in places where big ships can’t. Bottom line, a Zodiac is a necessary and indispensable part of the expedition. We will be on the Zodiacs at least twice a day, exploring the local bays, channels and our landing sites on the continent. The Zodiacs are our gateway to Antarctica’s wildlife—penguin rookeries, humpback and minke whales, and the southern seal species (including the leopard seal).
I used to have trouble spelling Antarctica. Now I’m planning a visit! My friend, Laura, and I fly to Buenos Aires, Argentina on December 26, 2022. We will board Quark Expeditions’ newest ship, The Ultramarine, on the 28th. Along with 199 other passengers, we leave from “the end of the world” in the resort town of Ushuaia, Argentina on the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. We’ll then cruise to our southernmost continent (AKA the South Pole), passing through the infamous, Drake Passage. This state-of-the-art explorer ship is outfitted with twin engine helicopters and equipped with a Micro Auto Gasification System (MAGS), which converts waste into energy onboard. This year is its maiden voyage, and we are two maidens on a voyage!
While most of the land is covered in ice, this polar desert is important to our ecosystem as 79% of the world’s freshwater reserves can be found frozen on Antarctica. If that ice were to melt, it would raise global sea levels by ~200 feet. Do people actually “live” on this continent? There are around 5,000 people during the summer months (October – February), dropping to 1,000 the rest of the year. These people can be found working at one of ~70 research stations – permanent and seasonal. The US has the largest, McMurdo Station, that can house 1,000 people. These lucky individuals share their space with the penguins, seals, and whales. Side note – No country owns Antarctica. Although some have tried to lay claim, the continent is governed by 29 countries who signed the 1959 Antarctica Treaty System. Under this treaty, no military activity, mining, nuclear activity, or disposal are allowed – only freedom of scientific investigation and environmental protection.
Antarctica is known as the 7th Continent because it was the last one to be discovered. It will be the 6th continent I’ve had the honor of exploring. I’m coming for ya next, Australia!
Christina’s Journey Journal 