Christina’s Journey Journal

Tag: BucketList

  • 1/2/2023 – The heli flight seeing!🇦🇶

    One of the main reasons we choose Quark is because of their consciousness—to the environment, their guests, their employees. Everything they do is centered around safety for the continent and their guests. This is reflected in the mandatory meetings we go to, the history we learn, the wildlife we encounter, and their commitment to the standards set forth by IAATO for visitors to the continent.

    The second reason we choose Quark is because of their amenities and what we just did—flight seeing! As I said in a prior post, there are two bright yellow Airbus H-145 on board. Every passenger on the ship gets to do one of these tours and we just did ours! We also signed up for the heli landing tour, which may or may not happen tomorrow. Everything (and I do mean everything) is dependent on the weather.

    We only had 5 people—4 in the back and someone in the co-pilot’s seat. Everyone got a window seat!
    Hi Laura!
    Ready for take off!💛
    Cruisin’ over the Antarctica peninsula

    The heli was super smooth and the weather cooperated. The day couldn’t have been any better with these views. WHOA! Seeing places where no person has stepped foot on…it’s overwhelming (in a good way) 😮

  • The 7th Continent Awaits! 🇦🇶

    The 7th Continent Awaits! 🇦🇶

    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!

    Photo by Lara Jameson on Pexels.com