Antarctica at Last!

My first iceberg!

Sunrise Club didn’t meet but I was still up super early again.  So many were in the Sky Lounge before me.  Mostly they were bird watchers.  I spoke with a lady who said they are not particularly bird watchers at home but they had bought a glossy one page fold out sheet in Ushuaia to help identify what we were seeing.    There were a lot of birds and a few whales leading the ship.

A few activities were planned so a little Trivia and a lot of food.  I think this is the first cruise ever where I will have gained weight.  Usually there is more walking and less free time to wander around and nibble.  Not so many port days on this run.  And the days are long because of wanting not to miss any of the scenery.  It is light from before five until after ten in the evening!  That scares me because next year at this time I will be in the Arctic. Literally Polar opposites, so to speak.  And the daylight hours will also be the opposite.  Not sure when I booked that if I thought about the dark.  I know I thought about the cold but dark all day – no!

At eleven o’clock Mickey started his narration.  So back to the Sky Lounge I went.  The lady I had talked to about the birds still had her front row seat and let me perch on the arm of their chair.  I was front and center for the sail into the actual waters of Antarctica.  At noon I headed up and out.  We were in the Schollart Channel.  It is named for a Belgian Statesman because this area was discovered in 1898 by Gerlache while sailing for the Belgian Antarctic Expedition.  I had spotted my first Iceberg, a sweet little thing, floating by about 8:30 this morning.  Now there were more and more bits of sea ice and larger and larger chunks of white and blue ice. 

 In front of us was Dallman Bay.  Surrounded by islands it also gave the first view of the Continent as we glided back onto the Continental Shelf.  We followed the Gerlache Strait into Paradise Bay.  Once we were well into this safe haven carved from the Continent itself, we stalled – on purpose.  Basically we parked for a few hours and were surrounded by overwhelming beauty.  My camera does not do it justice at all.  Bergs that were five or six stories high floated by.  The mountains in some places were partially exposed which I did not expect nor did I realize how high they would be.  Snow covered landscape was poised as an almost mysteriously ‘siren call.’

The weather was a true gift!  Bright blue skies, deep blue water, sparkling snow and ice!  I hope my pictures can give you a feel of this wonder.  I look at them and do not think they are good because they do not do justice to this little corner of the Earth.  Everyone, I think, wanted to stay and stay but sail back we must. 

 Enjoyed some time on the Lawn Club.

My Dark and Stormy on a Bright and Sunny Day!

We slowly cruised back through Gerlache Straight which is also know, in case you want to Google it, as Detroit de la Belgica.  It was an exhausting day!  Up to the best viewing point forward.  Down to the Promenade Deck to be closer to the water.  Uh oh!  An announcement that the whales are playing in the bubbling wake of the ship.  Rush back to an aft viewpoint.  Up to the Lawn Club starboard to see the Expedition Ship, down to get a better look at the Almirante Brown Argentinian Research Station.  Gentoo Penguinos feeding off the Port side.  Elevators are too packed and too slow so lots of stairs involved.  No worry getting 10,000 steps today.

About 7:30 Linda, Fred, and I met up for dinner in the Oceanview café.  We didn’t get a window seat as the show continued outside but we could definitely see.  When a raft of penguins floated by word traveled fast and we pressed our cameras to the glass.  As the evening began to dim the glare of the light we retreated to the card room for an hour of Gin Rummy.  Then it dawned on us that we could have stayed and played upstairs as the dinner hours were over.  Down on 5 at Café al Baccio we got tea and coffee and Linda had a slice of a delicious looking chocolate layer cake.  I passed on a treat from the display case.  Every time, all day, I had passed through the Café to access the rear viewing platform I had snagged a treat for sustenance.  No time to have a meal.  I am in Antarctica for a once in a lifetime experience.