This is what we’re leaving!!

Twenty-eighteen was an interesting year. Although the idea of traveling to Antarctica fluttered somewhere in the recesses of our minds, the actual plan to visit the seventh continent didn’t start to take form until that year.

As accidental tourists, we traveled to seven countries in 2018. Let me explain, well no time really to explain so, like a Flo Evans or a Stan Polhemus Christmas letter, let me sum up (thank you Inigo). We traveled to Chile, Argentina and Uruguay earlier in 2018. While in Argentina, we visited Ushuaia, the southern most city in the world, which is coincidentally a jump off point for Antarctica. \240While in Ushuaia we met people that had either gone to or were going to Antarctica. Hence the percolation of the idea. \240Since then we’ve wimped out several times because YouTube videos of the Drake Passage have intimidated us. When the Drake is calm, known as the Drake Lake, it can have seven or eight foot swells. However, if one experiences the Drake Shake, the swells can reach heights of forty-nine feet.

So back to the seven countries. We have enjoyed a special relationship with Mary’s great-niece, Sara. The bond is so special, Mary officiated Sara’s wedding. In 2018, Mike, Sara’s then boyfriend, proposed marriage, within days of us returning stateside. Shortly after proposing, Mike shipped off to do a temporary residency in a rural hospital in Durban, South Africa and asked Sara to join him in South Africa after his tour. Sara, slight, beautiful and blonde as she is was understandably apprehensive about traveling alone. Enter Aunt Mary and Uncle Dave. Sara asked if we would accompany her on the trip and we of course said yes. We traveled with Sara to Qatar, South Africa, and Madagascar. On our way home, we stopped in Istanbul, Turkey for a few day days, completing the seventh country that year. So fast forward to 2025. Sara and Mike long married with two babies, pandemic in the rear view, we have decided it’s time to trek to our seventh continent.

A cold Boston

Leg one:

Travel brings with it \240unexpected surprises so we’ve learned to just go with it, whatever “it” happens to be. Although it’s a huge travel destination for Chile, Brazil, Argentina and Europe, getting to Montevideo Uruguay \240from the US is not effortless. You normally have to go through Argentina or Brazil. The last time we were in Uruguay, we ferried there from Buenos Aires, this time, we flew through São Paulo, Brazil. Brazil is not a third world country, but it’s not a first world nation either, it is considered a developing, industrialized state and our airport experience was clearly reflective of that.

MBTA to Boston

Thanks to Melody and Janie’s suggestion, we took the MBTA to Boston’s Back Bay from the Wickford Station. The ride was stress-free and convenient and our Boston hotel was only half a block from the train station. The next morning, it took us fifteen minutes to Uber to Logan.

Atlanta to São Paulo

Our flight from Boston to Atlanta and our overnight flight from Atlanta to São Paulo were unremarkable. However, once we deplaned in São Paulo, we made our way down a long dingy hallway until we came across an attractive young man directing everyone with an international connection (in Portuguese, Spanish and English) to wait there. \240A little while later, a rumpled, slender man with a stack of boarding passes, approached the group and muttered, Montevideo? Those of us with a connecting flight to Montevideo surrounded him. He once again muttered, “Nombre.” As we called out names he proceeded to painfully scan each boarding pass, trying to reconcile what was uttered with the faint prints in his hand. He eventually gave up and laid all the boarding passes on a nearby sill prompting all of us to scramble over to locate our new boarding passes. Much to our dismay, the new boarding passes were identical to the ones we had received originally; the departing gate was absent on the new boarding passes as well. With our new documents in hand, we were directed down a hallway and to turn left. That was the last and only direction we received, viva São Paulo!

We proceeded down the hall, and the left turn led us to a descending escalator. Reaching the bottom, we realize we once again had to go through security. The screening process was slow and the equipment was antiquated. \240At one point the machine froze, with our bags midway through. It took two staffers feverishly pushing buttons and numerous attempts to reset it. Once through the screening process, the lot of us were left to fend for ourselves. Our flight to Montevideo didn’t appear on any of the departing monitors. Someone in our band of disjointed travelers, had the foresight to approach a man with a reflective vest. He reportedly said to proceed to gate 311, but \240gave no indication of where gate 311 was. It was like a scavenger hunt trying to locate the gate. Eventually, we made it to a subterranean level where someone spotted a sign that read Montevideo.

At the gate, there were very few announcements, and when they did come, they were usually in Portuguese. Collectively we asked enough questions to piece together where we had to wait. Despite the mayhem and the sheer number of passengers waiting, we were assured they would board by zone number. \240It doesn’t happen often, but Mary and I had boarding zone one.

Pre-Boarding group in São Paulo

Without any announcement or pre-warning, a gate agent stepped to the gate’s passageway and taped a placard that, based on the pictures of wheelchairs and stick figures with canes, we assumed meant “pre-boarding”. \240The pre-boarding process included all of the usual suspects: disabled individuals, people needing extra assistance, and families with children. However this pre-board also included pregnant women and their entire entourage, and surprisingly anyone over 60, although the sign actually said 80. I pointed to the sign and asked gate agent 80? He shook his head and said 60. Those four categories included almost everyone in the waiting area and so started the mad dash to secure coveted overhead storage. So much for boarding zone one!

Punta Del Este, Uruguay

Despite the disarray at São Paulo’s airport, we arrived in Montevideo on schedule. We breezed through passport control and customs, and were in our rental, on our way to Punta Del Este, in no time. Although we slept little on the plane, the hour-and-half ride to Punta Del Este was relatively easy. We checked in to our hotel and headed to Devoto, a massive market that sells everything from prepared foods to furniture and motorcycles. We bought a freshly made paella, salad, fresh fruit, and a chilled bottle of wine and headed to the marina at the center of town to have dinner and watch the sea lions.

Marina Punta Del Este

We got back to the hotel, grabbed our books, sat on the balcony and immediately proceeded to nod-off. \240We tried to stay up as long as we could, but finally had to surrender to the two long days of travel.

Punta Del Este Beach

Under the small world category, when we landed in São Paulo and waited for all of the Montevideo passengers to congregate, I noticed an old friend, Noemi, standing in the group. Noemi and her then husband Ray were very close friends for over forty years. However, after Ray died of ALS in the early 2000’s we lost touch until about two years ago. I know she and her new husband Rafael travel extensively, but it was still a surprise to see them there. Unbeknownst to us, they were on our flight from Atlanta to São Paulo, and then again from São Paulo to Montevideo. It was great to see them both.

Noemi & Rafael in São Paulo Airport

A Brief History of Uruguay:

Uruguay is a beautiful and cosmopolitan country, with miles and miles of pristine beaches. The country is politically and economically stable and it is internationally known for having economic freedom, social progress, income equality, high per capita income, and good infrastructure.

Uruguay is nestled south of Brazil and sits immediately east of Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. Current day Uruguay was once populated by indigenous people, known as the Charrúa. Uruguay was colonized by Spain from 1527 until 1811, but was then annexed by Brazil. In 1825, it became part of Argentina and three years later, in 1828, it became an independent nation.

Much like John Mason’s massacre of the Pequots in Connecticut or the massacre of the Lakota during the Pine Ridge Campaign in South Dakota, in 1831 the Uruguayan army massacred almost all of the Charrúa men. \240The remaining women and children were sold into slavery, and although it’s uncertain if any Charrúa men managed to escape, at least four of the surviving men were sent to a “human” zoo in Paris. Similar events, with different natives and different Europeans.

Hat salesman on Punta del Este Beach

Uruguay reached peak economic prosperity thanks to World War II and the Korean War. At the time, Uruguay supplied beef, wool, and leather to allied armies. In 1949, to cover the British debt for beef, British-owned railroads and water companies in Uruguay were relinquished to Uruguay. During and pre-WWII, Uruguay provided refuge to many European Jews fleeing Nazi persecution, hence, there is still a large Jewish presence in the country. Unfortunately, it also provided a safe harbor for German Nazis and former followers of Mussolini after WWII. Because of a scant African slave trade, coupled with the ethnic purging of the indigenous population, Uruguay remains very European, with 93% of the population classified as white.

Beach Side Shack La Barra

As we’ve written, our visit to Uruguay was simply a cushion until we have to be in Argentina; therefore, the trip was mostly for relaxation. We flew \240into Montevideo, and drove to the beautiful seaside town of Punta Del Este. As we’ve mentioned, the day we arrived was a wash. However, the following day we headed to La Barra, a very small exclusive seaside neighborhood about 20 minutes east of Punta Del Este. During our last visit here, we often visited a beachside shack, which had amazing açaí bowls. Surprisingly, they had survived the pandemic and were still open. After a late lunch, we walked the main drag and stopped at various shops. It always surprised me, when I worked in the southern US how many individuals did not know where Rhode Island was. We ran into one young shop keeper who said she knew exactly where Rhode Island was, as she supposedly summered in Newport a few times.

Açaí Bowl La Barra

During our previous trip here, we visited a great winery. Since I couldn’t recall the name, I googled Uruguayan wineries, and Bodega Garzón came up in few time. So, based on the web photos, I assumed it was the same one. I made reservations for Valentine’s Day, for an early afternoon lunch. After breakfast and a long walk on the beach, we headed out to the Vineyard. I was surprised it was almost 2 hours away. I knew the vineyard we visited was not close, but I didn’t recall it being two hours away. Nonetheless, we jumped in the car and headed out. At least one hour of the 2-hour drive was on dusty dirt roads. We drove for miles and miles without seeing another car or another human being. \240At one point we did encounter an ornery armadillo that zigged and zagged across the road blocking our way and interrupting our monotony. \240We eventually arrived and realized it was definitely not the same vineyard we knew. It was however, wine Enthusiast’s New World Winery of the Year. (check out: In Uruguay, A Tiny Wine Region Makes a Big Impression | Wine Enthusiast Magazine) The service was great, the food sensational and the wines fantastic. Unfortunately, after such a wonderful meal, we had to reverse the dusty trek back to Punta del Esta. Upon returning to the hotel, we watched a beautiful sunset over the beach, followed by a glorious moonrise.

Bodega Garzón Winery

Award winner

With a little research and a re-scan of our previous trip’s pictures, we realize the vineyard we had visited was Viña Eden. The next morning we walked to Playa Dedos (literally fingers beach) and had a coffee at an adjacent café. Despite where some of you veer off to, (yes we mean you Jane), it’s called Dedos (fingers) because of a huge fingers sculpture that rises up from the earth. \240After our leisurely morning walk, we headed out in search of the elusive vineyard. \240They had made numerous changes, making it even nicer than we had remembered. Again, for the second day in a row, we had an amazing meal, drank some great wines and met some fascinating people.

Dedos Fingers Beach

Sunset

Moonrise over Punta Del Este

Viña Edén

Bowie,Maze & McGrupp, Los Tres Hermanos

After lunch we engaged in the obligatory wine shopping. \240Standing not too far from us was a man who could have easily been one of Franz Gall’s phrenology subjects. Franz believed criminals could be identified by their physical appearance. Like Danny Trejo, the man’s bearings, despite his piercing blue eyes, were the archetype of any criminal out of central casting. \240His name was Mario and we realized younger staff deferred to him when pricing some of the wines. He eventually asked us where we were from and told us he had lived in New York and Los Angeles. He offered to give us a tour of the winery and we accepted. During the tour we discovered he was born and raised in Uruguay, but, in addition to the US, he had lived in Paris for over ten years. His kids were born and still lived in New York. His tour was comprehensive and he turned out to be a fascinating individual; so much for theory of phrenology.

Wine Cave

Private Wine Tour

Mario, the Phrenology subject

We spent a lazy, drizzly last day in Punta Del Este. We took a long walk on the beach, did a little shopping, and spent a long while at a busy local café waiting for the rain to stop. The weather cleared and after an early dinner at L’Incanto (and no we didn’t talk about Bruno) we headed to the furtherest most point of Punta Del Este, “Punta De Salinas” to watch the sunset.

Always fun finding Rhode Island memorabilia in other countries. Though technically not accurate, a cute find.

Single Passanger car at Punta De Salinas

On Monday, we drove two hours back to Montevideo, dropped our bags off at our hotel and returned the rental car to the airport. There is no real Car Rental return. We parked the car at the same place we picked it up, walked into the Hertz counter, handed over the keys and told the attendant the car had a full tank. In other countries, they go over a return with a fine tooth comb; here the attendant simply smiled and said thank you and told us to have a nice day.

Tuesday Morning, February 18th Leg II:

We had \240pre-booked tickets for the 11:00 AM Buquebus \240Ferry to Buenos Aires. The young woman at our hotel’s front desk suggested we arrive at the ferry terminal at least an hour and a half before departure. Taking her advice, we grabbed a taxi and we were at the ferry terminal by 9:15AM. We had booked business class tickets, so despite the crowd, we checked our bags, and made it through Uruguayan and Argentinian passport control in less than twenty minutes. \240 The business class tickets were $89 apiece, about $15 more than regular tickets; it was well worth the $30 to breeze through the check-in process. We are on our way to Argentina!

Buquebus Ferry

Business Class Section

Buquebus Ferry

The nearly three hour ferry ride to Buenos Aires was surprisingly smooth. We mentioned we made it through check-in and passport control in about fifteen minutes. What we found comical was the wooden metal detector we all walked through. We’re not sure if it was real or a prop, but it never made a sound when anyone walked through.

Wooden Metal Detector in the Background

Buenos Aires is a fascinating city and, like most large cities, it is comprised of different neighborhoods, each unique in its own right. Like Paris or Manhattan, each neighborhood has a distinct characteristic. Buenos Aires is a destination for F1 racing, they have amazing soccer players like Lionel Messi and the world’s top \240polo players hail from Argentina.

Once we arrived in Buenos Aires, we hailed a taxied in order to take us to the hotel. The driver didn’t know where the hotel was nor could he understand the words “Park Towers”. \240I entered the hotel address into google maps to show him the address. Once I did so, he asked to borrow my phone so he could use it to guide us to the hotel. The driver was kind of a sad-sack, but he managed to get us to the hotel. When we asked where he was from, he said he was provincial but wasn’t from Buenos Aires. He told us the name of the northern Argentinian province he was from, which we promptly forgot.

We checked in and went for a long walk and an early dinner in the Recoleta neighborhood. \240By the way the Recoleta cemetery is where Evita Perron is buried. The hotel was beautiful, however, it was near the airport and across the park from the train station. Although convenient for travelers, it lacked the warmth of a neighborhood.

Buenos Aires has two airports. One on the outskirts of town for international flights, and one within the city limits for domestic flights. Because we were flying to Ushuaia, Quark Expeditions selected a hotel not too far from the airport. Because we arrived in Buenos Aires \240a day earlier, we stayed at the Park Plaza, about a mile from Quark’s Hotel, El Hotel Emperador.

Quark Reception

The following morning, Tuesday 2/19, we checked out of the Park Tower and taxied to El Emperador. By the time we arrived, the lobby of the hotel was a beehive of activity. Passengers for the Quark Expedition were arriving, checking in, and heading to Quark’s reception room. Orientation package in hand and medical forms completed, we headed off to explore the Palermo neighborhood.

Departure Day Schedule

Tattoo Parlor in Buenos Aires. Interesting name since most Serial Killers were not Tattooed thugs

Before it was big business, Uber was simply a ride share service where drivers provided rides in their personal vehicles. In Buenos Aires, Uber is still in its infancy. We were picked up in a jalopy with a cracked windshield and a driver who looked like he just crawled out of bed. The entire time, he complained about how expensive everything in Argentina was. I was going to tell him how expensive eggs are in the US, but I didn’t want to interrupt his flow.

Palermo Street Art

Palermo Street Art

Street Art at a Hostle

After being dropped off in the heart of Palermo, we walked to the botanical gardens, and then to Soho to look at the street art. Eventually, we walked up Costa Rica Ave, and ate at a little corner Café.

Store in Palermo, enough said!

A Main Street with fourteen lanes of traffic

After a little bit more exploring, we Uber backed to The Emperador \240to start packing. As we had a 4:00 AM wake up call, and a 4:45 AM breakfast.

Stress Inducer

We’ve been apprehensive about the cold, but more so of the Drake Passage. We may have made this trip years earlier, had we not YouTubed the unpredictable and violent weather in The Drake. Our worst fears realized, we read a real time report that the Drake was experiencing the worst storms in the in the last 10 years. Waves were over 32 feet and winds were exceeding 75 knots. We found an app called CruiseMapper that provides the location of every cruise ship in the world and discovered they were holding ships in the Beagle Channel, hoping the storm would subside. Lucy! What have you gotten me into and why did I agree to it??

Room Service

Playing Rummikub

As we were scheduled to leave for the airport by 5:15AM the next morning, we ordered room service, played a game of Rummikub and crawled into bed by nine for a fitful but excitedly nervous sleep.

Street Philosophy

Lifeboat Drill

We made it through the Drake Passage, relatively unscathed. Although we brought plenty of seasickness medication, the ship’s doctor held a seasickness clinic and convinced us to first try the non drowsy medication that the ship provides, which he believes is very effective.

Boot Fitting

Paddle Drysuit fitting

While navigating the Beagle Channel, we went through the perfunctory activities, such as lifeboat drills, and trying on equipment provided. Sometime after dinner, we entered the Drake Passage. Despite the previous days’ storm, the Drake was calmer. Still, the swells reached over 13 feet. Walking to breakfast was challenging and many fellow travelers were obviously feeling the effects of the pitch and rolls of the ship. \240Fortunately for us, we quickly gained our sea legs, and the doctor’s advice was working.

Safety Briefing

Proper attire Briefing

The days at sea were kept busy with orientations, and presentations ranging from wildlife to discussions on geology. We had a few dry suit fittings, because of course, different activities require different dry suits.

Helicopter landing suit

Helicopter Attire Briefing

Unlike normal cruise ships, the Captain’s Bridge on this exploration ship is open to passengers . When we arrived at the bridge, it was virtually empty. However, while we were there, we had a whale sighting. Immediately, the bridge was packed with staff, trying to spot the whales. Unfortunately, because of the dense fog, the whales rapidly disappeared from site. Ironically, the bridge reminded us of a control center of a high security prison.

View of the Captain’s Bridge

Ukrainian Ship Captain Yuri, trying to spot whales

On Sunday morning we woke up to a spectacular view of snow covered mountains, glaciers, icebergs, ice floes and penguins popping up to look at the ship.

Early Morning view from our room

Quark’s Ultramarine

After exhaustive research and side by side comparisons, we opted to visit Antarctica with Quark Expeditions. They offered many of the activities we were interested in, and the few staff we interacted with were extremely helpful. Subsequently, we booked the expedition with Quark on their Ultramarine ship. We have to say, Quark and the Ultramarine have not disappointed.

There are one-hundred and eighty-three passengers on board, and the ship offers a multitude of activities, which often occur simultaneously. They have sea kayaking, standup paddle boarding, PEP, which is paddling atop inflatable canoes, helicopter rides and helicopter landings, and a polar plunge.

Outfit for Heli Landing

Outfit for zodiac

Outfit for Heli Flight

Outfit for Paddle

During the expedition, Quark passengers are divided into four groups. Group one is Albatross, group two Penguins, \240group three Seals, and finally group four is Whales. Mary and I were in the Whale group. We attended numerous orientations on how to dress for each different excursion, and had fittings for muck boots and dry suits. The dry suit required for paddling is different from the dry suit for helicopter rides. The dry suit and additional gear for helicopter rides is different from the gear required for helicopter landings. You may not be confused, but we most certainly were.

Exhausted in the “I’m not ready yet” room

At 8:00 AM on Sunday morning, we were scheduled to have our first zodiac cruise; however, winds topped nearly forty miles an hour, making it too dangerous to launch zodiacs. So, within a very short time, they moved the ship to a protective cove in Anvers Island and launched the zodiacs, kayaks, paddle boards and the PEP canoes.

Because we were in the fourth group, we thought we’d have plenty of time to get ready. Before we realize it, they call the whales, prompting a mad scramble to put on the right gear, despite our mounting confusion of what to wear. As a result, we were the last ones to exit the ready room. Wearing fifteen-hundred layers of clothes, muck-boots, hats, neck, gators, balaclavas, sunglasses, multiple layers of gloves, cameras, binoculars, and God knows what else we had dangling, we stumbled out of ready room. It took two guides to help me properly don my life preserver, which I had managed to wrap around myself like a mummies shroud.

Alone with just the crew

Like recalcitrant, Breakfast Clubesque students in detention, our tardiness landed us in the zodiac with all staff. The zodiac driver was a French ornithologist, who specializes in penguins, we had a geologist from Denmark, a professional nature guide from the Yukon Territory (probably related to Yukon Cornelius), a Quark administrative staffer and we even had one of the helicopter pilots on board. It was truly delightful being the only two passengers. We had the staff’s undivided attention and the benefit of their expertise. Every bird, ice or rock formation netted a lecture and a new learning opportunity.

Admirable Brown Station

During lunch, they once again moved the ship, this time, just outside Admirante Brown Science Station.

Afternoon PEP Paddle

After each activity, the order of the excursion groups is advanced. The order for the afternoon’s activities was penguin, seal, whale and albatros. Although we were now third, we felt confident we could dress faster for the afternoon excursion. We soon learned we were scheduled for an afternoon PEP paddle excursion rather than a zodiac cruise. We’re not sure why the different outfits, but we managed to squeeze into our dry suit and a much larger life preserver, despite having base and mid layers underneath. Like penguins, our small group waddled out to spend the afternoon paddling. Our guide was a rugged looking man from Patagonia named Ezekiel, although he goes by Eze (Pronounced Essay). His voice is a few octaves higher than one would expect and he sounds like Inigo Montoya (jou killed my penguin, prepare to die).

Our guide Eze

Once in Antarctica, life aboard ship takes on a precise swiftness. No sooner does the ship stop, that zodiacs, paddle boards, kayaks, and canoes are launched from both the Port and Starboard sides. Before dinner, there is a daily briefing, where one of the resident experts summarizes what we did or saw and the expedition leader talks about the following day’s activities. The meals have been wonderful. They cheerfully accommodate any dietary restrictions or finicky palettes. There is always an after dinner lecture or presentation, if one is not too tired to attend.

We quickly adapted to the routine, and by Monday morning we could anticipate when we would be called and managed to gear up in the ready room with ample time. After breakfast on Monday morning, we were the second group called, and we made our first actual landing on Petermann Island, planting our feet on our seventh continent. Pettermann Island is the southern most location we visited on the Antarctic Penninsula. The trek was amazing and the wild life fascinating to watch.

Penguins are cute and adorable, but the environment in which they live is grueling. Many fall prey to leopard seals on their maiden swim, while smaller chicks are susceptible to attacks from predatory birds like skuas and petrels. While hiking in the midst of a colony of gentoo, three skuas swooped down and killed a small molting chick. The mood turned somber and we stood in silence until Fabrice, the French ornithologist, seized the opportunity make this a teaching moment. On the way back to the ship, we zodiac cruised looking for whales and seals.

Fabrice Riding a Zodiac

Pepé aka Fabrice

We were back on the ship for lunch, and once again the ship was moved to Booth Island. Although no landing was offered, we cruised around Booth Island, amazed by the breathtaking landscape and ice formations. Once again, the driver of the zodiac was Fabrice. We’ve listened to a few of his lectures and his passion for penguins is contagious and absolutely fascinating. However, his accent is very robust, in a Pepé Le Pew sort of way. We also find it comical how he chooses to drive a zodiac. Every zodiac operator we’ve encountered stands next to the motor and throttles the engine with either their \240left or right hand. Fabrice straddles the engine and holds the throttle between his legs; very suggestive and \240phallic — viva le France!! As we were returning to the ship, we came upon a seal in a shallow ice shelf, munching on a live fish.

Seal with a fish

Snack time

As soon as we returned to the boat, still freezing from the day’s adventures, they announced the polar plunge. One hundred-eight of us did the plunge and were rewarded with a patch, a shot of vodka and about forty minutes in a hot sauna.

Post Penguin Plunge sauna

Two very full days down, three to go!!

Captain Yuriy

The ship’s crew is comprised of various functional departments lead by department heads and those department heads report to the ship’s captain. Our captain is Yuriy Oboychuk, a nearly seven-foot Ukrainian. The chief engineer, the chief electrician and the ship’s boutique manager were also Ukrainian. Sadly, while we were on board, Ukraine marked the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion. When the boutique manager learned we were from the US, in tears, she expressed gratitude for the assistance the US had afforded her country. Who could have predicted that within days, Orange Crush and Mountain Dew would eject Zelenskyy from the Oval Office.

Great Food Service Staff

The two divisions that most impacted us were hotel and culinary, and the expedition team. If you’ve cruised or were a fan of “The Love Boat” you know cruise ships have a cruise director, hence Julie on The Love Boat. In contrast, expedition ships have expedition leaders instead of cruise directors. The expedition leader formulates a schedule of events, participates in expeditions and leads a daily briefing for all passengers. Daily briefings cover the day’s activities, the subsequent day’s schedule and usually, a scientific lecture of some sort by a resident expert.

Amazing Icebergs

Nature’s Ice sculptures

Fabrice Lecturing on Penguins

Tuesday, February 25th, was helicopter day, and subsequently our longest expedition day. The conditions for deploying the helicopters have to optimal, clear visibility and fairly calm winds. We were up early that morning and were graced with a magnificent sunrise. After a short walk and hearty breakfast, we readied ourselves for the day’s activities. We have an exceptional young Canadian expedition leader, named Jake. He, the captain and the hotel manager have known each other since they were all junior officers. As a result, they collaborate to maximize the number of excursions passengers can participate in. \240Irrespective of the forecast, weather in Antarctica is at best unpredictable. Because of severe winds, rough seas or freak storms, expedition ships often have to cancel activities. They consider themselves fortunate if they can execute half of the planned excursions. \240As we previously mentioned, day one was too windy to launch zodiacs, as a result, Jake and Captain Yuriy scoured numerous areas to find a place where we could have an excursion rather than cancel activities. According to staff that have previously cruised with Jake, unlike other expedition leaders, Jake goes out of his way to ensure excursion and landings take place.

Cruise Equipment.

That morning, the Albatros and Penguin groups readied themselves for the morning’s helicopter ride, while the Seal and Whale groups went on zodiacs in search of whales and seals. After lunch, the Seal and Whale groups prepared to go on the helicopter, while Albatros and Penguin groups toured on the zodiacs. The whales were extremely active that day, prompting our guide Amalia to note this was the most whales they had seen all season. In preparation for our helicopter ride, we had to dress in a dry/ flight suit and proceed to a staging area. There you were put into groups of six or seven. Once assigned a group, you moved to a pre-boarding area to receive your seat assignment and finally up to the flight deck. You were loaded onto the helicopter with military precision and immediately two staff members jumped in to secure your waist and shoulder harness. Both of the helicopters were piloted by former British Royal Navy pilots. Although relatively short, the trip was exciting and amazing. At one point the pilot asked everyone on board to set their phones to video, as he rotated the helicopter inside of a gorge. The result was a 360° view of the gorge and the surrounding glaciers.

Splashing Penguins

Diving Whale Next to our Zodiac

Beautiful Whale Tale

Helicopter tours

Amazing Heli tour

Because the weather was questionable for the next few days and they wanted to ensure that we had ample opportunities to land, Jake and Darren, the hotel and food service manager, agreed to have an early dinner, affording us an additional \240landing at Cuverville Island that evening. After almost three hours of cruising and hiking Cuverville Island, everyone was totally exhausted. \240We were treated to hot soups, sandwiches and nightcaps upon our return and most passengers turned in shortly thereafter.

Trekking Icy and snowy Ridges

We were again up early Wednesday morning in hopes of seeing another glorious sunrise. However, instead of a pastel colored sky, we were treated to a beautiful snowy morning. Crew members were out shoveling decks and exterior furniture was blanketed with a beautiful coat of fluffy snow. As we walked the promenade deck, \240we spotted Jaqui, a young Aussie woman we met earlier, with \240her camera trained on something on the ground. As we approached, we saw a beautiful \240bright white snow petrel with its dark blue webb feet, huddled next to a deck rail. Attracted \240to light, they occasionally land on decks, however, they lack the space to take off again. Luckily Fabrice, the residents ornithologist picked up the little bird and helped it take flight again.

Trapped Snow Petrel

Our first landing of the day consisted of a steep snowy trek, up a narrow ridge on Two Hummock Island. The expedition has two professional mountaineers. Phil, who has summited many of the mountains in Antarctica, and Marcos, who has climbed mountains all over the world, including Antarctica. Marcos, who’s from the Patagonia region of Argentina, is one of the oldest expedition members. Although he’s an experienced mountaineer, Marco‘s main job seems to be to flirt with the ladies, and keep everyone laughing. Like many of the expedition staff, Marco speaks numerous languages, but his English sounds like Fernando Lamas, (Mr. Corinthian Leather, or Billy Crystal’s \240rendition of “it’s better to look good than to feel good). Collectively, Phil and Marcos comprise the forward team. They scope out landing sites, and create paths for passengers to follow, steering everyone clear of crevasses. Although in theory, the path they chose was wide enough for two people, ice on either side of the ridge made it tricky to maneuver, \240especially when one person was ascending and one was descending. Although snow fall was heavy, the views from the top of the ridge were breathtaking. The afternoon landing in Portal Point and the subsequent zodiac tour were almost mirror images of the morning’s landing, with a lot less snow. We have to mention that not all passengers took advantage of the multiple daily landings and \240zodiac cruises. Quite often, as we dragged our frozen limbs to our cabin, we would spot some delicate flowers emerging from the spa — bless their hearts.

Mountaineer Marcos Guiding us up a Mountain

Gentoo Waving Hellow

The expedition staff make it a point to dine with passengers as often as possible. If seated at a four or six person table, it’s not unusual to have one or more expedition staff ask to join you for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Darren, the hotel and food service manager, picks individual passengers to host for a special dinner. He’s an extremely large man from Northern England that, because of his size and brogue, at any moment you would expect him say “get in my belly”!! He and Mary made a connection over, of all things, powdered sunblock. She accidentally left her powdered sunblock in one of the life preservers and he happened to be at the reception desk when she went to report it missing. He was intrigued that there was such a thing as powdered sunblock. Subsequent to the conversation, he invited us to have dinner with him and his fiancé whom he proposed to at the start of this cruise. Based on his size, in contrast to Mary, I posted on FB that in Antarctica, big things eat little things. I kidded I was afraid we would be on the menu.

“Get in My Belly!” Darren & Mary

After Wednesday’s briefing we joined Darren and his fiancé Laura dinner. They met online while Darren was recuperating from an illness. This will be their second marriage and coincidently, they didn't live too far from each other. Darren was a bartender who was recruited to work on a cruise ship. As fate would have it, he was promoted to beverage manager and eventually to hotel and culinary manager. He is very fond of Jake and Captain Yuriy, who he’s known for years. The difficult part of his relationship with Laura is his travel schedule. She is the HR director for a health group in England and is a stabilizing force with their three girls. \240They are absolutely adorable with each other. He’s a former rugby player and in college, he played American football. He’s a huge Kansas City fan, and ironically, Laura is a Philadelphia Eagles fan. As such, the latest Super Bowl wasn’t a complete disappointment for them. As Americans, it’s embarrassing how little we know about other countries. Darren and Laura weren’t only knowledgeable about our politics, they knew more about American sports than we did. As the night went on, bottles of wines flowed, and sometime after dinner, a bottle of Scotch was cracked. Our beverage Stewart Jhon (yes, pronounced John), one of Darren’s protege’s, never allowed the wine glasses to empty. After a delicious dessert, Jhon brought out mugs of beers. That’s when the evening became a one eyed haze for me. \240For those who know, \240you know what it means to get Daved. \240Well, I got Daved by the very large Darren. A crucial lesson — never try to match a giant, drink for drink. \240Luckily, the burley but effervescent Polish head maître d, named Peter, helped me (as Stan would say) put one foot in front of the other and guided me back to our stateroom. Otherwise, like Ray-Ray, I would have slept on some deck in the fetal position. \240The next morning I was afflicted with cotton mouth and brain fog; Peter was kind enough to made sure I felt better.

Laura, Dave, Darren, and May, \240After Dinner

The first landing on our final day in Antarctica was on Deception Island. When first discovered, they assumed the island was simply a large circular Island. Eventually, they found a narrow opening, allowing access to a thermal bay in the center of the Island, as a result, they named it Deception Island. For years it was a seal and whaling outpost and buildings used are still mostly in tact. In Alfred Lansing’s book Endurance, just before Shackleton rescues his team, \240Shackleton’s crew planned to sail to Deception Island in hopes of being saved. \240The circular island faces a caldera, where a volcano once stood. Santorini in Greece is also a half moon island facing a volcanic caldera. As you approach the Island, you can \240see steam rising from the water and you can smell the sulphur. \240Big Darren and Laura were on our same Zodiac and, despite my fog from the previous night, the four of us had a wonderful hike up a steep ravine.

Hiking with Darren

The afternoon’s landing on Livingston Island was by far the most lively of the trip. Before landing, we zodiac toured for over an hour, \240the water was teeming with wildlife. The Island was brimming with so many gentoo and chinstrap penguins, members of the expedition team had to escort us in groups of ten, so not to disturb them. \240As we landed, we were surrounded by hundreds of gentoo penguins. As we ascended a slippery trail towards a ridge overlooking the bay, we encountered a colony of chinstrap penguins. I know we posted a video about this on Facebook, but I don't recall talking about the overwhelming smell emanating from a penguin colony. It can be shocking, and it takes a bit to get accustomed to it. Interestingly enough, for scientists, the penguin guano (poop) informs them on the health of the colony. \240Also dotted throughout the island were elephant seals, the largest we had encountered so far. We were amazed at how nimble these bus-size creatures were on land.

Elephant Seal

Shortly after returning to the ship, the expedition team mustered all the passengers on the helicopter deck for a farewell toast to Antarctica and to take a group photo. As we gathered, I realized how intriguing the make up of the ship’s passengers was. Although Quark was initially operated in Australia, it eventually became part of a British company, TUI Travel. Consequently, the ship is primarily English speaking, with passengers from Canada, Britain, Australia, New Zealand and some from the US. This cruise however, had large Chinese and Japanese contingencies and the largest number of African-American travelers they’ve had from a group called “The Black Travel Movement”. Because we were divided into four expedition groups, we gravitated to passengers in our group or passengers on our deck. We met two lovely young women from Australia, Ali and Jaqui, on our first or second night. They had taken a year off to do nothing but travel. In addition to Antarctica, upon returning to Ushuaia, they were going backpacking in Patagonia. They were both tremendously inspirational and we could only hope that our grandkids and great nieces and nephews can have that same adventurous spirit. The couple in the adjacent cabin, Tina and Tony, were also lovely. They were New Zealanders of asian descent. Tony is an anesthesiologist, and Tina is an immigration attorney, currently finishing a PhD. Most people we met, passengers and crew alike, were wonderful and fascinating.

Group Pick

Farewell Toast to Antarctica

After dinner, we set sail for the Drake Passage. Surprisingly, it was calmer traveling north, then it was when we traveled south. We were truly lucky during both voyages. Lansing in “Endurance” describes the Drake Passage as “the most dreaded bit of ocean — here Mother Nature has been given a proving ground on which to demonstrate what she can do”. \240 Even on these travel days, we were kept busy with briefings and lectures. After dinner one evening, we gathered in the auditorium to play a variety of games. Each team had to answer a series of questions, ranging from naming as many types of penguins as we could, to attempting to identify the youngest and oldest expedition member. The games concluded with each group performing an interpretive dance that captured the essence of our cruise. Ali and I simulated getting in and out of zodiacs while Mary and one of the crew members laid on the ground and pretended to be Elephant seals, it was definitely a blast. The last day on board we had presentations on the building of the Ultramarine as our expedition leader, Jake, and our current captain Yuriy were part of the team that oversaw the construction of the ship. We also had briefing on disembarkation and a toast with the captain. The rest of the time flew by as we busied ourselves packing.

Mary’s Rendition of an Elephant Seal

This trip, much like Uganda, was for us a real adventure and by no means of vacation. We're up early every morning, and our days were filled with taxing activities. We were thrilled beyond imagination every day and were completely exhausted every night. We don't give each other many tangible gifts, but we do collect memories and experiences. This is one of our most memorable experiences. Our Seventh Continent, breathtaking landscapes, the amazing wildlife, the frigid outdoor temperatures, the heated bathroom floors, and the heartwarming people we met along the way will be etched in our minds for a vey long time. Thank you for following along and sharing this journey with us.

Tina, Tony, Jacqui, Ali, Mary & Dave at dinner

Ali and Mary

Book signing with Fede (Federico) and Fabrice