Solo Claire

Gallery: Sucre

clairejennings — Sun, 1 Feb 2009 14:46:00 GMT

Gallery: Potosi

clairejennings — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 14:39:00 GMT

La Quiaca, Mugging, Journey to Uyuni

clairejennings — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 04:54:00 GMT

We crossed over together to Bolivia to buy bus tickets and then the lads headed straight off to La Paz and I stayed for the night in La Quiaca on the Argentine side. I have never seen such a badly managed frontier. There were crowds of people swarming in each direction without the guards
bothering to stop them. The guard on the Bolivian side told me that I didn't need an exit stamp as I was returning to Bolivia the next day and had a visa for 90 days. There was a hugh queue for the Argentinian side's customs and it was divided into sections that seemed to be pretty similar. After queueing for ages, a guard came up and took all the foreigners passports, brought them into an office and stamped them. I could have had anyone's passport. They were searching bags there too but luckily my bags were in storage in La Quiaca so I could just walk through. The others had to join an even longer queue to get their bags searched. I presume they were looking for Coca leaves as they are legal in Bolivia but not in Argentina but it seemed pointless as they were letting other people wander about as they will and in northern Argentina you can get the leaves in any market. I've tried them but they do nothing for me. I still get hungry and tired and don't get altitude sickness anyway. I'm sure I have tasted some twigs or something in Ireland that had a similar bitter taste and were meant to do something but I can't remember when or what they are.

Woke up at 5.00 am to get across the border and catch my bus. On the way to the frontier - it was about 10 blocks from the hospejade that I was staying in - I met a guy who asked me the time. He thanked me, walked on and then turned and asked was I looking for the frontier. When I said yes he told me that the frontier I was headed towards was only for during the day and that the night one was one block over. He hesitated (Which is the thing that made me believe him, well that and the fact that it was badly run anyway and that it was dark and I couldn´t see anyone coming towards me) and said he would show me.

The minute I turned the corner I knew I was being mugged. There was a guy there with a cap on that said Policia and he started pretending to check his accomplice´s documents and money for false notes. When he started asking for mine I said I was going back to the other frontier but as I left the ´police´guy grabbed my small backpack. I stayed walking off only to remember that I had put my creditcard in it - ironically for safekeeping! I was hesitating internally about what to do but stayed walking towards the street of the real frontier. Another guy passed me and I asked him where the frontier was and he replied - at this hour over there. So between him and the fact that they had my credit card I decided to go back. BAD MOVE! Before They searched my small backpack, took my emergency dollars and luckily didn't find my credit card and then my small handbag. I have never been so frustrated in my life because I was completely helpless once I had decided to go back. I saw him take money from my wallet but decided not to say anything to him about it cos I felt that if thats all that happened I got off lightly. However, I never saw him take my phone.

It´s probably just as well I didn´t see him take it because I don´t know how I would have reacted as I hadn´t uploaded any photos since Mendoza. As it is there was no violence towards me except for the grabbing of my bag. He tried to pat me down but I backed away and showed him that I wasn´t wearing a money belt. Went to the police who didn´t even bother to ask me where it happened or what they looked like. They told me that there were never any robberies there, blamed it on Bolivians, and then proceeded to give me a typed statement that was obviously a cut and paste job as it said that I was English, from London and didnt mention the money that was taken so I had to get them to do it all over again!

During this time I was annoyed cos I had a bus ticket booked that I wouldn't make which meant that I wouldnt make the connection either. Luckily when I went to Bolivia, it turned out that they are an hour behind Argentina so I was just in time. I was annoyed that no one had mentioned it to me. The Argentinians I was travelling with must not have known because they were rushing for a bus that they would have had plenty of time to catch with the difference. But the people selling the tickets never mentioned it. And a Mexican that I shared the room with in La Quiaca knew that I was catching a bus at 7 in Bolivia so I was getting up at 5. Had I known, then it would have been light when I was leaving and possibly the mugging wouldn't have happened.

I had an allocated seat but the woman in it was about 70 so I didn't really feel that I could get her to stand. Then in Tupiza, 3 hours later, I was transferred not to the bus I had expected but a jeep - along with 9 other passengers. It is the first time while travelling that I have not been able to sleep. Not only was the space so limited that we had to put one foot each side of the person´s opposite to get a bit of comfort but the road was quite easily the bumpiest, rockiest main road that I had ever been on. We had left our lunch stop about ten minutes when we got a puncture.

It was changed and then about half an hour further we got another one. We sat by the roadside until another jeep came by that lent us their spare. Unfortunately it was a bit flat so we had to wait and ask all the other vehicles passing whether they had a pump. Eventually, there
was a car which had a bike pump. Bastards taking my camera - a very funny sight seeing people pumping a large jeep tyre with a small bike pump. We went on and the car followed us and we had to stop again to pump it up further. We travelled the last 25k at less than 10k an hour. We finally arrived into Uyuni two hours later than I had expected but 5 hours later than an Aussie couple had been told.

Booked my trip to the salt plains and rang home. Was staying in a hostel in which you can only have one shower per night's booking and can only take 7 minutes. They lock the showers to make sure that no one has a sneaky one! The next day, still slightly dirty, I ran about this excuse for a town, from stall to stall trying to find a digital camera. Eventually I found one but they had no memory card for it so had to repeat my search. Afterwards, I went to the bank and there was an English guy there with cuts all over his head, arm and leg up to his knee. He caught my eye and asked had I been to the Salt plains and proceeded to tell me that a driver had upturned his minibus while showboating and it had landed on him and his friends (I´m not sure if they were in another jeep or what) but that he was injured, his mate had broken an arm and his mate´s fianceé was killed. Not really what I wanted to hear just before going. He kept saying to be careful with who you book it but couldn't remember the full name of his company. So 'something Viaje' are a bad company to go with.

Gallery: Uyuni - Salt Lakes Trip

clairejennings — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:14:00 GMT

Purmamarca, Tilcara, Humahueca

clairejennings — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 04:24:00 GMT

Diego, D'arte, Charlie, Mirri and myself spent a day in Purmamarca, climbing the small mountains for a better view of the place. There was a steep, narrow slope up to the top of one of them and I called Charlie chicken because he wouldn't do it. Like a true macho Argentinian he then ran up the slope while I followed at a more sedate pace. Halfway up, when the track is about 6 inches wide, I began to wish I had kept my mouth shut but we all made it up safely. The views were great from the top. There is no undergrowth on the mountains except for some cactus spotted here and there and the stone is varied in colour so it was really pretty. I'm sure we were a sight to see as we all climbed down on our asses as the slope seemed steeper going down and was covered in scree. One misstep and we would have plunged a few hundred metres. That night we over dinner I learnt cursewords in Spanish and some slang. Not much help in communicating but good to know.

The next day we went to Tilcara and saw the ruins there. Yet again they were built at the top of a mountain with views of all the mountains and valleys nearby. They had rebuilt the walls so that you could get a better sense of what the village was like. They had put a strange monument in the centre. It was a pyramid-shaped house with no entries with plaques dedicating it to the archaeologists that discovered and excavated the ruins. There were lots of people climbing the pyramid up to about halfway so I decided to climb to the top. Once up there, local kids told me to get down as the rangers give out if they see anyone up there. Rather than bother climbing down, I just slid and ended up with a massive bruise on my side from it. There was a Penas on in Tilcara when we were there. It is basically a festival. They had llamas in a caged area and were chasing them to tie coloured ribbons onto their wool. I don't know who looked more ridiculous - the llamas with ribbons all over them or the six or seven people trying to catch one llama so that one of them could tie the ribbon on. There was a small stage set up and kids and adults dressed in local folk costumes were dancing. We had to leave then to catch our bus onto Humahueca so we didn't see too much of it.

There was not a lot in Humahueca. There is a large monument dedicated to those who liberated the country but apart from that there was nothing really to do. By this stage the lads had started to annoy me as they were never quiet. Despite not having the best voices in the world, they were always singing. I was craving silence and actually stayed in our last night together as I just couldn't take any more noise. They came back late and were suffering a bit the next day when we travelled to La Quiaca

Salta - Purmamarca

clairejennings — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 04:33:00 GMT

Spent a few days in Salta but didn't really do much there apart from suffer from severe diarrhoea which I reckon was from brushing my teeth using the tap water as I hadn't eaten anything that would have given me it. There is a cable car that goes up a hill overlooking the city so I went up that and viewed the city. They have done it up nicely there with lots of greenery and some artificial waterfalls. There is a Christ the Redeemer statue there, an altar and some grottos. I looked into doing the 'train to the clouds' trip but it costs us$140 for foreigners for what is essentially a train ride with lunch. Decided instead to do a roadtrip with one of the many tourist agencies there but instead of returning to Salta I was going to stay in Purmamarca. There were two Argentinian history teachers and a Dutch girl in the jeep with me who all had decided to stay in Purmamarca too. The road follows the train tracks for much of the journey to San Antonio de los Cobras anyway but it was better than the train as we were able to stop the car as often as we wanted for photos. We stopped at Tastil where there are ruins. We were told that these were second only to Machu Picchu in importance in South America but I'm not sure if that is because of their age (over 600 years old) or size (more than 2000 inhabitants). They were at the top of a mountain which is situated in between other ranges so that they could see the approach of anyone coming but it must have been a lot of work to bring all the stones for the walls of the houses there. What surprised me was that there was no one looking after the ruins - we could have ran amok there and destroyed walls that have stood for centuries. The houses all seemed to be interconnected and consisted of small rooms. We stopped for lunch in San Antonio de los Cobras and then headed down one of the steepest, windiest roads I have ever seen. We descended more than 2000m in 15 minutes. There were huge lorries driving in both directions and our driver had a habit of driving on the wrong side of the road or in the middle going around bends so it wasn't that pleasant a journey. We stopped at a Salt plain where there were houses made of salt and people digging up the salt. Not very nice to see how table salt starts. Then we headed onto Purmamarca where the mountains of the seven colours are. We stayed together a small bit out of town in a shoddy hospedaje. The Argentinians were meeting friends here and three of them were basically doing the same trip as me up to the Bolivian border so we decided to travel together for the next few days.

Gallery: Talampaya

clairejennings — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:31:00 GMT

Mendoza

clairejennings — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 10:08:00 GMT

After I had spent a few hours asleep I went walkabout around the centre of Mendoza. There is a central square and four smaller ones off it each with different themes. I was roasting here as it was very humid and I'm not used to the heat anymore. Bought myself a new pair of sunnies as I have misplaced my others somewhere but didn't really do much else that day. There was a Pizza party on in the partner hostel of the one I was staying in so I headed there with pretty much the rest of the hostel. I ended up at a small table with a Dutch girl, two Swedish guys, an Austrian, an American, an Englishman, a Brazilian and a few Argentinians. We were practically sitting on top of one another and we had a major problem -each pizza had ten slices but there were 11 of us! World War III was avoided though. It began to rain but we were inside so it didn't matter. There was obviously a problem with the electrics though because the electricity kept going off - whether it was due to rain in the fusebox or an overworked oven I'm not sure. I would have happily sat in the dark with no music if it meant that we got more pizza but they stopped the pizza then and cleared some space for dancing. The 'dance floor' was packed right from the start and the music was really loud Argentinian rock. Needless to say, I didn't partake. It was funny though cos all the Argentines were up dancing and then the Europeans were mostly standing around the edges shouting at one another to be heard.

The next day I woke up late and walked about different areas of the town and booked a half-day trip to visit las Bodegas. While sitting on a bench in one of the many plazas, reading the Buenos Aires Herald (It's the only newspaper in english) when an old man sat down nearby. He obviously saw that it was in english and began chatting to me. Turns out he is a writer and a journalist. I'm not sure if he wanted me to buy one of his books or whethere he was just a lonely, old man looking to practice his english but we chatted for a while. When he was leaving, he gave me one of his poems as a keepsake. It's called 'Sos Bella´, or 'You're Pretty´. Will write it up here when I remember to bring it to a computer with me. When I went back to the hostel Samira, the dutch girl, was there and was thinking of heading to the Parque San Martin because the Dakar Rally was arriving. We decided to have a bit of food first and then we walked. We walked and walked and walked and walked and then walked some more. The park is massive and we only had a kind of idea about where we were headed. Others didn't help as there were tons of people milling about in every direction and traffic jams in both directions. Eventually we came to a fenced off surrounded by crowds. Maybe we shouldn't have stopped to eat first as the riders were all tucked up inside. Every now and again someone would come out on a bike for photos. The crowd all surged forward but neither of us had a clue about who they were. It was a bit of an anticlimax after walking for so long and the worst thing was that we knew that we faced the equally long walk back. We were just at the hostel when some Argentinians that we had talked to the previous night came out and convinced us we deserved a drink. We went to one of the local places and each had a cocktail. Quite expensive relatively speaking - a good bottle of wine would have cost the same or cheaper.

The trip to the Bodegas was in the afternoon. The guide explained that we were going to two wineries, an olive factory and a small artesenal liquer place. Everyone on the trip spoke spanish bar a Swiss guy. In the first winery I had a choice of joining him in an English-speaking tour or going with the Spanish group. We learnt about how the wines are made and they boasted that the Malbecs of Mendoza were becoming of better quality than those of France due to Mendoza having drier weather. We tasted a few different wines here and then headed off to the olive factory. There was no English tour here so I'm still a bit confused about how they extract the oil. There was one part of the machine where all the stems/branches ended up shredded into bits but I do not know how they become shredded or how they are seperated from the oil. We had a taste of olive oil on bread with olives or sundried tomatoes. Then we headed for the small liquer shop. The owner's parents were Belgian and he proceeded to explain each of his products in English, Spanish, Porteguese and French. His parents had made liquers, whiskies, chocolates and jams but it was only when he took over that they opened the place to the public and made it a going concern. We each got some chocolate and a choice of a taste of liquers. There was a Crema Irlandesa but I figured it probably wasn't as nice as Baileys so I went for a Chocolate Banana with bits of white chocolate liquer. It was lovely. We got a taste of the jams too. I chose a spicy aubergine one and it was that tasty I would have bought a jar except that I was worried it would break and spill over all my clothes. Then he brought out his absinthe and everyone had a sip of it. Then we had our last stop in another winery. More tasting but this time our guide was a sommelier so she made us perform a little ritual before each sip. At least I can impress people with my apparant knowledge of wines now. Went back to the hostel and chilled with a group of Argentinians. Wow it is difficult to understand Spanish in a group - everyone talking fast and over each other and interjecting. Maybe someday I'll get there!

Journey from Hell (Part II)

clairejennings — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 14:59:00 GMT

Arrived in Ushuaia airport with just over an hour and a half to go before the flight...they say you only need an hour. The queue was really long for check-in and they started to move people on my flight to a different line to check us in faster. It was only when I got my boarding passes (Ushuaia - Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires - Mendoza) that I was told I had to get a bus to Rio Grande to catch my flight from there. Not exactly sure why but heard someone say that they didn't have a gate high enough for the plane but that could be rubbish. Was sitting next to an American guy and after about half an hour his friend came up to him worried about what was happening. They don't speak any Spanish and no one had explained anything to them! They had thought we were just being transferred to the runway and were worried that it was taking so long. The airport in Ushuaia is the smallest I have been in (apart from on the Big Island in Hawaii) so I was amused that it took them half an hour to start wondering why we weren't at the runway yet. We stopped after about two hours at a garage to use their facilities - I reckon that between the two buses of passengers we bought everything in the shop. I was dying of alcohol induced dehydration and I hadn't brought water to the airport because of restrictions on liquids on flights so I was delighted to finally get some water into me.

So we drove from Ushuaia to Rio Grande (like driving from Dublin Airport to catch a plane in Cork) and all the time I am thinking that there is not a hope in hell that I can make my connecting flight. Why they had given me a boarding pass for it in Ushuaia I don't know as they would have known it was impossible. I had packed my spanish dictionary in my rucksack so spent a good while trying to figure out how I would complain in my pigeon Spanish and get a new flight for free.

Arrived in Buenos Aires at about half nine and I must say that Aerolineas were very good to me there despite no apologies being forthcoming from the pilot or air hostess during the flight for the delay. They switched my flight to the next morning, set me up in a hotel, gave me a voucher for dinner up to 30 pesos, paid for the transfer and told me that they would refund my taxifare back to the airport the next day. And all without me having to complain! Couldn't sleep though because I was terrified of missing my flight - had to be up at 05:30 so watched some tv and joy of joys, took a bath. Lost some money cos I had already paid for the hostel in advance but not too bothered as I got a free hotel instead.

When I arrived in Mendoza I was knackered. Just to prolong my agony though, there was no bed free yet as it was before check-out time. I'm not sure why there was no bed as the bed I had booked should have been free. Hung around for about two hours before being given a room. Despite the air conditioning not working, it was probably the most relaxing sleep I have ever had!

Just to add some irony to the tale, when I checked my emails there was one from Ms. Jinx Sinclair saying and I quote, "Good to see your not having anymore airport issues". I've asked her to send me a similar one saying `Good to see you haven't won the lotto yet´ but she hasn't replied.

Tierra del Fuego

clairejennings — Fri, 9 Jan 2009 14:52:00 GMT

When I returned to Ushuaia I went back to the party hostel that I had booked. Had chosen this one because I was going to be here for New Years and I wanted people to celebrate with. Good idea and simultaneously a bad idea! Met with Judith, Dan and Maryanne from the boat for lunch and went on the internet for a while. When I returned to the hostel I discovered that my room was next to the laundry and sleep was impossible. Ended up chatting to my roommates and others over dinner and we stayed up late drinking and chatting. The next day we were woken bright and early by the spin cycle on the washing machine...the wall was actually shaking in our room. By the time nine o'clock arrived I was ready for my bed but had paid for the BBQ and free drink for the New Year's Eve party so dragged myself to it. The others from last night were suffering similarly and we tried to convince each other that we would feel better after forcing down hair of the dog. I managed to make it to about 3 in the morning before feeling like I would collapse if I didn't get to sleep. I reckon that my body was not able to handle the continuous run of late nights and little sleep since heading to Antarctica. For the next few days I didn't really do anything of much interest. The main trips from Ushuaia were to see the penguins from a boat and to a small glacier. Having seen penguins up close the former was of little interest even though they were a different type and I reckoned after Antarctica and the Perito Moreno glacier that going to see a small one was a waste of time. I ended up going to the National Park of Tierra del Fuego for a day's hiking out of pure boredom. It was good there and we saw a family of geese and also came across a herd of wild horses. It is the place that reminds me most of Ireland - it is probably the greenest place that I have been to and has rolling hills and lots of beech trees. It reminded me of the `Sunday Walks´ we used to be forced to go on with my parents up the Dublin/Wicklow mountains. We picked a good day to go as it was mostly sunshine. The weather in Ushuaia changes rapidly and frequently. It can be sunny one moment and windy and snowy the next. My final night I ended up having a conversation with Ernesto from Argentina who has little English and Craig from Oz who has just as much Spanish. It was quite strange as I was acting as a translator which is a completely new experience. My spanish isn't great still but it was a nice confidence boost to be able to help others communicate. By the time the 6th of January came along I was more than ready to leave but best laid plans and all that...

Gallery: Tierra del Fuego

clairejennings — Tue, 6 Jan 2009 09:10:00 GMT

Gallery: Antarctica - Final Landings

clairejennings — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 05:11:00 GMT

Gallery: Antarctica - St. Stephen's Day

clairejennings — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 04:51:00 GMT

Gallery: Antarctica - Christmas Day

clairejennings — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 04:21:00 GMT

Gallery: Antarctica - Christmas Eve

clairejennings — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 03:43:00 GMT

Gallery: Antarctica - Deception Island

clairejennings — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 03:32:00 GMT

Antarctica - Drake Passage 28-30th December

clairejennings — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 03:25:00 GMT

Our astonishing run of good luck held as we re-crossed a relatively calm Drake Passage. It always seemed to become roughest at mealtimes. We became experts at judging the swell so that we could catch our glasses. I don’t know how the waitress served us in a tight skirt and heels though. These days were spent attending lectures, birdwatching, catching up on some much needed sleep, chatting and reliving our experiences and looking back at photos marvelling at the sights we had been fortunate to see. As we had been kept extremely busy during our time on the Antarctic Peninsula, it was only now that we had time to reflect. The staff presented us with a typed account of our expedition complete with photos, a map of our exact route with the landings outlined as well as an individualised certificate detailing the exact location where we had made our first continental landing. We sailed as close as we could to the notorious Cape Horn while still remaining in international waters. Unfortunately, the visibility was nowhere near the requisite 12 miles. However, we did get to see some great swell (as usual just at dinnertime) as the islands south of Tierra del Fuego came into view.

We had breakfast and said our reluctant farewells. The trip was made even more special because of the fantastic company and because of the ever-cheerful, helpful, friendly, knowledgeable staff. We disembarked in rainy Ushuaia and it took nearly a full day for me to regain my land legs. Strange as it may seem, I felt more seasick on land than I had on the ship. I cannot stress how awe-inspiring this trip was. Despite my high expectations, this trip surpassed each and every one. The landscape, the wildlife, the service and the people combined to ensure an unforgettable experience which will be seared in my mind forever.

Antarctica - Last landing - Port Lockroy

clairejennings — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 03:19:00 GMT

We were awoken, again very early, by Chris wishing us `Good Morning´. His voice is far more effective than any alarm clock I have ever used. We were to visit Wiencke Island and Port Lockroy this morning. The custodian of Port Lockroy came aboard to explain the history of this British base and how it had been meticulously restored. We landed first on Wiencke on saw numerous Gentoos nesting alongside Blue-eyed Shags, both species nurturing their chicks. We also saw an Elephant Seal – our first. It was only a juvenile, however, so it didn´t have the disproportionately large proboscis which an adult does. The numerous whalebones attested to the destructive impulses of mankind. Over 90% of all whales were eliminated. While our sightings have been amazing, I can’t begin to imagine how spectacular it was when whales were abundant.

Then we were ferried across to Port Lockroy and explored Bransfield House. We became tourists again rather than expeditionists as we browsed in the museum, had our passports stamped and even posted postcards. We returned to the ship a slightly pensive group as this was to be our last landing. We spent the afternoon enjoying the scenery, seabirds, penguins and occasional whale sightings as the ship travelled nothwards. We were privileged to watch a short film that Chris, our expedition leader, had recorded about the the escapades of Douglas Mawson during the Australasian Antarctic Expedition. It was exceptionally well made and gave us an insight into the horrendous conditions endured by early explorers. Our cosy dining room offered a great contrast between his and our expeditions.

Antarctica - St. Stephen's Day

clairejennings — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 03:04:00 GMT

The morning began with the usual cheerful, early morning wake-up call. Snow had fallen throughout the night but by the time we arose blue, cloudless skies and calm waters combined to provide us with an unbelievably stunning inaugural view of Neko Harbour. The snow-covered mountains were reflected in the still waters. The effect was amplified as you could see the reflection of the omnipresent fulmars and petrels as they swooped around the ship.

We landed, for the first time on the actual continent rather than the islands, watched by a nearby Leopard seal. We climbed a steep hill which afforded us spectacular views across the harbour and of teh nearby Gentoos. It was difficult to choose where to look as a plethora of events were happening simultaneously on all fronts. As the sun heated up we were treated to the sight of glacier calvings and several impressive powder avalanches. Orcas swam by, followed by a few Minke sightings and the penguins were practically ignored as the other sights were more remarkable. We tried to slide back down but the powder snow thwarted our efforts and we ended up rolling over the deep snow as it was easier than walking. The tables were turned and I’m sure the penguins were laughing at our efforts.

We returned to the ship for lunch nad to head for Paradise Bay. Nature continued to stun us. Several humpbacks were sighted with a pair coming right up to the ship. They rolled and waved their long fins in greeting. At one point there were humpbacks on starboard and a Minke on portside, all within 200m of the ship. It seemed that this was to be a day of choices.

We arrived into the appropriately named Paradise Bay – the setting for a cruise in the Zodiacs and our second continental landing. We cruised slowly through the thick, brash ice passing Leopard Seals and watched Shags and Snowy Sheathbills nesting in recesses in the rockface. We landed at the abandoned Argentine base, Almirante Brown. Abandoned by humans that is – nesting Gentoos were abundant. We hiked up a very steep hill to enjoy expansive views of the bay. If anything it was more alluring than Neko Harbour. Again we slid down, this time much faster. The snow was deep here off the beaten track and many people found their wellies stuck as they plunged in up to their hips.

When we returned to the ship we enjoyed a massive barbeque on the foredeck. As we were anchored, the crew were free to join us and a night of merriment was had by all. By this stage, the staff and passengers all knew each other well and the sounds of chatting and laughter almost, but unfortunately not altogether, drowned out the sounds of Russian pop music. To finish off this marvellous day, the setting sun gave off beautiful pastels which only bettered the captivating panorama.

Antarctica - Christmas Day

clairejennings — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 02:58:00 GMT

The trip was planned in such a way that we reached our southernmost latitude (65°10’S, 64°07’W) on Christmas Day. After breakfast most passengers went on deck to watch as we passed through the narrow Lemaire Channel. We set off in Zodiacs to explore the Penola Strait. We saw a hauled-out Weddel Seal, cruised around the numerous icebergs, including a massive tabular one, observed the many penguins enjoying their swims, came close to languorous Crabeater Seals and to top it all off one Zodiac heard the eerie sounds of Humpback Whales. Why these could be heard above the surface is unknown, perhaps the sound was transmitted through the zodiac’s floor or through the walls of the gigantic, glacial amphitheatre. Unfortunately, by the time my Zodiac arrived it had ceased. Each Zodiac had a different experience and lunch was as noisy as a rookery as each table shared their sightings.

After donning our many layers once more, we headed for Petermann Island. Here we saw nesting Adélie and Gentoo penguins and Blue-eyed Shags. It was our first sighting of newly-hatched chicks (quite apt it being Christmas Day). The chick plunges its beak and indeed most of its head down its parent’s throat and the adult duly obliges by regurgitating. It was fun to watch the chicks jostling with its sibling for better position and shrieking at their parents to get their attention. The penguin chicks were well sheltered under the brood fold of their parent. So well sheltered that it is hard to understand how they were not squashed or suffocated!

We returned to the ship and began to make our way northward along the Lemaire Channel. To our delight it began to snow – particularly that of myself and two young Aussie girls. When there was sufficient snow we initiated a snow fight on the foredeck and built a snow whale. Perhaps it was a portent because no sooner had we finished than the call came - `Orcas at 11 o´clock´. We were soon joined on deck by the majority of the other passengers. The expedition staff always alerted everyone to sightings using the P.A. system. This was great as no-one missed anything. For the next few hours, dinner and conversations were regularly interrupted as numerous pods of Orcas appeared close-by in quick succession.

The staff’s reaction to the sightings amused me. Despite being veterans of polar expeditions they were not jaded by their experience. You could hear the excitement in Chris’ voice as he announced yet another sighting. Indeed, the staff were to the forefront of the throng rushing out to witness each event. The night’s entertainment reached its peak when it culminated in a hunt. A pod of more than a dozen Orcas were pursuing a Fin Whale. It was magnificent to watch and the Captain even turned the ship around to prolong our enjoyment of the spectacle. At one point two Orcas rose vertically out of the water with the Fin Whale pinned between them. If only I had a camera with a telephoto lens – my mobile while good wasn’t up for the task. There were several seabirds circling but they were ultimately to be disappointed. There was no kill so perhaps the mature bulls were just imparting their hunting techniques to the calves. For the remainder of the night, and well into the early hours, we calmed down in the bar. I can think of no fitting superlative which describes this day. Quite simply, despite having no friends or family around, it was my best Christmas Day ever. Surely nothing could surpass this...

Antarctica - Christmas Eve

clairejennings — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 02:50:00 GMT

On Christmas Eve I awoke to find that we had arrived in Foyn Harbour on Enterprise Island. It was a complete contrast to yesterday. The sun was out, reflecting off the glistening snow-covered mountains and glaciers and the icebergs and bergy bits that floated in the deep blue sea. Finally, the Antarctica of my dreams.

We had our first Zodiac cruise here. It was a beautiful setting and we cruised right up to icebergs. Due to the transparency of the water you could see the mighty mass beneath. The differing shades of blue were fantastic to observe. We also visited the Guvernøren wreck. It was the first time we saw seals lounging on icebergs as though they were the most comfortable of couches. A humpback whale appeared in the vicinity to top off a memorable cruise. We returned to the ship to be met by Frances offering us hot chocolate with a drop of rum. Mmmm.

Following our morning’s activity the ship sailed along Wilhelmina Bay with its stunning vistas enhanced by passing seals and penguins resting on icebergs and the constant presence of fulmars and petrels. Upon reaching Orne Harbour we togged out for another landing. Not an easy task but well worth the effort. We landed at Georges Point and trudged through deep snow to visit Gentoo and Chinstrap rookeries. It was our first close contact with a rookery. The antics of the penguins were very amusing as was their struggle to traverse the long, uphill distances to their rookery. They nest on mounds of pebbles and there is a constant battle to thieve pebbles from other nests to reinforce their own. Because the rookeries are on exposed rock they tend to be uphill on windswept sites. God love the penguin because it is not made for walking. They waddle in a very distinctive manner with flippers/wings outstretched. They walk as though they have had both hips replaced by an inept surgeon. They have made `highways´ where the snow is flattened for easier passage. However, several penguins had decided to brave the snow and kept falling down flat on their faces. We also got to witness their reaction to one of their only predators – a Skua. These birds are almost as large as the penguins themselves and swoop down over the rookery searching for the eggs and chicks of unwary penguins. One was obviously frustrated by its futile efforts and we watched in awe as it snatched a Snowy Sheathbill clean out of the air. It devoured it stripping long chunks of meat with its cruel sharp beak.

We returned to the ship for a sumptuous supper but interrupted our dinner after the main course to go ashore again. We headed to Cuverville Island where high tides and deep snow left us with a length of beach only a few feet wide. We watched the penguins struggling down to the shoreline, entering the water and swimming. They may be awkward on land but they are built for the sea. They flash by at astonishing speeds sometimes porpoising out through the air. They clean themselves very thoroughly too. These ablutions are are necessary because the penguins literally shit where they sit. They squirt out a spray that oftentimes lands on their unsuspecting neighbour. The rookeries are covered in guano and the stench is unbearable. Penguins may be cute but they are very loud and stink. It’s rare to find such a juxtaposition of the senses; your eyes are loving every moment whereas your ears and nose are begging that you leave.

We returned to the boat where the chefs had excelled in preparing a lavish buffet of desserts. I stayed up late and celebrated Christmas with my new found friends. We had brought back a small, almost completely clear iceberg so we had ~2,000 year old ice for our drinks! Despite the age profile of the other passengers being considerably older than me we had great fun together. We got to see sunrise/sunset. I’m not sure which as it never got fully dark. It was a fantastic day which we thought would be the highlight of our trip.

Antarctica - Deception Island

clairejennings — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 02:43:00 GMT

Due to bad weather conditions we had to forgo our early morning (05:30) landing at Baily Head on Deception Island. This weather is typical of the location but it doesn’t deter the large number (>100,000) of Chinstrap penguins whose Rookery is there. My first sight of land in over 48 hours was of Deception Island, so called because there is only a narrow gap in the caldera wall which wasn’t discovered for a while. At first glance it appears desolate with lichens the only decoration on the dark grey volcanic rocks.

Our initial landing was at Whaler’s Bay. It was raining heavily with strong winds blowing. The weather combined with the ascetic landscape presented an oxymoronic introduction to the polar desert I had expected. Usually bereft of wildlife we were welcomed ashore by numerous Gentoo penguins, Chinstrap penguins and a solitary Adélie penguin. I envied them their waterproof feathers as my hired water-resistant trousers were not up to the weather and soon I was soaked through. I hiked up to look out the natural break in the rocks that is Neptune’s window. One of the first sightings of the Antarctic Peninsula was from here but all we saw was a bleak, grey, rain-filled sky and a matching sea. How the whalers lived and worked here I don’t know. The beach is littered with all manner of abandoned whaling accroutements particularly whale bones, broken freshwater-barrels and the small rowing boats used for carrying the fresh water.

After warming up on the ship over a fabulous lunch we prepared for the afternoon landing at Telefon Bay. We split up into three groups here to do hikes of varying difficulty. We saw our first seals here – Weddel, Crabeater and some saw a Fur seal too. The waters here are supposedly thermally heated so twenty-one of us had intended swimming. Having felt how cold the water was I, along with eight others chickened out. A courageous dozen stripped to their togs (even this would have taken guts) and braved the frigid sea. None lasted too long though.

Antarctica - Drake Crossing

clairejennings — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 02:39:00 GMT

Having waited for years since first realising that it is possible and months since booking, finally I was visiting Antarctica! The night before embarking I met two Canadians who had just returned and they spent the evening regaling me with tales of their trip. I was far too excited to sleep. The only instance I can remember ever anticipating so eagerly is awaiting Santa on Christmas Eve when I was younger.

Once on the Maryshev, the crew brought the bags up and I unpacked. Having spent the past three months backpacking it was a joy to have a wardrobe. My cabinmate, Daria from Russia, had been looking out our porthole which faced the bow. I could hear a hullabaloo outside and assumed it was a regular part of loading supplies until Daria informed me that a passenger had `gone for a swim´. Somehow the gangplank had become unfettered as Lee was re-crossing it to take photos from the dock. He plunged down into the cold waters of Ushuaia port but amazingly was unhurt, albeit rather chilled.

The crew acted quickly to rescue and look after him. So quickly in fact that the fire brigade with diver on board arrived about five minutes too late to be of any use. During his impromptu swim he had lost his glasses and camera but the first mate lent him a camera for the duration and another passenger had spare glasses of a similar prescription. Despite this inauspicious beginning we were soon on our way.

After a quick briefing on safety including a lifeboat drill and a talk on the proper conduct when visiting Antarctica we sat down to our first meal. Myself and my tablemates, Anele, Terry and Daria, enjoyed rather too much wine so I can attest to the fact that being severely hungover while crossing the dreaded Drake Passage is not a pleasant feeling. Luckily, our crossing was relatively calm but the numbers eating still dwindled due to suffering sea-sickness. There were only two chefs on board and how they managed to provide all the passengers, staff and crew with such a high standard of food for the duration, I don’t know.

The crossing offered us the opportunity to attend lectures and get to know our shipmates. There were only about fifty passengers so it was easy to mix. Each time you went up on deck there were seabirds flying nearby. It was amazing to see how close they fly to the waves. It is almost as if they can sense how large a wave will get. Either that or they have fabulous reflexes. Soon it became commonplace to spot an Albatross but it was never a banal experience. Hours could be passed watching them soar effortlessly.

We passed the Antarctic convergence where the temperate waters mix with the cold polar seas but there was no appreciable difference in the temperature aboard. After two full days of sailing we were given a briefing on the Zodiacs. These are the small, inflated, rubber boats with outboard motors which were used to ferry us ashore. You could feel the level of excitement heighten as we went to bed anticipating waking early for our first landing.

Gallery: Torres del Paine

clairejennings — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 06:12:00 GMT

National Park in Chile

Gallery: Glaciar Perito Moreno

clairejennings — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 04:09:00 GMT

Advancing iceberg