Hello from Ushuaia - where the world ends and everything begins!
We are back on dry land after several day's at sea having visted Antartica. It was fansastic, despite the sea sicknesses. There are two days there and 2 days back across the drake - force 7 on the return, where if you stand up it means you are sick, which along with the drowsiness fromn the meds was a good excuse to stay in bed (I have lost my sea legs and it is now my new diet plan as I can't even keep water down!). In between though we had 5 packed days in the South Shetlands and Antartic.
We had two activities a day - either a zodiac cruise or a landing. The days went something like this> 6.30 wake up, 7am breakfast, 8.30 landing or cruise, 11.30 back on boat, 12.30 lunch, 2.30 landing, 6pm back on boat, 7pm dinner. And of course I was in bed by 10pm most nights! Every time we would go off and get back on the boat it took about 30 minutes to get dressed/undressed in multiple layers including a thermal layer, coats, hats, gloves. wellies, parka and waterproof trousers [it was a bit nippy].
We went to Aitcho on the south shetlands, draco island, deception island, paradise bay in Antartica to name but a few. Saw millions of penguins - mainly gentoo which are the most inqusitive and very comical, as well as chinstraps, adalie and one macaroni. Also saw Whales, seals of different varities and heaps of birds. There was also a lot of history to the different places we visited which was very interesting.
We landed this morning and am back in Ushuaia for a night before flying to El Calafate tomorrow morning to explore Patagonia. Unfortantly we haven't had much luck with doing our chores today (the post office wouldn't sell us a box to post things home with out us packing it in front of them, when we returned customs is only open 10am - 12pm, the laundry won't do self service and the quickest they can do our laundry is by 6pm tomorrow, etc!) so we will need to spend extra time in El Calafate getting chore's done before working our way to Puerto Natales and Torres del Paine national park for some hiking (we need it after all the cooked meals on board!)
We are in a hostel tonight (Roy's first hostel experience!), and some of the other guys from the boat are also here (including the two annoying one's!) so we are heading to the pub later for a final farewell with those left in Ushuaia.
Hope all are well.
