Antarctica with Apprehension

[Flying mermaid]

The desserts look fabulous!

They were - I do like my sweet stuff.

 

[Flying mermaid]

We generally avoid afternoon tea as well.much too tempting so when onboard at afternoon tea time we have a coffee in our room with the butler always having to be reminded not to bring any food!.

we clearly didn’t eat or drink enough to keep the staff happy - they were forever trying to get us to have more. We felt we were eating twice as much as we normally did, although portions were nice and small. The exercise on land helped as well, as I put on less than a kg and I am sure most of that was from Santiago.

 

[Pushka]

we clearly didn’t eat or drink enough to keep the staff happy - they were forever trying to get us to have more. We felt we were eating twice as much as we normally did, although portions were nice and small. The exercise on land helped as well, as I put on less than a kg and I am sure most of that was from Santiago.

It’s like when you fly J or especially F (on awards only peeps) and if you are unwell or it’s really late and all you want to do is sleeeep!

 

[zig]

We generally avoid afternoon tea as well.much too tempting so when onboard at afternoon tea time we have a coffee in our room with the butler always having to be reminded not to bring any food!.

I also usually avoid it as well, but when I do go, I decline the tea stand of sandwiches and cakes and just opt for a scone with jam and cream - just wonderful

 

[Flying mermaid]

Brown Bluff

 

[Flying mermaid]

Up the Glacier at Brown Bluff - had to be careful of Crevasses and stick to marked paths

 

[Flying mermaid]

Various views of the ship - some from the top of the glacier and some at zodiac level

 

[tgh]

I wonder how many sapiens have walked up there in the last ten years ?
I guess it doesn't look well used..

 

[Flying mermaid]

I wonder how many sapiens have walked up there in the last ten years ?
I guess it doesn't look well used..

The ships visit different places - apparently they bid for various places they want to go. There are a lot of different places to land and some are not possible in adverse weather. This has the effect of spreading the visitors and thus the impact, I did ask whether the growing tourism was having an impact, but they seemed to think it was still small enough and over a short season, so didn’t have a great impact.

 

[love_the_life]

Did you use the hiking poles?

 

[Flying mermaid]

Did you use the hiking poles?

Yes I did - they were terrific. I think a lot of it was psychological- I just felt safer with them and didn’t have to worry about my balance. The snow was very soft and you often unexpectedly sank up to your knee (or more), so the poles saved quite a few falls when that happened. Ms FM used them, but not as much as me. I don’t think the expedition team liked them - they were concerned I suspect about the potential for transmitting things from one penguin rookery to another, but I always washed mine very well. The younger members of the team, were a little lacking in understanding/sympathy of older people. I found them a bit lacking in encouragement to challenge yourself (unlike say in Rwanda). I guess it is a fine line - you need to keep everyone safe and running to a schedule. The more mature members were terrific and very quick to lend a hand

 

[Flying mermaid]

Some penguins to finish off Brown Bluff and Hope Bay - Mr FM has promised me to move on.

 

[Flying mermaid]

and a few gulls

 

[Flying mermaid]

Day 3 we sailed to Cierva Cove where we did a zodiac cruise and then sailed to Portal Point for another wet landing.

Cierva Cove lies 11km southeast of Cape Sternack in Hughes Bay, just south of the Chavdar peninsula.

Portal Point is a narrow point in the northeast of the Reclus Peninsula in the west coast of Graham Land.

Mr FM has promised me more scenery, but he is busy all weekend with CanCon, so photos have stopped.

In the interim more penguins.

This penguin had found a feather/stick and was having a great time playing with it.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Penguins like to eat ice

 

[Flying mermaid]

A dive or is it a Pelly flop

 

[Flying mermaid]

Portal Point was our first introduction to Penguin highways. we used them too, but penguins had right of way

 

[Flying mermaid]

A few random photos

 

[Flying mermaid]

Our voyage

 

[love_the_life]

We visited a number of the same places though being early in the season couldn’t cross the circle. The furthest south for us was Cuverville.