Antarctica Here We Are

There is no question why Antarctica is called the white Continent.  We have made it and all you can see is ice.  The icebergs are beautiful and as you look at the towering cliffs you wonder how anyone could have thought to explore.  Although everything is white there are bright blue highlights.  Then there are the animals that make everything come alive.  We took our zodiac into the middle of 5 humpback whales as they played and even went under the zodiac.  Then the Orca whales decided to play with the ship--if your arms had been long enough you could have reached out and 

touched one.  And then we found our first colony of penguins--they are as cute as I thought and smell just as bad.

We are Underway

To begin the journey we sailed on the Beagle Channel which separates Argentina and Chili in this southrn most part of South America.  This sailing adventure on a Catamaran warmed us up for sightings to come.

These are really large Fur Sea Lions.  

Now we are on our second day rocking and rolling in the Drake Passage.  There are birds overhead but mostly we are being educated about what we will see once we are in Antarticia.  I can't wait as it seems like a landscape from another world will be coming.

Expectations Are Met

Immediately you see other blue jackets that are supplied by Zegrahm and you can identify your fellow passengers.  There is a day before the real itineray begins so you wonder what you will do.  Then you introduce your self to the other blue jackets and it as if you have known each other forever.  This is one of the wonders of expedition travel--you are exploring with people of like minds.  We decided that we should hike to the Martial Glacier and explore Ushuai to especially enjoy the king crab that is a specialty here.  Surprise--the hike was anything but easy but so worthwhile.  The king crab was great but the grilled Black Hake which is a local fish was devine.

We also explored the prison museum which gave a bleak but accurate picture of life in Ushuai when there wasn't anything here but the prison, the water and the cold weather!

Ushuaia-the Adventure Gets Closer

You can see the snow capped mountainas beyon the town and the shipyard where boats are waiting to carry travellers to visit Antarctica.

This city has grown immensely in the last several decades.  In the 1960s this was a very small city and the claim to fame was a large prison.  Now there are 65,000 and growning. Indeed we are staying at a beautiful hotel overlooking the natural wonders of the harbor, the mountains beyond and the town.  You can even watch everything from an infinity pool set on the edge of the mountain.

A NEW ADVENTURE--ANTARCTICA

I have always had a dream of ice and penguins and it is about to come true.  I am sitting in Miami on my way to an amazing adventure.  First Ushuia with the Beagle Channel and it's claim to the end of the world and then a ship journey to the frozen continent.  What is funny is that today it is warmer in Antarctica than it is in Washington Dc.  I am hoping that there is enough internet to actually be able to share this adenture!  With high hopes the long flights begin this journey to find these incredibly cute penguins.  I know that there will be other amazing birds and whales but the penguins are my favorite!