Ushaia Update

IT WAS NOT OUR SHIP THAT SANK IN THE ANTARCTIC....... No internet so unable to update.

Happy Birthday to Goerogia and Vicky too.

We sailed on the Akademic Ioffe ( a Russina retired spy ship) at 1700 hrs on Nov 22. We sailed out the Beagle Channel and off to the Falklands (Maldivas if you are Argentinian). It was a calm trip and we had a B´Day Cake during the two nights and day of sailing .Weather was calm the whole way. We did two landings two see two different bird colonies and then spent several hours in Stanley. One bird colony is on a private island that has been in the family for generations. Not sure what they do for $$$ but seem to be very self-sufficient... have to be I guess.

Port Stanley, Falklands

It was then 2 days of smooth sailing to South Gerogia which was simply awsome. It is the Galapagos of the south and should ot be missed if one comes this way. We did 5 different landings and a couple of zodiac tours in the ice. Lots of penguins (one spot some 5,000 breeding pairs which means 10,000+ birds), fur seals and other birds. I was able to hike the last 5 km of the walk Ernest Shakelton did when he landed on this Island after his ship wreck. Th wind was so strong on top that a couple of people were almost blown off. The old whaling station at Stormness is abandodned now and we had to literally be more agressve than the sea lions to get from shore to the zodiacs. We have a million pictures of penguins etc. so a large job of editing is going to be needed.

Chicks on the Beach - South Georgia

A couple of males checking things out on Salisbury Plain, South Georgia

Our expedition Leader and two of his buds were the first guys to kayak around the island in 2005. In fact all the staff were experienced. One lead one of the first Australian expeditions to Antarctic in 1962, one was with Canadian Wildlife Service for years - all were very experienced and competent.

We then took two days and nights to sail to the Orkneys through fog and a plethora of ice bergs. Some awsome sights. We were unable to land at the Orkneys due to ocean swell, fog and ice. One ice berg is a tabular type and was 20+ km long. It was then off to Elephant Island ( where Shakelton and two men sailed from leaving 22 to survive for 4.5 months until he came and rescued them) Very bleak place.

It was then on to the Antarctic Peninsula and a few islands there. We stopped off at Half Moon Island, Deception Island, Wilhelmia Bay, Curville island, Danco Island and NEKO HARBOUR on the peninsula itself. We went throughthe Lemaire Channl which was awsome and quite narrow. Had to maneuver through the sea ice.

Us standing on the Antarctic continent.

There was then 2 days of quiet sailing across the Drake Strait and we were all expecting a massive storm that seems to be the norm. We finally encountered the storm when we rounded Cape Horn on the way back to Ushuaia. The winds were Force 10 which means 100Km per hr or more. A bit rough until we turned the ship around and went with the wind. We came within 2.5 miles of the end of South America.

Us on the boat with Antarctic Mtns in behind

We finished the trip at the righttime as peple were starting to get sick. Passengers and staff were quite ill.... fortunately we did not get it. The boat was off on another trip to the peninsula later that afternoon, so not a lot of recovery time for people.

There were a number of presentations by staff on photography and wildlife but also by other notable passengers.
Canadian film makers John and Janet Foster, Australian, now living in Canada, Warren MacDonald (lost both his legs in a hiking accident a few years ago and did a video - Second Steps - and book on his recovery) and Margot Talbot who is a renowned ice climber from Canmore and Warren´s significant other.

At this point, this trip has to be the highlite of several highlites. The weather was great for the most part, the picture taking was awsome and the widlife cooperative. It is a late spring here so the birds and animals are a bit behind it their reproduction so we got to see lots of them as they are still on land.

Hiked Tierra del Fuego yesterday and up to the Martial Glacier today so are a little stiff. Need to work off three weeks of good food and not a lot of exercise. Weather is a bit off her, apparently worse here while we were gone that what we had. Phones and internet have been down for two days and just up again today.

Tomorrow (Friday) we are off by bus at 0530 hrs for our 12 hour ride to Puenta Arenas where we will spend two nights and then off to Puerto Natales where we will prepare for our camping trip to Torres del Paine. We may be spending Christmas in a tent in the park. Will see how the wind blows - actually hopefully it won´t blow.......

All for now. We are still having fun and seeing a lot of new things.

Take care and stay young......