Those who'd rather just peruse the photo album will find it
here.
Dear Family, Friends, and other readers,
We're safely home after a 19-day trip to - inter alia - Antarctica and the Falkland Islands!
In addition to three cities in two South American countries, over the course of our trip we visited eight islands in the Antarctic Archipelago and two in the Falklands, as well as the mainland - on the Antarctic Peninsula. This MAP identifies the places we visited in the Antarctic.
Headers and quotes in "THE CRUISE" are abstracted from both Clipper's post-cruise summary, and "NewsClips", our ship's daily schedule posted every morning. The citation: "Clipper source" refers to these documents.
Here's what we did:
Mon 24 November 2003
We flew on Continental from Oakland CA to Houston TX to Miami FL, arriving quite late at night and pretty tired. Rented a car to use the next two days. After some discussion of exactly where we were (wry grin), we did find our hotel. [It was a lot harder getting back to the airport Wednesday night late (NO grin). Our Miami map didn't correspond well with the streets/freeways we needed.]
Beforehand, we'd agreed one of our two days in Florida was Kay's, for birding whereever she wanted. Bill yearned to dip into the Everglades for a day; of course that has birds too (grin). The South Shetlands and Antarctica have birds... So birds will figure prominently in our tale.
Tue 25 November 2003
The Everglades
Spent the entire day "doing" the Everglades. It's pretty far southwest from Miami, but "Florida's Turnpike" made it easy. We stopped at both Coe and Royal Palm Visitor Centers, looked in at Pinelands Trail (buggy!) and Pahayokee Overlook. Also Mahogany Hammock, on our way to end-of-the-road Flamingo Visitor Center (very buggy!). During our drive's frequent stops, Kay added many "lifer" birds to her list.
Everyone jokes about "giving blood" in the Everglades. It's the subject of any number of T-shirts, banners, and trinkets (for sale of course; Bill bought a ball-cap with an Everglades logo). But let me tell you it's no joke! The mosquitos really are fierce; and their swarms are unbelievably dense!
Wed 26 November 2003
Birding Miami city parks; fly to Argentina
Spent the day birding in several areas Kay learned about by browsing the Tropical Audubon Society's website. Before lunch at [censored] (good enough food; harried service; credit-card shenannigans) we birded in two nearly adjoining small city parks, together called The Enchanted Forest: Both were charming and restful, maintaining a natural ambience which belied their locations bounded by busy commercial streets
In the very late evening, we boarded the "red eye" flight for Buenos Aires, Argentina and arrived there the following morning somewhat the worse for wear. Seating was 9-abreast with very little leg-room. It was 5-abreast in the middle -- we were in the middle! A too-long, very tiring flight.
Thu 27 November 2003
Arrive Buenos Aires; "sign in"; city tour; evening show
Upon landing a Clipper representative promptly met us; with the other arriving cruise passengers we debarked onto large busses. The deliberately circuitous route from the airport provided a tantalizing glimpse of life in the city.
Our "base camp" was the Sheraton Hotel, for orientation by staff of Clipper/INTRAV, the cruise company. We were issued sturdy, warm, and very RED parkas, our "uniform" for the actual cruise. Very nice gear; of course we brought them home.
In the evening, a marvelous Tango show at El Viejo Almacen was followed by dinner at La Paroloccia. The dancing was graceful, athletic, sexy, intense, ...and amazing! Our dinner was tasty enough too; unfortunately the far-too-noisy "ambience" prevented thinking, let alone conversation.
Fri 28 November 2003
Buenos Aires tours
Another bus tour this morning, mostly exploring the many and quite varied 'districts'. Many reflected the national origins of waves of (often wealthy) early residents, usually betrayed by characteristic architecture. During our excellent tour-guide's spiel, we learned that Argentina largely is an Italian country by heritage. And still is by population percentage; though 'tis true most everyone speaks Spanish now.
Bill found the Cementerio de La Recoleta, a high-walled cemetery in the middle of the city, totally fascinating! Containing thousands? of tombs jammed in cheek by jowl, this is the final home of the city and nation's wealthy and powerful. The place simply radiates history! "Residents" are from the earliest days right up to the present; Eva Peron is buried there. Sadly, many older tombs now are dilapidated, the responsible families having died or become unable to sustain so many decades of care.
The late afternoon was "on our own", ...for whatever. Kay took the opportunity, with Jenny* and Ruth*, for birding at Reserva Ecologica. This restored wetland is just a not-too-long taxi-ride from the hotel. Bill, over-tired from the preceding long days, and anticipating another tiring flight, hangs out at the hotel, uh, ...naps.
** New-found birders, to become good friends by trip's end.
Sat 29 November 2003
Fly from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia
NB: Argentine Airport Secuity will NOT hand-inspect cameras and film! Indeed, after much discussion with his superiors, Bill's security guy threatened to "hand inspect" the film: He'd either pull all the film out of the cannister, or break the cannister open on a table edge. "Your choice", he pantomimed with a bit of a grin. Bill stuffed it all in his carry-on, with misgivings. In the end, all the photos seemed alright.
...Sat morning early
Ushuaia
As before, we debarked directly into large busses, which then made a tour through the city. One quick stop allowed Bill to send a few postcards. Believing (wrongly) there wouldn't be anyplace to buy souvenirs south of here, we purchased tee-shirts commemorating our visit to "the bottom of the world".
Ushuaia is a thriving smallish community in Tierra del Fuego, at the southern tippy-tip of South America. "The world's southern-most city", it's home to an Argentine naval base, some government-sponsored light industry, and a brisk tourist trade. Also gorgeous scenery, clean air, and almost no crime.
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...Sat morning late
Tierra del Fuego Nat'l Park
The tour continued into miles-distant Tierra del Fuego National Park. A stunningly beautiful place along the lines of Yosemite or Sequoia NPs in the USA, it seems well-maintained and compares very well with the best in the US. But without the rampant schlock.
Many stops along the way allowed us a full appreciation both of the natural beauty and the abundant wildlife.
...Sat afternoon
Ushuaia; board the ship
After the Nat'l Park tour, in mid-afternoon we were treated to Lunch-and-a-Show. Turned out to be an "asado" outside the city, with tons of barbecued meat, followed by a rather nice folkloric dance show/exhibition.
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Then back to the city for a too-short "hour" of sight-seeing and shopping before boarding our ship, MV Clipper Adventurer, in the very late afternoon.
A very busy, full day!
...Sat evening
We set sail, steaming all night through the Beagle Channel and beyond. Nightime ship movement was the customary practice, to make best use of our time aboard.
The Clipper Adventurer, our home for the next eleven days, is a "small ship" accommodating 100 or so passengers and a crew something over half that size. There were 113 of us actually, rounded out with a small contingent of "resident staff" naturalists and Antarctic specialists.
Our cabins (with private bath) were smallish, but pleasant and not cramped. Elsewhere, there was plenty of space in the dining room, bar, lounge, and other public areas. We had wonderful "sit-down" gourmet meals in a sumptuous dining room; or - our choice - buffets in the spacious lounge. Dress aboard ship was very casual, as befitted an "expedition". The entire crew, officers, hands, and "hotel staff", always were friendly and solicitous.
Their attention to our safety aboard and ashore was very evident, but never heavy-handed. After all, this wasn't a cruise-ship idyll. Potentially anyway, we were sort of sailing "in harm's way".
Here's our cruise itinerary, annotated:
Our ship's itinerary was determined in advance largely, but as needed was influenced by weather and the presence of ice. Also, we found later, by diplomatic squabbles between Britain and Argentina over the Falkland/Malvina Islands!
Most of our ship travel was at night. A typical day involved transfering (by Zodiac rubber boat) to shore, with a "wet" landing thereon. After lunch on the mother ship, another trip to another shore involved another "wet" landing. Returning to the ship for dinner, we spent evenings in seminars with the naturalists.
"Wet" landing meant "wear WATERPROOF boots and clothing"! The very rare "dry" landing didn't require waterproof pants or boots.
Sunday 30 November 2003
Sail through Beagle Channel and Drake Passage en-route to Antarctica
Position 57°12'S 64°36'W
Destination Antarctic Peninsula
Temperatures Air: 7°C/46°F Sea: 7°C/44°F
Wednesday 10 December 2003
Ushuaia
Disembark. En-plane for Santiago, Chile
Thu 11 December 2003
Santiago
This morning our by-now obligatory city tour included the really neat, fascinating, pre-Columbian museum. Hadn't nearly enough time there! Otherwise we did get a minimally adequate image of this vibrant city.
One stop atop Cerro San Cristobal provided great views of the distant Andes, including Aconcagua; and a very different view of Santiago. Smoggy just like Los Angeles, and for the same topographic reason.
We thought to contact Scott Jones (young travel professional living in Santiago), who we'd met on our Galapagos trip. Sadly there just wasn't time.
Fri 12 December 2003
Miami, FL
Arrived from Santiago, Chile, with only minutes to make (all) the connections between Miami, Houston, Oakland.
"Houston, we have a problem": Trying to make the seconds-away connection at Houston, Bill was delayed quite awhile with a "security problem". The personnel scanners caught something, and he was pulled out of line and searched, ...very thoroughly. Absolutely nothing was found, and he was free to RUN (worriedly!) for the plane. The pilot had held it, allowing Bill to enter into a sea of exasperated-looking faces. Ack!
Even though not always described in detail above, every island and every landing had a lot to offer in the way of biota, geology, and of course history. One or more naturalists and/or historians accompanied all landings. Our destinations were very well chosen, and very well presented.
Complementing the landings, each day there were shipboard presentations by top Antarctic experts. Most often these were illustrated with slides or movies.
Not so well-versed in flora now as once, we didn't make good notes thereon. But we did see plants even in the frigid South Shetlands. Mostly these were algae and lichens, with a very few small leafy things as well.
In the Falklands of course it was another story... Among other things there we saw Gorse, known to us only through novels set in British countryside. Nasty stuff, Gorse! Really kind of pretty from a little distance, with its massed bright yellow flowers. But, it's ALSO got impenetrable growth; and big mean-looking thorns.
Our (minimal) observations on animal life mostly are found in the photo captions.
We had pretty good weather throughout, though overcasts were common, interspersed with short episodes of suddenly sunny skies. Occasionally there was snow in the most southern latitudes. Our closest brushes with real storms were on our return through the Drake Passage, and in the Scotia Sea. And those weren't so bad!
Just a few of the other passengers knew anything about birds. But Chris and Judy Hepburn did. So did Jennifer Gaden and Ruth Douglas; the two of them and Kay became good friends. The five together came to be called "guerilla birders" by the ship's naturalists: They were on the bridge, bow, or fantail - any time, any weather - doing Their Thing. Kay's trip list includes 126 bird species, 75% of them "lifers".
I really hate to "pick favorites"; someone's ox always gets gored. But among the naturalist staff, David and Dorinda Dallmeyer were absolutely outstanding! Their colleagues would agree, surely.
The non-US part of our adventure was a low-cost "perk" of Bill's membership in AAAS, arranged by Betchart. The Antarctic cruise itself was via Clipper/InTRAV, a smallish company that seems increasingly popular in "small ship" travel circles. They took very good care of us - especially appreciated in South America: We don't speak Spanish and our international travel experience is limited. We'd travel with them again if a "small ship" was the requisite vehicle. Still, we prefer much smaller groups, as with INCA on our 2001 Galapagos trip
A "modest" subset of Bill's few-hundred photos can be viewed here:
