More from Easter Island

Hey Everybody!

Clearly I have decided it's impossible to blog about Antarctica right now.... that will have to wait until I am in an airport or back in the states. Sorry. It will come! But instead of getting even further behind I might as well post about the island.

I wandered. I napped. I snorkeled with Green Sea Turtles (and fish). I tried a restaurant that I found on a hike the day before....can't upload the photo but it looked like a cool place. Sadly, I was NOT so impressed with the meal, but maybe they do better with other dishes.

And I finally found a place that serves ice cream.....I was really beginning to think it didn't exist here! Not one market seems to sell it.

This is the first turtle I swam with & touched before photographing it as it passed under me. It is a large adult male.

My new turtle friend chatting with a pal.

A much smaller turtle & a bit shy. And by far......the prettiest!

It is SO nice to be living (even temporarily) near water! Everyday I am (and will be!) in the Pacific Ocean. It might not be Gulf of Mexico warm, but it is quite nice. Conveniently, the ice cream place is near the beach I tend to visit.

Have I already said this a friendly, relaxed place? It will be interesting to see if I can (or will) move so calmly through my days in other places. Somehow I doubt it.

Have a good day. Thanks for stopping by.....more soon.

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Meeting the Moai

Hey Everybody!

First of all, I apologize....at some point I started spelling Moai as Moab. That is wrong & the statues asked me to correct the error. How could anyone say no to those guys :-).

After more than 24hrs in-transit (including sleeping on a tile floor at Santiago's International Airport) due to some unknown system failure about 40min out of Santiago that required us to turn back & start over a few hours later....I have arrived on Easter Island!

I won't have a formal tour here until Tuesday. The owner (actually owner's son) speaks fluent English and his family is from here. His grandfather has a street named after him & he coordinated the effort to repair (stand up) Moai several decades ago. Anyway, I head out to see what I could find on my own.... didn't take long to find water or statues.

While I do have some wifi access....it isn't so good with photo uploads. But are a few. My first sunset with a Moai.

Although I was quite tired Sunday morning and wanted to sleep in I could not do it! I had only one Sunday on the island and was told that attending the Catholic Church service is a must for the music. I only understood one or two Spanish words out of ten & certainly didn't understood the Polynesian music, but it was SO beautiful! If you are ever on this island, you should really go. I could have listened to them all day. It is one of the things that makes this church unique - the Polynesian culture is incorporated. The priest wears a flower lei & has an unbelievably beautiful robe with shells sewn on it. The culture is also represented on the church's statues & on the building itself. I will take a better church pic before leaving, but wanted you to see it.

After church & a bite to eat I head out in a new direction with a few unexpected friends. The dog stayed with me for about 90min. The dogs here aren't wild, but they are quite free & often follow tourists. Some of horses here seem to be wild....not sure about this particular group. They didn't seem to mind the dog or me.

Finally....the Green Sea Turtles here are quite used to people. Local kids often ride the large adults. I've seen several turtles already, but there weren't any nearby when I was in the water. The turtles don't snap & I even saw them swim over to people.

The weather is great - light breeze, temps in 70s, and the Pacific is almost 70* so it's cool but tolerable. It's such a relaxed environment that I even took a bit of a siesta between my hike and my swim. I rented some snorkel gear this morning & hope to spend the afternoon in the water.

More soon...including some posts about Antarctica eventually! Thanks for stopping by!

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Santiago, Chile

Hey Everybody!

I am pretty sure it's Saturday morning....it's hard to keep track sometimes. I spent most of yesterday traveling but not as planned. I had heard that flight changes were common at least in parts of S. America, but was still not quite prepared for the randomness of it. My flight out of Ushuaia left late (quite common!) and also changed arrival airports, which could have been a big bummer since I had a connection to catch. Luckily, airline agents were on top of things & arranged a new connection for me. The connection left late with no updates during the delay. I finally got through Chilean customs about 1:15AM & settled in for the night - on the tile floor because the better spots were taken by then. I got enough sleep though & am eagerly waiting to board the flight to Easter Island.

I passed one of the airport gift shops on the way to bed and was stunned (somewhat more than I'd like to admit :-) ) by the all the statues on display. Thus I am writing to confess that I only grasped that I was on my way to the island full of Moab statues around 1:30AM, which seems to be about the same time I realized I was in Chile! Just as surprising was my response to the store display: already I think I need to live on Easter Island!

By the way, the flight to Santiago was the BEST landing of my entire life. I've only had 2-3 other REALLY impressive landings over the years, but last night's was like landing on clouds. Not a bump, not a sound. Quite flawless... wish that happened more often.

Guess I better get to my gate....I have Moab's to meet! I'll let you know if the place is as wonderful as I expect it to be. Santiago seems very smoggy this morning....hope that's not the case in the middle of the ocean. Have a good weekend. I hope to get the first Antarctic pics up from the island....

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Happy Thanksgiving from Ushuaia

Hey Everybody!

I am off the ship for about one hour.....trying to get through the piles of email and news. I will spend tonight in Ushuaia and then on Friday I begin my trek to Easter Island where I will spend about a week.

I know you must be wondering about the trip and photos, so.......

It was quite impossible to travel to Antarctica without expectations & just as difficult to travel to such a place with expectations. It was a beautiful trip - not easy. Long days at sea. We had some rough weather conditions that made some of our original itinerary plans impossible, but the expedition team always had a backup plan for us.

I am including a couple of photos just to get things started.....but will begin more orderly trip posts soon.

Wouldn't be right to travel to water and not photograph shells.....illegal to remove anything from this area, but they were beautiful.

A very happy looking elephant seal (male).

King Penguin.

Gentoo Penguins returning from the sea after feeding.

Just a little ice around our ship...the ice is spectacular!

One of many wonderful icebergs....cannot get enough of them!

So, Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. And to those of you tackling Friday sales.....good luck. Thanks for stopping by, I will be in touch soon.

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The Andes

Hey Everybody!

The most important news: my ship is docked in Ushuaia! I expect a proper photo will surface later, but this one is good enough for now :-). It's the fairly hidden one that says Quark. It is just 11am here and we are not permitted on the boat until 4pm. Furthermore, because it's Sunday....the town is nearly shutdown until church and supper are finished. Hmmm....does that mean no more ice cream/gelato shop visits? I only go there once a day & I have had two different orders, but yesterday when I went in the same guy was working the counter & he anticipated the second flavor. Surely! That says more about the high level of customer service than my daily visit. By the way, the second flavor to complement the mousse de chocolate was Calafate. It's an Argentina fruit/berry - sort of similar to raspberry or huckleberry.

Anyway, the point of this last pre-trip post is to tell you about the off-road trip in the Andes yesterday. The participants: the driver/guide, the BBQ man, an older Australian couple, and me. Oh, most importantly....the jeep.

The view of Fagnano Lake without the jeep:

We crossed the Andes at Garbaldi Pass, which is the only place to cross and still be in Argentina. I didn't know that fact before the trip, but wasn't surprised because on the Beagle Channel trip we were in Chilean waters at least 3 times according to the map. In this photo from the Channel, Chile is on the right & Argentina to the left.

So, back to the off-road jeep...the two lakes are Fagnano & Escondido. The larger one is Escondido, which is the one we explored via zodiac. The drink of the day was Mate tea - a VERY strong type green tea. Not bad, but a pretty unusual taste.

After the off-road adventure & before the BBQ at the lake, we hiked through the forest. It is similar to Alaska in that the air air is very healthy as evidenced by the lichen. There are NO bugs, spiders, reptiles, dangerous animals.... Makes for a pretty stress-free hike provided you are prepared for ALL weather conditions.

This was the weather as we left in the zodiac....quite perfect dontcha think?

Within 30 minutes this was the weather on the lake...light rain that turned to hail shortly after we docked and returned to the jeep. Not bad, but quite cold! The wind also picked up and the guide couldn't resist the opportunity to tease me about wind & the Drake Passage. The Aussies aren't taking an Antarctic trip.

This is the shelter our guide built to use for the BBQ portion of these trips. It was quite warm inside. Meat-eaters would love the BBQ because the appetizer was Salami, the first course was a sausage sandwich (and plenty of food; period!), followed by a second course of MORE meat. Salad was available. Dessert was a typical Argentine choice called Vigilante. Vigilante is a small hunk of fresh cheese blanketed by a sweet potato jam mixed with vanilla and chocolate. Yes, I tried it. No, I didn't love it but it's okay..... chocolate & cheese saved it for me. The sauce for the meats is called Chimmichurri - a vinegar & oil mix with a handful of herbs/spices. Amazingly, it was not too spicy for me & tastes pretty good.

It was very nice and peaceful out there yesterday. And gave me a chance to feel like I explored the Andes at least a little bit. In truth, I will continue to explore this mountain range because even the Antarctic Peninsula is considered a part of the Andes range (the Antarctic Andes).

On an entirely more severe topic....I learned that there is a very high rate of suicide among Ushuaian teenagers. The temperature in town for the past few days has probably been in the upper 30's to low 40's during the day. There has been some sun, some rain, some snow (mountains), some hail and lots of clouds. Basically this is life in Ushuaia 365 days/year. On top of that the mountains make it impossible to ever see a horizon. For the teens who don't have any opportunity to travel away to Buenos Aires or beyond, they start to feel trapped.

While I don't feel trapped here and see much beauty in the place, I definitely can imagine locals reaching that point. If it weren't for horizons I don't know that I'd be here traveling. Horizons are possibility (I think) and, therefore, necessary. The school system has begun to take a more active role by taking children out for camping trips to get them exploring. We drove past a a group of schoolchildren & a bunch of tents were set up near the river. I think it's cool that the school is getting involved in this kind of community issue.

Hope all is well where you are.... Stop back by when you have finished your turkey dinners and I should have more pics for you.

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From Ushuaia (11-2-12)

Hey Everybody!

First of all, I am happy to report that I have found a perfect little cafe that serves food that doesn't scare me! It's called Banana & I highly recommend it. Have eaten there twice (and not only because it's near the gelato shop) - it is very good price & taste.

Secondly, because Ushuaia has signs posted re: being the capital of the Malvinas (or The Falkland Islands as the UK says) I thought I should mention that these signs also state that the UK occupies the territory illegally & it's in the Argentine Constitution that Argentina is rightful owner.

Next....because I knew that you couldn't bear to wait until after my trip for photos I took a 5hr boat tour of the Beagle Channel (as in Charles Darwin & the Beagle Voyage back in the 1830s). The channel was formed by glaciers and is quite narrow & shallow (10 meters) in spots. It's no wonder shipwrecks were common. Yep, I went just for you.....it had nothing to do with the knowledge that the last stop before turning around was Penguin Island!

So, here are today's pics beginning with Ushuaia from the catamaran.

I think these are Imperial Cormorants....the fancy headdress is due to the mating season.

The blue-eyed birds share their rock islands with South American Sea Lions.

What else.....a lighthouse! Les Eclaireurs

The island in the foreground is known as Gable Island & was also formed by glaciers.

Almost forgot....you wanted to see penguins on Penguin Island:

First up, the Magellanic Penguin. Because it's mating season there are fewer penguins out on the beach. I was lucky enough to catch a live mating show, including the post-coitus dance...but these penguins are hard to photograph! So glad I got to practice today. Maybe it'll be easier on land?

The island is actually home to two breeds: Magellanic and Gentoo. The holes (caves) are nesting homes for the Magellanic; the Gentoo nest on the surface.

My favorite (and most cooperative) penguin of the day....the Gentoo.

Guess I better get ready for bed...thanks for stopping by! I hope to get one more day of pics posted before leaving Ushuaia.

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Ushuaia, Argentina

 

Hey Everybody!

So, I left Buenos Aires at 4:40am, arriving in Ushuaia approximately 3.5hrs later. Ushuaia is the southernmost city in the world. It has a population of about 65,000. It tends to get much busier around here between Nov-April when the otherwise icy waterways are open for travel. It is not crowded right now as we are on the first ship out this season. A couple images from the plane - our descent and landing.

I'm SO grateful to the hotel for letting me check in at 9am because I wanted a shower more than I wanted a meal! I was hungry, but first wandered around town and took a little nap. By 2pm I was so hungry I settled for the first place I could find....it turned out to be enough food for days! After another nap...I returned to the streets and this time found the cafes that I can try if I am ever hungry again....

This was so NOT the dish I thought I ordered! Quite unusual, but a couple bites did taste pretty yummy. It was supposed to be an Americana pizza, which I had for the first time in Australia.....totally different here! I'm not saying french fries on pizza is wrong, but it certainly never occurred to me. But then, neither did multiple fried eggs.

Not my travel office....but just too cool not to photograph!!

I was a bit disappointed to see that our "super yacht" needed some maintenance prior to embarkation...

Ok, actually this a rescue tug, Saint Christopher - it has been beached and abandoned here for decades after being damaged during a rescue attempt. It serves as a reminder of the treacherous channel. The Port of Ushuaia is in the background.

Part of town & what was behind me:

This appears to be a building for a fishermen's association. Loved their sign:

"Here we get gathered around the fire, the hunters, the fishers and other liers from the most southern part of the world."

That's all for now.... I plan to explore more tomorrow, so stay tuned!

 

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Buenas noches desde el fin del mundo!

Good evening from the end of the world!

I have arrived in Ushuaia, Argentina and I love it already.... I would like to tell you that's because my self-taught Spanish lessons paid off and I'm practically a local, but.....the truth is that about an hour ago I found Dolcissimo, a gelato shop, that delivers! I found it while exploring the city - won't use delivery service because the fun for me is wandering chilly streets with locals who eat ice cream too. But that doesn't mean I don't have great respect for their clever tactics. By the way, highly recommend the mousse de chocolate!

After Australia this was such an easy trip....only 10.25hrs flight from Dallas & just a 3hr time difference from Mountain Time Zone. We hugged the Central and South American coasts all night. The coolest part of that route was the pitch black occasionally disrupted by city lights. Even better was the rising of the sun beginning around 6AM. I had an aisle seat (a must!) and, luckily, a great view of the Andes Mountain Range. A unexpected surprise as I didn't know the plane's route. Alaska is mountainous, but from the air the Andes seem almost infinite.

As we were boarding Tuesday night in Dallas it began to sink in that I am, indeed, going to Antarctica. I know, I should have known that months ago when I booked it. But stuff happens, planes crash, and it took that flight to make it real.

Buenos Aires International Airport provided an interesting memory for my arrival. At the airport, headed for customs, all passengers had to take the escalator down to security. The line of passengers was long and not moving, which is quite unfortunate when you're the one who is near the end of the escalator ride. We couldn't get off & staff were SLOW to stop it, so I am now a self-taught escalator tango expert! All I could think as I felt the stairs scratch me (gently....no worries!) was: The penguins! The ship better let me on even if I have a dangling foot! A woman near me fell, but fortunately there were no injuries - you know, beyond the trauma of landing in South America for the first time & discovering you might be eaten by a machine before you breathe fresh air :-)! On a serious note, this must happen a lot....they should really consider manual stairs.

Buenos Aires (city center) has a population of 5 million. The entire city (province) area has 15 million people. It is crowded, as poor as it is wealthy (or at least the laundry drying on clothes lines on buildings that are (or should be) condemned makes it seem that way, has tons of traffic, too much trash that I could sometimes smell, and a body of water (Rio de la Plata) that is contaminated with the city's waste. Men fish, but the fish cannot be eaten. Swimming is not an option (nearest beach is 3-4hrs away). And when the taxi driver tried to scam me (all guides warn of this), I knew just enough Spanish to thwart him. I won't claim victory because he still over-charged, but he didn't get what he wanted....more of a draw, I think. I will say that food from street vendors smelled SO good at times, but I didn't have a opportunity to try any.

I did get to see some of the city, but it was a challenge. I learned a lot & should I ever be here again I'll be a much more satisfied tourist because I'll see more of what I wanted to see. Despite my list of negatives, there are some beautiful old buildings and colorful side streets.

The pics include: The Government House; part of city center; two colorful pics from the VERY touristy Tango area; the province of Buenos Aires; the Rio de la Plata (directly across the street from the domestic airport) - not that I went back over there after getting to the airport. I intended too, but crossing the street feels a bit like Russian roulette! And while I might be able to stop one semi-truck, I doubt I can stop -simultaneously- 6 lanes of them in the dark! Red lights mean nothing here, but then neither do traffic lanes. The last pic is from a bookstore window....among the children's books I found several about mandalas. That fascinates me, but I have yet to get an answer about their significance here. I'm trying...

I'm going to try to post a few pics from Ushuaia before going to bed. And I hope to be able to stay in touch for a couple more days. Thanks, as always, for stopping by!

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