Hey Everybody!
We are finally getting off the ship after too much time at sea. We are not yet on the Antarctic Continent, but we are getting closer! The combination of bad weather and lack of time has many of us worried that we won't REALLY get to touch the continent. Some of the guides get a bit annoyed when passengers say we aren't in Antarctica yet. Of course, some countries & some scientists would claim we never touched Antarctica. Thus, it mattered that we make it to the peninsula (mainland).
Our first stop was Yankee Harbor where the weather was pretty nice, but the walking was a challenge. There was still a lot of soft snow & ice so many of us sunk knee deep (frequently!) as we walked. By frequently I mean every step or two. By the time we had to leave shore I had just about mastered the ability to shuffle more and sink less. I'm pretty sure none of us minded the struggle as there were thousands of Gentoo Penguins there to distract us.
By our second stop of the day, Whalers Bay, the weather had turned on us once again - wind picked up as the snow fell. This is how the shore looked when we landed. Within an hour Neptune's Window was all but closed.
Have I mentioned that hill sliding was not encouraged? It also wasn't forbidden & it's very hard to resist! I'm not in this pic, but I did slide part of the way down. These girls slid from the top of Neptune's Window - very slick & much easier from a seated position.
One of the first Chinstrap Penguins we saw on the trip.
This particular landing site is important because we reached it by navigating the ship into a volcano. Once the weather turned, 20 of us (barely a 1/6 of the passengers) braved the polar plunge into a volcano. It felt significantly colder than the Arctic plunge back in June. I had heard from several people this volcanic site would be warmer - if you dig into the sand it's possible to feel the warmth. Unfortunately, there was no warmth above ground! The hard part was getting dressed after the plunge - hands and feet just didn't want to work. One person was taking photos of me trying to dress myself and I said, "Don't take pictures. Help me!" I needed help with my boots & never did get my pants zipped. Luckily, they didn't fall down when I got on and off the zodiac. And, after about 30 minutes I was able to feel all of my toes again! Hands recovered much faster.
On the 17th we got more bad weather. A combination of weather and poor shore conditions made landing at the original excursion site impossible, but I'll have some photos for you from a zodiac cruise. The 18th brings better weather and a memorable Orca Whale(s) moment. Will try to post again tomorrow and get this adventure wrapped up soon.
Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy your weekend.
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Polar Plunge! No thanks, but I would have helped you zip your pants.
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