Antarctica 2005 Travel Diary

I sat next to the nicest man on the plane to Santiago. His name was Miguel, born and raised in Santiago. He was heading home to visit his family. A flight attendant for Northwest Airlines, Miguel was extremely helpful on my first trip off the North American continent. Not having flown further than to Mexico, I was surprised at the size of the plane and at the fact that they fed us twice and provided blankets and headphones to every passenger. I was able to sleep for most of the trip, so I felt semi-rested by the time we touched down in Chile at 9:20 a.m. their time, a three-hour difference from Wisconsin.

Going through the airport in Santiago was quite simple. After paying the $100 reciprocity fee to enter the country and having my passport stamped, I met the first Clipper Cruise Line guide and my second set of travelers, Dennis (Denny) '64, MD '68 and Lynn '65, MS '86 Christensen.

We claimed our bags, which thankfully made it, and were waived through customs, thanks to our guide, who escorted us directly outside to a tour bus. We waited there for about an hour, as two more flights carrying Clipper travelers arrived. On the bus, our tour guide explained the hotel check-in procedure, so we knew what to expect upon arrival at the Sheraton Santiago.

Check-in was simple. I met our cruise director, Scott Williams, at the hotel. The staff made copies of our passports and credit cards and gave us our room keys in a check-in room reserved for Clipper travelers. Scott fitted each traveler for the red parkas provided for the trip and told us they’d be waiting in our cabins aboard the Clipper Adventurer the next day. The porter brought our luggage up to our rooms, which was a nice touch.

I had just enough time to grab a sandwich in the hotel lounge before re-boarding the tour bus for our scheduled four-hour city tour. I’m certain I over-tipped the waitress, because I couldn’t quite remember how U. S. currency converted to Chilean pesos.

Our first stop was a national park

My wake-up call came at 4:15 a.m. this morning, Santiago time, which felt like 1:00 a.m. to me. After settling my room bill, which came to 19,769 pesos (only $34.38 in U.S. dollars), I checked out of the Sheraton Santiago and boarded the tour bus to catch our flight to Ushuaia, Argentina, the southern-most city in the world (what the natives refer to as “fin del mundo” or the “end of the world”).

Scott Williams, our Clipper guide, had all of our paper tickets in hand, as they had chartered a plane for all Clipper travelers on Lan Chile, an airline I had never even heard of until now. After a 3 _ hour flight, we landed in Ushuaia, a little after noon. The scenery was breathtaking; the weather a bit overcast. This quaint little city was lined by the Andes Mountains and on the border of both Chile and Argentina.

A local tour guide took us to a ranch for a traditional Argentinian barbecue, complete with costumed “gauchos” to set the mood. The meal consisted of shredded carrots, salad, bread, red wine and grilled lamb. Following a “dulce de leche” ice cream treat, El Gaucho Argentino and his fellow dancers entertained us with a 15-minute performance.

Two hours at the ranch and we were back on the bus to tour el Parque Nacional de Tierra del Fuego, a beautiful preserve founded in the 1960s. We were able to get out and walk on the footpaths and take some photos before finally heading to board our ship, the Clipper Adventure, around 4:30 p.m. When we arrived at the harbor, we were informed that the ship was not quite ready for us to board, so we had an hour to walk around the downtown shopping area. We finally boarded at 6:00 p.m.

At least 20 crew members were on hand to help with the check-in, which expedited the process. We were instructed to be in the main lounge by 6:30 p.m. for the standard emergency drill for all travelers on board. After the drill, I rejoined some of our Wisconsin travelers for a glass of wine before our first dinner aboard what would be our home for the next 12 days. Dinner was excellent! We were given four entrée choices, to ensure that everyone would find something they could and would enjoy. We were told that each night there would be a seafood, meat, pasta and vegetarian option along with a selection of soup or salad (or both) and at least three desserts.

Dinner ended a little after 9:00 p.m. and I went to find Scott to talk to him about our Wisconsin alumni reception. I found him in the Clipper chapter, the ship bar, where I joined him for a drink. Through our conversation, I learned that he is the same age as me, from St. Louis and has been with Clipper for about three years. He has already visited all seven continents.

Since it had been quite a long journey to get where we were, everyone turned in early that first night. Before returning to my cabin, I went up on deck for a breath of fresh air. I was surprised at how dark it was. Pitch black. No lights, no land, just open water and miles and miles of darkness. It must have been a cloudy night, as there were no stars in the sky. I can’t help but think to myself, If we just left the “end of the world,” where are we headed now?

I slept like a baby that first night aboard. The rocking and swaying knocked me right out.

When I woke up, however, I wasn’t quite sure I liked the constant motion. A voice came over the loudspeaker informing us that breakfast was being served in the dining room. It was 8:00 a.m.

I managed to stumble up the stairs to the main deck, from my cabin on the bottom floor. Hot breakfast was being served in the dining room, whereas they had a continental breakfast available in the main lounge. I was impressed with how many options we were given aboard a small ship, and liked that they tried to accommodate a wide range of tastes.

After breakfast, I took my first dose of “Sea Calm,” the motion sickness tablets they provided at the front desk. Since I had traveled on board a ship prior to this trip, I figured I’d be safe and take the dose, “just in case.” One tablet knocked me right out and I slept through the first lecture, even though I had just woken up! I could hear the presentation on photography over the loudspeaker in my cabin. Each room was equipped with a three-channel “radio” on the wall: one for music, one to hear the lectures being given in the main lounge and the other for general announcements only.

The next lecture was at 11:00 a.m. on Falkland Islands wildlife. I fought through the haze of the Sea Calm and rejoined my fellow travelers for the presentation, which was mainly about the birds we should watch for on our first landing. Lunch was served promptly at noon, once again with the option of hot lunch (three choices) in the dining room or a soup and sandwich spread in the main lounge. Everyone was in good spirits, anticipating our first landing and finding our “sea legs.” We’d be making our first stop in the Falkland Islands the following day, so we had a free day to roam the ship and attend the various lectures given throughout the day.

The cool thing about this particular ship and crew was that the captain let us all know in his opening remarks the previous night that we were invited to see the wheel room where we’d experience the inner workings and talk directly with the captain while he was working. It is a rarity to be able to do this, especially while the ship is at sail, and Peter had an open-door policy, which was such a treat. After lunch, I took him up on this offer and nosed around the wheel room for a bit, as did several other travelers. The captain took the time to explain to us the different knobs and buttons and how to read the maps and wind gauge which was very interesting. The captain hosted a welcome reception that evening, and he and the crew were all on hand serving champagne and mingling with the passengers. It was a great first day on aboard the Clipper Adventurer.

A ship-wide wake-up call rang through at 6:15 a.m. this morning. Today is our first Zodiac landing. The crew had a sign up sheet at the front desk, instructing each passenger to identify themselves as a member of one of four penguin groups; Adelie, Rockhopper, Gentoo and Chinstrap. I signed on with the Adelie group, along with six of our WAA cohort, and we were told that once our group name was called over the loudspeaker, we should have our knee-high rubber boots and waterproof pants on and line up to get a life jacket and board a Zodiac to head to shore. Zodiacs are 12-passenger rubber rafts that are lowered down from the ship to take passengers to shore. My group was called first.

Our first landing was to Carcass Island in the Falklands. There are over 60 small islands in the Falklands, many of them scarcely inhabited. Carcass Island only has three dwellers, one of them who owns the entire island. The landing would include a 2 _ mile trek around the island, with our stopping point being the owners house, who enjoyed welcoming travelers in for tea and cookies.

On our walk, we saw our first penguins, the Magellenic penguin, along with a group of turkey vultures, kelp and upland geese, oystercatchers, tussock birds and steamer ducks. I almost filled a whole camera of the five disposables I’d brought with me.

When we arrived at the settlement, we were instructed to take off our boots and leave them at the door and to make ourselves at home in the owner’s house. There was a wide assortment of homemade cookies along with several pots of tea and coffee. When I had a moment to talk to the owner, I asked how he gets groceries on the island if he is the only inhabitant. He told me that the Coast Guard drops supplies off for him every six weeks. He also told me that his daughter had a small plane on the other side of the island that they used when they need to get off. There are five cows at the settlement, so all of their dairy products are fresh.

Everyone in the group seems to be enjoying themselves. The weather is absolutely fabulous for our day in the Falklands, a sunny 58 degrees. We brought our Wisconsin flag out to the island with us so we could take a group picture. Because we landed in groups, I was only able to get half in our first photo. It’s a friendly group, and I’m the youngest by about 25 years, they get a kick out of calling me their “Den Mother,” though Art Strassburger affectionately named me the “queen” of this ship.

Tonight we begin our journey through the dreaded Drake Passage, a two-day voyage through open sea, rumored to be the roughest waters in the world. Only a week ago, the crew reported that the Drake was at its worst ever, so we are praying that history won’t repeat itself and we will continue to be blessed with good weather. One can hope …

The afternoon was equally awesome. It actually got a bit warmer, so the temperature was right around 60 degrees. On our way ashore for our second landing of the day, a school of dolphins decided to put on a show for us. We had at least four Zodiacs carrying people to shore, and the dolphins were weaving in and out and swimming under us. One even jumped up and splashed a group of travelers in a Zodiac not far from mine. It was highly entertaining and so exciting on our first day off the ship since we’d sailed.

We anchored at New Island, the most inhabited island of the 60 or so in the Falklands. The owners, Tony and Ian, met us ashore and had set up a shop selling postcards, books, stamps and other items. An old schooner from World War II had been shipwrecked ashore and it was amazing to see how intact it still was.

After about a mile hike up the top of a hill, we were astounded to see the thousands and thousands of birds and penquins cohabitating on the rocks of the cliff. The rockhopper penquins look like little bad guys, with their mohawks. The black brow albatross were in mating season, so we were able to witness some mating rituals and see their fuzzy babies up close. The general rule of practice on Zodiac landings, is that travelers are to stay 15 feet away from the wildlife, though the rule does not apply to them. Being the curious little creatures they are, it didn’t take long before they were coming to check us all out.

Komrets, rockhoppers and albatross all seemed to be living peacefully with each other on this cliff. It was amazing to see how unbothered they were by our presence and by the massive numbers grouped everywhere. We saw more upland geese and took lots of photos. After about an hour, we hopped back in the Zodiacs reveling in an absolutely glorious day.

I had lunch with two of our Wisconsin travelers that day, one a retired school teacher of 34 years and the other a pharmacist. After lunch, I sent an e-mail to the travel director at WAA to let her know we all made it and were having a wonderful time. I may have spoken too soon, as we still hadn’t entered the dreaded Drake Passage, but we were praying for a smooth ride.

After dinner that evening, the crew showed us part one of the documentary, Shackelton, in the main lounge, a made-for-TV version of Ernest Shackelton’s voyage. As soon as the credits rolled, everyone bolted for their cabins, as it had been a long but fabulous day.

No wake up calls this morning, as we are confined to the ship for the next two days. By 9:00 a.m., we were 450 nautical miles from Elephant Island, our next destination, the famous island where Shackelton and his men were stranded for about five months after their ship, the Endurance sank.

I went to visit the bridge this morning, where one of the captain’s assistants showed me the Global Positioning System and taught me how to read the barometer. There will only be lectures today, since we won’t see land until about 4:00 p.m. tomorrow, assuming all goes well in the Drake Passage.

Lunch was an adventure today, with eight foot swells that continually sent diners meals flying across the table. What an experience, trying to actually eat while holding my plate, utensils and drink all at once as the ship rocks back and forth. Attendance was a bit sparse this afternoon …

Seeing that there wasn’t much else to do, I grabbed a book from the ship library and read most of the day.

Man, oh man. This is getting a little old. The swells are now up to 15 feet. Bodies are being tossed to and fro. It’s difficult to move around the ship, so many have decided to stay in their cabins until we make it out of the Drake Passage, which still won’t be for quite some time today. Roswitha, the hotel manager, has been making her way through the ship checking on everyone to make sure that we are all fed, even if we can’t make it up to the dining room, which is exceptional service.

I slept right through breakfast this morning, because the easiest thing to do at this point is to just lay down. I read a whole book yesterday, from cover to cover, because I couldn’t do anything else! Drawers keep banging in and out in my cabin. A lot of dishes have already been broken. The waitstaff have become personal escorts, seeing that all passengers move safely around the dining room during meals. The railings in the hall have become a necessity.

I guess I didn’t expect this. The rough weather has set us back about two hours, so we won’t be able to land at all today. The crew has informed us that we’ll try to reach calmer waters by 6:00 p.m., to be able to enjoy a later dinner this evening without all of the rocking.

I slept most of the afternoon because the Sea Calm knocked me out. I awoke to an announcement that we had reached our destination, the official first site in the Shetland Islands and the continent of Antarctica.

I can’t believe a week has gone by already since I left Madison and the United States.

This morning, we visited Paulette Island, where we took a lot of pictures of more seals, penguins and birds. Still not in Antarctica “proper,” but we are getting closer and closer. While ashore, we witnessed a skua attack a baby penguin that was not ready to be eaten alive. It is molting season for the penguins, which leaves them weak and vulnerable for about three weeks before they completely shed their layers and are able to get in the water and find food again. It was really sad to watch, yet it is a compelling depiction of survival of the fittest and the food chain.

The baby penguin attempted to hide behind a large iceberg, so the skua moved on to another that was molting so heavily he couldn’t do much to fight back.

After yet another fabulous lunch, we were off in our Zodiacs headed for Devil Island. Not yet covered with snow and ice, we made a two-mile trek directly up a mountain peak to take in the amazing view of the islands. About two-thirds of the way up the mountain, I wasn’t sure I’d make it, but I thought about my older brother climbing volcanoes in Mexico, combined with the fact that I was one of the youngest on the tour, which gave me that last bit of “umpf” to make it to the top.

When we had all made it back to the Clipper Adventurer about an hour later, Noreen Haukland, our cruise director, made an announcement for all Wisconsin travelers to join me in the Clipper chapter for cocktails before dinner. We hosted a private gathering in the bar for the 17 of us who came with WAA to get a group picture and get to know each other better before launching into week two of our journey together.

Dinner came and went, and I took a detour to the top deck before calling it a night. I witnessed my first snowfall in Antarctica, pitch black and beautiful. I made it back to my cabin, exhausted, but smiling all the way.

I was up and showered by 10:00 a.m., ready for a new day. We’d be heading out in the Zodiacs shortly after lunch for a one-hour cruise around Paradise Bay, a beautiful scene in the Antarctic Peninsula. The ice floes take on this incredible blue color and each iceberg is different from the next. When an glacier cracks, it sounds like a gunshot, sending large chunks of ice into the sea to form new bergs.

We came back briefly for a debrief before heading to Neko Harbor, a 20-minute sail away. This was our first chance to actually set foot on the continent. The temperature was a crisp 40 degrees, much warmer than Wisconsin in February!

They woke us up early today, as we entered the Lemaire Channel, reported to be the most photographed location in Antarctica. It looked a bit like other things we’d seen, though snow-covered mountains framed both sides of the ship as we made our way through miles of chunky ice.

I bypassed our first excursion that morning, as it was overcast and drizzling and much colder than previous days of the tour. I was one of many who chose not to land at Peterman Island that day, the first island showcasing the Gentoo penguin, though we were told there would be other opportunities to see that breed again. I opted instead to check out the very small “gymnasium” on board, a great time, since the ship was now anchored for the next two hours. I enjoyed taking a shower without the rocking and read a few chapters in a new book I’d gotten in the library before everyone was back on board and we were ready to set sail again.

Yesterday, the crew had thrown us an old-fashioned ice cream social in the main lounge after lunch, which was fun, but today’s surprise was the best. The staff had organized a genuine barbecue on deck, complete with a large grill, burgers, hot dogs, chicken, potato salad and all the fixin’s. With the ice and snow in the background, it was quite a scene. Here we were, all decked out in giant red parkas, waterproof pants and knee high rubber boots, having a barbecue on a ship in the middle of Antarctica.

Everyone is having a fabulous time. It has truly been an amazing experience, one I know I will never be able to forget or duplicate. Having a chance to be here, in a place virtually untouched by man, is so powerful. This is absolutely nature as it is meant to be.

We were supposed to make an early morning stop today at the single most difficult expedition landing spot in the world. They issued a ship-wide wake-up call at 5:30 a.m., but I knew after a rough night of rocky seas, it wasn’t going to happen.

Not many travelers made the landing at Whaler’s Bay that morning, though we were all prepared and excited for our afternoon at Deception Island, the famous hot spring where we’ve been challenged to take a dip in the Antarctic waters.

Completely bundled from head to toe, yet with a swimsuit on underneath it all, we were anxious to experience the hot thermal waters in this cool location. Our expedition leader checked the water temperature, which registered at 112 degrees in one spot and 78 degrees in another. The other brave souls (or fools if you will) joined me in shedding our heavy gear and jumping into the water.

We had an absolute blast! The water felt so good, just like a steam bath, yet it was 40 degrees outside and there was snow on the ground. They let us hang out in the hot spring for about a half an hour before instructing us to gather our gear and head back to the Zodiacs.

etting out wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. My body felt steamy and warm, and several crew members were waiting to greet us with towels. The ultimate polar bear experience - swimming in the Antarctic Ocean! Roshwitha was waiting on deck to greet the swimmers with cups of hot chocolate and Schnapps minutes later.

Packing three landings into our last day in Antarctica, we made our last stop that evening and took our last close-ups of penguins, seals and other wildlife. We met the Chinstrap penguin, who appear to always be smiling, and got very close to the elephant seals sleeping on shore. A terrific last stop in this beautiful and enchanting place.



This trip has certainly given me a lot of time to reflect on my life back home in the states. After spending two weeks with these folks, I will certainly miss them when we part ways, though the memories we share will always linger on. Being here has made me better appreciate and feel more one with nature. I can only hope this continent will remain untainted for many years to come.

Making our way back through the Drake Passage has proved to be a much different experience than getting through it the first time. The entire day was calm and not at all rocky. The “Drake Lake” we called it, wondering if we had imagined the horrendous journey we’d taken through it only a week before.

At about 3:00 a.m., that all changed, and the crew reported that we plowed through 50, yes, 50-foot swells, compared to the 15 or so we’d experienced on the journey down. One wave actually busted a window on the third deck, because the force of it was so incredible.

The captain instructed us to stay in our cabins until he told us it was safe to come out, which turned out to be over three hours later. Not much activity on the ship this second-to-last day of our adventure.

Our last day aboard the Clipper Adventurer is upon us. It is with mixed emotions that we prepare to leave the ship and the experience it has provided behind. This has been more than I ever imagined and I am truly grateful for having been here. I will cherish the memories of this incredible voyage for years and years to come. For days, I’ve felt at peace and one with the world, and have witnessed first-hand one of the wonders of the world.

Human beings have taken so much for granted, and man has destroyed and taken advantage of so much land that it is hard to leave this tour unchanged. To spend time in a place like Antarctica and the Falkland Islands, with such pristine beauty, crystal clear colors and fresh air, I can’t imagine how abrupt it will feel to return to modern-day technology, cars, phones and TVs.

After 11 days aboard this ship, I can’t say I’m ready to leave. I’d travel through the Drake Passage many more times, as this has proved to be one of the best, most magical moments of my life.

The mood on board today is jolly, yet a bit somber because I think everyone is feeling some of the same things. At least 20 passengers crammed into the bridge around 4:30 p.m. to silently watch as the crew navigated the watercraft into the harbor back in Ushuaia, Argentina, confirming that our trip was indeed coming to an end.

The captain threw us a farewell party this evening, and the champagne was flowing as we exchanged contact information with other travelers and took more pictures, trying to capture those last moments and memories. We watched our final slide show together, over 400 pictures the crew had compiled throughout the week, recapping our tour. The whole room fell silent as we watched our journey unfold on the screen, set to the beautiful music of Enya, a perfect fit for the pictures we’d captured.

I received a special invitation to dine at the chief officer’s table for dinner that night, hosted by Andre Domain and our cruise director, Noreen. After dinner, we decided to take in the town, as there was a big festival being held in the streets of Ushuaia, and it did happen to be a Friday night. For blocks and blocks, there were people dancing, fire blowers, drummers and performers everywhere. There were bleachers set up on the sidewalks, for people to watch the carnival unfolding throughout the town.

We made it safely back to the ship late that night, and for the first time in almost two weeks, I missed being rocked to sleep.

Our last wake-up call came at 6:15 a.m. this morning. We are scheduled to disembark at 8:00 a.m. to catch our flight to Buenos Aires. I am still processing the idea of heading back home in just a few days and leaving all this behind.

It took almost two hours for us all to get checked in and through the very small airport in Ushuaia. Our flight to Buenos Aires was a little over three hours long. The city is very metropolitan and reminded me in some ways of big cities back home. In checking out the city, I kept bumping into different travelers, and chuckled to myself about how funny it was to be in a foreign place, yet see so many familiar faces.

After breakfast in the hotel restaurant, we took a bus tour around Buenos Aires to see the sights and learn about the city’s rich history. The tour regrouped that evening for a dinner and a tango show at El Viejo Almacen in one of Argentina’s most famous neighborhoods on the corner of San Telmo, named after San Pedro Gonzalez Telmo, a patron saint of the sailors. We had front-row seats for this incredible show and everyone went home happy.

We were left on our own to explore today, so a few of us ladies decided to go shopping on Florida Street and spend some time by the hotel pool, since the weather was a sunny 85 degrees. The tour bus wasn’t scheduled to take us to the airport until about 6:00 p.m., though many seemed eager to get home. It’s been a long, incredible and amazing journey that got us here today, and I am so thankful for my time here.

So much of what seemed important to me when I came here seems irrelevant now. When you can come on a trip like this and live with just the essentials … no malls, no skylines, no phones, no computers, no TV or cars, even money doesn’t amount to much … one can quickly readapt if your mind is open to it. This experience has really opened my eyes to what’s important and I leave here a changed woman.