Time to Pull In for a Pit Stop

Another wonderful adventure is coming to an end. On Sunday Rachel left us to return to her home in Switzerland. Later today we start our journey home with a trolley ride to the Valparaiso bus terminal, followed by a 2 hour bus ride to Santiago, and then two flights later we will arrive home for a 6 month pit stop.

Valparaiso was a nice finishing touch for us. Since it is built on 45 different hills facing the Pacific Ocean you can get as much exercise as your heart desires just by walking around the city, and we did plenty of that. This old but lovely city has lots of history (major port city before the Panama Canal was built, home to regular earthquake activity) and not only colourful hillside houses but extremely artistic wall murals, graffiti and street art throughout the city. We also took rides on a couple of their 14 active ascensores (used to be 33 of these hillside funiculars) rather than climbing a few hundred steps on days when we wanted to save our energy to spend more time walking downhill. On another day we took a city bus to Vina del Mar (a newer beach resort town that seemed a lot older than we were there 6 years ago) and then walked back to Valpo along the coastline (15 km). When we weren't having meals at our Airbnb apartment we enjoyed some nice meals (seafood almost every day) at outdoor restaurants. And of course we had plenty of Chilean wine, known more for their Vino Blancos and Carmeneres (red).

While we had a fabulous 2.5 months in Argentina (mostly Patagonia), the entire trip highlight was Antarctica. We have some memorable stories, photos and videos of our time there and will be happy to share them with our family and friends when we get back home. Our next foreign destination is a mystery at this time (all 7 continents now explored since retirement) but you can be sure we will cook something up over the summer........we are embedded with the wanderlust gene (DRD4-7R, check it out) and travelling is always more fun without a plan anyways.

Carpe Diem.

Vina del Mar coastline, looking back towards Valparaiso.

One of Valpo's 45 hills.

An example of the street art found in Valpo. The artists get written permission from the home owner before starting and then proceed with their work.

Every street seemed to have art likes this so it was pleasurable to walk around the city.

Even the garbage trucks looked pretty. When I was about to take this picture, one of the 'sanitary engineers' ran in front to have his picture taken in front of the masterpiece.

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Colourful steps on the way to one of the many small plazas in the city, along with one of the many stray dogs. You had to be careful not to have any direct eye contact with the dogs otherwise they would follow you hoping for either a snack or to be taken home with you. All were friendly.

One of the ascensores that we took to avoid a long steep stairwell. The cost was always .20 cents and there would be two cars, one going up and another down, both at the same time.

The battle of the cervezas between Rachel and I. Mine was on the left and hers on the right.

We took a harbour cruise one day and came across a couple of harbour seals relaxing.......an looking the wrong way towards the lovely Valpo hillsides.

The Valpo mercado. We always like to visit the local markets for fresh fruit and vegetables, and occasionally some small fish (anchovies, sardines) which I enjoy.

Many More Mendoza Memories

As we prepare to leave Mendoza following our month long stay, we wish the time hadn't passed so quickly but we are departing with more good memories of this beautiful city and region. Since our daughter Rachel arrived 11 days ago, we have been busy taking her to our favourite places and seeking out more new experiences.

Beyond repeating our favourite city walks (the expansive San Martin Park, the multitude of city plazas, and the pedestrian-friendly streets), we have also made multiple trips to the Central Market and street-side dining restaurants. Another day we went to the Museum of Contemporary Art where the 3 of us could not agree on our favourite pieces of art or sculptures, but that is what art is all about. We also managed to find plenty of time to do more wine tasting, with four different day trips to Chacras de Coria (Alta Vista was great), Coquimbito (Mr. Hugo bikes to Vina El Cerno, Tempus Alba, Trapiche and finally to Entre Olivos for olive and liqueur tastings), Lujan de Cuyo (fabulous 5 course lunch with paired tastings at Lagarde), and then back to Coquimbito (Bodega La Rural wine museum, La Botella tasting room). A good time was had by all on those excursions, although we may have been over-served at some of the bodegas :-) Another time we took a bus to Cacheuta where we spent the day at the public hot springs, checking out the many pools with  their varying temperatures (hot to cold). To satisfy our hiking needs we climbed to the summit of Cerro Arco (1500 metres) which was great exercise but that was the only reward......the 'sunny with cloudy periods' forecast never developed and our view from the top was lost in the surrounding clouds and light mist. The hiking clubhouse at the base however served ice cold cervezas, and with pictures covering the walls with summit views and a model of mighty Aconcagua (western hemisphere's highest summit at 6960 metres), we could sit and enjoy our beverages imagining we had just returned from the two week treacherous climb to the summit.

The Easter holiday in Mendoza started on Thursday, with Good Friday being the most special day (almost all shops and restaurants were closed). I'm also not sure the Easter Bunny comes this far south because I couldn't find any chocolate treats on Sunday morning :-(

Tomorrow morning we check out of our lovely apartment and the three of us will head to the bus terminal where we will board the bus headed to Santiago, Chile. The 7 hour bus ride through the Andes mountains was a highlight from our first trip to South America in 2010 and we are looking forward to doing it again travelling in the opposite direction this time. From Santiago we will continue on to the beautiful coastal city of Valparaiso where we will complete our adventure.

Just another mid-day stop to replenish our energy with one litre cervezas.

Alta Vista vineyard with the Andes Mountains in the background.

Merlot grapes ready to be harvested

Old cellar at Vina el Cerno.

Preferred parking for our bicycles. I presume they consider us all handicapped drivers.

At Trapiche winery......this is the room we should have booked our month-long stay in.

The 'do not disturb' area at Lagarde winery. 'Henry' was their top of the line wine.

The grand finale at our 5 course meal with paired wines at Lagarde. The 'pig' was a napkin holder.

A peaceful protest downtown on Easter weekend.

Taken at the Wine Museum which was part of the Rutini winery. There were all sorts of cooperage tools hanging on the wall to the left of the barrels.

Reporting In

An update from Mendoza to let everyone know that all is well.

Once the Vendimia Festival ended we thought we might be able to get to bed a little earlier.....with nightly activities starting after 10 pm it led to some late nights. But it didn't quite work that way. Good friends from Calgary (Dave and Susan) rolled through the city for 4 days on their own South America trip. We got together every day (sometimes only in the evening due to daytime tours they had pre-booked), so with dinners at our place or out on the town, it was close to midnight when we shut things down after consuming lovely meals, local wines and good conversations. I'm sure it was harder on them though since they had to get up early a few mornings for their tours. We had a good time together and we hope the rest of their journey (Salta region, Iguazu Falls and Buenos Aires) goes as well as our previous visits to those places.

We played one game of golf at Golf Club Andina (established 1926). I had a great start to the 2016 season (par, birdie), but a soft finish. Rhonda had her usual early season rust (her description!). We decided to limit our golf to only one round as we weren't enamoured with the rental clubs -  and playing in the 32C temperatures.

Yesterday we finally completed our first trip to the Mendoza wineries, a much later visit than we had originally envisioned (2 weeks beyond our Mendoza arrival). We took local transportation (commuter train and bus) to Maipu, the site of the original wineries and had two excellent visits. The first was a short bus ride to Carinae (small and personal, owned by a French couple who came to Mendoza for a visit and stayed). Then we walked a further 3 km's along the road to get to Casa El Enemigo, our primary destination, and it was well worth the extra steps. Arriving without a reservation (recommended for the higher end wineries down here), we were treated very well and they created a table space for us in their crowded outdoor dining room to enjoy a delicious 5 course lunch with a wine tasting at our table that included 6 different wines. To top it off, their renowned winemaker (Alejandro Vigil, formerly from Catena Zapata) dropped by to welcome us and spend a few minutes answering any questions we had. His wines were wonderful, and I seem to have recovered my love for red wines during this trip, so I was able to join Pocahontas in enjoying the fruit of their vines. We are already looking forward to the 3 or 4 additional day-long wine trips that we will make during the next 10 days.

Tonight we will receive another treat......our oldest daughter Rachel, now living in Switzerland, is arriving for a 2 week visit to help us finish off our South America - Antarctica adventure.

Escalada de San Martin - the proper way to build a sidewalk.

A former bank building still in use. It was beautifully designed to be inset from the street corner allowing for a courtyard in front.

Plaza Espana, a lovely park near the city centre. There is colourful tile work through out the plaza commemorating the Spanish influence (including the Columbus discovery of the Americas).

After dinner one night with our good friends Dave and Susan......with the writing on the wall indicating all will be good when we eventually age.

The monument at the top of Cerro de la Gloria in the 900 acre San Martin Park which we walked all the way around one day with Dave and Susan.

During the walk up to the monument (above picture) we had a good view of the 22,000 seat amphitheatre where the main event was held during the Grape Harvest Festival (Vendimia) the previous week.

Our first course (cheese and prosciuto) during a delicious lunch at Casa El Enemigo in Maipu. The meal started with a chardonnay, followed by malbecs and malbec blends

Some leftovers from a group that were moving on to another winery. It seemed a shame that such great tasting wine would be wasted but apparently they were Canadian wine distributors and needed to retain their senses for their next visit......if only they had invited us to join their table before leaving :-(

The Journey is the Reward (ancient Chinese proverb)

The main target of this trip was travelling to Antarctica, which would be our 7^th continent since retirement. But as we have learned in our worldwide adventures, it is not so much about the destination but rather the journey. The unexpected experiences that occur along the way (mostly good), the friendly people that you meet and the knowledge you gain about other cultures and regions, leaves everlasting memories. Our travels south through Patagonia and the Salta region were an excellent example and now more good fortune is falling our way in Mendoza.

It wasn’t part of the initial plan but we arrived in Mendoza just as the annual week-long Grape Harvest Festival (Vendimia) was getting underway, one of the largest wine festivals in the world. In an area where Malbecs made Mendoza one of the top wine regions in the world this is truly a time to celebrate and they have a lot of fun with it. One evening we walked to Plaza Italia where the square was filled with Mendecinos listening to live music and the surrounding streets were closed to traffic allowing for food and drink stalls to satisfy the evening appetites of the revelers with lots of wine flowing. The next evening we took in a parade that didn’t reach our end of the city until 11 pm. It featured 18 ladies on decorated floats (nominated by every community within the Mendoza province) hoping to become the Festival Queen. The following morning the parade started up again but in addition to the wannabe Queens, who along with their princesses were tossing fruit (usually grapes) to the crowd as the parade moved along, there were gauchos (cowboys) on their horses (hoofprints rivaling the Stampede numbers), marching bands and native dance groups. It was fun to see especially watching the young people use fruit capture baskets at the end of long poles reaching up to the floats to easily collect their rewards. Saturday night’s main event, The Central Act, was held at the large amphitheatre in Parque San Martin (seating 22,000 patrons), and beyond selecting the Festival Queen there was a choreographed music and dance show with hundreds of performers paying homage to Mendoza’s history and wine cultivation. The show was sold out months ago but fortunately for us it was shown on national TV so we were able to watch the 10 pm start in the comfort of our living room. We both fell asleep though before the crowning of the Queen and the massive fireworks display which both took place after midnight………we have obviously not yet adjusted to the late night Argentinian way of life where even the restaurants do not open for business until 8 or 9 pm. The whole week was a wonderful re-introduction to the beautiful city of Mendoza for us and we will continue to ride the wave.

Our Mendoza apartment......tiny but with everything we need.

Plaza Italia.....a lovely setting for for music and street food.

The Grape Harvest Festival (Vendimia) Queen's Parade

The princesses would have been waving like this for over 2 hours while the rest of us would have been sipping on wine. Where would you rather be?

Leading off the Saturday morning parade with the Virgin of Carrodilla, the patron saint of Mendoza's vineyards.

A princess in her own right, with hopes to be a queen some day.

Native dancers, still fresh at the beginning of the parade where we were.

The district Queen and her princesses doling our fruit to the masses. Note the homemade pole baskets which were very effective in obtaining more than their fair share of the treats.

Our haul from the parade standing near the back row. The raisins came with an attached photo of the La Paz queen hoping to source some extra votes. We also caught a clump of grapes but they were consumed at the parade.

Mountain Eye Candy

It would be near impossible to top our Antarctica adventure but we had an impressive follow-up in the Salta region where we started our NW Argentina travels. It was Sunday in the city of Salta, and after taking a quick nap following our overnight flight from Ushuaia (via Buenos Aires), we walked around the town centre area. It seemed like a ghost town with everything closed and no traffic on the streets. On Monday everyone woke up. The streets were quite crowded, the shops were all busy and there were line-ups for buses that seemed to come along every 30 seconds on the streets we walked. It was a remarkable turnaround and we remembered why we came here. Perhaps it was just siesta time on Sunday, or maybe it was a reminder of what Sunday should be……..everyone relaxing at home with family including all the retail workers. Our highlights included visits to the Archeology Museum (Inca relics and mummies from the 1400’s), the beautiful churches and the many city parks that adorned this old city (established in 1582) From there we rented a car to spend a week touring the surrounding 300 km area. The regional buses did not get to all the places we were interested in so we felt this was our best option of covering the region in a week.

Our first stop was in Humahuaca, 245 km’s north of Salta. We arrived just in time for the noon hour Clock Tower chime when San Francisco Solano emerges from a wooden door on the tower (as he always has for many years) to bless his followers and then slip back into a coma for 24 hours. After lunch we drove a bit further to Seranias del Hornacal (one hour for 24 km’s) up to 4300 metres above sea level for an amazing view of surrounding mountains with a “14 colour” landscape. We sat there for half an hour and enjoyed the vistas. Then we drove south to Uquia where there was a 17^th century church featuring paintings by Inca descendants (Spanish enforced) of Spanish warriers bearing both weapons and wings depicting angels, somewhat strange to see inside a church. The next day in Tilcara we walked around some pre-Inca ruins (1000-1400 AD) then on to Purmamarca with its 7 coloured hills, still impressive because we drove into and around the colourful rock formations this time. Continuing south through the scenic Quebrada (ravine) de Humahuaca, we drove along some narrow mountain roads with more great views. Besides dodging the odd car that came our way, our driver (Pocahontas) also had to contend with roaming cows, horses, pigs, goats and chickens that we encountered. We spent the night in San Lorenzo, just outside Salta, apparently where the well-to-do families live, as the homes were large and lovely, as was our hosteria.

The next day we started our drive to the area south of Salta. Our 3 hour route to Cachi took us through narrow, gravel roads carved into the side of lush mountains that would have been insurmountable during rainstorms due to constant mudslides or falling rock impediments. Many large graders were parked along the way waiting for their next assignment. After lunch in Cachi we continued our drive through the Calchaquies Valley on our way to Cafayate. While the views were spectacular, especially around Angastaco, where there were picturesque sandstone landforms, the 160 km drive ended up taking us 5 hours to traverse. Some of the time was taken up by picture taking, but more by the winding gravel road that limited your speed…..and eventually took its toll on one of our tires which went flat in the middle of nowhere. The navigator, lazily enjoying the scenery up to this point, was then forced into action to replace the rogue tire and 30 minutes later we were on our way again. Once in Cafayate, we checked into our hostel, had a quick take-out meal (the area is famous for their empanadas) and crashed for the night. We then spent two days in Cafayate, enjoying the laid back atmosphere and emerging wine district (primarily for its Torrontes wines but also for Malbecs). Several winery visits were made. The best by far was to the Piattelli winery, which I already knew about with its several Top 100 Wine Spectator awards. The tour and wine tastings were both good, as expected, but the lunch we had there was even better, with an outdoor table overlooking the vineyard and surrounding mountains. It was the best meal we have had yet in South America.

Tomorrow we are heading further south to Tafi del Valle where this week-end they are holding their 47^th Annual Cheese Festival. We waited too long to secure a room for the night so we are staying in a cabin in a small town 40 km’s away but it won’t be a problem since we have a rental car and the town is along our route. The following day we will visit the Quilmes ruins dating back to the 8^th century before starting our journey further north to Salta where we will return our rental car and then take an overnight bus to Mendoza where you will hear from us next. Ciao.

The Hills of 14 Colours in Humahuaca. We sat down and gazed at the views for 30 minutes.

On the drive back to Humahuaca we came across a small pack of guanacos including a young one finding nourishment.

Another lovely view from the ruins near Tilcara.

Taken at Purmamarca. Quite a change in scenery (and clothing) from the black and white landscapes of Antarctica and the colours found in the Salta province.

Looking back at the road we travelled on our way to Cachi.

Some of the sandstone landforms on our Calchaquie Valley road.

Veronica, our Piattelli vineyard guide.

The view from our patio lunch at the Piattelli winery.

A Birthday to Remember

I may run out of superlatives describing our Antarctica expedition…..it was that good. As an added blessing we set foot on the White Continent for the first time on my birthday, which was a surprise since we were not supposed to reach land until the next day. Here is a day by day summary of our latest adventure.

Day 1 – we boarded the MS Expedition at 4 pm and after checking into our cabin and unpacking our backpacks, the passengers were all given the compulsory safety presentation in the Lounge. We left port as soon as that session was completed with a warning to expect rough seas as we entered the Drake Passage (from the Beagle Channel) later that night. It was indeed a tough start as the swells reached 8-9 metres (30 feet).

Day 2 – today was not much better and the Drake takes two full days to cross so it was a day everyone was hoping would pass quickly. Many of the 130 passengers remained in their rooms all day feeling the effects. Several doses of gravol helped us survive. At our briefing during the day the expedition leader (Jonathan) showed us radar images from the previous night where a severe storm had engulfed the area. Credit to our Captain for getting us out quickly and changing course to stay just ahead of the storm which still had an effect on us. Another ship departing after us never made it out of the Beagle Channel which cost them a full day in Antarctica. During the day several informative talks were held including sessions on penguins, photography (in bright light), as well as a talk on zodiac procedures (our transfer to the mainland). All well done by different staff members who knew their stuff well. We were pleased with the quality and variation of the dining menu which will keep us sufficiently suffonsified for the next 10 days.

Day 3 – it was a much calmer day and we were given the wonderful news that due to the storm winds pushing us and shortening our travel time, we would be reaching the South Shetland Islands shortly after lunch and that we would be able to take zodiac trips to Penguin Island. Once there we were greeted by a large colony of chinstrap penguins (named for the thin white line that runs from ear to ear across their throat) along with fur seals, and we hiked up to a dormant volcano which offered tremendous 360 degree views of the island and surrounding area. Just before dinner the Captain (Sergey Nesterov) held a cocktail party in the lounge where champagne and appetizers were served. We then took a bottle of pre-purchased champagne to the dining room to celebrate our Antarctic conquest. After our main meal (we chose salmon over lamb), the serving staff presented me with a chocolate birthday cake, “Happy Birthday”, and a bottle of prosecco which somehow all got consumed with the help of another couple from the UK that we were dining with. Rhonda had not set this up……they must have taken the information from our registration forms. We were off to a flying start!

Day 4 – this morning we awoke at Half Moon Island on an overcast day with strong winds. Our shore trip revealed more chinstraps, giant petrels (a menace for the penguin chicks) and fur seals. On our return to the ship our zodiac detoured along the shore and around some icebergs. After the lunch the captain masterfully steered the ship in high winds and snow through Neptunes Bellows, a narrow opening into Whalers Bay on Deception Island. Unfortunately the 50 knot winds were too strong for the ship and it’s dragging anchor, postponing another zodiac landing and the polar plunge, so we continued on our southward journey instead.

Day 5 – we woke up to a glorious morning, total blue sky and 1C. We were now in Neko Harbour on the Antarctic Peninsula where whaling boats used to anchor in poor weather. On shore we were introduced to Gentoo penguins, who have a white triangular patch above their eyes, and crabeater seals (who don’t eat crabs). Our zodiac also took us around a huge iceberg measuring 300 metres in length and 30 metres high. A short hike up a hill offered some great views of the floating icebergs on a sunny day. In the afternoon we moved on to Cuverville Island where there was a large colony of gentoos (5,000 pairs) with their one month old chicks who were starting to shed their down feathers. On our trip back to the ship our pilot steered us to a large leopard seal, relaxing on an ice flow. That evening we had a BBQ dinner on the bow deck and the 60 passengers who signed up for camping in sub-zero temperatures set out for Damoy Point (near Port Lockroy) to set up their tents and shiver all night long.

Day 6 – after collecting the campers in the morning our ship resumed its southern journey on an overcast day. Before long we entered the very narrow and scenic Lemaire Channel (11 km’s long). On the ship’s previous journey the channel was frozen near the exit and they had to turn back. This time our captain was successful but it still took a lot of iceberg and ice flow dodging. Most of the passengers were out on deck watching the excitement and we spotted a Minke whale along the way. We used the sauna for the first time to take the chill out of our bodies from being outside for so long. In the afternoon we arrived at Petermann Island for another zodiac trip. On shore we spotted Gentoo and Adelie (white ring around the eye) penguins, crabeater, elephant and weddell seals, and many skua’s (sea birds) who seemed to be feasting on the young chicks (nature’s way). A short hike took us to the other side of the island for some wonderful views of many large icebergs.

Day 7 – our regular wake-up call came at 6:30 am and before breakfast everyone was dressed and on the deck for the crossing of the Antarctic Circle. With mimosas in hand, the ship’s bell rang and we all took pictures of the imaginary line at 66.33 degrees south on Valentine’s Day morning. We then travelled south through Crystal Sound to Detaille Island. Later that morning, on the island we received a tour of a 1950’s abandoned survey station that has been left untouched with some of their supplies, books, clothing and tools still where they left them over 50 years ago. Our zodiac cruise there and back to the ship went through a minefield of icebergs and ice flows……it was iceberg heaven with some incredible shapes and sights including large arches. In the afternoon we headed further south through what seemed like more ice than water. The captain apparently knew what he was doing, as we made our way down to the “fast” ice…….where the ice shelf is permanently attached to the land. The zodiacs took us to the fast ice and we walked on it for over a kilometre with seals lazing around closer to the water’s edge. It was reminiscent of being on the salt flats where it is white all the way to the horizon and you can have fun with your camera.

Day 8 – we started our journey back north overnight, ensuring the ship would not get stuck in the frozen waters. We dropped anchor at the Yalour Islands where on shore we came across Antarctic terns and colonies of cute adelie penguins. Some of the adults were molting and the young chicks were chasing their moms around the snow hoping to get fed. It was quite entertaining to watch. When we were finished walking around one of the islands we took a zodiac cruise amongst the islands and saw some incredibly shaped icebergs, many of the smaller ones hosting crabeater seals. After lunch we made a double landing, first at Pleaneau Island and then Port Charcot. Both offered snow hikes to viewpoints of the surrounding ice flows and colonies of Gentoo penguins. The weather continues to favour us with slightly above zero temperatures, very little wind and smooth water for easy zodiac transfers to land.

Day 9 – we woke up this morning in Port Lockroy, our first stop in a place currently inhabited by humans. Four Brits spend the summer here (4 months) running the Post Office, Museum and doing restoration work on the former British base that was abandoned in 1962. They seemed happy to have visitors which happens a few times a week. The souvenirs, postcards and stamps they sell help fund the work that they are undertaking. Over 80,000 postcards are mailed from here every year. Once added to the mailbox, they await a passing ship that is headed to the Falkland Islands in the near future, where they are then transferred to a British military plane for a ride back to England at which point they enter the public mail system for delivery around the world. It will be interesting to see how long our postcard takes to arrive. While at the port and across the bay to Jougla Point we saw more Gentoo penguins, blue-eyed shags, snowy sheathbills and whale bones left over at the former whaling station (1911 – 1931). Before leaving the island I managed to find a geocache, one of 20+ I have been searching for in Antarctica with every landing we make. After spotting some humpback whales during our lunch journey further north, we took a zodiac cruise around the Melchior Islands. There were many fur seals on land and small icebergs, Gentoo penguins swimming like dolphins, petrels flying overhead and some absolutely beautiful blue coloured icebergs floating along the way. Everyone was asked to wear black and white attire to dinner, and there was a penguin dress-up contest after. I represented our family as a chinstrap penguin. Later that evening in the Polar Bear Bar we listened to the Monkey Eating Eagles, a band consisting of the ship’s dining room staff. Our drinks were served with perfectly clear ice gathered from the seas. It takes over 1000 years of pressure to make the ice that clear.

Day 10 – due to our storm-assisted quick start to our trip we were advised last evening that the ship would continue northward bound through the night to give everyone an opportunity to experience the Weddell Sea on the east side of the Antarctic Peninsula. This area was not on our original route and was a special bonus for our final day of land trips. When we woke up we were in Antarctic Sound with huge tabular icebergs floating around us (tabulars are flat on top and can cover 30 sq. miles - ones over 10 sq. miles are tracked by satellites). They had broken off from the massive ice shelf further south in the Weddell Sea and the wind and current were moving them northward. Our first stop was at Brown Bluff, named after a sheer cliff face on the side of a small mountain. We hiked part way up for some amazing views, then returned to the shoreline where large groups of both gentoo and adelie penguins were preparing to leave their rookeries and head out to sea. Unfortunately for some of the younger ones, leopard seals were also awaiting their departure from land. To brighten everyone’s spirits, the long awaited polar plunge took place at the shoreline. Over 30 passengers (25%) made their way into the icy water where they had to submerge in water up to their necks to qualify for their certificate award. We passed on the opportunity in the 0C water (salt water freezes at -1.8C). After lunch the ship headed back north, with a stop at Gourdin Island in Hope Bay where we made our final shore excursion. This stop turned out to be the highlight of our trip. Not only did we see gentoo, adelie and chinstrap penguins aplenty along the shoreline and all the way up to the top of hills (27,000 on the small island) but we also got to experience some amazing scenes when we did a zodiac cruise. It started with a leopard seal grabbing a penguin and crushing it with its’ powerful jaws. Then it thrashed it back and forth in the water until it separated the skin from the meat and devoured the meal. A bit sad to see but all part of mother nature. Shortly after that we came across a pod of humpback whales, including 3 that came within 10 metres of our zodiac. At one point they were coming directly for us and split up going by us on both sides of our small rubber floatation device. It was a magical ending to our time in Antarctica.

Day 11-12 – we made our return trip across the Drake Passage on smoother water (4-5 metre swells) so it was a bit more comfortable trip this time.

Overall it was a fantastic trip with memories that will last a lifetime. Every day, was unknown as it is all weather dependent. The ship’s crew, staff and expedition guides were all knowledgeable and performed their roles well. And the wildlife, scenery and weather all worked in our favour. Every day seemed to be better than the previous one so our expectations were definitely exceeded. The expedition leader claimed it was the first time ever in reaching all of the points we reached during the 2,270 nautical miles that we covered. The magnitude of everything we experienced will take time to absorb but we will be smiling for the foreseeable future.

Our easiest zodiac landing - no wind or waves, shallow shore line.

A gentoo penguin feeding her chick.....which she does by regurgitating her previous meal.

A gentoo colony. Lots of molting going on, with plenty of icebergs in the background.

Every iceberg was unique and often more blue showing than our camera captured.

An adelie mom being chased by her chicks. They want food from her and she makes them work for it to build up their stamina. Lots of fun to watch.

A gentoo mom protecting her chick from the skuas and petrels. Their nests are made of small rocks because there are no trees / branches available.

A large leopard seal relaxing on an ice flow after a penguin meal. They are the only seal that the penguins need to avoid at all costs when in the water.

Two different humpback whales....one diving with it's fluke still visible and the other in front of our zodiac. They got even closer (less than 10 metres) shortly after this shot was taken.

Hiking up a slope for a lovely view.