WE HAVE ARRIVED! Time to explore a tiny piece of our last continent, the polar dessert called Antarctica, and see what all the fuss is about.

This land of extremes, almost totally covered in ice, is divided into two pieces: East Antarctica, home to the South Pole, and West Antarctica. They are separated by the Transarctic Mountains with the East being in the Eastern Hemisphere and the West being in the Western Hemisphere. The East makes up about two-thirds of the continent and in general has a more punishing climate. We have spent our time in the northwest corner of the West exploring the Antarctic Peninsula where the climate is as favorable as it gets down here.

Our days were organized around getting all of us on the water or to shore. Lectures and documentaries to augment what we were seeing were offered in the evenings. I’m a bit more of a sucker for these kinds of things than Dan, so I attended as many as possible. Lectures were offered on the history of penguin research (early 1900s); whales and how to tell them apart; birds that scavenge for penguin chicks and eggs; and krill, the keystone species in these waters. The documentaries ranged from animals that have adapted to thrive in snow to sea life in Antarctica to the fragility of this continent’s eco system to the difficulties faced by the research stations down here.

The weather, no surprise, is quite moody and fickle, so depending on the wind, ice, and the choppiness of the water at each stop we got to either go ashore or take a zodiac ride along the coast. Sun, fog, wind, snow, calm seas, and rough seas changed constantly, so outings were postponed, cancelled, and resumed from hour to hour. Besides zodiac adventures Dan and I also had three opportunities to ride in one of two special operations boats which sit higher in the water and go farther from shore.

We made five stops in and around the Antarctica Peninsula: Fort Point, Yankee Harbor, Mikkelson Harbor, Wilhelmina Bay, and Recess Cove. Viking staff provided walking sticks when stability might be an issue. All landings were wet meaning we stepped off the zodiac into ankle-deep water. Thank you Viking for the use of waterproof boots!

The views were majestic, breathtaking, and otherworldly. Glacier after glacier meeting the ocean at water’s edge. Up close they look like walls of beautifully sculpted ice. Bald mountain tops and those smothered with snow and ice form the backdrop for everything. Sun on the snow and water sparkled and cloudy weather offered shadows and lots of contrast. There were icebergs galore, large and small; specialized sea birds scanning the water for a meal; porpoising penguins, so charming … and fast; birds scouting out rookeries looking for the opportunity to swoop down, scoop up an egg, and fly away. One morning I woke to see a lone penguin standing on an ice flow right below my window. I almost expected him to wave. Snowy white sheathbills, a migrating bird that flies down nonstop from up North, blended in beautifully with the snow given away only by their black beaks and feet. Spectacular.

Going ashore is our favorite. We had the chance to visit two Gentoo penguin rookeries and see up close their nests made of rocks. The little guys walked Charlie Chaplin style feet away from us and seemed unconcerned by our presence. Some were lying belly down on snow or patches of rock while others sat on this year’s egg(s) and others goofed off near the water’s edge.

One stop we trailed one another up a snowy path to the top where we had a view of a rookery and the surrounded-by-glaciers harbor. There is a small refuge building on the island, whale bones, and a water boat used by whalers once sunk but later washed ashore where it has sat in this dry cold for close to 100 years.

My birthday brought one surprise after the next. I was up early and enjoyed the solitude of the ship and views of playful penguins congregating on huge slabs of sea ice and then abandoning them only to pop back up out of the water again and again and again. It’s impossible to get too much of this kind of cute. The sea ice near shore was intact, so the captain decided to attempt to drive the ship into the ice so that we could walk directly off the ship and onto the ice. I had no idea that was a thing. He tried two times, but the ice was too soft resulting in too many cracks, so he went to plan B which was to take us to the sea ice by zodiac. The expedition team went first to tap down a trail (by using snow shoes) on the snow covered ice. Tiny snowflakes that dissolved once they hit our jackets were mixed with sun, fog, and overcast skies. The water was as still as glass with only a soft breeze. Ideal weather. Although we’ve seen a few blows letting us know whales are in the area we had yet to see any actual whales until this afternoon and at dinner when one swam right by the window. The dining room is at water level, so it was a thrill to look up and see the huge black back humping out of the water. Speaking of dinner, Dan arranged for a table for six and asked two couples we’ve met onboard to join us. I couldn’t have asked for a nicer day.

Today is our last before heading back to South America, and it was glorious! The treat was actually putting our feet on the continent of Antarctica. (Up to now the stops near here are part of the South Shetland Islands. Really.) The staff went ashore and hacked steps into the snow and ice and then made a trail for us to follow. Flags were placed along the trail for our picture taking pleasure. One indicated the year, one had the map of Antarctica, one had ‘Our 7th Continent’, and one said ‘I was Here.’ We took picture at all of them. Getting to shore on the zodiacs was like riding though a sculpture garden with iceberg after iceberg all uniquely shaped by wind, sun, and water. The sun came out after lunch and stayed with us until sunset, the longest it’s hung around. Dan’s and my last adventure of the trip was taking a special operations boat ride. What did we run into but humpback whales! For the most part they swam near the surface in pairs and looked like little black submarines coming up for air. They dove and gave us glimpses of their huge backs and gorgeous tails. The big thrill was when one swam right at the boat and surfaced within inches of my side of the boat.

Around dinner time we started our return to South America. The sail-away was the best so far with gorgeous views of icebergs, sea ice, mountains blanketed in white, and calm milky aqua water. Around 10:00 the captain came on to announce that we were going to do a 180 and pursue a small pod of orcas. We did just that and had fun watching five whales for half an hour. What better way to cap off these last four days.

Sunrise: 2:40. Partly sunny and breezy. Sunset: 11:30.

From the captain:
What should you expect to pay for a good sleigh?
Answer: Nothing, it’s on the house.

… Fun Facts …

The average thickness of the ice blanketing Antarctica is 1.2 miles!

The lowest temperature ever recorded on planet Earth is -128.6 F
and it was recorded in the frozen wilderness of East Antarctica.

West Antarctica is one of the most rapidly warming areas in the world.

Seventeen major expeditions were launched from 10 countries during what it called The Heroic Age of Antarctica Exploration which started at the end of the 19th century and ended in 1917.

There is no government in Antarctica.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! Before 10:30 I had watched the launch of a weather balloon, decorated cookies, attended a presentation on three species of whales, and stood in awe in front of the world’s largest iceberg, A23a. It’s the size of Rhode Island and flat on top with edges beautifully sculpted by wind and water. We cruised by very slowly which made it seem like we were sailing along a cliff for about an hour and a half.

Viking spared no effort in laying on a festive day: Christmas music, a pre-lunch spread of treats, eggnog, and hot toddies; a tour of the hanger where the submarines, kayaks, zodiacs, and special operations boats are garaged; a tour of the science lab where data is collected and analyzed; a mini-presentation on kelp; and a fabulous dinner.

Australians had the opportunity to enjoy our company at dinner tonight. Dan had a traditional meal centered on turkey, and I opted for a starter of pate and Cornish hen in a puff pastry, salad, and seared shrimp and scallops on little pearl pasta. Yum!

The crew and staff as well as a small choir of our fellow passengers capped off the day with a show in the auditorium. It was very well received by a standing room only crowd. Amateur hour at its festive finest.

Today we woke to fog, wind, mist, and seas a little more aggressive than on previous days. With anticipated landings in the South Shetland Islands we all had to do bio-security on the outerwear we wore on South Georgia. Down we all traipsed with our boots, pants, coats, hats, scarves, and gloves. It’s not like we have a lot of other commitments, so everyone took it in good humor.

Activities outside the usual reading, relaxing, and eating included retrieving our passports and a lecture on the contribution of dogs to arctic science in the late 20th century. Icebergs seemed to pop up out of nowhere and are particularly beautiful against the aqua sea and the brooding sky. It took a half hour to get past one that surprised us at dinner.

Our big event this afternoon was to have been cruising around Elephant Island, one of the South Shetlands that lies about 150 miles north of the Antarctic Peninsula, our ultimate destination. It is most famous as the port in a storm that Shackleton and his crew managed to float to on ice flows after their ship Endurance was crushed by pack ice in 1916. It is barren, icy, and inhospitable with no vegetation and a reputation for horrendous storms. Last night a huge ice flow forced the captain to reroute us, so we had to bypass Elephant Island. Sad face. Safety first as Matt would say.

Sunrise was at 2:34. Seas were choppy all day with wind gusts up to 30 miles per hour with 9 to 10 foot swells. 36 degrees was our high. Sunset was at 9:40.

Our joke of the day from the captain:
What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire?
Answer: Frostbite.

… Antarctica trivia …

The sun does not set during the summer and does not rise all winter.

Plants are found on one percent of the continent.

Seventy permanent research stations situated around the continent are run by 29 different countries.
The oldest existing station was established in 1903.
These facilities are manned by 4,000 people during the summer and about 1,000 during the winter.

Ken Blaiklock holds the record for spending the most cumulative time here, 14 years. 

Eleven people have been born on the continent, the first in January 1979. 

Hard to grasp but the southern-most active volcano in the world, Mount Erebus, is here
as well as lava lakes which have held liquid magma for eons. 

More than 200 different bodies of water have been discovered beneath the ice. 

An expedition in 1911 led by Roald Amundsen, a Norwegian, was the first to reach the South Pole.

The dusty expanse of dirt known as the Dry Valleys are the driest places on earth,
so dry that snow and ice cannot accumulate.  

Antarctica is, on average, the windiest place on earth with speeds up to 200 miles per hour. 
Fingers crossed we do not have the privilege of first hand experience.

Up to four miles thick, the Antarctic Ice Sheet is the single biggest mass of ice in the world.
The continent as a whole contains about 90 percent of the planet’s freshwater ice
and around 70 percent of the total fresh water on earth!

Fossils tell us that millions of years ago Antarctica resembled a tropical forest
with huge trees, and lots of diverse wildlife.

How many hours can one sit by a window or on the deck with binoculars up against their face. We are about to find out? The stark scenery, mossy green hills, snowcapped peaks, and frisky animals napping, playing, and harassing one another on shore are irresistible.

Eight hundred miles east of the Falklands lies South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, SGSSI for short, also a British Overseas Territory. The largest island at 103 miles long and 22 miles wide is South Georgia, and the collection of smaller ones 430 miles southeast comprise the South Sandwich Islands. We are going to spend the day we lost in the Falklands in South Georgia as well as the three scheduled days.

Day one was spent anchored off Rose Bay. Between breakfast and when Dan and I were scheduled to have had our zodiac cruise (wind velocity cancelled all outings after lunch, including ours) I zoomed in on thousands of seals, some lounging with their pups on several beaches and lots more frolicking in and around the water. They all seemed to be enjoying the sunny morning. It was cute to watch the curious ones swim over to check out the zodiacs and kayakers. What I took for albatross were also fishing near the shore. A little group of penguins swam near the ship and lots of seals porpoised in and out of the water like little Sea World headliners.

Late in the day as I was headed to the shower the captain announced we were heading to tomorrow’s stop but would make a small detour to see one of the largest king penguin rookeries in the world. Those of us who missed our turn on the zodiac this morning were welcome to ‘come on down’ for a ride near the shore. Shower postponed; binoculars located; hat, coat, Deb’s scarf, and gloves back on; and out we went for a real National Geographic moment. These tall, dignified birds were on the mile-long beach, in the water, in the green plain beyond the beach, and way up on the hills beyond. The beach was smothered in penguins (60,000 to 100,000 breeding pairs) and elephant seals. Thanks to our Viking-provided binoculars we had up close and personal views of one of the visually stunning and ecologically significant area in the region.

Eventually we did move on and had to settle for (wink wink) views of glacier after glacier after glacier as well as a zillion small islands and a few small icebergs. Our dinner of salmon trout was fantastic; we shared a table with two members of a South Carolina wine club who are traveling together. It was time to think sleep after a sobering documentary on glacial ice melt around the world and the predicted consequences.

Day two was spent anchored at Grytviken, the location of a modern research complex used in the summer months and a whaling station from days gone by. The area is flat, sheltered, and has plenty of fresh water. No wonder it was the largest settlement on the island back in the day. South Georgia played a significant role in the whaling industry during the 20^th century when over 175,000 whales were harvested and processed in these waters. By 1920 several profitable stations were established on the island. Apart from a few preserved buildings the stations were abandoned and left to decay. This particular one hung on until 1966 when it was left to the elements as well as the wildlife. It’s home to a Norwegian Lutheran Church, the South Georgia Museum, a small gift shop, a post office, and the rusting remains of ships, buildings, and machinery. Off to one side of the site is a small cemetery with 64 graves including Ernest Shackleton’s and that of his priceless captain, Frank Wild.

There was too much pack ice near the zodiac landing spot this morning, so the captain went to plan B which was zodiac cruises near the shore instead. By noon, however, the wind had cleared the ice and the landings were back on. Whoop whoop.

First we had to put on all our waterproof outer wear: boots, dry pants, coat, life jacket. Then we lined up to have the soles of our boots inspected. This was followed by walking through a boot scrubbing machine. Finally we boarded the zodiac with our promise that we would not kneel, sit, eat, drink, set anything on the ground, or even touch the ground. Was it worth all this fuss when we could have just used our trusty binoculars to see so much from the ship? Oh yes! Seal families and penguins were lazing around everywhere just like they owned the place. The pups were curious about us and came in our direction, but we were told to back away and not encourage them. I assume the small groups of king penguins were adolescents too young to breed or no doubt they would be looking for mates in an established colony.

The water is a gorgeous milky aqua with a backdrop of barren, snowcapped mountains that look like those above timberline in other parts of the world. Serene and beautiful.

Once back on board we lined up two at a time to have the bottoms of our boots power washed with a hose before walking through the boot scrubber again.

We ate dinner with our new friends from Victoria Island and then watched a short documentary on weird, under-appreciated species that get few headlines but deserve some love and attention too.

Day three found us in Gothul, the site of a former offshore whaling station. The sun was out and breezes down, an ideal day for a zodiac cruise. Since we were not going ashore we skipped all the bio-security measures and just transferred to the zodiac. Our turn was at 3:00, so we had most of the day to read, relax, pretend we were going to workout, eat, chat, and nap. We spent an hour on the water watching penguins, seals and their pups, and nesting birds. Our guide pointed out a penguin colony on a ridge a formidable hike from the beach. The seals performed water stunts right by the zodiac; pups played with each other; and the penguins strolled around the beach deciding whether or not to go for a swim. The setting was beautiful: lots of tussock grass, a waterfall, and hills blanketed in wheat and moss colored vegetation.

At dinner we shared a table and swapped stories with a couple from Pittsburg. I had sable for the first time and it was delicious.

Christmas Eve: just happens to be the day Sweden celebrates Christmas. Who knew? Answer: the Swedes.

We had a quiet day In Royal Bay while we waited for our zodiac time slot. When the appointed hour came we rugged up and enjoyed an hour on semi-rough water looking at elephant seals and thousands of king penguins and their huge, chocolate brown, fuzzy chicks before moving on to macaroni penguins, each with a unruly yellow unibrow. The kings were on a long beach with a backdrop of flat land and the macaronies had chosen a rocky spot too crowded to be enticing to seals. A mystery to us is why some of them chose to hop on up the steep hill for the night.

Our free time was spent in the usual way with the addition of a presentation on Antarctica and two short presentations on why Norwegians introduced reindeer and later (2011) removed them from South Georgia and how sealers and whalers fought scurvy (citrus fruit, sauerkraut, raw seal meat, scurvy grass like I tasted in Port Stanley, and the internal organs of anything they could kill including rats).

Surf and turf for dinner on our own. By the time we sat down the captain had pointed us away from this remote, inhospitable island and pointed us in the direction of the Antarctic Peninsula, an even more remote and inhospitable location. At day’s end we returned to the room to find our steward had left us a Christmas card, two chocolate Santa suckers, and two homemade mini-panettone, a traditional Italian Christmas bread studded with candied fruit and raisins. While getting ready for bed we passed a string of small icebergs that we enjoyed from our window, a sign we were getting closer to the promised land.

To this day, South Georgia remains one of the least visited places on earth. What a treat to think we are among those lucky few to have the opportunity to do so.

Another joke from the captain:
What’s the best guess about what’s inside a wrapped present?
Answer: a gift.

Happy Christmas Eve everyone!

… Seriously? …

Whale oil was initially used for lighting and lubrication and later
as an ingredient in soap and margarine.
Yum?

There are NO permanent residents here.
Folks come and go as part of research, conservation, and administrative teams
not to mention enthusiastic adventure seekers like us.

At his wife’s request, Ernest Shackleton’s was buried here.
Remember him Matt?

The whaling industry collapsed here in the mid-1960s due to overexploitation
and technological advances like harpoon guns, steam powered catcher boats,
and factory ships capable of rendering blubber into oil on board.

We’ve been heading south for two days. Although the temperatures slowly crept down it didn’t seem like an abrupt change since we had sun both days and the wind was relatively mild. There were small whitecaps but nothing that required more than a bit of wobbly walking.

Last night we set our watches ahead an hour.

Filling our days at sea is pretty easy. After a quick glance at the daily program, we each choose what’s of interest and then fill in the gaps eating, reading, napping, attending mandatory activities, participating in lectures, watching documentaries, and keeping up with the folks back home via the very reliable Wi-Fi on board. In the last two days I have decorated a gingerbread house; enjoyed hours of staring at the ocean from the lounge in the very front of the ship; watched documentaries on snow animals and Antarctica; attended presentations on binoculars, cetaceans (whales, dolphins, porpoises), and penguins; and spotted my first whale blows and my first (small) iceberg.

New to me are what’s called lightening lectures. I’d liken them to TED Talks. Yesterday a UC of San Diego PhD candidate spoke about the research he is doing on how penguin poop fertilizes the water and provides food for the phytoplankton communities. Interestingly, Viking supports this project and provides lab space on its two polar expedition ships for scientific research. Today’s lightening lecture addressed the successful three-phase, $10 million program to eradicate rats on South Georgia Island, our next stop.

To keep invasives out of South Georgia our vessel was inspected by rat dogs before leaving the Falklands and all of the passengers onboard had to have the outer clothing they wore in the Falklands inspected by the bio-security team today.

We reserved dinner on a we’ll-sit-with-strangers basis. Tonight’s unsuspecting couple was from Maine, last night’s was from the LA area, and a couple nights ago we ate with a couple from Victoria Island. They all shared interesting tales of their international travels and make us look like travel rookies! Don’t ya know they enjoyed meeting us though?

From the captain:
What do you call an old snowman?
Answer: water.

... Our Vessel …

Guest capacity: 378
Crew: 256
Year built: 2022
Length: 665 feet
Designation: class 6 expedition ship
Two dining rooms: one French, one Italian
Four casual dining spots: a large buffet; a grill (burgers, dogs, steak, lobster);
sushi and seafood buffet; and a Norwegian grab-and-go.

Sheep outnumber people 200 to 1 and I dare say penguins outnumber sheep in this British Overseas Territory known as the Penguin Capitol of the World. It is 300 miles east of Argentina and comprised of West Falkland, East Falkland, and 776 smaller islands. The Falklands are self governing, but the United Kingdom takes responsibility for their defense and foreign affairs. About 3,700 hearty folk call these islands home, an eight percent increase from the last census. They are primarily native-born and of British descent, but foreign immigrants are on the increase. The official language is English, no surprise since Falkland Islanders are British citizens.

We were supposed to spend yesterday on West Point Island, one of the mini-Falklands off the northwest coast of West Falkland. The island was founded as a sheep farm in 1879. The founder’s great-nephew and his wife own the entire island now and oversee the farm today. Don’t ya know they hated to miss hosting us? Weather has been chasing us since yesterday afternoon, so we bypassed West Point Island and headed to tomorrow’s stop: Port Stanley, the capital and largest settlement. It is in East Falklands in more protected waters.

We dropped anchor at sunrise and enjoyed a cloudy, windy day. We were tendered to shore where we disinfected our shoes by stepping in a shallow tray of special solution. We were then free to explore by foot. Mostly wooden structures with colorful metal roofs make up the town which is clean as a whistle. Two things were of particular interest: a whalebone arch made up of two pairs of blue whale jaw bones and the huge mast from what was the largest ship in the world in 1843, the Great Britain, that plied these waters for 80 years! We visited two charming churches, lit a candle for Aunt Jerry, shopped for souvenirs, popped into a distillery, mailed a postcard to each of the grands, and browsed the aisles of a grocery store. The surprise at the grocery store were do-it-yourself dental repair kits for caps, crowns, and lost fillings. The locals were super friendly and helpful. We were two of some 60-70,000 tourists who make their way here each year, primarily during the Southern Hemisphere’s summer.

We joined a small group to explore Gypsy Cove, breeding ground for Magellanic penguins, one of five penguin species that call the islands home. They are referred to by the locals as jack asses because of the braying sound they make when coming in from feeding. Two adjoining beaches, one for breeding pairs and the other for those too young to breed, welcome them back each year. The industrious breeders walk/hop uphill quite a distance to dig burrows in the brush covering the hills. Their eggs hatch there where they are protected from the wind and weather. One parent babysits while the other goes out to sea to feed. We saw a few near their burrows and a few coming in from feeding. They did not seem bothered at all by our presence.

The youngsters on the other beach were way more plentiful and carefree with no responsibilities beyond eating their fill each day. We stayed to the designated path on the bluff, a precaution to keep the animals safe, the burrows undisturbed, and the landscape intact.

Our guide, a fourth generation islander, explained the unusual plants we passed and shared how whalers and explorers used them in the past. I tasted the stem of one flower to find it’s flavor was somewhere between a lemon and a lime. It was used as a source of vitamin C. Berries from the diddle-dee are used today in jams. In fact we just finished the jar that Walter and Cleone brought us from their trip here a couple years ago.

This area is also known for its sea birds. We saw two kinds nesting on the sides of cliffs and on the tops of rocky towers. These must be time tested locations, but they looked awfully precarious to us.

Mid-afternoon we walked back through the shoe solution to get on the tender that took us back to the ship where we enjoyed a relaxing evening and light supper in one of the casual dining restaurants. No sooner were we on board than the captain announced we’d be leaving as soon as everyone was accounted for. Seems the weather we dodged was on our tail again. We were told to expect rough seas most of the night and winds up to 55 miles per hour, normal for this part of the world.

The captain ended the day with what he calls a bad joke, a specialty of his apparently.
What is every parent’s favorite Christmas song?
Answer: Silent Night.

… Penguin News …

We read the local paper, Penguin News, cover to cover.
The front page had three stories and a large color photograph of the Infant Junior School’s production of Lights Camel Action! with a promise of more photos as we turned the pages. The three stories covered an unexploded ordinance suspected to be an anti-tank mine, transport charges for wool and animals from West Falkland, and the need to cancel the Loligo (a member of the squid family) season.

Inside stories covered local sports, harbor water quality (not safe), wool sales, the court, the popularity of one particular local guide, church updates, a wreath laying to commemorate the Battle of the Falklands in 1914, Work Experience Week for year-10 students, the radio program and TV guide, and a comprehensive list of clubs, support groups, and churches.

The story about the 12-mile Three Peaks Challenge was of particular interest to me. Intrepid participants (runners, walkers, and teams) carry 44 pounds up and back down three mountains. There were 251 participants this year. A celebration with awards and food provided by the 2nd Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles capped off the event. It is sponsored by the Falkland Islands Defense Force.

Although we have been to Ushuaia, Argentina, one of five gateway cities for the Frozen Continent, once before, we never went the relatively short distance farther to explore it. We chose this trip on Viking’s expedition ship Octantis because of two interesting stops along the way: the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and the South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands.

Our trip began with a flight to Houston on the 14th. While in the air hunkered over a fun movie (Young Woman and the Sea) and a nice lunch a text dropped with news of a 13.5 hour delay on our connecting flight. United stepped up with a hotel and meal vouchers. We were in our hotel room in time for Dan to watch most of the Army Navy game. Phew! We are not those people who travel with spare clothes in their carry-on, so we had to make do with the few amenities the hotel had to offer because we were too lazy to make much of an effort to go very far afield.

Up on the 15th at 3:30 AM.
Shuttle to the airport at 4:30.
Flight took off at 8:00.
Flight time: nine hours.
Landed in Buenos Aires at 8:00 PM local time/6:00 PM at home.
Checked into the Hilton around 10:00.

Our hotel was ideally located on the river with a great view of the iconic Pink Palace, the president’s home. We would have loved an afternoon to stroll, per plan, and take in the beautiful city, but we were grateful to be this far.

Yesterday, the 16th (Happy Birthday Mother), was another full day.
Up at 4:00.
Breakfast at 5:00.
Transfer to the airport at 5:30.
A two-hour delay had our chartered flight to Ushuaia, the disputed southernmost city in the world, taking off at 10:00.
Flight time: three-and-a-half uneventful hours highlighted by a light lunch.

After two and a half days of travel we finally arrived at our jumping off spot. We had half of the afternoon free by the time we got all checked into our stateroom, so we strolled into town which was right next to the dock. We went in search of a Hard Rock t-shirt to add to our collection and then popped in and out of shops for the fun of it. Ushuaia is a bustling city of about 100,000 built on a wide bay in the shadow of the Martial Mountains. It reminded us a bit of hearty Alaskan towns and cities.

After a delicious dinner at the Italian restaurant on board we watched a 45-minute documentary on Ernest Shackleton, the Anglo-Irish Arctic explorer who made three trips to the region. He is famous in particular for his foolish decision to poo poo the advice of the locals and try to cross the continent from sea to sea via the South Pole in a particularly harsh summer. Disaster struck 100 miles from their starting point! Thanks to a brilliant captain, amazing good fortune, grit, teamwork, and sheer determination he and his 27-man crew returned home after a two-year battle against starvation, sub-zero conditions, and the constant threat of being swallowed by the brutal Southern Ocean. Lacking contact with land for 497 days, it was assumed that they had all perished. They had not, but the 69 sled dogs and one pet cat were not spared.

We were looking forward to today, our first sea day, before we left home knowing we could finally relax after all the travel and logistics involved in getting here. We were slightly mistaken in that there were a few mandatory activities: a briefing on Arctic protocols, fittings for our waterproof boots and wet pants, and contamination checks for all outer gear (hats, gloves, scarves) we brought from home and plan to wear when we venture off the ship. Throw in time to unpack and get organized in our specious room, a yummy casual lunch and French dinner, a smart phone photography presentation, and a bit of free time to relax in one of multiple public spaces and we had a nice day-one afloat. Seas went from calm to choppy with overcast skies and a breezy high of 46.

… Miscellaneous …

We are traveling north at 14.8 knots/17 MPH in the South Atlantic.

Ushuaia is pronounced Oo-soo-I-uh (emphasis on the i).

Puerto Williams, Chile insists it is actually the southernmost city in the world.

‘As the crow flies’ comes from the practice of releasing a crow when unsure of a ship’s position
in coastal waters. The crow could be counted on to fly straight toward the closest land.

Our focus today was pre-positioning ourselves back in the Peg for our flights home tomorrow. But first we had a chance to see a few remaining things in town that did not involve the main drag or dogs.

Churchill’s famous Murals were high on the list of things left to see. Concept: Bring together an international team of eighteen recognized public artists from nine countries, three professional photographers, one film maker, and one documentarian. Call the project Seawalls Churchill. Spend a year planning and coordinating. Glitch: Three weeks before the festival, the rail line washed out making it impossible to bring up needed equipment including four lifts, 700 sets of scaffolding, rollers, paint brushes, ladders, buckets and 500 cans of spray paint. Happy ending: Rather than scrap the whole thing the residents of Churchill saved the day by matching the artists’ willingness to proceed with their own willingness to donate equipment, share supplies, and volunteer endless hours. For 10 days in June of 2017 a project originally focused on ocean health ended up reflecting the characteristic resilience, generosity, and determination of a small Northern community. Sounds like a home run to me. The murals, each unique, are scattered around town. Most are on buildings but we saw one on a shipping container, one on an airplane, and another on a helicopter.

We stopped at a monument in memory of Thanadelthur, the Dene woman credited with the founding of Churchill. We drove to Cape Merry but were not allowed off the bus, because a bear was napping behind the main building. We took advantage of the huge inukshuk on the bay just perfect for pictures and saw a crashed airplane known as Miss Piggy. Our morning ended with a fun presentation by a transplant of 20 years, Claude, who talked about the challenges, tradeoffs, and benefits of living this far north. He came as a meat cutter for HBC but now has a few part-time gigs including one at the airport because it comes with flight benefits as well as a certain poundage of freight each month.

A quick buffet lunch and we were off to catch our chartered plane. On the way to the airport we stopped to see the detention center more commonly referred to as bear jail. Capacity: 27. The former military Quonset hut has a gorgeous sleeping bear mural covering the whole front. We were not allowed in because we’d stress the three inmates, but we saw the bear traps used to capture the offenders, mostly juveniles that refuse to be run out of town. These bears are relocated further north if it’s early in the season and left in jail until the bay freezes if it is late in the season. Rarely do they stay incarcerated for longer than a month. The bears are given water but no food since they are fasting this time of year anyway.

We left Churchill in the snow and landed in Winterpeg in the rain. We transferred to the Fort Gerry Hotel where we relinquished our boots and coats, retrieved our suitcases, and cleaned up for a fabulous farewell dinner and slideshow made up of pictures of our trip.

Oh my gosh, we could not have asked for a better adventure. Fabulous guides who have talked us through everything from the coveted Northwest Passage to famous explorers to insects to the effect of climate change on caribou. The weather has been ideal for us humans with flurries and a couple inches of snow, but unseasonably warm for the bears. Usually male bears come off the tundra and head onto the ice before the females and their cubs arrive. So far there’s no appreciable ice, so this year, lucky us, all the bears have arrived with the females keeping their distance from the oft-times aggressive males. This has been a boon for us to see so many males, females, and cubs.

The last of our daily birthday gifts and cards was doled out to Cleone this morning and we have worn out all the plays on words with bear (unbearable, bear-ly, thank you bear-y much, bearbones, bear minimum …) so all we have left to do is empty our duffels into our suitcases and get a good night’s sleep for our flight home tomorrow. We are told to expect quite a few Swifties headed to Toronto for the Taylor Swift concert.

Thank you, Cleone, for planning a perfect 80th.

What do you call a bear with no teeth? A gummy bear! Who knew?

OK, OK, back to business.

Hearty people have made this area home for thousands of years. These enterprising groups established age-old trading networks and had invaluable knowledge of the land which was later leveraged to the benefit of fur traders and trappers and later the movement of European goods and technology. By the 18th century HBC had established Fort Churchill. Soon after it became a port city with a railway connection. In fact it is Canada’s only deep water Arctic port. Quite an interesting history for a spot on the map this far north.

We had a FULL, fun day. The bear squad saw no sign of bears in town, so after breakfast we were turned loose to explore the few blocks that comprise downtown. We started with the gift and craft shops where I chose a mini-inukshuk and a framed, tufted thistle. The stem is made of moose hair and the thistle is made of dyed caribou hair. I have never heard of tufting, so it was fun to learn about this craft. The grocery store, always a favorite with Dan, was interesting in that it has a section for liquor, toys, T-shirts, groceries, and snow mobiles. The prices are eye popping. One lime is 2 CAD; a pack of three heads of romaine is 12 CAD! With no roads in or out, everything has to arrive by plane or train making things like produce sky high and not always irresistibly fresh. We enjoyed touring the small but very impressive Itsanitaq Museum and hearing from the curator how she acquired individual pieces.

A quick (and delicious) bison burger lunch and then we were on our way to visit Wapusk Adventures, a dog kennel owned and run by a fourth generation Métis musher, David Daley and his wife. He explained his operation, introduced his son, a fifth generation Métis musher, and then took us each on a mile-long ride through the Boreal forest around his property. He calls these rides the Ididamile (get it?).

Before dinner we managed to squeeze in a very interesting lecture by Florence, the daughter of a Sayisi Dene woman who was forced to leave home as a child and attend one of the many church-run Indian schools. Being away from home most of the year her mother did not learn the ways of her people and therefore could not teach her children. Florence shared her journey from total ignorance of Sayisi Dene ways to becoming an advocate for teaching today’s youth.

One elk meatloaf dinner later and we were off to the nicest community center I’ve ever seen. With 220,000 square feet at the town’s disposal it was no problem to include a library, basketball court, ice rink, playground, swimming pool, auditorium, and who knows what else. We were there for a local variety show put on just for us. It started with a land acknowledgement which was followed by three songs played by five girls on a large traditional drum, an enthusiastic children’s choir, and then the headliner, an Australian singer songwriter who now calls Churchill home.

We climbed into our undersized beds after our wonderful day.

… Odds and Ends …

The boreal forest is a wide area of evergreens that circles the Northern Hemisphere.
Being able to withstand frigid temperatures year-round is its superpower. 
Canada’s boreal forest …drum roll please… is the world’s largest intact forest ecosystem,
even larger than the Amazon rain forest.

Tundra, dry like a desert, is the coldest biome.
It can support minimal tree growth due to extreme weather and its foundation of permafrost.
Low-growing plants thrive however.

A land acknowledgment honors the original inhabitants of the land where an event is taking place.

Duffle bags out at 6:00.
Breakfast from 6:30-7:45.
Transfer to the airport at 8:00.
Private chartered flight to Churchill 9:00-11:30.
(The bus drove right onto the tarmac and dropped us at the ramp of the plane like we were B. Springsteen groupies on the move!)
Transfer to a bus and then to a heated Polar Rover vehicle around noon.

The rover, a million dollar vehicle specially designed for wildlife viewing in the tundra, has large windows that open, a huge slanted front windshield, and a steel-grate outdoor observation deck. Six tires that are five feet tall and three feet wide keep the viewers completely out of harm’s way and allow the vehicle to ford streams and traverse rocky terrain. Although we are here to see bears, there are other wildlife attractions that would be fun to see as well including red fox, Arctic fox, Arctic hare, willow ptarmigan, and snowy owl.

We were not 10 minutes into our ride when we spotted two foxes and our first bear! He was napping on a large rock and looked like a rug that had been laid out to dry. Although we think of polar bears as white, they are actually a light butter yellow which makes them easier to spot against the white snow and dark rocks. Even our guides were giddy at this auspicious start. We stopped for lunch and before our four-course meal was laid out a large bear popped up from behind some rocks and strolled over to check us out and then situated himself on a large rock right next to the vehicle and took a nap. About that time another red fox decided to zip in and out of the rocks.

Around 4:00 o’clock we arrived at our home for the next two nights: the Tundra Lodge. Think train-on-wheels comprised of connected cars: lounge, dining, sleeping, and staff. Then add three observation decks with flooring made of steel grates. Each of us has our own sleeping pod, a cubby just big enough for a narrow bed and small storage area. At first glance we were thrilled we had followed instructions and left our big suitcases in Winnipeg. Our welcome gift of a bear shaped cookie, a greeting card, and a little passport to keep track of our wildlife sightings was waiting for us in our cubbies. We put our phones on airplane mode since there is no WIFI at the lodge.

Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at 4:30.
Four course dinner at 6:00.
Wildlife presentation at 8:00.

Including two bears that came to the lodge to check us out after dark we ended the day seeing 9 adults bears and one cub as well as a very busy group of five snow white ptarmigan feasting on buds in low lying willow bushes. A banner beginning by any standard!

Yesterday and today zipped by with a lecture each day, three delicious meals, and hours spent on the rover. The bears could not have been more cooperative! Twice we saw males sparring and wrestling! One pair put on what looked like a boxing match with them both on their hind legs throwing punches one after the next. They took a break and went at it again, and again, and again. We saw a mom with two coy (cubs of the/this year) a few hundred yards across a frozen pond. As if on cue they got up, walked across the pond straight toward us. They explored the vehicle and then plopped down and took a nap 15 feet from the front tires. We were surprised and thrilled. Another treat was a mom with yearling twins. The twins were the same size as their mother, still nursing, and ready to head out onto the ice for the last time with her at their side. One bear was napping in the willows about 10 feet from the trail we were on. He lifted his head to acknowledge us but could not be bothered to get up. Another gal walked right down the path heading right towards us. We stopped, but she just kept on going. By the end of the last two days we had seen about 30 more bears including a few that came to the lodge for our amusement. We added one mink, several common ravens, and a few Canada jays to our list of sightings.

We absolutely could not have asked for better luck with the bears. So much fun to watch them as they hung around waiting for the bay to freeze, so they can return to their happy place.

We ended the day off the tundra at the humble little Seaport Hotel in Churchill. Although we were all excited to explore the town of 850 +/- year round residents, we were not allowed out after dinner because of the possibility of a bear encounter. Not uncommon, hence the bear squad that is on duty 24/7 during bear season.

… Bear Buzz …

These marine mammals thrive in the depths of winter
when they scavenge the ocean for seals primarily but won’t pass up
a beluga whale, young walrus, or the carcass of an adult walrus, narwhal, or bowhead whale.

In the Hudson Bay, polar bears hunt by finding seal breathing holes in the ice.
When a seal comes up to breathe …boom… the bear grabs it and pulls it out of the water.

With male polar bears weighing up to 1,700 pounds on average,
these kings and queens of the artic have no natural predators.

Polar bears can swim for days, but they can’t feed their cubs, eat, or rest in the water.

Polar bears can devour up to 150 pounds in one sitting, preferably blubber, not meat.

Their starving time, just the opposite of brown and black bears, is during the summer
when there is little to no ice to support their weight.

A polar bear’s home range can be enormous and depends on two main factors:
the quality of the sea ice and the availability of seals.

Scientists have divided these bears into 20 populations,
some of which are shared by more than one country.

Their skin is black, which helps absorb heat, and their tongues are blue.

So, where the heck IS Winnipeg? It is the capital of Manitoba which is the Canadian province tucked between Ontario to the east, Saskatchewan to the west, Nunavut to the north, and North Dakota and Minnesota to the south. It’s a mere 62 miles from the United States border near the geographic center of North America.

A native or resident of Winnipeg is called a Winnipegger and, per Gary, one of the city’s nicknames is the Peg, and according to my seat mate on the flight to Toronto the other is Winterpeg. It just so happens to be the Slurpee Capitol of Canada! July 11 is Free Slurpee Day as a matter of general interest.

Winnipeg was The. Place. to. Be. not so long ago. The railroad plus its location at the confluence of two rivers, the Assiniboine and the Red, combined to make it the leading commercial center of the prairie territories and provinces. In fact it was the only large city on the Canadian prairie as late as the 1890s. In competition for territorial control of the area, the North West Company, backed by the French, and the Hudson’s Bay Company, backed by the English, built competing fur-trading forts and did a booming business for decades. They eventually combined under the Hudson Bay name and are still a big deal. Think: HBC.

We spent two relaxing days checking out city sites and all agree we are so glad we came early. Of particular interest was the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. The unusual shape of this gorgeous building has made it an iconic structure in the city. The focus of the museum is global human rights with a particular emphasis on telling the ugly truths about shameful practices in Canada’s past. Between the 1950s and 1990s, for example, there was a systematic purge of LGBTQ members of the military, Mounted Police, and the civil service. During World War II Japanese-owned land and personal property were confiscated and West Coast Japanese were interred in camps. The Indian Residential School System thrived from the 1880s to the 1990s (!!!) when First Nations children were forced to leave their families and live in church-run boarding schools. These school were renowned for abusive practices and for suspending the children in cultural limbo. Chinese were recruited when they were needed to build the national railway but, once finished, were either taxed heavily or denied access to Canada altogether until 1947. Jehovah’s Witnesses endured decades of government persecution. Still unresolved is the fact that Inuit, First Nations, and Métis women are three times more likely to experience violence than other women in Canada and are over-represented as homicide victims.

Although the subject was a serious one, we thoroughly enjoyed the museum and came away respecting the its honest look at Canada’s past, its review of the progress that has been made, and its hope for more responsible personal choices and governmental policies in the future.

Sidebar: Cleone got in free because she is a card carrying member
of the Muskogee (Creek) Nation.

On the lighter side we had a delicious lunch (fish and chips for the W&C and pizza for us) at The Forks Market with a made-to-order doughnuts chaser before strolling around the shops to see what fun things were on offer. The exchange rate is definitely in our favor with $1.00 USD = $1.40 CAD.

Cleone got a top tip from a stranger that we followed up on: the zoo’s Arctic section. Because the weather was crisp and cloudy the polar bears were up and out. Happy birthday Cleone! An acrylic viewing tunnel is built into their swimming pool. As soon as we arrived two playful adults jumped in the water and performed all sorts of tricks while we were captivated from below. A couple of times they just stood or sat on top of the tunnel which was a hoot. Lucky us!!!! There are other Arctic animals in this section of the zoo, but we paid them little attention since our focus is pretty narrow this trip. We zipped past a snow leopard, snowy owls, and reindeer.

The largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art in the world is displayed at the Winnipeg Art Gallery-Qaumajuq. The group humored me by tagging along and exploring this fabulous gallery as well as a couple of others. Of particular interest to me were the intricate carvings and my first narwhal tusk. Cleone whipped out her Indian card and got in free again.

Guess who’s in town? The Boss himself, B. Springsteen. We spent part of one afternoon trying to get tickets, but we ended up passing because the best we could do was seats behind the stage.

NHA provides polar coats and boots, water bottles, and hot beverage cups for this trip. We saved a little time before the welcome dinner to pick up our gear. At dinner we met the 5 men and 18 women who will be traveling with us, got briefed on a few logistical matters, and enjoyed a fabulous welcome dinner in the hotel.

In preparation for our trip north tomorrow we reorganized our stuff into three piles: what we’d leave at the hotel in our suitcases (for starters, the coats and boots we arrived wearing), what we would stuff into a waterproof duffel bag (pullover waterproof pants, binoculars, flannel jammies, etc.), and flight essentials for our daypack/backpack. We had thought it through before we left home, so this task did not take very long.

We are heading to bed really excited for tomorrow and hopeful we will see loads of bears up close.

… What’s the Difference …

Inuit refers to the people who make their home in the Arctic.
They are not considered First Nations but a distinct Indigenous group.

First Nations are Indigenous people who make their homes below the Arctic.

Métis emerged in the 17th and 18th century and are descendants of
Indigenous women and European fur trappers and traders.

… Winnie the Poo …

In 1914 a soldier named Harry bought a black bear cub for 20 CAD at a train station
in Ontario, Canada and named her Winnipeg Bear after his hometown.

Harry took his new pet with him on the train to Quebec and soon after to England
where his unit was deployed for World War I.
A very tame Winnie became the mascot for Harry’s unit.

When Harry’s unit got orders for France Winnie was not allowed to go along,
so Harry lent her to the London Zoo where she became very popular.
Because Winnie was so tame visitors were allowed in her inclosure; children could even ride on her back!

Christopher Robin and his father, A. A. Milne, were among the many to visit often.
As they say, the rest is history.