First Day on the boat

8th January, 2009

Falling asleep last night I thought, "Wow, can't even tell we are moving" But that was NOT the case this morning. The ship was creaking, everything in my room was shifting and it was definitely rocking. I looked out the window and only saw blue ocean with waves about 20 feet. Still I felt ok, so I showered and got dressed and that was enough movement for me to start getting the sweats and that sick feeling in my stomach-I was getting sea sick. So, I laid back down-horizontal is my only option to get rid of the sickness. About on hour in the leader announced that there would be a required emergency drill. Seven alarms are made throughout the boat. When I hear that I am suppose to grabbed warm clothes and shoes and a lifejacket and proceed to the lounge area for further instruction. So, I bucked up and particpated (becasue as we know these boats can crash into ice, 2 in the past year) so I would be prepared if somehting happened. After the drill I immediately returned to my room. HOwever, on my return I saw the fitness room, library, spa andlounge. All very nice and welcoming spaces. I hope I can take advantage soon.

Lying back down for about an hour gave me a chance to feel normal again when the leader announced there would be a bird group going on the deck. I could not stay in my room for that. This was the only day I would have a chance to see some of the petrels and albatrosses becasue once we crossed the Antarctic Convergence the species numbers and types change.

****What is the convergence?****
****Why does the species change south of the convergence?****

Once on the deck, the air made me feel better. It was surprisly not too cold. I didn't have gloves on and still felt fine. I got to see the following birds: Wilson's Storm Petrel, Black Browed Albatross, Sooty Shearwater, Souhtern Giant Petrel and Cape Petrel. The Wilson's Storm Petrel is a remarkable bird. Its body is only 6-7 inches (the length of a hot dog), however its wing span is twice that size. They love to fly in rough weather and only return to land to breed. They migrate over 7000 miles each year! They seem to dance on the water with their little legs touching the surface of the water as the feed on krill. The walking on water gave them the nickname Jesus bird. The Southern giant Petrel is very different from its cousin in size. Its body is just over three feet and its wingspan is over 6 feet. Both the albatross and the Giant Petrel seemed to foolow the boat all day, useing the wind to their advantage. The glide rather than flap like the storm petrel.

****Can you name other animals that migrate great distances?****
****Why do these birds migrate so far?****

After enjoying looking at them and taking as many pictures as I could, I headed to lunch since I was feeling better and had not eaten yet. I managed to get down a bit of salad and coucous but soon needed to head back down to my room to recover. Luckily all the lectures were broadcast in our rooms so I was able to listen to the talk about the geography of Antarctica and the how to use your camera lecture.

By 4pm the captain had noticed whales. So, he made an announcement and turned the boat around so we could see them. Once again I pulled it together and went out to the deck. Their were two Fin Whales.They were blowing away and putting on a pretty good show. One of the fastest swimmer of the great whales, which is impressive since they weigh 40-50 tons. It uses counter shading to hunt for its food, dark on top and ligth underneath.

****What is counter shading? Can you name another animal that uses this method of camoflage?****
****How long is a fin whale?****
****Do they belong to the group of toothed or non toothed whales?****
****What do they feed on?****
****What is their migratory route?***

After the whale sighting I headed to the library and grabbed a piece of fruit, knowing I wasn't even going to try to get dinner. The crew said that this was calm seas compared to most other trips...boy am I in trouble if the weather changes. The good news is we will cross the convergence tomorrow and should be at the peninsula by nightfall where the seas calm. So, I am heading to bed and am looking forward tomorrow.

The Arrival and the Adventure

6th Jan 2009

Today the rest of the Antarctica group arrive. The Maria Mitchell Association has a total of 16 (including me) participants. We are the only group on the boat and we will be sharing the experience with about 80 other people.

Since "work" Technically started today for me, I met the Lindblad/National Geographic reps in the morning to receive information of arrival times for my group. Since so many were coming from all over they were spread out between four different flights. Unfortunately the flight from Miami was canceled and so 4 of our participants were stuck in Miami overnight and missed visiting Santiago at all.

For the other 12 however, they were able to take advantage of the Grand Hyatt for a couple of hours before we headed to Santiago's PreColumbrian Art Museum and a city tour. The city tour was done via bus so while I got some good glimpses of the architecture, the markets and the government buildings, there was not enough time to truly experience them (guess I will have to return to do it another time). We drove through the Plaza de Armas filled with colonial architecture, bustling people, and the government buildings, such as the presidential palace. The tour guide stressed Chile's relatively new democracy, the 21 Supreme Court judges, how there is almost no violent crimes (no Chilean carries guns except the Policia), and how Santiago is split up into several cities each one with their own major.

Everyone I had spoken with that had visited Santiago and even the locals expressed that experiencing the Precolumbian Art Museum was a must. The Museum chronicles 4500 years of precolumbian cultures. Each room represent a different countries cultures through beautiful artifacts: masks, pottery, statues, jewelry and baskets. This was definitely a worthwhile visit and I would suggest anyone who visits Santiago to make sure they fit it into their schedule.

***Can you name the most recent Chilean natives, which only survive as a mix with the Spanish in the Chilean race?***

After the tour we had a meet and greet and dinner. It is very easy to make friends when you have something in common, and we all do-we want to see penguins! I headed to bed around midnight knowing that our travel to Ushuaia would begin at 5am the next day.

***Why is Ushuaia, Argnetina such a famous port?***

7th January 2009
I awoke at 4:30am, bags pack and excited but groggy since I had to use the sea sickness patch. But, even my doziness couldn't discourage my excitement because I knew that in about 5 hours I would travel through Tierra del Fuero National Park and sail the Beagle Channel.

We all had a brief breakfast then headed to the airport. I have been very impressed with Lindblad's ability to manage 120 people through the airport and customs so efficiently. Once we all got our tickets and went through immigration we headed to the terminal. It was going to be a 4 hour flight to Ushuaia. However when we got to the terminal it was explained to us that all flights to Ushuaia were cancelled because their navigation system was down. Well, Lindblad had to work quickly to figure out how to get 120 people to Ushuaia today. Luckliy, they had a chartered flight which gave them the flexibility to change the destination. So, the new plan was to fly to Buenos Aries, Argentina then another flight to Rio Grande, north of Ushuaia and take a 3 hour bus ride through Patagonia. What was suppose to be a 4 hour flight just turned into a 14 hour traveling day.

The group was a little disgruntled but realized quickly it is all part of the adventure of getting to the other end of the earth. The flight to Buenos Aires was an hour and a half. We then had to get our bags, go through immigration and customs again, then recheck our bags. Again, it was a bit of a pain but went relatively smoothly. Once at the terminal, we all seemed to crash a bit. People were anxious and tired (especially since the Miami flight only got about an hour sleep). But around 2pm we got on the plane and 3 and a half hours later landed in Rio Grande. I actually got an entire row to myself so I took that opportunity to catch up on my sleep as did many others. I wanted to make sure I was awake for this unique opportunity to drive through Patagonia.

Rio Grande was a rundown town surrounded by ranches and farms. Our guide told us that this area gets 8 days of sunshine on average and 200 days of rain. We were very fortunate because we caught one of those non rainy days and the temperature was about 45 degrees, very comfortable. I got to see Alpacas in the wild almost immediately, they were running on the side of the road. Several times we saw herds of them in the steppe landscape.

****Can you explain what a steppe habitat is?****
***What do the local people use Alpacas for?***

I also caught glimpses of some good birds including the Crested Caracara, the Black faced ibis, Chimango Caracara and the Southern Lapwing. The steppe habitat quickly changed as we gained altitude. The mountains had white tops and even a few permanent glaciers. Our ride over the mountains brought us to the Lake District, which is a great fishing spot for locals and visitors. In fact, non native trout are throughout the lakes in this region and very popular to fish. The area reminded me of the northwest mountains outside of Seattle.

****What is a glacier?****

Finally, at 8pm we arrive to Ushuaia. We drove directly to the boat, so there was no time to walk around and experience this town. We are hoping for an opportunity on the way back. First thing I noticed about the boat was how small it was compared to the other cruise boats docked. Linblad does not want to negatively impact the areas they visit and they want to give their participants the best experience they can so they keep their boats small and keep participants numbers low, unlike most of the other cruises heading to Antarctica. In fact, many of them will not be able to even get off the boat.

All of us were hungry and tired. Our luggage was delivered to our rooms (I am on the main deck) and unpacked immediately. It was very important that I unpack and secure all my belongings for the potentially rough ride through the Drake Passage. Never having been on a cruise boat before I have nothing to compare my room to-but is very nice and spacious enough. The others said the same for their rooms as well. Then headed to a well deserved dinner. after dinner I headed to bed. Tomorrow I will explore the boat some more (that is if I can stand the rocking of the boat).

****How many miles will I travel to get from Ushuaia to Elephant Island?****
****Can you guess which channel I traveled through first before hitting open ocean?****
****What ocean or oceans will I be sailing on throughout the trip from Ushuaia to the South Shetland Islands?****

Lots of wine and a Mall

5 January 2009

This morning I woke refreshed and ready for the day after the deepest and most restful sleep in my life (or for as long as I can remember). Today was the visit to one of Santiago's wineries or Vinedos. I decided to pay $33,000 pesos or $52 dollars to do a half day tour at one of the first wine exporters in Chile, Undurraga vineyard. Even though Chile has one of the most perfect climates to grow grapes and has done so as early as the 16th century, poor political situations, taxes and local people favoring cheap and not so good tasting wine limited Chile's production until the 1980's when conditions changed. Within a decade, Chile created first class wines to be distributed worldwide. This accomplishment was simple with a little investment in production and the perfect natural setting. Besides Chile's perfect climate for grape growing its isolation has also protected it from pests. Therefore, vineyards use no to very little pesticides. In fact Chile and Argentina are the only grape growers that do not need to worry about an insect called, pylloxera, which troubled European and Californian wines in the 19th and 20th centuries. Finally, labor and land is so cheap Chile produces great wine at a very low cost.

The tour was through Turis Tour. The tour guide spoke very good English and was very impressive since he gave the entire bus protion in both Spanish and English. There were 30 other tourists on the bus. Only 5 of us spoke English: two Americans from Georgia and a couple from Austria who had been traveling for a month visited all of Chile's and Argentina's wineries. The trip there was fast just 30 minutes outside the city.

Once the group got to Undurraga Vinedos we split into two tours. Our tour guide(already forgot her name) was excellent. We viewed the garden ares, heard of the history of Undurraga, walked through the vineyard, explored and learned of the process of making different types of wines, and got to go into their historical cellars to see where and how the wine is stored. Then of course we ended with a tasting and shopping. The wine was excellent especially their Cab Sav. If you can find it I would highly recommend getting some for your next meal. You can check out the vineyard at this website: http://www.undurraga.cl/Sitio/INDEX.html

After the winery I returned to the hotel and tried to get online which I quickly realized I needed an Ethernet cable for. So begrudgingly I went to the Mall Jaime had suggested yesterday. Now, I hate malls anyways but this being an extra big one and everything in Spanish making it very difficult for me to find the type of store I needed, I was even more miserable. After walking through all four floors I found the store and item i needed. After that I tried to find the nearest exit and to my dismay there were just as many stores and floors as inside the mall. There was also several clubs, a bowling alley, movie theater and restaurants. I was starving so I grabbed Thai at a pretty trendy place. I was one of two people in the resturant-it seems dinner in Santiago doesn't happen until 9pm or later. The meal was very good and immediately began to put me into a food coma. So, I headed back to the hotel where I got a quick swim in the pool, then headed up to my room to begin the blog.

Tomorrow the crew is coming so I wanted to make sure I was ready for all the issues that could occur, so I was fast aslepp by midnight.

***I am writing this on the boat and I am having difficulties with the connection, so no pictures today. I will try again tomorrow and catch up with the past two days.***

For you Bird Nerds

Below are some pictures (not many really didn't see much) of some birds I saw in Santiago. Also a species list (English and Spanish since that is what my book gives):

Rufous-Collared Sparrow (Chincol)
Eared Dove (Tortola)
Chimango Caracara (Tiuque)
Black Faced ibis (Bandurria)
Southern Lapwing (Queltehue)
Austral Thrush (Zorzal)
Chilean Mockingbird (Tenca)
Shiny Cowbird (Mirlo)
Chilean Pigeon (Torcaza)
House Sparrow


Austral Thrush



Chilean Pigeon



Eared Dove


Rufous-Collared Sparrow (Chincol)

Habla no espanol

Sunday, Jan 4th

I made it! Well, at least to Santiago, Chile, which was a welcoming destination after 24 hours of traveling. As I felt the plane descending, I opened my weary eyes to see the grandiose Andes Mountains. The view took my breath away. Maybe it was because I was getting a chance to look at the longest and one of the highest mountain ranges in the world.

****How long is the Andes Mountain Range?****
**** Can you name all the countries that the Andes Mountains are located?****

My first impressions of Santiago: clean , friendly, trendy and safe. Everywhere I looked I saw tall, newly renovated or newly built apartment and business buildings. Tucked away between these buildings are quaint neighborhoods. The pace is relaxed and all seem to be taking advantage of the gorgeous, sunny, warm Sunday morning.

****Santiago is surrounded by two Mountain ranges. Can you name them?****

I arrived at my hotel, the Grand Hyatt and was a little overwhelmed. My history of traveling was always on a budget and staying at some sketchy hostels, certainly never one with a spa, three restaurants, a pool and a doorman. This hotel was certainly a nice surprise. I was exhausted not having slept really at all on the plane and having traveled for a day but I knew I only had a limited time here so I needed to try to take advantage of the full day. After a nice shower, I changed into clothes appropriate for 80 degree weather (luckily I had a set in my carry on since the airline had lost my luggage and didn't expect it until 9pm that evening) and checked my Lonely Planet Guide to figure out what I should check out first. There is so much to see in this city so I felt a little lost. After exchanging my money into the Chilean pesos, I asked the nice doorman (who spoke English-thank goodness) where he suggested I go for good local food (I was starving), scenery and sights. first he began to suggest the humongous mall just down the road with a Starbucks, but I quickly explained to him I wanted to experience Santiago not American culture.

Side Note:
American fast food is everywhere, from Dunkin Donuts and Mc Donald's to TGI Fridays and Showcase Cinemas.

Jaime (the doorman) chuckled, then suggested Bario Bellavista and explained to me how and where to catch the metro. Off I went!

The Metro was really nice. Not the gloomy sometimes scary environment you get in the Boston T or NYC but bright, friendly, clean, cheap and very easy to understand, even to us non spanish speaking visitors. Many stations have resturants, grocery stores and banks located in the terminals. I hopped onto the red line and got off at the Bellavista station, located west of the hotel heading towards the center of the city.

Side Note:
Not speaking a word of Spanish made me feel like an outsider. Generally I like to try and blend into the local culture, but this was difficult when I was required to communicate. I have found myself to smile alot and use the few words and phrases I know: si, no, gracias, bien, no comprendo, lo siento, buenos dias, buenos noches, hablo usted ingles?, adios and hola. I am a bit embarrassed at my ignorance and vow to take spanish when I return to the states.

The Bellavista is known to be one of Santiago's liveliest neighborhoods, especially by night. It has lovely quiet backstreets filled with cafes, restaurants, clubs and shops. I was hungry so I went to the first small local joint I could find. I asked, in my broken Spanish, what the waiter usually ordered and requested that. I got what was equivalent to a steak and cheese paninni with hot sauce. It was delicious and cheap.








I checked my map and realized I had to cross the Mapocho River which splits Santiago in half. It is extremely polluted. It hasn't been until recently that the Chilean government has required no dumping of sewage and waste into the rivers. From what I understand and the look of the river it is not well enforced.

****Where does the Mapocho River originate?***

Then I walked around the market. The market was filled with small outdoor stands containing locally made goods. Everything from Alpaca made clothes to copper jewelry (Chile's main export is copper). I decided to wait to purchase anything since I planned on visiting Santiago's largest market on Monday.

****Can you name the blue gem that traditional Chilean jewelry is made from?****

I continued down some of the quaint side streets where I found a book store I needed to pick up a book on the birds of Santiago and was successful. It is in Spanish but has decent pictures so it has been helpful. Then I headed towards the park, Parque Metropolitano, to catch the funicular (a gondola) up to the statue of the Vigen de la Inmaculada Concepcion. The funicular has several stops along the way including: the zoo, Jardin Zoologico, Terraza Bellavista (over look and where Pope John Paul the II gave mass in 1984), the Piscinia Tupahue which is known to be the greatest swimming pool setting anywhere and the Jardin Botanico Mapulemu (botanical gardens).

Now I wish I could tell you about all of these sites, but I cannot. In my jet lagged state I failed to truly prepare myself for the sun, heat and my fatigue and had quickly become dehydrated. Having walked for three hours already and looking at the line which was a good hour long to get onto the funicular, I decided it would be best for me to head back to the hotel. So, I took some pictures from the base of the park and headed out.

On my way back I picked up some snack food (for the winery tour the next day) and lots of bottled water. Back at the hotel, I showered and watch tv while trying to force myself to stay awake until my lost luggage arrived at 8:30pm. Then I fell into a deep slumber, dreaming of my winery tour happening in the morning.




For a brief description of Chilean and Santiago history check this link:
http://www.santiago.cl/chilefacts/history.htm

Itinerary

The itinerary below was provided form Lindblad Expeditions. (www.expeditions.com)

January 3-4th U.S./Santiago, Chile
Depart Miami this evening on an overnight flight to Santiago.

January 4-6th Santiago
We arrive in Santiago in the morning. With the soaring Andes as a backdrop, Santiago makes a spectacular and welcoming first impression. In the afternoon, we have a panoramic overview of the city including a visit to the Pre-Columbian Museum.

January 7th Santiago/Ushuaia, Argentina/Embark Ship
The morning's charter flight offers some rare views as we fly over the vividly rugged terrain of Patagonia before landing in Ushuaia, Argentina the southern most city in the world. We'll have a traditional Argentinean barbecue for lunch and board National Geographic Endeavour.

January 8th At Sea
We awake this morning well into our journey across Drake Passage. Lying between the Cape Horn and the Antarctica Peninsula, the Drake holds a unique place in a maritime lore. Sometimes misty and gray, other times calm and clear, crossing the legendary Drake Passage is unforgettable- a milestone in any adventurer's personal travel history.

January 9th Antarctica
Our first landfall is at one of the many islands of the Antarctic Peninsula region, taking hikes and Zodiac forays with our Naturalists.

January 10-15th Antarctica
With nearly 24 hours of daylight at this time of year, we make the most of our six days exploring the Antarctica Peninsula and its surrounding islands. Out there, our ship will freely roam. Our expedition team with their expert knowledge of Antarctica's water enables us to take advantage of the unexpected. We'll be out daily-experiencing Antarctica with our senses as we walk, cruise in Zodiacs, and paddle kayaks through berg fields, hearing the Antarctic seltzer (gases escaping from dissolving icebergs) around us, the cries of the penguins, and the huge, nurturing silence of this perfectly pristine place. We may sail through the incomparable Lemaire Channel, known as Iceberg Alley, where a hush falls over onlookers as bergs of beauty and scale drift by. We'll learn to identify penguins, paddle kayaks through berg fields and land with Zodiacs on the "White Continent."

January 16-17th At Sea
As we sail back to Ushuaia, an albatross or two may join the avian escort of seabirds that cross our brow.

January 18th-Ushuaia/Disembark/Santiago
After breakfast, we disembark in Ushuaia with some time to explore before proceeding to the airport for our charter flight to Santiago and overnight flight to Miami.

Introduction

Hello Friends, Teachers, Students and interested MMA members:

This blog was created for you to follow my trip with Lindblad Expedition and the Maria Mitchell Association to The White Continent: Antarctica. It has been a year and a half since MMA and I promoted this once in a lifetime opportunity. Seventeen poeple have responded and will be traveling with me to Antarctica January 5th-18th 2009.

During the trip I will be trying to blog my adventure (I stress "trying" since I will not always have internet connection) on a daily basis. In additon I will post questions for students to try and answer before my next blog entry. Please also feel free to post questions to me and I will do my best to answer them all.

Finally, I ask everyone to be respectful to anyone who is reading and participating in the blog.

Thank you all for your interest,

Darcie