Part 1:  https://mendiventures.com/2017/01/24/faq-what-did-you-do-in-antarctica-part-1-of-2/

Countdown Complete: Touchdown in Antarctica, baby.

Locations: Orne Harbor, Antarctic Peninsula; Cuverville Island, Errera Channel

Today was the day.

“Good morning, good morning, my dear passengers…”

Julieta’s wake up call at 7:30AM sounded especially sweet this fine, Monday morning.

“2 degrees Celsius, less than 5 knots of wind, and the sun is shining; it is a perfect day to do a landing on the Antarctic continent.”

The atmosphere in the dining room was more chipper than usual at breakfast – I’m guessing since 89 passengers onboard the M/V Ushuaia were about to check a big fat item off each of their bucket lists.

Our landing site on Orne Harbor could only accommodate about half of us, so the first 45 passengers who made it on the Zodiacs would be taken to land, while the second half would go for a 1.5-hour Zodiac cruise to admire the surrounding wildlife and icebergs.

……..OH, YOU CAN BETCHA BOTTOM DOLLAR I STUFFED MY FACE SILLY AT BREAKFAST AND MADE A RUN FOR THAT CONTINENTAL LANDING LINE.

As I got onto the Zodiac that would take me to shore, I will admit, I became slightly emotional.

This was the culmination of all my efforts – school, work, travel. Everything I had done in my life has led up to this very moment… the moment I would step foot on my last continent.

But then I realized – no, I was wrong. It wasn’t just me. I should not – I can not – credit this to myself… This was bigger than me. Reaching this goal was a collective effort of everyone that has touched my life; because in some way, shape, or form – however minuscule – my interaction with each person has helped formed the thoughts, beliefs, the very mindset that got me there that day. I have and continue to receive countless blessings and support from those around me… family, friends, coworkers…higher beings, and to hell if I keep believing this was my goal to achieve – my accomplishment to claim.

At that moment, the gratitude I felt was very real.

I smiled, tears welling up in my eyes, as I stared reverently at the snow-capped mountains and glaciers ahead.

Lesson #3: Never lose your gratitude. You didn’t get to where you are now by yourself.

Our Zodiac approached shore; Julieta helped me off the boat.

“Welcome to Antarctica.”

At this very moment, a single word entered my mind: “Ineffable”. There were no words.

(I wrote about this feeling HERE.)

Julieta lied: it wasn’t 2 degrees Celsius and there certainly was not 5 knots of wind. It was 9 degrees Celsius (48 degrees Fahrenheit) and NO WIND WHATSOEVER.

Everyone immediately shed multiple layers. I almost wished I had brought a t-shirt and shorts.

WHO WOULDA THUNK THAT STEPPING FOOT ON FREAKING ANTARCTICA WE’D COMPLAIN HOW HOT IT IS????

Especially when this is what Apple Weather told you (I screenshotted before I left):

We climbed to the top of the mountain for a better vantage point of the harbor.

When we got to the top, eight-year-old Victor’s face says it all:

So. Much. Joy.

Of course, I wanted to etch this moment into my memory……… and into Antarctica.

(Don’t worry, I wiped it clean after, lol. Don’t need no International Association of Antarctica on my ass. LEAVE NO TRACE.)

At the top of the mountain, not a single person could hold back a smile. We were drunk on life. Snow angels (more like ice angels), snowball fights (more like ice ball fights), and sliding down the mountain (more like scooting down the mountain cuz my butt apparently contains a lot of friction).

I adore the quote: “On earth, there is no heaven but there are pieces of it.”

This certainly was a piece of heaven.

I didn’t want to leave (“CAN WE JUST CAMP HERE OVERNIGHT?” “No.” “ok.”), but alas, the second group needed to do their own Continental Landing. No worries, though, our Zodiac cruise around the harbor was pretty spectacular, as well. LOOK AT THE VIEWS.

Absolutely gorgeous.

I couldn’t take my regular siesta that day (…. not just because I swore off napping forever after missing the Orca Party the day before #bitterbitterbitter), but because I was too elated from our Continental Landing.

Our next stop was Cuverville Island…. BOY DID IT GIVE ORNE HARBOR A RUN FOR ITS MONEY. (click to enlarge)

Since by this point, I already had about 4,000 penguin photos, you can imagine me being a tad less trigger-happy with my camera. Instead, I decided to spend the lion’s share of my time on the island chuckling at penguins falling on their bellies. CLAAAAASSIC.

What a great day. What a fantastic day. The best day ever.

Day 1 after Touchdown

Locations: Brown Station, Paradise Bay; Port Lockroy, Jougla Point

It’s obvious I rode a pretty intense high the day before, so to be completely honest, I was absolutely exhausted the next morning.

We made another continental landing/Zodiac cruise at Paradise Bay.

This leopard seal knows.

In the afternoon, we went to Port Lockroy, which is a British base. THEY HAD A GIFT SHOP (albeit $$$$$$$) and a post office! I mailed two postcards, but apparently it’s supposed to take ~2 months to deliver??? Honestly, I’m not holding my breath (in case it doesn’t make it).

MÁS PINGÜINOS. BEBÉ PINGÜINOS.

The below is one of my favorite penguin shots. “Outcast” – is what I would call it if my photographs were worthy of titles.

AS CLOSE AS ANTARCTICA GETS TO A SUMMER SUNSET THAT NIGHT

Day 2 after Touchdown

Locations: Pendulum Cove, Deception Island

*HUGE SIGH* This was our last day of landings before we were to head back up through the rockin’ Drake Passage, and then back to Ushuaia.

The trip was winding to a close, and I couldn’t help but feel saddened that this trip-of-a-lifetime would soon be over. You could see it on the other passengers’ faces, as well. It was certainly bittersweet.

Luckily, we had some exciting stuff planned for our last “activity day”.

The evening prior as we were having our daily briefing – Julieta mentioned we would be going to Deception Island.

……. I immediately knew what this meant. THIS IS WHAT I’VE BEEN TRAINING FOR, EVER SINCE THE DAY I FOUND OUT IT WAS EVEN A THING.

POLAR PLUNGE POLAR PLUNGE POLAR PLUNGE.

(FYI no actual training of any sort occurred.)

I would dunk my entire body in icy Antarctic water like a Chicken McNugget in Sweet-n-Sour sauce.

LIVIN’ THE DREAM.

Apparently, to get to the Deception Island landing site we had to cross what was called the “Neptune’s Bellows”, which is an extremely narrow channel, which requires a lot of concentration by the Captain.

Not my proudest moment, but I NEEDED TO KNOW IF WE WOULD MAKE IT TO DECEPTION ISLAND TO FULFILL THIS DREAM. So I raised my hand and asked Julieta a question: “Given Neptune’s Bellows is so narrow, is there any chance we might not make it to the island in case of unfavorable ice or wind conditions?”

Crickets. You could hear crickets. (Which obviously do not exist in Antarctica but they seemed to make a special guest appearance for this very moment.)

Julieta: “………….WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS QUESTION? I mean, *knocks on the wooden counter next to her* I feel like it SHOULD be fine, but please stay positive.”

I had made a grave mistake. If we didn’t make it to Deception Island the next morning, I’d surely be blamed by 89 passengers for jinxing us.

….. WE’D BETTER MAKE IT.

I ran outside that morning to watch as we navigated through Neptune’s Bellows.

Thankfully, it went just fine.

Welcome to Deception Island.

It was a volcanic island, as you can probably tell. And prior to the Polar Plunge, we did a tour of the island, walking alongside some craters.

And then we took a short Zodiac ride to Pendulum Cove…….. with the hope that we would all collectively freeze our tatas off.

IT WAS POLAR PLUNGE TIME.

Given that this was a volcanic island, the rocks/sand were actually surprisingly warm, as was the first 3 inches of water on the shore.

… But as you can see in the below video…….. that’s pretty much when the warmth stops.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BPkjfcgFzP5/?taken-by=mendzzz

10/10, WOULD DO AGAIN.

I rushed back to the ship immediately after and took a scalding hot bath (which in actuality was about 60% my normal shower temperature, but my body was so cold it felt like boiling water on my skin.)

….. Unfortunately, the one day the kitchen decides not to serve us piping hot soup for appetizer is the day everyone decides to do the Polar Plunge. How convenient…

I was (probably not-so-surprisingly) alert the rest of the morning/afternoon.

… And then came our very last landing of the trip. Hannah Point at Walker Bay. A breathtaking expanse where colonies of Chinstrap and Gentoo penguins co-mingled, the symphony of mating sounds mixing with the occasional elephant seal call. (Note: I’m kidding. No actual mating happened.)

(click to enlarge)

I love this photo… it looks like the chick on the left just told the funniest joke ever and the other one is keeled over laughing.

Penguins. Gotta love ’em.

I can honestly say after seeing probably more than 10,000 of them on this trip, each encounter still manages to bring me immense joy. You can’t help but be giddy around penguins. I’d like to see ol’ Mr. Scrooge scowl in the presence of penguins.

Lesson #4: Channel your inner penguin. Make people happy.

I adore this photo of sweet Spanish couple, Marta & Jesús, holding hands while strolling along the beach.

We really couldn’t have asked for a better last landing at Hannah Point. As the group stood by the shore, admiring our ship and the Antarctic landscapes from a distance, it all became real – our trip to the End of the Earth was really over.

Days 3 and 4 after Touchdown

Navigation through the Drake Passage = Back to being a drugged up degenerate.

But of course, we were a tad more social this time, especially since we now considered the group one big family, having bonded through countless once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

Dinners were now spent reminiscing about amazing moments, gossiping, laughing at inside jokes, and exchanging contact information.

AND THENNNNN, as if some higher being didn’t think we’d had enough….

Our very last day, having crossed the Drake Passage (which, this time, wasn’t all that bad), we stood outside on the ship’s deck, soaking up some sunshine and staring at the views of the Beagle Channel.

Suddenly, Kata from the Expedition Team yells, “Dolphins!!!”

And there they were, at the very front, playing with the currents our ship was carving out in the water.

It was incredible, mesmerizing, and magical – all at once. What a climactic show – I almost forgot I had missed that Orca Party

(…. almost.)

We arrived at the port a half-day early and had our farewell toast and “Captain’s Dinner” while docked in Ushuaia. I couldn’t help but feel a slight heaviness now that I was leaving the folks with whom I’d shared unimaginable experiences and memories. People who, alongside me……. had also experienced “ineffable”.

Special shoutout to my amazing roommates, Carolyn (left) and Georgie (right). Late-night gossip sessions, our bangin’ tunes, and Carolyn’s Aussie slang lessons/hilarious storytimes (stories really are funnier when told in an Australian accent) made room 639 THE room to be in. These guys rock.

_____________________

As you saw, this trip certainly had its ups and downs. From the flight-delay-debacle, to Mother Nature grounding us on the boat for days on end, to giggling at penguins tripping and falling every two seconds…… to finally stepping foot on my last continent.

It’s funny to think I had once struggled with the very idea of going to Antarctica: Would it be worth it? Would I regret it? Should I just go somewhere else and pay a fraction of the price? 

Now it just seems silly. This was, without a doubt, the best trip of my life. A dream come true, and I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.

I urge others to go. GO NOW. Fulfill your travel dreams, whatever they are. Even if you don’t have a reason.

Travel not to escape life, travel so life doesn’t escape you. 

Today, I only feel gratitude. For these experiences, for the people I was so fortunate to crossed paths with, for you now reading my blog and coming along on these adventures with me.

Thank you. Really. It’s been a pleasure.

With love,

Mendi

 

26 Jan This entry was published on January 26, 2017 at 8:09 am. It’s filed under Antarctica, Uncategorized and tagged Antarctica, Cruise, solo travel, Travel Blog. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.