Almost ready!

T-9 days and counting on this trip! I have spent the last 5 months planning—travel arrangements, cold weather survival gear (and probably 40 trips to REI), vaccinations and seasickness meds, arranging cat babysitters and deciding on the right hat to wear in 500 pictures.

Started this blog as a way to post the pleasant and perhaps not so pleasant parts of my trip. I will only have sparse access to email for the first 2 days of the trip, then once on the boat to Antarctica not so much. They have a shipboard email account that will let me receive and send text only emails at $3/kb. Ouch! I can post directly to this blog from that account and avoid the per email charge for satellite email.

My expedition is the 2nd of the summer cruising season. That means more likelihood of rough weather and water, but more amazing sights in icebergs and a chance to see the sun go from sunset to fully up 24/7. It is not the penguin mating season, so no freaky bird sex and no creepy little baby penguins. My boat is a 105 person cruise + crew. Its run by an American expedition group with a Russian crew. Due to strict regulations on the ecology system of Antarctica, only 100 people from any boat can be on the continent (or land) at any given time. Larger ships, while more luxurious, means that you will get very few chances for landings and will see most of Antarctica from the window in your cabin. My tour has 5 days cruising the continent and the islands that surround it. I even signed up for camping overnight, although that might be the single biggest piece of evidence that I am not of sound mind.

This trip starts in Buenos Aires where I will stop for a few days, then moves to Tierra del Fuego where I will board my expedition boat.

About the boat: Yeah, its small. There is your tiny cabin, the dining hall, the lecture hall and a very small lounge/bar. That’s it. No pool, spa, rock climbing wall, or theatre. This is NOT a Carnival cruise. Apparently they feed you well and have a vegetarian option at every meal. Guess that is indicative of the Green Peace or granola-esque types on board. I have a cabin on the captain’s deck as I could not bear to be below the wave/swell line on the lower levels. Could be worse for seasickness, but better than dreams of drowning when the water gets rough on the Drake Passage.

My itinerary:
Nov 17 – Leave DFW for Buenos Aires on overnight flight
Nov 18 to 20 – On my own in BA, then fly to Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego.
Nov 21- Board the Lyubov Orlova and get underway. 2 days to cross Drake Passage to Antarctica
Nov 23 – First landings start
Nov 24 – Tentative date for my overnight camping
Nov 29 – Start return trip through Drake Passage
Dec 1 – Arrive in port, flight to BA, then on to Dallas
Dec 2 – Home!