Park Days

Back in Ushuaia after a short break in the Tierra del Fuego National Park. Quiet days in some respect, less quiet in others. I guess the last morning was the best. After a little rain early in the morning it was dry. I was up early for a change, and got to see Magellanic Woodpeckers in a way I had not seen them before. And some other birds too. I saw two Condors fly over while waiting for my coffee in the cafeteria at the campsite. Weird. Lots of Chimangos and Southern Cara Caras, Black-chested Buzzard-eagles, Austral Parakeets, Thorn-tailed Rayaditos. And I got to see the Ringed Kingfisher again, for the first time since 2005. The Woodpeckers were the absolute highlight though.



Camping in the park is a different experience, You get to be there before and after the day visitors are around. The camp site itself seems to attract a lot of birds, so you get them round your tent, eating your bread even though you are not allowed to feed the animals, and there are rabbits all over the place. Like rabbits. This is not like a Dutch campsite though. You get your own picknick table, your own fireplace for a woodfire, and you get a lot of space. No neatly cordoned off little sites, but a lot of space. And no flat piece of grassland, but a nice variation in height... So you end up sleeping a little like you did on the ship, listing to one side...



And this time round I had my Calafate again. Or at least I think it was Calafate. They say that if you eat Calafate berries you get to come back to Tierra del Fuego. I had some on my first trip out here, handpicked by a very friendly minibus driver called Manuel, and I've been back every year since. I had another one this time, so who knows.



We are actually back at Cabo San Diego for the moment, moving from place to place because we didn't make any plans before staying here. Three nights in the tent in the National Park, one night here, one night unknown, and then three nights in the Cesar Hotel. That sounds a little Las Vegas, but doesn't feel like that. It is on the main street here in Ushuaia though. Cabo is more a home away from here, we know the owners, they allow us to keep our stuff here when we ourselves are not, and they are always friendly. Last year Juan took us to see a small beaver dam outside Ushuaia. And the rooms are pretty good, we can actually cook there. Earlier this week we had a guides night there, having a meal with the other three Europa guides, which was great fun. Always good to share experiences and frustrations.

Harberton

I didn't expect we would manage, but we visited Harberton today. We had a fast trip back, or fast enough, so we had the time and this time we had permission too. It had been two years since I was last there. I met up with all the family, which was very nice. It is a lovely place, a halfway house between the quiet and emptiness of the Antarctic and busy Ushuaia. You see and you smell the green you've been missing for a few weeks.

One of the highlights of the place is the tearoom. Good coffee, friendly service, a wonderful view and lots of different homemade cakes. Then there is the Whalebone museum, set up by Natalie Goodall, with its own special brand of tour guides. They might still be a little young, they definitely know what they are talking about.

Harberton has its own long history, always owned by one family, still is though the name has changed. This time I was in the house itself, a beautiful place with a great atmosphere. It must be lonely out there in winter though. Well, I'm sure I'll be back here some day.

Back Again....

7 January 2009

I have just seen today is Wednesday 7 January. On board ship you lose track of time, track of the days, track of your usual routine. Things that seem important at home in the city suddenly seem remote and not so important. You get into a new routine, a daily routine, with no change for the weekend. So you no longer need to know which day of the week it is.

The second group for this season is on board now. They joined us three days ago, and, I guess, are not that different from the other groups. When new people come on board they are eager to learn about the ship, the people, the trip, but also many are slightly insecure. If you have not travelled on a ship like this before it is hard to know what to expect. When people come on board they don't know the ship, the crew, each other, and they are trying to work it all out. People wander round the ship, inspecting the various spaces, and they start introducing themselves talking to each other. They don't look at home on the ship, some really look a little lost. Many wear new sailing gear, and all are full of great expectations.

Then we are off, cameras are clicking, departure from Ushuaia. Old professional crew waving us off from the quay, running all the way along to keep us in sight as long as possible. Always a difficult moment for those on the ship and those on the quayside. Sailing and working together, sharing a cabin, spending three weeks together in confined spaces and at the same time experiencing the beauty and grandeur of the Antarctic creates a strong bond.

Sailing down the Beagle Channel the guests get their first sailing instructions, they start to learn about sails and the ropes, about steering and being on lookout. And some get their climbing instructions, going up into the rigging. Meanwhile, we all try to enjoy the beautiful surroundings, the channel, the shores, the small islands and all the birds. Here we get to see the first albatross and the first penguins.

Once we reach the end of the Beagle things gradually change. We all have dinner, but some people begin to get a little less happy. Some begin to look pale, some don't finish their meal and disappear.

Breakfast on the first morning is a quiet affair. Not everybody turns up. Some don't feel well, some sleep a little longer because they were on watch in the middle of the night. It takes people some time to get used to the rhythm of the sea watches. But already people get acquainted. Sitting together in the deckhouse in the middle of the night, or being at the wheel together, means you get to know each other quickly. And at the same time you get to know your cabin mates very quickly. It doesn't take a volunteer crew long to become a group and to all get to know each other.

10 January



The morning after the day before. We had our first landing yesterday, or actually our first landings, both on Barrientos Island. We got there early, and since there was no other ship we had an extra landing in the morning. Just a couple of hours for people to wander among the Chinstrap and Gentoo Penguins there. The chicks are much bigger now, wandering off by themselves, lovely and furry. Some very active skuas too, though, taking some of the smaller chicks. On a beach nearby a Leopard Seal was resting. The penguins looked at him, but still walked past on their way to their colony. The Leopard was in no mood to hunt, just yawned a few times. It gave the guests a good opportunity for some portrait pictures.

Landing on Barrientos, or leaving, was not easy in the morning because it was low tide, and we had some swell. We did all manage to get back more or less dry though. In the afternoon the landing was much easier, with high tide. We took all of the afternoon for the walk across the island, just a couple of kilometres, but a little climbing, and a good opportunity for people to stretch their legs a little. The usual crawl in one line across the moss fields, this time being extra careful to avoid skua chicks too. On the other side of the island many Elephant Seals.

Then in the evening people enjoy the fact that they will be able to sleep all night, and many decide to have a drink in the bar. I have a good audience for my penguin lecture too, which is always nice. People have now seen the penguins, so it's easier to relate to the things I try to explain.

It's been a fairly quiet crossing, most people got over their seasickness in a day or so, no storms so we had a Drake Lake. People took part in the watches, worked on their journals or their pictures, some read their books, and we organised the lectures and the showing of documentaries. Always plenty to do on a ship like this.

This morning we sailed from Aitcho down here to Greenwich. A lovely view of Edinburgh Rock again, at first in a drizzle, but later with some nice light. From Edinburgh we managed to sail into Yankee Harbour, it's wonderful to be able to sail so much. We landed at Yankee, and many of the guests walked all the way along the dyke. We got to see some Giant Petrels feeding on the carcass of a Crabeater Seal, not necessarily a pretty sight, but interesting. And a good way to see these big birds landing and taking off.

Half Moon was different. We landed on the other side this time and didn't have too much trouble getting ashore. We walked over to the side where the Wilsons Storm Petrels breed to see and hear them. The track on the island is shared by humans and Chinstrap Penguins, so we often had to stop to give way. I sat down for a while by the side of the track watching the penguins move to and from their nest site. It was a long day, but an enjoyable one.

13 January

I definitely keep losing track of time. We already are near the Peninsula, and have just sailed down Graham Passage. One of the most beautiful places here. A narrow passage from which at some point no escape seems possible. We had some Humpback Whales reasonably close to the ship too.

Working down here, this is my ninth trip now, you sometimes seem to be getting too used to the beauty of the place. I've been down the Trinity Iceberg Graveyard often now, and I could see yesterday that it was a little empty. We've had trips in the past with many more icebergs in the channel, which required more manoeuvering. But the icebergs we saw yesterday were impressive, some quite tall, others strangely shaped, and we got to see all the shades of blue again. The deep blue that seemed to be missing on the last trip was there again in full glory. Stunningly beautiful. That never ceased to amaze me. And looking at the faces of some of the guests makes me realize too just how impressive it is. Some keep saying how beautiful it is, others just sit and stare quietly. After the trips many people came to thank me, and, though I didn't put the icebergs there, I understand why they come to me.

15 January

The day starts in Paradise, or Paradise Harbour. Named by whalers for its beauty. We leave before breakfast and head south for the Lemaire Channel. We are lucky again today, as we have clear skies and can enjoy the view. And there is enough wind to enable us to sail. I think we must have made a wonderful picture sailing down the Lemaire. We had an audience again too, as the cruise ship Delphin was just on the other side of the channel.

We keep heading south to reach Vernadsky Station later in the afternoon. I talk to the commander over the radio and he says he expects us at 4 pm. We inform the guests and head out to the station. The guests are given a tour, and then head out to the bar, the post office and the souvenir shop. They seem to enjoy themselves, and only some go to the second destination for the afternoon, Wordie House on Winter Island. An Englishman has far too much to drink, others are just happy. I have a little dance with Paco in the bar, which is quite funny. I think the pictures might be submitted for the photo competition.... The Spanish guys also buy me a wodka, which is nice.

Back on the ship it is time for the barbecue and the party. The first one is a great success, it is an Argentinian - South African competition, with both nationalities working hard. I can't really appreciate their efforts though. People seem to have enough to eat. I just sit back and have a long chat with Marianne, the cook. Sometimes it's nice to gossip about the guests for a bit. It is really nice outside, you don't have to wear a jacket but still stay warm.

The party doesn't really happen. There is no dancing, but a kind of campfire with guitar music and singing. It's a shame, no dancing, but on the other hand I don't mind too much. I'm pretty much exhausted and happy not to get to bed too late. This isn't a real party group, I think.

16 January

Some days really are perfect. Like today. We had no real programme for the morning, we basically had 6 hours to sail the few miles from the Argentine Islands up to Petermann. We left Vernadsky on time because another ship was coming in. Sailing out of the Islands we see blows and dorsal fins. Humpback Whales. They are still quite far away, but Klaas slowly and quietly follows. We end up having these huge animals around the ship, at times very close, for well over an hour. People are up on deck, running from side to side, trying to get the best shot. I don't know how many pictures were taken this morning, but it must be a lot.



After this close encounter we went on a little to the Yalour Islands, a place I know from the guidebooks only. A group of tiny islands with some colonies of Adelie Penguins. The place looks lovely, worth a visit on a future trip maybe. At the moment the islands are home to a nice congregation of icebergs too. Europa gently finds her way among them, keeping the guests and their cameras on deck all morning. It doesn't hurt either that we have blue skies and sunshine all the way.

Then we head to Petermann Island, again, one of my favourite landing sites. A lovely island, with a lot of human history, and both Adelie Penguins and Blue-eyed Shags. It is still lovely and sunny, the snow has melted a little so it isn't hard going, and the walk up to the colonies is good. The Adelie young are at their best, still furry, but bigger and active. The young shags are as big as their parents but still fluffy too. We sit and watch the birds for quite some time before heading out to the other side of the island. A climb over the saddle and a great view to the other side. We sit down together on the rocks, just behind a penguin highway, for some group pictures. And some Gentoo Penguins manage to walk their way into the pictures. We find it quite hard to start moving back to our landing bay to be taken back to the ship.



we sail north through the Lemaire, but today we need the engine for that. It is a lovely evening, the light is stunning. I feel like I just walked into an Edward Wilson drawing, all these different shades. Sailing up the Peltier is just too good to be true. The Seven Sisters are in full view, for a change. I get everybody out of the deckhouse onto the deck again, this is no night for reading. We come into Port Lockroy and the view still is unbelievable. My favourite Antarctic mountain has never looked more beautiful. I stay out on deck until some time after we have anchored. No need for big jackets or hats, you can just stand there and enjoy the light, the silence, the view.



17 January 2009

When I wake up it still is lovely and blue outside. Two landings today, both here in Port Lockroy. We start with Jougla Point, the little corner where you can see the Blue-eyed Shags and the Gentoo Penguins. An easy landing, and a short walk to the breeding birds. Some of the Shags here already have their feathers, they are as big as their parents, they just lack the beautiful blue around their eyes and the yellow patch above their beak. The penguin chicks are much smaller and will need a little more time to fledge. All the snow that covered the area around the colonies last time has gone and this is the usual big pool of mud again. I spend my morning wandering up and down the beach, walking down to the whale skeleton, making sure I know which guests are around and who I need to take back to the ship with me. The other half or our group has walked round to the other side to be picked up from there. The sun just keeps shining, and it is a little hard to persuade people to come back to the ship.

We have lunch on deck and Rick joins us from Port Lockroy. While we are having lunch several big pieces of ice come down from the glacier behind us. They don't create big waves though, to the disappointment of some. After lunch Rick tells his Lockroy story, and then we head out to Goudier Island. The shop and post office are kept busy for a while, and many cards are posted. I spend most of my time there chatting to Rick, Judith, Nikki and Laura. They are nice people and it is good to chat for a while. The guides and some crew members are actually the last to leave the museum. It is fun exchanging experiences on life down here.

Back on the ship it is back to work, preparing for my Gerlache lecture. I'm still not happy with it, and I want to read up a little before I give it again. I'm finding it hard to keep my eyes open though. I can really feel this is almost the end of the Peninsula part of the trip, I am deadly tired, and keep falling asleep when I'm not supposed to. I manage to survive until dinner though, have something to eat, and read a little more. The lecture actually goes well tonight and I am a lot happier with it than I was last time. After the lecture I play a documentary on De Gerlache. I had seen it before but I had forgotten most about it. It is nice to see it again, it tells my story a different way. The lounge is full all night and people are very interested. This is a good subject to talk about, because De Gerlache explored the area we are in now.

18 January

After two such fine days things have to change. So our landing this morning was grey and wet. I start my day with another visit to the Post Office, just to drop off the mail that has been written overnight. Just a quick look inside, where a bigger cruise ship is visiting. Suddenly the shop is very full, and you get the feeling it is a little too small. It is good to work on such a small ship really, and not to have to deal with so many guests at the same time.

Pepijn and I go round the corner to Dorian Bay in the zodiac, following Europa. It's a chilly ride, and I'm a little cold when I get back to the ship. Shortly after we head out again to Dorian, where the tide is high, so we have a wet but fairly easy landing. I stay on the beach to help the guests get out of the zodiac while some people start walking up to the emergency hut. I follow when everybody has landed. The walk up is a lot easier than it was last time because much of the snow has disappeared. I have a short look in the hut and find a few things missing, like the manual on counting penguins. Rick mentioned things go missing these days, which is a great shame.

Then up the hill for the view over Lockroy. I had never done this walk before, but I go along this time. From the top of the hill over Dorian you get a nice view of all of Port Lockroy, Jougla Point and Goudier Island. We can see Polar Star landing their guests at Goudier and at Lockroy. After the climbing some guests decide to go back to the ship, while others walk to the penguin colony in the direction of Damoy Point. I go back with the first group to help out on deck. It's a slightly wet ride, among some guests who are oblivious to what is going on. The landing site is shallow so we need to paddle, but one guest feels that is silly since we have an engine. While we have trouble manouvering out another tells people to move out of the way because he wants to take a picture. We do get back safely, and hoist anchor shortly after we get the zodiacs back on board.

Later

When we head out into the Neumayer Channel it doesn't look like a great afternoon. It's snowing and it's grey. We decide on an alternative programme, an afternoon of climate. Heated debates go on until the evening... Meanwhile, outside, a couple of Humpback Whales decide to accompany us. They swim along with the ship for a while, showing their heads, dorsal fins, flippers and tails. They seem to be having a good time, lying on their backs, showing us the white of their bellies. They get as near as 1 metre or so to the ship. We see them turn over, showing a long white flipper and half a tail. All I can do is stand there and watch them. All around me I hear the cameras clicking. It's a beautiful sight to see these huge animals so clearly in the water just beside the boat.

After dinner we see more whales in the distance, judging by their movements they are probably foraging. While we are watching them the captain tells the crew to expect bad weather. We should be okay for a couple of days, but the second day out on the Drake will bring force 8 winds, so it'll get rough. Some of the sailors on board will be happy, some others will be decidedly unhappy. We'll see what happens.

After several very long days I decide to take the evening off. I just do the things I need to do before tomorrow morning, and then I find my computer, put on some Leonard Cohen music and write. Earlier I worked on my pictures. I didn't take many during the first half of the trip, but I more than made up for that over the last couple of days. I always take many pictures at Petermann and Jougla for some reason. Well, Petermann does have the Adelie Penguins.

I'm still pretty tired, and I now have a cold. I have this feeling that I could sleep for 24 hours, but that isn't going to happen. I just hope I won't get seasick tomorrow when we hit the Drake.

19 January

A strange day. The best moment of the day comes in the Bremen Channel in the Melchior Islands. As we come down the channel from the middle entrance a small group of Wilsons Storm Petrels is foraging there. We saw them on the last trip, but I hadn't expected to find them here again. They dance on the water, so elegantly, unbelievable. And these tiny birds survive out on the open ocean.

This is our last zodiac trip for this voyage, and we get lovely weather. Low tide in the channel though, and we cannot really get through in Blackie. Grey zodiac gets through though, helped along by a small wave created by some falling ice. Still, it is a nice tour, and we get a good last view of the glaciers and the icebergs.

Then we head back to the ship where everything has to be made seafast because already during lunch we head out into the Drake. We start to move pretty soon, and the first few people turn pale and retire to their bunks. After our two o'clock crew meeting we find we are being accompanied on our way out by a couple of Fin Whales gliding gracefully alongside us through the waves. I make our cabin seafast and help out with a couple of other things before tiredness hits me and I get into bed for a couple of hours of sleep. When I wake up it's dinner time...

After dinner we show Shackleton's "South". I sort out all the pictures for the photo competition, making them smaller and renaming them for the jury. We are actually both in the competition, a picture of me at Vernadskiy having a little chat with my friend Paco, and a nice picture of Lex with his camera. And there is one of Lex in Paradise Bay, moving away from the place where a big piece of the glacier is coming down. Exciting stuff.

We move a little more now. The weather should be pretty good tomorrow, but the day after we are expecting a storm, force 7 or 8, so we need to be prepared. It always is hard for people to remember that we are on a moving ship, so they still leave their glasses, laptops and cameras unattended. I saw one camera fly on the last trip, fortunately only the battery pack was damaged. But these should be an interesting few days.

I'm listening to music on my ipod at the moment, probably for the first time since I've come on board Europa. It is weird, because I listen to music all the time at home, and here there is neither the time nor the attention. I'm listening to An Pierlé in concert, dynamic live performances. Yesterday I did listen to some music on my pc, Leonard Cohen, and I was away in a moment, back to the concerts I saw last year. I find there is a lot of music in my head, often An Pierlé songs, Luka Bloom as well. Often I don't need to play the music to be able to hear it.

These are the other days for us. Our main job, guiding people on the landings and the tours is finished, and we are left with some paper work, a logbook to write, odd jobs, and providing entertainment for those who want to be entertained between watches. More lectures, documentaries or maybe just some fun.

It is also the time when you realise that another trip is coming to an end, and that the people you share these three weeks will be going their own way again soon and you are not likely to see them again. Another strange thought.

20 January

The silence before the storm. The weather forecasts say that a storm should hit us some time tomorrow. Just now we are gliding along on the Drake Passage. People are sleeping, taking their turns at the wheel and as lookout, reading their books or working on their computers. Life goes on as usual, with people not being too much aware of the movement of the ship. People still take two cups, or put their glasses on the table. I guess it will be alright for today, but tomorrow that will be a problem.

I'm pretty tired now, and I'm finding it hard to keep going. There still is a lot of work to be done on the ship. The daily chores, like dishes, and the routine of producing programmes, providing information and showing documentaries as well as giving lectures. With the storm ahead this has been a day for trying to finish the logbook we write for the guests, for collecting all the other things to put on the voyage cd, and to start looking forward to the next trips to see if we need to change schedules.

21 January

The sea is a little rougher now, and this morning I saw eggs fly. Unusual, but then again, not that unusual on this ship. After continually warning the trainees about the movement of the ship and the need to do one thing at a time, it was the professional crew that messed up this morning. Not a great example.

It isn't that bad, actually, it still is possible to sit here working on a laptop without the thing immediately sliding off the table. You do need to take care with glasses, cups and things. The trainees have to wear a harnass when they go out on deck, but not all are going out on deck yet. Some stay in their bunks, because they are tired from the watches or because they still are seasick.

I am pretty tired still, but not sick. Not great, but not sick. It turns out that I am getting to be pretty seafast. After being sick a lot on my first trip in 2005 it has gradually gotten better. From sometimes just at the start, to just once in a while, to hardly at all. Then again, these have been very easy crossings really. Even this movement isn't that much really. Though I am not sure all of the guests would necessarily believe me.

We didn't have the courage to schedule a lecture for today, so it's films. Sperm Whales this afternoon, and Pontings film of the Terra Nova expedition tonight. It's now less than 48 hours to the Beagle Channel, depending on how much time we will lose when we get headwinds.

22 January

Only about 130 miles left to the waypoint, though it doesn't look like Cape Horn this trip. The storm that was predicted wasn't half as bad as expected. Yes, we rolled, but life still went on much as usual. It is pretty quiet again now, we roll a little, but I feel up to delivering a lecture later. Now let's hope there are guests who feel up to listening to a lecture later.

I'll give my talk on Edward Wilson again, which I'll enjoy doing. Sailing into Port Lockroy a few days ago brought his drawings to life in an unexpected way, I have some Edward Wilson pictures now. He was never on this side of the continent though. I've wanted to look into Antarctic art for a while now, I know some painters who come down here, but in Ushuaia I found a book called "Terra Antarctica" by William L. Fox which is about the representation of Antarctica in different art forms. I'm very much looking forward to reading it and to learn more on this subject. When I'm down here I always realise just how much I know and don't know. I know enough to give the kind of information people want to get, but I always want to know more for myself. Yesterday I read up on the history of Deception Island, both the island and the way it came about and the human history. It is a fascinating island. Then there are the little creatures. The other day we found some Salps, transparant small animals, with a little pouch containing all the organs, that can together create long strings. I know very little about animals like these. Then again, there is a lot more to learn about this place....

First Trip of the Season

13 December 2008

Europa is heading south again. We are just leaving the calm waters of the Beagle Channel, heading for the, probably, less calm waters of the Drake Passage. We're getting to know the guests, and getting used to the ship again. It is odd to be back, and very familiar. Most of the crew are new, but they seem a good and enthousiastic team. The atmosphere on board is relaxed. It feels good really.

I share a cabin with three other female crew members, which means being quiet at other than meal times. Two take part in the sea watches, so there will always be someone sleeping. It's not so bad, and it's a nice cabin. With a lot of stuff lying about.


14 December 2008

We are out on the Drake, but life here remains calm. It is quiet on deck, quite a few people prefer their bunks to the decks or the deckhouse, even though the sea is fairly calm. I'm quite happy so far, feeling a little sleepy as always, but not sick. I even managed a lecture on seabirds today, which was fun to do. We've shown the documentaries, and had enough interest for the lecture. Well, at the second attempt anyway. We have some keen bird watchers on board though not too many birds so far, unfortunately. Maybe the sea needs to get a little rougher for that.

It's a very mixed group, some people seem everywhere, others you hardly notice. It is a mainly Dutch group this time, just a few other nationalities, other languages. I think it will be a good trip.

I work with a guide from New Zealand this time, we worked together last year too, and that should be good. He is an earth scientist, knowing all about the ice and the climate, so we can offer the guests a varies programme. And I already heard of guests themselves who have prepared lectures.

Looking ahead, I heard there is a lot of sea ice more southerly near the peninsula, so we'll have to see if we can carry out all of our programme. If all goes well we will be at Port Lockroy for Christmas, a beautiful place, and maybe we will be back at Harberton in time for New Year! The captain has already started to prepare the way for that.


15 December 2008

Out on the Drake, less than 48 hours to the first landing. It is a fairly quiet crossing, no major storms so far, some people seasick, but most are up and about again and seem happy. Some are still happier left alone. People take part in the watches, though some are a little reluctant. We get a good turn-out for the lectures, I have a feeling we will be doing many this trip. Many people are eager to learn about the ice, the birds and the wildlife, as well as about the history. They ask questions and are genuinely interested. I hope it will stay that way.

16 December

The sting of this crossing was in the tail, though it wasn't much of a sting. Up until today it wasn't really all that necessary to have everything made seafast, things stayed in place. But today was a day for flying again. Then again, it was only rough compared to the first few days of the crossing. Compared to other crossings this was definitely a Drake lake all the way. I am glad that just for a change I didn't get sick at all, but I was able to do the work, give lectures, and help out with other things a little. Not a bad crossing really.

17 December

There are many reasons why Barrientos Island is one of the best landing sites. First of all, for many people, being here means you are no longer on the Drake Passage. You are no longer sick, the ship isn't moving in all directions, and the sea watches end. You get to take a shower, and you have finally reached your destination.

Then there is the island itself. It is one of those places where the weather really isn't that important. I've been here on days when there was bright sunshine, when it was grey and foggy and when it was raining. And the place is different every time, but beautiful every time. When there is sunshine you get the most beautiful blue skies, you are bound to get sunburnt and you just enjoy all this lovely fresh air. Then when there is fog, the place gets a mysterious air about it that I cannot really describe. Someone mentioned Mordor yesterday, and it does have a touch of the Middle Earth.

Here you get the penguins, we had all three brushtails today, with one stray Adelie among the Chinstraps and the Gentoos. You get to see, hear and smell the Elephant Seals on the other side, and you get the Giant petrels. And they had just found a couple of carcasses on the beach today, so they became the real scavengers they are. The light faces turned bright red with the fresh blood of their dinner. I had never seen this before, except on pictures, and it was fascinating.

Here you also get the landscape. The vast field of moss at the centre of the island, the various rock formations all around, always in a different light. It's a wonderful place to come back to.

Giving the lecture on penguins just now was easy, so much to refer back to already. I was glad to see that in spite of the heat in the lounge and the nice dinner just before only one person fell asleep. And he was off before I'd even said a word....

18 December

We are heading for Yankee Harbour, one of the harbours used by sealers here in the early nineteenth century. I was reading about the sealers before this trip and it didn't make happy reading. The entire fur seal population of several hundred thousand was wiped out here in the space of two summers. Unimaginable nowadays.

later

After two landings. Yankee Harbour turned out okay even though it seemed the wind might be too strong for a landing. It didn't take too much trouble to get ashore, and people seemed to enjoy stretching their legs. It was a nice walk, even though it was a bit windy.

evening

We just got back from Half Moon Bay, which turned out to be a very wet landing indeed. What looked like a little swell from the ship made for a rough and wet landing. The zodiacs had some trouble putting everybody ashore, and it took them a long time.

The reward for all this effort were Wilsons Storm Petrels, Terns, and Sheathbills. The Sheathbills were displaying for us, the Terns simply thought we were too close, and the Storm Petrels showed themselves beautifully on their way back to their nests. There is a mystical quality about storm petrels, the sound they make from their nests in the evening as their mates return. It reminded me of the Moussa Broch, where I had a lovely evening some years ago, waiting for the Petrels to return.

19 December 2008

Deception Island today showed itself in its most deceptive way. We entered the caldera late because of strong headwinds on the way down. Quite a few guests spent much of the morning in their bunks not feeling very well. Then when we did arrive the wind seemed as strong inside the caldera as outside. We headed for Pendulum Cove, to go and have a swim in the thermal waters, but the waves looked daunting. We decided to wait until after lunch to see if it would get better, and immediately after lunch Arran, Dan and I took off in the zodiac to look for a suitable landingspot. It was a little hard getting into the zodiac from the ship, but getting onto the beach was no problem. As we were debating whether landing was a good idea the zodiac seemed to get a life of its own, and we soon realised debating was not necessary. It took us some ten minutes and some wet suits to get back to the ship. We were all soaked. So no landing.

We decided to wait for a while to see if conditions would improve, but in the end we had to sail across the caldera to Whalers Bay without having had our swim.

The evening was for Whalers Bay, and that was a good landing. A little swell and spray on the way down, but nothing too bad, and perfect weather for the walk up to Neptune's Window and for having a look round the deserted whaling station. The light was beautiful, as it often is there in the evening, and some people took advantage of these conditions to have the swim they missed in the afternoon. Whalers Bay almost made up for a day of waiting.

20 December 2008

The day of the iceberg graveyard. We started the day with some movement but in the end we had little wind at Trinity. Two great rides, each with their own moments. This always is a good place to be. So many icebergs, so many colours. And we got to see Snow Petrels today, that alone makes the day!

21 December 2008

Heading further south along the peninsula. Heading to Cuverville today. On the way down Dan and I talk about the things you can do there, you can walk up the hill, but only if there is some snow protecting the mosses. And we agree that it is highly unlikely we will get snow there.

When we arrive at Cuverville around dinner time, I cannot believe my eyes. The whole beach is covered in over 50 cm of snow! Where there is a beach, there is no beach, just snow. We land, some people walk along the very narrow strip of shoreline that is still visible. Most climb onto the snow and head for the small patches of rock, where the penguins are breeding.

Then the Cuverville magic starts. Wilsons Storm Petrels head inland, Penguins come ashore, and the evening light brilliantly shines over the mountains. The sky is bright with a hit of pink. It is breathtaking. Just half an hour earlier someone said to me that this was not a good place for an evening landing because the light was not good enough for taking pictures. To me Cuverville is the place where you do not need to bring a camera. You need to look out over the mountains, sit down at the beach and watch the penguins come home. That is all you need to do for a perfect evening.

22 December 2008

One of our busiest days with three different excursions. First, our landing on mainland Antarctica at Neko Harbour. Some ice in front of the landing beach, but quite an easy landing. Again, a lot of snow here, so tough going uphill. For those who made it to the top coming down was easy. And fast. I went halfway up with some of the guests and walked back down. I managed to get stuck in the snow a couple of times. Dan saw me struggling to get out only to call me on the radio, making me suffer a little more... Just before we took off again a Crabeater Seal came onto the beach, giving the people ashore the chance to take some more nice pictures.

The afternoon was for zodiac rides in Paradise Harbour. Always beautiful, and for some reason I always have good weather there. We had a good tour, and we saw some more Crabeater Seals there.

Then in the evening it was time for fun and games on the continent. Most of the guests came ashore to climb up the slope behind Almirante Brown for our sliding exercises. Some climbed up a few times and really got into it. I don't have my big "Tjalling suit" this trip, but the present inhabitant, Jan, kindly lent it to me for the evening, so I had a comfortable ride down again. Lovely. I was the last one, so by the time it was my turn there was a nice track too.

23 December

Today we reached our furthest south for this trip. Vernadskiy Station, the Ukrainian base. We got a warm welcome there from the station commander. I remember meeting him a couple of years ago too, and he remembered me. "Yes, you came with Lex". Nice man. The guests got the tour of the station. I got to stamp the passports and handle the transportation. I had to wait for the zodiacs to arrive at the jetty, got a little cold and wet, but very much enjoyed the peace and quiet. I was standing on a small track, in between two walls of snow taller than me. Again, not something I have done before.

The tour always ends in the bar, where you can get some very nice wodka. I was offered a glass by one of our guests, a very nice lady from Finland. I only ever drink wodka here, just the one, and I drink it the traditional way, it all goes down in one go. The best way. Getting out onto the balcony for clearer radio reception was a bit risky this time. Dan was down by the jetty and decided to try and hit me with some snowballs. He was far off the mark at first, but he is not one to give up, so he came closer and closer and finally managed to hit me once. It was funny.

Then, just before going back I was offered another drink by a couple of the Ukrainians, and I couldn't refuse, of course. I was in the last boat going back, always a dangerous place to be. We had a couple of crew members on board, who perhaps had more than just one or two wodkas. I was the only woman on board, and they kept apologizing in advance to me for all they were saying and singing.... I learned a few new songs and stories, though I probably won't repeat them.

The party continued on the ship with our traditional barbecue and dancing on deck afterwards. It was a little slow to start, but it was good fun in the end.

24 December 2008

On this ship you lose all sense of time. This is the day before Christmas, we have a Christmas tree here, presents, but no real sense of Christmas yet. Maybe tomorrow.

We are sailing north again through the Lemaire Channel. We really are sailing now, only the sails are up, no engine sounds. It's a beautiful day. On the way down we saw nothing of this narrow channel, now we get some lovely views of the steep rocks.

This morning we visited Petermann Island, one of my favourites. Another one of my favourites. The Adelie Penguins were there, looking beautiful as ever, and the Blue-eyed Shags. But my best moment was down on the rocks near the sea, waiting for a zodiac with one of the guests, being surrounded in a matter of minutes by several dozen Gentoos. A couple came over to inspect us, and they were pecking at my companion's boot. Lovely to watch.

Then it got almost even better. For the first time since I've been working on the ship we managed to travel north throught the Lemaire channel just using the sails. No engine, but real sailing. And we had blue skies, so everybody did get to see the steep cliffs on either side of the Lemaire. Just perfect. And just before dinner we sailed into Port Lockroy. I am always happy to be here, in this beautiful sheltered harbour, with a view of my favourite Antarctic mountain.

25 December 2008

Today was just a perfect day, with so many lovely moments. A day of moments. It's hard to pick up the best really.

We had a slightly shaky start, because just after landing at Dorian Bay it started to snow quite badly, and it looked like it wouldn't be a good landing. For a while, waiting for the zodiacs at the beach, I couldn't even see Europa anymore. That was a good moment though, because as I was standing there in the quiet, all by myself, a couple of penguins jumped onto the beach, I could see some of the mountains, and a tern was hunting about two metres in front of me, diving into the water, searching for food. It was so lovely and beautiful. Then the snow stopped, the skies opened, and it turned into a lovely landing after all. I wandered along the beach a little, just looking around, enjoying every moment.

Back on the ship it was time for lunch, and then Rick came over from Port Lockroy to give his talk on the history of the place. It is always good to see Rick, he is a lovely man, always kind and friendly and with a good sense of humour. He gave his talk, in great style, because the Christmas champagne had been opened early at the base. Then we all went over to the museum and post office for a look round and to do some shopping. The girls there were very nice and welcoming. And this time I had mail waiting for me at Lockroy, a postcard from a guide on the Multanovskiy! I loved it!! And I left my message behind on the board, as the Multanovskiy will be there in about a week. Some way to communicate!

Then we started to prepare for Christmas dinner, a crew effort. It all looked very nice, and tasted great. Many of us dressed up a little, I had brought my little black skirt, which looked great with my fashionable sports shoes... Oh well. It was funny to be so dressed up here. And a little chilly. Rick and the girls came over for Christmas dinner, dressed up too, and I think they enjoyed themselves.

Back out on deck Rick and I had a little dance together, he had said before he came he wanted to dance, and the music was provided by Dan singing one of Rick's favourites. Another one of those moments. Then it was time for the guests to take some crew pictures, and some pictures of the Lockroy crew, before they went back to their island.

By now it had started to snow again, and some people were up on deck starting a snowball fight. Most of us were still inside, but I was soon tempted out for some reason or another and became involved in the fight. I started off on the main deck, trying to hit Dan, Arran and Henk on the poop deck, but I wasn't in a great position. I got hit a couple of times, all they had to do was drop the snowballs down on my head. So I thought I'd get closer and went up on the poop deck. There I was told I was now part of their team, so I ended up throwing at the guys on the other deck. It was fun working out tactics and trying not to get hit. I did get a little cold in the end, as I was still wearing my skirt and fleece. It was great fun though.

26 December 2008

Sometimes life seems too perfect. We had our last landing this morning at Jougla Point, always a lovely spot. And the weather was absolutely perfect. Blue skies and sunshine. We went over to Jougla, had a soft landing, a walk along the beach, up to the Antarctic shags, down to the whalebones, and most people went up the hill to enjoy the view. I stayed closer to the beach for much of the time in order to be able to ask for zodiacs to come and pick people up. I wandered round a bit, taking some pictures myself of the Antarctic shags, and then just sat down to enjoy the quiet, the view, the penguins coming in. It was lovely. As usual on the last landing, we had some trouble getting people off the land, but we did manage to get everybody back on the ship before lunch.

later

Some days just get better. We've kept our blue skies, and we've sailed through some amazing landscapes, past amazing icebergs. We managed to get everybody up on deck several times, for Killer Whales, Humpbacks and arched icebergs. Just perfect.

Now we're sailing again, heading for the Melchior Islands. Our last zodiac cruise tomorrow, and then we're off on the Drake again. They say we will have more real sailing then.

27 December 2008

Our last zodiac cruise was a good one. I ended up in Sloopy, but it was high tide so we could reach all the channels. we saw some great blues in the ice, some beautiful icebergs, but the real beauty came at the end. In the Bremen channel a whole group of Wilsons Storm Petrels was dancing on the water, accompanied by some Cape Petrels and Shags. There probably was a lot of food there. They came so close to the little boat I could almost touch them. They were lovely to watch.

On the way back the ever charming Arran sat back and let me drive. I enjoyed that very much, and it went quite well, though we had a few waves crossing the bay. Arran promised to give me some lessons on the next trip, so I might learn to drive zodiacs this winter after all.

28 December 2008

A day of sailing. No engine, just the sails, blue skies and we make good speed. If this continues we will reach the Beagle well before New Year! And maybe the best thing of all for today, three Antarctic Petrels accompanying Europa on her way.

29 December

Less wind today, so we needed the engine, but we made good speed. A Minke Whale came to greet us, and we had a lot of albatross and other seabirds.

And other things to keep us busy. We may be on the Drake Passage, some things need to be dealt with throughout the trip. Like the paper work. We have a beautiful system on this ship called "Johan's Voyage Worm". You use it to do the accounts, find out how many birthdays there are during the trip, print on and off-board lists and lots of other things. This trip the worm has been playing up though. We found we suddenly had a stowaway trainee called Richard appearing on our lists. There is no Richard on board though. And then the worm decided it would no longer do the accounts. It's taken three of us several hours to work out what the problem is, and so far we've been able to solve half of it. But it's weird being out here, spending hours trying to solve database problems.

30 December

Still heading for Cape Horn, sails and engine, doing over 7 knots. We should see the Cape tonight, and then be in the Beagle Channel in plenty of time for New Years Eve. The winds are favourable, and they bring seabirds. Lots of Wandering Albatross this morning, Black-browed, White-chinned Petrels, Prions. Beautiful.

Over the last couple of days I've realised how my perspective has changed over the last few years. The ship is rolling a little, not too bad, but people have the impression that we are in bad weather. This rolling is not unusual though, and certainly not extreme. Average, I guess. We had a Drake Lake on the way down, so this may seem like much to guests, but for me this still is an easy crossing. I can look back on crossings where the waves came over the wheelhouse, and it was not safe to be out on deck.

I've not been seasick this trip, though I haven't felt great all the time. I know what to do and what not to do, and so I've been able to continue working every day. That feels good, I don't like being in my bunk all the time.

later

Some nights are almost perfect. We reached Cape Horn around 9.30 pm. Well, we got as close as we could. Still a lot of albatross around the ship, mainly Wanderers gliding over the waves. Beauty 1. Then the perfect sunset, glorious colours, just a few clouds to spread the light. Beauty 2. The rocks in the distance, one of them the Cape. We could see the lighthouse, the light, in this perfect light. Beauty 3. We were sailing all the way past, no engine noise, but we made good speed with just the sails. Quietly sailing past the Cape. Beauty 4. Beautiful light, not cold, dry. The best thing for me was getting one of the guests up on deck to see all this. He had been sick in his cabin since we started the crossing, and he did so look forward to seeing the Wandering Albatross. I talked him out of his bunk, and he got to see the Albatross. Beauty 5.

So it was perfect. Almost. I was missing someone. Five days to go.

31 December

Back in the Beagle, waiting for the party. A day of preparation, preparing for the new year, preparing to say goodbye to the ship, to companions, to the feeling of the trip, to the old year.

I guess it has been a good year, so much has happened, so much has changed, though not necessarily in the world outside.

3 January 2009

Well, it's the new year, and a couple of busy days behind me. We said goodbye to the guests and started preparing for the new group. Always a strange couple of days, the days of transition. All groups are different, but in some ways they are all the same. There are some people who get on your nerves at some point during the trip, many you like and talk to, and some you get to like more and you talk to a lot. That is a almost a constant. On this trip I met a nice Scotsman, who was enthousiastic and keen about the ship, the landscape and the birds, and who was always friendly. He was fun to talk to because of his kindness and the twinkle in his eye. I liked his sense of humour. Then there was the quiet man who came out to see albatross and got so sick he didn't see any for most of the trip. One of my best moments was getting him out of bed on the last evening, just before Cape Horn, and getting him up on deck so he got to see Wandering Albatross. And there was the doctor from the north, who brought his entire family and was very interested in the Antarctic and the ship. I enjoyed talking to him. He came to my rescue when I got stuck in the snow, something I appreciated very much. It's those people that make the trip worthwhile, quite apart from the landscapes and the wildlife.

Dan and I got our planning a little screwed up the last couple of days, and I haven't had time off yet really. The new guests arrive tomorrow and I am still exhausted. We worked until 4.30 am the last night the guests were on board, and I had to get up at 6.30 to help out with the accounts, and I am still paying for that. We also went to the Irish pub last night, so no early night then either. But that was my own fault.

My brain has gone haywire because I'm tired, so at the moment it takes me twice as long to do almost anything. It's weird. I keep losing track of things, and I keep losing things. I hope I'll be a little more lucid tomorrow when the new guests arrive.