It is Wednesday 27th February and we woke this morning to yet another bright blue sky and the awesome scenery of the Antarctic Sound. There is no point in reaching for any more superlatives to describe what we seeing down here. Every new stretch of ocean, every new channel, every headland, every bay and harbour and every new dawn reveals a new jaw-droppingly beautiful vista. This country is surely God’s own creation – whoever your God might be.
We landed this morning in Hope Bay and the Argentian Base of Esperanza. The base seems to exist as much to bolster Argentinian claims to this part of the continent as for any other reason. It is populated by a small group from the Argentine defence forces and their families. There is also a small group of research scientists carrying out experiments with everything from the wind to hydrogen fuel cells.
And then there is the penguins. Everywhere, there is the penguins. In this case, gentoos, chinstraps and the only true Antarctic penguin of them all, the adelie. But that is OK too because by now we are all in love with the penguins.
The base comprises a scattering of huts of different sizes but similar construction and which make up this small community. These are homes, offices, laboratories, a recreation centre, and even a Roman Catholic church. The base is resupplied every two weeks or so by ship but they also have access to air transoport from a second Argentinian base about 100 km away. Helicopters can land as as well as small twin otter aircraft equipped with special landing skis which touch down improbably on the icy ridge about 150 metres above the base.
We spend an hour here with the opportunity to send more postcards, visit a small and sparsely stocked souvenier shop before heading back to ship. Although the sun continues to shine, it is cold (about 0 celsius) and the seas are rough. It is a bit of a bumpy and wet ride back to our floating home.