Fearless Four go South

From this morning new photos will be added to the top of the Gallery page as that makes it easier to see what’s new.

Saturday 2 March, 2013

The guests enjoyed a lively questions and answer session with the Captain and the Fram’s Hotel manager last night in the Observation Lounge Bar. Both men skillfully fielded questions on everything from the technicalities of the ship’s engines to the price of alcohol on Board. However, the most interesting exchange took place just as the evening was drawing to a close. This is as near verbatim as we can remember what was said.

Guest: ”Captain, I have been asked by those at my dinner table to ask you a personal question and, of course, you are free to answer or not as you please. But you should be aware, if you do answer it, my fellow diners have to buy me a drink so there is a lot riding on it. The question is who are the three people, two women and a man, seated each evening at the officers dining table who are not wearing uniform and who are presumably not part of the crew but don’t seem to be guests either?”

Captain (after a pause): ”Well, first of all, the gentleman sitting next to the First Engineer is the new First Engineer who will take over the post when the ship arrives back in Buenos Aries so he is on a familiarisation trip with us.”

After a further pause, during which the audience waited with the bated breath, the Captain continued: ”And, sir, you shall have your drink! There is no secret. The lady sitting on my left……is a very close friend of the lady sitting on my right. Cheers!” .

This was followed by an extended round of applause. Clearly, our Captain is both an Officer and a Gentleman.

And this, too, is a true story.

Putting some penguin photos on our new Penguin page (under Gallery). More to come.

Arrived South Georgia this morning about 08.30 ship’s time (10.30 GMT). Wind force 6 and ambiant temperature is about -5. Standing on deck, it would ”take the tattoo ofa your arm” (to borrow a quote from a Guy Clark song).

Sighted Cape Disappointment first which was first seen in 1775 by Captain James Cook. He thought he had reached the Great South Land (Antarctica) and was so upset to discover he had only arrived at an island in the Southern Ocean that he named the headland accordingly. The Island, on the other hand, he named after his King (George III).

Sailed up the dramatic and beautiful Drygalski Fjord. Very reminiscent of Milford Sound in NZ but more striking probably because of the jagged, towering peaks, snow covered valleys and a glacier around every headland. Mary may blog more on this later.

Meanwhile, we’re off to Grytviken, an old whaling station. We will visit the graveyard of Ernest Skhackleton and that is likely to be a poignant moment for all of us. It was the exploits of Shackleton and his men that inspired many of us to visit this part of the world.

More later

Last two days spent at sea and, frankly, lots to do. Spent some time on deck scanning horizon for wildlife, a hour or two in the gym, and of course the internet came back up so updated the blog. Made some great friends on board so had a coffee and chatted from time to time. Have taken more than 1,000 photos and that’s just one of the Fearless Four. Keeping them in order and resizing for the blog is also time-consuming. But never read a book or watched a movie despite coming well equipped with both.

We also had some fascinating lectures from the very expert expedition team, One of those lectures gives its name to this post. Now, I would be first to admit that had I seen this advertised on TV I wouldn’t have changed the channel to watch it. Surprisingly, it was tremendously interesting.

Google it if you want to know what it was about!

Our link to the outside world has been working again this evening and new photos have been uploaded to the gallery page.

Wednesday 27th Feb into Thursday.

We have crossed a time zone this evening on our way back to South Georgia and the clock has gone forward 1 hour. So as I write this, it is 1am ship’s time, 2am GMT and I have been making one last attempt before bed to access the internet. I have been told that there is a continuing technical problem (it had been blamed on a lack of satellite coverage up to now which had always seemed unlikely). I am assured that the ships technical officer is trying desperately to resolve matters. It is very frustrating and quite a number of passengers on board have been complaining. However, tomorrow is another day and we hope for the best. I did manage to get a text message to Dublin and arrange for a post to be put on the blog explaining our difficulty and apologising to all those at home and elsewhere who had been expecting to follow our voyage as it unfolded.

Looking out from the observation lounge, I can see the ships powerful spotlights scanning the ocean ahead, in search I presume for the icebergs that continue to populate these waters. The ship is rolling from side to side in a heavy sea and I conclude that the best place to be is lying down. Bedtime!

Wednesday Afternoon, 27th February and we have left the Antarctic Peninsula behind and look forward now to two days sailing before we reach South Georgia. But first we must navigate our way through ”Iceberg Alley” as this part of the Antarctic Sound is sometimes known. It is full of giant tabular icebergs that have broken away from the ice shelves that surround this part of the Antarctic coast. They are quite spactacular and are not found in any other waters around the globe. They are presumably a nighmare for the ship’s navigators in bad visibility. Speaking of which, the fog has stared to close in around the ship. Hope the radar is working.

Now we need to plan the next 72 hours before we arrive in Grytviken, a visit that will be something of a pilgrimage for many of us for that is where we plan to raise a toast at the graveside of the greatest Antarctic explorer of them all, Ernest Shackleton.

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.

Wednesday 27th February.

Antarctica is a hard place to get to and an even harder place to get out of in an emergency. And so the Fearless Four are covered by all sorts of doctor’s certificates and insurance policies which the tour company insist on and are therefore mandatory.

Apart from this, Antarctica is not the kind of place to be caught out without your favourite medicines to treat everyday ailments as well as some others that are a risk on a trip like this such as sea-sickness and, believe it or not, sunburn. Thus it is that the Fearlesss Four between us have enough lotions, potions, pills, creams, gels, natural remedies, herbal extracts, straps, wraps, heat pads, and supports to cure the vast majority of illnesses and to at least attempt a treatment on dozens of others.

We look forward to using none of them.