December 25th: Lemaire Channel and Hovgaard Island

Day 3: Dec 25th. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS from Antarctica!!!

We saw land and ice bergs for the first time today. Somewhere on the boat someone was celebrating winning the "guess when we see the first iceberg" competition. It was not me. I honestly thought we'd see land much earlier... but then again I didn't realize the journey to the peninsula is quite different for us. Since we are aiming to go low - way south into the Antarctic Circle - the ship was steered not just south to the peninsula but SW to a lower part of the peninsular and entered the protected archipelago waters a lot later than a typical peninsular cruise would.

Kelli and I 

One of the many beautiful aspects of an expedition cruise versus a regular cruise is the high crew to passenger ratio. We are invited into the Bridge when Captain Alexi is not staring down rogue waves or navigating ice-berg riddled, narrow passages. The navigation crew are welcoming and the view engaging. Look! They have windscreen wipers!

The day is broken into chunks and even though advice I received ahead of this trip ran along the lines of "take a book, there is a lot of down-time", I beg to differ. Firstly, every time you turn your head it's time to eat again. 3 hearty meals plus cookies and hot drinks all day long and afternoon tea that resembled High Tea with its crustless cucumber sammies, bite-sized cakes and scones with jam and cream. I know, I know... It's a high class problem and this is by no means a complaint.

While lunch and breakfasts are buffet style, dinner is a la carte and when the boat isn't rocking badly, you'll find portions of them up-close and in-person, displayed at the entrance to the restaurant. It's magical!

Beet and goat cheese - a favorite of mine!

Roast turkey with brussel sprouts and a tower of mashed potatoes

Bourbon pecan pie

In between feedings, we have lectures to; make us smarter (Blue Planet caliber lecturers!), bring awareness and make us better stewards of the planet (Citizen Science), off-ship operations (LOVE this term and feel it does do the organization and execution, some justice) briefings and/or group meetings and finally entertainment - maybe a movie, trivia game, sing-along or some such.

Squeeze in some socializing at dinner or cocktail or meeting times and you have yourself an array of like-minded travelers with a diverse array of expectations, backgrounds and perspectives. Super interesting and time well spent to get to know each one just a little bit. The ship appears to be dominated by Aussies and Americans. There are kiwis, Brits, Canadians of course, and a smattering of all the other humans that come from far flung reaches of the globe. 

Steve's roommate was a older gent from Texas. A sweet and interesting person named Mike. Mike appeared to be your run-of-the-mill Republican and we wondered if Steve would survive... but then again, here was Mike throwing himself into a decidedly liberal group of science lovers and attending lectures that were well and truly advocating climate-change. I heard a rumor that Mike offended someone with his gun control/gun safety stories... but that someone wasn't me. I found him to be delightful in his own way, well intentioned and perhaps a little lonely - which made me perhaps a little sad to contemplate. 

Gail's roommate was a strong, independent and easy-to-spend-time-with, woman from Aussie. Jan was petite with a short silver ponytail. She always seemed pretty organized, friendly and smiley. But by Christmas she was bringing the cough and left Gail wondering if she scored the roommate with the 'rona. 

More about that later. We came here to see penguins and what-not, am I right?!

This is what our first glimpses of Antarctica looked like: 

First Zodiac landing! Hovgaard Island. (Detaille Island landing cancelled due to unsafe swell.)

It came after the first go at mastering the mud room flow and protocols. Photog's (that's what they called our group of 20 in the exclusive photo group) get there first... around the same time the kayak crew is being announced to get ready.

Geez, it was a bit stressful I don't mind admitting. Layers started with a wool base from neckgaiter to toe in the room. Then a puffy jacket with or without another mid layer also applied in each person's private cabin or just before entering the mud room. And then the waterproof pants and jacket. On top of it all Muck Boots and a life jacket that has to be adjusted to fit snuggly. 

Just when you think you are done, we are reminded to be "hands free" as we enter the gangway area, so gloves and hats are put on as we reach for the room card/ID that is used to scan us off the boat one by one. 

Then its a quick boot and lower pant dunk in the Vircon to decontaminate areas that will come into contact with land. 

One hands one's bag to a crew member in charge of boarding and then uses the secret (safe) forearm-hold with the Zodiac driver and a 1 (side of Zodiac), 2 (yellow wooden box), 3 (floor of Zodiac) steps are taken before quickly being seated. Your bag is handed to you and it stays off your back and on the floor in front of you during the ride.  

Our ride to the land took all of 5 mins and as the boat diminished in size, we approached a shore comprised of medium sized smooth rocks on a not insignificantly steep shore. 

Getting off the Zodiac was also choreographed for efficiency and safety. No-one one wanted to be christened by the cold Antarctic waters anyway, so compliance was not hard to come by except in cases of those challenged by body shape and flexibility. 

So what does a landing excursion really look like?

The crew have already completed a scouting visit... choosing the easiest landing that didn't interfere with nesting or penguin highways. They had the right to cancel the operation entirely if the swell, wind or other conditions made getting into the zodiak or disembarking the zodiak risky. Once a landing spot was sourced, they also walked the area to determine paths of least destruction (deep boot holes, penguin or seal disruption etc) and they set red pole markers that determined a perimeter or path to a colony etc

We arrived 10 to a boat, about 50-75 people over the course of an hour and found crew scattered around the area, with info about geology, wildlife and even lichen at the ready. Photog's had 2 photo guides to help with camera settings, answer questions and get tips and tricks to accommodate the intense contrast, moving targets and to remind us to both take in the big picture as well as look down at the minute details too. 

I was in HEAVEN! In just one landing, this trip had already exceeded expectations. Wee flightless birds in tuxedos toddled by, taking rocky uphill's in 3" stride with their adorable flipper-arms pointed backwards from their bodies. They turned and stared at us like WE were the novelty... posing and taking their time moving on. I wanted to shove one inside my dry-bag and take it home. Alas my 2' arms were not long enough to violate the 15' social distancing rule that IAATO mandates.

IAATO - International Antarctic Association of Tour Operators. Do you have to join? No... but you do need to get a permit from your home country to step foot on land here and if you are not a member, sworn to uphold the rules that preserve Antarctica, then you'll likely not get a permit, not get passengers, not get paid and not stay in business. The long and short of the story is - No penguins for Dallice! Best I take good pics then, eh?

Most of our landings also featured a hill climb to what Jonathan would describe as "the best view in the whole universe" and he wasn't far wrong. Every. Single. Time!

Taking a few minutes to breathe and TRY to capture it all before zipping off in a Zodiac, I found myself closer to the shore, admiring the lazy life of a seal! 

On our cruise, each landing is usually followed by a period of time cruising in a Zodiac too. I'd say about an hour. It's cooler on the water with the wind in your bird's nest hair! All those layers that felt like overkill while hiking up a snowy hill now come in handy keeping the sweat from getting chilly as we zipped across the water or sat quietly in glass-like bays waiting for seals to yawn or whales to breach. I seemed to have a particular knack for just missing a whale sighting but part of that may be because I turn my head (or contort my whole body) to capture every other iceberg or bergie-bit that that is blue, green, old-timey clear with a reptilian pattern or just a really cool shape.

Excursions are followed by broth or hot chocolate. That is followed by a drinkie with the days recap and tomorrows weather and route briefing and a quick photo-sharing/editing session.

 Then it's dinner time - and even when you think you have already eaten enough today to satiate the tapeworm within, dinner is flavorful and beautifully presented and goes down the hatch a bit too fast!

Since it is indeed Christmas too, I was thrilled to see some of our passengers packed holiday cheer outfits and sported them during the evening. How the heck they had brain space or luggage space to plan for this is a mystery to me...but then again, this journey is full of wonderment!

<sigh> I have holiday-onesie envy!

Today I'm grateful for new friends, old friends, eye-popping scenery, the smell of penguino guano, steep snowy hikes, warm winter hats and the extraordinary culinary skills performed in the bowels of an expedition vessel anchored at the frozen continent!

Preparing for a good nights sleep, the final thought of the day goes to my fur-babies a million miles away... getting acquainted with Heidi the replacement pet-sitter on Xmas night. May they feel cared for and comforted tonight. Gosh I miss those golden retriever eyes gazing back and me, the vibration of a deep purr and that comical chicken-sprint across the yard!