Flying into Buenos Aires was the first reason to celebrate. It wouldn't be long before we'd be meeting up with Steve for the first time since our last Team Antarctica dinner in Boulder.
I knew Steve would bring the enthusiasm to another level and he didn't disappoint... even at 2am!
All that anxiety about the possibility of a positive Covid test and getting to there on time etc. quickly vanished as our airplane overflew the Magellan Straight and descended into Ushuaia at 8am.
The price you pay for this view is turbulence, FYI.
We were beyond excited to regroup with Team Antarctica, and explore a little before embarking on our voyage to the frozen continent, tomorrow afternoon. Lunch and a little Ushuaia and maritime history was the perfect start. It's town with a dark prison past and some unforgiving waters. Excitement and anxiety were building...
That evening, Kelli, Todd, Gail, Mark and I hoofed it up a steep hill to Steve's hotel, where the "icebreaker" for our cruise was being held. The hike felt good, the view was spectacular and I met a number of people who would go on to become Ocean Endeavour friends. Among them, Lawrence and his wife, Moni. They are New Zealand citizens but originally from somewhere exotic... I want to say the Maldives?! Laurence renamed me, in his words, to something more kiwi! My cruise name is apparently Aurora. (With a mouthful of braces and a lispy speech impediment, Aurora is actually easier to say than Dallice. I might keep it. Introducing myself has been frustrating and we are meeting dozens of new people down here.)
December 22nd.
The next day (boarding day) we had some time to pop about in town again before meeting the "cruise bus" which gets you through the entrance to the port and all the way to the gangway.
Rumor had it that we could stamp our passports with an Antarctica stamp! Sure... it's a thing. Not a real thing, since Antarctica is not a country and passport control is therefore irrelevant, but the Tourist Info office is happy to provide the stamps and ink to watch us all deface our government issued travel documents. So we did. With giddy childish giggles to boot! (I love Team Antarctica!!)
Who's impressed with Ushuaia's efforts to feed the free-ranging dogs? This gal.
Some mandatory souvenir shopping, of course. For us, it was the last chance to buy postcards that we'd write and mail from Antarctica. Not cheap or quick, since the only post office is at Port Lockroy - a British station that sends mail home "once in a while". Once it gets to England it's mailed to it's final destination. If you were on my mind while I was upchucking my way across the Drake a day or two from now, you can expect to get your card (with love) in 3-6 months.
Ok, so I was looking a bit nervous and not exactly on-top-of-world happy in this pic. Boarding in...10!
Our cabin! #7011
A room with a view.
There was almost a moment where I didn't fret for Wrigley and Rusty, home alone and trapped if the house burned down... and the hens, braving subzero temps as a "bomb cyclone" raged at home. Almost.
Fingers crossed the cruise would provide enough distraction, stimulation or seasickness to actually lower the stress of being so far away and so not in control. The intense pet-sitter-stress had caused me to grow a little row of cold sores. Geez, I think divorce was the last thing to trigger that!
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