Blogs from Antarctica, Antarctica - page 17

So far I haven't told you much about my fellow passengers on the ship except for the 5 that I joined the boat with and my kayak partner. Well it was an intersting mix of people ranging from the very old (over 70) down to mid 20s. A significant portion of whom were Aussie and Canadian. Whilst we were on the boat I did manage to make friend with quite a few. There was Terry the mid-30s Canadian "bridge" engineer. We had plenty of beers and long chats together. There was Warren and Betsy the 40-something couple who had sold their entire possessions and were spending as long as possible backpacking around the world. I think their aim is 5 years. There was Kevin the mid 20s Canadian Environmental Scientist who came to visit one of ... read more

So on teh 28th, after another rough weather morning with no landings we finally got to make a landing / go kayaking in the afternoon. This was pretty exciting for everyone! Although it wasn't "continental" Antarctica and was just an island it was still the first time we were setting foot on Antarctic soil / rock / snow / whatever - we weren't really sure. The location for this momentous event was Petermann Island. So again we kitted up in thermals and dry suit and this time we were allowed to actually get in our kayaks. It was kinda weird seeing all my friends leave and head over at a much faster pace than me to the island. They were getting there faster, they were taking their good cameras, they didn't have to do any work ... read more

The following are links for science being done in Antarctica. Within these links are more links to more information. Science Programs http://www.usap.gov/usapgov/researchersAndScienceProjects/index.cfm?m=5 United States Antarctic Program Science Summaries http://www.nsf.gov/od/opp/antarct/treaty/usap_sumry_list.jsp About the Continent http://www.usap.gov/usapgov/aboutTheContinent/index.cfm?m=2 The Antarctic Treaty http://www.usap.gov/usapgov/theAntarcticTreaty/index.cfm?m=2 Video Clips, Maps, and Images http://www.usap.gov/usapgov/videoClipsAndMaps/index.cfm?m=2 Educational Opportunities and Resources http://www.usap.gov/usapgov/educationalResources.cfm?m=2 Research Opportunities http://www.usap.gov/usapgov/researchOpportunities.cfm?m=3 News on Antarctica. Curious about the current research taking place around Antarctica? Have friends and family back h... read more

Saturday at 07:50 I slept poorly Friday night; only until about 3am when we entered the Drake Passage and the rolling began. It's a bizarre, tiring feeling, thinking you're constantly going to fall out of bed. But I may have also giggled a bit (until I was really tired and it stopped being funny). My bed also makes a lot of cracking noises and slides side to side so it was a bit disconcerting. I was exhausted and dopey from the effects of the Dramamine but managed to drag myself to the dining room and eat a pot of yoghurt for breakfast after trying the rice bread they made for me - a very sweet gesture but YUCK. Others tried it as well so I know it wasn't just me! One of The Americans then took ... read more

Compared to the usual UK festivities, Christmas in BA was relatively quiet and relaxing. That is except for the fireworks that erupted a few minutes before midnight on Christmas Eve and continued for well over an hour. Although we had been forewarned, neither of us expected the city to turn into the war zone that it did. At first there were just a few bangs and explosions in the distance, but then the cacophony began. We sped to the top of our apartment block roof, where at 14 stories high, we virtually had a 360 degree view. Stretching into the distance we witnessed the cityscape bubble with fireworks - mainly rockets. The noise and heavy smell of gunpowder was both mesmerizing and magical. On Christmas day itself and with a friend from Hong Kong, we had ... read more