The Ice

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Off to Antarctica (We Thought)

Today I got up at 5am, packed, and returned to the CDC to check in my bags and suit up for the trip to Antarctica (or, "the ice" as most people call it). I had a quick breakfast at the Antarctic Tourist Center, then sat on the lawn and read until our briefing at 11. At 10:30 we all found out that the weather was too bad at McMurdo to travel, so they booked us into hotels again, gave us our bags, and sent us on our way.

This time I am staying at the Windsor B&B. The rooms are smaller then The Devon, but there is a big lounge, a similar breakfast, and it is only a block away from where I was before, so I am still close to the city center, Cathedral Square, and the Botanical Gardens. We were told that the next flight to McMurdo will probably not be until the Jan. 2nd, that there are more people coming, and there is limited seating on the Herculese C-130s so seating will be by priority.

I will know more later, but in the mean time I ate a nice steak sandwich

down the street, putsed around on the internet looking for stuff to do, fell asleep for a bit by accident, then went looking for a capoeira class to have some fun. I walked a couple miles to where google said it was, but could not find it, even after several inquiries. So, having nothing to do, I checked out the AMI Stadium where the All Blacks, the national rugby team, play. When I got back to the hotel I went for another run through the gardens, had a small bite to eat, internetted, and went to bed.

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Photos

AMI Stadium
Had to climb halfway up a fence to get this shot. Had to resist going all the way over and running around on the field

City Tour
I am calling the bear Shambles and the penguin Despacio because Maya and Leah did not tell me their names. I booked them a tour of the city, and here they are on their rides

City Center
A taste of what the city is like

Chess
Shambles awaits an opponent for life-size chess in Cathedral Square

Comments

[Jayme]

Cool
Hello. Nice BLOG! Mom likes the little animals..as do I. My main question is, why did Maya and Leah give you stuffed animals and not me? HOW DARE. Anyways, hope you're having a good time in New Zealand and safe travels to Antarctica. Oh and mom says hi.

[Pvita]

Fell asleep on accident...I wish that would happen to you more often...chim chim