subject: Frozen Continent Adventures [print this page] After stepping down the cruise liner's gangway with care, I waited to make my move, looking for a break in the waves. After striding in a flash, I was in my small boat.
Our small group of travelers, within minutes, bounces through mesmerizing blue ice and even a seal was dozing off. I take the cue as my boat stopped along a rocky beach, putting my legs right above the zodiac to get to the Antarctic Peninsula's northern area.
Walking by blocks of beached ice, my senses are struck by a tremendous sight and a pungent guano smell. Happy, waddling penguins reaching hundreds were surrounding me and it was nice to watch them.
Up a craggy slope their numbers rose, right as far as I can behold. And this would be the first landing we have on this remotest of continents, and I can indeed say that the two day cruise through rough seas, from Ushuaia, Argentina, is paying off indeed.
Increasingly, travelers worldwide are realizing this vast crystalline wilderness at the bottom of the world is well worth the trouble to visit.
Through the years, numbers of visitors grow and just last year, 26,000 trooped here. Lectures dedicated to penguins are able to break patterns of the cold blue.
The weather is extremely pleasant during the Decembers of the austral summer even as this continent is known to be the world's coldest.
Going way beyond 40s in the area of the peninsula, temperatures can reach beyond freezing. Trips are expected to run from November to March.
Going on a sea adventure for around 11 days, this 100 meter ice strengthened ship body is full with passengers most of the time, carrying about a hundred or more of them.
Comfort and not fanciness is the best feature of the vessel. It has a cozy bar and lounge, plus an auditorium and library.
Aboard tiny yachts, people troop to Antarctica. We bid the port farewell come Friday night.
As we open our eyes on the next day, we marvel at the birds from the southern seas flying gloriously, especially the wandering albatrosses as they show off their glides and arcs.
As they sail through the seas, the tour guides present creative ways to keep passengers excited such as experts led lectures about geology, birds, marine science, history and even creative visual arts that enable them to paint and draw icebergs and sneaky penguins.
Even as global warming was often part of conversations, it came as a surprise that during the trip, this was absent.
Many of the trip's highlights happened during landings on the continent and nearby islands. Gazing on an avalanche happening or hearing the stentorian cracking boom of an iceberg calving are truly extraordinary memories.
From the decks of the ship, so much wondrous things are seen. Tourists are able to make the most out of the trip thanks to short hours of darkness.
Being heavily dressed to stay warm from strong, cold winds is a must before going up the deck of the ship to witness the breathtaking array of icebergs sculpted by the wind as they parade past your ship, glorious in white or blue shades.
We pass pristine landscapes of high mountains laden with big hanging glaciers. Few times, whales would be surfacing, showing their beauty.
Glorious red and orange paint the skies during a nice long sunset.
Back on the ship, we get some alarming news that one of the older passengers is very sick and will need to be evacuated.
This translates to the need for taking a long overnight detour and heading back to the Islands of South Shetland just to grab an airstrip.
Because of dire instances like this evacuation which really puts a great financial toll on the patient, it is wise to get medical evacuation insurance before hopping on board that trip.
The passenger finally got evacuated to Chile and as for us, we just had to see how the newly Gentoo penguins were being fed by their parents as we went to Ardley Island.
Creating a slimy strand connecting the mouth of the adult to the young, the young penguin is fed a snack of krill with its parent regurgitating it after putting its tiny head inside the adult penguin's mouth.
