Tuesday 25th November

Happy Campers !

Last night after dinner we organised ourselves into groups, donned a few
extra layers, smuggled some illicit refreshments into bags and boarded
the zodiacs for our camp site on the shore. It was 10.30 pm and it
would not get dark all night, but despite the clouds the light was a
fascinating mix of dusk and dawn, and the lack of any wind meant we had
the easiest of landings. Once ashore the group is busy putting up
tents, taking photos and the excitement and chatter resembles the
neighbouring Penguin colonies, and it’s sometime before everyone settles
down into their tents.

I clamber into my down sleeping bag at 1am and despite a few meters of
snow and ice beneath me , I’m surprisingly snug and warm. A wind and
sun burnt face from the days activities on the water is the only
discomfort that keeps me awake long enough to hear the makings of an
impromptu party fueled by fine whiskey outside. My two tent mates
shuffle in at later stages and my sympathies are with Dominic who has no
sleeping bag and consequently has a chilly and restless night.

In the morning it’s all changed and our serene campsite now resembles a
bleak survival post as a storm is gathering force around us. Our young
guide Katie, who’s knowledge and professionalism is second to none and
has the respect of everyone on the ship, gets everyone into action and
taking down the tents and packing gear away, while actually managing to
teach a few a thing or two in the process. As some of us are not
qualified to untie a not or take a tent peg out of the snow, we do our
best to help by lugging bags nearer to the shore, and check our watches
and wonder where our boats are ?

We’re all huddled in bunch with eyes peering through the driving snow
for any sign of the zodiacs to arrive, which if it takes any longer will
have a slight rescue feel to it. Some are suffering the effects of a
cold night, and one surely has to be still effected by the whiskey as
our man Donnacha does West Cork proud by stripping off and going for a
swim. The penguins who up to now are doing their best to ignore us, are
obviously as shocked as the rest of us at this sight and literally jump
out of the water all around him.

I can’t help compare the scene of our group, to that of the Emperor
Penguins huddled into masses and shuffling around finding warmer spots,
waiting for the return of their mate and the summer. Eventually we hear
the sound of engines and three zodiacs appear and slowly approach us.
We try and tell Monica that Donnacha needs to go in the first boat, but
as he’s still zipping up his jacket, the incomprehensible idea that
someone has just gone for a swim in this , is too much for our German
leader to accept to be true and someone else is hauled into the boat and
off we go into the swell.

Back on board and another notable experience under our belts, but the
weather outside surely means that apart from the long voyage north, that
will be the last of our adventures in the Antarctic. We’re cruising
northwards for the first time in 19 days and it seems the next time
we’ll set foot on land will be back in Ushuaia in 2 days time. The
forecasted storm and lock down measures are getting increasingly serious
so it’s unlikely there’ll be anything worthwhile reporting for the next
couple of days.

So it’s goodbye to The White Continent, an incredibly special place to
come and visit and hopefully I’ll have the chance to come back and
experience it again.

Adios

Norman

M.V Ushuaia 64° 46’