Tuesday November 18, 2008 18:15
This afternoon we visited Grytviken a highlight weve all been looking forward to, and one that holds a very special meaning to me. This is where Shackleton is buried, and where his memorial is located. An old whaling factory has been somewhat preserved here. Another building houses a museum, offering a detailed and tactile history of whaling and also of the people who lived in this incredibly remote place.
Most of the buildings in the bay are available to visit and explore, which gives insight into island life. On top of the actual buildings, the remnants of the whaling ships and factory as a photographers paradise. There is a distinctly Scandanavian church built of wood, the original jail, and a post office where you can buy special stamps from South Georgia and send postcards home officially stamped with Antarctica. There are even the remains of a ski jump used by the Norwegians. Marine research is actively taking place here to this day.
Upon landing, we went directly to Shackletons grave. The whole experience of visiting Shackletons resting place is always very meaningful, and always somewhat poignant. But today the visit held even more meaning as we commemorated a memorial to Ger McDonnell, my good friend who was with us here in 2006. Like Shackleton, Ger was an amazing adventurer. Sadly, he and another friend of mine, Rolf Bay, who was also a guide for Beyond Endurance in 2006, died in 2008 on K2. At the gravesite, I paid homage to Ger along with Sinead Walsh from Kilcornan. As we placed a photo of Ger at the graveside, I was saddened by the fact that he and Rolf were not present with us this year, and memories flooded back of the great adventures we had throughout the world, may he rest in peace.
I also went to the very tip of the bay with the rest of the traverse team, and had our photo taken at Shackletons memorial cross.
Our ship anchored in the bay for the night, and conditions were absolutely gorgeous. The skies were clear, the stars were out, and the water was so perfectly still that you could see an endless reflection of the stars on the bay. Later that night, Pat Lorcork the commissioner for South Georgia and four of his research scientists joined us on board for dinner and stayed well into the night playing guitar and singing. Old whaling songs, Irish songs, funny songs written on this trip by Brian van Niekerk, a presenter for our film crew and even a dash of The Eagles with a round of Take it easy.
It was a great night.
Pat Falvey, Expedition Leader
PHOTO: A group of us at Shackletons grave site
