If you have every wanted to have an adventure, ever wanted to venture to a really different spot on this earth, go where not too many others go...consider Antarctica.
I know, I know. Unless you've had you're head stuck in the sand in some wonderful, warm tropical island, you have probably seen and/or read about the near disaster of the Explorer, a ship destined for Antarctica. That is why I am writing this post.
Antarctica is a wonderful place. If you enjoy nature and natural beauty it is one of the most spectacular places in the world. You will never think of icebergs as just being iceberg. You will come to appreciate them as objects of beauty, sculptured by the wind and water.
The color of the sky and the color of the water are breathtaking. Think of the most striking shades of blue and you will see them all around you. You are enveloped by clear sunny skies by day and starry skies by night. Nothing but beauty surrounds you.
Friendly penguins and lazy seals are everywhere. We were told not to approach the penguins. Well, they don't give you a chance. They are not the least bit frightened and will walk right up to you and some will in even sit on you.
The seals are tolerant but keep a watchful eye to make sure they and their off spring are not threatened.
If whales are your thing perhaps you will get as lucky as we were. We saw a very large pod of ORKAS right off our starboard side. As soon as we were alerted off we went with our cameras to capture the moment. The ship's crew tried their best to keep us as level as possible but the ocean is bigger and stronger. Between the rocking and rolling and the whales' quickness (yes, they are quick when you are yelling to them to slow down) I did not get any exciting shots (at least not what anyone else would consider exciting) but I do have the thrill of seeing them and the memories.
The ship we were on sailed from Ushuaia, Argentina, the southern most city in the world...that's exciting in itself. Ushuaia is one of the most picturesque places you can visit and a fun place to stroll around. It is very small so you immediately feel right at home after being in Buenos Aires.
There were only 84 passengers aboard and they were from all over the world. It seemed that there were just about as many crew members. Far from being a huge luxury ship, the Andrea still provided all of the amenities you could possibly want. At least I thought so. The food was delicious, the cabins and public areas were kept spotless, and the service was personal.
So, if you ever have a chance to see this enchanting spot far from here, please do not hesitate. JUMP at the opportunity and please share your memories with me.
For those of you that love photography, and there are many of you, it is a paradise. None of these pictures have been changed in any way other than cropping (a couple) and resizing. I'm sure they could be made to look even more dramatic but I love looking at them and knowing this is just what it looked like.
Copyright (c) Kathleen Elim 2007
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