Part One: Days 1 &2
A couple of things upfront.
- It’s an extremely long trip to Antarctica; the flight alone can be two days or more, and then it’s another two-plus days to cross the Drake Passage. Just acknowledge the trip there will be hard, but it will be worth it when you see that first glimpse of land.
- Any internet on the ship is via satellite, which might not work during bad weather or around large islands. Download tv shows, movies, games, or books to your tablet before you leave.
- If you never get motion sickness, you will on this trip; even when the weather is good, it’s still bad. Take your motion sickness medication before the ship starts moving; if you feel sick, eat some crackers and drink ginger ale or sprint. Also, laying down on your left side helps prevent throwing up and acid reflex. Laying on your left side means the vomit or acid has to work against gravity to enter the esophagus.
- The most important thing to remember is, do not get to close to the Penguins! Stay 3 meters or 15 feet away from the cuteness. I took my photos with a 300mm zoom lens, which means it looks like I’m right in front of the bird, but I’m not. I get it, the Penguins are funny, cute, and just neat to watch, but they are wild animals. With beaks that pierce fish and claws on their feet can grip the ice. Think about that for a min.
If you are taking a boat or maybe flying to Antarctica, you will end or start your journey in the same place, Ushuaia, Argentina, the southernmost city in the world. It’s a city of 90K people carved between the Martial Mountains and the cold waters of the Beagle Channel. The city’s name is not Spanish; it’s from the Yaghan Language and means bay that penetrates westward. There are things to see if you have time between arriving in Ushuaia and boarding your boat. There is the Matrial Glacier, a 20 min cab ride away; skiing, boat tours around the Chanel, or just walking the main road and seeing the different architectural styles.
