Because you asked

Hi Everyone,

Gosh, I didn't know so many people would be interested in Antarctica. I want to answer all your questions with this post.

What boat did you go on?
My trip was booked on the Marco Polo ship via Orient lines. It was the last Antarctica cruise for the Marco Polo and so many of the people were on the ship just to be on its last voyage. And this was the second and third expedition to Antarctica for many passengers.

The Marco Polo is like a second home to many passengers. It is a simple, small ship, sailing 850 passengers to far away exotic places. Many wonderful memories, experiences and stories have filled the air of this ship. Alas, the ship has been sold; even after much protest from the faithful, loyal passengers. It no longer sails the seas of Antarctica.

Were you afraid?
A cruise ship of the Antarctica contains as many passengers; as they have lifeboats to accommodate. We had 500 passengers; as we only had 10 lifeboats.

Make sure the ship has a balancing mechanism to keep it from rolling when the seas get rough. I saw Russian ships along the way that did not and at port I heard their passengers got very sick.

Also, make sure the captain is ICE Certified. We had two captains that were certified. And, our ship was equipped with ice cutting machinery.

How did you prepare for the trip?
Kim bought me a book, "Antarctica" published by Lonely Planet and it was a great help before and throughout the trip. The pages are worn and tattered now.

After I returned home a friend bought me a beautiful book, "Antarctica - The Global Warning",
photography and text by Sebastian Copeland. Many of the photos in the book are of the same views and objects taken by me.

It was a good thing I did not see the book prior to me taking my pictures; as it would have intimidated me and I would have left my camera in the cabin.

The cruise line provides a list of items to take with you. The one problem I had was packing for the different temperatures. I already told you about my tip of taking old clothes that you can throw away along the trip.

The cruise line will also give you a list of food, beverage and health concerns and considerations.

Before a trip, I call the Board of Health and make an appointment. I tell them where I am going, bring my health records and they advise me on what inoculations I need to get before I leave. Give yourself as much time as possible, because there may be time intervals between inoculations and lead time to order the vaccine.

A few secrets...
I realized another tip that would be valuable, especially with the current restriction on luggage weight and number and that is to share your clothes.

If you are traveling with someone who is about your size, you can alternate your heavy clothes and boots between one another. The gender of the clothes does not matter and really the size doesn't either.

The cruise ship will not let you off the ship to board the rubber, Zodiac boat if you are not properly dressed in your survival gear.

In the past, people have been left at a landing for days, because the weather turned suddenly prohibiting access to the ship. They would not have survived if the clothing rules had been broken.

Each cabin is assigned to a color group. The boarding and landings of the Zodiacs is planned a day ahead by color group. The color groups are boarded on a rotating basis; starting early in the morning and continuing throughout the day. A color group that boards early on one day may board late on another day.

I suggest making a request to your ships expedition leader to allow one person in your cabin to go with one color group and the other person in the cabin go with another color group.

This plan will allow you to share your clothes and reduce at least one suitcase.

For example: if you're traveling companion leaves on the first departure; you would leave on the last departure.

And, there is another advantage to this plan. Sometimes weather does not permit every departure and some people in cabins are not permitted to go ashore. Using this plan the odds of both of you missing a boarding and landing is reduced.

Please get approval from the cruise ship line prior to putting the above plan in action.

And, the most helpful item on my trip was the walking stick. I didn't bring one with me, but a kind man gave me his. It may have saved a broken leg or worse. You can buy a pair on Kim's web site store and each use one to keep balanced and steady walking through the ice, slush, mud and guano.

My trip was a month long; as I like to get to a country two days before meeting up with the tour.

We started in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Our hotel was the Sheraton and it was right on the beach.
The famous Copacabana Palace Hotel is across from the beach, because years ago a huge avenue was put between the hotel and the beach. I liked the Sheraton better and it was a lot cheaper.

The cruise schedule: Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, Cross the Tropic of Capricorn, Itajai, Brazil, sail south on the Atlantic Ocean, Punta Del Este, Uruguay, Montevideo, Uruguay, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Montevideo, Uruguay ( good thing we had 2 planned stops; as the channel was closed on the previous scheduled stop ), south on the Atlantic Ocean, Puerto Madryn, Argentina, south on the Atlantic Ocean, Stanley, Falkland Islands, West Point, Falkland Islands, cruise The Strait of Magellan and Drake Passage ( I remember hearing these words in sixth grade ), cruise Deception and Cuverville Island, Lemaire Channel and Port Lockroy, Paradise Harbor, Half Moon Island, Cape Horn and Drake Passage ( the seas were really rough, only a handful of people at dinner and show ), Ushuaia, Argentina, Iguazu Falls, Argentina, Buenos Aires, Argentina to home.

South America is wonderful, our U.S. dollar is valuable there currently and it is a fun, exciting place to visit.

The expedition to Antarctica was a glimpse of simple, unspoiled nature. The animals were unmarked by humans and went about their life as if we did not exist.

We humans think we are so important in the habitation of the earth, but are we as beautiful as a bird flying across the sea, as gentle as a penguin with its egg, as wondrous as the towering ice burgs, as enduring as the majestic mountains, as loving to nature and the earth as we need to be?

Till next time,

Love,
Waldo

My daughter

On My Way to Antarctica, a Stop in Rio

Viva Rio!

Rio De Janeiro is the former capital and 2nd largest city of Brazil,chief Brazilian port and is famous as a tourist attraction.

After 24 hours of fly and wait time, I arrived in Rio. It was about 80 degrees and I was exhausted, hot and my legs were itching me. I met up with the couple that I would be going to the hotel with and the driver.

I asked them to wait while I ran to the ladies room to remove my surgical stockings. They were so gracious and understanding my guilt about delaying their arrival to the comforts of a hotel quickly dissappeared.

We got in the van and the tour guide began telling us about all the individual tours available to us during our two days in Rio.

I asked her about combining them into a 1 day private tour. She said she could do that for a minimum of 4 people. I negotiated the price and asked the couple if they were in and they said Yes and were happy to be included.

My friend was meeting us at the hotel and I knew she would go with us. So the next day bright and early we were off to do Rio.

I was thrilled to visit the huge 125 foot statue of Christ the Redeemer that sits on the top of Corcovado mountain. I felt it was special and important that I go there this year as I relayed his message of redemption during the year 3 times.

We took a cable car to Sugar Loaf Mountain. It is located on the mouth of the Guanabere Bay. Rising 1,299 feet it appears to be in the shape of a mound of refined sugar. This famous mountain is reached by a cable car traveling 1,200 feet high, an experience I will never forget; looking down at Rio from the Sugar Loaf is one of the most spectacular sights in this world. The shape of the mountain was copied in the early days as a manner of loading sugar on the vehicles and taking the sugar to market. We also saw monkeys on the ride up.

When a Portuguese captain sailed into Guanabara Bay in January 1502, he thought he was at the mouth of a great river. Hence the name: “River of January.

We went to the Candelaria Church where in July 23, 1993 eight adolescents were massacred by the police. The church is known around Rio de Janeiro for being a makeshift home to perhaps hundreds of homeless children, many of whom are involved with the drugs and prostitution.

The church's personnel provides food, shelter, education and religious advice to as many of these children as possible. The Brazilian police keep a constant vigil on the church's surroundings. To us it was a beautiful church with a few woman and children begging outside.

We saw many old and modern churches. The most modern is the Cathedral Metropolitan. It is in the shape of a tent and is all glass, standing 246 feet high and has a standing-room capacity of 20,000 people.

The Opera House was built in 1817 and is now under reconstruction. With so many other things to do in Rio the operas better be fantastic; if they want an audience.

Flamengo Park is alive with people in all types of sport gear. It is the largest leisure park in Rio. The people are dedicated to keeping their bodies fit. There is also a WWII memorial.

The Copacabana Hotel is very elegant. But, it is across a many laned street from the beach. It was once on the beach, but a promenade or thoroughfare was put in between the hotel and the beach. Our hotel was nice and on the beach; I liked that better.

The rich people moved down for the tops of the mountains to the beaches of Rio many years ago. They left their beautiful homes with views to the poor people.

Copacabana, Ipanema and Lebion beaches are occupied by people who want to be seen and people who want to see them. There is not much water activity. They have wonderful sand ball games and beautiful people. The cocanut drinks are heavenly.

The Carnival was not in season, but we went to where the Carnval Dancers are staged and judged. There is a contest each year and the competition is fearce. Before the end of one carnival the people are working on the next one. The air of exuberance is pervasive.

Cariocas are fun-loving people, embracing the entire world with their vibrant rhythms. The costumes are a work of art and I tried one on.

We had lunch downtown in a Brazilian local restaurant (called a Churrascaria. All the food is brought to your table on large skewers. The meat is carved for you and it was hot, cooked just right and very tasty. The vegtables were also on skewers and served in the same manner. You had only to look in the direction of the waiter and the skewers appeared tempting you further.

The city’s mosaic streets meander along a spectacular beachfront and its buildings are molded around the foothills.

During the day the four of us shared many of lifes experiences. The couple with us were from the south and were married over 47 years. They were so gentle and respectful of themselves, each other and everyone else. I wistfully hoped that is how my husband and I would have been if we were still together physically.

After 17 years of marriage they have one child that they adopted when he was 3 years old. However, they knew him longer, because he was a foster child in her mother's home. The boy is now a man, husband, father and son. They are now proud parents and doting grandparents.

They love and enjoy every moment of life. How loving, gracious and open they were to take the risk of adoption.

Brazil is suppossed to be dangerous, but we did not find it to be so. If you walk around in expensive jewelery and furs; you may have a problem. I would leave all that home.

The people want you to enjoy Brazil as much as they do. They love to exercise, dance, shop, dress and enjoy the sunny day, warm water, lovely sand, food, wine and each other.

I'm back & better for the experience

Wow, what a trip! The Antarctica landings (going from the ship to shore via Zodiacs) were difficult tasks, but very rewarding. I felt I was being prepared by a personal trainer with each landing being more challenging.

The first stop was Port Stanley. We used tender boats (life boats to take us ashore) - nice. And, there was a wonderful town and dock. We saw Upland Geese, Dolphin Gulls, King, Magellanic and Gentoo Penguins.

We even saw a very rare white Leucistic Gentoo Penguin. The white penguins do everything the other penguins do, but they only live 18 years, instead of 30.

We rode all around in a Land Rover seeing and feeling the rocky terrain and sheep.

The next landing was West Point Island in the Falkland Islands/Malvinas to see the Rockhopper and Black-browed Albatross rookery. We used tender boats and there was a lovely new dock that the owners of the island were very proud of. They get 28 cruise ships full of people visiting their island in the summer.

The walk to the rookery was a 1/4 mile at a 45 degree angle. It was covered with mud, guano and ice. I got to the top and found there was an equal amount of distance to go under the same conditions and then about a mile and a half of level walking.

I was cold, nervous and sweating at the same time. I really did not want a broken body part for the rest of the trip.

When suddenly, a gentleman and I do mean gentleman in the truest sense of the word, gave me his walking stick to use. He said it would help and that he would not be using it that day. The walking stick was a bone and rookery seeing saver. God does put people there for me when I need them.

I was in such a state that I did not remember what the gentleman looked like. When I got back to the cabin, I cleaned the stick, put a note of appreciation on it and left it in the pre landing meeting area.

A woman knocked on our cabin door with the stick and said her husband wanted me to have it. They would not let me pay for it, but I took their name and address; so I could send them something showing my appreciation.

Now, armed with my walking stick, sub zero clothes and Peter Hillary's lectures on survival ringing in my ears, I was finally ready for Antarctica.

Peter Hillary was a lecturer on our ship and a part of our Antarctic Expedition Team. He is a real adventurer and exciting speaker. If you ever have an opportunity to hear his lectures or read his book - do it.

His father is: Sir Edmund Percival Hillary, was a New Zealand mountaineer and explorer. On 29 May 1953 at the age of 33, he and Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers known to have reached the summit of Mount Everest. They were part of the ninth British expedition to Everest, led by John Hunt.

I will post more about this amazing trip soon. I'm off to play with my grandson now!

P.S. Here at home, I am using the walking stick on my walks around the neighborhood. My son-in-law borrowed mine last week for a walk in the snow. It's great to help keep your balance. My daughter Kim got one for herself to use on her hikes up Camelback Mountain. And now, she is selling them on her site named after me -- Waldo's Walking Stick! Click here to check them out.