Antarctica… on my way to the bottom

Antarctica / November 18, 2009

What a distance from jail to the National Geographic Explorer.

Started the trip in a little bit of snow to the Albuquerque airport, on to Miami, and finally to Santiago Chile. The jet to Chile was beautiful and the staff looked styled for a print ad for LAN airlines. Pressed suits, quaffed hair styles and of course the silk scarf.

My room at the Grand Hyatt was pure luxury and the amenities of the hotel were laced with amazing service. I had a view of the city with a backdrop of the snow-capped Andes Mountains.

That day we boarded a luxury tour bus headed for the Pre- Columbian Museum of Art. The museum was closed for a special tour with a PhD. specialist on the contents of the museum.

The evening came upon us fast and we dined in the Grand Ballroom with a short introduction of some of the staff. It was brought to my attention that Neil Armstong was sitting behind me. I retired for the evening and went sound a sleep.

Having a wakeup call, we preceded to the airport for our trip to the last city in the world, Ushuaia, Argentina.

On arrival, we boarded a tour bus and were guided through a national forest with an expert on the land and it’s surroundings. As we exited, I saw two catamarans waiting for us to board for transport to the ship, which included a delicious lunch. We saw various birds and seals on protruding rock formations and took the opportunity to take some photos.

The catamaran slowly cruised by the formidable ship that we were about to embark. As I walked up the steel stairway, I knew that I was about to have a trip of a lifetime. The captain, lead tour guide and some staff greeted us all. Our bags were waiting for us in our cabins.

Shorty after, another greeting and dinner. Off to sleep.

Next morning, breakfast and a formal introduction to the entire staff, which did include a few words by Neil Armstrong, followed by a lecture on southern ocean birds, digital photography, winds, currents, and productivity of the southern ocean, and finally a Antarctic landings briefing… cocktails, (no thanks) and dinner.