Return!

We are now sitting at the lounge in Denver International Airport headed back to Montana.  We should be home at about 5pm this afternoon.  This has been an absolutely fantastic trip!!!

Seduta di fronte al computer nel salottino United all'areoporto di Denver siamo di ritorno.  Dovremmo essere a casa alle 17 di oggi.  Conclusione: viaggio fantastico!!!

Last washing before disembarking - in style!

Ushuaia as seen from The World upon arrival

Cape Horn - Chile

Ship's Coordinates: -56.40S, -67.09W (heading North)
Air Temp: 5.1C
Sea Temp: 5C

Today at 11am, we will see Cape Horn and the coast of Chile.  The crossing from the Antarctica Peninsula went very well, the swells were around 4 meters and the winds 30 knots.  If the swells go down around Cape Horn, we will land and take in the scenery from the southernmost Cape in the world.


Oggi alle 11 vedremo Capo Horn e la costa cilena.  Il viaggio dalla Penisola Antartica e' andato molto bene con onde intorno a 4 metri a venti di 30 nodi.  Se le acque si calmano cercheremo di andare a terra a Cpo Horn e goderci il panorama dal capo piu' a sud del mondo.

Albatros sculpture at Cape Horn

Inscription at sculpture

Drake Passage

Ship's coordinates: -61.3S, -64.69W (direction North)
Air Temp: 0.0C
Sea Temp: 0.7C

We are crossing the Drake Passage, discovered and named in 1577 by the famous British explorer Sir Francis Drake.  Here, where the Pacific Ocean meets the Atlantic Ocean, the waters are often rough.  Today it's not too bad, we have swells of 2 to 3 meters and all is proceeding well.  After many days in coves and straits, one can definitely tell that we are in open seas again.....

We will be at sea the whole day, with ocean and grey skies as far as the eye can see, but I have a few photos taken from the bridge yesterday afternoon that are worth posting.


Stiamo attraversando il Drake Passage, scoperto nel 1577 dal famoso esploratore britannico Sir Francis Drake.  Qui si incontrano l'oceano Pacifico e l'oceano Atlantico e le acque sono spesso molto agitate.  Finora tutto procede bene, le onde di 2 o 3 metri ci fanno certamente sentire che siamo in mare aperto, soprattuto dopo aver trascorso tanti giorni in baie protette.

Saremo in viaggio tutto il giorno con solo oceano e cieli grigi, ma ho alcune foto fatte ieri dal ponte della nave che vale la pena mostrare.

Paradise Bay - Antarctic Peninsula

Paradise Bay

Argentine Base at Paradise Bay

Paradise Bay

Paradise Bay

Port Lockroy - Antarctic Peninsula

Ship's Coordinates: -64.82S, -63.52W
Air Temp: 4.2C
Sea temp: 0

Yesterday evening we anchored at Port Lockroy, a tiny island off the coast of the Antarctica Peninsula.  We will visit this very small British outpost manned by 4 ladies who spend 4 months here during the summer.  They perform maintenance on the base and some research on the penguin colony which inhabits the siland.  Only 60 people at any time are allowed on the island and only 35 in the base.  Since it is 190 of us, we will be staggered throughout the day.

Ieri sera abbiamo ancorato a Port Lockroy, un'isoletta vicino alla penisola.  Stamattina visiteremo questa piccola base dove vivono 4 ricercatrici - voltantarie - per 4 mesi all'anno in estate.  Le ragazze si occupano della manutenzione della base e fanno un po' di ricerca sulla colonia di pinguini.  Sono permesse solo 60 persone alla volta sull'isola, quindi andremo in gruppi.

At Chain Landing

Base A

Entry of Base A

Kitchen and Pantry

Bathroom

Stove and Clothes' dryer

Bunk room

Base A among whale bones and penguins

Gentoo penguin feeding

Leopard seal

Last Zodiac cruise of this trip!

Lamaire Channel - Heading North

As we started our way back North, we crossed the Lamaire Channel again and with many beautiful photo opportunities, I could not resist posting a few more......


Abbiamo iniziato il ritorno in direzione nord attraversando di nuovo il Canale Lamaire.  Tanti bellissimi paesaggi a cui non ho resistito, ecco altre foto.....

Gary on Deck 7 of The World

Gary & Angelica on Deck 7

Mountain peaks in Lamaire Channel

Ume's Peaks

Peaks on Lamaire Channel

A titanic moment 

Being silly on the bridge (Captain approved!)

Penola Strait and Booth Island, Antarctic Peninsula

Ship's Coordinates:  -65.17S, -64.10W
Air Temp: 0.8C
Sea Temp: 0C

After touching the southernmost point, we started our trip back North.  During the night, we sailed up the Penola Strait, still in very calm waters being in a strait.  The skies are a bit gloomy and the temperatures a bit colder.  The morning will be spent on the computers, in the afternoon, we will anchor and land at Booth Island.  Booth Island was first chartered and claimed by Charcot, a French explorer, in 1904.  He liked it so much here, that he decided to come back with another expedition in 1911.  He left a small stone tower on top of the ridge that we hiked to.


Dopo aver toccato il punto piu' a sud, abbiamo iniziato il nostro viaggio di ritorno verso il nord.  Durante la notte abbiamo percorso lo stretto di Penola in acque calmissime.  Il cielo e' plumbeo e la temperatura e' piu' fredda di ieri.  Trascorreremo la mattinata ai computer, nel pomeriggio la nave ancorera' e visiteremo Booth Island.  Quest'isolotto fu scoperto nel 1904 dal francese Charcot - dove erano gli italiani?  Non sento altro che nome stranieri qui sotto.

Penola Strait

Penola Strait

Gentoo penguin with 2 chicks at rookery on Booth Island

Chinstrap penguin with grown chick at same rookery

The World anchored at Booth Island

Views from the ridge of Booth Island

Reached the top - got a bit warm

Is it a bird?  No, it's a small iceberg!

Did the Egyptians build pyramids in Antarctica?

Crab eater seal on icebrg

Yes,  I managed to get a speeding ticket in Antarctica too!

Local "Police" - carrying tea and hot chocolate!

Polar Plunge - The Gullet, Antarctic Peninsula

Ship's Coordinates:  -67.09S, -67.52W
Air Temp: 3C
Sea Temp 1C

Polar Plunge - dare I say more???
First photo - before.  I forgot a bathing suit, so my workout clothes will have to do.

We are heading downstairs now, will come back with photos, if all goes well.....

All went well - photos are posted....


Il tuffo polare - devo dire altro???
Prima foto - prima.  Ho dimenticato il bikini, quindi le mie cose da palestra fungono da.

Stiamo scendendo adesso, a presto con altre foto, se tutto va bene......

E' andato tutto bene, ecco le foto....

Before the plunge on the apartment terrace

Waiting for our turn - praying, pretending?

Plunging!

Plunging!

Out - very quickly

Out quickly

Happy to be alive!

Happier!

The pool felt very warm afterwards