Journeys of a Travel Bug

New Blog Created

2011-07-14T10:58:00.000+10:00

This is to inform you that I have started a new blog that will document my Creative Journey..
http://creativebug62.blogspot.com/

Reflections on My Year Away

2011-02-11T17:15:00.001+11:00

As I fly back to Sydney my mind travels back to April 2010, when I started this journey….

I had felt a little stressed as my friend Andrew drove me to the airport. I felt unsure about what lay ahead and my decision to travel solo. Was I completely crazy to have thought of travelling for so long? Did I have everything I needed in my backpack? Would I feel lonely?

As I travel home to my friend Steven who will be at the airport to pick me up, I feel elated, excited and joyful. It has been an amazing year. Better than I had expected. While there were many things that might have gone wrong - riots I might have been caught up in, luggage that might have gone missing, stuff that might have got stolen, flights I might have missed…I have been incredibly fortunate. Some of the countries I travelled through are now in turmoil. Yet after travelling through what others might call risky destinations, I complete my time away with beautiful memories; of friendly locals, amazing travel companions, wonderful photographs and stories that will keep me and my friends entertained in my old age!

When I look back on this year, I can say that I have truly accomplished my dream and been true to my goal:

A year spent stepping outside the established routine of my comfort zone to explore the realm of fresh possibilities along the road less travelled….

This year away has enriched my life with new friends from around the world, new experiences in places I had only dreamt of visiting previously, interactions with people from all walks of life, and a new found confidence in myself! The world truly became my oyster. I have re-discovered the free spirit in myself and when I look back I can say it was a year in which I truly lived life to the fullest.

I can now tick off my long-term goal of spending time on every continent before I turned 50. With the exception of Antarctica where I only spent a few weeks, I have now spent at least 3 months travelling through the 6 other continents. With the completion of this journey, I have visited more than 50 countries and taken more photographs than I care to think about! I have spent time with countless locals who showed me there are wonderful people the world over and shattered any preconceptions I might have had.

The highlights have included many challenges and activities I had never done before:

Watching the sunrise at Angkor Wat - Cambodia
Enjoying a mud bath - Vietnam
Cruising the Mekong River in a long boat - Laos to Thailand
Bamboo rafting in hill tribe territory – Thailand
Eating crabs with my mom in Jaffna - Sri Lanka
Four wheel driving in Dubai - UAE
Trekking impenetrable jungles to interact with mountain gorillas – Uganda
Photographing the Drakensberg mountains and visiting friends and family - South Africa
Tracking hyenas and cheetahs - Namibia
Hot air ballooning over the wildebeest migration in the Massai Mara – Kenya
Camping in the Serengeti –Tanzania
Dancing at the full moon party – Zanzibar
Swimming in Lake Malawi at night - Malawi
Walking with lions & a micro light flight over Victoria Falls – Zambia
Interactive drumming - Zimbabwe
Floating on the Dead Sea – Egypt
Exploring Petra - Jordan,
Enjoying a Turkish bath - Syria
Hot air ballooning in Cappadocia – Turkey
Re-connecting with my cousin & attending classical music concert – London
Strolling the streets of the Falkland Islands
Observing the penguin colonies - South Georgia,
Touching the rocks of Antarctica
Camping, Riding, Hiking the Torres del Paine – Chile
Ice Climbing & a glacier walk in Videma Glacier – Argentina
Reuniting with old friends in New Zealand AND
Falling in Love Again – Sydney

Yes, that’s right…even as I complete this journey, and travel home in time to celebrate my birthday, a new journey awaits me in Sydney. I fly home to my best friend Steven, who unbeknownst to me, became single just before I set off on my journey. While I have known him as a friend for more than 6 years, I re-connected with him on a deeper level via emails and skype while travelling in Turkey, about 2 months ago!

He was one of those friends who always kept in touch, supported and encouraged me in all my endeavours. Over these past couple of months our friendship transitioned into a deep love for each other that was based on the foundation of mutual trust and respect, built on the 6 years of friendship that preceded it.

I hope our partnership will take us down a far more interesting path than I have ever travelled previously. Our new journey together is completely unmapped for now but I know it will include foreign shores, exciting challenges and more unexplored territory.

Many of us put off living our lives till we reach retirement, till we find that perfect person to live it with, till the weekend, till we win the lottery, till the kids leave home. I want to share with you that the time to live your life is NOW! When your start living your dream, everything else actually does fall into place. The Universe never fails to deliver, when you go in search of your destiny.

Remember that the greatest risk of all, is a life of riskless living!

I always wanted to share my life with a person who shared my passion for living. I started this journey not just to discover places I had never explored previously, but also to discover myself and to rediscover love.

It is amazing to think that my year of living life to the fullest will culminate in the beginning of a new dream. The start of a new journey with a man who is not afraid to live an unconventional life. A man who is not afraid to think outside the square and live life outside the rigid bounds that society and people incapable of lateral thinking impose on us…

A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it. ~George Moore

Epilogue: I would like to send out a very special thank you to all of you who made comments on my blog, wrote messages on my wall and sent me emails about my adventures and photographs. Your emails, stories and photos from your lives at home were incredibly important to me and helped me stay connected to my life back home. I thank you for keeping in touch, for your encouragement and support. I truly appreciated it.

Thank you as well to all of you who listened to me as I planned this trip and then helped me through the months and the years of upheaval leading up to this journey. Thank you to my managers who gave me a year off to rest and rejuvenate. I feel inspired and ready to tackle whatever new challenges might await me at work, although the thought of returning to a day job is daunting!

Thank you to Shane Wallbank, from Flight Centre, who helped me plan the year and booked all my flights – you did an amazing job. It has been an incredible journey with absolutely no hiccups!

Thank you to all the travellers, tour guides and friends and family, I met or re-connected with along the way. The instant connections one makes with perfect strangers who then become life long friends is one of the most enjoyable fruits of travel. The travellers I met were brave, courageous people who were adaptable and flexible enough to travel rough in places very different to the places they called home. We helped each other through many sticky situations and always shared a laugh. I thank you for your friendship and look forward to the reunions, some of which are already planned!

And so sadly, I think it is time to close this blog. Please do send me an email if you have any comments on my blog, questions on my journey, or anything to share . I would love to hear from you: travelbug62@gmail.com

I will keep you informed if I do start up a new blog. I still have a month at home before I start work, but I think I might take a break from blogging to truly rest, have a holiday(!) and enjoy the start of my new journey!

Steven Covey wrote that it was important to value a child for his/her own uniqueness rather than base it on motives that stem from internal sources of security based on our children's ‘acceptable’ behaviour.

I would like to dedicate this year to my beautiful mom, who always kept in touch in spirit, via emails and skype and has always supported me in my mad schemes and valued my uniqueness!

– Thank you.

Re-Union in Wellington!

2011-02-09T18:03:00.001+11:00

We arrive in Wellington to find Radhi at the arrivals gate as we walk off the plane. More warm hugs and greetings are passed around the 3 friends, reunited after a very long time. We are all delighted to see each other and the sound of our laughter echoes around the arrivals hall.

It has been a very long time since we have all been on the same continent. It might possibly even be more than 20 years ago, back when we were all still working in Sri Lanka. We remember our friend Sureshnie, who still lives back in Sri Lanka and wish she were here as well.

Radhi drives us home to freshen up and meet her parents who also migrated to New Zealand and now live with her. I knew her parents well, in the ‘good old days’ when I worked at IIMI and visited them in their home in Kandy for great meals and a ‘weekend home-stay’.

We have a wonderful reunion with her parents who are incredibly warm and welcoming. Her mom has cooked us a great Sri Lankan meal of rice and curry and hints of more Sri Lankan delights she has in store. We tuck in to a great feed before Radhi takes us on a drive to show off the city she has called home for more than twenty years.

Sush has come here on a mission. She wants to visit Wellington’s famous museum, TePapa. Unfortunately, I am a little ‘museumed’ out and Radhi just wants to chat – not unusual for her. We end up at the museum but the two of us just breeze through, more interested in chatting and catching up than in browsing. Sush gives up in disgust and threatens to visit Radhi again so she can see TePapa in peace:)!

After a hour of pretending to be interested in the exhibits of TePapa, we leave to find a cafe overlooking the waterfront and sip coffee shakes while we catch up on Radhi’s life and share news of our own personal journeys. Radhi’s son is now in Uni but unfortunately out of town. He is in Las Vegas, attending the finals of a Barbershop Competition! His college won the national finals and he has gone overseas to represent his country. We are sorry to miss Rueben but overjoyed to hear of his success.

We fit in bush walks, coastal walks, road trips, chats, visits to Radhi’s friends & movies in between meal times. Food is a big part of Sri Lankan culture and Radhi’s mom makes us many delicious meals that I would never have the patience to make from scratch in Australia. We tuck into thosai, hoppers, string hoppers, pittu, chapati, and of course our staple of rice and curry! I was hoping to lost some weight before I went back home but that diet might have to be shelved for a few more days. I can’t possible turn down this feast!

Sush leaves a few days before I do and I take everyone out for a Thai meal in the city before we say goodbye to her. Radhi takes us up to a wonderful lookout and we look down on the night lights of Wellington. Sadly, the wind is blowing a gale, so we rush back to the warmth of our car. Wellington is a beautiful city but a little too windy for me.

Re-connecting with old friends has been a wonderful way to end this time away from home. I am truly thankful to my two dear friends and their wonderful families, to the warm welcome and the wonderful hospitality extended to me. Now it is time to re-connect with the friends and family I have left behind in Sydney. I am excited to be flying back home and look forward to the wonderful reunions and hugs that await me in Sydney.

Your friends will know you better in the first minute you meet than your acquaintances will know you in a thousand years.

~ Richard Bach

Greetings from Auckland

2011-02-09T17:59:00.001+11:00

It has been more than 12 years since I last saw Sushani in Sri Lanka. We were on our way to Australia (in 1998) and had stopped off in Colombo for a holiday. We had a few reunions both at my parents house and at the house of another mutual friend (Sureshnie) who still lives in Sri Lanka.

Sush and I both worked at the International Irrigation Management Institute in Kandy, which is how we met. Sush, moved back to Colombo, shortly after I started working there, but she was friends with the group of people I hung out with at IIMI and so we got to know each other over time. I moved into her room in the house I shared with Sureshnie and Sush would visit occasionally at the weekends for reunions with her friends. We have kept in touch over the years via the internet and she followed my journey this year and invited me to visit her in Auckland, on my way home to Sydney.

As I walk into the visitors lounge, I wonder whether I will recognise her after all these years, but she hasn’t changed a bit! She comes to pick me up at the airport with her son in the early hours of Tuesday morning and we greet each other warmly.

Auckland had been experiencing a bit of severe weather in the lead up to my visit but as promised, I have brought the sunshine with me. After a nice cup of coffee and brekkie, we settle down for a chat and reminisce about the years since we last caught up. Sush has 2 grown up children now who I meet for the first time. Her mom is also visiting her and her brother drops by to say hello. I am reminded of my own mom and my Sri Lankan culture as they all extend a warm welcome and I get more than just a taste of true Sri Lankan hospitality.

We spend 3 wonderful days together. We drive around Auckland and visit its beautiful parks, look outs and museums. I enjoy great food from buriyani and curries to roti and waffles! We go on long walks and sit under the trees for a bit of time out, laughter, chats and extended picnic lunches packed with great care.

I am lucky enough to have 3 beautiful days of warm sunshine and we spend most of our time outdoors. I enjoy getting to know Sush’s children, now grown up and on the brink of starting their own lives. Anik, her daughter is going to Uni and we sit around the table discussing everything from ‘personality types’ to the latest movies we have seen.

On my last day we go on a road trip to Thames. It is a pretty town with cute shops and book stores to browse and we picnic by the waterside for lunch.

I am at the tail end of my trip and catching up with friends and spending a few lazy days together is just what I need. My three days draws to an end and I say goodbye and thank you to my wonderful hosts by throwing them a mini BBQ in true Aussie fashion. At the last minute we find out we are out of gas and decide to cook the food indoors! We sit around the dining table for hours chatting, eating and laughing. I discover that Ajith (Sush’s brother), went to school around the same time as my cousins and in true Sri Lankan fashion, discover we have more mutual friends than do Sush and I who have been friends for years!

The next morning, Sush and I get on a flight to Wellington. We are off to spend time with Radhini, another very dear mutual friend of ours from our days at IIMI.

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” Oliver Wendell Holmes

A Postcard from Santiago

2011-01-24T03:07:00.001+11:00

It is time to say Goodbye to Peggy, our Tucan Truck that has brought us safely all the way from Ushauia, Argentina, the southern most city in the world, to Santiago, Chile, one of South America’s largest cities.

We’ve had a great bunch of people on this trip, and we’ve all bonded well together. We have shared laughs, adventures and conquered new challenges such as the ice climb in Viedma Glacier. It was fun getting to know both Andy our truck driver and Ally our group leader.

I had a chance to ride up the front with Andy on one of the drives, and learnt he started his career with a degree in Geography, that we shared a passion for writing and we both had dreams of publishing a book one day. Andy has been driving overland trucks for many years now, having been enticed away from the UK, while travelling as an overland passenger himself. He keeps me entertained with tales from his overlanding life and the passengers that have passed through these parts. He knows Patagonia like the back of his hand and just like Ally knows where the best beer and a good steak can be found in the towns we travel through.

Ally herself is a great trip leader. An Aussie, still in her late twenties, she is fluent in Spanish and a few other languages and has travelled through most of the countries in South America. She has completed most of the challenging hikes and ice climbs on this trip, so it is great to get the inside scoop of what we are in for, before we sign up for an excursion.

We say goodbye to the group at a steak dinner in Santiago. Many of these guys will go there separate ways, but Sarah, Rose and I spend the next day exploring Santiago together. Santiago is reputed to be the largest and most important financial centre in Latin America and is a modern cosmopolitan city complete with sky scrapers, a good selection of restaurants and the usual hustle and bustle of a big city.

When we arrive, I have feelings of culture shock and instantly miss the quaint, quiet towns of Patagonia, we have left behind. I find the noise of city traffic grating. Santiago is not a city that instantly appeals to me, even on this my second visit. I realise I prefer the low key, smaller cities, in the country where one can walk everywhere and where there is a sense of character and atmosphere.

Bigger cities the world over give you a sense that everyone is in a rush and no one has time to spare. The plazas are more interesting and we have fun browsing the little stalls and people watching.

We visit the fish market and decide to have lunch, sampling the fresh seafood on offer. We also visit the local arts centre and go through one of the local photographic exhibitions showing at the moment, titled ‘Chocolate on my Jeans’.

Then we walk to Bario Brasil, a bohemian neighbourhood with painted houses and a few murals. It was more run down than we expected, but still fun to poke around a neighbourhood that was full of locals having long lunches and enjoying their weekend.

We walk back to our hotel via more interesting neighbourhoods and find ourselves at Constitution Square.

The old Palace has now been converted to government buildings and is heavily guarded with security guards and guard dogs. The guards seem rather bored, standing around all day with nothing to do and we people watch for awhile before we head back for a nap and Rose takes off to the airport.It is just Sarah and me for dinner, so we head out in search of something different. We dine at an Indian restaurant and have drinks in a downtown cafe that our guidebook promises would have tango music. Unfortunately they’ve got the days mixed up but we still enjoy our pisco sours and baileys! It is a lovely atmospheric cafe that has seen many eras of Chileans pass through. I realise that after wandering for most of 2010, my travels are almost over. I still have some time in New Zealand with friends, but this was the last major journey before I started to head for home.

We drink a toast to our wonderful experiences in Patagonia before heading back to our hotel, for our last night in South America!

Few people know so clearly what they want. Most people can't even think what to hope for when they throw a penny in a fountain. ~Barbara Kingsolver

From the Seven Lakes to Pucon

2011-01-22T13:30:00.001+11:00

The Seven Lakes Drive to Pucon is one of the most scenic we have been on this far. We stop at each of the lakes (9 in total!) to take photos and stretch our legs. Mirror lakes and tumbling water falls keep us shutter bugs busy. By late morning the weather changes and by the time we stop for lunch it is incredibly windy outside. We decide to eat lunch inside the truck to avoid the Patagonia winds and a healthy dosing of the sand that gets blown around.

We have one more border to cross, from Argentina back to Chile, so we have a feast eating up all the fruits and vegetables which we are not allowed to take across the border. Thankfully, the problems at the southern borders have not travelled north, and we make it across to Chile without too much hassle. From what my friends tell me, the news hasn’t made it to Australia, but the southern border was closed due to protests about fuel price hikes.

We arrive in Pucon late evening. As we sit at our first Arabian restaurant in these parts and dig into hommos and pita bread, we get chatting with a British couple who had been air lifted by the Red Cross. Thankfully we had crossed a few days earlier and were not inconvenienced!

Pucon is our last stop before Santiago, the end of this trip, and almost the end of my travels. I decide it is time for a bit of pampering, before I call it quits. I have a hair cut, browse the shops and do a bit of grocery shopping.

We are staying at an Apartment Hotel, which means we have a little kitchen, living area and dining room in addition to our bedrooms and bathrooms. As I hang my washing out and put away my groceries, I am reminded of what it is like to be home on a Saturday, and am briefly stricken with feelings of nostalgia for my home in the bush and the daily routine of a normal life!

Since our accommodation comes equipped with a kitchen, Andy decides to cook us a curry for dinner. We bring our drinks and turn up for a feast and a night of socialising. We have a lovely group and everyone gets on well, so it is fun to relax in the company of friends and enjoy the night. Tomorrow, some of my friends will climb Villarica, the active volcano after which our trip is named. Villarica last blew in the 1980’s and is about 2,800m high. The top of this volcano is a glacier and the slopes are covered in snow even in summer. There are more active volcanoes in the surrounding area, making this one of the most active volcanic regions in South America. About a 1,000 years ago, a 6000m volcano in the vicinity blew its top. Today, it still stands, now a mere 2000m but an amazing testament to the immense power of nature!

I have decided to give the climb a miss. I feel that I have climbed, hiked, swum and run my way through my year away and it is time to wind down, have a bit more pampering and enjoy another slice of Europe in Chile. As we chat, someone yells that the volcano is now visible. Villarica, which had been shrouded in cloud all this time, has finally decided to show us her face. She stands majestic looking down over the town in all her glory as the sun sets. Tomorrow, my friends will make their ascent on Villarica. Today, we drink a toast to another natural wonder and hope for fair weather for our climbers.

By the time I wake up to cook bacon and eggs, my friends are already on their way up the mountain. It is a glorious day and I am happy they have the opportunity to climb in such good weather. For me, it is a perfect day for more pampering and wandering. I have to look after the body, which has stood me in such good stead during a year of abuse! I walk to the lake, browse the markets and take more photos before I go in search of a day spa! My friends come back in the early hours of the evening, tired but exhilarated from their achievement. We have decided to spend the day in the hot springs close by. They need to soak their weary limbs..and I …well, after a year of wandering, my muscles need a bit of relaxing too.

We drive through the surrounding countryside which is absolutely beautiful, to soak in the springs and have my final bit of pampering – a South American massage. For me, it has been a wonderful, relaxing day and I have finally learnt am important lesson - I don’t have to push myself to climb every mountain!

Your distress about life might mean you have been living for the wrong reason, not that you have no reason for living. ~Tom O'Connor

A Road Trip on Ruta 40 to Bariloche

2011-01-19T08:39:00.001+11:00

We drive for 2 days on Ruta 40, breaking journey at a small town called Perito Merino to reach Bariloche. Ruta 40 is one of those legendary stretches of highway here. It is popular with cyclists and is the road that Che Guevara travelled through as a young man on his motor cycle and we came to know through The Motorcycle Diaries.

The Route, parallels the Andes & stretches for 5000 km through the remotest parts of Patagonia, in Argentina, starting from Cancha Carrera near the southern border with Chile, to La Quiaca the northern border with Bolivia. While these miles of nothingness is quite incredible to travellers from Europe, they remind me of of drives in outback Australia. Just like driving the Oodnadatta or similar tracks, one has to plan a road trip between petrol stations, which are very sparsely spaced.

Pit stops are behind a bush if you can find it and we stop along the way to chop up a salad and make a quick burrito for a picnic lunch. The cars, lined up at the petrol station, remind us of the fuel price protests in southern Chile. One of the Chilean borders we crossed was closed just days after we passed through due to the unrest caused by protestors, so we feel lucky to be here!

Along the way, we pass shrines to Gaucho Gil, the patron saint of travellers. The shrines look like a Bower bird’s nest, except the offerings are all red.

There are many legends attached to this man, and Ally shares her favourite with us. Gaucho Gil found himself on the run due to being on the wrong side of the military. He was a wanted man and when he was caught, he was up for execution. He looks his executioner in the eyes and while begging for his life, predicts the executioner’s son will get so ill, he will be lucky to survive the night. The executioner pays him no attention, executes him and leaves his body where it fell. He then goes home to find his son very sick & struggling for his life. Mortified, he comes back to Guacho Gil’s body and gives it a decent burial. When he gets home, he finds that his son is recovering. He spreads the word about this man, who then becomes a South American legend!

As we go north, the scenery changes from flat land that stretches for miles to mountainous terrain. After driving for most of the day, we arrive in Bariloche, the centre for the Argentinean Lake District. The city appears to be a small slice of Switzerland, with log cabins, wooden chalets, St Bernard dogs (with a barrels of whiskey around their necks) and amazing chocolate! I love this city, which surprisingly is much larger than I expected, and has a population of 100,000! Many of the first settlers in these parts were Swiss, Germans and Northern Italians, hence the European feel to this place. Today, rich Argentineans, Brazilians and foreign film stars, holiday here. I love the unique architectural style of housing here and the wooden houses blending into the natural environment remind me of my own home in the bush!

The area is a paradise for hikers, climbers and outdoor enthusiasts. If you love the outdoors, this is a place you could happily spend lots of time in. We spend our free day in Bariloche by taking a chair lift up to Cerro Campanario. It is a lovely view at the top and we sit on the rocks up there to enjoy the sunshine and spend a lazy day together. I’ve come here with my friends Katie, Sarah, Rose and Dave. It is Katie’s last day with us as she leaves the tour to visit her boyfriend on an impulsive visit to Colombia, planned just a few days ago! She has mixed emotions today, feeling both excited about her impending travel and sad at leaving the tour.

Soon, we are joined by Bob and Diane who have also made their way up here, as have the rest of our group. We chat and laze around for hours, before our stomachs remind us it is time to go in search of lunch.

We catch the bus to the rather posh Hotel Llao Llao, a landmark in these parts. We notice the well dressed security guard, give us a strange look, as we walk up to the entrance. We are questioned by the doorman, who kindly informs us that we can’t walk in for coffee without a reservation! We wondered later if we could have bluffed our way in, pretending to be guests, but Diane feels we don’t even come close to fitting the profile of guests at these digs and it would have been a waste of time! We spend time in the garden, take pictures of the place and then go looking for lunch. We are starving and I wish out loud for a lunch of hamburgers and focacias. I spot a sign that says restaurant and as we walk down the road we come across a cafe in a converted service station. This certainly looks more our style, and as we settle in to the sheepskin padded furniture and turn the pages of the menu, I find that hamburgers and focacias are on the menu! The Universe has delivered once again!

We make the bus trip back to town, feeling satisfied but there is one more thing to do, on this our chilled out day. Try the hot chocolate in this chocolate heaven!

We walk around the square to find a place that appeals. Earlier we had purchased a great assortment of chocolates so we feel we did this town justice. We are now equipped with the requisite snacks for the long bus trip the following day.

We find a hot chocolate cafe, grab some couches and settle down with large mugs of hot chocolate & cream, feeling very decadent as we sip what seems to be pure melted chocolate. This is pure bliss or..chocolate heaven!

"At night, after the exhausting games of canasta, we would look out over the immense sea, full of white-flecked and green reflections, the two of us leaning side by side on the railing, each of us far away, flying his own aircraft to the stratospheric regions of his own dreams. There we understood that our vocation, our true vocation, was to move for eternity along the roads and seas of the world. Always curious, looking into everything that came before our eyes, sniffing out each corner but only very faintly – not setting down roots in any land or staying long enough to see the substratum of things; the outer limits would suffice."

— Guevara aboard a ship in the Pacific Ocean

A Glacier Walk – Viedma Glacier

2011-01-16T09:18:00.001+11:00

After lunch we make our way back to the glacier for a walk on the ice. While I have done this once before in New Zealand for many in our group this is a first as well. The scenery is spectacular and I am looking forward to taking more photos of the glacier close up.

We still have all of our safety gear on. We walk on narrow ridges and there are crevices and canyons on either side of us. Our health and safety is our responsibility but the guides are amazing and keep a close watch as we negotiate the glacier.There are 3 guides to the 11 travellers in the group, which is a really good ratio. They are extremely professional and attentive and I would recommend Fitzroy Expeditions to anyone venturing out for a bit of adventure in Patagonia!

The guides chisel the ice on the really steep bits, making it easier for us to get a grip. Unfortunately, the weather has turned and the infamous Patagonia winds are blowing a gale.

At times, it feels like we could get swept off the mountain. We crouch low and wait it out, till it is safe to walk up right again.

We look out over fabulous view points before the guides lead us to a special place and promise us a surprise. Plastic glasses are whipped out and they chisel away at the glacier, filling each glass with ice. Then, out comes a bottle of baileys, the alcohol is passed around and we drink a toast to an amazing day!

I can hardly believe this. I am standing on Viedma Glacier, drinking Baileys with 400 year old glacial ice! Gives a whole new meaning to Baileys on the rocks!

It is time to head back to camp and the catamaran that will take us back. What an amazing day! Perhaps one of the top ten highlights of my life!

To dare is to lose one's footing momentarily. To not dare is to lose oneself. ~Soren Kierkegaard

Living Life on the Edge – Ice Climbing Viedma Glacier

2011-01-16T08:58:00.001+11:00

When I came to Patagonia, I expected to wind down after my travels through Antarctica, after what has been a very hectic year of travel. But Patagonia has forced me to sit up and notice her and continued to challenge me physically, dishing up new challenges and stunning vistas that have left me awestruck at the beauty of this planet we live in. I guess I will have to wait till I am back in Sydney to have a holiday!

At the start of my year off, I vowed I’d challenge myself to live outside my comfort zone. When we are informed that we have the opportunity to go ice climbing Viedma Glacier, Argentina’s largest glacier, I can’t possibly turn it down!

Viedma Glacier is also situated in Los Glaciers NP, which stretches for 170 km along the Chilean border and is the second largest park in Argentina. There are 13 main glaciers that descend into Lake Argentina and Lake Viedma so it is a chance to ice climb in a stunning place. Almost half of this park is covered by the Southern Ice cap although this section is completely inaccessible.

Initially, Sarah, Katie and I vacillate between wanting to give the ice climbing a go, and being a little apprehensive about the whole exercise. We make a final decision to throw our hats in the ring the evening before the excursion. There are few places in the world, where beginners can ice climb, especially with such a stunning back drop! The three of us are joined on this excursion by Dave and Rose as well as Bob & Diane, a couple from Brisbane who travelled with me in Antarctica. It is another clear beautiful day as we make the catamaran trip to ‘base camp’! We are fully kitted out with our safety equipment including crampons, which we wear over our boots (for walking on ice) a safety harness and helmets in case of a fall.

After the guides install the climbing ropes, we are given some basic instruction on technique and then its time to hit the wall! Bob, goes first, but he is suffering from a bad foot and is unable to get to the summit. I am next and despite my initial trepidation, get up to the top with only a few slips from which I recover from quickly without losing too much ground.

It is an amazing feeling to get to the top of the wall, and hit my pickaxe on the ridge! I feel an amazing sense of achievement at completing this basic climb. It is my first ice wall climb, (as it is for the rest of the group) and the buzz I get from reaching the top stays with me for awhile.

Everyone is cheering and I feel quite elated. One of the best things about travel is how supportive your fellow travellers are, when you are attempting something new. I want to keep going but there is nowhere to go but abseil down. I am instructed on what to do, and I hold my axes free of the ice, keep my boots flat and make my way down, in a similar fashion to an abseil off a cliff face when rock climbing.

I’ve set the tempo for the group and everyone is raring to give it a go. There are 2 ropes against this ice wall, and I watch as a few people seem to struggle going up the second rope. Once everyone has their first go, the guides inform us that we can switch ropes and try a different ice wall face. I am excited at the prospect of going up again, and walk up with a determination to get up this second more difficult wall. While I slip a little, I am confident in my recovery and reach the summit of the second wall, with an even greater sense of elation. I am more relaxed the second time around and have lots of fun rappelling back and make little jumps off the ice on my way down, just like the pros!

We then move on to a different area, with a fresh challenge. Two adjacent walls, with very different levels of difficulty. The ice wall on the left is almost vertical and very hard to climb. The wall on the right has a flatter slope and is easier.

I feel quite comfortable now and am enjoying this so much that I try for the hardest wall right away. The ice is much looser than on my previous climbs and crumbles as I struggle to get my ice pick to hold. I have a lot of determination but my body is tired from climbing the first 2 walls and despite my best efforts I don’t get further than half way. Most people didn’t master this wall, but Katie shows us how its done by climbing her way to the top!

I want to finish the day on a high so I make my last attempt on the easier wall. This one is so much easier in comparison, I am almost running up the wall initially. I make it to the top without a problem and shake my ice picks in the air and give out a whoop of delight! I’ve had a blast. It has been a marvellous morning and we are all on a high before we make our way back to base camp for lunch. The day is only half over and we have a glacier walk to complete after lunch!

"The longest journey begins with a single step."
- Lao Tsu, Tao Te Ching

Hiking Los Glaciers NP @ El Chalten

2011-01-16T08:28:00.001+11:00

We have woken up early morning to drive to El Chalten, a town which is the gateway to Fitzroy National Park at the northern end of Los Glaciers NP. We are driving Ruta 40, a remote part of Patagonia where there is less than 1 person per square kilometre. We drive through wide open spaces of deserted landscape that remind me of the desolate Australian bush, (although this is greener) before reaching our destination.

After packing lunch, Andy drives us to our trail head. We are joined by an Argentinean guide who will lead us on a 15km hike through this spectacular park.

Not everyone opts to go on this hike, but it is a lovely day and I am keen to explore. The Fitzroy Massif is covered by cloud but we are hopeful this imposing granite rock will be eventually revealed to us. It is 3,400 m in height and completely dwarfs the surrounding jagged mountains that stick out on either side of it.

The mountain was named after the Captain of the Beagle, who first spotted it from afar, back in 1833. Its traditional name was El Chalten, meaning smoking mountain. The mountain was originally thought to be a volcano, because at sunrise it is briefly lit up and appeared to be bright red. Perhaps the clouds that seem to constantly envelop it added to the myth.

This park is a rock climber’s paradise. We stop for photos and hike a couple of hours to a beautiful lookout. Our guide narrates the story of the French Expedition who first made it to the summit of Fitzroy in 1952. One of the guys lost his life, attempting to cross a river in the park and a nearby peak is named after him.

Fitzroy Massif is only conquered by about 30 climbers a year during the climbing season here. To put that into perspective, more climbers would summit Everest a day, during the trekking season in Nepal.

We have glorious weather and can’t believe our luck. Blue skies and sunshine raining down on us in a part of the world where it is normal to get 4 seasons in one day during summer! The weather gods have been kind to us on this trip and we are thankful.

The clouds lift briefly, and we are treated to a view of magnificent Cerro Fitz Roy!

We stop for lunch at a stunning view point and continue hiking to the campsite where climbers prepare for their expeditions. The campsite is packed at this time of year, because there is only a small window of opportunity for climbing or camping in Patagonia! The campsite is very basic and I wonder how cold it must get as I walk past. Summer temperatures here can rival winter temperatures in Sydney!

While it is a long hike, it is not a particularly difficult one but we are tired and a little sore as we make our descent to the valley in the late afternoon. After 5 hours of walking we are back in town in time for hot showers, clean clothes and a good Argentinean steak!

"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like falling leaves." - John Muir

Los Glaciers NP – Perito Moreno Glacier

2011-01-15T20:29:00.001+11:00

We commence our journey along the Ruta 40, the South American equivalent of Route 66! We cross the border back into Argentina. We are the first in line to leave Chile but the border doesn’t open till 8 am so we have a bit of a wait. Our first stop will be El Calafate where we spend 2 nights at the Hostel del Glacier to browse this little town, hang out at the cafes sipping hot chocolates and visit Perito Moreno, a world famous glacier.

The drive is very scenic and on the way we stop to admire the condors gliding in the valley. The condors nest in the side of the cliffs, have a couple of young at one time and are the largest birds in the world!

Our incredible natural environment never ceases to amaze me and just when I think I have seen it all, I am surprised once again. I would rate the Perito Moreno glacier as one of the top ten natural features I have ever seen. Even the icebergs and glaciers I saw in Antarctica don’t in my opinion rival this.

The Perito Moreno glacier is located in the Los Glaciers National Park, which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1981.

The park is in the Santa Cruz province, the largest in Argentina and a place where the Welsh settled, attracted by the sheep farming tradition in these parts.

The glacier stretches for 5 km on its front face and rises 60m above the water line. It is one of the world’s few or perhaps only (depending on which book you read) advancing glaciers (that means growing) and moves at a rate of about 1.5 m/day! It is hard to imagine that it was only a few thousand years ago that this entire park was covered by glaciers. As they advanced, they carved out the landscape and steep valleys we see today. The warming of our climate is causing these glaciers to melt and retreat to the higher parts of the mountains. The valleys are filled with glacial melt, beautiful turquoise and milky white waters that create amazing views.

Our initial encounter begins with a hike along the water, to a hilltop viewpoint from which we look down on this incredible spectacle. We then drive further into the park, where we are able to walk along walkways to experience this glacier a little closer up.

It is amazing to stand on the platforms and listen to the creaks and groans the glacier makes. Occasionally, we see small chunks of ice fall off into the water and the noise reverberates in the valley. Sometimes we hear explosions that remind me of firecrackers on New Years day. They come from within the glacier and all we see our the ripples that spread on the surface of the lake. It is an amazing site. The rain is falling lightly and the surrounding mountains are covered in mist. We dry one of the park benches and settle down to have a sandwich and watch the spectacle that nature has provided for us today.

After lunch we take a boat tour for a different perspective of the glacier. It is cold outside, and the wind whips past as we brave the cold for more pictures of this stunning landscape.We go back for a goodbye dinner with the group. A couple of people leave us to go their separate ways and a couple of new people join the trip including another Aussie, Rose, from West Ryde. Yes, it is a small world. Tomorrow we make our way to El Chalten for more experiences of glaciers.

Those who are brutally honest are seldom so with themselves. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966

Driving, Riding & Hiking the Torres del Paine

2011-01-11T02:40:00.001+11:00

We leave Punta Arenas early for the long drive to Puerto Natales and the Torres del Paine. It will take us at least 12 hours of driving and a couple of rest stops to make it to our ultimate destination, the camp site in the Torres del Paine.

Torres del Paine was created in 1959 and was declared part of the International Biosphere Reserve Network by UNESCO.

The Paine Massif is a small system of mountains, completely separate from the Patagonian Andes range. The range is a mix of granite and sedimentary rock formed about 12 million years ago, when magma penetrated through a crack in Magellan’s basin.

On the way to the campsite we stop at Puerto Natales, the gateway to the park to pick up supplies. This was once a thriving fishing port but today, it is tourism that keeps the economy ticking. The drive is stunning and the clouds make amazing patterns in the sky that has me glued to the window. If I was driving, it would take me days to get there, because I would need to stop every 5 minutes to take yet another picture.

Ally informs us that we have the option of a 3 hour horse ride in the park before we make it to camp. A number of us decide we want to experience the park in true South American fashion, and hop off the truck to go riding. I am little apprehensive initially, but I’ve made the right decision! The park is so beautiful and to experience it from on top of a horse is just fabulous! It has been awhile since I did any riding, so it isn’t long before my knees start to feel sore. The stunning landscape makes up for it and we thoroughly enjoy the views and the beautiful weather. It is a brilliant day and we make our way up a mountain for panoramic, picture post card views of this incredible place. Coming downhill is far more challenging than going uphill, but we hang on as the horses make the final gallop home. It has been a wonderful introduction to our 3 nights of camping in the Torres del Paine.

I spend Day 2 hiking Frances Valley. We wake up early to catch the catamaran to our trail head. The walk, which is described as undulating, is spectacular and I take my time to enjoy the views as well as the hiking. I walk with Katie, a girl who hails from my part of the world and lives on the beaches of Manly. We chat, eat and stop to smell the roses. We walk past the campground and make it to a wonderful view point to enjoy the spectacular scenery. We are not hell bent on reaching the summit. The view point gives us stunning views of the mountains, the glacier and the river that carries the glacial melt. We chill and chat as we eat our lunch and reflect on what comes next in our lives!

On Day 3 we have the option of another strenuous hike to view the ‘towers’ close up. I decide it is time to have a day off and just enjoy this beautiful park. I drive out in the truck to drop off the hikers and then enjoy the drive back, chatting to Andy (our truck driver) and snapping lots of photos at the stops along the way. When I get back, I spend the day engaging Mark (our cook for this camp) in conversation, walking with Fiona (fellow traveller who opted for the ‘chill day), blogging and catching up on a bit of sleep. It’s been a fabulous experience.

You cannot fully understand your own life without knowing and thinking beyond your life, your own neighbourhood, and even your own nation. ~Johnnetta Cole

Punta Arenas

2011-01-08T12:42:00.001+11:00

We are on the road again. It is a long drive from Ushuaia to Punta Arenas and so we set off early morning, leaving Ushuaia at 6.30 and making our acquaintance with Peggy who will be our mode of transport all the way to Santiago.

Peggy is a comfortable truck and as it is only at half capacity, we have plenty of room to spread out.

On the way we have a border crossing, which threatens to take up more time than warranted, but after hassling with the Argentineans on our way out and being asked to fill out forms in quadruplicate copies, we are thankfully allowed into Chile with out too much fuss.

I catch up on my writing and admire the beautiful scenery as we say goodbye to Tierra del Fuego. The landscape changes from steep mountains at the edge of the road to flat, green expanses that stretch for miles. It is a pretty uneventful run with a few strategic stops for photos along the way.

The day includes a ferry ride as we cross the Magellan Straits and watch the dolphins that seem to be laid on for the tourists. We finally arrive at Punta Arenas, the southern most city in Chile,and a local centre for sheep farming and fishing.

We spend two nights here, visiting a local museum and spending time at the Seno Otway Penguin Colony where we commune with a Magellenic penguin colony. Watching these beautiful animals frolicking in the water, feeding their chicks and going back and forth from their burrows to the ocean never tires even those of us who have just returned from cruising Antarctica.

Food in this part of South America is mainly steak, empanadas, pasta and pizza but we find a sushi restaurant to add a bit of variety to our diet. After dinner a few of us end up at the sky bar, marvelling at the view, while getting to know each other over drinks. We eventually head back to our hotel for a few hours of sleep before our early morning departure to Torres del Paine.

Let your heart guide you. It whispers, so listen carefully. ~Littlefoot's mother, Land Before Time

Ushuaia – The City at the End of the World!

2011-01-07T04:26:00.001+11:00

The final goodbyes are said early morning and we disembark from the Vavilov, our ship which has been home for the last 3 weeks. I have conflicting emotions of sadness at saying goodbye to my friends and the realisation that I’ve had the climax to my year long journey, excitement at starting my trip through Patagonia, (another stunning part of the world) my last organised trip of this journey and the beginnings of homesickness and a longing for seeing the people in my life back home, the people I refer to as my ‘Sydney Family’!

I am starting a journey through Patagonia, which will see me wind my way between Argentina and Chile a few times, as I make my way from Ushuaia to Santiago.

This journey is with a group called Tucan, and we will travel in an overland truck, in a very similar fashion to my travels through Africa, except that we only have about 3 days of camping on this trip!

I meet the new group which includes Andy, an Englishman who is our truck driver, Ally who is our Tour Leader and Sarah my new room mate from England. There are 12 of us in the group and in addition to Sarah, (right), I hang out with Katie a fellow Aussie from Manly, and Dave another Englishman.

We have 3 nights in Ushuaia and before I say goodbye to this southern most city in the world, I have a chance to do a bit of exploring. Funnily enough we start this journey with a tour of the Beagle Channel and we find ourselves back on the water, this time on a much smaller boat called Elisabetta. We see our fair share of wildlife including sea lions and admire the views of the snow capped mountains. On our last day in Ushuaia we visit the Tierra del Fuego National Park for a day of hiking. This park is at the edge of the Beagle Channel, at the border with Chile and was created to protect the Southern tip of the Andes.

The main island of this archipelago was inhabited more than 10,000 years ago by various tribal groups including the Yamana people who lived in harmony with the environment. Yesterday, we had visited the museum and seen the bark canoes they travelled in and learnt a little about their way of life. They hunted seal-lions and harvested molluscs for food.

Just as in many other parts of the world their disappearance has been linked with disease and with the coming of the early explorers. It is said the sealers poisoned the Yamana so they could have easy access to the sea-lion colonies. The literature I have obtained from the park head office tells me that “of the 3000 Yamanas living at the time of arrival of the Europeans, there were but 1000 ten years later (1890) and by 1910 there were but 100.”

We hike the coastal trail which leads us down to the water and through Sub Antarctic Beech Forest. Initially, the water views are shrouded in mist and we cant see very far. Toward lunch time though the mist lifts and the snow capped Andes mountains are revealed. The views are stunning and we see a crested ducks and other birds in the water. As we hike we come across a beach covered with mussels and barnacles, exposed as it is low tide. We realise why the Yamana people could easily survive off this land. A land which may appear hostile on the surface but as you explore deeper you realise it has a plentiful supply of food to offer! We hike about 8 km before we stop for lunch at a great restaurant overlooking the water. Its good to stretch my legs and get some exercise after so much time on the boat. While I find it tempting to go back, Dave persuades me to keep hiking after lunch. I am so glad I did. The weather clears up completely and we hike through some stunning countryside bathed in sunlight.

I am so glad to be outdoors and feel incredibly happy to be on land and back in the great outdoors doing what I love best – hiking! We pass by a beaver dam and learn that beavers, rabbits and musk rats were some of the exotic mammals that were introduced to this pristine wilderness for economic reasons. The stumps of dead trees that have resulted from the beavers, remind us of the dangers of introducing alien species to an environment not designed for them.We walk for another 4km or so before we call it a day. We are picked up by our transfer vehicle and we go back for a hot shower and a quick nap before dinner. I am glad this leg of my journey will be an active one. Hopefully, I might lose the pounds I put on on, aboard the Vavilov!

I'm the walkingest girl around. I like to work at it - really get my heart pounding. ~Amy Yasbeck

Goodbye Sergey Vavilov!

2011-01-06T14:31:00.001+11:00

It is the last day on board our ship Sergey Vavilov. We have shared an incredible journey and completed a very big dream on the ‘bucket list’ of just about every passenger on board!

We are given a tour of the ship and we visit the engine room and get an appreciation for the work that goes on behind the scenes to keep this boat running! It is a Russian scientific research ship that is leased by Quark Expeditions. Hence, it is a ship with no frills, very unlike the regular cruise ships that you might have encountered. Cruising is not my style but I have truly enjoyed being on an expedition cruise and the chance to experience Antarctica close up.

We have our last recap up at the bar. Graham reminds us of the places we have been,what we’ve done, what we’ve consumed and what we have seen! They include:

31 species of birds
5 species of seals
3 species of whales
8 species of penguins
2 yearly celebrations
5 kayak expeditions
349 nautical miles sailed
1998 eggs
15 excursions
4 soaked zodiacs!
26 presentations

Of course for some of us this list would not be complete without the numbers of friendships made, the photos we’ve taken, the conversations we’ve had, the drinks we’ve consumed, the blog posts written, the miles we’ve walked, the icebergs we’ve seen, the postcards we’ve mailed back and the people we met on the remote outposts!

As always, the wonderful friendships I made were a standout and ones I hope will last a lifetime. I found fellowship with people who chased similar dreams and shared my values of living life slightly different to the norm.

I got to know many of the expedition team quite well and was amazed at their talents, their knowledge, their dedication to the spirit of adventure and the incredible journeys they have already been on! On our last night at the bar, we are entertained by Graham and some of the guitarist on board. Leah is invited to sing and she surprises and delights the crowd with her rendition of a John Denver song. We are treated to a fabulous sunset as we say goodbye to the voyage of a lifetime! We join in the singing and go to bed. As I ticked this dream off my bucket list, I reflected there wasn’t much more I could have asked for, from this once in a lifetime journey!

"It is better to go skiing and think of God, than go to church and think of sport." — Fridtjof Nansen

The Sprit of Adventure

2011-01-06T14:25:00.001+11:00

Graham Charles hails from New Zealand and was our Expedition Leader. He is an advocate for the Spirit of Adventure. He and 2 of his friends were the first team to kayak around South Georgia! Read all about his achievements and his Adventure Philosophy in:

http://www.adventurephilosophy.com/top-level-adventure-philosophy/welcome-home/

He is truly inspirational and was instrumental in us having the trip of a lifetime. Even when we thought the weather would stop us, he came up with ways to defy it.

As we travelled through Antarctica, Angela and I reflect on whether the Spirit of Adventure is dead. It is rare to encounter the courage of explorers such as Shackelton, Scott and Amundsen amongst the travellers of today. We set off on our own personal journeys, having already researched and Googled these destinations to death. We have read the guidebooks and trip notes of people who have travelled these paths before us. We have trawled through the online photographs and watched Discovery documentaries and come here armed with a lot of prior knowledge.

The early explorers set off in search of places that had never been visited. They were intrepid travellers with immense courage, willing to live outside the box, so they could discover places that were not even mapped!

When Captain Cook left the southern seas for the last time he wrote:

“Thick fogs, Snow storms, Intense Cold and every other thing that can render Navigation dangerous, one has to encounter and these difficulties are greatly heightened by the enexpressable horrid aspect of the Country, a country doomed by Nature never once to feel the warmth of the Suns rays, but to lie for ever buried under everlasting snow and ice”.

And then we reflected on the younger generations of today, who would rather live in a virtual world than go out and discover the bush in their back yard. We live in a risk averse world today that is smothering the spirit of adventure. At work, we lie buried under mountains of paperwork that slowly kill our creative abilities. We protect ourselves with paperwork because no one is willing to take some personal responsibility for their actions. Adventure parks that allowed people to test their limits, challenge themselves close down, scared off by insurance bills they are unable to pay and the threat of litigation by a population unwilling to be accountable for their actions.

If we are unable to test our limits, challenge ourselves, and take a few risks, we will become a population with less life skills than the generations that preceded us. If the greatest adventures our children experience are via a computer screen, our evolution and growth as a species will be limited.

So, dear readers, make sure you take some time out from your tightly structured lives to include a few adventures. There is nothing like the freedom of the open road and the adrenalin rush of a new adventure to add a bit of zest to your life! “We believe in the spirit of adventure – being self- propelled, self-responsible, the need for an unstoppable attitude, the need for challenge. We believe that the world is a better place for those who are prepared to confront the improbable and defy the odds.”

Antarctic Peninsular Sea Kayak Expedition Mission Statement

The Drake Shake: Ringing in 2011

2011-01-06T14:12:00.001+11:00

It’s New Years Eve in the Southern Ocean. We are bouncing around in the waves on the Drake Passage, which are now crashing against our ship. We’ve just finished a wonderful dinner and Graham invites us all to a toast at the bar, later on that evening.

It’s an expedition ship, so no one really dresses up for New Years, but the staff are out of uniform and a few people have tried to make an effort.

I am excited to see the New Year in, in this part of the world. It isn’t every year you have just said goodbye to Antarctica, as you are on the brink of the start of a new year.

The expedition staff bring around glasses of champagne and Graham asks us to join him in a few toasts..

There are munchies, popcorn and other nibbles. Leah and I relax in the bar and chat to a number of our new friends, who stop by to wish us a Happy New Year! We are here for the long haul though and we watch as the bar slowly empties out. Many people are not feeling the greatest as we make our way through the ‘Drake Shake’! There are now about 30 people left. I look at Leah and say we should start dancing. The night is still young and there are a few hours to kill before the clock strikes the midnight hour.

I am surrounded by people who are passionate about nature, discovery, photography, and travel and who have already done extraordinary things in their life. Antarctica is rarely a place you visit first as you start your travels around the world and many of the people you meet around these parts are incredibly well travelled and have interesting stories to share.

These people are not afraid to dream. They believe that life is meant to be lived, and dreams do come true. There is no better way to spend New Years other than with people who live life to the fullest! Soon, many of the people are literally bouncing around on the floor. The movements of the ship are unpredictable and we grab on to the rails on the side of the bar to keep from tumbling to the floor as we try a few dance moves. I end up on the floor anyway, but am none the worse for wear. It must look quite funny to the people still seated but we don’t care. It is a fabulous night and we are celebrating the end of a fabulous journey and the friendships made along the way.

As we count down to midnight, I feel happy and content. The strains of Auld Lang Sae play in the background and the group join in. I think back to the start of 2010, when I watched the fireworks over Sydney harbour. What a different place to be for the start of my 2011 journey. I have a month left of my travels before I go home to start the next stage of my life. I intend to keep living a life that is meaningful and memorable. I will never forget 2010. Come what may in the future, it will forever be a standout year in my life!

A Very Happy 2011, to you my dear readers. I have appreciated you sharing my journey through 2010, your feedback and comments and support. I hope you have made a list of goals for 2011 and I do hope you find the courage to make those dreams come true! I do believe that we are the authors and creators of our destiny! Luck has little to do with it!

Every one of us has in him a continent of undiscovered character. Blessed is he who acts the Columbus to his own soul. ~Author Unknown

South Shetland Islands – AITCHO Islands (HO)

2011-01-03T07:26:00.001+11:00

Our last landing in the Southern Ocean is in a place commonly referred to as HO Island, named after the British Hydrographic Office.

Unfortunately, it is raining but thankfully there is no wind. The islands is home to chinstraps and gentoos. I find them sitting on their chicks in nests they have made with the little stones that litter this beach.

We have the option of hiking but I feel I just want to ‘chill’, on my last landing in Antarctica. It has been a fabulous trip and I have done and seen everything and more than I could have ever hoped for. Today, I just want to say goodbye to it all and have a peaceful communion with the gentoos.

The gentoos are feeding their chicks as I walk past. I watch as mum regurgitates the food and the little chick reaches inside to feed. The penguins are quite oblivious to our presence and it is a treat to be in a place where the wildlife is not afraid of our presence.

We have a chance to free roam today within prescribed boundaries. This island has moss and lichen beds that must not be disturbed but on the beach, we are free to walk any where, provided we keep 5m away from the penguins. I pick a spot and stay still, observing the wildlife around me.

Sadly, the rain doesn’t stop and I begin to feel a little cold. I walk up to the zodiacs and take one of the first ones back. I’ve got some fabulous memories and photographs of this place and if I never get another chance to come back, I can be happy in the knowledge that one of my greatest dreams came true!

To know what you prefer, instead of humbly saying "Amen" to what the world tells you you ought to prefer, is to keep your soul alive. ~Robert Louis Stevenson

South Shetland Islands: Deception Island

2011-01-03T07:23:00.001+11:00

We wake up early to witness our passage through the narrow gap of Neptunes Bellows to Deception Island. The collapsed volcanic cone, now allows for a safe harbour, despite the fact it is considered to be a restless caldera with a significant volcanic risk. The island is the site for the first flight from Antarctica, which took off from the old whaling station here at Whalers Bay. The name Neptunes Bellows come from the strong winds that blow through here. The gap in the volcano wall is just 230m wide and has been the site of many tragic stories but we appear to sail through effortlessly.

As we pass Whalers Bay, we reflect on the history of the Whaling industry in Antarctica. Floating factory ships, catcher ships and shore stations made up the whaling industry in these waters where whales were slaughtered and its blubber, meat and bones were processed for oil. Sadly, the industry was carried out in a completely unsustainable way that led to the decline of whales for ever from these waters.

It is interesting and exciting to be standing on an active volcano in Antarctica. The landscape is different to anything we have seen before and we are given the option of going hiking and a chance to go on a hike and stretch our legs before our sea voyage back to Argentina through the dreaded Drake Passage. The landscape is beautiful and it is wonderful to hike up high and survey the lay of the land spread out below us.

Once at the top of the ridge, we get together for a group picture. The team throw their hands in the air. It has been another wonderful day and we are all on a high.

You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one.

~James A. Froude

The Mad Dash to the Peninsular!

2011-01-03T07:20:00.001+11:00

We travelled through the Antarctic Sound to the western side of the peninsular and arrive at a point from where we had hoped to do a landing on the mainland.

Unfortunately, we also seem to be in, ‘Iceberg Alley’. The ship can only go so far and no further. We are about 3 miles out from the peninsular and the weather is windy, which means the ice is moving quite a bit.

Graham makes a suggestion. If we are up for it, we can make a dash for the peninsular in the zodiacs. It will be a longer, faster trip than any we have done previously. It will also be wet and cold, but we will have a chance to get to the peninsular, have a look and then come straight back. However, he cautions there will be no time for a landing as there is too much ice that is moving around and we do need to get both the ship and the zodiacs out of this area quite fast.

Graham also announces that anyone who does not feel they are up for it should stay on board. The gangway is wet and is being buffeted around by the wind. From my knowledge, every passenger on board our ship, made the dash to the peninsular. The group is an adventurous bunch and we didn’t come this far to stay behind now.

The trip is cold, wet and fast. Beautiful blue icebergs, bigger than any I have seen before flash before my eyes. We are weaving through a passageway that Graham and Flipper have navigated for us through the icebergs an the brash ice. The rest of the zodiacs follow behind. We are moving too fast for pictures so unfortunately, I have mostly memories of this unforgettable day.

It felt like a scene from a James Bond movie. We get there eventually, a little wet and cold but none the worse for wear. When we get there, we find Flipper standing on a rock. We are told, we will each be able to touch the rocks of the continent before we head back to ship. Flipper helps manoeuvre our zodiac into place, then holds it while we each take our turn at touching the rock.

It is an amazing moment. The snow is meters deep and comes right down to the shore line. I smile for someone’s camera, as I touch the rocks of Antarctica. What an amazing trip this has been. We have to head back quickly, before the winds closes up the narrow gap through the ice, and we are marooned out here. I reflect on this fabulous journey and realise that..

“I touched Antarctica, and it touched me back” Travelbug62

Cruising Kinnes Cove, Joinville Is

2011-01-03T07:17:00.001+11:00

It is Day 2 in the Antarctic Peninsular. The weather has turned and we are not able to make the scheduled landing. However, Graham suggest we go cruising out in the zodiacs again to check out Joinville Island. Joinville is the largest of 3 islands at the tip of the Antarctic Peninsular. It was named by the French explorer d’Urville, after a nobleman back home. But long before Dumont d’Urville’s exploits in Antarctica, he had made a name for himself. This is the man who found the statue of Venus on the island of Milos while working on a ship in the Mediterranean. For his efforts in discovering this most famous of Greek sculptures, he was awarded the Legion of Honour!

At the foot of the cliffs, now covered in snow are 45,000 pairs of nesting Adelies. The scene looks quite magical, with ice particles hanging off the sides of the cliffs in the misty morning light. A number of people have decided to stay aboard due to the weather but I don’t want to miss any opportunity to see another bit of this amazing continent. It is actually not as cold as I thought it would be and now armed with thick socks and foot warmers from the gift shop, I feel quite comfortable. Each time we go out I feel I have a slightly different experience and I try to focus on another aspect of life and landscape in the peninsular. This time, it it the Adelies, all lined uo at the waters edge waiting patiently for their turn to jump in. They are such a funny sight and remind me of my own swimming exploits in the winters of Sydney. I swim in an outdoor pool and will often stand at the edge, dangling my toes forever, before I brave the cold waters. I like to think these penguins are a little bit the same although I don’t think they feel the cold as much! The penguins are a joy to watch in the water. They swim in unison, all around our zodiacs as we cruise these waters. Suddenly, they will change direction and we wonder, what signals they give each to put on this wonderful synchronised swimming display! The steep cliff face also makes for an ideal ski slope. We watch as the Adelie penguins careen down the slopes. They seem to be completely enjoying themselves and this natural ski field that nature has provided! We don’t stay out here for too long. The mist is closing in and it is time to turn back. We do a bit more cruising amongst the ice bergs and head back to Sergey Vavilov now dwarfed by an iceberg! However, before we break for lunch, we are invited to take a polar plunge. The plunge pool on board has been filled with icy cold ocean water and 22 people put up their hands for a chance to take a dip in the freezing water. For your efforts you are rewarded with a shot of vodka. For a girl who grew up in the tropics, such antics have no appeal. I watch from up the deck for a few minutes before I head back to the bar for my hot chocolate! At least I’ve got my priorities right!

Driving down the wrong road and knowing it,
The fork years behind, how many have thought
To pull up on the shoulder and leave the car
Empty, strike out across the fields; and how many
Are still mazed among dock and thistle,
Seeking the road they should have taken?
~Damon Knight, The Man in the Tree, 1984

Antarctic Sound

2011-01-03T07:11:00.001+11:00

We are on a high and the bar is buzzing. After an absolutely brilliant day we are on the move again. It’s around 8pm and Leah and I have finished dinner and have settled into the bar, to work on our photos and have a chat. Our eyes however are drawn to the kaleidoscope of colours and patterns that flash by the glass windows. We are cruising through Antarctic Sound and Antarctica is putting on a fabulous show for us tonight!

Listen..can you hear it? Close your eyes….can you imagine it? My words and pictures will not do this incredible landscape justice, but let me give you a taste for this vast expanse of Southern Ocean. There’s the Adele penguins socialising on the ice flow before they skate off on their bellies and drop off on to the freezing water. I love to watch them swimming in unison. Someone squeals in delight as a whole group breaks the surface. There’s the occasional seal, sunbathing on an ice flow, fast asleep, well insulated against the frigid summers of Antarctic. We recall the day we saw the leopard seal from these very same windows and the excitement it caused at the bar!The seals strike me as sluggish creatures that spend long hours sleeping, making disgusting noises and if male, fighting for territory while on land. Yet, they are so graceful in the water and a treat to watch! There’s the icebergs themselves that float by with no sound. If you were in your cabin, you could completely miss this amazing landscape go by. Each berg is unique in shape and colouration, and incredibly beautiful to look at. These pieces have broken off from the Antarctic ice shelf itself and protrude about 30m into the air but about 300m of each berg is hidden under water. If you are lucky, you might even catch the occasional plop, as a piece of ice breaks off into the water. As the sun sets, the colours of this landscape change and soft pinks mix in with the shades of blue, grey and white, adding a beautiful touch to this stupendous picture. The waters are so calm, we can’t believe we are in Antarctica. The night sky never seems to darken in these long summer nights that stretch endlessly and merge effortlessly into an Antarctic morning. I love the brash ice that just sits on the surface of the water and adds a beautiful horizontal pattern from which the icebergs seem to emerge. We stay awake till past midnight, but then we drag ourselves to bed as we have to be up for another landing the next day. It was a magic ending to a perfect day, watching and listening to the Antarctic Sound!

Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will find them gradually, without noticing it, and live along some distant day into the answer.

~Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet

Cruising Erebus and the Terror Gulf

2011-01-03T07:09:00.001+11:00

We are enjoying amazing weather and having a great day in the eastern side of the Antarctic Peninsular. This side is less visited than the more popular western side but we are making the most of our time here. After lunch, our expedition leader announces we are zodiac cruising the waters of Erebus and the Terror Gulf. The waters are like glass, the ocean is calm and there is no wind around. Perfect conditions such as this are rare in the Antarctic so we are thankful for one of those magic days.

I am in the zodiac skippered by our expedition leader Graham Charles. He is a world recognised adventurer in his own right and has notched up a few credits to his name including having been the first to kayak around South Georgia with a couple of his best mates from New Zealand! Graham is also a professional photographer, so it’s great to be in his boat.

As it is such a perfect day, Graham has suggested we try walking on ice! The zodiacs are driven up on to the ice, and we all pile out to stand on an ice flow in the middle of the Terror Gulf! It is an incredible feeling and later we hear how one of the ice flows develop a crack down the middle and one of our groups was literally split in two! Thankfully, I didn’t get to practice my splits or long jump abilities on an ice flow that day!

Not all of us are out here on the zodiacs. A couple of my friends including Leah, Eric and John have taken the more adventurous kayaking option, and they explore this incredible landscape a little closer to the water! Thankfully, no one practiced the Eskimo roll that day! The landscape is surreal and stunning. We have a few moments of reflective silence and meditation when Graham asks that we all be still and listen..to Antarctica! It is incredibly peaceful. I loved being still and just listening to the sound of water lapping up against the ice and the occasional twitter of Antarctic bird life. I am enveloped by the beauty around me and I find it hard to believe this is my reality! Then someone spots the penguin on the ice. We approach softly. To my amazement it appears we have spotted a baby Emperor Penguin. The Emperor Penguin colonies are usually seen further south on the ice breaker expeditions, so we are very lucky to spot this chap this far ‘north’. We sit silently observing before gliding away. We spot more life on the water that afternoon. My favourite, the Adelie penguins are out having fun on the ice flows, and a few snow petrels hover overhead. We have all dressed warmly but the sun is shining down on us and I almost feel overdressed! We stay out for more than 2 hours. The gods have been kind to us and we take full advantage of the opportunity because tomorrow is another day and it could be blowing a gale out here. All good things must eventually come to an end though, and we say goodbye to Erebus and the Terror Gulf and head back to base!

Let me see, Is it real, This life I am living? (From an old Inuit poem)

Antarctic Peninsular: Life and Death on Paulet Island

2011-01-03T07:01:00.001+11:00

I have finally set foot on my seventh continent! Antarctica – I have accomplished the ultimate dream on my bucket list and landed on Paulet Island, in the Weddell Sea, and the Antarctic Peninsular! This island is home to about 100,000 pairs of Adele penguins who share their space with nesting shags and the southern giant petrels. It is the Adelies that greet us first as we land on this volcanic island. There are penguins as far as my eye can see and further! Their simple black and white colouring stands out against the starkness of the white landscape. The sheer numbers of penguins on the island takes my breath away, as does the sound and smell of hundreds of breeding penguins. Adelies were named by the French explorer d”Urville, who named them after his wife! The island is covered in snow which reaches right down to the waters edge, a truly unique experience for a girl who grew up on a tropical island beach and who now lives within reach of the equally glorious white sand beaches of Sydney!

This island was first discovered by the Scotsman Ross’ expedition in the 1800s. Despite the snow we have an option to do a bit of hiking and to go in search of a bit of history. My first stop is at the ruins of a hut built by Nordenskjold’s men, part of a Swedish expedition to explore Antarctica. His ship the Antarctic, skippered by Carl Larson was crushed by Weddell sea ice, and sank just 40 km from this island in the early 1900s. His men sledged for 16 days to reach Paulet and built a stone hut where they took shelter. All but one survived the winter and today the ruins of the hut which is now occupied by Adelies’ stand as testament to the bravery and courage of those early explorers.

Our historian Shane, shares the story of this expedition as part of our lecture series on board ship. The survival of those aboard is an epic, so I will summarise it here. Nordenskjold gets off the ship with a small party to winter at Snow Hill and make observations. The Antarctic returns to pick up the party, but is unable to cross Antarctic Sound due to heavy ice. They drop off 3 men at Hope Bay, to hike over 300km to Snow Hill and inform the party, the Antarctic is on its way. The ship makes its way around the Peninsular but of course it eventually sinks! The men at Hope Bay are unable to hike to Snow Hill as their route is blocked by open water and winter in a small hut. Months later, both groups venture from their wintering huts and meet serendipitously in a place now called Cape Wel Met! Ironically, Larson who was skippering the Antarctic, goes out in a small boat in search of the trio he dropped of at Hope Bay and is also reunited with both parties shortly after and just a few hours before they are found by an Argentinean search party! How’s that for luck?

I walk as far as the frozen lake and stay there awhile to observe the behaviour of the penguins. The Adelies are having a blast, ‘skiing’ and ‘skating’ down the icy slopes of the mountains here. Summer is the breeding season and seeing the penguins sitting on their chicks and regurgitating their food so they can feed is a real delight.

I walk along the beach to the shag colony, nesting along the hill side here.

Along the way I realise the penguin story is not all happy. Many chicks will die, from the wet & cold. In fact there is a 60% mortality rate amongst these young chicks. Food is not fed to unhealthy chicks. Chicks who are abandoned due to a parent being eaten at sea will also perish. The chicks are also very much part of the food chain here and many will lose their lives to birds who prey on the abandoned and weak chicks.

My hands and feet are slowly going numb as the coldness of the day starts to penetrate through my wellies and gloves. I’ve just been here a little over one hour. As I make my way back to the zodiacs I think about Nordenskjold’s men and wonder how they survived a winter out here! For me, it’s time for my favourite bar drink, an Espresso Chocolate with a double shot of milk! Just perfect for a wintery summers day in Antarctica!

As I sip my hot chocolate in the bar, the excited shouts of my fellow passengers draws my attention to what’s going on outside. We have spotted our first leopard seal! I watch this reptilian creature and top predator of these parts float past our ship and snap a few pictures before he glides into the Southern Ocean and disappears from view!

“..Now the name disappears from sight. Now the water is up to the rail, and with a rattle, the sea and bits of ice rush in over her deck. That sound I can never forget, however long I may live..the streamer, with the name Antarctic disappears in the waves. The bow-sprit – the last mast top – She is gone!”

Carl Scottsberg, Feb 12, 1903

Cruising the Weddell Sea

2011-01-03T06:56:00.001+11:00

We are here in the Weddell Sea on the Eastern side of the Antarctic peninsular and there is a drastic change in the weather. We go outside to gaze in amazement at the icebergs and it is freezing cold, definitely quite different to what we experienced just yesterday. Our Antarctic adventure has just begun! We are not able to do a landing but Graham suggests we go cruising in the zodiacs instead, to experience first hand this amazing winter wonderland, hang on..it’s summer here!

There are icebergs everywhere and we learn the difference between brash ice and ice flows. Brash ice breaks off from icebergs, which have come from the Antarctic ice sheet (glacial ice – fresh water) and formed from previous snow falls. Ice flows result from the ocean freezing, and consists of salt water! As we cruise we see a penguin on the ice. It is alone on an ice flow, in this vast and silent landscape and I am amazed at how evolution has provided for these animals to survive these harsh conditions.

We have all dressed a lot warmer than we had on previous occasions. I’ve put on a few layers of thermals as well as lots of woollen sweaters under my parka. However, we are sitting on the zodiacs for over an hour and slowly both my hands and feet start to freeze. By the time we head back to our ship, I am more than ready for a hot bath and a hot chocolate. At recap that evening, my friends and I reflect at the courage, endurance and survival skills of those early explorers, who withstood this environment in wooden boats for hundreds of days. I can barely stand the cold for an hour!

"Men Wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success." — Ernest Shackleton (1874—1922), [probably fake] newspaper announcement before his Endurance Expedition