Standing on the Continent of Antarctica!

What a privilege! I wake this morning at 06.15 hrs in anticipation of an extraordinary day and I pull across the curtains to this!!!

A bright azur blue sky, a sparking white palette of icebergs, a whale blow in the ocean and I am not even dressed yet!!! I can hardly pull myself away from this magnificent sight, of the Antarctic Sound, seen by many intrepid explorers before us and some lucky tourists like ourselves. Because of strict restrictions, only a limited number of ships are allowed into tbe area at a time and no more than 100 people can be ashore at one time, so logistics are vital for the crew.

An announcement before 7 a.m. that because of wind of 35 knots and big sea swells, adjustments are being made to the planned itinerary. I am in the first group of Zodiacs leaving the ship, having scrubbed our boots, had bio security exam of outdoor attire and walked through disenfectent, to ensure we bring nothing ashore. The sea is a little choppy and the wind chill is up a little, but we are well wrapped up. Short ride to a small rocky beach on Cecilia Island, where we disembark and see dozens of Fur Seals. Our Team advise us to keep a healthy distance

as they are grumpy teenagers, mainly male, not just ready to procreate, frustrated, so don’t toy with them!!!

We find 2 penguins, ah, we thought we would see thousands, but one of the team assures me that’s at a later site. This sites’ rocks are too large for the penguins. Found the rock’s a bit difficult to manoeuvre myself and I am not a penguin!!

The members of the Expedition team, who accompany us on the Zodiacs and on land, are full of historical, ecological and etymological information. If I can absorb and remember even ten per cent of it, I will be doing well! Not easy to take notes, as one is tipping the tops of the waves of the Antarctic Ocean and holding onto the ropes for dear life!! The Sound is located at the northerly tip of the Peninsula which stretches like a tentacle towards Tierra del Fuego. We really are at Worlds End. The peace, tranquility and sound of the birds diving into the sea is absolute. Something very special to encounter.

And then of course are our fellow passengers. From all over the world, of varying ages and personalities and pretty idiosyncratic, a bit like myself I guess!

Accompanying people while travelling by land, sea and air gives one a good measure of human behaviour and boy how it varies!!! Yes, I am guilty of stereotyping people ( I think we all do a bit of that) but how often is it true to form! There are a lot of passengers travelling solo on this cruise , as there was a really good deal for singles, so stories abound as friendships are formed, even if just for the duration of the trip!

The lady from Oz who left her partner back home, a dedicated vegetarian cook who has not allowed her in tbe kitchen for 2 years; the lady from UK who once worked in a casino in Israel owned by Palestinians….that was an interesting chat! The chap who prefers to travel on this type of trip alone, but brings his wife to the European sun, which she prefers. The couple who are on their third trip to Antarctica and who continue onto South Georgia when finished on this trip, but are annoyed they won’t be able to walk to a waterfall there, as the arrival of avian flu means no landings on tbe Island for now! I am sure comments about me and my travel habits would be interesting to hear!

Long trip on the sea this afternoon with a fascinating commentary, had us looking overboard into marine vegation in crystal clear sea, watching penguins ducking and diving for fish, petrels and skuas hovering constantly overhead, but alas no whales today.

Thousands of Gentoo penguins strutted on their highways on Balianthos Island where we were able to walk for over an hour and see the moulting chick’s, hear their plaintive cry to their Mums for food ( typical kids) see the remnants of their nests and smell the pungent penguin poo!!

Afternoon tea calls now after a fantastic busy day and more to come tomorrow!

The 7th Continent!

My sense of adventure has always had its limitations, but it was encouraged by Arctic fellow travellers tales of the Antarctic, sometime ago. The research started and the desire grew, to set foot on the 7th Continent, where many intrepid travellers have ventured before me.

Tales of rough sea crossings of the Drakes Passage, a passage of sea, named after Sir Francis Drake and the main entry point from the toe of South America, did little to dissuade me. Armed with every seasick medicine and potent, from acupressure spikes for my ear to wristbands, from prescription drugs to OTC medications, I packed my bag with some trepidation a week ago.

A routing from Dublin to Santiago in Chile via Paris, kicked the adventure off in style! 2 days in the Chilean capital in 30 degrees plus sunshine, set myself and my companions up for the trip of a lifetime.

Little Mateo in the W Hotel wished to practise his excellent English on us and it helped that he was in charge of the excellent Chilean pink prosecco! As he chatted and we imbibed, we met fellow passengers checking into the Hotel to join our Ship the following day. They say water always finds its own level and in no time at all, we found like minded fun people, Australian and Irish ladies, chaps from US and UK, all madly keen as we were ,to start the journey of a lifetime!

After 2 fascinating days exploring the very clean sprawling city of 8 million people

we were ready for off. My conundrum was what style to wear, going from plus 30 degrees to a reported temperature of freezing at Puerto Williams, our port of embarkation! The worries of the First World…but guess what, I managed!

Silverseas excellent staff organised the various permutations of getting almost 200 excited passengers from City Centre to the charter terminal of Santiago international Airport and we were off!!

A frisson of excitement filled the air, as ourselves and our fellow travellers settled in for the 3 hour plus journey. As I had not sampled the traditional Chilean drink of Pisco Sour previously, it was appropriate to do so as we departed this beautiful country and I would recommend it, at least one! My travelling companion and I did our best to convince a lady sitting beside us to try it also, who possibly thought 2 Irish ladies were becoming quite jolly in the middle if the day!!! One must get others to join in tbe fun!!! Don’t think she will sit beside us on the return journey!!

7pm we are on board, ready to Rock and Roll, as the ship slips out of port into a very calm Beagles Channel with the lights of Argentina winking on land. Such intrepid travellers!!!

Alas, our last day.

Well, all good things come to an end and we are now approaching that point. However, after all the excitement of Bears and Walruses, I had become almost oblivious to our sailing conditions which had been ideal up until now, with just a brief hiccup earlier in the week. However as we headed to our next destination late afternoon, the sea became very rough and choppy. I did my best to ignore the large waves clearly visible outside my cabin window, but it was become impossoble to ignore how I was feeling…not good!I had arranged to dine with two fun ladies from New York and Dallas and my Swedish friend with moi being in charge of dinner reservations! I did my best, glamming up and lurched my way along to the main Restaurant where my friendly Indonesian waiter was surprised I refused wine and just wanted some water! Not a good sign. By the time the ladies joined me I had no choice but to opt out. I am not a good sailor!! Very much a lost evening and night , on the High Seas!By morning calm had returned to the Sea so last trek and Zodiac ride beckoned. The chat at breakfast was, who was going to do the Polar Plunge! This entailed being attached to a harness and diving off the side of the Ship into the Arctic! Are they crazy, I thought! But out of 180 passengers over 50 did it! …. many of the Scandanavians did it and my Swedish pal said it was not so different to her swimming in the fjords, which she does regularly. My English friend said she thought she was going to die when she hit the water!!! I was happy to observe and take their videos. Some of the participants who had visited Antarctica and done the Polar Plunge there , now get a Certificate designating them to be Bi-Polar!!!!Last day was more gentle with emails and addresses being swapped. I had a very interesting chat with a girl on the Expedition Team, from Patagonia, as we walked on ground just defrosted from perma frost. I was interested in her life style especially when she told me her husband lived back in Patagonia and she only saw him occasionally. Many of these lovely Guides work the Arctic until late August/early September, take a month off and then work the Antarctic from October to April! Such a wonderful way to see the World for a couple of years. They handle rifles and flare guns, drive Zodiacs and listen to endless guests stories. They impart so much information to us in terms of Botany, Polar and Animal History and Habitat, Survival, Geology and Antropology. They come from all over the world and are like family, looking out for one another together. In the afternoon we had a walk to one of the huge Glaciers and the sun shone. It was also the only occasion, when we were able to walk alone or with others, without being guided. The Bear Guards were nearby, but unobtrusive. It was so tranquil and uplifting to walk to this monument of Nature under a warm blue sky. I had my Arctic moment there, especially thinking how much my John would have loved the adventure. I did feel him close to me in that place.So after a night of partying and silly fun, we said goodbye to the Arctic. A truly wonderful place of Nature sadly fast disappearing. For me, a trip of a lifetime.

And then there were two!!

Well, just like buses, we waited four days for a Polar Bear to come along and then there were two, at least! Because of the early morning start, the afternoon was starting to look somewhat languid, so having had our obligatory Bloody Mary, my Swedish friend Ann and I, had just ordered lunch when, yes, you have guessed it, the Bear Watch alarm went off again! Two bears had been spotted in different locations ( they are solitary animals, always alone, unless a nursing mother) nearby, so get the wet gear, jump into the Zodiacs and we will find tbe Bears! How utterly amazing! Some of my gear was still wet from morning, but what the hell, a bear doesn’t come around too often, do suffer tbe damp and off I go. There is now a hierarchy being established in the Zodiacs with the camera fanatics grabbing tbe best spots ( out of 10!) However they reckoned without Mrs D. and her strong Swedish pal. We too had figured out the optimum place and that’s where we were sitting!

High waves and wind for the first time, meant a hairy ride on tbe boat to secure a spot off shore in front of this beautiful Bear, who was mooching around and not doing a lot. To see over 150 people in 12 boats moored at a respectful distance, with long lens camera, video recorders or just sitting with binoculars to look at this amazing g animal in its natural habitat was humbling. He could be seen, just, with the naked eye, but some great pictures were taken with high definition cameras. I did get wonderful views of him through binoculars and feel very privileged to have witnessed such a rare occourance.

So couple of hours behind schedule, , we are now on our way to Bjornfjorden in Northern Spitsbergen. More to report tomorrow, depending on Internet connection, which is getting worse, and u know what, it doesn’t bother me! In this environment, phones, Internet and the news have become very incidental!!!

Arise and Shine! Bear on the Horizon!

These early mornings of rising followed by strenuous exercise are wearing me out! I will need a holiday to recover!!! Having never trekked before, I am now becoming a dab hand at it! Sturdy boots, adjustable walking poles, binoculars and camera around tbe neck…I feel and look like a Great Explorer! And yes….I can hear those comments to from you……! Ha ha ha!!

Early Friday, soon after 7 o’clock on a bright crisp morning we landed on shore for a 6 km trek to the top of a cairn where a Nordic hunter was buried at the start of the 20th Century. These burial mounds are covered in large rocks so that the Polar Bear, who has a very keen sense of smell, cannot get to the remains! We also saw a hut where trappers or hunters, would have spent the long, cruel, cold winters. Very basic in its structure, their food supply was also limited and many died of scurvy. At the top of the Cairn, the view was fantastic, out along tbe fjord. One could see for miles along a beautiful narrow gauge of water, bright blue under the morning sky and surrounded by mountains reflecting tbe hues of Nature and In-between were tucked small Glaciers.

Another Zodiac cruise in tbe afternoon and for the first time it rained. Miserable ,drizzly, rain, making it difficult to be enthusiastic about more birds!!! On our return, A gin and tonic was called for with like minded people that marked the start of a hilarious night. Dining with three Swedes in a fantastic Italian Restaurant the chat was bi-lingual, at least for them…,my Swedish isn’t great…..( non existent) . A music quiz followed in tbe bar with a wonderful pianist playing themes from the Movies, with the effervescent Martin dancing, singing and encouraging us to follow suit! Not that we needed much persuasion, as we were well plied with alcohol! We were a noisy lot of young Americans, British and Swedish, but we didn’t win last nite! Then it was time to dance and party!

When the alarm went out on Bear Watch this morning at 06.30 I was regretting that last Mojito, but a Polar Bear had been spotted and I now understand the phrase “All hands on deck”! There was a stampede to the viewing decks in all sorts of apparel! One chap beside me, pushing me to tbe right as he positioned his very long lens camera seemed to have dressed in a white night shirt with black footless leggins under that! Saville Row it aint! I actually got dressed, but didn’t stop to do my eyes!!! What a disaster, I hear you say, but that would be a first for me! The Bear was ambling along tbe seashore quite a distance away and I could not see him with the naked eye, but luckily I had my binoculars. So … I SAW A POLAR BEAR IN THE ARCTIC, Yipee! Mission accomplished!

Of course breakfast was a hotbed of swopping stories of how quickly, how easily and how long one saw The Bear! Then it was time to see the Walruses. Another Zodiac ride from where we had to wade in the water to disembark and along a beach lay a herd of about 20 Walrus, with two of them swimming nearby in the water. These guys are HUGE! Up to two tons in weight with tusks about a metre long, they waddle along though they were all lying about today. We had to be very quiet and could only approach in small groups accompanied by members of our young Expedition team. Their smell was quite over powering but to watch these creatures that almost seem pre historic, was amazing. What a morning!

Along with our trips, there are daily lectures on various topics. I attended one on Whales given by a young South Africa girl. She was fantastic, identifying Whales as our Eco Engineers. The statistics she gave us for the destruction that Whaling is causing on the Whale population was quite devastating. She also gave us plenty of positive and interesting facts on what the Whales contribute to the planet, both in practical and in ecological ways.

Antics on board!

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We settle in, and there are various briefing as to where we are going and what we are hoping to see. It’s difficult to concentrate as the Ship glides past snow covered mountains, ice flots in the water and huge Glaciers appear in tbe distance. I have to pinch myself to remind me, that this is my present reality!

Although it’s late July and the temperature is a pleasant five degrees, I am amazed to see how little snow there is. After all, we are at almost 80 degrees North, but tbe Expedition crew tell us of the huge difference they saw on their return here earlier this year, after an absence of almost two years because of the pandemic. Two of the largest Glaciers, Monacobreen and Seligenbreen, were originally linked together. A gap of a couple of kilometres between them has now appeared and the calving is extreme. The bird life is prolific and I have now learned from the Ornithologist that when a Glacier calves( large portions breakaway and thunder into the Ocean ) it creates a massive plancton dislodgement, thus providing a feeding bonanza for the birds!

Early Wednesday morning, having been extensively briefed the previous evening by oceanographer and other specialists, we had to frog march with our outer apparel for mandatory BIO security! So, all the velcro fastenings on my boots, gloves, hats, caps and wet gear golf trousers were strongly suctioned by high powered machines to avoid any organic material being brought into this biosphere. Same treatment for walking poles, cameras, phones binoculars and any other equipment that was leaving the Ship. It is very impressive how careful they are in protecting this environment. And then there was the life jacket drill! I was exhausted by the time we were finished and had not yet gone anywhere!

The seas were very rough that morning and I was feeling very queasy! I retired to lie down, thinking I was the only one and was a bit of a whoos being the novice sailor! I took some meds and slept and then ventured out on the Upper Deck, where in conversation with Norwegians discovered they too were feeling very unwell, as were many others! The sea soon calmed down and my confidence to venture out in the Zodiac strengthened somewhat!

So, suited and booted ( large double layer Parka supplied to everyone) , all the thermals one could think off, the heavy life jacket and the back pack containing cameras, binoculars and water, while looking like the Abominable Snowman, I had so much weight on my shoulders, I could hardly walk but was ready to board the Zodiac! We were handed over via a Sailors Grip by a team of people, into the Zodiacs, that were moored and rocking at the side of the Ship, told to slide along, 8 or 12 to a boat, and off we went on the High Seas! How exciting! Lumps of Ice are knocking against the boat as it sped along, the pilot armed with a rifle and most of us have terrified grins on our faces!

We go past massive ice flots under a cold blue sky and listen to thousands of birds chirping and sqacking. We land on a beach called 14th July which is really strong rocky terrain overshadowed by massive Bird Cliffs displaying a myriad of varying geological features. Thousands of birds nest here Guillemots, Puffins, Eider, Skua and Terns to mention but a few. Our Guide was most informative on the habitat and lifecycle of these Arctic feathered friends. A route is marked out with red flags for us to walk to what is called the Hanging Gardens about a kilometre away. Armed Bear Guards are strategically placed along the way, to protect us against Bears……we wish! That’s what everyone wants to see…a Polar Bear! Fingers crossed!

Well, no Bear sighting, but we did see three huge Reindeer grazing! They are not red, rather a dull gray but sporting huge and equally massive antlers that they shed annually! Now, we are actually walking within the Arctic Circle! Hurray! The dynamics on board the Zodiacs are quite interesting to observe. Those with the very large cameras, with zoom lens and bulky equipment get in everyone’s way and view! Most others, like myself, enjoy the ambience and the unparalleled beauty of our location, with our natural cameras, our eyes. You chat and find fascinating people and listen to their stories, as you scoot at high speed back to tbe Ship. We must walk through disinfectant baths on arrival back, again part of the BIO Security.

The facilities on board are terrific from the welcoming champagne in your Suite to a choice of four fab restaurants where the range of both food and wine is wonderful. For a solo traveller like myself, you can be seated at a table with others, who have indicated they would welcome strangers and there is a daily get together for those travelling alone. To date, I have had fascinating Company in tbe restaurants, while getting great attention from the waiters, who seem to especially look after lone ladies! A girl could get very used to this style of living!

In the meantime in tbe absence of my luggage, I purchased some gear at the Airport. As we all know, airport retail is highly designer oriented but in tbe hope of being reimbursed by SAS ( dream on, Jean) I bought Ralph Lauren Trousers and a Max Mara shirt. The trousers were way too long for me, so yesterday I had my large Butler and a diminutive Tailor, both on their knees, pinning up my new trousers! Duly adjusted, they were back to me in a matter of hours! Much quicker than Zipyard! So, all will be revealed later!!

The Midnight sun takes some adjusting to. Bright for 24 hours, it feels very strange and definitely effects ones body and mind. There are black out curtains on the windows but at 03.30 this morning it was weird to look out at a scene similar to mid afternoon. Better than the opposite, tbe Polar Night, that lasts in this region for 4 months, when there is no daylight at all!

Thursday morning we were out on the water for almost two hours. Prior to that while breakfasting, a bearded Walrus was spotted swimming in tbe water near the Ship. All I could see was the face!

We got right up near the huge Glaciers and experienced Calving, when massive chunks broke off the Glaciers and tumbled into the sea creating explosive noise after sounding loud cracks ( so we knew it was coming and got out of the way) as it created great turbulence in the water. It was stunning to witness it and apparently these occasions are becoming more frequent due to a stronger influence of the Gulf Stream, which is having a major effect on the Ice And the Glaciers in this Region.

The Monacobreen, Glacier, that we saw, was discovered in 1906 by Prince Albert 1 of Monaco. It is about 7 kilometres wide and about 60 metres high. But chunks of it are breaking off and snowfall and permafrost conditions in Winter are not sufficient to replace what is being loss. Given time it may well disappear as the next Ice Age is not due for a couple of thousands of years yet!

The very knowledgeable Neil from Canada guided us this morning and was full of information. The Expedition team are an amazing group of young people from all over the world, Finland, Greenland, Patagonia, Chile, UK to mention but a few places. All passionate about climate, wildlife and marine life and conservation. Full of knowledge and interesting facts and anxious to impart that knowledge to us, a perceptive audience.

I met two photographic gurus also working for Silverseas. Both young men, self taught, are helping all of us with our photographic equipment and ensuring the memories we take away are properly saved and edited. One of the guys Denis, spent three months in Ireland, during the pandemic, camping with his Latvian girl friend and visited 25 counties…he never got to Donegal! I am now his VBF as the only Irish person on the Ship! Mind you, Martin, tbe Entertanments Officer, who lives in Nice and is a bundle of laughs and giggles , has also taken a shine to me! I am made up!!!

Internet connection is very sporadic here, especially if we are in a fjord. I am writing this before I head off on a medium endurance hike of about 8 km. We will access the hike from Texas Bay via Zodiacs, so I hope on my return ( if I do) that I will be able to post this story which I hope you will enjoy. Because of the slow connection, its impossible to post pictures to accompany the text until we dock on Monday next. In meantime…..to be continued.

Anticipation!

Well the Anticipation has been finally realised after an initial stressful 24 hours!

SAS decided to leave the checked bags of half of their passengers in Dublin, including mine, so my initial impression of Norway was not very positive!!! This stress has now faded however, as the majesty and remoteness of this truly wonderful environment has calmed me down considerably! As I walked along a beach beside the Barents Sea just a few hours ago, looking at Glaciers that are hundreds of thousands of years old and hundreds of meters high, the concern of not having my favorite fashion with me, faded into insignificance!

I will also give Oslo a second chance when I return there next week and will let you know what my impressions are!!!

On arrival on Monday evening in the hotel in Oslo I met some of my travelling companions. Mainly white, middle aged, well travelled and very articulate! Ones’ typical A, B1, B2. There are 180 passengers on the ship from the US, Canada, Australia and Europe. Many Scandanavians and a group from South Africa. The majority are regular cruisers, but a few Virgin Cruisers like myself ( Silverseas pet name for first timers) . Quite a number of Solo passengers, both male and female, and everyone very jolly and friendly. Stories of previous cruises abound , with subtle points being scored, as in ” oh, you only did the 28 day one, we did the 42 one!” You get the picture!!

An ancient 757-200 eventually got us here on Tuesday morning after being on the tarmc for 90 minutes as we were told ” there a light in the control panel that we cannot turn off”….information overload for me, but the Bloody Mary’s and Prosecco they served while we waited ( 08.30 a.m.) patiently helped to while the time away! I sat beside two sisters from Sweden, who were charming company and like myself, visiting Svalbard for the first time. One of them told me of her Round the World Cruise of 4 months in 2020, which was curtailed by the arrival of Covid after their departure. This necessitated them spending 6 weeks at sea as they were not allowed dock anywhere while the World came to terms with this new mysterious virus.

Towards the end of our three hour plus flight, the clouds parted and we caught a glimpse of the Barents Sea- finally we were within the Arctic Circle!! We could see snow covered mountains stretching for miles towards Russia and the Steppes, excitement was mounting!!

We landed in Longyearbyen, the northernmost settlement in the world! 78/15 N. Population 2,100, slightly less than the Polar Bear population in Svalbard! Signs abound in the town showing a Polar Bear which means ” be careful”! There are research stations further North, but no communities.

We spent a couple of hours here in the town, as the Ship had 6 hours to be sanitized after the previous guests departed. There was an interesting Maritime Museum and a number of specialised Expedition shops selling just about everything one might need in terms of apparel ( thermal of course) and equipment. There was a fur shop also, but I passed on that, as I needed some basics from the supermarket! Everything is SO expensive! Here’s hoping SAS will reimburse me!

While in the town, I met a charming young man from Enniskerry, who had just covered a Wildlife Guiding course of 9 months and is now working with a local Tour Operator He so very kindly offered to help me with SAS but to no avail. So great to meet such fab young adventurous Irish people in remote areas of the world.

Eventually, 48 hours after leaving home, I am escorted to my Suite on board, and met my attendant John and my Butler Rhodec, both from the Philippines. Life in Grove Lawn will never be the same again!

To be continued……

Anticipation!

Well the Anticipation has been finally realised after an initial stressful 24 hours!

SAS decided to leave the checked bags of half of their passengers in Dublin including mine, so my initial impression of Norway was not very positive! This stress has now faded however as the majesty and remoteness of this truly wonderful environment has calmed me down considerably! As I walked along a beach beside the Arctic Ocean just a few hours ago, looking at Glaciers thousands of years old and hundreds of metres high, the concern of not having my favorite fashion with me, faded into insignificance!!!

I will also give Oslo a second chance when I return there next week and will let you know of my impressions!

On arrival on Monday evening in the Hotel in Oslo I met some of my travelling companions. Mainly White, middle aged, well travelled and very articulate! Ones’ typical A,B1, B2’s. 180 passengers on the ship from the US, Canada, Australia, and Europe. Many Scandanavians and a handful from South Africa. The majority are regular cruisers, but a few Virgin Cruisers, like myself. ( Silverseas pet name for us first timers! ) Quite a number of solo travellers, both male and female and everyone very jolly and friendly. Stories of previous cruises abound, with subtle points being scored..” Oh, you only did the 32 day one, we did the 48 day one”. You get the picture!!!

An ancient 757-200 eventually got us here in Tuesday morning after being on the tarmac in Oslo for 90 minutes as we were told ” There’s a light on in the control panel and we are trying to turn it off….” Information overload for me, but the Bloody Marys and Prosecco that were served while we waited ( 08.30) patiently helped while away the time! I sat beside two sisters from Sweden, charming company, who like myself, were visiting Svalbard for the first time. One of them told me of her Round the World cruise of 4 months in 2020, which was curtailed by the arrival of Covid after their departure, necessitating them spending 6 weeks at sea, as they were not allowed dock anywhere, while the World came to terms with this new mysterious virus.

Towards the end of this three hour flight, the clouds parted, and we caught a glimpse of the Barents Sea- finally we were within the Arctic Circle! We could see snow covered mountains and Glaciers stretching for miles over towards Russia and the Steppes! Excitement was mounting!

We landed in Longyearbyen the northernmost settlement in the world! 78/15 N. Population 2,100, slightly less than the Polar Bear population in Svalbard! Signs all around the town show Polar Bears, which means “Be careful,”! There are research stations further North , but no communities.

We spent a couple of hours here in the town, as the Ship had 6 hours to be sanitized after the previous guests departed. There was an interesting Musueum and a number of Specialised Expedition shops selling just about anything one might need in line of apparel and equipment. There was a fur shop also, but I passed on that as I needed some basics from the supermarket and everything is SO expensive!! Here’s hoping SAS will reimburse me!

While in the town, I meet a charming young man from Enniskerry, who has just completed a Wildfife Guiding course of 9 months and is now working with a local Tour Operator. He so very kindly offered to help me with SAS but to no avail. So great to meet such fab young adventurous Irish people in remote areas of the world.

So eventally 48 hours after leaving home I am escorted to my Suite on board and meet my attentiondent John and my Butler Rhodec, both from Phillipines.! Life in Grove Lawn will never be the same again!!

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