Just when you think the environment cannot get better, you round a corner, and there’s another breathtaking vista!

I should have anticipated a change of plans for Sunday,as the ships motion through Saturday night did not help me have a peaceful sleep! Enough said!! Change of plan was confirmed early Sunday morning as weather conditions, high swells and wind meant nobody was leaving the Ship. What’s not to like about a lazy Sunday morning, in comfortable surroundings, drinking coffee (and a bloody Mary) in an Observation Lounge and soaking in an environment of snow blanketed landscapes and colossal ice sculptures on Earth’s least explored Continent.

There are 194 passengers on board from all the other Continents, all with a deep interest and love of Nature and tbe Environment. I thought I was reasonably well travelled but….I am a novice compared with some of my fellow passengers! Most have interesting and quixotic anecdotes to recount, but as with any group..yes, you have guessed it, the bores and the boasters!!! Quote, ” My longest journey was A to B”….”Not at all, that’s not long, mine was longer, X to Y” . “Did you use the First Class Lounge in Singapore?” Oh, you must.” …..and on it goes!! Its quite amusing actually to earwig in on some of these conversations from grown men trying to score points of one another! And it’s usually the Men!!! I wish I had Maeve Binchys ability, as there is so much material for a book, a TV series and perhaps even a movie!!!

Enough of the lounging, back to Action! All hands on deck in tbe afternoon, as the wind had died down and we were off to Brown Bluff. This is an ice capped flat topped extinct volcano and at the base, divided into two distinct colonies ,are up to 200,000 pairs of Gentoo and Adelie Penguins. Now, up to a week ago, a.penguin was a penguin to me, but now….I could bore you with the description of at least 5 different species! Suffice to say, that it is so entertaining to watch these creatures waddling along their paths ( and you must get out of their way quickly) the younger ones cackling away to get mother’s attention for food! At this time of the season, the young are moulting their fur as they grow, but until that fur is gone, they cannot swim, so are dependent on mother to feed them Krill, which she fishes in the water and then drops directly into their kouths. How clever is Nature? I also learnt today the collective name for penguins on land is a Waddle and when in the water, their collective term is a Raft! Remember that for your next Pub quiz and you will astonish the other players!!!

We returned late evening to the Ship and after dinner whiled part of the night away singing to Elton John and Billy Joel music, unaware of the turbulent night ahead of us, but more of that anon!

There was great excitement amongst the Expedition Team last evening that weather conditions were making it possible for us to venture into the Wendell Sea! For the uninitiated,( us!) we could not understand this palpable sense of adventure! Apparently, this is an area that is usually very difficult to enter as weather in the area dictatrs the limitations of its accessibility. However, we have been extremely lucky with our weather conditions to date, so the Captain agreed to change course and expose us to this amazing part of the Antarctic.

The morning dawned in a foggy mist which led me to believe this epic journey would have to be reviewed. Not so! A sister ship that has more ice breaking capacity than ours, apparently is about two days ahead of us and had paved the way and gave advance weather advice to our crew. So, revised plan meant no landings on any of the Islands but morning and afternoon Zodiac cruises were possible.

Approx ninety minutes this morning in the company of a chatty South African Expedition Team member and an American helmsman brought us sailing amongst large and small icebergs, while the girls kept us entertained with their own personal stories of shooting the rapids, white water rafting and other such ladylike pursuits! What a sheltered life I have lived!! We also ascertained that there was a romance brewing between one of the girls and a gorgeous tall bearded male member of the Team! Nothing like a bit of gossip!! Back to Nature!!

These birds, that you may be able to see from my not so good photo, are called Shags, yes, you heard correctly and we had lots of information regarding their habitat, their digestive systems and their defecating habits! I shall leave it at that!!! We also saw many Fur Leopards on the shore, living quite amenably alongside the Penguins

Weather started moving in, so coffee in the wonderful Observation Lounge on the 9th Deck seemed like a good idea. The Icebergs floated by, each one larger and more beautiful than the last. I was blown away with the sheer stark beauty of nature in this pristine environment.

Slight afternoon delay, due to change in weather, but soon we were off again this time to Heroina Island, one of the Danger Islands. Andy, the Bird expert, was our Helmsman this time and we had a wonderful time seeing thousands of Penguins on Icebergs many of them dodging Leopard Seals, who were hunting furiously. Sadly, as happens in Nature, the Seals were quite successful in their hunting with the laws of Nature prevailing. The sight of dozens of Adelie Penguins grouped on Icebergs floating by, will stay with me for a long time to come.

I am now sitting in a warm lounge, glass of Chilean wine in hand, listening to a great pianist and watching for whales amongst the Icebergs! Pity about you, I hear you say!! And you are correct. This truly is a trip of a lifetime and I am aware how lucky I am. How my beloved John would have embraced this adventure, but these are the places where I feel close to him.

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!

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.

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!!!

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.

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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!