ANTARCTICA '09

Terra Firma II

2009-03-29T07:24:00.000-07:00

A few more photos. The lighting has been absolutely amazing - as you can see.

Terra Firma! (a primer)

2009-03-29T06:38:00.000-07:00

Well, here I am, finally back on solid ground! The Drake Passage - the sea separating Antarctica and South America, where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans "collide" - lived up to its billing as one of the roughest on Earth during our return. It sure feels good to have my appetite back.

Antarctica was AMAZING (no surprise there), but the highlight has to be the friends that I made, and dealing with being on a ship in a remote part of the world, completely out of contact with the rest of civilization for 10 days. A crazy experience to be sure. I'll be posting a lot more over the coming days and weeks, but I wanted to give a little primer of what's to come in terms of photos. These are a few of my favorites:

Final Post Before We Leave Port...

2009-03-16T07:10:00.000-07:00

Hello all, I just wanted to make a final post before we leave with a few more photos since so many of you have asked. I'll try to make some posts from the ship - otherwise check in for the daily "official" updates.

2009-03-15T21:57:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the big day. Finally! I have never been on a ship in the Ocean, so naturally my excitement level is running pretty high. Crossing the Drake Passage, which separates Tierra del Fuego from Antarctica, takes two days, and is some of the roughest seas on Earth. It is where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans collide, along with various weather systems. I've been asked several times before this expedition if I get sea sick - tomorrow is the day I find out.

I have been integrated into the operations of the expedition, have been assigned leadership duties as well - which I obviously relish. There is quite a variety of people that have signed on for the expedition (26 countries are represented), and I have already made some friendships that I know will last a lifetime. I'm struck by the passion that everyone seems to have for doing something positive for the environment - from corporate big-wigs that you wouldn't think cared, to students that are fighting the good fight.

I have little idea of what to expect over the next week and a half (I'm sure I'll see a few Penguins), but I do know that I will learn a lot from the other people on the expedition. In fact, I already have.

Ushuaia, Argentina

2009-03-12T20:09:00.000-07:00

Well, here I am - at the "fin del mundo" (the end of the world) as they say here in Tierra del Fuego. After a solid 24 hours of flights from Los Angeles, I am looking forward to stretching my legs on a hike or two before getting on the ship. Needless to say, I am quite excited no matter what we do. We are staying in a pretty nice hotel with stunning views of the town and the Beagel Channel. I was the first member of the expedition to arrive, and have already met many of the team leaders. Everyone is very nice, and we are all excited to get going. I had a nice chat with Robert Swan himself, and I feel really good about what we are doing with the expedition.

Ushuaia is spectacular! It sits right on the shore of the Beagel Channel, and is surrounded by stunning jagged peaks that are just begging to be climbed. I could easily spend...a lot of time...exploring the area here. Although I am on a budget, I am going to have a King Crab dinner tomorrow night - South America style!