Argentina

Our last flight was a breeze! I found it interesting that a relatively full plane found us in our own three seat row, with plenty of room to stretch out. Could it be that I'm not the only one that sees you here with me, and that those were your seats? The view, when unobstructed, was magnificent as we traversed the coastal aspect of the Patagonia region. We saw mountains, with deep snow, lakes, and glaciers. Three or four hours later found us in the Southernmost city in the entire world.

Ushuaia (pronounced oo-sh-WHY-a) is a rapidly growing town due to the recent boom in Antarctic tourism. Its port is the most common place to find a ship heading further south. Ushuaia sits within the Tierra del Fuego, a large island, located at the tip of South America. The Tierra del Fuego is also the Southernmost National Park in the world and is the location for the true endpoint of the Pan-American highway, which began 11,000 miles north of here in Alaska. It is lovely, green, and mountainous as the Andes are still with us, continuing along the full extent of western South America. Roughly 200 species of birds live here, and I noticed quite a large number of dandelions too.

Can you name this goose?

We took a bus through the National Park and received plenty of local information. This was followed by lunch aboard a catamaran that returned us to port in Ushuaia. Its time to embark! Its time we settled into our home for the next 3 weeks!! Its time to schedule that first massage!!! Here is a short video, introducing you to our floating world:

Our New RouteThere was a big surprise on board. Our route had been reversed. First we will travel to the Falkland Islands, then South Georgia, and finish with the Antarctic Peninsula. We need to do an about-face in perspective. Gradually we will enter the world of ice. The reason given for this reversal was to avoid the only real danger on this expedition. Apparently the male fur seals are orchestrating their breeding arrangements in South Georgia, and they will quite literally remove you from their area. By arriving one week earlier, we will minimize this risk.

Antarctic Fur seal

So a day at sea is our current position. We are heading for the western reaches of the Falkland Islands, and numerous lectures are serving to prepare us for the bounty of wildlife that awaits. Upon the sea we are followed by all kinds of petrels and the black-browed albatross, sporting an 8 foot wingspan. Its quite a sight to see! If the whales should show up en-route there will be an immediate announcement. It was suggested to always have your camera at hand. The Lindblad group of naturalists and photographers is sizable, and all of them are here to enhance our experience. Much of the video I collect will be shared at the end of our trip due to the very erratic internet availability. If I should miss a day updating you, then just prepare for a longer message the next day! It's going to be GREAT.