Sunday, October 10, 2010

Jaunting in Antarctica!

Friend Paul jaunted off to Antarctica for his 40 birthday simply because traveling in Antarctica was something he'd vowed to do before he was 40.  We caught up with him and heard all the stories and here they are, posted here for Kelly since she wants to do this journey too, although too late for her 40th birthday:


* Lateral icebergs are the bluest blue you can imagine and 
look so sublime against the grey sky. You can scoop up the 
little ones, which are thousands of years old, shine like 
enormous diamonds and are covered in etched linear marks that 
look exactly like an ancient written script. And if you drop 
one into your scotch, it makes the scotch taste wonderful, like 
nothing else on earth.
 
* In summer, the temperature hovers around 0 degrees, but the 
wind is brutal and cuts through you like a knife. However, 
when the sun's out and if you get away from the wind it is 
really quite pleasant.
 
* There are only five types of penguins in the Antarctic. The 
rest are smarter and live in warmer climes, not even coming 
down to breed. There are only four types of seals. Neither 
seals nor penguins have any fear of humans and you can 
approach and touch anything without fear; except for one type 
of seal which you should sensibly fear, particularly if you are a 
child. These are the big predator ones whose name I've forgotten 
which kill and eat other animals. Everything else eats krill.
 
* Whales treat a zodiac dinghy like a fellow whale and press up 
against it affectionately but they flap their fins warningly 
if you approach in a metal dinghy.
 
* You have to bring a swimming costume because, like Captain 
Cook said, you can swim in the water above the underwater 
volcanoes. However if you accidentally swim out of the hot 
spots into the regular antarctic water, it is a total shock to 
the system and really hurts. However once you've done it once 
and managed to struggle back into warm water, you feel like 
doing it again and again and after you've done it about four 
or five times you feel totally and wonderfully stoned, the 
sensation lasting for hours afterwards.
 
* On the volcanic islands, you can scoop a big hole in the 
black sand which immediately fills with icy sea water and 
within ten minutes the water in your improvised pool is 
steaming. You can then strip down to your undies and sit in 
the water. It feels bizarre to have a boiling hot body and a 
freezing cold head and after a while you again feel deeply 
and happily stoned.
 
* Chilean corn has individual pieces the size of a grown 
man's thumb. Six bits, a potato and a little dried meat 
makes a meal. One stalk can feed five people for four meals. 
Needless to say, this type of corn has become a stable of 
travelling through the Antarctic. Luckily, it is also delicious.
 
* An huge proportion of people you meet travelling in the 
Antarctic Circle are recovering alcoholics and drug addicts. 
There is probably a valid psychological reason for this, but, 
still ... isn't it odd!
 
* The very best way to end a vacation in Antarctica is to 
immediately fly to Peru and climb the mountain up to Machu 
Picchu. You then spend the late afternoon climbing to the top 
of "the female mountain" next door, pitch a tent and spend the 
night.  Dawn, when the sun rises, you feel completely and 
totally validated and like you can accomplish anything and 
deal with anything life will ever throw at you again.
 
Needless to say, although I totally respect Paul for taking 
this journey, I will NOT EVER be doing it ... although I quite 
like the idea of swimming in the Antarctic Sea. Mmmmmmm???? 
 
Mmmmmmm? OK! For my 60th birthday, this is a journey I will 
take ... although I'll definitely skip the walk up to Machu 
Picchu. Apparently you can also take a train. THAT I will do! 
 
Anyone want to join me?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed this - (and the other "pieces" too - I call them your
"Entertainews").
I read this one to Kevin before school this morning, and he wants to go to
the Antartic now (I´m not sure if the main attraction would be the Attack
Seals, or the "stoned" effect!)

Yep - I´d be more inclined to take the TRAIN ride up the mountain.
Lots of love/Carole

Anonymous said...

Really enjoyed the adventures - and descriptions - very very lyrical!!!!

No, don't think you can get a train to Macchu Picchu but it is a do-able walk with a little acclimatising done prior to the walk. I've known folks
in their 60s who have done it.