Who would have thought that, after voyaging to the Antarctic, there would be gaps in the gear I need to take to the Arctic? Well, apparently there are. Both travel operators provided us with a comprehensive list of what to bring. Apart from the expected clothing, accessory, and equipment suggestions, I noted the following: In Greenland the air is dry and the sun is strong, and we will be outdoors more often and for longer periods, so we need to…
I was curious about how this trip to the Arctic would be different from my trip to the Antarctic. I though a good starting point would be to explore the ways in which the two regions themselves differ. So, I created the table below to show some of the interesting things I came up with. This is by no means an exclusive list. It contains just those points which took my fancy (plus some boring facts I thought were worthy)…
Where in the Arctic am I going? Most of us would associate “the Arctic” with the North Pole. (Which North Pole, I would ask? We’ll go into that later) That’s only partly correct. The Arctic is a region, which is made up of both land and sea. Its boundary is generally accepted to be the Arctic Circle, currently at approximately 66 degrees north My trip is to two different parts of the Arctic. I’ll be starting my adventure by voyaging…
A big part of this adventure was always going to be about the sea. About the voyage, the cruising conditions, the ship, shipboard routine and navigation. You see, I have spent quite a lot of my life, “messing about in boats”. They are an integral part of some of my favourite memories. It was inevitable that I should find a way to bring this part of me to my Antarctic adventure. So, I decided to keep a chart of my…
My story wouldn’t be complete without this chapter. Throughout this trip, and you will have already discovered this in previous posts, there have been special moments, the significance of which has been heightened, sometimes even created, by sound. At the time, I didn’t create these movies with my blog in mind. Rather, I knew that when I returned back home, I would want to listen to the places I visited, not just look at them. And I have done this…
So, what is the difference between seals and sea lions? The whole time I was away it was one of those conundrums, when face to face with a healthy specimen of something, which was easily solved by asking a scientist – there was always one handy. Now, at home, I’m having to think for myself. (With the aid of the internet, of course) So, to have a go at explaining, let’s start at the top of the family tree –…
The title of this post is not my idea. It actually comes from a poem written by one of the other passengers, towards the end of the voyage, when she came up with a brilliant idea. The guests sang a tribute to Rodney and the crew, to the tune of “The Twelve Days of Christmas”. Now that you know this, you will probably be subconsciously singing, “five zoooooooming zodiacs” all day long! In any case, the zodiacs definitely deserve a…
Of course, the focus of this trip was the Ross Sea. And this was indeed the ultimate humbling experience. What made it so? Part of it was the knowledge that we were the only ship down there. This certainly added to the sense of adventure (although I know that nothing was left to chance when it came to our safety). Then there is the absolute splendour which defies explanation. The mountains and glaciers are simultaneously distant and close. And seeing…
So, let’s go straight to the cute photos. I suspect that this is what you really want to see? And I definitely have lots of photos of penguins! When I did my photography course, together with the research I did before I went away, the advice I was given was that in my photos of penguins I should try and catch them doing something, or interacting in some way, to make the photo more interesting and to give it relevance….
So, now that I am home, after this amazing trip, I will continue this blog to share my experiences in the form of photo stories. (Thank heavens for the photography course!) And to make it a bit more interesting, I have decided to steer away from the traditional format of a chronological account of the voyage. I am going to tell you (show you) some stories. (Of course you would, I hear you say) Having said that, I think that…