The weather! The weather! It’s snowing now, fat white flakes, but I am red from the sun in spite of my 30SPF sun block. This morning we went through the second — or maybe the third — floating sculpture garden, there are two headed horses and the Black Hole Sun and some of them are huge, floating islands. We visited Port Lockroy today, the place was choked with penguins, just choked with them, so much so that we weren’t allowed to go, well, almost anywhere, the big fat chicks own the place.… continued…

I’ll just admit it, there’s no shame in it: I don’t like bus tours. I won’t think worse of you for taking one, they are, after all, so very convenient. What could be easier than being swept up from the door of your hotel, whisked off to see the sights in an air conditioned coach, and then, returned with a head full of scenery and facts right back where you started out? It’s so simple! Sometimes, you even get fed – a nice box lunch, a buffet, a picnic…

But I hate waiting on the bus, parked and idling, while everyone wanders the gift shop.… continued…

I think she was 20, 22, maybe. Israeli, and traveling alone. “It’s like going to Antarctica,” she said to me, somewhat hopefully, and I did not have the heart to disagree with her, nor did I want to take away from the fact that here she was, having what is nothing short of a grand adventure. Six months she had before returning to Israel , university, her family on a kibbutz near Haifa. She pushed her way out of the plane, as though her pack would be first on the carousel.… continued…

As the launching station for so many Antarctica cruises, it’s not surprising that the port city of Ushuaia is packed full of penguin themed souvenirs. Sure, you can get your t-shirts and plush penguin chicks, but you can also get hats, fridge magnets, shot glasses, carved bric-a-brac, coffee mugs, pitchers in the shape of a penguin (with the beak as the spout), socks, gloves, sweatshirts, fleece jackets… you name it, you can get it with a penguin on it.… continued…