The picture was taken at a caldera, defined as an area where a volcano has collapsed into itself, and water has filled in where the earth was expelled when the volcano erupted.
If you dig a little at the surface, just a little outside the water's edge, the hole will soon fill with water that bubbles up from underground.
Here is the drill: Stripping down to a bathing suit put on before leaving the ship, the initiate runs across the sand, and dives into the water. Then beats a hasty retreat back to the pool and stays there for a minimum of ten minutes.
The water temperature was around fifty to fifty-five degrees, the air temperature about thirty-eight to forty degrees- quite mild for the South Pole, even in summer.
***************************************************
With the exception of a couple of scientific encampments and a very few buildings, there is nothing man-made on the entire continent. This allows you to enjoy the noise of hundreds of
thousands of penguins as you come upon their colonies.
As the expedition was ending, we were approaching the final port city of Ushuaia, Argentina. It was the last night aboard ship, and the crew threw a party for the passengers. All of
us were gathered in the main salon. Over the course of the previous 2 weeks, it was as though we had become melded into one large family, and everyone was in a festive mood, laughing and sharing highlighted
memories of the trip.
At some point in the evening’s festivities, I asked the captain if I could address the people in the room. He approved this and at an appropriate moment, I got up to speak.
I told everyone there how very much Nancy and I appreciated their willingness to accept us, wheelchair and all; how very thankful we were that they were so helpful, going out of their
way to make things easier for us. How much it meant to us to have received the many thanks from them for providing demonstrations of courage, hope, and inspiration.
And we returned the compliment by telling them Nancy and I both realized that without their assistance, acceptance, encouragement and support, we would never have been able to complete
what has come to be one of the most significant experiences of our lives.
When I finished my little speech, nearly everyone in the room was in tears...
From the email bag:
On 2 Jun 2008 07:12:49 -0000, Jan said:
> I would like to take my elderly mother on a trip to Antartica. This is > the only continent she has not been on and it is her dream to go. > > She gets around slowly with a cane but is a very vibrant and
> active woman. Getting into a Zodiac boat would be difficult. Can > > you suggest any companies that would be willing to have someone > who needed a little help? Thanks
-----Original Message-----
From: Nancy Berger [mailto:nanberger@fastmail.us]
Hi Jan,
We are excited about helping someone else get all the continents and
experiencing what is such an incredible journey!
We worked with Abercrombie and Kent, a high end travel group. At the
time, they leased space on a ship, the Hanseatic, operated by the
German company Haupt, but since have purchased their own ship. So we
would suggest contacting A & K first.
What it boils down to is the willingness of the captain and crew to
accommodate the needs of your Mom. In my case, they were more than
willing to help us, as you can see from the photos in our book (If you
have not done so, read the book, Chapter 9- Stairway to Heaven). Helping
a person using a cane is going to be much easier than carrying a person
in a wheelchair, so you have that going for you. Getting into the Zodiac
is not as difficult as you would suppose, given calm seas. The crew on
the ship will lift her in, and the crew already in the Zodiac will
steady her so she does not fall.
I was unable to make several of the landings because the water was too
rough (notice in the photo how calm the water is as they brought me down
the stairs for our first landing). Although disappointed at the time, in
retrospect there was no question it would have put me at too great risk
to try and leave the ship. Your Mom will not be able to climb the stairs
at Cape Horn, but then, most times the ship is not able to get to the
Cape anyway. Best advice is not to think about what will not be
possible, but what great experiences are yours for the taking doing what
is possible.
It may help you to purchase an inexpensive travel wheelchair, but not
the ones you see in the travel magazines. You can write me and I will
give you details if you wish. These cost around $250.00 and will be
invaluable in saving your Mom's energy all along the trip. This type
chair will not be useful in going ashore in the Antarctic, however.
Write us back and let us know how you proceed.
On 3 Jun 2008 13:05:15 -0000, Jan said:
Dear Nancy and Nate,
Thank you so much for your response to my question on taking my elderly mother to Antarctica.
Your information has raised my spirits in thinking that it will be possible to share this adventure with my mom.
I will definitely look up Abercrombie and Kent and see what trips they offer.
I actually bought my mom a light weight, but durable wheelchair, about a month ago. It was mainly for long excursions so she could continue to join the family. I had not thought about taking it to Antarctica and I appreciate your suggestion. I think it
will help tremendously.
I will let you know how we make out with this trip. Thanks again for getting back to me so quickly and providing such helpful information.
I hope you have many more exciting adventures.
Jan |
|
