Morning of Day 4, Antarctica

 After a very smooth crossing through The Drake Passage, we arrived at Antarctica on Monday, March 2nd. 

Morning Views and Photos

scenery at 8:40 AM

gentoo penguins heading out to feed

Zodiac passengers

one of the Kayak groups

blue ice with a face

Our Favorite Daughter (OFD) did a Zodiac ride in the morning. Here are some of her photos.

The Zodiac guide fished a piece of saltwater ice out of the water to share info about ice composition. 

humpback 

our yacht, Atlas Voyager

(more about the ship in a later post)

Antarctica was the 7th Continent OFD has stepped foot on during her travels. For her, this trip was to celebrate completing her MA degree and the continents' milestone.

humpback from the ship

my tail shot from the ship

the scenery as we moved to our afternoon location

We were told how quickly weather can change and to be prepared for quick departures if out on the water. The cloud layers added interest to the photos.

Antarctic Cruise, The Beginning

 This post will cover Days 1-3, Thursday February 27th through Sunday March 1.

Our cruise started with a bus tour through parts of Terra de Fuego National Park.

Tierra del Fuego is an archipelago at South America’s southernmost tip, shared by Chile and Argentina. It’s known for its dramatic landscape of snowy mountains, glaciers, tundra and wind-sculpted trees. Its main island, Isla Grande, is home to the Argentine resort town of Ushuaia. Sometimes called “the End of the World,” Ushuaia is a gateway to the region and Antarctica to the south. - Google

walking trail at The End of the World

Because of my elbow, I had trouble taking photos the first few days. I could not hold the phone high enough with my left hand and hit the button with my right hand. It was a struggle.

Notice the distance to Buenos Aires and Alaska on the sign. The sign was a geocache.

We had a quick bus ride through some of Ushuaia and a fancy lunch at a resort overlooking the harbor before boarding the yacht at 3:00 PM on Friday, February 27th.

temperatures for Saturday, February 28th

Saturday and Sunday were At Sea Days as the yacht traveled from South America to Antarctica through the Drake Passage, named for Sir Francis Drake

The Drake Passage is a notorious 600-mile (1,000 km) wide, roughly 11,000+ ft deep waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans between Cape Horn and the South Shetland Islands. Known as one of the world's deadliest, it is famous for extreme winds, powerful, turbulent, and often unpredictable, resulting in two-day, sometimes treacherous, yet essential crossings for Antarctic expeditions. 

 The meeting of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Southern Oceans creates a turbulent environment where intense storms, high winds, and, sometimes, massive 80-foot waves occur. The lack of landmass at this latitude allows strong winds to build up significant momentum, creating high waves. Known as the "Drake Shake," this area can produce fierce storms, 10-meter (33 ft) or higher waves, and strong winds. Free-drifting icebergs from Antarctica pose hazards to navigation. Considered the "world's deadliest stretch of water" with a legacy of over 800 shipwrecks and 10,000+ sailor deaths. 

Ranging from the tumultuous "Drake Shake" to the calm "Drake Lake," conditions are highly variable.

We were very fortunate to have a Drake Lake crossing. No strong winds. No high waves. No need for Dramamine or sea sickness patches for the 3 of us.

 fin whales

spouting from 4 fin whales on Sunday

The area is a hotspot for seabirds like the wandering albatross, along with whales and dolphins. - AI

Crew members were in the bridge with binoculars watching for animals. Passengers on Deck 7 in the Dome (glassed forward area) would rush outside with cameras of various sizes and shapes to catch the action. OFD had a new iPhone 17 and I had my trusty iPhone.

Each cabin had the use of a pair of high powered, high quality binoculars during the cruise.

There were also fur seal sightings, but neither OFD nor I got any photos. We did not see any dolphins or many sea birds those two days.

Shetland Islands

clouds moving in at the end of the day

Where Are the Blog Posts?

 Many of you are wondering where are those blog posts from Antarctica, showing the amazing scenery and animals? 

I have been a little busy spending time at the local medical facility. Here's the long story because it is so much better than a short one!

On Friday morning, February 27th we were entering the Buenos Aires (EZE) airport for the Atlas Cruise Line charter flight from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in Argentina to board the yacht for our 9 day Antarctic cruise. A wheel on my suitcase got caught in the metal floor grid and stopped moving. I did not stop moving and began to face plant on that metal grid. Since my right hand was pulling the suitcase, my left arm was free to break my fall and prevent facial grid lines. Three airport personnel rushed to assist me and offer medical services. Since I could walk, move my left arm and fingers, I declined the offer and continued through check-in for our flight. Besides, I did not want to delay the departure of the other 150 guests waiting for a trip of a lifetime. 

I was able to ice my sore elbow on the 3 hour flight and once on board the yacht, I saw the doctor who determined nothing was broken, just sore, swollen and in need of rest. I was given a sling to use for several days and some strong ibuprofen. He suggested I ice and rest the arm, for the next few days, which I did. The pain only appeared when I tried to twist my wrist or move my hand/arm beyond its comfort level. I took two Zodiac trips later in the cruise and was careful not to overextend my left arm. 

We arrived home about 4:00 PM Monday, March 9th.

I had decided I would check into some Physical Therapy once we got home because my left hand does not reach my face. I went to Orthopedic Urgent Care on Tuesday morning. I had X-rays and a CT scan. By mid-afternoon I had an appointment with a Hand, Wrist and Elbow surgeon for Wednesday morning. Surgery is scheduled for Friday morning, March 13th. The pre-op visit took place Wednesday afternoon.

I am having surgery for: Fracture of radial head, left, closed

Encounter type: initial encounter Fracture alignment: displaced 

Displaced fracture of head of left radius, initial encounter for closed fracture

The head of the radius bone (at the elbow) in my left arm is broken and, in fact has a couple of missing bone pieces, hanging around in the area preventing some of the movement I used to have before the mishap. The surgeon will give me a metal radial head, remove the bone fragments, and repair any tissue or ligament damage. I will be home by noon on Friday for a two-week recovery wearing a sling & cast. It could be worse!

Blog posts from Antarctica coming!

Cemetery of Recoleta

 The Cemetery of Recoleta - the first public cemetery in Buenos Aires - was built in 1822 by French engineer Prospero Catelin. It is located in the Recoleta neighborhood and owes its name to the convent of “Recoleta” monks. The Nuestra Senora del Pillar church belonged to this congregation and was in the old orchard of the Basilica that the cemetery was built. 

Majestic pantheons and mausoleums belonging to many of the most important characters in Argentine history are throughout the five hectares.  

Built in marble and decorated with sculptures, the work of outstanding architects and artists is on display. More than 90 pantheons have been declared a National Historical Monument. 

We had two reasons to visit this cemetery while in Buenos Aires: visit the tomb of Evita Peron and geocache. 

Here are some of the photos I took while wandering through the cemetery. 

the cemetery side of the entrance

the street side was a nondescript brick wall

very narrow mausoleum 

some had stained glass windows 

a variety of shapes

this was a husband (important person)

and his wife who loved to spend his money

narrow alleys lined with mausoleums 

a rare open tomb with a stained glass dome

some were in need of repairing

others like this one, looked brand new

we could see the burial vault behind this window 

decorated door

at this one, you could look down and see the marble shelves to hold all the vaults of the family members, which were empty

Evita Peron’s mausoleum

looking for the tomb for the Adventure Lab

comparing answers for the bonus geocache

Mission Accomplished!

While many sources cite 4,691 main vaults/mausoleums, some estimates go higher, noting up to 6,400 tombs, statues, and crypts.

The cemetery acts as a "city of the dead" with streets, housing the remains of notable figures like Eva Perón.