EXPEDITION UPDATE:
En route to Ushuaia, Argentina

Tuesday, Dec. 19
Posted at 8:19am EST
by Students on Ice HQ

Flexibility is the key indeed!

Today is a big travel day for our students as they embark on flights from around the world and begin winding their south to Ushuaia, Argentina. We expect our entire group to be united at Hotel del Glaciar this evening around 6pm for a big celebratory welcome dinner! Tomorrow, they will board the mighty icebreaker Polar Star and the real adventure will begin!

Meanwhile, our group which had its flight delayed by seven hours in Buenos Aires yesterday afternoon, wound up spending the night in the beautiful Patagonian town of El Calafate! Although it wasn't on the itinerary - it is still a beautiful place to visit! Click here to read more about the El Calafate. Everyone is working hard to get the group down to Ushuaia by later today - they are about a 3 hour flight away. And Geoff reports that everyone is doing great and enjoying themselves despite the airline delays. Last night, they dined on Argentine 'asado' (Argentine barbeque) till midnight before succumbing to sleep in their hotel beds.

Here are some student journals and photos from yesterday!


STUDENT JOURNALS

Darcy McNicholl, Student

Once again we have been delayed a few hours and are given some time to relax, catch up on sleep or explore the airport. My first choice was to explore; the airport is very clean and modern with its own private chapel for practicing travelers. We ventured outside and poked around, after going through the organized chaos of customs. Argentina appears to be a wonderful country with the prominent flavor of tango and Spanish culture. 

Flight here was long and we are still watching the red fade from each other’s eyes. In less than twenty-four hours we have traveled across two continents, and soon we will be reaching our third. By this evening we will be in Ushuaia –looking out over the Beagle Channel and the vigorous waters of the Drake Passage. This quaint little city will be the next pit stop on our journey to the Antarctic. I have great expectations towards this southernmost city, and the cultural differences that may exist there. My body tells me that I am exhausted but my mind is racing with excitement.

(Darcy catching some zzzz's in Buenos Aires)

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Mariella Paulino, Student

Hi  everyone!

Lets just say that it’s only the first day and I can already say that I expect this opportunity to be nothing less than AWESOME!!! My professors are incredibly talented and intelligent.  So far, I have come to grow very close to two of my professors and the majority of the students.  I have to say that I feel very comfortable.  Additionally, everyone seems to be comfortable with my hearing problem.  I haven’t experienced any problems whatsoever with my cochlear implant.  I hope things keep on being this way. 

A while back we were doing a “bonding” activity.  Unlike the usual awkward activity that is more like introductory lectures, this was hands-on, interactive, communication etc. kind of activity.  I have to admit that I really enjoyed it.  I love the hands-on method of teaching here! 

My teachers are great.  They are incredibly funny but at the same time, the have that aura of “responsible adults” as my mom calls it.  I feel very safe in their presence and they are always encouraging us to ask questions and participate.  I really like this method of teaching because it allows us to question everything.  Because every other sentence out of my mouth is: “I have a question,” I feel really happy and at ease with my professors.

The guys in the group are amazing people.  A large majority of them are from Canada, so go figure, they must be attracted to the ice or something! =).  I met Nihal, Ryan, Livio, Tomas, Sandra, Sarah and a few other people whose names I don’t even remember right now.  We will be leaving for Ushuaia in about 2 hours!!!

I’m really excited and looking forward to meeting the other 100 students in the expedition.  I want to meet each and every one of them.  I want to learn of their cultures and their history. 

In fact, I’m so excited because of the whole experience.  I can’t wait to see the whales, to explore, and to learn.  As a matter of fact, it is the last one that interests me the most.  I can’t wait to learn, to become a more educated member in our world.  I really hope this expedition gives me some insight into what my role in this world is.  I know it sounds really corny, but I really hope to find myself.  I can certainly not do that in the hustle and bustle of the city, so maybe I will in the vast horizons covered in ice at the southernmost point in the world: ANTARTICA!  ONWARD TO THE SOUTH POLE!!!!! Wish me luck guys!!

(Mariella writes some postcards home!)

Anthoula Lelekidis, Student

Hello everyone,           

Once again we find ourselves hanging out in another airport, this time in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Once I stepped off the 8 1/2 hour flight and out into some fresh South American air, a smile came across my face. I was able to sleep throughout the whole flight, so I wasn’t that tired. I was extremely hungry though, since I missed both breakfast and diner on the plane. An elderly man who worked at the airport offered to carry my luggage.  I refused but he took the three bags anyway.

We are currently sitting down in a restaurant, meeting new members of the crew as they show up. Our boarding time for Ushuaia is in about an hour. There has been so much traveling for the past two days that it feels like a century. I am counting down to the second I am able to pass out in my hotel room. I have to admit, each day is getting better and everyone here is making me feel very comfortable. I am wondering what everyone back home is up to, but I’m sure they’re fine.

I have a few friends here to keep me stable and take my mind off of things. I hope my cameras are doing okay though, since I just checked them into baggage claim. Maybe that was a mistake… Stay tuned to see how that works out! Until then, we are waiting for our flight to Ushuaia. When we land, we will board a hort bus ride to our hotel. I am anticipating a hot shower tonight that will help me relax and refresh my mind…

Still missing you all!! Papa, stay safe and I will see you soon. I love you very much!!



(Livio and Anthoula arrive in Buenos Aires)

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Andy Diaz, Student

The S.O.I team and I have arrived at Buenos Aires around 6:30am but over here the time is ahead by two hours. The plane ride over here was very long. It’s a different world down here.   The people here have a way of life: it’s their way or the high way, but its cool. By the way, it’s very hot—28 degrees!

P.S.  Ray tell grandma everything is ok. Ms. Lely and group three from P.S. 65 and staff, just showing you some life.  

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Nihal Jhajj, Student

The trip has commenced, but we’ve yet to escape the airports. I’m currently at a table in an Argentine restaurant with a newly acquired friend, Mariella. We’re sitting across from each other in a restaurant on the second level of the wide spanning airport in Buenos Aires.

The restaurant rains tropical light in greens and yellows onto a wood paneled… everything. The background noise is dominated by a fast and playful Spanish language. The locals wave their hands slowly when talking. I can only guess at what they’re saying. Everyone smokes. We dined on ham and cheese sandwiches, the traditional greeting meal to this South American nation. Mariella, among a few others, has proven invaluable as translators.

Earlier, I was rescued from a particularly Spanish set employee of the Miami airport. I had been awake for 13 hours terminal time (the rough equivalent of 2 days regular time) when an employee with a particularly weak handle on the English language began blasting Spanish in my direction. I was dazed, and it was some time until I first discovered it was not just an accent, but another language. I explained to her I only spoke English. She nodded and continued on in some form of Spanglish. I was left with no other option than to nod along. I was in the middle of purchasing a second boarding pass when someone intervened.  

The passage of time has blurred and become irrelevant. As I’m no longer conforming to any patterned sleep cycle, it is simply here to mark the entering of lines, surrendering of luggage, and boarding of planes. Sleep occurs in pockets in the many waiting areas and plane seats. It is snatched and never more than too brief, but it is largely my wish and doing. The culture and happenings flourish around me in my half perceptible state. Those of us who have not sought, or at least not found solid sleep, have come to live with the fuzziness that accompanies clear speech, the seemingly dimmed environments, and the brief, comatose rests.

I’d spent what I knew to be five minutes staggering through thirty minute lines, but no more. Time is no longer an object. I am not 8 hours from a shower and a bed (my lodgings); I am two security checks, a waiting room, a long sit, and a baggage claim away from being horizontal.

Across the equator and into the terminal twilight zone; welcome to Buenos Aires.     

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Jessica Young-Keffer, Chaperone

Hi everyone – Jessica here!  Today is Monday, December 18, 2006 – 11:50am local time (we’re 2 hours ahead of EST – that being Ottawa, New York, Miami, etc).  We are still in the Buenos Aires Airport…  Our motto of this trip is “flexibility is the key”.  That’s certainly an understatement with the amount of delays we’ve had.  I blame myself actually!  I set the precedent when my flight was delayed leaving Ottawa, en route to Toronto to meet fellow expeditioners Saturday evening.  Since then, it’s been one delay after another.  The team is very quickly learning the mentality that South American’s have – no concept of time.  They do things in their own time, at their own pace, and probably hate the “North American” culture of always being on the clock.  Perhaps we should take some lessons!?

To sum up, we’ve traveled through North America, Central America, and 2/3 of South America in the span of 36 hours… big travels indeed.  All of us are very excited about finally arriving at our destination, at which time we will be staying at the base of a glacier, overlooking the small port town of Ushuaia, and looking out over the Beagle Channel.  From our windows, we should be able to see some seals playing in the ocean.  How phenomenal is that?

On a personal note, I want to say hi to my husband – Kyle – who’s currently serving overseas in Kandahar, Afghanistan.  I wish you were here with me honey!  As well, I want to say hi to my dad (Ron), my mom (Lynn), and my sister (Jen).  I’m safe, and having a great time, meeting some fantastic people.  I love you all… xoxo

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Ryan Kits, Student

Today is day three of my adventure to the end of the world. These first three days have been filled with travel, meeting new friends, and learning a lot about how to get myself around the world without any hassles. Miami was a bit of a fiasco, but we eventually got all our bags and FINALLY got on our plane, which was pretty late. Let me tell anybody who is thinking about going to Buenos Aires or Ushuaia, the flight is really, really long! It wouldn’t be so bad if you were around familiar people, but I was jammed between a  bunch of Argentinians who didn’t speak a lick of English. That makes for a very long flight. I busied myself with reading about Sir Ernest Shackleton, an extraordinary man who undertook and expedition to Antarctica in 1914. This man and his dynamite crew endured unbelievable hardships, but they managed to have an ok time on the pack ice and survive, even when disaster struck and they lost their ship. It is this man who intrigues me so much, how he was able to lead such an amazing adventure in those early years with meager supplies compared to what we have today. Those men did not have near the resources we have at our disposal today, but they managed to survive brutal conditions for about two years in the Antarctic. They inspire me to explore and learn all I can about this awesome place, but I am almost a little sad that I won’t get to experience the same hardships and struggles that these men went through. I do believe they were, and still are, some of the toughest men in the world.

But enough talk about Shackleton! I have met some wicked people in the last couple of days here also. I have met a couple guys from New York, some girls from Texas, and some more from Argentina and obviously Canada! We Canadians have stuck together so far, seeing as there are only five of us for the next couple of days. By tomorrow evening or the next morning, we will have another 85 expedition members joining us in Ushuaia. Then we set sail!! But I have had enough writing for one day. I still have to write in my personal journal, so you all have a good time and I’ll be seeing ya!!

(Ryan in line at BA Customs)

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Thomas Herlihy, Student

Yesterday morning the New York Crew took off from LaGuardia Airport at 6:50am destined fro Miami. This New York Crew consists of 5 students(one being my self), one from each of the 5 boroughs. I am the representative of Manhattan. The 5 of us, having met only once before yesterday morning, had some time to get to know each other. We arrived in Miami at around 9:40 am and waited for the rest of the group. In our small group of about 25, there are representatives from different parts of Canada, Texas, Boston, and of course New York. Once we were all brought together in out little command section where we piled all of our bags, Geoff briefed us on what would be going on that night. Our flight to Buenos Aires, Argentina was scheduled for 8:00pm. We had about 11 hours to bond with everyone in our group which was now much larger.

I am writing this little blog having arrived in Buenos Aires at around 8:00am. This is equivalent to 6:00 in most of the places where we are all from, so that flight was 8 long hours all through the night. We are currently sitting in a little restaurant in the Buenos Aires Airport because our flight to Ushuaia, Argentina has been delayed from 11:00am to 2:15 pm. However this is not very discouraging because if the flight had not been delayed we might not have been able to catch our original flight due to the endless lines at customs.

It is now around 12:50pm here and we are having a good time entertaining each other with stories and card games and juggling. I hope that the flight does not get delayed any longer because I am eager to start exploring Ushuaia and the Antarctic.

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Timothy Keoth, Student

Hey guys! Greetings from Buenos Aires! We have just arrived after a long and tiring flight from Miami International Airport. After checking our bags, and leaving them for the last time until Ushuaia, we found out that our flight was delayed. Though exhaustion and boredom seem inevitable, this news was a blessing in disguise. We now had time to have a relaxed breakfast and get to know one another.  Passing the time at the airports has given us the opportunity to connect with each other and become a more unified team. Although many of us are tired and weary, the morale remains high and hopeful. So far we have been through a lot of great experiences together and it has only been the first two days. We all can not wait to get to Hotel Glaciar in Ushuaia where we can take a nice, relaxing shower!

Hey Mom, Dad, and everyone back on Staten Island!

Stay Tuned for More!