EXPEDITION UPDATE:
Wed, December 20
Beagle Channel - heading toward the Drake Passage
Posted by SOI HQ at 4:52pm EST
The Polar Star is steaming out into the Beagle Channel and our Antarctic Expedition 2006 is underway!
Students are out on deck waving goodbye to South America!
EXPEDITION UPDATE:
Posted by SOI HQ at 3:45pm EST
The temperature in Ushuaia is currently 50 °F or 10 °C - and the barometer is holding steady.
Our team wrapped up the Tierra del Fuego portion of their outbound journey this afternoon and are currently on board the Polar Star participating in a mandatory safety briefing. The next land that these students will set foot upon will be in Antarctica! The engines are warming up and the ship is scheduled to set sail at 4:30 EST.
The team will be out on deck to say goodbye to Ushuaia as they sail into the Beagle Channel, and then into the dining room for a welcome aboard dinner; after which, there will be a mandatory lifeboat drill, followed by free time to explore the ship, visit the Bridge where they can chat with the Captain and Officers, or maybe set up their cabins and hit the sack early in preparation for the next day... although that last option seems unlikely.
Stay tuned - the adventure is just beginning!
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Student Journals
Livio Jimenez - Student
The team, or “family” as I like to refer to us, went to a hike in Tierra del Fuego.
It was the first chance for an actual mud-on-your-boots, dirt-on-your-face exploring.
Tierra del Fuego is a land full of red moss that has grown and stacked into hills. Walking through a swampy part in the beginning of the excursion was a bit like solving a puzzle. Every step needed to be planned out so one does not end up plunged in tight deep mud.
The second part was a completely different terrain. It was heavily wooded with nothing but a guide and markers guiding you. It would be easy to lose yourself in the woods. Not to mention lose your mind when you see the beauty of this place. The third part of the trek was a muddy, swampy, and rocky terrain. It was the toughest part because you had to go through the swap, mud, and rocks, all up hill. It was all worth it though. The sight we saw over that hill was mind-blowing. Laguna Esmeralda was a lagoon filled with the best tasting water – glacier water. Even though I was drenched and covered with mud, if you asked me to do it again, I would have not thought about it for a fraction of a second… I would have said yeah!
Daniel Collins - Student
This is very new and exciting. This kind of a trip is a once in a lifetime event for most. I hope that if I get the chance to write every night so I can help people to feel and see some of what I am experiencing. Today, we spent our first full day in Ushuaia. I went on a trip to Tierra del Feugo National Park. We were able to see many mountains, the Chile/Argentina border, and the end of the Pan-American Trail. Everything was amazing and I’m in awe of all the beauty. We are sailing through the Beagle Channel and we can see both Chile and Argentina. I have made a lot of friends and have taken a lot of pictures. I would like to send a shout out to everyone from Lindenhurst, New York and all my other friends. I hope everyone has happy holidays and that I can write more tomorrow and help to share the experience with you?. Bye
Christina and Anya - Day trek in Ushuaia
John Paydo - Chaperone
On our way to Antarctica! The Educational Team is amazing. Together….they have made 250 expeditions to Antarctica! Our expedition leader, Geoff Green, is incredible. He is all about sharing the Antarctic Experience. Today, our excursions were memorable, filled with many opportunities to learn. My favourite memory of the day is age is relative. We are all learners eager to take it all in. Our lecture series begins tomorrow. I am looking forward to catching the Polar Bug! I am already appreciating the vastness of the world. I have asked myself a million times today why I have been given the opportunity to experience this expedition. Parents…your children are amazing! Hello to my family and friends. I miss all of you. I am having the time of my life!
(A view of the Andes near Ushuaia)
EXPEDITION UPDATE:
Wed, December 20
Ushuaia, Argentina
Posted by SOI HQ at 8:51am
After a long two days of travel (or was it three!?) all of the students, chaperones, expedition staff and education team arrived in Ushuaia early last night. Ironically, with all the crazy airline delays, everyone landed at the airport practically moments apart!
(Downtown Ushuaia with the Beagle Channel in the distance)
Last night the team had a joyous, celebratory dinner at the beautiful Hotel del Glaciar high in the hills overlooking the bustling frontier town of Ushuaia. Geoff said it was the loudest dinners on record, as everyone swapped stories of airline delays, airport terminal food, and generally got acquainted with one another. After dinner, everyone trooped over to the lecture hall where Geoff introduced the expedition and education teams to the students and went over the next day's schedule. At about midnight - it was lights out for the SOI team!
Today will be a busy day! After a moderately late breakfast (by SOI standards!) there will be tours of Ushuaia and of the nearby National Park.
To learn more about this extraordinary corner of the world - click here.
At approximately 4:30pm - everyone will board the MV Polar Star. Luggage will be hoisted aboard, the students will check into their cabins and begin exploring their new floating home. There will be a safety briefing and welcome aboard talk by the ship's Captain and Officers - and then at 6:30pm - the lines will be cast and the team will set sail - out into the Beagle Channel towards the Drake Passage and beyond!
(The icebreaker MV Polar Star)
Stay tuned for student updates and more photos!
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