Category: Antarctica to Alaska

  • 10. My dear expedition travellers

    Tuesday, 1 January 2019 Yankee Harbour, Antarctica Wake up call as usual with the Expedition Leader’s Swedish tones over the tannoy, “My dear expedition travellers…” Having crossed the calmer Bransfield Strait overnight, we’re now at the entrance to Deception Island. A caldera which you can sail into through Neptune’s Bellows, a narrow 600m gap in… Read more

  • 9. Bloody hell, bloody hell

    Monday, 31 December 2018 Danco Island, Antarctica Really calm seas as we sail to Port Lockroy overnight. Wake up to even better vistas of blue sky, snow capped peaks, glaciers and glass like water. Not a bad way to start the day. First port of call is Port Lockroy. The first British Antarctica station, imaginatively… Read more

  • 8. Bathroom surfing

    Sunday, 30 December 2018 Foyn Harbour, Antarctica I’ve invented a new sport. Bathroom surfing. Bit choppy last night as we crossed the Bransfield Strait and as I was standing on the bathmat trying to have a pee, I find myself sliding around the bathroom on said mat. You can imagine the scene! There was so… Read more

  • 7. Medevac

    Saturday, 29 December 2018 Bransfield Strait, Antarctica (again) Alarm call at 0715hrs. Open curtain. It’s open water. Was expecting spectacular scenery having, in theory, cross the Bransfield Strait overnight to arrive at Portal Point. Breakfast was scheduled for 0730hrs but we hear that all staff are to report to the Lounge for a staff briefing… Read more

  • 6. Nipple warmers

    Friday, 28 December 2018 Bransfield Strait, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica Following on from yesterday’s blog, we all had a welcome dinner in Jose Noguiera’s former home, a palatial 19th Century mansion on the main square. Relief is overwhelming to find that I’m not actually the only non-Chinese passenger. There’s a retired couple from Oz and… Read more

  • 5. Very unpredictable…like a woman’s heart!

    Thursday, 27 December 2018 Punta Arenas, Chile Finally. A day of doing nothing. No flights. No travelling. Today is for boot fitting, safety briefings and meet fellow travellers. I have a technical problem with my website and blog so decide to contact a web designer in Nottingham for help. You may see an improvement in… Read more

  • 4. Musical chairs

    Wednesday, 26 December 2018 Punta Arenas, Chile Ever since I travelled from Braunschweig, Germany, to Salvador, Brasil, in 1999, via Hannover, Brussels and Lisbon, to discover that although I had arrived, my bags hadn’t, I have this fear that it will happen again. Consequently, I never now check my bags in and always travel with… Read more

  • 3. Doesn’t feel like Christmas Day

    Tuesday, 25 December 2018 Santiago, Chile Considering it was a 14.5hr flight (one of BA’s longest flights), it went incredibly quickly. Helped with about 8hrs dozing though. I’m one of the first to board and soon settle into my First Suite. Glad I’m not in Business as I’m convinced the seats have shrunk over the… Read more

  • 2. Concorde Lounge

    Monday, 24 December 2018 Heathrow, England Typing this whilst sipping on a glass of Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle in BA’s Concorde Lounge. We might as well start as we mean to carry on. It’s all rather relaxing now and starting to feel mellow. Morning fraught with trying to resolve computer problems, which means my ineptitude… Read more

  • 1. The formation lap

    Friday, 21 December 2018 Nottinghamshire, England After a few weeks planning (literally), the Antarctica to Alaska trip is currently on the formation lap and hoping for a smooth getaway on Christmas Eve. Drones permitting, I hope to be flying to Santiago, Chile, then flying down to Punta Arenas before flying out to Antarctica to cruise… Read more