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Christopher
Robin was sitting outside his door, putting on his Big Boots. As soon
as he saw the Big Boots, Pooh knew that an adventure was going to happen.
(A.A. Milne)
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| Our first stop in Antarctica was Paradise Bay, chosen at least in part because it is on the mainland of the continent and we could, therefore, say that we had been "to Antarctica" right away. | Going ashore required significant preparation, including getting all suited up in parkas (provided for us and ours to keep--how useful in San Diego!), waterproof pants, boots (loaned by the ship), and lifevests. | |
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| In addition, we Southern Californians also wanted gloves, hats, and several layers of warm clothes underneath. Temperatures were generally in the mid- to high thirties. | Once we were appropriately attired, we loaded into Zodiacs (easy when it was calm; tricky when there were swells) for the ride to shore. | |
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| Our first stop was also our first encounter with penguins--in this case, gentoo penguins with bright red beaks and feet and white patches over the eyes. | The penguins roost on whatever bare rocks they can find. Since it was early in the season, the smell was not yet too bad. | |
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| The penguins build nests of small stones and guard them jealously. Stone-stealing is a popular sport among them. | When they are not on the nests (both males and females incubate eggs), the penguins hang out near the shore, thinking about jumping in. | |
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| It is hard not to think, sometimes, that they are holding animated conversations with one another. | Or that they have an urgent mission somewere further along that they are late for. | |
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| Some of our fellow travellers (but not Pat or Chuck) hiked up to the top of a nearby hill. . . | and then tobogganed down, looking for all the world like large red penguins. | |
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| In addition to the penguins, the scenery included some wonderful icebergs and dramatic shorelines. | ||