At home and abroad

It’s still summer in Antarctica, but the days until the equinox are dwindling. I’m guessing the polar summer doesn’t look much like the end of winter in San Diego, where the skies were clear and sunny, and the temperature was heading for 70 degrees this morning. But soon I won’t have to guess. In less than two weeks, I’ll be on a ship, sailing south from the tip of South America, embarked on an experience that promises to rank among the strangest of my life.

Of course, it doesn’t take 12 days to travel from California to the Antarctic Peninsula, but it’s such a long journey Steve and I wanted to break it up. So after landing in Houston, we’ll catch a non-stop flight to Buenos Aires (capital of Argentina) and spend three nights there. On Saturday we’ll fly several hours south to Ushuaia, which calls itself the End of the World. We’ll have five nights there before boarding a small Australian cruise ship, the Greg Mortimer. That will be our home for the succeeding 22 nights.

It still shocks me to write those words. Part of my identity (and Steve’s) is that we’re Not Cruisers. We know countless folks who are, and that’s great for them. But Steve and I have always loved traveling under our own steam, on land, preferably in places rich in human history and culture.

Steve thus never had the slightest interest in visiting Antarctica (the only place on the planet humans where have never created permanent settlements.) He hates being cold. But I have long been curious about this loneliest continent, harsh beyond imagination but also, by all accounts, strikingly beautiful. Because Steve is a good sport and open-minded, we’re going there.

I’ve heard that our ship is equipped with Starlink. So if I experience things that seem interesting, I can write about them and, with luck, post to this blog. That assumes I won’t be too busy being seasick. Or socializing with all those other passengers and penguins.