Antarctica -- Back to Ushuaia, and home

Our next two days were spent crossing the Drake Channel on the way back to Ushuaia.  The trip back to Ushuaia was considerably rougher than the trip to Antarctica--this was probably more like the "typical" Drake crossing that we had been warned about.  You pretty much had to hold onto something any time you tried to walk.  Fortunately, neither Brenda nor I have the seasickness gene, so other than worrying about breaking an ankle, we didn't have any major problems.

Seas were a little rough

For you nature fans, here's a list of all of the wildlife we saw on the trip:

 Not much wildlife to see on our way back to Ushuaia--mostly sea birds:

After we reached the Beagle Channel and calmer water, we were able to make a visit to the ship's bridge.  It turns out that despite the sign, all passengers were "authorized".

Captain Kalt takes over

Having safely navigated the Drake Passage, the captain was able to enjoy a stiff drink and say goodbye...

We arrived in Ushuaia early in the morning and our flight to Buenos Aires wasn't until the afternoon, so we had a few hours to wander.

The Evita memorial

Near the Argentine naval base

A boat outside the Maritime Museum

Street scene in Ushuaia

Our last penguin

Museo del Fin del Mundo (End of the World Museum)

At the wharf

 

Two beagles at the Beagle Channel

Our last meal at one of Argentina's famous Irish restaurants

Our trip from Ushuaia to Buenos Aires to Miami was more eventful than we would have preferred.  Our flight to Buenos Aires was delayed for more than 6 hours, which would have caused us to miss our flight to Miami.  So Aerolinas Argentinas booked us on a different flight to Buenos Aires.  Unfortunately that flight went to the domestic airport, and the flight to Miami left from the international airport.  This meant we had to take a taxi between airports, and we managed to wind up with the only taxi driver in Buenos Aires who didn't know how to get to the international airport.  Somehow, we made it, and the rest of the trip was uneventful.

Flying into RDU, we flew over our neighborhood, so here are a few shots for those of you who care....

The far west side of Cary, looking north.  NC-540 is at the far right.

Carolina Preserve, where we live.  Our house is in the yellow circle.

Downtown Durham

So, that's it!

Next stop--Cuba!

Antarctica--Cierva Cove and Spert Island

Both of our expeditions today were Zodiac trips--no shore landings.  The morning expedition was Cierva Cove, with lots of icebergs.  Afternoon was Spert Island, with interesting geology, a few seals, and more ice.

Before our morning expedition, we were visited by a fleet (or whatever the word is) of Orca whales.

Meanwhile, the Argentine navy continued to keep a close watch on us.....

Into the Zodiacs for our morning tour.....

Yes, it was that color

An Argentine base

Closeup of an iceberg

More ice sculpture

Up close and personal with some ice

An ice cave

Some perspective on the size of the icebergs

According to the guide, the more compressed the ice gets, the clearer it gets.  The photo below shows ice in various stages of compression.

A sample of some very old ice

I think this is a kelp gull

A skua

Another skua, or maybe the same one

Gentoo penguins

A penguin and skua keep close eye on the Argentine base

Kayakers navigating the ice

Kayakers, penguins and glaciers

More perspective on the icebergs

Under an iceberg

A Weddell seal

A Zodiac convoy

Why you shouldn't walk on a glacier

This is where Superman stays when he visits Antarctica

After returning to the boat, we had an outdoor barbecue.

Another collection of Orca whales

What happens to the ice we collect on the Zodiacs

Our afternoon Zodiac excursion was around Spert Island, which has a lot of interesting rock formations.  Our guide was a geologist and he had never been to Spert Island, so he was excited, to say the least.

 

 

Next: Back to Ushuaia, and home