All entries under Day 09: 21st Mar

This has been such an amazing trip so far that I don´t even know where to start. I´ve been trying to describe what I have experienced on this expedition so far, but it just seems like there are no words that could do justice to the beauty of Antarctica. The rawness of this place is what makes it so alluring. I almost feel like we are trespassing, like we were never really meant to see this landscape that is solely ruled by nature. Yesterday I stood out on the deck of our ship and watched the sun break through a slice of the clouds. The far shore was lit up, and it was like the white of the mountains were on fire. I think also that it is the people who I am with that have made this trip as remarkable as it has been. I have met so many unique and wonderful people in the few short days that I have been here. Every day I learn something new from them. The obstacles that these people have overcome to be here and to accomplish their visions to preserve Antarctica´s pristine environment are truly inspiring. I know that I will walk away from this expedition with a new view of the world and myself. My love to everyone at home. I can´t wait to share with you what I have experienced

Antarctica is a continent that cannot adequately be described in words or in pictures. It is as much an emotion as anything physical, and is experienced in all five senses. From the pungent smell of penguin rookeries to the feel of freezing salt water hitting your face as the zodiac boats run from the ship to the land, to the recognition, as our ship’s captain Jorge put it, that white is not just a color, but is a spectrum, Antarctica is an incredible experience.

Put aside your preconceptions of this place. You may think of it as endless plains of ice. Yes, they exist, but so do mountains climbing a thousand meters high right next to the narrow channel through which our ship sails. You may think of it as devoid of life, but there are penguins, flying birds, seals and a surprising variety of plant life which has adapted itself to the inhospitable environment of the ice. There are people, too, but few in summer and fewer in winter who staff the scientific stations. But to stand on deck (heavily bundled up against the freezing cold and the wind and the snow or rain that sometimes accompanies our voyage) and look out at this incredible continent is incredible, just incredible.

I don’t know if I will ever have the opportunity to come here again, but in a real sense, I will never leave it. I understand now why my friend Robert Swan has devoted most of his life to a very simple proposition – that it is vitally important to preserve Antarctica forever as a place where nature is in charge, and where we can come to study and learn from this last frontier of our planet.

I’m proud that my colleagues at Kroll are a part of this, and am truly grateful to them for this opportunity to learn, to help where I can, and to bring back the message that preserving this global heritage is worth our time and our concern and our participation.

Parece que tenemos la suerte de cara. Tras una travesía no muy complicada, hemos disfrutado de un tiempo espléndido casi todos los días, lo que nos ha permitido disfrutar al máximo de este incomparable entorno de hielo. Empezamos a ser expertos en embarcar y desembarcar, en distinguir ballenas, focas y pingüinos, pero sobre todo, cada vez vamos aprendiendo más los unos de los otros. Como ya he dicho otras veces, ¡Es increíble estar aquí! Además, esta noche hemos acampado sobre la nieve y el hielo. Una experiencia inolvidable, sobre todo porque he tenido la oportunidad de tener a una foca leoparda a menos de un metro dentro de la tienda. ¡Qué bestia, el tío! Sigue en pie la oferta de compartir las fotos con un buen vino y jamón. Besos y abrazos, Alvaro GE

At the beginning of the expedition i was challenged by the team leaders not to go online Hill the end of the expedition. Now I spend around 9 hours average a day online so it was quite a hard challenge to take on.

The first days at Ushuaia I was running up and down helping out and I noticed how much time some people would spend behind the pc sending e-mails and such. It made me realize what a waste of time it could be.

Especially students that send so much time behind the pc don’t even notice what’s going on around them and they miss out on great things like actually experiencing nature. If you weren’t always behind the pc you would notice how the natural environment around you is being destroyed. And if you don’t notice that; when the time comes to decided the future of Antarctica in 2041 when you might be a leader, will you really care?

Don’t let that happen, get active and get involved. Cause in the end it’s in your hands