Antarctic Field Course - Study Abroad

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Jennifer's Journal

QA

Please use the links below to view a specific date further down the page. December - 2003 Sun. 14 Mon. 15 Tue. 16 Wed. 17 Thu. 18 Fri. 19 Sat. 20 Sun. 21 Mon. 22 Tue. 23 Wed. 24 Thu. 25 Fri. 26 Sat. 27 Sun. 28 Mon. 29 Tue. 30 Wed. 31 January - 2004 Thu. 1 Fri. 2

Photos credited to Jennifer. Click an image to enlarge, hover over an image for a description.

Sunday December 14, 2003

The preparations and excitement for this began over a year ago when I first heard about the trip and I've been hooked ever since. In order to have a basis upon which to expand our experiences and understanding of Antarctic system science we read a primer introducing us to the history and various species of wildlife as well as a series of research articles. The information was fascinating. Amazingly the tops of the terrestrial food web are nematodes and springtalis, often referred to as the lions and tigers of the of Antarctica. The harsh conditions of the region greatly restricts the amount of wildlife able to survive on the windiest, highest, coldest, and driest continent on Earth. It's amazing to me how much science is valued and stressed here, even so far as uniting the world in extensive international cooperation for the pursuit of science and the maintenance of peace. It's too bad such cooperation hasn't spread farther north.

One of the most interesting species to me that we've learned about is the albatross. This monstrous bird uses less energy flying than it does when resting on land because it uses the strong Antarctic winds to glide through the air. Its wingspan is enormous, but through its adaptations it just lets the wind support and carry it along, requiring it to expend little energy. The albatross is so adapted to living in such windy conditions that it would not be able to survive outside of this region due to the fact that it wouldn't have the fast moving air to support it. The wildlife of Antarctica has so many unique adaptations that enable them to survive in some of the harshest conditions on the planet.

Monday December 15, 2003

Following this museum I walked with a couple of the other members of the group down to the water to look at the docks and get a better view of the town. At the support wall near the water was written very largely and in both Spanish and English "Welcome to the End of the World and the Beginning of Everything." That statement had a great impact on us because it makes us realize how close to something really incredible and unique we are. The second museum was larger than the first and concentrated on the early explorers of the area and the species that inhabit the region, such as penguins, seabirds, and seals. In a little alcove of one portion of the museum there was an exhibit dedicated to seals. On the wall hung the skeletons of the mouths of a leopard seal and a crab eater seal, which contrary to its name does not feed on crabs. Both of these seal species have specialized dentition that assists them in catching and consuming prey. The teeth of the crab eater seal act like a sieve in order to filter krill out of the water. The leopard seal also feeds on mammals and therefore has sharp teeth, but they do act as a sieve too.

By the evening I had gotten to know the majority of the other people and I think we'll get along really well as a group. We had a long review in the conference room in preparation for our first exam tomorrow morning. I find the material really interesting and its right in the midst of my fields of interest so I'm not too worried about it, but we all are spending the rest of the night studying for it.

Tuesday December 16, 2003

This afternoon we had another museum to visit, the Maritime museum. This one is housed in what used to be a prison (Ushuaia was once a penal colony.). The prison part of it was fascinating and we found the wax figures spread throughout it both interesting and a little scary. The various sections of the museum focused on different aspects of Ushuaia and Antarctica's features and history, such as exploration, wildlife, and the sealing industry. Looking at the pictures of penguins it was hard to process that in a few days we'll be seeing them up close and in person. They're incredible in the pictures but how much more mesmerizing will the actual experience be? Soon I'll know...

On the walls in the Charles Darwin room are the skins of seals as well as the vertebrae of whales, which are enormous. Learning about the sealing industry makes your stomach weak, especially when looking at the pictures. Both the seal and whale populations of the Antarctic were decimated by exploitation. The effects of greed on wildlife are horrible.

Between the exam and museum we also had a lecture from Dr. Hollister about the two main approaches to science: reductionist and holistic. I understand the reductionist and see the need for it at times, but I defiantly prefer and feel the holistic perspective. Maybe that's because that is the way I have been trained to think and form connections for years. It just matches me so well.

Today we also moved hotels from Cap Polonio to the Albatross, which is owned by Quark our expedition company, and tomorrow we'll board the Orlova and begin the journey to Antarctica! I'm so excited but I don't think it has fully hit me that I'm about to leave for Antarctica, it's all kind of unreal.

Wednesday December 17, 2003

We embarked later than planned because we were waiting on one of the expedition staff to arrive. We pulled away around 9:00. Later this evening I went out on deck where it was pretty windy. We looked out upon the water and Argentina and Chile that bordered us on either side. The landscape was so beautiful. It's hard to imagine just how hard it must be to live here during the winter, because we're here during the summer yet it's still pretty cool outside. Soon after boarding the ship we were introduced to the majority of the lecturers and other staff. It looks like we're going to have an incredible time! It's anticipated that we'll reach the Drakes at two in the morning, so everything in our cabins had to be carefully stored to keep it from flying about the room. I think the crossing will be pretty exciting!

Thursday December 18, 2003

I really like it out on deck. Right now it is really windy and the seas are kind of rough, definitely not as bad as they can get, but right now the ship is hard to walk on. I'm getting used to the movement though. The lectures were canceled for today though. It'll take us two and a half days to cross the Drake and reach the peninsula and then we start our research projects. My group will be concentrating on whales, so hopefully we'll be able to see a lot of them. Within the group my specialization will be the feeding ecology, while the two other people will be looking at the breeding and environmental interactions.

Friday December 19, 2003

In the evening, Olle Carlssen, our expedition leader, talked to us about environmental and safety precautions we would have to take. Several of the items, especially those relating to IAATO, were review to us from Michigan State because we had had to learn about them prior to our first exam. The ship has over 80 passengers, 24 of which are from MSU. In addition, we have five lecturers and two Zodiac drivers. The crew of the ship are Russian, but we have much less contact with them. After the collapse of the Soviet Union the large scientific ships they had needed to be used for something, so they converted them into tourist ships and take excursions to the Arctic and the Antarctic during their respective winters, which is why the crew is all Russian.

Olle told us that to ensure nobody gets left behind on the places we visit, that we all have tags on a board by the ladder that goes down to the Zodiac landing. While on board the tag is on the white side, but whenever we leave the ship we turn it to the red. After being returned by the Zodiacs we just have to remember to turn the tag again. One of the important environmental protections we take is having our rubber boots cleaned and disinfected after each landing. This is done as soon as we get back on the ship in order to prevent us from spreading diseases from one penguin colony we visit to another. We want to have as little of an impact on these amazing creatures as possible. The popular saying in Antarctica is "Take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints."

Saturday December 20, 2003

Amanda, Stacey, and I comprise the whale group, but since the other groups have been getting rearranged to accommodate interests during the last few days, we were asked today to collect data on the seals. We recorded the sex, approximate age, and groupings of the seals we encountered. The sex of a seal is determined by how many holes they have on their undersides. Males have two, one of which is for the penis. The age is determined by the size. After collecting this data we hiked back over the hills and watched the penguin rookeries again. Lingering nearby were skuas who were waiting for a gentoo nest to be left unguarded so that they could steal the egg. One flew across within a foot of me and out to see. It's amazing to see creatures so close.

The group studying penguins was making observations of their behavior. Once back in the Zodiac, Mike took us around several icebergs. He drove the boat so close to them so we could see them better. I don't think I've ever seen anything so magnificent or awe-inspiring. These were tabular icebergs that were surprisingly flat and rectangular in shape. They were soo beautiful and I loved the different shades of blue within the ice.

Our next landing this afternoon was at Yankee Harbor. Once again we came across gentoo rookeries. However, wandering among the gentoos we also saw one macaroni penguin and one Adelie. The gentoos paid them no attention at all. At one point while walking towards the edge of the snow, I fell through the snow/ice mixture up to my waist. Getting my boot out certainly was a challenge. Amanda, Stacey, and I walked along the beaches of one half of the island, while a few other people took the other beaches. We looked for penguin carcasses in order to look

for the indication of leopard seal activity, who feed on penguins. The remains were disgusting, but we collected our data. I then lay quietly in the snow near where the penguins were migrating between the sea and their nests in the hope that they would approach me. Several came within feet of me, but they would not actually come up to me. You could easily see how the penguin routes changed with the presence of humans. They tried to avoid us as much as possible. When it came time to leave the Zodiac drivers showed us a salp and gave us some information about it.

After dinner we had an evening landing at Half Moon Island. Here once again were gentoo penguins. They are so much fun to watch. Penguins fly in the water rather than on land, so on land they waddle about and often fall down or slide across the snow on their bellies. It's completely adorable. You can smell penguin rookeries long before you see it though. We once again began our search for seals, but were unable to get around the island to where we saw two. We climbed across rocks, but the water was too deep for us to walk across and the distance between two of the rocks was too far to leap it. Craig, made it, but barely, so the three of us turned around in the attempt to find a different way over.

We walked directly across the island from our landing site, but the distance to walk all the way around the island would have been too great to travel it before it would be time to go. We started across the deep snow from the penguin rookeries in order to cross the mountain that way with the help of Olle, but the snow broke too easily under our weight and all we were accomplishing was the creation of penguin sized holes where they could easily become trapped and have no way of climbing out. We would definitely be inflicting too much harm so we turned around. Olle found a solution for us, however. Matt agreed to drive us in a zodiac to the cove we had been trying to reach. While on this mini-excursion, he talked to us about the wildlife and adaptations of Antarctic species. We did approach the Elephant seals, but did not disembark. Instead we watched them from a short distance.

Tonight we celebrated our first excursions to Antarctica almost our entire group of students in one cabin. We're getting to know each other pretty well, and it's fun spending time together. In the early hours of the morning a couple of us went out on deck, where amazingly it was still light out. The movement of the ship is far less than it had been on the Drakes. It was such a wonderful day!

Sunday December 21, 2003

Once again our weather was perfect, and the wind was blowing in just the right direction that enabled the huge rock next to the landing site to block the strength of the wind, thus making it possible for the Zodiacs to make it safely to the beach to land. Here we had our first exposure to chin strap penguins, so named because of the black line along their jaw lines. There were over 200,000 of them at this rookery. We conducted our search for the evidence of leopard seals in the form of mangled penguin carcasses, which is really pretty disgusting. Sometimes we could barely recognize it as a penguin. After data collection we were given free time during which I sat on the beach and watched the penguins. The chin straps were far more inquisitive and bold than the gentoos we had seen. One came directly up to me and began tearing at the top of my rubber boot with its beak. I had never been so close to a penguin before and it was incredible! Others of the penguins regularly came within a foot of me.

The ship then sailed along Neptune's Bellows and into Whaler's Bay, the sheltered Harbor. The wind as we sailed towards the entrance was intense. Up on the top of the ship where we first stood to watch the ship sail it was too strong to keep your eyes open, we therefore went down a deck. I have rarely heard wind so loud and so fierce before. Whalers had once used the harbor as a headquarters for their whaling ships. The whales would be brought into the harbor and then boiled for the blubber. The carcasses were then just pushed to into the bay. Remnants of their activities are still present. Next to the airplane hanger was an old plane that was falling apart. Dr. Charles Swinthenbank, one of the members of the expedition staff, had actually flown on that plane.

While we had been exploring the area, and we had only come across a lone Weddel seal meaning no more data collection, members of the staff and crew had been digging a pool on the beach, allowing the hot underground water to come to the surface. As a result of the presence of the volcano, the ground was volcanic ash. Before you could enter the pool, you had to strip down to your bathing suit, run out into the bay, where the water was freezing, and then run back to shore and jump in. I of course took the polar plunge. The water was unbelievably warm once I got in.

On the ship we conducted a trial observation for whales. Unfortunately, we didn't see any, and it was soo cold up on the top deck because of the strength of the wind. You couldn't even easily look out because the wind chilled your face so much it hurt. The force of the wind in my eyes also caused them to close and require a great effort to open them. After dinner we decorated the forward lounge and bar areas with Christmas decorations. Even with the decorations most of us still can't feel that it's almost Christmas. But what better Christmas gift is there then being in Antarctica?

Monday December 22, 2003

The station was in operation from 1944 until 1962. In 1996 it was restored and opened as a museum. Right now three men stay at the station during the summer season. At Base A, the name of the station, there is even a post office from which I sent several post cards. The museum was really interesting. It's hard to imagine what it would have been like to be essentially trapped on a small island back then isolated from the outside world for long periods of time. The penguins at the station nest all the way up to the steps of the station and had little fear of all of their visitors. After I had been through the museum I stood outside it for a while talking with the youngest of the scientists staying at Port Lockroy. He told me that the three of them only get off the island when tourist ships come through and take them aboard for short periods because they don't have a boat of their own.

For the summer season they are restricted to the small island and can't make it across to the slopes where I had wanted to ski. What would that kind of seclusion feel like? He was really informative and I enjoyed talking to him. He and another of the scientists also told me that in years of heavier snow the penguins had trouble finding bare ground for their nests (they won't nest in the snow), so they had built them on the roof of the station. The snow had really been that high. Brandon drove me back to the ship, but the ship was surrounded by fast ice, which he had to carefully navigate through in order for us to even be able to make it to the stairs. It was beautiful though. Such ice is one of the dangers while in a Zodiac. If it covers the water it becomes impossible to return to a ship, and so you can end up marooned on the landing site.

After Port Lockroy we sailed through the Lemaire Channel. Its beauty was both unbelievable and unforgettable. The ship was surrounded by icebergs and snow covered mountains on either side. As we went through, Mike even raised the Spartan flag on the bow of the ship. We sailed along the channel for hours, but when we reached the exit, it was blocked by two icebergs, so we had to turn around and go back through the channel and then around. This postponed our next landing, Petermann Island, until after the barbecue we would be having on deck.

While in the channel we took shifts doing whale watches. We observed for a total of about five hours today, rotating people through so that no one became too exhausted with it. Unfortunately, only a minke was spotted. The watch occupied the entire afternoon up to the appointed time for the barbecue. I definitely enjoyed the barbecue. The sky was devoid of clouds and so bright blue. It felt like it was early afternoon, even though it was dinner time. It's hard to judge the time of day by the sky here. How many people can say they had an barbecue out on the deck of a ship in Antarctica? During conversations at dinner I received quite a bit of useful information for my individual project, which will be great for when I'm compiling it together.

Petermann Island is the farthest point south we will be traveling in Antarctica. I would have liked to have been able to visit a US research station, since I currently have a rapidly growing interest in placing my career on a heading that points to the Antarctic. This trip has been phenomenal anyway, though and we did get to visit at least one station that's in operation. Tonight's landing is at one of the largest Adelie penguin rookeries. Adelies are my favorite penguins. They are so adorable and I love watching them wander between sea and nest.

Minutes after landing I was standing on rocks along the shore with April and Karalea looking out at the water when all of a sudden the Adelie we were watching porpoised out of the water and jumped several feet into the air and landed on the rocks. It was incredible! Petermann Island was a great night landing that I really enjoyed. On the way to it I saw my first leopard seal that was lying on a bergy bit. The teeth looked vicious when it opened its mouth for us. Our presence made it uncomfortable.

Tonight we hung out with some of the staff and other passengers, which was fun. The ship has a pretty international mix, which is a great experience. Americans make up a significant proportion, but then we Spartans are a big percentage of the total passengers.

Tuesday December 23, 2003

One of my favorite aspects of Antarctica is the icebergs. They are mysterious and beautiful all at the same time. Their majesty and wonder can never be accurately described. There just aren't words. I'm definitely in love with this continent, and it will be forever calling me back. I had always thought that the tropical rain forests were my love, but even those awe-inspiring places have been surpassed. I still love the rain forests, but now I have a new love too. The question will arise which do I want to study and devote my career too? Or maybe both?

The views we had from the top of the mountain on the peninsula I will never forget. The water was calm and the sky bright blue. The mountains on the other side of the bay were reflected in the glass of the water, and the bay was dotted with beautiful icebergs. The absolutely perfect weather has continued much to the awe of everyone aboard. I really have been blessed in my experiences in the Antarctic.

This evening we had our final excursion in Antarctica: Cuverville Island. Here was another gentoo colony. The stone stealing was especially evident, and for us entertaining to watch. For part of our time ashore I assisted the penguin group with the collection of data about the number of penguins entering and leaving the water. Just before leaving, Charles handed me a bone that was so old it looked like wood. The decomposition rate of this region is much lower than most other areas of the world. That's one of the reasons why there is concern over waste disposal. It was a bittersweet sadness riding back to the Orlova in the Zodiac. Until I return Antarctica!

When we were back on the ship again the Orlova began it journey back to Ushuaia. During dinner we arrived back on the Drakes and once again the ship shook, although it did not feel as if there was as much rocking as before. I went up to the bridge to watch the waves crash over the bow. I had at first attempted to go out to the bow, but it was so wet I had decided not to, which ended up being good, since while I watched from the bridge, the bow often got covered with water that even hit up to the bridge. It was also raining. Some of the members of the staff had a competition in the forward lounge of who could stand the longest without moving their feet, it takes balance to do so. We then had more lectures. Later on, we played one of my DVD's off the projector in the lounge, which was pretty cool to watch there because it took place mostly on a ship, so the Orlova moved with the ship in the film. It was an incredible experience.

Wednesday December 24, 2003

It's actually kind of nice not being able to see land in any direction you look. The sky rounded down to the sea and both seemed endless. All day we had lectures from the staff, which were interesting. In between them and being out on deck of course, I played some board games with other people on the ship. I've noticed since getting to college that age gaps largely disappear. Twas the night before Christmas....

Tonight a Christmas dance was held out on the aft deck. It was fun watching people try to dance on a boat that was rolling and pitching. How many people have been able to dance on the deck of a ship in Drake's Passage?

Thursday December 25, 2003

For dinner we had the most extensive meal I think I have ever had. It had at least six courses and was delicious. I ate at a table with Olle, so throughout dinner he entertained us with many stories, including ones from past expeditions. The staff had asked us, the university group, to put on some kind of pageant, but it never came to fruition.

I think we're all pretty sad that we're so close to returning to Ushuaia, we disembark tomorrow morning. I'm really going to miss the Orlova and the times I had in Antarctica. These days have shown me however that I need to return. And someday I shall.

Friday December 26, 2003

This evening we met with the professors in our smaller groups to discuss our projects and research observations. In a few days we will each be giving presentations on our specific area. After meeting separately with my group and then with the professors I definitely have a much clearer idea of what direction my presentation and paper will be taking. We didn't have any observations of whales feeding, but I can still make some inferences from our data based on conclusions from other research that has been done. The presentation will be geared towards tying the feeding of whales into the Antarctic system as a whole, including the importance of the intricacies of their relationship. The whales like all species in an ecosystem have an effect on the functioning of that system, so changes in feeding will change other aspects of the system. For example, the whaling industry decimated the populations of whale species, and the whales are still very low in number. The baleen whales feed on krill, and a large amount of it daily. Some of the largest mammals on earth feed on very small zooplankton. The reduction in whale population sizes caused by exploitation meant and increase in the amount of krill available, and consequently the seal populations have been able to recover rather quickly because large populations can be supported by the food source. Whales are not recovering as quickly because the reproduction period is considerably longer than that of seals. All components of a system are interrelated, so changes in one part will have important effects on the rest.

Tomorrow we will be assisting April, Karalea, and Calista in their research projects up in the forests around Ushuaia. It should be a pretty long day, but we'll be out in the fresh air and in the wilderness, so I'm sure we'll really enjoy it. It will be pretty different from what we've been doing in Antarctica, especially since there are no trees in Antarctica.

Saturday December 27, 2003

The glacier was small in comparison to what we had expected, but then we spent the last week in ice covered terrain and waters. The glacier is retreating, likely due to warming temperatures and so in front of it was barren land upon which plants have not yet begun to grow. The valley in which we stood had lichens, cushion plants, and other paraglacial vegetation. Along the mountainsides were forests consisting of solely southern beech trees. We were informed that the Northafagus trees we saw had the same leaf structure as fossils found in Antarctica, thus meaning that the leaves of these trees have not evolved in thousands of years. It's incredible to imagine trees on the snow covered continent we just visited, but at one time in was at a lower latitude and connected to South America.

My group performed two transects: one at 500m and the other at 400m. We used a GPS unit to determine elevation. After mapping out the transect we split into two groups, one on either side of the line, and recorded the diameter at breast height, distance along and distance away from transect, and height of the trees within five meters of our transect. Our first one had a bout a third of the number of trees as the one 100m below it in elevation, but that second one had many few young trees that were located close together. It was interesting walking through the monoculture of southern beech trees because the plant pathology doctoral student that was with us pointed out diseases on many of the trees and because all of them have the same genetics, the diseases can quickly spread through the population. In response to environmental change, southern beeches do no evolve by natural selection due to the lack of genetic variation, rather they move up, down, or across the mountains.

Within seven hours we had collected all of the data for the projects, seen the glacier, and learned about paraglacial species, so today was a highly productive day. We're all pretty tired and muddy from hiking for that long though.

Sunday December 28, 2003

After a two hour break during which I believe we all took a siesta we had the unexpected honor of meeting and receiving a lecture from Dr. Chuck Honeycutt, who happens to be passing through Ushuaia on his way to Antarctica. He will be acting as an observer for IAATO of the activities of the tourist ship while in the Antarctic. The subjects he talked to us about were related to the impacts of tourists and scientists and their relative importance. In addition, he gave an overview of the Antarctic Treaty and the history of scientific study on the continent. He supported the idea that we've also heard elsewhere that researchers are having more of an impact on the Antarctic environment than tourists, which makes sense. Tourists are on the land for a matter of days, and although their numbers are higher, the number of people hours spent moving around in Antarctica is higher for scientists because they are there year round. Important environmental protection measures must still be taken with tourists, for example: the boot disinfecting to prevent spreading diseases and the forbidden of leaving or taking anything away.

Tourists do have to be especially careful of making penguin sized holes with their boots, which penguins can become stuck in. Due to their lack of knees and hands, they are not able to get out. Tourists are therefore supposed to fill the holes they make back in. He also told us about the drastic impacts the research stations like McMurdo have had on the environment. There is a cost analysis that accompanies also potential measures, and many times it is too expensive to remove waste, so for years it has been pumped or put out in the harbor around the base. Luckily, human impact seems to have lessened a great deal in comparison to what it was during the foundation of the bases.

Tonight eight of us went to a steakhouse, where I had my most expensive meal in Ushuaia yet: $8. The food was great though, so I'm glad we went. I'm not looking forward to paying US prices again

Monday December 29, 2003

This morning we had a lecture from Dr. Tweedie concerning his research on McQuarie Island, an Australian research station. One of the most fascinating parts was the difference between the gentoo penguins of Mcquaire versus those of the Antarctic Peninsula. The ones on McQuariee build their nests in tussock grasses, so there is no need for stones and there is not the same endless stone stealing occurring like we had observed on the peninsula. The middle portion of the day we had free to work on our projects and presentations. At 6 PM we went back to the conference room for a review for the final exam. I have learned so much down here, and it has all been study that I truly love. T his is what I have been missing so far at Michigan State. I've had great classes there, but I prefer this learning environment.

Tuesday December 30, 2003

We hiked for hours on various trails past lakes and the Plataia River as well as up and down mountains. The bog greatly resembled the ones I've studied in mid-Michigan. They're an amazing ecosystem that has so little decomposition and tight nutrient resources, yet many species are able to thrive in those conditions. The sundew plant that Bob pointed out to us was a beautiful bright red with a white top, and it's a carnivorous species that feeds on small insects due to the lack of nutrients in the ground. The variation in color across the peat reminded me of a painting. Standing there I was especially reminded of the bogs I saw in Ireland over the summer.

An hour after our return, we began oral presentations. The orals were a great review for the exam because the combination of them all essentially covers the entire course and thus the majority of the material that will be on the exam tomorrow. My group doesn't present until tomorrow morning, which means we won't have long between presentations and the exam. I found those presented today to be interesting. A lot of people found interesting facts and concepts that we hadn't been introduced to before. It has been a very long day, however, and will continue with more studying.

Wednesday December 31, 2003

By the appointed time for our exam I definitely felt prepared for it. It took over two hours and covered everything that we've studied over the last weeks. We really have learned a lot on this trip: especially about conducting research out in the field rather than just learning the theoretical in the classroom. I'm now able to identify various species of penguins, seals, and whales whom all looked pretty similar beforehand. The best part of all of it is that I've enjoyed every minute of it too.

By this point it was New Year's Eve. In celebration we are having dinner at the Albatross. The night ended up being very entertaining. We rang in the New Year together two hours before everyone at home. I watched the Tango performed live for the first time tonight. I think we all really enjoyed watching it. At different points during the night there was dancing, a congo line, and the limbo. Hopefully the new year will be exciting, successful, and full of meaning for all of us. Who knows what is in store for me in the coming year and where I'll be this time next year. I'll just have to wait and see....

Thursday January 1, 2004

The most beautiful iceberg I saw was while we were on our way back in the Zodiac from the iceberg we had gotten to walk on. The outside was like a shell, and within it we could see a shallow pool that had spectacular blues. It was like looking at a world apart from our won. I have never seen anything as wondrous as that iceberg, and the memory of it will likely remain with me for the rest of my life. Over the past few weeks we have created memories unlike many people are age. Those memories we will be able to carry with us and apply to other areas of our lives and work, even if we never have the opportunity to return.

Friday January 2, 2004

We flew to Buenos Aires in the early afternoon and were able to have a short tour of the city while driving in from the airport. It's too bad we don't have more time here- it looks like a really interesting city. The majority of us had dinner at a steakhouse and tried the world renown Argentinean beef. The rest of the night was spent in exploring the city. That was definitely a memorable night. A great addition to the course would be if we could spend a few days in Buenos Aires. There's so much culture and history present that we had time for barely any of it. One of my favorite parts of the city are the parks that are interspersed within it. We would come across one every couple of blocks we walked, which is wonderful to find in the midst of such a large city. It also seemed pretty open and not as crowded as most cities simply because there were so many large avenues. I really enjoyed my time here.

And so our Antarctic adventures have come to a close and I'm well on my way back home. I have so much to tell and show everyone that they'll probably get bored listening to me. Of all the places I've traveled I believe I've found my favorite. It's been a phenomenal experience that I will treasure. I'm excitedly waiting for the opportunity that will bring me back. Someday....