When you sign up for the 8-day trip to Antarctica, you don’t actually sign up for 8 days in Antarctica. Day 1 is in Chile. Day 2 is half in South America and half in Antarctica. Days 3, 4, 5, and 6 are all full days in Antarctica. Day 7 is half in Antarctica and half in Chile, and day 8 is in Chile. Day 8, you don’t even do anything with Quark!
Day 8
Location: Punta Arenas, Chile to Puerta Natales
Agenda: Drive to Puerta Natales
On day 8, we woke up in south America on dry land, but feeling like we were still on a ship. Everyone moved as if the ground was gently rolling, just like the ship. We had a 4-hour drive up to Puerto Rico, and we wanted to get there early. So we packed our 12 bags into our rented van (it was filled from Top to Bottom) and drove up to Chile. The drive was very pretty, but it felt so long.
What Is All the Fuss About Patagonia???
I had always heard that Patagonia is SO beautiful and breathtaking and I really was skeptical. That was foolish of me…
The glare from my phone in the window makes it a bit less picturesque, but this is such a beautiful scene, right? This is basically what I looked like the whole time out of my window. Christmas with a view like this was…… AMAZING!!!!!
This was my last day in Antarctica, y’all!!! I am kinda poking fun at Quark for putting the 8th day on the trip because it really is not part of it at all! We didn’t do much; we just drove up to Puerta Natales, adjusted to the new house, and stared at the insane beauty surrounding us. I loved just staring out of the window because the sun was nice and warm, and it all seemed like something that you would only see in a dream, fairy tale, or movie. The best part is there is always a Very loud orchestra to accompany the sight. An orchestra of….. wind.
Wind House
I have never been in a windier place in my entire life!!! This wind was HARSH! Like being the walls and shaking the house! It wasn’t dangerous wind just really strong. Our host said that the winds got up to either 60 km (37mph) or 160 km (99.4221). I think it was 160 because this wind was really hard! As loud and disturbing as it was, I learned to like it. It added sound to the scenery and made all the clouds very beautiful. It also helped cool down the house when the sun heated it up too much. The wind was also extra harsh on us because we were on what we thought was the highest hill in a small trench/valley/fjord with mountains on either side. Our house was a perfect target for the gusts and bullets of wind. We could also see on the water how strong the wind was because it was creating huge whitecaps. Somehow, thankfully, we did not get swept up in a tornado and taken to Oz.
6-Day Trip to Antarctica
In my 6 days of seeing Antarctica, I was mesmerized. It was the trip of a lifetime, but there is no way it’s going to be once in a lifetime for me. One day I Will find my way back to Antarctica. The best way to do this seems to be to get a job in Antarctica which I probably can figure out how to do. I definitely will get back there. Someday 🙂
Where: Punta Arenas, Chile, to King George Island, Antarctica via Antarctic Airways and the World Explorer (Expedition Ship, Not a cruise ship)
Agenda: Standby for the flight to Antarctica, Boarding the World Explorer, and our First dinner on the ship!
So today, we started with breakfast in the hotel for free! Then everyone was on standby for the flight time. Our flight time changed three times in the morning because the weather kept changing, but then suddenly, a bit after breakfast, we got a notice to be reading in 1 hour. Quark 1 loaded onto two buses that took us to the airport, and at the airport, we checked our bags with Antarctic Airways (DAP). The wait to board was not long, but the line to board was long…. and very disorderly. We made friends with the people in front of us who were from Utah. They ended up being in the same zodiac group as us, and we saw them often around the ship.
The Flight
The flight out was very smooth. The plane was not full, and everyone listened to music, read, or watched shows. There were drinks and snacks and two working toilets!! It was the size of an airplane that you would fly from Portland to California in. When they told us to use the restroom and put on our cold-weather gear, everyone got very excited! As we started to lose altitude, the people with windows started shouting, “I see land!” I did not have a window, and I was very jealous, but it was fun to hear the excitement. The landing was extremely smooth! Smoother than most landings on real runways! Remember, we landed on a gravel 1800m airstrip breaking through clouds. When the plane came to a stop, we were told to stay seated because a guide would come on and brief us about our trip to the shore.
My First step on to Antarctica
Sonya came on and told us that we would load into buses, receive life jackets, and then ride zodiacs out to the ship. The funny thing about the first day in Antarctica was that we had absolutely no idea what we were doing, and everything was so new and exotic that we looked like stunned penguins gawking at everything. As I stepped off, a Very cold wind hit my face, but it just made me more excited. The first bus they were loading had one spot left, and I took it. We were given a briefing on how to put on our special life jackets by Sonya. The drive down was super bumpy but exciting because we drove through the Chilean and Russian bases on King George Island. There was a graveyard, a church, a school, and a lot of little buildings. The shore was made of rock plebes, and there were penguins around us! We put our backpacks on a tarp to put on our life jackets then we were put in lines to board zodiacs. Me and my mom were called to a zodiac, and a very friendly lady with a cool hat (Valarie) helped us into the zodiacs! Valarie drove us to the ship, and Ema helped me and my mom onto the ship and got very excited when we handed her the violin! I later learned that Ema used to play violin which was cool! We were led into the mudroom, which is a room full of open lockers for storing your Antarctica muck boots and big coat. Each room is assigned a locker, and 2-3 people’s stuff can fit in one locker.
First steps on the ship
Upstairs, we went to the 4th floor, which has all the main public spaces. When we came out of the stairwell, all the staff captains were waiting, and reception was ready to give us our ship cards and room numbers as well as get a photo of us to be matched up with our cards. As the rest of my family came and went through the same process, I looked out the windows and stared around at the small space of the ship that I could see. The ship was much more glamorous than I had expected. Our triple cabin had a small “front hall that had four doors in it. One leading to the hallway, one leading to the bathroom, one leading to my brother’s room, which was a small cabin with a couch, twin bed, a TV and porthole, and a closet! And the last one led to my and my sister’s room. Our room had two nice twin beds, a deck with chairs, and a walk in closet that had a mini fridge, safe, hanging rack, drawers, and shelves and a small desk/shelf for coffee maker!!! The room was very impressive, and I loved it so much!
Life Boat Drill!
The next great event was the lifeboat drill, where all passengers had to go to their cabins and get their life jackets. You also had to bring your ship card because it tells you what muster station you go to, and the little sarcode has all your info on it to be scanned. Scanner PPL waited at the exit from the stairs to scan every person’s card to make sure everyone made it out. We waited until everyone was present then we were all sent to put our life jackets back and explore the ship. Explore what we did!! I found the observation deck and met the Marine Biologist, Annie, and the ornithologist, Nigel.
There were no more great adventures that day besides finding out that the ship had gluten-free bread and sweets!!!!!! This was very exciting, and our food days were brightening! We also had our first debrief in the auditorium! I went up to the observation lounge before bed to look at the beauty all around. It was just captivating!
Me and my sister on the bus to the airport!The World Explorers medals The lovely hot chocolate machine that soon became a favorite of mine!The notice board for stand up pedal borders. The notice board for sea kyakersA small part of the Main Lounge in the bow of the 4th level.The full coffee stationThe polar boutique across from the coffee station. The boutique soon became a fun place to visit because I made freidns with the lady who took care of it. (Rosawitta)The normal outer layer gear that one would need to go out into Antarctica.
Friday, 12/15/2023 Punta Arenas Dream Hotel
Saturday 12/16/2023 Punta Arenas to King George Island
Briefing about Antarctica, the ship, and what will happen tomorrow
Drive to the Airport and board the flight with Quark group 1 (half of the ship’s guests)
Pack and Re-pack to make things fit!
We are on Standby for our flight to King George Island, Antarctica, via Antarctica Airways
Receive Quark Coat, Special Boots, and Bag tags for non-Antarctic luggage
Arriving in Antarctica and working to get onto the ship: World Explorer
Welcome dinner with the rest of the ship guests in the hotel
Being welcomed on the ship warmly and finding our rooms! 🙂
First Dinner On Board!!
This Table is the schedule of our first two days with Quark Expeditions
Antarctic Airways!Waiting in line to board the plane!!!Me and my siblings on the plane!A magazine in Spanish on the plane.In the magazine photos you can see how we go from the plane to all the waiting buses.Fist glimpse of Antarctica!!!!A Chilean building on King George IslandA hanger in progress on King George IslandMy first dinner on board!!The beautiful first day view out of my room!
