After a rather bouncy crossing of the Drake Passage we were all excited to see the dramatic icecaps and dark rock cliffs of the South Shetland Islands on the horizon.  Before long we were in sheltered waters and preparing for our first landing on Barrientos Island.  It felt great to put on our parkas, climb into the Zodiacs for the short ride ashore and actually set foot in Antarctica, with hundreds of penguins there to greet us.