Antarctica keeps to its own time, and when there is little or no darkness one must be ever vigilant for the gifts this continent has to offer. Such was the case this morning when I received a call from one of the staff that the light was nothing to sleep through. I gazed at my clock, it was 5:15 in the morning. Arriving on deck, the sky around me was lit with the most stunning blue light. The sun shone through on one side of the sky, while the other was draped in a deep grey of clouds. Where there was sea there was a deep blue, and where there was ice, it was illuminated by a white light which made it stand out in the darkness. I was not the only one at the bow, others had seen the light through their windows and could not resist the call of the outdoors to view it. It was a hypnotizing event and adding to the pleasure was the knowledge that during the night we had crossed over the Antarctic Circle. Before we had realized it, more than two hours had passed. Finally, the numbness in our fingers could not be ignored, and we retreated to the warmth of the bridge and the comfort of a hot beverage. Looking back, standing in the cold, it was no wonder that our discussion centered on our favorite tea. Sorry Lipton, PG Tips was the winner by a huge margin!
After breakfast, we set forth on our first excursion of the day, Detaille Island. In 1956 the British constructed a research station there, but the choice was not the most prudent, and in four years, it was evacuated at a moment’s notice, out of fear that it was the only chance of rescue for the men stationed there. In their haste, they left food, and other essentials and we found it as they left it. The building was a window into a time long ago. Walking through the rooms, you could imagine what it was like for the men who served there. Clothing hung from makeshift clotheslines, tins of oatmeal stacked neatly in the cupboards, magazines with pin-up girls on the cover lying on the table. For us it was a small idea of what life back then would have been; for the men who called this place home, it was a sanctuary from the cold and wind.
In the afternoon we went searching for fast ice, ice that is attached to the land and hasn’t yet melted. If we were lucky enough to find it, it would give everyone a chance to walk on the frozen ocean. It was not long before we were within reach of our goal when an extra bonus showed itself to captain and crew, an emperor penguin was spotted right where we were planning to put the ship into the ice. It was not close, but the walk to view it in the scope was a small price to pay for a chance to see this most elusive of penguins. Spirits were high, and to celebrate the event, Anders, our hotel manager arranged a barbeque of chorizo sausages. Walking on sea ice, seeing an emperor penguin, and grilled sausages, what a spectacular finish to the day!
