We spent the day following in the footsteps of Antarctic explorers, old and new, imagining their experiences by visiting the places they called home. We started off by visiting Port Charcot, named after the leader of the French Antarctic expedition who once overwintered on Booth Island and whose team members erected the cairn and wooden post to which many of us hiked today.
In the afternoon, we had the opportunity to walk the halls of Wordie House, named for James Wordie of Shackleton’s Trans-Antarctic expedition and creatively rebuilt in 1947 after the first hut on Winter Island was destroyed. We cruised past neighboring Ukrainian Vernadsky Station, where the researchers of today are carrying forth Antarctic research, building on the work of all those who came before. After dinner, we watched as 224 of our postcards were delivered to the Port Lockroy station – if only the early explorers knew that one day, you’d be able to send mail straight from Antarctica!
All in all, we ended this exciting day feeling grateful that we have our warm ship and delicious food to which we returned. We have a sense of awe and respect for those who spend months of their lives dedicated to immersive discovery in this beautiful place.
