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Antarctic Adventures

January - February 2025
  • Linda Leahy
Fly to Buenos Aires for 3 days then onto 20 night Cruise and home Read more
  • Linda Leahy

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  • Linda LeahyTravelerAntarctic Adventures
    Arrived YYZ
    Carryon ONLY

    Travel on National Penguin Awarenss Day

    January 20 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ -11 °C

    So this is the beginning of an adventure. What kind of adventure, we don’t even know! It’s a bucketlist item with a friend of 30 years. What’s gonna happen? We don’t know. What’s the theme of this blog? I don’t know yet. It will be determined when inspiration strikes.

    This introductory chapter is the beginning of our journey. Lindsay and I agree on this, the vacation starts the minute we walk out our door into our car and start towards the airport. Come along for the ride!

    I guess some context is needed. This is Lindsay‘s seventh continent (her final one). It’ll be an extremely exciting moment for her. The goal is to actually step on the continent not just see it from the ship (as many an intrepid cruiser has done). We planned this trip (with our cheerleader Michael egging us on) for a long time. We opted to pick the best week for weather and Drake passage, affording us a chance of landing. We went with one of the best cruise ships. It’s an Expedition Ship that can stay in Antarctic waters the longest time, so that she mostly makes landfall. That being said, life guarantees us nothing. We don’t know if it’ll happen. We hope it happens. We paid a lot of money to make it happen, but mostly we are embracing the anticipation. It will only be my sixth continent, so sadly not quite the celebration Lindsay will experience. I am lacking African continent so…

    Today was a “repositioning” day. We completed our first leg of 3 days of travel. Calgary to Toronto. We have a 23hr layover. So, just got into the Toronto Airport Hilton for an overnight. I will visit my inlaws tomorrow and then back to airport for evening flight to Buenos Aires. Nothing exciting to report so far …

    DISCLAIMER…. This is a bucketlist trip and we are both grateful for the opportunity. We chose to travel highend for both comfort and better chance at completing the adventure and if you know Lindsay, you know flying is always a special experience. We live in gratitude, but this is the last mention of the blessing and extravagances for the duration… no apologies    Read more

  • Linda LeahyTravelerAntarctic Adventures
    Finn Hugs
    Nice to see PegHmmm What should we haveCarpaccioGinger Squash SoupFogo Island CodEnjoying Signature LoungeGetting ready for bed1Well just one more

    23 Hours in Toronto

    January 21 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ -12 °C

    It was so nice of Toronto to prepare us for Antarctic weather. It was a balmy -18 degrees Celsius (-0.4 degrees Fahrenheit) with a wind. Brrrr. It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity that gets you!

    After reasonable get up and nice breakfast, I set out to visit Peg, my mother-in-law, with the hope of catching a visit with my nephew and his wife and the glorious chance to meet their son, Finn for the first time. Lindsay opted for a quiet day and being luggage guardian!

    The trip on UP to Union, then TTC was a walk down memory lane. As I made my way to Rivercourt Blvd., I enjoyed the limited view but thrilled at the many memories from living here.

    I spent a lovely morning with tea and talking (I did the lion’s share of that) with Peg. After a good catch up, we were joined by young Finn, Daniel and Catherine! What lovely family. I got a good helping of hugs to keep me until we see each other again.

    So the travelling with Lindsay part began when I arrived at YYZ and met Lindsay at Super Elite check-in. We used our nexus cards to circumvent the line for TSA and then trekked a half a mile to the Signature Lounge at Pearson International. If you have not experienced the signature lounge, it’s a notch above.

     The table service dinner with an elevated cuisine made the 6 hour wait for our flight quite pleasant. We sampled appetizers, with me having beef carpaccio and Lindsay a ginger soup. We then moved on, a half an hour later, to mains, which were Fogo Island cod and a rabbit with a pasta, and we finished with scrumptious desserts. Also a bottle of white wine for Lindsay and a bottle of red for me later we headed to the gate.(Even though it was 6 hours later we had perhaps a bit of a list).

    We are ensconced in oursleeper beds ready for long flight.    Read more

  • Linda LeahyTravelerAntarctic Adventures
    A little shopping in Sao Paulo airport
    Quick stop Sao PauloLight Snack?Alvear Palace LobbyOutfit of The Day (OTF): CasualOTD: DinnerRoof Top Bar for Dinner

    Day 3 to Travel to Buenos Aires

    January 22 in Argentina ⋅ ☁️ 33 °C

    Most of 10ish hour flight to Sao Paulo was spent grabbing much needed zzzz! Having had a lovely dinner in lounge, all we needed to do was change into comfy cool clothes. Then, we just waited for takeoff in order to lay back and sleep.

    Woke up to a nice breakfast. Gandered at the pretty Brazillian country view out the windows and repacked our carryon to disembark in Sao Paulo.

    Our quick stopover afforded us the time to stretch our legs, shop (bought a pair of Havaians) and briefly aquaint ourselves with 2 other couples on our cruise!

    We reboarded the same aircraft and put our carryons right back into overhead and settled back into our same seats. 3 hours, a light lunch and a quick movie later, we landed in Buenos Aires!

    We made fast work of customs and were being wisked away by our lovely driver, Claudio within 20 minutes of landing! With the help of Apple Translate, he pointed out some highlights on our way to Alvear Palace Hotel. This hotel is in a beautiful area with the perfect mix of old and new. We need to strip down to clothes appropriate to 31 degrees celsius, before a very short tootle around neighbourhood, then back to change for dinner

    Tonight we opted to stay at hotel and enjoy the beautiful rooftop bar. We had Cosmo’s and munchies until we decided on shrimp tacos for a casual dinner with a spectacular view and early to bed.

    Outfits of the day!- After getting some feedback about limited luggage space which we chose to travel with (carryon only), I will demonstrate to you how much I can get in and make work!!! So here are my outfits (day and evening).    Read more

  • Linda LeahyTravelerAntarctic Adventures
    Breakfast in Atrium
    1Hop-On Hop-OffLL: Order Small BeefLL: Tortilla in ArgentinaOTD: FancyOTD: Casual

    -18 Degrees Celsius to +31!

    January 23 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 35 °C

    We catapulted out of bed bright and early to enjoy as much time as possible in the beautiful city of Buenos Aires. After breakfast in a stunning atrium, we headed to the Hop-On Hop-Off bus tour recommended to us by my Esparenza (the fabulous, fun concierge here).

    The three hour tour atop a double decker bus was fanatastic. The bus was totally updated with airconditioned areas (we did not partake). The audio tour was excellent which featured a wonderful selection of music from classical argentinian, to tango, to rap! This beautiful city is bursting with diverse architecture, public art, fantastic parks, broad thoroughfares, inumerable museums and historic sites. What strikes you the most, after digesting all the cultural influences over the years, is the pristineness of all the neighborhoods we passed through, including by the railyards and modest dwellings. We took literally hundreds of pictures, but will share just a few of our favourites.

    We cooled off for a brief time in the afternoon, before going for drinks at the swanky Four Seasons Pony Line Bar! Then onto The El Mirasol for BBQ Beef (grilled!).

    We had a lovely walk from the Alvear Palace along the Posadas, past shops and the Algerian Consulate, then finally to our destination at the Four Seasons Hotel, Pony Line Bar. After researching best bars in Recoleta, we decided on the competitor’s hotel bar. The view and the ambience did NOT hold a candle to last night’s rooftop experience here at the Alvear Palace, but the bar was dark and moody with interesting twists on classic cocktails. Lindsay opted for a Porn Star (Lindsay says it was classic, but I have a different opinion). I had Tranky Pranky (a twist on a Hanky Panky).

    We were determined to move toward the “locals” dinner time. We set our reservations to 8:00 p.m. and were among the first five tables! The short walk around the corner from the Four Seasons to the restaurant shocked us. It was situated LITERALLY UNDER A HIGHWAY OVERPASS (What was Esparenza thinking!). I cannot even tell you convincingly how beautiful, relaxing and peaceful it was on the OUTSIDE PATIO!!! (Possibilities for under the Gardiner Expressway are unlimited!!!). We had followed the advice of many a visitor and Esparenza to come to this steakhouse. The food and wine were awesome (if rdiculously oversized). A lovely young man, who asked us for money, received a lovely supply of food for at least two days.

    Lessons Learned: New section of blog, where comments with pictures should speak for themselves.    Read more

  • Linda LeahyTravelerAntarctic Adventures
    El Eteneo
    Our friend MiloLunch at CafayateOTD: CasualLL: Hot Dog & French Fries?OTD: DinnerAfternoon at Cafayate

    Lindsay’s Done! Ready for Cruise

    January 24 in Argentina ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Interesting start to our day. As we planned on our early departure tomorrow, we decided to have a bit of a lay-in this morning and a late breakfast/brunch. Reposing in bed this morning, there was a knock on the door at 8:00 am, followed by another knock before I could open the door. When I did open it, wearing my nighty, the shocked, then embarrassed and quickly contrite face of a perfect strange stared back at me. With quick choked “sorry”, she fled back to the elevator. Closing the door, I realized that with absolutely no effort on my part, I had probably ruined her day!!! What are the chances she is on our cruise and will have to face me at some point? I had a giggle then went back to my leisurely morning.

    Today was low key and thus this entry will be short. We breakfasted at the hotel, picked up boarding passes for our flight tomorrow and were given our bus departure time (4:45 a.m.). Upon the recommendation of fellow passengers, Brad and John from New York, we headed for a nice walk to unique place - El Ateneo, Theatre turned book shop.

    Heading towards’ our destination for the afternoon we did some window shopping where we met our new little friend Milo!

    We opted then to while away the afternoon at Cafayate cafe along side of Cementerio de la Recoleta. Listening to beautiful music, sipping beer and people watching. Video will be posted on Instagram/Facebook.

    Leisurely walk back to hotel, then a couple of hours of repacking and reading before dinner at the hotel again. Given the expected cuisine on the ship and the enormous portions of the last two days, we opted to have a cocktail each, Lindsay chose a hotdog and french fries and Linda a burger (not identified as having french fries) accompanied by a nice Malbec, then to bed by 9:30.

    Lesson Learned: Again with the food translation…. Hotdog and French Fries may be on a stick!

    Outfits Today: I will not have worn everything from my backpack. Tomorrow first outfit will be from backpack, then onto the good stuff.    Read more

  • Linda LeahyTravelerAntarctic Adventures
    Tight Fit
    Patience is a virtueWho would have thoughtParkas, Hats, Wetbags AwaitLaundry TimeOTD: CasualOTD: Just one picture for all of the Excursion Clothes for TripDamian1OTD: Evening wearSetting Sail

    Buenos Aires-Ushuaia-Beagle Channel

    January 25 in Argentina ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Getting up; grabbing breakfast; boarding the bus; doing airport stuff; and getting onto the charter aircraft occupied 3+ hours of the morning. For those who remember the old days, it was general boarding (Mrs. Clarkson was unamused), and legroom was fine for my 5’3” frame. Mrs. Clarkson enjoying the middle seat… not! Of course, we accumulated zero points on this flight as well. (To add insult to injury, we had to check in our roller carry-ons due to limited overhead space, and further, there were two sets of stairs we had to navigate. Of course, Lindsay’s luggage came to baggage claim as the 3rd to last bag, which put us on the last bus to town, which meant an hour and 1/4 to explore town instead of going right to the ship…)

    Ushuaia was a wonderful surprise. The year-round population in Ushuaia is approximately 80,000. The number of cruise ships in port varies from 3 to 6 at a time. The season lasts from early November to late March.

    We were dropped in at the Garden Market and then meandered around town. Hilly roads come up from the port, and main streets run parallel. The beautiful inlet is surrounded by majestic mountains with glaciers gracing the high peaks and valleys.

    Once aboard the Pursuit (Lindsay greatly relieved), we immediately did our first load of laundry, unpacked our backpacks, and went to lunch in the Colonade. We then were able to finish our nesting process and explore the ship. Some time spent out at the Patio Bar in the sun with Damian taking care of us was lovely. Our orientation session was postponed as the second aircraft for the ship was delayed almost three hours. A catering truck hit it’s fuselage, and a new plane was required (our morning tribulations seemed minor in light of those developments).

    We then changed for a lovely dinner in the Restaurant. Nitish, the head sommelier, was happy to help pick out a lovely Malbec. He is so informative and promises to help convert Lindsay to being a wine snob. Following our dinner, we were off to the Club to meet some of our fellow passengers.    Read more

  • Linda LeahyTravelerAntarctic Adventures
    First Game of Day
    OTD: dinnerSafety sessionAustralia Day observedLobster Starter1Tasting MenuDrake LakeBridge

    First Full Day at Sea

    January 26, South Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    The Drake Passage has two nicknames: Drake Lake and Drake Shake. As was foretold last night by the Captain, we have thus far been lucky to be crossing Drake Lake. Despite the fact that this is pretty much as good as it gets, I woke to the rock and rolling and dawned my wrist pressure bands, ear patches, and downed sea sickness pills and only suffered for an hour or two!

    If you assumed that Antarctica’s most famous waterway was first sailed by British explorer Sir Francis Drake, you’re not alone. The truth behind its somewhat misleading name is just one of many interesting facts about the Drake Passage.

    Drake never actually sailed these waters.

    When researching the history, I found this out: “While the Drake Passage is the shortest route from Antarctica to the rest of the world, Sir Francis Drake actually opted for the less dangerous, albeit much longer, Strait of Magellan. Nevertheless, this part of the ocean became named after the renowned circumnavigator when one of his ships drifted far south after passing through the Strait of Magellan in 1578. Having realized there might be a connection between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans, Drake and his crew inadvertently discovered what would become named Drake Passage.

    The first person on record for sailing through the Drake Passage’s choppy waters was a Dutchman named Willem Schouten. Schouten traversed the passage in 1616, almost forty years after Drake’s initial Antarctic exploration.

    Today is a quiet day of eating wonderful meals (small portions to compensate for rolling about). Time at the spa (both having massages with Lindsay getting manicure as well). Some reading took place in the afternoon and watching NFL playoffs. Lindsay has also visited with a future cruise consultant planning her next adventure. We were fitted for our boots and attended a mandatory safety briefing for all the zodiac expeditions. Evening cocktail reception to meet senior officers, then a tasting menu at The Restaurant in Ivon and Raul’s section (will ask for them again - They are a hoot!).    Read more

  • Linda LeahyTravelerAntarctic Adventures
    Gym view (foggy)
    Bow LoungeBow Lounge learningConstellation LoungeCasual Out fit today1Whole group update for tomorrow

    Second Full Day at Sea

    January 27, South Atlantic Ocean ⋅ 🌧 3 °C

    Today’s a chill day, getting ready for the exciting adventures ahead. After staying up late to watch the nail-biting end of the Chiefs vs Bills game, I woke up early to hit the treadmill. It’s been four months since I last ran, and I loved it! After that, I spent a couple of hours redoing my journal (if you’re reading this, my previous notices through the journal, email, Facebook, or DM worked). I then had a late breakfast, but unfortunately, the hot tubbing on deck 9 was postponed because it’s still raining.

    After checking out the maps and radar at the Bow Lounge, we headed to the Club to join in on the Team Trivia. We were a new team, as apparently this event happens throughout the trip. A lovely couple from Australia joined us at first, and when we asked for our team name, we chose Down Under and On Top. Then John and Brad from New York/New Jersey (who were also virgin trivia players) joined us. They were stuck with the name! Not saying we were bad, but…

    We had lunch in the Colonnade with our teammates. It was great to meet new people and have some laughs. We discovered that we’re all dog lovers. I also learned that I need to watch “Conversation with Photographer John,” taped yesterday, with lots of iPhone photography tips. Lindsay and I have to bring any previously worn gear we’ll be wearing on the continent tomorrow to have it environmentally approved (The expedition team looked everywhere for seeds, manure, or other foreign objects that could be harmful as non-native to Antarctica.)

    Lindsay went to the “Newbie” cocktail reception for first timers on Seabourn, while I ordered a charcuterie to the room. At 6:30 we all be called to the Discovery Centre to get the outline of tomorrow shore excursion. We are landing on Deception Island after passing through Neptune’s Bellows. Our first shore excursion is at Telefon Bay for either a 0.6 or 4.7 km hike. Not much wildlife on this landing, mostly going for incredible geological formation. Back to ship to reposition and then do shore landing at Whaler’s Bay for a short switch back walk to Neptune’s Window, a lookout over the whole area. Really, excited!!    Read more

  • Linda LeahyTravelerAntarctic Adventures
    12

    Deception Island-First Steps

    January 28 in Antarctica ⋅ ❄️ 1 °C

    We woke up early this morning and were on deck as we entered Neptune’s Bellows, right in the middle of Deception Island, just before 6:00 a.m. Deception Island is made up of the volcano’s caldera. This active volcano is always being watched for earthquakes. The last time Deception Island erupted in Antarctica was in 1970. It was more violent than the previous eruptions in 1967 and 1969. Even though there no people here now, there used to be a whaling settlement nearby.

    Lindsay and I are in the Blue Group for expeditions today. The last one’s out! We had plenty of time to pack our bags, have breakfast, and do laundry. The ship’s location allowed us to watch our fellow passengers take the Zodiac ashore. Some walked on the beach, while others climbed the ridge and walked down the Valley. Lindsay chose to walk on the beach, while I chose to climb the ridge. Today, we didn’t expect much wildlife, since we were on a ship in the middle of an active volcano and the ever-changing landscape and geology were the main attractions.

    This was a great start to our “Antarctica” exposure. Lindsay stepped onto her 7th continent! Overnight, we got about 4-6 inches of new snow, so the ground was a bit slippery. But it was all worth it for the wonderful views and wildlife. We saw a fur seal and I even got up close and personal with a chinstrap penguin!

    Once we were back on the ship, I changed into casual clothes and grabbed lunch and a rest until we went to Whaler’s Station when it was our turn to go ashore. Once it was our turn, I spent a lovely two hours hiking to Neptune’s Window, watching a few more fur seals and two Weddell seals on the beach. There was also a lonely gentoo penguin welcoming us off the zodiacs! I also met two lovely birds whose names were given to us by nearby expedition leaders, but I forgot them right away.

    Here are two quick stories:

    Penguins reunited! As I was passing through the whaler’s station, I saw our lonely gentoo penguin get a visit from a friend after waiting patiently for hours!

    Guess what? Graffiti in Antarctica is a thing of the past! We spotted two tents near the airplane hangar while we were having lunch. Turns out, it was a team from a UK group that’s been cleaning graffiti off artifacts.

    You see, the International Treaty that oversees Antarctica has designated areas for treaty signers to supervise, but each country is responsible for holding its citizens accountable. Last season, Seabourn ships that visited Antarctica within a week of one another, noticed that some buildings had been defaced with graffiti. After an investigation, a Ukrainian private yacht was found to be responsible. The captain lost his license, and the artists were charged.

    The group in the tents had just finished erasing their damage!

    I was on the last zodiac to the ship. After a quick shower, we went to the recap session, then had sushi, and are now enjoying room service before heading to bed. It was a very full day! (I can only post 20 pictures…It was so hard to cut it down)    Read more

  • Linda LeahyTravelerAntarctic Adventures
    1112

    Damoy Bay Day!

    January 29, South Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☁️ 1 °C

    Busy day… Something’s gotta give …the writing or the drinking!! Once again, we were in the last group (technically second to last as two groups are lumped together to go ashore today). We did not have to be ready until 11:00 a.m., but we were told the views from 6:00 a.m. today were going to be spectacular. I awoke at 5:30 and lay there looking at amazing scenery until I needed to get closer for pictures. I could have posted 20 pictures/videos over the next two hours, one more amazing than the next. I headed for the Bow Lounge, where Lindsay joined me. We were blessed with the sighting of fin whales and a raft of gentoo penguins.

    We headed to breakfast at a reasonable hour, then parted ways to pursue our goals for the morning. I headed first to the infinity pool, then went for a dip in the hot tub, where Damian spotted me and brought me a mimosa. I finished my morning pursuits with a stint in the sauna. A quick trip to dawn our expedition gear, then down to line up for zodiacs to shore.

    Today brought us into a bay past or near Damoy Point. We did a circular walk past several penguin rookeries, past a lake with the Seven Sisters graciously looming above, and finally down to the zodiac landing, passing the British outpost (now a historical site). Along the way, we were blessed by seeing thousands of gentoo penguins and ONE chinstrap penguin. Thus ended our protracted morning.

    It was a mad dash to lunch, then back to our room to organize gear and watch South Georgia Island Guide with a snooze before fighting back into our expedition gear. Back down to the zodiac disembarkment pad for an hour-long tour of Borgen Bay to find seals. Eric, our driver, was very knowledgeable about the surrounding ice formations, and we were graced by 3 different types of seals (leopard, crab eaters, and Weddell!). I wish I could say I got terrific photos of said seals, but alas, only one marginally good one.

    We headed back to the ship for another quick change act, recap lecture, dinner, and now to bed. It will be another very busy day tomorrow.    Read more

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