RWSE Day 27: Charcot Wants an Answer

First though … here’s a link to the passenger slide show Expedition Team member Claudio screened for us tonight (the file is too big to post here):https://eenusa.smugmug.com/Antarctica/RWSE/FP-J…. I hope you enjoy it!

And now … for Charcot’s question.

I read the following quote by Charcot not too long ago …

“Why then do we feel this strange attraction for these polar regions, a feeling so powerful and lasting that when we return home we forget the mental and physical hardships, and want nothing more than to return to them? Why are we so susceptible to the charm of these landscapes when they are so empty and terrifying?” ~~ Jean-Baptiste Charcot ~~

I’m not sure I have an answer to his question.

Even after four trips to these southerly latitudes … even after this expedition to one of the most remote regions of the world … the conundrum remains unanswered in my mind.

The polar regions — both south and north … and I include Greenland and Svalbard in here as well — have certainly held an attraction that has brought us back to the icy scapes of the world again and again.

Perhaps we were infected with ‘the incurable ice virus’ that I read about as we were preparing for our first Antarctic expedition. Perhaps we ‘fell into the clutches’ of the peaceful, pristine, and quiet nature of these regions. Perhaps we were ‘captivated’ by the wildlife that seemed completely impervious to our presence. Perhaps we just wanted to be different and see places that most people don’t think about much … let alone visit. Perhaps it is all of the above. One thing is for sure, however, it wasn’t the weather and sea conditions — at times quite horrendous — that led to our repeated ‘scratch the polar itch’ adventures.

When we set off on our first Antarctic expedition, we thought it would be a once-in-a-lifetime journey. That proved wrong … so very, very wrong.

Will there be another polar journey like this one sometime in the future?

Only time will tell!Leggi altro