Chile to Antarctica

There was supposed to have been river zodiac cruises in the afternoon
but they were cancelled this afternoon because of strong winds. A guided hike, birdwatching or beachcombing was offered around Calet Tortel instead, but Paul had a course to attend, and I was still jet-lagged and ended up having a nap.

Later on we went to the Bridge and then it was time for the recap and discussion of tomorrow's event, as well as a few short talks.Read more

This morning everyone was called, group at a time, to go to the Landing Zone on deck 3 to visit the boot room and get sized for boots that we will be wearing in Antarctica. Paul couldn't attend because he was in a meeting so I got his for him (Paul told me the size to get but I forgot and used his usual shoe size, which was one size smaller than the size he wanted. Fortunately they did fit when he tried them on later.)

Getting my boot size was a bit more difficult. I've got the smallest feet on board (EU34, UK2, US4) ! Initially I was given an EU38 but the expedition team vowed to look for a smaller pair for me as they thought there was at least a pair one size smaller. Later on I got a call from reception to say that a smaller pair of boots had been found and that they were in my boot cubicle. I could try them on for size. They are an EU37, UK4, at least 2 sizes too big for me but they are a better fit and I can put extra socks on to take up the space.

Paul was still in meetings and attending a crew drill during the morning so I went to listen to the mandatory IAATO (International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators) briefing to highlight actions all visitors must take to make their visit safe and environmentally responsible in order to safeguard Antarctica for future generations. It was a very interesting talk, along with a video presentation.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing and trying to catch up on some of my blogs.Read more