Antarctica - World Beyond The Imaginable

Being back in Ushuaia, I couldn't shake the feeling that I just had the trip of a lifetime. If you had told me before that I would experience the encounters and views that I had, I wouldn't have believed you or said there is a one in a million chance that I will experience all of that.

Antarctica is a place that is beyond any imagination. It is mind-blowing. The scenery, the wildlife, the Drake, the comradery, the colours, the remoteness, the silence, the noise, the icebergs, the water, the sunrises and sunsets. Not to mention our countless beautiful landings on the continent, the activities such as open-air camping, kayaking, mountaineering, the food and the guides/crew/staff, for me it was a trip that could not have been better. It felt as if all the pieces of a puzzle fit together absolutely perfectly.

I constantly kept reminding myself where I was. Literally at the end of the world, where less than 0.01% of the human population has ever stepped foot on. I felt very privileged, but at the same time grateful that I could afford to be here and see this place with my own eyes.
Pictures, videos and stories do not do the beauty of the place enough justice. It is too magical for that.

I think over the last few posts I have made it abundantly clear what a stunning place Antarctica is. What I was surprised with was how colourful it can be. From the white snow-capped mountains, to the blue water to the otherworldly blue icebergs floating in the water, to the green/gray islands further north on our last day, the red of the penguin poo to the golden sunrises and sunsets. I thought it was mainly white and boy was I wrong.

The other thing that kept me amazed was how no day was ever boring. Even on the 10th day or so when it was time for another landing, there was again something new to discover.

Every day there was something special, something unique, something new to explore and experience. From camping and waking up to a gorgeous sunrise, to seeing countless penguins on different landings (watching them never gets boring!), over going on a kayak to be up close with icebergs and wildlife, to zodiac cruises with a whale encounter that was an experience for the ages, the polar plunge, to climb up a small mountain roped up with snowshoes for stunning views, to a whole face of a glacier calving and creating waves, to a night of BBQ and party on the ship, the endless stories told by the crew, the countless seals that we saw, etc. I could go on and on and on.

With all of that in mind, what were my three highlights if I had to pick?

First of all, it is impossible to do that list, as it would not do justice to all the things that will inevitably be left off of this list. But I will try anyway.

By far the most insane experience was the whale encounter that topped everything - words have not been invented to describe the feeling when we saw it up close. The calving of the face of a glacier in Neko Harbour was absolutely stunning as well. And lastly, the sunrise when we were camping, because it made the entire surroundings look like a painting.

I guess what all these three have in common - and which make them so special - is that none of them can be planned or expected. They all came out of nowhere. It is wildlife and nature after all, and they follow their own rules. And yes, I will also throw in the penguin life as a highlight because I watched them for hours and absolutely loved them every time I saw them (they are too funny, too clumsy, too adorable and too cute to not get an honorable mention)!

In summary, to me Antarctica has a touch that will keep me forever under a spell and the moment I disembarked the boat, I knew that one day, in a few years or decades, I will return.Read more