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Martin Hammerschmidt
Martin Hammerschmidt

Martin Hammerschmidt

Explorer and traveller at heart with 50+ countries visited so far. About to embark on the biggest adventure of my lifetime to see the world and ‘live a little’ 😉 Read more🇬🇧London
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  • Martin HammerschmidtAround The World - Part 2Traveler

    Dumaguete - Diving and Exploring

    May 5–9 on the Philippines ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    Quickly leaving the ugly city of Manila behind, I was heading to the city of Dumaguete. Now, normally, Dumaguete is just a transit point to connect to the mystical island of Siquijor (I will head there next), but I thought I would check out Dumaguete's surroundings while I was there anyway.

    So, on my first day after arriving, I booked myself on a diving trip to nearby Apo Island. It is a protected marine sanctuary and should therefore have some beautiful dive sites. The trip I booked included three dives, which provides ample opportunity to explore Apo Island's underwater world.

    After getting all the dive gear in order, jumping on the dive boat and sailing for about 45 minutes, we put the gear on and jumped straight in.

    It is always difficult to describe the underwater world to someone not diving, but the three dive sites were absolutely gorgeous.

    The reefs looked healthy, which shows in the vibrant colours of the corals, the amount of fish calling this place their home and even a couple of turtles slowly swam around checking us out as we did them.

    Having been diving in Fiji, Apo Island can measure up. It was such a beautiful underwater world that I drove back to my accommodation happy, satisfied and still somewhat in awe of how beautiful our oceans can be. Most certainly a successful day!

    Then it was time to explore the overwater world, i.e. the countryside around Dumaguete.
    Since it is mostly a transit point, I hardly encountered any other international tourist that day, but mostly saw Filipionos/-as, which is always a good sign.

    Anyway, the first stop of my little day trip were the Sulfur Vents, which gave me some flashbacks to Rotorua in New Zealand. Basically, it is natural hot steam coming out from the ground consisting of sulfur, which smells like rotten eggs. It smells very bad, but is cool to watch as it looks like steam trying to break out of little holes in the ground.

    Next was the Pulangbato Waterfall, which was a nice little fall, but nothing really to write home about. I lingered there just for a bit before heading to the Red Rock Springs, which are natural hot springs that you can soak your body in and benefit from all the various health benefits those types of springs offer. The cool thing: For 80% of my time there, I had the springs completely to myself. Not one other person there. It was so serene and peaceful. I just sat in the hot springs and contemplated life. Perfect to spend some quality time there.

    Afterwards, I was driving through beautiful palm-lined streets in the countryside and back into civilisation. I stopped at a small World War 2 museum (didn't know it reached this far here), before passing by a colourful souvenir shop and ending my little day trip in Dumaguete City to visit a local church.

    It was a very nice day out with a couple of cool things to explore. That said, I do admit that if you just pass through Dumaguete, you probably do not miss too much. The diving is really beautiful, however, you can also do it from Siquijor, which is a better and more beautiful jump off location.    Read more

  • Martin HammerschmidtAround The World - Part 2Traveler

    Back To The Philippines - Manila Is Ugly

    May 4 on the Philippines ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    Ah, the Philippines. It has replaced New Zealand as my favorite country in the world last year. It has so much to offer and so many places to explore that I decided to come back. My first stop was Manila, Philippines' capital.

    Now, I haven't really heard many good things about Manila, but since I was landing there anyway, I thought I would take a day to explore the city and see what all the hatred is about.

    Luckily, once I checked into my hostel, they offered a free walking tour throughout the Makati neighbourhood (the supposedly nice and affluent part of Manila), which I gladly joined. The plan was to walk through the area, visit the riverside, an old church, a modern museum, and finish the tour at a little street food market and with a few drinks back at the hostel.

    Now, we did all of these things, but my feedback about Manila is quite negative. While the Philippines is one of the most beautiful countries with absolutely stunning beaches, amazing people and unreal sunsets, Manila must have been one of the ugliest cities I have ever seen in my entire life. Like really. If you ever think about going to Manila, don't. Grey, it is smelly in parts, dirty, no vibe, no real beauty or anything very interesting. I was shocked to be honest.

    Maybe it has some beautiful or hidden parts that I didn’t see or visit, but I would assume a walking tour takes you to the nicer places to showcase the best of a city. Yeah, no, not the case or there simply is nothing really beautiful there. Maybe I do the city unjustly, but if I ever return to the Philippines (most likely), I will use Manila just to change flights, nothing more.

    What you can see in the pictures is my best attempt to make the city look halfway pretty or interesting, but, yeah, I will keep this post short, as I was genuinely shocked how ugly a city can be. Especially when I compare it with my adventure to Oman or the interesting things I saw in Oman's capital, Muscat.

    But Manila: Apparently nothing to see that was interesting or beautiful, so after one night I was getting out of here and heading to some more interesting (and hopefully a lot more beautiful) parts of the Philippines - not a tall order to be honest.    Read more

  • Martin HammerschmidtAround The World - Part 2Traveler

    Oman - You Were Stunning

    May 3 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 39 °C

    The last day. Our flights were in the early/late evening (my parents would fly home, while I would head to the Philippines), which means we still had a few more hours in Muscat. We would make full use of those last hours.

    One of the things my mom (and my dad and l) really wanted to see was a mosque. And Muscat has one of the most beautiful ones in the world - the Sultan-Qabus-Mosque. To beat the crowds, we headed there first thing in the morning and arrived just shortly after they had opened.

    It is mandatory for women to cover their heads, so my mom was given a little hijab. Stepping through the entrance of the mosque (again, no entrance fee), an absolutely majestic sight appeared in front of us. The entire mosque is built from what looks like white marble, which was shining in the morning sun and created a really magical atmosphere.

    I find it hard to describe the place, as behind literally every corner was a new photo opportunity, this incredible was the mosque. Intricate details, stunning little courtyards and open hallways made this mosque a must-visit and exciting to stroll through.

    The highlight, however, was the massive prayer room and the opulent chandelier that was hanging from the ceiling. It is literally next level. The second-biggest chandelier in the world, it is made out of 600,000 (!) crystals/diamonds and weighs 9(!) tons. It is the centerpiece of the prayer hall that is decorated in lush blue colours complemented by a yellow-goldish tone.
    That room I can only describe as divine and awe-inspiring. Something that must be seen to be believed.

    We stayed in the room and the mosque in general probably longer than the average visitor, but I was so taken aback by its beauty that I couldn't stop being amazed.

    After the mosque, we stopped in a little family restaurant and had the most beautifully presented meal of our entire trip. Very delicious as well, typical Omani (we were the only western people there) and in a nice ambiance.

    I know I have said it countless times now, but the mosque (and the lunch) really was the perfect last sight that I could imagine to end our Oman adventures with. During this entire trip, I was amazed by the diversity of Oman's nature - I mean, after all, we went high up the mountains, walked through old forgotten towns, checked out a number of beautiful Wadis, experienced the magical desert for a night, made friends with playful dolphins in the ocean, watched the sun set behind a lighthouse, and explored the lively capital including its colourful market and majestic mosque.

    On top of that, I have to say that the Omani people might be the friendliest on the planet - and not just the service personnel, no, but the ordinary people on the street. Sometimes they just started a conversation out of nowhere, showed interest in us, and said "Welcome To Oman - enjoy this country" countless times.

    If you had told me before I started to plan that all of these things can be found in Oman, I am not sure l would have believed you. I am glad dad had the wish to come here and to explore the country and its culture. And I am even happier that I could share this adventure with my parents. It was something completely new for them (and for me in some respects).

    All I can say to Oman is "thank you" for an amazing time here. I am sure in the future it will become a lot more popular, so I am grateful to have experienced it now, while it still is a bit of a hidden gem.    Read more

  • Martin HammerschmidtAround The World - Part 2Traveler

    Muscat - Exploring The Beautiful Capital

    May 2 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 37 °C

    Our last full day together in Oman. We woke up early in order to see some of the incredible sights before the heat of the day would take hold.

    After a short 10-minute drive, the first stop brought us to a beautiful viewpoint. Picture white flat-roofed houses squeezed into a little dry and sand-colored valley with a clear blue sky providing the backdrop. I have seen this picture when I did my planning and knew I wanted to see the interesting contrasts in colours. It lived up to my expectations!

    Next, we were checking out the government area. It might sound a little boring, but the buildings were beautiful. Even though we could not go into the buildings, the outside was pretty much all paved with shiny white marble and mesmerising white hallways. Something you actually would expect from a kinda rich middle-eastern capital, to be honest.

    We also paid a visit to the Sultan's residence, which looked like a colourful spaceship. It is a stunning palace and stands in stark contrast to the other white government buildings. We hoped to get invited for tea, but I think the sultan was unfortunately occupied with other plans - I mean, fair enough, he has a country to run.

    For our last stop, we tried to find another viewpoint over the city that was marked on Google Maps and was supposed to be easy to find, but turned out to be a complete failure. It was up a steep hill, but it was at the side of a busy street. We couldn't turn the car around here, so we had to go down on the other side, then all the way back up again and down again. Ah well, sometimes travelling does not go super smoothly.

    Anyway, once back at the hotel, we relaxed by the pool for a bit. Not too long though, as the Sheraton was throwing its biggest pool party of the year - of course, right when we just wanted a relaxed time. It was the Festival of Colours, which is basically the Indian Holi celebrations. Everyone was given bags of colours to throw around and at people, while Indian and non-Indian music was blasting from the stage.

    Naturally, I grabbed a few bags of colour and joined the celebrations. It was actually quite fun even though the clear water of the pool turned dark as all sorts of colours mixed together in the water. It really was a nice party and by the end I was also full of colour.

    After a quick shower, we all headed to our last dinner and then checked out another part of Muscat that was especially interesting for my mom - the market. Maybe not as beautiful as the one in Nizwa, but certainly very colourful, full of different scents and life. The market was definitely another highlight. We wandered more or less aimlessly passing the stalls, simply soaking in the atmosphere and watching people go about their shopping and lives.

    Leaving the market and walking towards the car, we strolled on a little promenade right by the ocean, completing an amazing day exploring, partying, eating and shopping ourselves through Muscat.    Read more

  • Martin HammerschmidtAround The World - Part 2Traveler

    Exploring Oman‘s Natural Wonders

    May 1 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 35 °C

    Slowly, but surely, our little Oman adventure was drawing to a close as today we would be driving to Muscat, Oman's capital and our last destination. That said, on the way to the city, there were still a few things we would explore. Namely the famous Wadi Shab and the intriguing Bimmah Sinkhole.

    But first things first. Upon checking out, we headed to Sunaysilah Fort, which was still in Sur and provided us with great views over the city and the ocean as it was located on a little hill.

    The sheer amount of minarets still amazed all of us - we counted at least 15 dotted all across the city. The Fort was permanently closed for visitors, so we simply walked around it and soaked up the views.

    Then we were heading to Wadi Shab which is probably among the most well-known and beautiful Wadis in Oman. Even though it was still early in the morning (just past eight), it was already hot and humid. Once we arrived, we took a small boat for two minutes to get to the other side of a little stream and then walked towards the natural pools.

    The first part of the walk was uneventful, but we started to get a sense of the scale. In effect, we were walking through a small canyon with the canyon walls rising into the sky on our left and right. After some 15 minutes, the Wadi turned spectacular, though.

    Climbing a few stairs up, a smaragd green lake unfolded in front of us, starkly contrasting with the rocky and brown coloured canyon walls to its side. All I could think of was "Wow, what a sight". It really is amazing what nature can and has created.
    We took a little break there to admire the scenery in front of us, took a few snaps and drank lots of water. There was a little bit of shade, which was very welcomed, especially for my mom, who really does not like the humid heat.

    After just 5-10 minutes more, we finally arrived at the pools and it didn't take long for me and my dad to jump into the refreshing water. What a feeling it was. Something surely needed after the little 25-30 minute walk. To this day, I am not quite sure why dad doesn't like to jump into the open water (ie ocean) but is happening the Wadis, while mom seems to avoid the water of the Wadis, but jumps into the ocean - strange parents sometimes.

    Anyway, we lingered there for a little bit more than an hour before returning to our car and heading to our next destination - the Bimmah Sinkhole.

    The sinkhole very much reminded me of Cenotes in Mexico or the sinkhole in Samoa. It is basically very close to the ocean (so the water is a little salty), has a round opening and feels like an imaginary ceiling has basically just collapsed giving way to a round pool in which you can swim.

    The difference to the aforementioned locations is that this one does not have grass or trees growing inside and above, but has merely the yellow, beige, sandy colour given its location in a very hot climate.

    This time, I was the only one walking down the steps and swimming in the sinkhole, while my parents were chilling up top in the shade. I think the heat (42 degrees) had really gotten the better of both of them by now. To be fair, it was very hot, which is why the water in the sinkhole felt really nice and refreshing.

    Then it was finally the moment when we would drive to Muscat, our very last destination. We treated ourselves a little bit by staying in the Sheraton Hotel. I mainly picked this hotel, because it also has a pool. After arriving, I quickly made my way down to the pool, jumped in and then relaxed there for the rest of the afternoon. My parents took a nap and then also came down after some time to join me.

    In the evening, we went for a traditional and delicious Omani dinner before going to bed early. Tomorrow would be our last full day and we would wander around Oman's vibrant capital.

    Recapping today, it was a great day of exploring Oman's most famous natural wonders - and wonders they were. The incredible thing about them is also that they were free to visit and were not crowded at all. Maybe it is the time of year (May is already very hot in Oman), but yeah, I was, once again, stunned by the natural beauty of this country.

    That said, by now, we had left nature behind us and were ready to experience city life.    Read more

  • Martin HammerschmidtAround The World - Part 2Traveler

    Watching Dolphins, Fishermen and Sunset

    April 30 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    I woke up feeling excited. I was taking my parents on a dolphin watching tour in Omani waters. How about that as a contrast to the desert that we woke up in yesterday? Yes, we made it to the ocean, more specifically, the Strait of Oman.

    Back in the mountain village of Al Hamra, we were given the contact details of the guy running the boat tour and after some back and forth I managed to get us a spot. So here we were - jumping on a boat in the hope to spot some dolphins.

    Well, it took all of maybe a 5 minute drive until we spotted them, jumping around, swimming with our boat and just having a great time. But I doubt as great of a time as all of us had on the boat. We were all very excited to see them and at times it felt our captain was the biggest cheerleader. The dolphins followed us for a while and seemed to have a fantastic time as they jumped out of the water, doing flips, etc. It was such a cool sight and as perfect as a morning on the water as it can get.

    Now, I believe my parents had never seen dolphins before, so I was very happy for them. I have not seen them in a while and definitely not as joyous as on this tour, so I was beaming with excitement.

    After some time, the dolphins had enough of us and we made our way along the shore towards turtle beach. On the way, we admired the sandy coastline and the contrasting clear and blue water. The cool thing: there were max 1-2 other boats where we went, so it felt as if we had the ocean, the dolphins and now the turtles all to ourselves.

    Ah yeah, turtles. We definitely were in for a show as it was mating time for them and they were having their fun all around us. Sometimes a couple of males surrounding one female waiting their turn. And our captain was constantly shouting "Bunga Bunga", in an attempt to flirt with the Italian girls on the boat. Ah, it was so much fun.

    Next one was a snorkeling stop, which was a bit disappointing, though, as the boat did not have enough snorkels for everyone. That said, mom and I grabbed some goggles and jumped into the water anyway. What I did not know is that dad is a bit afraid of open water - so he stayed back and observed the scenery (and us) while munching some watermelon in the process. Mom liked the snorkeling and I hope that at some point I will have the chance to snorkel properly with her again, because there is much more beautiful snorkeling out there in the world.

    On our way back, dad got really excited then. We passed a couple of fishing boats and stopped really close to them to observe how they all worked together to haul in the fish that they caught in the net that was spanning between their boats. Also for me it was super interesting to watch, but for dad, it definitely was the highlight of this boat tour (who cares about dolphins?). Towards the end, the fishermen even threw some fish over into our boat, supposedly for our captain to use for lunch or dinner.

    Back in our hotel, we quickly packed up and then drove to the sea-side town of Sur. After some lunch and some rest, we drove to the lighthouse and a guard tower to explore the area and to watch the sunset from there. It is a beautiful location - think ocean, fishing boats frequenting the waters amidst a backdrop of white buildings and countless minarets - and the warm light of the setting sun certainly added a magic touch.

    There was only one slight problem. It wasn't just hot as in the days before, but also incredibly humid. I mean, we were by the sea. But it did become uncomfortable at times - especially for my mom who really cannot stand such climates. So, we decided to stick around the area and instead of climbing up the guard tower, to watch the picture-perfect sunset from the lighthouse, which also offered a majestic sight.

    What cool a day was that, please? In all honesty, it was the best dolphin watching I have done in my life, the horny turtles were a fun sight to watch and the fishermen also gave us an interesting show. All of that and it wasn't even 11am. Rounding up the day with exploring Sur and watching the orange sun set behind the horizon. Ah, those are the days when I absolutely love travelling!    Read more

  • Martin HammerschmidtAround The World - Part 2Traveler

    Fun in the Dunes, Relaxing in Oasis

    April 29 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    My dad and I didn't really make a lot of use of the bed inside our tent as we woke up early to catch the sunrise over the dunes.

    Having slept only a few hours after enjoying the outdoor cinema last night, we took the same way up the dune as for sunset yesterday with the slight exception that nobody was driving us up, but we had to walk up the dune ourselves. Took around 15 minutes or so and would be totally worth it.

    Once we were up there, we made ourselves comfortable and watched how the sky changed its colours every few minutes. In the distance, a hot air balloon was being prepared and shortly after set off. Combined with the early morning sun rising in the distance, it created a magical scene full of colour.

    After lingering for a bit, we, of course, took a few photos, but more importantly, I was now having a drone with me. I had flown it a bit in Germany to practice, but this one was the first time I was properly doing some shots. And I have to say, those shots and videos definitely help to capture the amazing scenery. It was also super fun to play around with it, try things out and see what works and what does not. Really glad I brought it with me.

    Of course, I had to run down the dune again and by the time we got back to our tent, my mom was waiting there, already having had coffee outside and also enjoying the early morning glow of the desert. We quickly changed and headed to breakfast that was plentiful - we particularly liked the Omelette station!

    Then it was time for some activities - always my favorite part when travelling. First up was camel riding. If I had ever thought to see both my parents on a camel, I would not have believed it. But here we were. My mom was definitely a bit sceptical but she ploughed through bravely (not gracefully - she was basically holding on to the saddle with her dear life), whereas dad was more 'easy' in the saddle. I, of course, loved it. Definitely a nice experience.

    Then came dune bashing. In other words, sitting in a car with a driver who races up and down the dunes in a 4x4. My mom was all for it and ready to jump into the car. My dad, on the other hand, was a little bit too chicken, and decided not to join us. I mean, after the little 4x4 drive through the canyon a few days ago where it was his turn to more or less hold on for dear life, it was a 50/50 in my mind already.

    Anyway, mom and I met the driver who quickly raced up the dunes for a ride full of adrenaline. Going to some of the dunes I thought there is no way we are not going to flip over, but he expertly navigated the steep dunes. At one point, he was going a bit crazy, though, when we drove a steep dune backwards! I mean, BACKWARDS! What the hell. Not gonna lie, it was fun. My mom seemed to really enjoy it as well - and said afterwards, she wants to do it again - even though it was already the second time this morning where she was holding onto her dear life.

    That pretty much concluded a perfect morning and stay in the desert. Catching the sunrise, riding camels, racing down dunes. These are the moments I live for.

    Sadly, it was then time to leave the desert behind us. On the drive back, I was catching some aerial shots with my drone and even managed to find a herd of camels roaming around.

    Having left the desert, our next stop was Wadi Bani Khalid, which is a beautiful oasis amidst rocks and in the middle of nowhere. It was a nice little contrast to the desert. As mentioned in previous posts, a Wadi is a river valley and this Wadi had a large pool of water where we could swim in.

    After the dry desert, it was an ideal location and dad and I took the opportunity to refresh ourselves, while mom was chilling out in the shade reading a book. It was once again quite hot as we were there sort of in the middle of the day, so the water - even if a bit warm - was a nice refresher.

    We stayed there for a couple of hours before heading to Raz Al Hadd, our next destination and accommodation for the night.

    But yeah, another really cool day spent in Oman with new experiences for me and my parents. I cannot repeat it enough, but at this time, I was really amazed by Oman and did not expect it to be this diverse. And I did not even know what absolutely amazing thing would happen tomorrow!    Read more

  • Martin HammerschmidtAround The World - Part 2Traveler

    1001 Night - A Night in the Desert

    April 28 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 41 °C

    Today was one of the days I was looking mostly forward to - in particular for my parents as we were about to do something quite cool. Spending a night in the desert.

    Firstly, though, it was time to explore Ibra's old town. At first, I was a bit disappointed walking through the abandoned streets as the houses were really run-down. Most of them basically collapsed and were just left in peace - but in a bad way. At times, it felt more like walking through a war zone than an old historical town.

    That was until we spotted a museum (an old house that was fully restored) that looked quite promising and would turn out to be a great place to visit. We learned a lot about the Omani culture, the way of life in the past and now, the harsh conditions people had to live through and the bright future they look forward to. One very interesting fact was that it had not rained for 6 months and our guide told us that when he was a child, there was a period of no rain for 10 years!!! Excuse me, what? 10 years of no rain? Wow. That is incredibly hard to believe and fathom.

    That museum visit was surprisingly amazing and sort of 'saved' my perception of Ibra.
    Before, I was a bit down to have brought my parents here as it was nothing really to write home about, but with the highly interesting visit to the museum, I did not feel bad anymore.

    Anyway, then it was time to head to our accommodation in the desert. And not just any accommodation. No. It was a 5-star hotel, with each 'room' being a tent right in the middle of dunes rising to the left and right. It really felt a bit like a scene out of 1001 Night.

    After admiring the place and appreciating where we were, I had another surprise planned. I took my parents into a 4x4 car that was provided by the hotel and we had a quick, but action-packed drive up onto the dunes to watch a beautiful sunset from there.

    Of course, we also took the opportunity of the warm, glowing light to take some snaps, but then just sat down in the sand and overlooked how the Omani sun was slowly setting behind the dunes and our camp, painting the sky in a vibrant orange. It was a beautiful setting and I was very happy to have brought my parents here to have them experience a sunset in a landscape like this.

    After running down the dune and getting rid of the sand in the shower, we got ready for some delicious buffet-style dinner. Sitting outside, talking about our Oman adventure thus far and just about everything else was pure bliss. I really enjoyed the time.

    That was not everything, though. There was one more thing. My dad and I strolled over to a little section that was filled with seats to watch the movie 'London Has Fallen' in an outdoor cinema.

    I mean, sunset in the desert, delicious lunch and watching a movie under the stars. What more do you want out of a night in the desert. It really was a perfect evening for all of us.    Read more

  • Martin HammerschmidtAround The World - Part 2Traveler

    Offroad the Canyon & Exploring Castles

    April 27 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 40 °C

    Today, it was time to take our car on a real test drive. When planning this trip, it was suggested to hire a 4x4 vehicle as some roads in the mountains are a bit tricky to drive without an all-wheel-drive. And as luck had it, we got a free upgrade at the airport for having to wait 15 minutes to get our car. So now, we had a Nissa X-Terra - half a house!

    Anyway, as we explored the canyon from the top yesterday (i.e. hiking along the balcony walk), this time, we would drive through the canyon at the bottom. To be clear, there is no paved road. Instead, we would follow a dried out riverbed with lots of gravel, tight turns, ups and downs, etc - in short, lots and lots of fun.

    To follow the path, we definitely needed a 4x4 car, as the car slid left, right and centre, going through shallow water, underneath palm trees, tight turns bordered by rocks and unstable gravel, pretty much the entire time. The setting was spectacular, though, as we drove through the dramatic canyon that was rising up all the way to the sky all around us. It was a really cool and fun drive.

    My mom and I enjoyed it very much, even though the uneven surface was properly shaking the car in all directions - washing machine style. My dad enjoyed it at the beginning, but at some point it was a bit too ‚adventerous' for him and I think a couple of times he suggested to best turn around. Well, I wasn't turning around, since I had too much fun (and mom was on my side, haha).

    At the end of the road, we stopped the car, walked a bit further into the canyon and admired the breath-taking landscape that was unfolding in front of us. A truly majestic sight! Yeah, that was a real adventerous drive with stunning views the entire way. I absolutely loved it!

    Back in our accomodation, we packed up and were heading to our next destination. On the way, however, we did a quick pitstop to visit one of the most beautiful castles in Oman - Jabreen Castle.

    The fortress, made out of large stones and dark gray sandstones held together with thick layers of sand and gypsum, was build in 1675 by an Imam and is beautifully restored and perfect to explore. It's intricate interiors, variety of rooms (date storage, two courtyards, residency, welcome hall, etc.) made it very interesting to wander through and to think about when the castle was in operations hundreds of years ago.

    It also provided a nice cool climate as the sun and temperatures outside were again raging in the mid-40s by now. We took our time walking through the castle, learning about its fascinating history and taking some cool snaps before having a light lunch at a nearby cafe.

    Afterwards, we had a long drive to the city of Ibra, where we would stay for the night. Once arrived, we checked in, went off to dinner (Yemeni again, including camel and lamb), before walking through a little but underwhelming market.

    Once again, it was an interesting and varied day, starting with an adventerous drive through a canyon and exploring the history and architecture of a beautiful Omani castle.

    Tomorrow would be another amazing day, full of seeing new things and hopefully with something amazing and unique for mom and dad.    Read more

  • Martin HammerschmidtAround The World - Part 2Traveler

    From Canyons To Forgotten Times

    April 26 in Oman ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    We started very early today in order to beat the heat, as we were doing our biggest and probably most impressive hike in all of Oman - the balcony walk over Jebel Shams.

    Jebel Shams is a beautiful mountain range and home to Oman's biggest mountain, but also features a breathtaking canyon. The balcony walk essentially leads along the edge of that canyon for about 1-1.5h offering stunning views. That being said, since we knew that the balcony walk was fully exposed to the sun, we started our hike at 7.30am in the morning after a 45 minutes windy drive from our accommodation.

    Not long after we began our hike, the canyon unfolded to the right of us as we were following along the path with the mountain wall on the opposite side, rising dramatically up from the canyon underneath. I immediately believed that this was the most spectacular hike in Oman.

    Yes, it was rocky, it was hot (but not unbearably yet, luckily) and the cliff drops of at least a couple of hundred meters were really high. And the views just kept getting better and better.

    It wasn't a difficult hike to be honest. Some downhill sections were a bit rocky, but otherwise quite straightforward. For my dad, a seasoned hiker after dragging him all through Patagonia, this wasn't strenuous either. My mom - not necessarily a mountain goat - ploughed through impressively with her only issue being that she suffers from vertigo. Not the best features to have when walking up high over a steep canyon. Ah well, she successfully completed the hike and towards the end we were all sitting under a canopy to enjoy the scenery in front of us and congratulated ourselves.

    Back at the car park, we also witnessed a funny scene when a few goats climbed someone's car to reach the upper leaves of a tree. One goat almost fell off, but did stabilise itself at the last minute. Would’ve been hilarious!

    Anyway, once back in our accommodation, we had a quick shower and then hopped over for some interesting Yemeni lunch. Interesting insofar that it was the first time for all of us to try camel! Am not gonna lie, it tasted really nice. So nice, that I knew I would have it again at some point on this trip. Mom was also intrigued and dad was his usual "yeah, tastes good".

    Then it was time for a well-deserved siesta. By this point, it was already 40 degrees or more, so there was no point in doing something exhausting.

    By 4-4.30pm, the main heat of the day had subsided a bit, so we decided to go and explore our last mountain village - Misfat al Abriyyin. It is nestled on a mountain side with a sea of palm trees on its lower part. Walking through the little village really felt like being transported into times gone by.

    Imagine walking through narrow pathways next to old brown houses made out of clay leading to a sea of green palm trees and intricate waterways. It was a beautiful sight (quite the contrast to the canyon this morning) and we took the opportunity to walk along those waterways to see where they would lead us. At some point, the waterways became too exposed, though, so we turned back.

    As the sun started to set, my dad found a very nice rooftop bar. There, we sat down for some drinks while enjoying the view over the old village, another mountain village opposite of a little river, the mountains in the background and the serenity of the moment. It was a picture-perfect finish to an amazing day that had started with dramatic views over a canyon and finished with beautiful views over an old mountain village.

    Oman, you keep impressing me and being more diverse as I thought you could be.    Read more

  • Martin HammerschmidtAround The World - Part 2Traveler

    Nizwa - Goat Market, Fort, and Old Town

    April 25 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 38 °C

    Today, we woke up very early to head back to Nizwa. Not to check out the market by daylight, but by visiting the local Goat Market.

    Since it gets very hot already early in the morning, the market starts at around 6.30am and we made sure to arrive shortly thereafter to still experience the main bits of it.

    The impressions can be summarised as slightly overwhelming and chaotic. But there clearly is a system in the chaos. How do I describe it? Imagine a round podium in the middle where people sit on, observe the goats and signal a guy with a goat on a leash to stop for inspection of the goat. At the same time, the goats and their owners walk around in a circle around the podium again and again until a potential buyer shows interest, inspects the teeth, body and guts of the goat and then the negotiation starts. It was quite interesting to watch, but I have to say that the goats are not necessarily handled gently.

    Afterwards, we walked through the market that we saw during the night yesterday and another fruit and vegetables section, but the atmosphere at night is much nicer.

    Anyway, then it was time to head to Fort Nizwa, which is omni-present in the town due to the enormous size of its watch tower. Once we entered, we were greeted by a traditionally dressed old military band that was singing and dancing. It felt very inviting. Then we continued into the Fort to explore the watchtower, its interior rooms, courtyards and history. Some views were absolutely stunning. Especially those overviewing the mosque or minarette that we spotted the night before were really gorgeous.

    By this point, it was getting quite hot - 40 degrees - and after we had a light lunch at a nearby rooftop cafe overlooking the Fort, we packed up our things and headed to our next location - Al Hamra.

    We checked into our apartment and had a very lovely chat with the owner (a Dutch lady) who gave us a lot of tips about anything in Oman. In the afternoon, we took a little nap (this became a ritual over the next 10 days), as it was simply too hot to do any activity outside.

    That said, in the evening, we checked out the old town of Al Hamra, or more specifically, a surprisingly interesting museum that showcases the Omani way of life - from how to make coffee, typical local bread, perfume to traditional clothing, tea, dates, etc. We spent a really nice time in the museum and rounded it up with watching a beautiful sunset on its rooftop terrace with seas of palm trees and mountains unfolding in the background and the unfortunately somewhat run-down old town underneath us.

    As the sun set, we all very hungry and decided to go for a typical Omani BBQ dinner. To our surprise the owner of our AirBnB also showed up at the restaurant and we had a long chat and got even more useful tips for our trip

    That was it for today. Lots of stuff happening, from the vibrant goat market, to beautiful Fort Nizwa, to an interesting and fun museum. I know it’s early on, but so far, Oman is fun and very interesting to travel through.    Read more

  • Martin HammerschmidtAround The World - Part 2Traveler

    Salam Alaikum Oman

    April 24 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 38 °C

    Oman. A new country for me. Not something I really had on my travel list, but like I said before, it was a wish of my dad to experience a completely new culture and he had set his eyes on Oman as the country of his choosing. And we were dragging our mom along with us.

    Anyway, Oman. We arrived very early in the morning (think 5am), flew through immigration and picked up our rental car. We got an upgrade, which meant we had an absolute ship to drive with - a 4x4 Nissa X-Terra.

    Once on the road, we quickly left the capital city of Muscat behind us and headed south towards our first stop, Wadi Qurai. Wadis are essentially dry river beds and oftentimes at the end of it, there are some cool pools to dip in, go for a little swim and freshen up.

    With this one, we were following along a little man-made water channel that would lead us to the small pools. That said, there was one section that was very exposed and my mom turned back due to vertigo but encouraged my dad and me to continue. So, we followed the waterway for about 20-30 minutes before arriving at the pools and I quickly jumped in as it was already approaching 40 degrees at around 8-9am in the morning.

    Once we got back to the car, we expected my mom to wait for us there, but were mistaken.
    Instead, we found her being invited by an Omani family for breakfast, sitting outside on a blanket, having a chat about the world and playing with their little child. Basically, I didn't have to feel bad, as it seems she had at least as good of a time as my dad and I had.

    The next stop on our roadtrip was a beautiful viewpoint over the town of Birkat Al Mouz. It was a birds-eye view over a sea of palm trees with some old ruins built into the dry mountains in the background. The contrast was quite stark, which made this viewpoint so interesting.

    As we got a bit hungry by now, we went to a little cafe that has a nice location right at the top of a water channel that fed the sea of palm trees that we saw from the viewpoint. We also explored the water channel and the ruins for a while, before tiredness overcame us and we decided to head to our hotel.

    After taking a longer nap, all three of us decided to head to the hotel pool for some relaxing, cooling off and just taking in that we are in Oman. That said, we were not done with the day yet.

    One of my mom's wishes/hopes to see in an oriental country was to visit an typical market full of colours, scents and vibes. And Nizwa is said to have one of the most beautiful ones in Oman.

    So, we hopped into the car and drove to a city called Nizwa. We first had some goat skewers to taste traditional Omani street food before a short stroll to the market.

    The atmosphere in the evening was absolutely gorgeous - colourful, warm, busy but in a good way. The traders offered typical oriental products from delicious fruits, over colourful spices, to handmade ceramics. All of that dipped into a warm light with an illuminated minaret setting itself apart from the dark night sky.

    It really was a perfect end to our first day in Oman. From our first Wadi, to a family encounter, a sea of palm trees, old ruins, and a night market to dream of. Yeah, Oman on the first day delivered on my expectations. Let's see what the next 9 days bring.    Read more

  • Martin HammerschmidtAround The World - Part 2Traveler

    Goodbye Germany - Around The World #2

    April 23 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Here we go again. Having been back to Germany for six weeks to see family, friends, ex-colleagues and many more people, I am off to travel the world again. This time, not for 18 but just for 5 months. It was not the most difficult choice to extend my travels as I have had a lot of fun previously and thought to myself that now might be the only time left that I can travel again by myself.

    Thus, here I am. The plan for this time is to, again, travel literally around the world, i.e. leaving home towards the east and coming back from the west. More specifically, the plan is to head to some new countries and some old favorites.

    For the first leg, I will be travelling with my parents to Oman, which has been high on my dad's bucket list, as he would like to experience a different culture and had set his eyes on Oman for a few years now. My mom is tagging along here.

    Afterwards, I will be heading back to the Philippines, which has become my favorite country during my last trip. I will be going to new islands, but also to some old favorites.

    Next, I am going to Indonesia, which, maybe surprisingly, I have never been. I will be there for a month and already know that it won't be enough, as there is so much to explore down there. So I have to be selected and maybe just visit the highlights on this trip before returning one day soon to explore more of the country.

    Then, I will fly to Vanuatu in the South Pacific, which I wanted to check out the last time already, but could not, due to the local airline getting bankrupt literally a few days before I wanted to book a flight there. Diving, getting up a volcano and enjoying island life will be on the agenda here.

    For the next stop, I will be crossing the date line and head to Peru. I have travelled through it the last time for quite a bit, but this time I am returning mainly to do two epic multi-day treks (Huayhuash and Choquequirao) and get lost a bit more in Cusco.

    I will also most likely head back to La Paz in Bolivia. Not to spend a lot of time there, but to climb Huyana Potosi - a >6000m mountain that I didn’t get to last time.

    This is my initial plan. I will most likely still have a month left after doing this itinerary, but I have kept this open and see where the wind will take me.

    That is it. That is the plan. And with that, it's once again time to say: Let's Go See Our Planet!    Read more

  • Martin HammerschmidtNairo2Rio - Around The WorldTraveler

    Münster, Germany - Home Again

    March 7 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    The trip of a lifetime has come to an end.

    When I was asked what it felt like to be home, my immediate answer was: "As if you have just woken up from an incredibly amazing dream".

    This is how it felt. I couldn't believe that 17 months of travelling were over. The time has passed way too quickly and sometimes I can find myself asking: "Did all of that really happen?" Of course it did, and that trip, those memories, those experiences, those cultures, the people I met on the way, the sights that I could see with my own eyes, the things I touched, the food I tasted - all those things will stay with me forever. And I have not a single ounce of regret of going on this epic trip.

    I was also asked about my highlights, which is an impossible question to answer. How do you compare a hot air balloon ride over the Masa Mara to the Silver Mines in Potosi for example. There are a few things, though, that I tend to talk about more often than others, which, I guess, is a sign that those were my highlights. In no particular order (except the first three experiences:

    Top 3: Antarctica (no.1 because it was absolutely mind-blowing), diving with bull sharks in Fiji (because it's crazy) and visiting the Silver Mines in Potosi (most eye-opening experience of my life!).

    After that, it starts from the safari and hot air balloon ride in Africa, Angkor Wat (Cambodia), Ha Giang Loop (Vietnam), viewpoints in Vang Vieng, island-hopping in the Philippines (my new fav country), New Zealand's mountains/Hobbiton, island life on Fiji and Samoa, my time in Antigua (my fav place in the world), Lost City Trek in Colombia, Galapagos and Cotopaxi in Ecuador, Huacachina/Inka Trail and Cusco in Peru, Death Road/Uyuni Salt Flat Tour in Bolivia, hiking Patagonia/Jujuy with my dad, helicopter ride over Iguazu Falls and enjoying life/carnaval in Rio de Janeiro.

    And this is a short list in which I have probably forgotten quite a few things. I could easily extend this list by probably 40 more items.

    Each place has its own story, its own kind of magic that sometimes I was able to see and sometimes not. For example, to me Asia is incredibly beautiful, while South America is absolutely wild and ridiculously adventurous.

    I think one of the most profound things I have learned - especially during my travels in Latin America - is that people can have an incredible love for life. To take every opportunity possible to celebrate life, to laugh and see the world (or the neighbourhood) with an open heart and embrace it - even if or especially when things are hard. To find joy, to dance in life, to be with your friends and family. This is what life truly is about.

    Yes, we all have to work, we all have to earn money and we all want a secure and comfortable life. There is nothing wrong with that and it is the basic fabric that keeps our society functioning. But we can do that with joy - that is what I am missing in Germany, as people here often take life too seriously, are in a bad mood, complain about the smallest things and how life has become so difficult and everything is about work. Life is not about work (unless you love what you do!). It is about living, about enjoying this one period of time that we have on this earth.

    I know that the lottery of life has been kind to me. Born in Germany, worked in a good job in London, saved a lot to travel the world. That is a privilege that I am deeply aware of. So, I am trying to use that privilege to enjoy this one life, as much as I can. I owe that to myself and to life.

    In fact, I have already booked my next little around-the-world adventure. For 5 months I will be touring the world again. After that, though, I definitely need to find a job!

    Making a 17 months long story short. I love this life and intend to live it with joy and a smile on my face. Travel is what I love and I will keep doing that until my legs can't walk me anymore and my hands cannot reach for the stars.

    From Nairobi to Rio de Janeiro (Nairo2Rio), I have found myself stepping foot on all seven continents and 25 countries and being part of this beautiful planet we call home.

    Thank you world, for that you are the most incredible thing that I had the absolute pleasure to get to know!    Read more

  • Martin HammerschmidtNairo2Rio - Around The WorldTraveler

    Rio de Janeiro III - Time For Carnaval

    Mar 3–6 in Brazil ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    My very last stop of this absolutely amazing trip around the world brought me, once again, to Rio. More specifically, to Rio during Carnaval. The city was almost unrecognisable, as it was totally packed with people compared to 3.5 weeks ago when I came here the first time.

    Even though there were a lot of people, the energy was electric. I met up with a few friends in the morning starting with some Caipirinhas and soon after we were finding ourselves in a blocco. A blocco is basically a street party that consists of funny or little-dressed dancers, a band and a truck that amplifies the music from the band, while slowly making its way through the streets. Around it are people in all sorts of costumes (or what looks like costumes as it is 35 degrees and people were not wearing much!) and lots of vendors selling everything from corn, drinks, caipirinhas, food, etc. It is an incredible atmosphere. Everybody is happy, dancing, celebrating life and just having a good time.

    On some days, the Bloccos apparently start from 6am or 7am in the morning. Just imagine all the energy at this time of day. I wasn't there on the weekend, and so did not see an early-morning blacco, but it would've been amazing to see, to be honest.

    Anyway, this was pretty much the plan for my last 3 days on the trip. Going to the beach in the mornings and checking out the bloccos around midday and in the afternoon. The first blocco was close to Ipanema beach and the vibe and atmosphere here was just amazing.
    People were just happy, leaving all their worries behind for a few hours/days. While we waited for the blocco to start, we had a great time talking to street vendors, other party-goers, etc. I felt like this was the carnaval that I was looking for.

    The next day, the plan was to go to two more bloccos, but in the city. So we took the underground and made it to the city around 11am. Each blocco has a theme and I think this one was 'the day of the dead', as the dancers were dressed accordingly. Again, we followed the same program, i.e. getting close to the music and dancers, getting drinks from the street vendors and then just partying as the blocco moves through the streets. While it is indeed packed, it is still a whole lot of fun dancing to the music, seeing happy people (not a frequent occurrence in public in Germany!) and just enjoying the vibe.

    Then it was time for the last blocco that started at 4pm. We had a quick bite to eat before the last blocco started. Turned out, it was a 'weed' blocco. It was hilarious. The dancers, band and truck were all dressed in green outfits with the famous plant sign everywhere and the smell of weed accompanying the blocco all the way. It was a massive amount of fun, though (even without smoking). We stayed during the sunset and a bit after before heading back.

    On the way back, however, we heard a loud noise coming from an alley. So we checked it out and saw a band practicing - there were a lot of drums and the noise was deafening, as the sound was trapped in that small alleyway.

    Carnaval in Rio was an incredible experience. Even though I wasn't there for long (accommodation options are ridiculously expensive), the experience I had there was great and to feel the atmosphere and energy in Rio during that time is just fantastic. I have talked about Brazil and its people before and Carnaval is exactly that but on steroids.

    Taking the opportunity to celebrate life, to love oneself (and others), to be happy, to dance, to laugh, more than to just BE in this life, but truly LIVE and LOVE it, even when times are tough sometimes. This is what Brazilians (and most people in Latin America) can do better than any other culture in my experience.

    Then it was the day of my return. But since I had a couple of hours to spare in the morning, I made my way to the famous Copacabana beach for a beach walk to think back about the last 17 months. What an absolute banger of a trip that was. I couldn't believe I was going home. Strangely, it felt like it was the right moment to go home. The trip had come to an end.

    With memories made to last me more than a lifetime! It was a lingering sadness to leave, but I was looking forward to seeing my family and friends. What a time to be alive!    Read more

  • Martin HammerschmidtNairo2Rio - Around The WorldTraveler

    Buenos Aires - Football & Party

    Feb 26–Mar 3 in Argentina ⋅ 🌬 27 °C

    After a couple of relaxed and quiet days in Ushuaia, I flew back to Buenos Aires. What a contrast that was. From a quiet, magical place at the end of the world to a megacity with millions of people. Travelling really does have its funny moments sometimes.

    Anyway, I spent a few days here before heading back to Rio for Carnaval, as there were a few things I still wanted to do. Since I was already here with my dad prior to heading to Brazil, I had already seen all the sights that I felt were important and Buenos Aires did not have that much to offer to justify spending a week here, in my opinion (def the case for Rio, though).

    One of the main things I wanted to do was to check out the party scene in town and go to a football game - more specifically to a game of the famous Boca Juniors. Less so for the team, but more so for the legendary stadium and its atmosphere. So, after a day of checking out the San Telmo market, walking around the neighbourhood and doing a really great and funny wine tasting, a couple of people I met at the hostel and I got some tickets for a game.

    The legendary stadium has the nickname La Bombonera - The Chocolate Box. I am not sure where the name comes from, but what I can now tell is that the stands are very close to the pitch and the atmosphere is absolutely electric. I naturally had to buy a jersey. Even before the game, the whole stadium was already singing and - I am not lying - kept on singing literally for 90 minutes straight. It was loud, it was passionate, it was incredible.

    Atmospheres in German stadiums are already great, but this was next level. The Boca Junior fans were breathing and living football as if the excitement and loyalty to the team were running like blood through their veins. It was also great to see that the team won 1-0, even if the quality of the game was really poor. Like really not good compared to Europe.

    Then there were the parties in Buenos Aires. It always started at the hostel, where, for the first time in my life, I won a Beer Pong Tournament. That was an excellent start to the night.

    The clubs were vibrant, had great energy and I enjoyed them. We even took a party bus to a club one night. That said, would I say it is an absolute must to go party in Buenos Aires or was it very different to partying in any other city in Europe or the US? Not really, it's pretty similar.

    Plus, I had one more very big party to go to the following day, which would turn out to be my very very last stop on this amazing and epic trip around the world - Carnaval in Brazil, more specifically, Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro.    Read more

  • Martin HammerschmidtNairo2Rio - Around The WorldTraveler

    Antarctica - World Beyond The Imaginable

    February 25 ⋅ ☁️ -9 °C

    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

  • Martin HammerschmidtNairo2Rio - Around The WorldTraveler

    Anatarctica - Day 10 - One Last Hurray

    February 22, Bransfield Strait ⋅ 🌧 2 °C

    Leaving the Antarctic peninsula behind, we had two more landings to experience. The first landing was on Deception Island followed by Elephant Point. After that, we would set sail back to Ushuaia crossing, once again, the infamous choppy Drake Passage.

    Watching the sunset the day before brought a slight lingering sadness, as we had now left icebergs, snowy mountains and the icy Antarctica feeling behind. That said, we were still 'in' Antarctica (ie below the Antarctic convergence) until the evening and I intended to make the most out of it.

    Anyway, Deception Island. It lies between the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands and is home to a whaling station that was abandoned in 1969 following a gigantic volcanic explosion. After all, Deception Island is not technically an island, but a volcano - it is dormant, but not inactive.

    Since the caldera was flooded with water, we could travel and drop anchor on the sandy chores inside of it. Once on land, we started to explore the abandoned buildings, visited the huge oil tanks that were brought there for whale oil and an abandoned hanger for aircrafts. The caldera provided a good shelter against the harsh winds at sea and made the conditions quite pleasant. I took my time taking it all in, exploring the historical site, wandering around on the black sand, learning about the station's history and just imagining being there during the height of its operation. It must not have been a very easy life here.

    On some spots on the beach, I could see steam coming out of the water, emphasising the fact that the volcano is still active. Putting your hand or feet inside the water on those spots was actually quite pleasant given the warm temperature of the water.

    Lastly, I walked along the beach to Neptune's Window, which, essentially, is a gap in the mountain that provides a viewpoint either outbound into the ocean or inbound into the volcano, its beaches and the fog that came and left in a regular interval. I lingered there for a while to enjoy the moment and appreciated the quite eerie atmosphere of this place. It kinda is a place I would want to see again in a few decades. Hopefully.

    After lunch it was then time for our very last landing of this epic voyage to Antarctica. We dropped anchor just offshore of Elephant Point, which is an island (this time a real one) with loads of Elephant Seals having made this island their home. The Elephant Seals were also the key reason why we stopped here.

    Those animals really are gigantic and remarkable at the same time. They could weigh more than a ton and - listen to this - can dive down up to 2km for food. Admittedly, they are not the most beautiful animals and make weird noises that I cannot describe in any other way but to say ‘wet farts'. They all huddled together to keep warm and we could see steam coming out of them, this much body heat they were radiating.

    To get to these impressive animals, we took a short walk along the beach. This also gave us a last opportunity to be up and close to the Gentoo Penguins, which over the last week, I have really happened to fall in love with.

    It was a cool last landing on this truly spectacular and marvellous voyage, seeing another type of animal up close that we had not really seen before.

    And with that, our expedition to Antarctica came to an end. The only thing left was to cross the Drake Passage for one more time before disembarking the MV Plancius in 3 days - on the 25th February.

    I will write a proper recap once I have stable ground underneath my feet, but what I can say already, is that this voyage was one of the best things I have ever done in my life. There is an entirely different world out there and I am so extremely happy to have experienced it with my own eyes, stood on it with my own feet and touched it with my own hands.

    Antarctica - You truly are remarkable. I have no words for the beauty, the excitement and the adventure you offer. I will see you again!    Read more

  • Martin HammerschmidtNairo2Rio - Around The WorldTraveler

    Antarctica - Day 9 - Encountering Whales

    February 21, Bransfield Strait ⋅ ☁️ 0 °C

    Today would be all about a magical whale encounter. But first things first. The morning activity was a zodiac cruise at Foyn Harbour, which is renowned for an abundance of wildlife and anearly 20th century shipwreck.

    So, we jumped into the zodiac on the lookout for some whales. I haven't had a close whale encounter yet on this trip, so this really was my last chance to get close to these majestic animals. At the start, we were cruising around, looking at some cool icebergs and the odd seal, but didn't have any whale sightings.

    However, after a while we saw a blow in the distance and immediately turned the zodiac around and were speeding towards the blow. Once we arrived, we had to search for a little bit longer to spot the whales, but found them within 5-10 minutes. In fact, there were two whales, probably a mother and her child. We turned off the engines and just floated in the water, letting the whales spot us and decide what to do with us.

    Fortunately, at least one of the whales was very curious and started to explore our zodiac, swimming around us, diving underneath our boat and blowing water up high right next to our boat. He was really giving us a show. The highlight of this amazing encounter was when the whale lifted a fin out of the water and hit it on the water twice right next to our boat, splashing us with fresh ocean water - well, he pooped in the water before, so it was a mix of fresh ocean water and some whale poop probably. I loved every single second of it.

    Watching the whale in its entire length and glory was truly spectacular and special. You cannot plan or buy this experience as, after all, it is wildlife and they do what they want. Even our zodiac driver, Valeria, said that this moment was the best of her 2024/25 season and I could see why. Yes, I can describe the encounter with words, but seeing it with my own eyes and the feeling of having that magical creature so close, I cannot put it into words that would do it justice. It might have been the most special moment of this already very special voyage to Antarctica. Plus on the same zodiac cruise we got some hot chocolate with rum while watching whales. I mean, this is life!

    Back on the boat, we were all still buzzing with what just happened. Fortunately, it wasn't just our zodiac which got a show, so we shared all sorts of videos with cool whale behaviour and underwater shots. For almost all of us, this was the highlight of the trip.

    After calming down a bit over lunch, we were heading to our last landing on the Antarctica Peninsula - Portal Point. For the first time, there was no wildlife on this landing (neither penguins, nor seals), so we walked up to a couple of viewpoints to enjoy the glacial scenery and the many icebergs that were scattered around in the wide ocean. We played around with some large chunks of ice, took a few snaps and just spent some time appreciating the place where we were.

    Towards the end, I was just standing at the edge of the island, listening to the chunks of ice hitting the shore, looking out into the distance and really having a mental walk down memory lane. I was just happy being there in that very moment, totally encompassed by Antarctica and its surroundings and still in awe of this trip, this place and this adventure at the end of the world.

    At this point, if anyone asks me what it was like, I am not sure I could accurately describe what I experienced last week. Majestic doesn't even begin to describe it. And to make things even more cheesy, as we said goodbye to the icy landscape, icebergs, and snowy landscape, nature awarded us a picture perfect sunset while we were standing at the stern of the ship looking back onto the Antarctic continent for one last time.

    To our sides, we saw quite a few pods of whales, seemingly saying goodbye to us, as well. I had told myself before, but right there, right then, again, I really knew that one day, I would come back to Antarctica - to visit this incredible continent that for sure has slightly changed my life.    Read more

  • Martin HammerschmidtNairo2Rio - Around The WorldTraveler

    Antarctica - Day 8 - Glacier Calving

    February 20 ⋅ ❄️ -4 °C

    Another day in Antarctica. Today the plan was to do two landings first on Danco and then in Neko Harbour, followed by an Antarctic BBQ for dinner outside and a little bit of a party on board.

    But first things first. I woke up a bit earlier to enjoy the tranquillity of Antarctica outside on the deck before the ship came to life. Being outside for literally only two minutes, I already spotted two pods of whales of maybe 6-7 whales in total. It wasn't even 7am by that point. I literally did not know what to think about this place except that it is majestic. Being here is certainly a huge privilege, but I felt I was making the most of it and couldn't wait what the day would bring.

    Shortly after, we had breakfast before boarding the zodiacs to head to Danco for some penguin spotting and to get a beautiful view over the glacial landscape. As soon as we disembarked the zodiacs there was a waddle of penguins on the beach, practically welcoming us to Danco. On the island, we saw for the first time a real labyrinth of penguin highways, which the penguins used to get from the top of the hill down to the bottom. Of course, we had to cross some, but the penguins always have the right of way. Watching them waddle past us at a very short distance was amazing and sometimes they waited for us to clear the path before being on their way again.

    Danco Island was a bit steeper and we zigzagged our way up to the top. On the way up, we saw multiple penguins slip and fall on their belly before quickly getting up and being on their way. One penguin seemed to have loads of fun, though, as he just slid down the hill on its belly, looking as if he was having the time of his life. With the snow-capped mountain and our expedition ship in the background it was just a perfect moment to capture on video.

    Once at the top, we enjoyed the views over the glacial scenery, taking snaps, chatting to our guides and getting more tips for future adventures (Atlantic crossing from Ushuaia to Cape Verde anyone?). On the way back to our ship, we passed a couple of weddle seals chilling out on ice shelves, seemingly without a care in the world.

    After a little lunch break on board and talking with fellow passengers about travel and life, we were, again, on our zodiacs on the way to Neko Harbour, Now, Neko Harbour is not an island, but actually located on continental Antarctica - just in case there was ever any doubt if I ever was properly on Antarctica.

    Anyway, that landing would turn out to be the best one so far. Once we arrived, we had two options; left or right. We went right first and got really close to some beautiful Gentoo Penguins. Honestly, they are so adorable, I think I will never grow tired of seeing them go about their lives. Taking photos of penguin reflections, the way they waddle and just stand around to observe nature and, I guess, us, the chicks chasing their parents for food or their clumsy attempts of running fast and navigating obstacle is just too cute to ever get bored of.

    Then came the highlight of the landing, the day, and a top 3 moments of this trip. Neko Harbour hosts a couple of glaciers, one of which is very close to the shore. And from our landing site we had the perfect view of the glacier. Now, a glacier is always active, breathing, moving and calving (ie pieces of ice cracking off the glacier and falling down into the water). Whilst we were there, a small piece of ice cracked and fell into the water below, giving way for a much bigger potential calving,

    Thus, we stood there for at least 30 minutes with our cameras and phones waiting for the big part of ice to crack off. You know that it could potentially be a unique observation when the glaciolagist (yes, you read that right) onboard is also pulling out his phone. The wait was agonising as we just wanted to explore the rest of the island but, of course, not miss the calving. At least we could watch the penguins playing in the water and on the beach in the meantime.

    Then, all of a sudden, there were lots of loud cracking sounds coming from the glacier. And shortly afterwards, not just the big piece of rock that we expected to crack off came down, but a large section of the entire front of the glacier. Falling into the water, it created cool waves heading towards us. The penguins and us went for higher ground, never leaving the waves out of sight. It was a truly spectacular moment and everyone was super hyped up after the anticipation and the ice calving that was a lot bigger than we thought. What a landing.

    That wasn't the end of the it, however. After the calving, we walked up a small hill to look at a colony of young penguins (the penguin kindergarten basically), while enjoying a different perspective of the glacier from the top. The sun even made an appearance, bathing our vessel that was anchoring offshore in a bright yellow light.

    While that was it for the landing today, there was still more to come in the evening. We had an Antarctic BBQ outside on the ship, with music, food, dancing and of course quite a few drinks. After dinner, they cleared the tables to create a little dance floor that the majority of passengers were just dancing the evening away. It was amazing and surreal at the same time. Dancing to all sorts of songs, while driving past seals chilling out on icebergs, floating pieces of ice in the water and the antarctic landscape unfolding in the distance. It might as well had been the southernmost party in the world at that time.

    At some point, it started snowing heavily, and we went up to the bridge to enjoy the heavy snowfall in the bright searching lights of the ship in the dark night. It really was an incredible end to a pretty much perfect day. At this point, this 2-week Antarctica trip was the best trip I have ever taken - and it wasn't even over yet.    Read more

  • Martin HammerschmidtNairo2Rio - Around The WorldTraveler

    Antarctica - Day 7 - Zodica & Plunging

    February 19 ⋅ ☁️ -3 °C

    Today was my first time for a proper zodiac cruise. In short, this means that you hop on a zodiac with fellow travellers and a guide and cruise around a specific location looking at wildlife, glaciers, icebergs or all sorts of ice formations.

    So, we geared up and jumped in the kayak in the hope of whales or another cool natural landscape. Before we even left the vessel, we had already seen two crabeater seals chilling out on an iceberg and thus it was our very first destination with the zodiac. As we reached the little iceberg that was floating around Paradise Harbour, a third seal was trying to get on that iceberg. It took a few failed attempts until it managed to get up there and it was honestly quite fun to watch it make its short way up.

    The rest of the time in our zodiac, we cruised around in what looked like a sound, watched massive glaciers rising in front of us, making our way through a seabed of sea ice, watched a few more seals and passed by Brown Station (Argentinean), one of the oldest continuous research stations in the entire Antarctic continent. Its red houses provided a lovely backdrop to the white and blue colours that are the most dominant colours here on the most remote continent of our planet. And of course, we also saw lots of penguins again, on land breeding and resting and in the sea trying to catch some food.

    One thing to mention is that so far, I have not grown tired of the white landscape, icebergs or the endless supply of penguins. As we are constantly changing our location, the landscape is also changing. As strange as it sounds, but white, grey, and blue can take an incredible variety of different shapes and forms. Last time there were countless icebergs, today lots of shelf ice, impressive glaciers and a research station and I am sure tomorrow will be different again. Plus, being on the lookout for all types of whales is actually quite fun. I still need to catch a close-up shot on my phone, though, which has so far proven to be rather difficult as whenever I don't pull out my phone, the whales put on a show, and when I do, they are rather calm and quiet. That is wildlife I guess.

    Anyway, in the aftemoon we had a split landing/zodiac cruise, which means we were cruising with the zodiacs around Stony Point for one hour before making landfall. That particular zodiac cruise was nothing to write home about as we were trying to chase a whale that we saw earlier but it seemed to have disappeared. We still made a stop to see an impressive elephant seal and a colony of Gentoo Penguins, but the spectacular was missing (to be fair, maybe I was just too spoiled at this point!).

    When we made landfall, I quickly headed up a small snowy hill to check out a Weddell Seal that seemed to be taking a nap. That one was a giant fatty as well. Afterwards, I headed up the hill to the top for some amazing views over the glacial Antarctic landscape that was unfolding in front of me. At some point, I was just standing there and taking it all in, wondering where on earth I was in that exact moment. In Antarctica, one of the most remote and inhospitable places on earth.

    As I am writing this watching out the window at icebergs and snowcapped mountains, I still cannot really believe it. But, I digress. At the top we also did a little photo shoot with the Antarctic flag before sliding down the hill to capture some super cute waddle of penguins walking on the penguin highway just in front of me. It was yet another beautiful sight.

    Then it was time for something I looked forward to and dreaded at the same time: The polar plunge, Basically, you dress down all the way to your swim shorts, and then jump into the water, which has about zero to maybe one degrees. Since our vessel wasn't equipped for jumping into the water, we basically walked into the sea from the beach at Stony Point. That was definitely much harder than just jumping in. In all honesty, I was close to chicken out, but then a few travellers motivated everyone and we decided to do it.

    All I can say: holy fuck was that cold. We walked in, submerged in the ice cold water and went straight the fuck out of the water. The going-in was alright, the coming out felt like torture. My feet were numb as hell, I was shivering and all I could dream of was a warm shower. It is completely ridiculous if you think about it. The backdrop of snowy mountains, the cheering of the crew and other passengers, the photographers on the zodiac and the penguins watching us did provide a beautiful backdrop, though.

    However, there was a little sense of accomplishment and pride to have done it as it felt like a little rite of passage when in Antarctica (similar to crossing the Drake Passage), but I can say that once back on the boat the shower felt like heaven. That was it for day 7 - again, a day full of action and activities. I am definitely tired, but very happy and grateful to be tired and experiencing this incredibly amazing place.    Read more

  • Martin HammerschmidtNairo2Rio - Around The WorldTraveler

    Antarctica - Day 6 - Kayak With Icebergs

    February 18, Southern Ocean ⋅ ❄️ 1 °C

    This morning it was time to get as close as possible to the Antarctic water without actually being in it. In other words, it was time to go kayaking. It's something that I have looked forward to and the spot where we would do it, looked picture perfect.

    Even before we went into the kayaks, we had already seen multiple whales popping up, penguins swimming in the icy water and icebergs cruising around at a glacial pace. I couldn't wait to go into the kayaks and explore this area from another perspective.

    So, we got suited up in special kayak gear and ready to hop into a zodiac that would take us and the kayaks to the starting point of our kayaking adventure. However, we were just about to go down the gangway to the zodiacs, when, for the first time in my life, I saw a whale breach the water (ie, going up high and splashing into the water), I mean, the kayaking hadn't even started and I already had the first highlight of my day. Wow!

    Then it was time to go kayaking. So Meghan (my Kayak partner) and I jumped into a kayak and after a little 'driving' test to see if we have what it takes to stir a kayak we were off to chase whales, penguins and icebergs. One of the first sightings of our kayak trip was a minke whale, which we saw from not too far away how it lifted up its fluke to dive down deep. It was a majestic sight - picture a tail in the air, icebergs all around, the ship in the distance and penguins jumping in and out of the water. And us in the kayaks. A truly magical moment.

    We chased a few more humpback whales afterwards, but unfortunately, none of them showed us their fluke, but just a little of their backs as they went down to feed. That said, to see whales from a kayak in Antarctica was incredible.

    Once we could not spot the whales anymore, we decided to explore the area and in particular its icebergs. The rules normally dictate that we should keep twice the distance from an iceberg compared to its height, but who can really measure that from a kayak. Obviously we did not go too close to the big ones, but for the smaller ones we got relatively close to truly admire its colours - especially the shiny dark intense blue that is impossible to describe. I always loved white and blue but the combinations of both in an iceberg is just ridiculously stunning.

    Towards the end of the 2-2.5h kayak excursion our hands and feet were definitely cold and we were happy to warm ourselves up with some nice hot chocolate and a delicious lunch. By now, it was only half a day.

    Thus, after lunch and some relaxing time, at 2.30pm, we all got ready again to jump into the zodiacs to make landfall on an island. Yeah, if you thought I would go on a relaxing luxury cruise, you were wrong. It's full-on action time during the entire day. I absolutely love it!

    Anyway, Peterman Island. We had roughly 2h to explore the island and its inhabitants - mainly Gentoo but also a few Adele Penguins. After three days of seeing penguins, one might think that I would grow tired of seeing them, but not at all. They are too cute, too clumsy, too adorable and too fascinating to watch. The way they walk, the way they feed, the way they jump, the way they just stand around with their wings stretched out is simply beautiful. We are also lucky with all our guides as they are incredibly helpful and knowledgeable about animals, the history of Antarctica and future trip ideas (who wants to go snorkling with Orcas in Norway in mid-November?).

    But yeah, that was day 6 on my trip to Antarctica. After dinner, a couple of us sat together in the lounge with a few glasses of wine and simply talked about life, travel, Antarctica, all while watching the white continent pass by outside the window. At this point, I was very tired, but happy tired. And I felt that this is not the last time I would come to this continent. It is way too amazing to visit it just once!    Read more

  • Martin HammerschmidtNairo2Rio - Around The WorldTraveler

    Antarctica - Day 5 - Mountaineering Time

    February 17, Southern Ocean ⋅ ❄️ -1 °C

    Today, we were woken up at 4.30am. Yes, it was very early, but it was one of the most beautiful wake-ups in my life. I just had to open my eyes to see snow-capped mountains and the first sunlight shining upon their summits. I could hear penguins coming to life and going about their daily business. All while I was still tucked into my sleeping bag and bivouac being reasonably cozy.

    As we were packing up, the golden light of the sun became more intense by the minute and just before we left, the entire sky was bathed into a magical colour that was absolutely worth the early wake-up. Open-air camping really is something special - and doing that in Antarctica is the cherry on the top.

    Anyway, once we packed everything together and closed our sleeping pits, we took the zodiac back to our ship. However, on the way, we saw a minke whale in the distance before it came super close to our zodiac (like not more than 3-4m away). It was honestly breath-taking and by this point it wasn't even 5.30am in the morning. I guess, this is Antarctica.

    Later in the morning, our ship was heading to a new destination and on the way, we saw at least more 5-6 whales together with countless cute penguins feeding in the water and showing us their fins - even though they were a bit further in the distance.

    At around 8.45am, our ship had the first challenge to master - crossing through the narrow Lemaire Channel, which has a huge iceberg on the left and a mountain on the right that we have to navigate through. It was a cool experience, as everyone on board came out to watch. Obviously, we made it through successfully.

    Following a delicious breakfast, it was time for our next landing. This time on Pleneau Island.
    The island is famous for Adele Penguins and the iceberg graveyard. So, once we set foot on land, we walked up to the viewpoint, passing a colony of Adele Penguins, its adjacent penguin highway and watched the daily life of the penguins. The cool thing, however, was the backdrop, which was dotted with hundreds of small and big icebergs with its white and super shining and blue colours. What a view it was! Again, "This is Antarctica", I thought to myself. It was just majestic. And all of this, before midday!

    In the afternoon, I had booked myself for a little mountaineering hike to get a birds-eye view of Antarctica. Thus, we took a zodiac to our landing site, put on a harness/rope and snowshoes (yes, snowshoes, how cool!) and went off to climb a small little mountain. The weather had turned by this point, unfortunately, and instead of sun, the sky was just white and grey. The hike up was interesting insofar that it was my very first time to use snowshoes, but otherwise nothing to write home about. Once we were up on the ridge and had a view of both sides of the little mountain and the iceberg graveyard, the views were incredible.

    While not necessarily beautiful, the views were very much representative for a typical view in Antarctica. Icey, mystic, grey, eerie, full of icebergs and mountains with our ship looking quite small in the distance. I could feel a sense of silence over this sound/area that was simply peaceful. And this was the view during the entire way down and back to our landing site.

    That's where we were supposed to be picked up. However, once we reached the landing site, the zodiac could not easily reach it because too much ice had concentrated right in its vicinity. The zodiac had to really slowly make its way through the ice, freeing the propeller from underwater sea ice. It finally made it and we all embarked and had a rough, but fun ride back to the ship.

    After dinner, we were all very tired. After all, it was a very long day with a 4.30am wake-up, a landing with amazing views and mountaineering to a great viewpoint. I still had to pinch myself that this all happened in Antarctica, literally at the end of the world. I really cannot wait what the next few days will bring, as two days down here in the white continent have already been absolutely spectacular and blown my mind. Worth every single penny.    Read more

  • Martin HammerschmidtNairo2Rio - Around The WorldTraveler

    Antarctica - Day 4 - Continent No. 7

    February 16, Bransfield Strait ⋅ ☁️ -1 °C

    It finally happened. I have reached the 7th continent on this journey and in my life. At 10.31am my feed touched ground on Orne Island, Antarctica. This all still felt so surreal when I did it and it took a second to appreciate where I was - literally at the end of the world, on the white continent that I have so far only seen on a map and never really thought there is any chance to get there without being a scientist. And now I was here, indeed - Antarctica!

    After reaching the island by zodiac and glowing from a sense of accomplishment, it was time to explore the islands and its very cute, friendly but also clumsy inhabitants. I am talking about PENGUINS - more specifically Gentoo and Chinstrap penguins. Walking around the island and watching them go about their daily lives (i.e. feeding, running, walking, jumping, etc) was incredibly fun and provided loads of opportunities to take some incredible photos. I wish, however, that I had a proper camera with me for some incredible close-up shots, but the iPhone still did a remarkable job.

    Anyway, we spent a total of 1.5h on the island, which was plenty to appreciate wildlife in its purest and cutest form. I was in awe, not just about the place I was in, but also about the cute little penguins. Such great 'birds'.

    Once back on the boat, we had a quick lunch and then we were off again, to Demois, which hosts a historical hut and is beautifully located in a small bay with snow-covered mountains rising behind it, providing a perfect backdrop. Once again, we explored the island and its penguins and were just in love with how cute they are - especially when they start walking with their typical ‚wings-out' walk.

    The island also offered some stunning views, too, and after 4 days of grey skies the sun and blue skies made an appearance, dipping the water and mountains into a magical light. It really was a perfect first day in Antarctica.

    That was not all, however. It would get even better, as a few days before I signed up to go open-air camping. Yes, you read that right. I would be sleeping in a sleeping bag, with no tents in one of the most inhospitable places on the planet. Why you ask? Well, Why not? Haha.

    So, after dinner, the people who signed up for camping went out with the zodiacs to Demois. We were given a biovac, a sleeping bag, a mat, and a shovel to dig our own 'sleeping hole'.

    Since I was on the first zodiac towards the camping spot, I had the prime location right by the water. In addition, by the time we arrived, the sun was just about to set behind the horizon, transforming the white landscape into a soft golden colour. If that is not magical, I don't know what is. We were truly lucky with the weather.

    All of us successfully managed to dig our own 'sleeping holes' with a little wall to the side for protection against the wind. We chatted, took photos and admired the location for about an hour before it was time to go to sleep.

    I am not gonna lie, it definitely wasn't a relaxing sleep, but looking up at the stars, at the mountains by just turning your head to the right, listening to nearby penguins or enjoying the Silence of Antarctica was just breath-taking. It will definitely be a night that I will not forget for the rest of my life.

    I mean, I was open-air camping in Antarctica - you have to be a bit crazy in your head to do something like that. It was an experience like no other, though. Stunning and magical are the words that come to mind (slightly uncomfortable, too, maybe).    Read more

  • Martin HammerschmidtNairo2Rio - Around The WorldTraveler

    Antarctica - Day 3 - Seeing Iceberg/Land

    February 15, Drake Passage ⋅ 🌬 0 °C

    The night was slightly better than yesterday, but the sometimes heavy rocking of the ship means that I did not get a very good sleep again. At this point, it's all part of the adventure. That’s at least what I told myself.

    Anyway, today was the last day of crossing the Drake Passage and the waves were relatively calm in the morning, but certainly picked up in height in the afternoon. Luckily, until this point all the medicine against seasickness was working and apart from feeling tired sometimes, I felt totally ok.

    Since today was a full day on sea, we had quite a lot of informative presentations scattered across the day ranging from whales, birds, glaciers, etc to the upcoming more exciting activities (i.e. camping without a tent, kayaking and mountaineering).

    So, after a heartful lunch, it was time to sign up for all the various activities that we would be doing whilst being in Antarctica. For me, that means after a full day of exploring and setting foot on Antarctica via Zodiac the next day, I would head back to the continent after dinner to go camping.

    Camping without a tent in Antarctica - yeah, crazy. But then, I have already done enough crazy stuff on this trip to last for a few lifetimes, so what is one more? ! definitely am super excited for that, you cannot imagine!

    That said the day flew by relatively quickly. I did spend quite a lot of time on the bridge again talking to the second officer about navigation, a career in the maritime field, hierarchies onboard a ship, the equipment, etc. It was a great opportunity to learn more about how a ship works and the faces and stories behind it. In addition, we spotted a ship on collision course (but it changed course very well in advance) and my first ever proper iceberg on the starboard side of the ship. This was truly the first sign that we are heading closer to Antarctica - in fact, we would reach the South Shetland Islands by around 8pm and the continent of Antarctica just past midnight.

    This meant, after dinner, a few of us went to the lobby, chatted the night away and tried to spot some wildlife (esp whales) that would hopefully show up more frequently over the next few days, as we headed deeper towards the Antarctic Peninsula.

    This pretty much concluded Day 3 and a wave of excitement captured me and some of my fellow passengers, as tomorrow would be a day I would hopefully never forget. I mean, according to plan, I would be setting foot on the 7th continent, I would see penguins and hopefully some whales en route and to top it all off, would camp under the Antarctic stars with the silent sound of nature around me.

    Man, I cannot wait - let's do this!    Read more

  • Martin HammerschmidtNairo2Rio - Around The WorldTraveler

    Antarctica - Day 2 - The Drake Passage

    February 14, Drake Passage ⋅ 🌬 7 °C

    On the second day of our voyage we entered the infamous Drake Passage - the waterway with among the strongest winds and highest waves in the world. To get to Antarctica from Argentina, crossing the Drake passage is necessary and regarded as a rite of passage.
    The weather forecast yesterday suggested that we were heading into a storm within the Drake Passage and once we left the Beagle Channel, we could certainly feel the change in how the vessels moved.

    While I did not feel sea sick the entire day, sleeping last night was an impossible task.
    Rocking in the waves I thought might put me to sleep, but the waves were too high and all over the place. Instead of the ship just going up and down, it felt like being in a washing machine with the ship tilting right to left, then front to back and all over the place. Yeah, sleeping was impossible, but all the seasickness medication certainly had done their job throughout the day - thank god. Other passengers were not so lucky.

    Anyway, the second day was basically just a day on sea, or more specifically through the Drake Passage. Still, there were quite a few things going on. First of all, we got a safety briefing for the Zodicas and what and what not to do when being close to wildlife or once we set foot on Antarctica in a couple of days.
    Then a couple of us passengers went to the bridge and learned quite a lot about navigation, the instruments, careers, etc which was highly interesting to me. We also stepped outside and played around with the leaning of the ship, always making sure we wouldn't be falling off the ship, as on some occasions, the ship was leaning towards one side quite heavily.

    After lunch, though, I took the opportunity to have a little nap, as even though I did not feel sick, I certainly felt tired and maybe a bit drowsy. I was woken up by the Public Announcement to pick up our boots for the rest of the voyage and we had some of our gear that we would wear when stepping foot on Antarctica inspected for dirt, loose items/papers, etc.

    Following another quick nap - certainly the most popular thing to do on the ship - I attended a Wildlife Photography introductory course (rather basic, I would say), before getting another briefing about mountaineering and dangers/safety of when traversing cravasses.

    A delicious dinner basically concluded the day. While the Drake Passage, its waves and the movements of the ship were certainly not pleasant, it was better than I imagined and the fact that I did not feel sea sick so far was promising. Still, there is one full day left crossing the Drake before arriving on Antarctica and the weather forecast for the next day is for slightly worse conditions than today. In all honesty, I take 'slightly' worse!    Read more

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