OmanAl Jinah22°55’60” N 57°31’47” E
25. huhtikuuta, 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.Lue lisää
OmanBirkat al Mawz22°55’22” N 57°40’38” E
24. huhtikuuta, 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.Lue lisää
SaksaFrankfurt50°3’8” N 8°35’18” E
23. huhtikuuta, Saksa ⋅ ☁️ 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!Lue lisää
SaksaFrankfurt50°3’4” N 8°34’13” E
7. maaliskuuta, Saksa ⋅ ☁️ 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!Lue lisää
BrasiliaRio de Janeiro22°54’37” S 43°10’47” W
3.–6. maalisk., Brasilia ⋅ ☁️ 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!Lue lisää
ArgentiinaBuenos Aires34°38’11” S 58°21’51” W
26. helmik.–3. maalisk., Argentiina ⋅ 🌬 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.Lue lisää
25. helmikuuta ⋅ ☁️ -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.Lue lisää
Bransfield Strait62°58’41” S 60°33’36” W
22. helmikuuta, 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!Lue lisää
Bransfield Strait64°33’12” S 61°59’38” W
21. helmikuuta, 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.Lue lisää
20. helmikuuta ⋅ ❄️ -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.Lue lisää
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