Tim December 19th, 2007

December 9th ,2007

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The Polar Star leaves promptly in the morning from Ushuaia, registering us into our cabins and lofting our back packs and luggage via the dock hoist on to the upper deck to be delivered to our assigned cabins. The morning is a day of broken skies displaying spot lights of sun on the surrounding mountains. We are excited with all the hustle and bustle around us on all the various levels of the ship’s decks. Having never been on a seafaring ship of this size, all of it was new and filled with anticipation as well as thoughts of the possible rough seas to come while crossing the infamous Drake Passage. As a child I had read many a seafaring story expressing the serious nature of the environment that we were entertaining to venture into. Stories of sailors sailing single handed into the Straits of Magellan and rolling over several times braking their masts and lashing them on to their decks in huge waves trying as they might to enter the Pacific currents just west of our current position of safety here in the port of Ushuaia. Having just heard via the news and many concerned emails from friends and family that a ship of similar size and stature was sunk just a week before our disembarking, did not quell the queasiness in my stomach.

Right from the start though, my mind was set somewhat at ease by the confident jovial nature of the staff. With smiling faces and suntanned heads as they ushered us through the daily goings on with efficiency and cheer. I was glad to see that the staff was well picked although slightly eccentric, even though I had only just a first impression as of this time. They seemed to be well versed in a variety of disciplines, well suited to the environment to which we were destined. In fact one of the expedition staff claimed that this was his working holiday away from his usual profession of biology and that this was a great way to see aspects of animal and marine life that would be far more costly by any other means. And while looking after the needs and concerns of the paying customers was just as interesting to him and fulfilling in a way that the home employment may not have been.

This type of excursion was not the type ventured into by the dull and boring. It was filled with adventure types, spanning all ages and with a vast collective knowledge that made these trips interesting for the staff as much as for the customers. As the stories of interesting lives unfolded at dinner times , various hikes or on some of the sometimes wild white knuckled Zodiac rides to shore, I was astounded by the huge and consummate level of traveling knowledge ensconced on board. These were my kinda folks!

Some images to wet your appetite for the stories yet to come………..

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• Tim Schumm