From elephant seals to albatrosses and penguins to icebergs all of these reflect Antarctica. And from its tiny baby fur seals weighing no more than 10 pounds, to mounds of ice weighing 3 million tons and holding 3.3 billion gallons of frozen water, the highest, driest, windiest continent in the world lives up to all expectations.

Antarctica the land of frozen wastes and tragic expeditions was the latest destination of two most widely traveled teachers and spent their Christmas holidays on the land farthest under. Although Antarctica is an extraordinary choice, the reason for the teachers’ decision lies in the fact that they haven’t been there. They’d been thinking about such a trip for some time and had read about the explorer in a travel magazine. Get in touch with this resource if you have a desire to find out about antarctica travel.

These women were able to discover the value of being prepared. From three pairs of socks, one being wool, worn under 15 pound boots to insulated underwear worn with a regular set of clothes and a parka to a covering via rubberized pants and slicker that are seamless and waterproof, these are needed for just one day in Antarctica. Also needed are two pairs of glove with one being waterproof.

From cold feet, the situation can always develop into a case of frostbite. This is the Southern Hemisphere’s summer. Even though the ice was warming up to about a point above the freezing point and travel could be done on the breaking ice pack still the water was at 32 degrees. It was in one Antarctic research station where air temperature was measured by a thermometer to be at 47 degrees. Snowstorms and sleet storms confronted the explorer in the evening after the sun had shined directly on it for the entire day.

As added information for the women, they were told about the unpredictable weather and how winds affect day to day itineraries. Staying for 24 days in the southern ice cap did not result to an experience of an 84 below wind chill like the one that occurred last Christmas in their hometown. To get a closer look on trips to antarctica visit this site.

Feared but passed was the Drake Passage. A number of ships have already been lost to this passage starting from Cape Horn on the tip of South America through the Antarctic Peninsula. Seat belts on the bunk were used by the women to strap in as they slept while the Explorer went through the passage for 48 hours. For one of the ladies, some bruises were inevitable.

Probably millions was the penguin count. A lady said that they had access to the penguins and their nests. All the penguins do with one another is talk. It was, just delightful to watch them. Seals were also there. Their mouths were open as they scooted around the place. Getting too close to them and their babies is not a good idea for they bite.

Magnificent is the way to describe the trip. Blue wonders in the sky and the clean water are extremely magnificent. Penguins would usually perch up on the three storey high icebergs which were beautiful but as massive as city blocks as they floated. They saw old whaling stations, closed for 20 years since the treaties of the 1960s. At the South Pole they were able to see the actual huts left by the early explorers who went there, and they even saw some with leftover cans of food.

Such a trip took them to the south end of Chile in Punta Arenas and then to the Shetland Islands, to Antarctica and then to the South Orkneys, and then to South Georgia and the Falklands and back. Agreeing to how different their holidays has become are the two.

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