9 December: snowed overnight….about 3-4 inches…. area on mountains previously snow free now white. Footprints in snow gone.
There were two yachts in the bay. There was the super yacht called V6… grey odd looking yacht $16million … what a snip…. Apparently does have a helicopter on board usually but not this time. Owners fly into King George Island (crew have done the hard bit crossing the Drake) and meet them and then crew sail them down the peninsular. It is owned by a couple who were on board with 15 crew… crazy world. In the afternoon, after a mad shopping time on the Nansen the V6 asked to come ashore and go around the museum. As a non IAATO yacht they still do as they wish (within reason) as the Antarctic not owned by anyone/nationality….. Three of the team did a shop for the yacht, so we reach a record day for takings in the shop.
The morning on the Nansen was crazy busy in the morning… huge queues and need for crowd control. We were placed in the atrium of the ship … over 400 passengers so you can imagine the madness. Two of the team went back to the island to restock and slowly but surely we got the shop done. We had lunch and showers, so all was good then got to speak on WhatsApp home and Phill in Bird Island. So good to have time to talk and not be in such a mad rush…. Wonder how Strictly is doing? Thanks Scotty for the WhatsApp update… you understand!!
The ship had moved around to Damoy hut. This is another historic site UKAHT looks after. It was a transit hut or waiting room for BAS scientists trying to get further South up until 1993. Ships would get so far, drop staff off and then they would wait for Twin Otters to arrive, landing on the glacier, picking them up and then heading further South. The Trust had conservationists last year, living in tents, scraping off the blue paint and meticulously collecting all scrapings. It is now its original colour orange, clearly easily seen in the snow for passing aircraft in days gone by. From Damoy we headed back from the Nansen to the base, 3 yachts in the bay. The V6 we dealt with but the others did not get in touch just stayed in the bay overnight and on their way. It has been a busy day, so early to bed…. my new bed, bottom bunk for the rest of my time here…. a bed with a view, next to the only window of the bunkroom… snow, penguins passing in their highways and glaciers facing in the bay occasionally crashing into the water… does it get any better than this? I’ve put all the photos Iz arranged for me to open each day as my advent calendar on my wall… friends, family and all our animals… thanks Iz, so thoughtful, makes it so much cosier as I had forgotten to bring any photos for my wall xx
10 December: cold, windy snowy morning
Returned to the boat I hitched a lift with from Ushuaia. Was good to see the crew again and this time doing part of the presentation with Jerome. A chartered ship with mostly Chinese tourists so translators to help us but a bit of a scrum once again. The ship had had poor weather so was trying to cram lots of activities into the day for the passengers with polar plunges going on whilst we were running the shop so quite chaotic. We were rushed off the ship with little warning as they wanted to get off to the next site. Returned to the island, lunch and more stamping of postcards. A lazing Weddel seal at Bills, so went off to watch and take a few photos of it as it barely stirred contemplating very little and sleeping quietly as penguins wadded by.
We have the afternoon off to do jobs on base and tomorrow is an official day off to do as we please. Weather allowing, I hope I can spend much of it outside watching wildlife and marvelling in this place.
11 December: cold and snowy morning
Cook today, so in the mad world I find myself, I was tasked with using up the last of the avocados we were given by the yacht and making scrambled egg and toast. A slow start today and after making bread and leaving it to rise, I was out in the snow for some wildlife watching. Was quite snowy and cold. The penguin highways had been filled in with snow and penguins were looking quite cold on their nests with snow being blown up against again. The tide was low so there were more rocks to be seen in the bay and lying on some snow on an ice shelf was a lazing Weddel seal, quite disinterested in anything around. There were many oddly shaped ice bergy bits strewn on the rocks with the occasional penguin sitting amongst them. Lunch and then a knitting lesson for Shabs who has decided that he is making something for his Secret Santa. The whole afternoon was spent with all of us hiding our various efforts from one another as there seems to be increasing concern about what is to me made for each Secret Santa recipient…. more to follow on Christmas day…
Made evening meal, a coconut, bean creation and cous cous and a pear/apple crumble. This was followed by Love Actually on the laptop… Christmas is coming. Bread was a success after some master class tips from Jerome about kneading and seems by snipping the dough with scissors before baking I know have a large seeded loaf that looks like a dinosaur with spikes.
Getting to bed at 11, spotted a yacht arriving in the bay. We are due to go tomorrow afternoon to a ship to give a presentation but not do a shop so the others have been on this ship before and so plan an afternoon of internet and using the facilities. Hoping to get this posted tomorrow… fingers crossed.
12 December: Oh my…
General jobs in the morning getting ready for the afternoon on the Octantis.
We were collected and taken by zodiac around to Damoy Bay to the ship. Oh my what a ship. En route to the ship we passed the support vessel that is involved in with the two submersibles that passengers get to go on. I cannot think of anything worse to do and frankly not sure what you might see. It was a rough ride so sounded like a grim thing to do for me. This ship was luxurious… some of our group went to the spa, two of us preferred to sweat it out on the gym. Finding that although the work here is quite physical and exhausting at times, getting on the cross trainer, and rowing machine was very welcome change. Counteracted any good from that with a delicious lunch and oh my, some delicious small fruit tartlets…. Heaven! A presentation in a lecture theatre on the ship and some hellos via WhatsApp and we were back off home again. What I didn’t mention was as we were leaving PL to get on the zodiacs to get to the boat there was a dead skua in out walkway to the landing site. We are generally looking out for any changes in wildlife behaviours and of course deaths. Skuas have been one of the scavenging birds most affected by bird flu, so it had stop us in our tracks when we saw it. This of course could just e a dead bird from natural causes, but we are now particularly watching the skuas to see if any other issues to concern us. IATTO have been informed and we have adjusted our biosecurity measures as this has focussed or minds somewhat. Hopefully a false alarm but we will see.
We returned to PL after our trip to the boat (no shop today) and home to have dinner, cancels postcards, got a few postcards written as Laura is sending 3 postbags tomorrow via a cruise ship going to the Falklands.
13 December: windy and wild
An abrupt start to the morning. Usually we start with a cuppa but the propane gas cylinder has run out…….. so emerging from the bunk room, wrapped up and headed out to change the cylinder, off to the boat house to get a full one and then getting it in place so we could all have a cup of tea. Why do these things always happen at the worst time… early morning and blowing a gale outside?
There was a yacht in the bay, and they requested a visit from some of the team to be able to shop. Howling weather but two went out to sell a few items and came back like drowned rats. Successful venture but rest of the morning was spent making a banana bread with some very ripe bananas and discussing how to manage the huge amount of unnecessary “stuff” we have in the corridor and to manage better biosecurity into the building.
At 2pm three of us were collected to go to a ship to run a shop and do a presentation. It was a ship chartered for Americans and boy, they were keen on shopping. We did not stop putting purchases through… 3 hours later had had hardly come up for air….. really helpful crew and they managed to finalise the shop and we got away for 6pm… with me saying I needed wine when we got back to one of the team. Fortunately, I was overheard by one of the crew, so we also left with a bottle of Rose and the kitchen had given us a whole lot of pastries! We made nearly £10,000 for the Trust in a frantic afternoon of craziness. Jerome had made a Thai green curry for when we got back, so after an exhausting day, we were tucked under blankets with hot water bottles to chill out in the evening. Tomorrow, the ship that was due in has had a medical emergency and is heading back to Ushuaia… looks like the day is ours tomorrow😊
Not sure if you see the comments by I have to say what a great read this is Lisa. Covering so much, doing so much. Thinking of you and this great adventure every day and inspired to reach for my own xx