A Long Drive

Cuverville Island

Reasons – An Unusual Destination – Maverick Life – the Real Reason  (Map this!)

When we asked our fellow passengers for the reason that they had wanted to go to Antarctica, we got an answer similar to the famous repost by George Mallory, “Because it is there”. Antarctica has a mysterious draw that is hard to explain. We met people that had traveled all the way across the world just to run a marathon in King George Island. Others were there for visiting the “Peace Continent”, so called because of the fact that no one country owns it. One thing is certain, it attracts a very select set of travelers.

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On Petermann Island, Antarctic

Specially abled – An eight dollar squish – Penguins! – Dali landscapes.  (Map this!)

It takes a special person to go to Antarctica. To get on a converted Navy ship that takes you through waters so rough that you can barely stand up and lurches so violently that you pray to the God you don’t believe in to have mercy. Mercy that the steak and salmon that you had for dinner in the evening won’t come up in thick partially digested chunks and that the pills you doped up on will keep you comatose till its over. In that sense ‘special’ starts to resemble the politically correct description ‘specially abled’. But our fellow passengers were quite delightful and turned out be a part of the charm of Antarctica, better by far than any other companions we have had on our other previous packaged holidays.

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Ferdinand Magellan

A Portuguese entrepreneur – A Sindhi industrialist – In Punta Arenas – A Hindu temple – Indian food – Being Indian.  (Map this!)

In 1505, a young man from an relatively unknown family undertook a long voyage from Portugal to India, on a route pioneered by Vasco da Gama. The Portuguese were at their height of their maritime prowess and controlled a significant portion of asian trade. Having gained valuable experience the young man proposed a daring expedition to his king; a westerly route to the Spice Islands.

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At Onelli

Perito Moreno – Other glaciers – Calafate.  (Map this!)

The Los Glaciares National Park has two sections, El Chalten, in the North, with the famous peak of Fitzroy and Calafate in the South. From here, you can access the famous Perito Moreno glacier, the arrow headed expanse of ice that tumbles into Lago Argentina. Seeing Perito Moreno is quite a sight, huge pieces of ice crash into the lake with a deafening CRACK!. The glacier creaks and groans almost continuously. Various companies offer “treks” on the glacier, presenting a rare opportunity to study glacial crevasses, moraines and lakes.

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Two roads diverged…

Detritus left behind – The sun never sets over Europe – A border dispute – Malignancy?  (Map this!)

When we travel we leave bits and pieces of ourselves in the places we visit. The services we demand, the cappuccini, the pizza, the hamburgers, all leave behind a trail, a detritus of wants and desires that shape the business and culture of our destination. Larger cities can absorb this waste better than small towns where the proliferation of T-Shirt shops, hamburger stands, and souvenir stalls can lead to toxicity.

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