Wednesday, December 28.

Today at 6 pm  our ship left the harbor  Ushuaia. It is the southernmost city of Argentina and the world at large. Tierra del Fuego. Weather gorgeous. Accepted for sunbathing. Our friends have a smell in their cabin – the previous tour seemed troubled. Also  we visited the entire ship. . This  research ship  (in past)  was converted for travel. Passengers from all around the world – Mexico, Germany, Italy, Spain. We were the first travelers from Ukraine on board. Our people prefer to travel by former Soviet ships. We took sun bath all day  long on  the deck.

Unexpected met former countrymen – Armenian doctor-Constantine.

Thursday, December 29.

The night flashed. Almost no one here. Dark at 12 and again at the third light. At 6 am, very cold. Wind. Whiskey helps . All our company picks the eyes to ocean , looking for icebergs. But not  yet. Happy person, who see the first iceberg, win a prize from captain. Strait strangely quiet. Explorers and scientists have warned us that this * quite * summer shed raging over at least 5-7 hurricanes. You must get the *eye * of  storms and pass the strait with him. But we have a gentle ocean. The albatross appear. After dinner, marine researchers lectured about Antarctica and its inhabitants. Food so-so.

Friday, December 30.

Very cold morning. Now we go through the mysterious Convergence Line. This – Antarctic temperature border. Here are facing the cold Antarctic water  with * warm * mainland. In the line of convergence is always fog. *Slowest  pass* The ship  barely moving. We are looking for icebergs, whales and the earth. Temperature of the  water +2. Iceberg! Huge – table form!

Whale! Where vision is cast – all pillars of water. Whales do not jump from the water. Only fontans of  water. We take pictures. But it is too difficult! You can not understand when and where they appear . Slow waves in the ocean. At dinner  not too many people. Our friends are not all have good feeling.

After lunch, suddenly appeared  strong smell of fish. Jump penguins! Very small. 50-60cm. Land! Instruction – no smoking, no litter, not touch, do not eat. To the wind -  you can not. We wash our boots – Health abroad for our younger brothers. Red Zodiac . Spatter. Landing on the island. Around the pile of bones – remains of whales. Lying slob – Uedella seal. If eared – bad type seals. If no ears – good. First penguins on land. Movie star. He has photo session. Skua – predatory bird.  Occasionally prey on small penguins. Photo with whale bones. Instantly sounds exclamation of instructor. Wind -25 knots. All great!

Smell in the cabin of our friends   not disappears. Wine bottle from the captain and strawberry  – present from cap.

Saturday, December 31.

Morning. Cold. Then much warmer. Early landing. By boat between icebergs to the shore. As you approach it becomes clear that nonsense on the shore – a million penguins. They are not afraid of anyone. We are between penguins and they are between us. Very interesting. Punch in tuxedos! Seal on the shore. Anxiety! Panic! All run away. On top of the hill – the remains of wooden homes  -  Norwegian polar explorers. In 1903 there occurred near a large shipwreck. Need to overwinter. A wintering here – not honey. Survived  during the long polar night, feeding on  by penguins. Abuzz ship anxiously – ice slabs converge, one must go away. We get to* Zodiac *  and pass with respect  between majestic creations of nature – the icebergs. Stories useless. Photos – faded copy.

Brown Bluff. A quiet bay. On the snowy slopes many brown trails. This is the penguins trails. For food – down 100 meters and 100 meters up/ Return to child. Quoting tiny. Trail is  narrow. Contreflow of  penguins. Sometimes different – sometimes disperse peacefully, sometimes both. Depth of trail more then penguins growth. Upon a stone nests sit  a wife. Favorite thing of birds colonies – to theft  stones and building their own homes. We  watched them whole hour. Movie! What happening! Stinks very much.

Evening – New Year. First, Ukrainian, and then – Argentina. Team and other passengers were offered a range of entertainment and competitions for adults.

Sunday, January 1.

Today we get into Deception island! It is the island of lie. Island – a volcano cauldron filled with ocean water. 14.5 km crater diameter . A narrow entrance. It still must be found. And from the outside no place to landing.

Inside – a hurricane. Water temperature of  ice. We came to the shore. Stack sand – steam. Concavity immediately filled with water 60 degree temperature. Solid deceit! At the bank – hangars  of English station. Modular. Whale hunters boats. Everything was covered with volcanic sand. Whales bones. Raging ocean. Bathing quickly. We are here to do this. Minute in the ocean, dug-out moment in a pole. Do this several times. Eyes on the forehead.

After dinner wandered on the other side of the crater. Buildings  of Chilean station. They are here one month per year. Next – Spanish station. When we arrived –  celebrated the New Year.

Run to the external side of Caldera. On the slopes found colony of chinstraps. They  are  a penguins with a smile. Among them are wandering albatross. If them scare – they take off like in movie. We were lucky. Tourists almost never arrived this place. Too far from  the shore. Chinstraps here and Domesticated.

We leave Deception. Good-bye – a miracle of nature! Every night in the cabin sums up the campaign events of the day, traveled route and give us the names of  species and animals that we encountered

Today Doctor fed us by borsch!

Monday, January 2.

Day seemed to be foggy. Rain. We landed on the island Danko . Huge numbers of Adele penguins. They do not care rain. Passengers become sad. Not too dry on the ships. Seals lying around. Leopards are not visible. They are – enemies of the penguins. Ably lacked penguin and, like dumplings, swallows. Dr. landing every time  first and sits with his  alarming suitcase in anticipation – if someone becomes ill?

On the way back we pass between icebergs. They all settled! Where one seal where the two. Here is a  leopard. One. Yawning. Serious palate. Outstanding. Sometimes iceberg populated with group of penguins. Sometimes you can see the penguin-alone. This is a social creature. It needs noise, shouting, commotion, and, of course, the smell.

Lunch – yummy. The entire deck – barbeque. About meat – in Argentina with it  all OK. After lunch, landing on the mainland. From the mountains  Glacier  ran to Bay. Weather improved. Wait for a  fell of the glacier. Many people sleep under the sun, and ice has not collapsed. Saw on the horizon the giant ship. Troubles. The huge ship in each place stay hole  day – so everybody can make a landing. A passenger happens 1000 and more. And we did, all 60 people. We are, ukrainians 14. Have time to watch 2 different places every day.

Ship began to move away. Smooth ocean like a mirror.

O wonder! Ahead  an iceberg the size of a furniture hypermarket. Like a crown. The sight is not for nervous. We were told that  biggest amount of photo during  travel – 8000 images for 12 days. Frankly I say – we have more.

In the evening  - movie. Heroes are the same – penguins.

Tuesday, January 3.

True Paradise. Mountains, glaciers, waves of whales. Silence. Ear lays. Received warning – after disembarking do not ride from the mountains on plastic bags! Thank you for saying. In cleaning room took roll with bags. From the top of it very fun!

Below  is an Argentine station. The only inhabitants – penguins. Argentines are not the most hardworking people in the world. At the time, decided to set fire in the station, hoping the government will take them to the Great Land. But no! They had to take a winter in small house! Nearby lie seals. They are all lying. Half opened eye grunt and then sleeping. Whales in the Gulf! We tried to calculate the trajectory of motion and find one where he jump up. How ridiculous! Whale can sit under water for half an hour, and even swims quite fast. After dinner – Port  Lokroy. British saved different staff – and canned ham, and skiing, and clothing, and gas burner. Do not forget to open a post office are a souvenir shop. Emails. Letter just  $ 10. T-shirt $ 30. Near station  on a long rope big whale bone. A good souvenir. The main thing is big. The week passed. We soon leave this place. And we didn’t touch  penguins jet. But they are under observing. Good luck with us. Rain. Everyone want to return ship. Only two of us remain. Quietly pass to a colony of penguins. Females with children  we do not hatch chip. Look! Jump! No!. Surrounds. Cries.  Big  penguin eye, like gooseberries. A friend jumps and affects penguin. Satisfied. Now my turn. Jump. Falls. Penguin in my hands! Cold and wet. Hard. Very satisfied. How satisfied Penguin – I can not know. All.

Now only Vernadsky station.

Wednesday, January 4.

Get up at 6th. Wake up everybody! Entering  Lemarsky Strait. Beauty. Mounts. Clouds at a height of 50 meters. Like a huge sausage. Low sun. Everything is flooded with gold. Lemarsky Strait can be passed if ice conditions allow. Even a week ago, our ship would not pass. Now we can. Ship moves very slowly. Narrow strait – 1.6 km in the widest place. It is quite long – 11 km. Both sides are mountain. At the entrance we see nunataky – mountain peaks surrounded by glaciers, Polar formation. Elsewhere appear and disappear back whales. We are moving between icebergs. Sometimes one can hear muffled sounds. Affected. All around the whales jump.

Connection to the station by radio. Announces  about 14 Ukrainians. Do not believe. This event -  first time. Worry. There is nothing to welcome us – end of long winter .

The station is located in the Gulf. From  the ocean not visible. Many buildings on the shore and a big group of Ukrainians! All rejoice. We are  in Ukraine!  We also visited all station. Great. Affairs a lot. Come into the main building. First floor – laboratory, metrological office, something linked to the ozone hole infirmary, skiing. Different things! This  station is former English. Now Ukrainian. Present  from UK. Watch yearly.  Free time  for fishing. Then make  a film about themselves. You can play billiards. You can go to the gym. But almost all just want to go home. Guestbook is full. No Ukrainians in it. There are sometimes  Russians caps. The first winter after the ships are very pleased, then – only nostalgia. Time to go  home. First floor – for guests. A table is laid. Music. Women need to donate a bra. Lots of on the station … 2 hours  passed away. Memory about Maydan – sing the hymn of Ukraine. This was our last stop. . Course to Ushuaia.

Thursday – January 5.

Relax on the deck. Reading. Remaining some sweets from New Year. After dinner   crash with the whale. There were seven whales. Whale-boy always played with the ship. Abortive maneuver and strike. Blood. Several women wept. Team in despair. It can be big trouble if the port will know what happened.

In the evening –  lecture and film.

Friday, January 6.

Began to pick up luggage. Weather is good. Looking forward for Cape Horn. Not seen. Evening – captains dinner and presentation of travel. Also issue certificates of completion of the worst on the planet Strait – Strait, named after the pirate Drake!

Saturday, January 7.

Exactly on time at the 7th o’clock  our ship entered the port. Other adventures wait  for us!

Afterword

Part of our team made a catamaran trip to the Beagle Channel. Without waiting for a fair wind, decided burlachyt. And so passed the 200 km, found unnamed glacier and gave  to him name * Ukraine *. After returning to port receive official certificate, which bring to home and told  to all media.

Others wandered through the territory of Argentina.

Two (we are) went to highest  mountain in South America – Aconcagua. Part of program Big Seven. Its height is about 7000 meters. Weather at this monster is very diverse. Unfortunately, heavy snow and wind did not allow travelers to reach above 6050 meters.

Unknown Ukraine around and waiting for us.