Antarctica

In a year, on January 31, 2012, we'll be cruising the South Shetland Islands, of which there are a couple dozen, most of them with two names, one for Russians and the other for everybody else. More penguins and seals, and a lot of coldness -- the midsummer* average temperature is about 35 degrees Fahrenheit. So I'll need to pack something warm or huddle inside for several days, which hardly seems a good way to spend time on a cruise. It doesn't look like they plan on us landing anywhere, which is probably just as well: Wikipedia says that "...[the islands]  remain more than 80% snow and ice covered throughout the summer." Plus which the resident population is 0 -- lots of research stations and scientists of several nationalities, nobody selling souvenirs or hawking lichen burgers to tourists.


I'm beginning to appreciate that I'm going to be on this big boat for FOUR MONTHS. We spend three days cruising around Antarctica. I'll need to be sure and do a lot of meditating during our times at sea, otherwise I can see myself getting into a "you've seen one iceberg, you've seen them all, when's the next lounge show?" frame of mind.

*No, really, midsummer. We're in the Southern Hemisphere, so in end of January there is like the end of July here.