Antarctica - Spectacular, Incredible, Amazing....Icebergs!

Did you know that icebergs are Spectacular! Incredible! Amazing! Icebergs are not just big hunks of ice, looking to punch a hold in the bottom of your boat! Many times we were surrounded by huge, glistening icebergs! The Corinthian employed a Second Mate whose job was solely to watch for icebergs.

As we cruised through the icebergs, the Expedition Team educated us as to the "lingo" of icebergs. We saw many Growlers - floating ice which is 3 feet or less above the sea surface.  Often Growlers are old, clear and very hard.  An iceberg itself, is ice which has calved from a glacier, ice sheet or ice cap, which is at least 15 feet above the surface. A Glacier is ice which is moving over land. An Ice Shelf is an area of thick flat ice which is attached to land. A crevasse is a crack in a glacier caused by the movement of the ice as it moves downhill. Crevasses can be incredibly blue in color - often neon blue. Typically only 10-20% of the iceberg is above water and it is difficult to judge the shape or size of the underwater portion of the iceberg. The largest iceberg reported was the height of a 55 story building!

I apologize in advance for the fact that you will see many more pictures in my other posts. Icebergs are absolutely incredible!

 

Antarctica - preparing for landing and our first stop Aitcho Island

In preparation for Antarctica, OAT sends each adventurer (that's my description!) a bright water-proof, red jacket. Other expedition companies provide red jackets as well. The jackets are well designed, as we enjoyed numerous pockets, the long length of the jacket and a hood.  Don't we look better dressed identically in our photographs? My guess is the folks at OAT have learned over the years that adventurers has more fun when they are well-prepared and comfortable. We received a detailed list of what to bring, such as long underwear, water-proof pants and water-proof gloves. Those venturing from Florida and California had to do some heavy-duty shopping before the trip.

Above is one of the informative maps prepared by Iggy's wife, Claudia. She was a PHD biologist from Brazil who had studied tropical wildlife. We wondered why a tropical biologist would spend her life in Antarctica.  On the last day, we realized she was married to Iggy.  Da....

Prior to our flight to Ushuaia, we were advised to place our warm coats and pants into our backpacks as to not risk baggage problems. We also cross-packed to make sure we would not ruin our good time!

Good advice as Andy and Marcia experienced first hand the loss of a bag. Andy's bag did not arrive until we were on the way to Antarctica. Consider not having any of your warm clothes or change of clothes for 4 days!

 Does Andy look happy?

After dressing for the weather (which averaged 34 degrees - much warmer than in Michigan!), we prepared for landing. We received our (previously-sized) boots in Ushuaia and stored them outside in our personal locker on the stern of the Corinthian. Our group (the Sexy Seals) contained 25 people.  We would be called on the ship intercom and then proceed to the stern (back) of the boat to disembark. We would step into a disinfectant solution before we stepped into the dinghy. On embarking we would brush off the dirt, stand for our boots to be power-washed on our person and again, step into the pink solution for what was called the "biosecurity and inspection procedure".

Ready to board the dinghy!

 

Aitcho Island was not a scheduled stop, but the crossing had been easy and we arrived into the South Shetlands earlier in the day than had been expected. The Expedition Team was the first to head to shore to see if the conditions were suitable for landing.  Meanwhile we bundled up and gathered our cameras. We were advised to cover our cameras with a "zip lock bag" as we would experience splashing as we headed to shore.  Hats, gloves, long undies, coats, hats, cameras - what else! Our leader, Ignacio would give us a briefing and send us off. Ignacio was amazing. He would keep us up to date at all times on the ship intercom.  If someone saw wildlife from the deck, Iggy would alert us. We wanted to see it all and wonderfully, the crew of the Corinthian wanted us to see it all!

 

 

Our goal in landing was not to disturb the penguins or other wildlife, but we were still able to view them closely. Often they would be walking and we would wait while they crossed in front of us. We would laugh while the big babies would chase their parents, looking for a meal. We enjoyed both the Chinstrap Penguins and Gentoos on Aitcho Island.

 

The penguins on the right are Gentoo Penguins. Notice the white patch on their heads. They average about 30 inches in height. As with other Penguin types, the parents typically form long-lasting bonds and both are nurturing. The preferred nest is made of pebbles, which they occasionally steal from another Penguin's nest.  The mother lays two eggs, which are incubated by both parents for about a month. The babies remain in the nest for up to a month and the parents take turns foraging for food, sometimes leaving the other parent in charge and without food for up to a week.

 This Penguin is a Chinstrap Penguin. Can you guess why? They are a bit smaller than the Gentoo Penguin. The lifespan of a Penguin is from 15-23 years. The feet of the Chinstrap are a beautiful pink color. They are easily distinguished and are, I must admit, my favorite!

We were fortunate to see many Humpback Whales.  Notice the "blow". Humpbacks range in size from 40-50 feet and can about 80,000 pounds.

 

Antarctica - the Drake Passage

The Drake Passage is the body of water between Cape Horn and the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. The 500 mile wide passage is the shortest crossing from the world's land to Antarctica. The Passage can be extremely treacherous with the unimpeded waves of the vast Southern Ocean squeezing through the narrow Drake Passage and has been named the most dangerous ship passage in the world. At times in summer, it can be possible to avoid bad weather and the Passage is then called the "Drake Lake". On the way over to Antarctica we enjoyed the Drake Lake! The weather was clear and we enjoyed two restful days and nights until we were able to land with our dinghies in Antarctica.

During the crossing, we enjoyed lectures with the Naturalists, such as "Birds of the Drake Passage and Antarctica", "Photographic Techniques in the Antarctic" and "The Discovery and Early Exploration of Antarctica". Topics that are of great interest to us!

We saw black-browed Albatrosses and a lone Royal Albatross, following the ship.

Another interesting topic was that of Antarctic Convergence. This is where the cold, dense, southerly waters come into contact with the warmer, less dense, northerly waters and begin an intense mixing. Nutrients are brought to the surface and this is an area of diversity of marine life. Seawater temperature typically decreases more than 5 degrees when crossing the boundary. Often the result is fog.

 

We also talked about the Beaufort Wind Scale. This scale would be useful on the return trip across the passage. We were watching the weather closely and became aware as we began our return back to Ushuaia across the Drake Passage, that a big storm was approaching.  As we began the return trip, we saw a pod of beautiful black and white hourglass dolphins alongside. Isn't that a sign of good luck?

During the night the storm continued to build and most adventurers did not sleep well with winds peaking at 70 knots!  That is over 80mph! Needless to say the decks were closed to outdoor exploration. I spent most of my time on the bridge enjoying the weather and Jim spent most of that time in our cabin, as he was not feeling well.  The staff of Corinthian was extremely accommodating and delivered meals whenever requested. My experience at sleeping onboard a bouncing sailboat was an asset when it became time to sleep. Though there were "seatbelts" on the bed, I chose a cozy spot on the floor between the bed and the wall!

Marcia and I were sitting at lunch as she took this picture of her Diet Coke.

Below, notice the strategically placed "puke" bags.

As we approached Ushuaia the wind continued at 50 knots, but once we entered the Beagle Channel, she ship became more stable and we were able to view the Imperial Cormorants and Black-browed Albatrosses.

Ushuaia - still on the way to Antarctica!

After a few days in Buenos Aires, we flew from the other airport in Buenos Aires. There are both an international airport and a domestic airport in Buenos Aires. The flight to Ushuaia was another 4 hour flight. Ushuaia is called, fin del mundo (and you know by now your blogger can translate this for you! "end of the world"). Ushuaia is considered the southern most city in the world, located in Tierra del Fuego (land of fire - volcano land) province. It is located on the Beagle Channel. (now you are talking! We are talking HMS Beagle - like Darwin!!  Just as a note - the Beagle Channel was on my Bucket List! Beautiful spot!) During the early 20th Century, the city was populated by a prison, as an attempt to increase the population. The population of prisoners were mostly repeat offenders and serious criminals.

We visited the prison and managed to snap this picture of the prisoner.

Today the Ushuaia area is a tourist attraction. A beautiful city built into the mountains, with a few small cruise ships occasionally in the harbor. Adrienne and Joe, our daughter and son-in-law, spent two weeks hiking and camping in Patagonia and enjoyed time in Ushuaia over the holidays, just a few weeks before we arrived.

Tierra de Fuego has a National Park is the only coastal park, which is renown for its remote location, raging winds and rugged landscape. The park protects unique flora and fauna.

This picture is not one of two of the prisoners, but rather my dear sister, Marcia and her beloved husband Andy.  We were so lucky to have them with us. Isn't it nice when you not only love your family, but like them too?

What a nice elderly couple!

 

 

As you can see, the flowers are incredible!

 

Our ship was the Corinthian and was beautiful. There were 96 passengers ad 66 crew.

 

The Beagle Channel is a strait in the archipelago island chain of Tierra del Fuego.  The Channel separates Argentina and Chile. Just north of the Beagle Channel are the Straits of Magellan. Just south of the Channel is the Drake Passage. The Beagle Channel and Straits of Magellan are relatively narrow by shipping terms.

We picked up a pilot as we began the cruise in the Beagle Channel to assist with the navigation. though in my opinion, a pilot was required merely for the creation of a job. We watched as the pilot played on his phone through the Channel. Let's just say Booboo could have navigated the Channel as well as our Pilot, though Booboo is not so great with technology.

As you can see, Booboo attempted to go with us. He knew his skills were needed on this trip.

 

 

 

Buenos Aires - on the way to Antarctica!

We arrived Thursday, January 16 in Buenos Aires. Our flight time from Detroit, connecting (and laying over for 4.5 hours) in Miami was 16 and a half hours. Long flight, but what a city!

Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city in Argentina and the second largest metropolitan area in South America after Brazil's Sao Paulo. It is located on the Rio de la Plata (which your novice Spanish speaker now knows is the River of Silver). The population of Buenos Aires is 13 million.

The architecture is beautiful and surprising. Many building are European in style and the city is known as the Paris of South America. Many Europeans settled in Buenos Aires and a surprising percentage of residents in Buenos Aires are Italian or of other European descent. Our guide's name was Martin Solari.

The political situation in Argentina has been tentative for many years. Presidents come and go and inflation is a way of life. We spent time with Joel Goldman, who is a journalist for ABC. He is an American, married to an Argentinian woman with two children. He has lived in Argentina for 25 years. He explained that over the last 20 years, the Argentinean peso has added 13 zeros to its currency. There were periods where educated Argentinians fled the country. Canada solicited Argentinian physicians and many left the country. (Do you know how Ecuador has dealt with their inflation?  Remember that President Correa was friends with Hugo Chavez. - they use the US dollar as their currency!)

Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) attempts to share political history as part of the experience. We have found this information very interesting in many countries where we have traveled. Usually the discussion takes place during bus travel, as not to expose our guides true conversation.

We enjoyed dinner at a Tango Club and learned about the dance and the music. Did you know there are famous Tango singers? We do now! Do you recognize this couple?

Did you know Pope Francis is from Buenos Aires? How about his history as a chemical technician and a night club bouncer before entering the seminary? He was the Archbishop of Buenos Aires and we visited his church in Buenos Aires.

Finally, what visit to Argentina would be complete without stopping at Recoleta, where Eva Peron is buried in the Duarte family vault. I really wonder how happy she would be to be buried in the wealthiest area of Buenos Aires in the most expensive cemetery. Seems like the working class poor cemetery might be more appropriate for her wishes. Needless to say, she is revered in Argentina and her likeness is emblazoned on one of the large buildings along the main street of Buenos Aires.

Nicaragua - our most important home visit with Martell

Stan Grogg retired from private practice as a Pediatrician and took a position at Oklahoma State University as the head of Clinical Medicine. He is an amazing human being who is dedicated to teaching his medical students and helping those in need. His wife, Barbara is totally focused on their goal of teaching students, while helping others.

We met Stan and Barb when they were in Bay City.  They were cruising the Great Loop and had mechanical trouble which kept them in Bay City for a few weeks.  Their mechanic...was our mechanic and Ed, called us (as fellow Loopers) to suggest we meet the Groggs. Well, one dinner lead to two dinners.  Stan and Barb asked us to go to Africa. We loved it. They asked us to go to Nicaragua and we loved it...again, but more than that, we received a gift.

Seldom in life is one so touched to be brought to tears. Our souls were touched on this mission and especially by Stan and his gift to Martell.

 

On an earlier trip, Stan made a home visit to Martell. He found Martell, lying on a bed near the door of his home. His parents cared for him and moved him on his bed. He was too heavy to move in any other way. Martell was severely affected by meningitis at 5 months. He was significantly mentally disabled, has little sight or hearing. He is now 25 and is cared for daily by his mother and father. He had not been out of their home since he was a toddler and his mother could carry him.

We had to climb up this hill with the wheelchair to reach Martell's home.

Martell's story stuck in Stan's mind. He knew Martell's only chance to get out of his home to the outdoors, was a special wheel chair. Martell cannot sit up for long periods and needs to lay down. His feet are gnarled, so he would need support for his legs. Quite a special and expensive wheel chair.

Stan and Barb were in a medical warehouse and Stan spotted the wheel chair. How he managed to obtain the chair I don't know, but they were not leaving without the chair. Nathan is a college sophomore at University of Oklahoma. He is a big, strong guy. Nathan pushed the wheel chair through the airport and brought it to the airplane door.

On the last day of home visits, our local manager met us at Martell's home with the wheelchair in the bed of his truck. It was a long ride, far into the countryside. We gathered to climb up the hill to the home. Though we were not expected, we were happily greeted by Martell's parents who showed us Martell, asleep on his bed. Martell was spotlessly clean. Stan wheeled up the chair and explained to his parents what they could do with the chair. His parents cried.  They picked up Martell, one lifting his shoulders and the other his feet. They wheeled him outside for the first time.

Martell squealed in glee. He was so happy and so were his parents!....and so were we!

Look at Stan's joy at finding this wheelchair for Martell!

What a joy to bring such happiness to this handicapped young man and his parents. Nothing we could have done would have made a better day!  Thank you Stan and Barb for the joy you brought to our hearts!

Nicaragua Medical Mission; practicing medicine and loving every minute of it!

Stan and Barb Grogg asked us to accompany them on a second Medical Mission. Stan is the Director of Clinical Medicine at Oklahoma State University. Barb runs their Travel Medicine Clinic as well as organizing numerous mission trips during the year. (six trips per year to Nicaragua alone!) Barb is truly the most organize person I have ever met. She attends to every detail.

As you can see, Stan is one fun guy!

 

We spent two weeks in Uganda in March  with Stan and Barb and flew to Nicaragua in December for a week with the Groggs, medical students, doctors and others. We worked in tandem with Just Hope/DOCARE Global Outreach in Chacraseca, Nicaragua.

During the 1980's the US was deeply involved in the politics of Nicaragua. You will remember the "Contras". (Ollie North) This was a movement against the Sandinistas and grew into a war that killed over 50,000 Nicaraguans (in a country with a population of 3,000,000). The US placed an embargo and mined Nicaraguan harbors in an effort to economically destabilize the Sandinistas. In the World Court the US was found guilty and ordered to pay millions of dollars in reparation fees. Not one dime was ever paid. Nicaragua continues to be in political turmoil.

The population is now just under 6,000,000 with a per capita income in poor areas of $300 per year.  Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the hemisphere. Malnutrition is 40% nationally and 70% in poor areas. Illiteracy is 60% in poor areas and we came upon many older people who were unable to read for a vision test. 76% of the population lives in extreme poverty on less than $2/day, so few are able to buy medication or buy glasses to see.

Nicaraguans are enterprising. They have built communal businesses such as brick factories, bakeries and hardwares. Clever crafts abound, but they remain mostly subsistence farmers.

We found this display in front of one of the churches.  90% of the country is Roman Catholic, but few attend on Sundays. Holidays, on the other hand, are well attended.

Public education is free, but many families cannot afford the clothing, supplies and transportation for their children.

Health care is free as well, but our visit to the largest hospital in Leon (second largest city in Nicaragua), exhibited a third world level of care. On the other hand we were pleasantly surprised with the advanced level of care in specific areas such as dialysis, and neonatal care.

As we walked by the door of this room, a baby was being bathed immediately after birth.

 

 

As we walked by this room, we could not help, but notice the lack of cleanliness we expect in the States.  We learned to say...well, this is Nicaragua!

This grouping of doctors has a professional look. Keep in mind there is no air conditioning in the hospital. We were visiting during the coolest season. Summer must be sweltering, though there is an openness with no windows or screens for mosquitoes.  In fact the Dengue Fever room has mosquito nets over the beds to keep Dengue Fever from spreading to healthy patients. The doctors we met were dedicated to their patients as they were not getting rich as doctors in Nicaragua.

This is the Main Clinic in Chacreseca.

 The Peace House in Chacreseca.

Classroom we used to treat patients.

I can't figure out how to rotate this darling boy.

Our ride was as long as an hour and a half each day, down dirt roads to find the school or building where we were setting up a clinic for the day. Riding in the back of the pickup meant you were covered with dust when you arrived in the morning. Some of us look better covered with dust.

 

This is Genevieve, who is a General Practitioner in Bakersfield, CA. She is extremely knowledgeable and likable. I enjoyed the home visits with her. Osteopathic Doctors have a different approach at times, than MD's. Manipulation is part of her patient care.

Barb Grogg, on the left is a Nurse Practitioner and the Admiral in charge. Linda, in red, is an RN who works in research at Oklahoma State University.

This is Dr Jim, posing as an Optometrist. Doesn't he look professional in his scrubs and shorts?

Intake or triage is an important job. Nina is a student at Oklahoma State, learning to ask those piercing questions. Nicaraguans are a modest people and it can be difficult to get to the heart of the problem.

This was our typical lunch. As a vegetarian, I was the lucky one as beans, rice and cheese work well for me! There was no lack of food. We had hoped to lose a few pounds and....that didn't happen.

Every one worked as a team. Regina in the cap is the head of the Women's Clinic at Oklahoma State. Felicity on the left is a medical student. Terry is a psychologist. Amanda is a medical student specializing on OMM. We learned that OMM is Osteopathic Manipulation ....something. She is quite an expert and expects to return to her small town home in Wisconsin when she graduates.

An important part of the mission is teaching students. Here Genevieve is teaching Justin, a medical student about this woman's diabetes. We treated many people with diabetes, though the medication to treat the disease is difficult to obtain. Hispanics have a higher percentage of diabetics in the population than Caucasians, so it is a critical issue in Nicaragua.

 

 Meeting people in their homes was the most meaningful part of the mission. These patients were unable to travel to the clinic and we walked long distances and rode in the back of pickup trucks, sometimes up to an additional hour to see them. As the scribe, I recorded name, age and treatment. Surprising to see what a hard life and lack of medical care can do to one physically. One ages much faster in this environment.

 The kitchen in a large home. That is a wood burning stove on the back wall for cooking. Rarely is there a need for heat to warm the home.

This s the main area of the home. Chickens and pigs may walk through the home when we are visiting with the patient.

We had clinic one day at this home. We worked outside, which was very comfortable and productive.

 

 

 I tried to go to Picasa to rotate this picture, but it isn't working. She is so cute, you get to see her sideways.

This sweet man brought a few friends in his wagon to the clinic for treatment. Most people walked to the clinic, while others rode horses, rode in wagons or rode on a motorcycle.

Our visit to the beaches of Nicaragua was incredible. We arrived for dinner just before sunset. Those crazy medical students insisted on going for a swim, some in their clothes! The water was like bath water. What fun!

Our most meaningful home visit was to see Martell. He deserves a page of his own.