DEN to Buenos Aires and then to Ushuaia!

 

 

Our trip started the way most four trips do, up early, check in, Club Room, Plane and fly to destination. Today was just a bit different. All went well till we were in Houston ready to board our flight to Buenos Aires (BA). 15 minutes from our boarding time and boom the flight is cancelled. This was due to a crew delay. We were provided with a hotel for the night and meal vouchers. The flight was rescheduled to 0800 the next morning. 

Off to the Hilton Garden near the airport for a few hours sleep. Morning shower was refreshing as there was plenty of cold water. (No hot water) Back to the airport and to a Club Room and finally we were soon on our way to BA.

This is why we always plan on arriving a day early to ease these kinds of events and get used to a new time zone.  

Very nice flight with a great cabin crew. 

Arrived in BA, and made our way to Passport Control. We happened to choose unwisely and got the person who was a tad slow. No problem as we eventually gather our bags and meet a representative for our transfer to the Sofitel Recoleta. Got checked in, laundered some travel clothes and crashed. 

We did receive a welcome letter outlining the next couple of days. The Plan Unfolds As Follows: We will check in with our guides to receive luggage identifier tags, test for COVID, we are asked to try and limit our contact with others.

On 1/31 we will fly to Ushuaia and our bags need to outside our door by 2200 hrs the night before and a to go breakfast will be available at 0300 and we leave at 0400 for the airport. 

Our plan for today (1/30) is to repack our bags making ready for the Ushuaia flight.  We will go out and gather take away food. We know of a great empanada shop and a nice deli nearby. This will get us some walking and a bit of outside time. 

Most folks will probably head out for some Argentinian beef. Yes it is good and is almost as good as Wyoming beef. 

Talked to a couple from BA in the club room who knew of the empanada place I remembered. He was very pleased with my desire to get a spicy beef empanada, which he highly recommended. 

In Ushuaia the plan will be to have lunch at a restaurant and get COVID tested again before boarding the ship.

Stay tuned as we progress on our Journey South.
1/30/2022

Up about 0530 and made our way to breakfast. After breakfast we chilled in our room reading and repacking our bags for tomorrows flight.  We did have another medical form to fill out and were cleared to travel. 

Sadly, we discovered our most excellent Empanada place is closed for refurbishment. We went to a food court in the mall across the way and procured food for lunch and the evening meal. This is to avoid people contact. 

Today, 1/30, we have a COVID test at 1430. The reason we are being super careful is should one test COVID positive we wouldn’t be allowed on tomorrows flight to Ushuaia. In Ushuaia we will be tested again. A positive test means no boarding the ship. We will be tested 1/2 way through the cruise, again if positive quarantine in your room.
 
And so it begins, 0300 wake up and to the lobby at 0400.

The morning seems to be a series of endless lines, bus, get bags, check in, security, and wait, board flight, get bags, get on bus.  Then off to a local rugby club for COVID testing. Lines :). Good news is all are testing negative.

Lunch at a local restaurant which included empanadas, salad, fried potatoes, and a nice assortment of grilled meats. Ice cream for desert. 

Then a drive for a couple photo ops. Then we board the ship. 

As there are only 130 guests, we received an upgrade. Our single room was opened up into an adjoining cabin so we have double space. Nice and roomy. 

There is the crew introductions and safety drill.  Gather for a sail away and depart from Ushuaia. 

Explored the ship a bit and noted there were NO NATURAL HISTORY BOOKS in the library.WHAT!! Glad I brought one.   

We had a simple meal of soup and salad. We also spent a little bit of time visiting with other travelers. 

Off to finish organizing the room and then to bed.  


 


In 1578 Sir Frances Drake was sailing the Golden Hind around the world. When he reached the end of South America he opted for the safe Straits of Magellan to enter the Pacific Ocean. His flotilla encounter stormy weather and his ship the Golden Hind was blown into the Drake Passage. This incident demonstrated to the English that there was open water south of South America.

The Drake Passage is known for rough seas. This is due to a combination of a few factors.  The Drake Passage is the shortest route from Antarctica to the rest of the world, (620 miles) making it an area where the winds have less area to disperse. While the passage is deep (11,500’), there is a feature known as the Antarctic convergence. Simply put, between 50 and 60 degrees South Latitude the Antarctic Ocean and the other oceans meet.

It is here the warm water of the Northern Oceans (Pacific and Atlantic) meets the cold water of the Antarctic Ocean causing an upwelling. This contributes to creating a nutrient rich environment of plankton and krill. It is these small elements that sustain all animal life in Antarctica.

RETURN TO THE SOUTHERN ICE - I HAVE POLAR FEVER

 

 

 

 

RETURN TO THE ICE: 

Eight years ago we made our first visit to Antarctica with Lindblad National Geographic on the Explorer. I must say it was one of our most memorable experiences. 



Today, 1/27/2022, we start our return journey to Antarctica. Those who know me know I have Polar Fever and am drawn to these regions. This time we are traveling with Adventures by Disney, who has chartered the Ponant Cruise Line’s ship Le Lyrial. Lindblad set a very high bar in many aspects and it will be interesting to see the differences. At this writing, I was hesitant to travel to Antarctica with ABD, yet we can use our Disney Vacation Club points.

 

I will compare the different experiences at a later date in a post trip blog entry. 



Due to COVID, this trip has been a GO/NO GO rollercoaster. Finally the decision to GO was made (I think Disney did not want to lose money).  Most ABD trips slated to a country at Level 4 have been cancelled.  



The initial itinerary had a day and half in Ushuaia visiting the sights there. My first thought was nice but get me to The Ice. I was getting interested in some of these activities because of my research. Due to Argentina being at a Level 4 COVID status (High), the pre trip offering in Buenos Aires was canceled, as well as all activities in Ushuaia. Yet, getting extra time down South is good for me.

Arrival paperwork is somewhat of a gauntlet, 72 hour PCR test, Proof of Vaccine, Proof of insurance which covers COVID treatment, then an Argentina Immigration entry form (almost all in Spanish). Then our COVID Vaccine documents must be submitted 48 hours before boarding the ship. 



We will be tested upon our arrival at the Sofitel in Buenos Aires, tested again in Ushuaia before boarding the ship, tested mid trip, and tested for the flight home.

For the past two weeks we have been avoiding public contact and have tested negative for the flight to Buenos Aires.   

Guests on this trip were allowed to cancel for a refund, reschedule to a later date, or GO.  



My research indicates the Ponant Ships are kinda fancy, we will see, and not a requirement for me on an expedition cruise. 



I hope the quality of the naturalists presentations is well done. 



We are arriving a day early in Buenos Aires and will be laying low to avoid COVID. Meals will be takeaway and maybe some walks in a nearby park. I know a great hole in the wall empanada place. 



One thing one must remember is on expedition cruises is that nothing is set in stone, there are plans A-Z and one must roll with the flow. 



Will keep all up to date with entries as the ships Internet allows. 

 

Oh yes, United allows us 3 bags each at 70lbs. Internal Disney Charter one bag at 50lbs and one carryon at 17lbs.  



The capacity of this trip is 190 guests and last we were told there will be 142 guests. 



12/4 OUR LAST DAY IN LONDON, FINDING FUN THINGS ON OUR WALKABOUT

 12/4 London, LAST DAY :(

We sorta kinda slept in, knowing we had to do our preflight COVID tests etc etc . 

We use the Abbott BinexNow kits, pretty easy and fast. We both tested negative and had results within 15 Min.

Lynn did some initial packing and sorting, in preparation for our early start tomorrow.

We plan today to be a walking day and here are the photos and comments to follow:

Yes we started with a bacon butty from the Cabbie Shelter to have later as lunch.

One must Start their day with a Bacon Butty in preparation for Lunch 

 

From the Embankment Station we walked to Trafalgar Square

 Through The Admiralty Arch to The Mall.

In a short bit one passes the Peace Officer Memorial and the on the right side there is a set of stairs. 

At the stairs, to your immediate left is the grave of the German Ambassadors dog. Then there are statues of important men in the history of England. On the left is a statue to John Franklin and across the way is a statute of R. F. Scott. These are men of Polar Exploration fame. 

 

                                                     Captain Cook

                                                     RIP MY BROTHERS

                                                          Franklin

                                                           Scott

Further down the Mall you find a residence, one we all know well.

Now we continue our walk proceeding to Belgravia. We stop at Belgravia Square to have our picnic lunch as we sit on the base a statue of Simon Bolivar. 

Our first stop in Belgravia is the Star Tavern. If a subpoena could be issued for these wall we would learn of The Great Train Robbery, The Profumo Affair and countless other shady dealings hatched in this pub.   

 

From the Star Tavern we wind our way to an other neighborhood pub, The Nags Head. Here no cell phones are allowed, but if one asks nice you can take a picture. Patrons are also expected to come in and hang their coats. Truly an enjoyable little pub. 

Now we are packing for our return home after a most enjoyable trip to the UK.

 
   

NELSON, POLAR EXPLORERS, THE TOWER, CHRISTMAS MARKETS AND A TREE LIGHTING

 12/2 Dateline London: 

We started our day headed to the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich via the Underground and the the DLR. We made a stop at Embankment to get a bacon sandwich from the Cabbie Shelter. This would be our lunch later today. 

 



The National Maritime Museum has a very nice section on Arctic and Antarctic exploration. Yes, it is a bit one sided towards the British Explorers and there are scant references to Amundsen ( who beat Scott to the South Pole). There are many nice artifacts of these expeditions as well as some excellent art work. There is a great interactive board where one can learn more about the members of the British Trans Antarctic Expedition - Shackleton’s Endurance. There are a few photos from Frank Hurley the photographer on the Endurance. 

 

                                        

 

There is also another excellent section on Lord Nelson and life in the Royal Navy of his time. During the Battle of Trafalgar, Lord Nelson was on the deck of his flagship the Victory when he was fatally shot and later died of the wound below deck. Before his death, he knew victory was his. Here one finds Nelson’s coat that he wore during the Battle of Trafalgar. The hole made by the fatal musket shot can be noted. 

In a separate gallery, Turner’s Battle of Trafalgar is on display with a very informative narration.

I then had planned a lunch cruise for Lynn. So we took the Water Bus to the Tower of London. We were served a bacon sandwich and Fanta Orange. All excellent. 

I then had planned a lunch cruise for Lynn. So we took the Water Bus to the Tower of London. We were served a bacon sandwich and Fanta Orange. All excellent. 



At the Tower we walked along the river and across the Tower Bridge. This was so we could walk a long the river past the Christmas Market on the South Bank. At London Bridge, we went south to Borough Market. It is always fun to walk through and we noted more fun when not looking for something to eat, as there are so many choices. 

We the took the Jubilee Line to Waterloo for another market. It was not as large as we had experienced in the past. 

Then we walked across the bridge to the Embankment Underground station for the ride to our hotel. 

 

 



This evening we attended the tree lighting at Trafalgar Square. There is a bit of history behind the Oslo Christmas Tree. In 1940 Norway was invaded by Germany and the King of Norway sought refuge in London. During WWII, news broadcasts were made in Norwegian, and these inspired the people of Norway keeping their hopes of freedom alive. 

The Oslo Christmas Tree in Trafalgar Square has come to symbolize  the relationship between the people of Norway and Britain. The Norway Spruce is over 24 meters high and is about 90 years old. It is decorated with traditional white lights.

It was nice to see a Salvation Army Band playing carols and hearing a choir sing. There were speeches by the Lord Mayors of Westminster and Oslo.   

                                          

                     

 

 

BRITISH MUSEUM AND KNIGHT TEMPLAR

Dec 1 Lynn’s B-Day

The weather was looking a bit drab so Lynn (it is her B-Day) decided to go to the British Museum. So off we went. 

While we have been there many many times, and usually visit anytime we are in London, it is still so interesting. I must say we do find something new on each visit.

The Egyptian artifacts are always a pleasure. They remind me of places I have been. The Shabaqo Stone is amazing and over the years it’s display prominence has been improved. 



From there we traveled to the Temple Church making a stop at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. One always feels so literary there as it was frequented by Dickens,Tennyson, Twain, Johnson and many more.  Agatha Christie wrote that her fictional detective Hercule Poirot dined with a new client at the Cheshire Cheese in her 1924 story The Million Dollar Bond Robbery.

Next we visited the Temple Church, steeped in history of the Knights Templar and the Magna Carta. The Church was severely damaged in WWII and when it was rebuilt an organ was needed. A benefactor from Scotland donated the organ. When the organ was consecrated, The Queen mentioned when in Scotland she had danced often to music from this organ. 

We went across Fleet Street to the Old Bank of England for dinner and learned they were closed for a private event. The George was recommended and off we went. Yes, The George has been added to our list of establishments with very very good food. 

After our meal we returned to the Temple Church for the Advent Carol Service, I am at a loss for words to say how much we enjoy the service. 



Tomorrow we will be off to the National Maritime Museum and some markets.