"50 Best": my favorite photos from nearly 3 months on the road

For you, the modern armchair traveler looking for a quick fix for a bad case of wanderlust, here's the best of the best. 50 or so photos that capture the essence of my trip, and show some of the highlights. This slideshow is a good place to start. If you later want more, you can click on the links in the left-hand menu to see blogs and photos for January (Antarctica and Argentina) and February/March (Australia). Enjoy!

March 1-5: winding up my trip in Sydney, Australia

Sydney is a beautiful city, with clean, wide avenues and rich architecture. It is very walkable. I've covered a big chunk of the city on foot, from my base near the Central Station.

The folks in Sydney were kind enough to schedule their annual Mardi Gras festival to coincide with my visit. Wow, it was a good party! Estimates range from 300,000-500,000 attendees, including a float from San Francisco.

Sequins glittered and shirts went missing. The parade began in 1978 as a small protest march targeting laws against homosexual sex. Over the last 30 years, it has grown into one of the world's largest and most flamboyant gay pride events.

This year's procession of 150 floats was led by the "78ers" — a group of 186 of the original Seventies marchers and their partners, who drew cheers.



One night, I wandered from the center of town all the way down to "The Rocks," which is the part of Australia where the first European outpost was established in 1788. That settlement was a penal colony, made up of about 700 prisoners, guarded by about 250 Royal Marines (along with about 50 military wives and children, and of course the crew of the ships.)



The present-day Sydney Harbour Bridge is a stone's throw away from The Rocks. I went there to find the loft where my old friend Peter Cramer is now living and working. He and I first met in another loft, in Manhattan, almost 20 years ago. He later helped me write the Sydney section of The Worldwide Guide to Cheap Airfares. And now he runs The Milkbar, a design shop that specializes in "video promos." Yep, he's one of the guys who makes the little teaser advertisements for upcoming TV shows. As far as I can tell, he basically makes the TV equivalent of movie trailers. Cool guy, cool business, and damn fun to catch up with him after all these years.

On my last night in town, I got a tour from my friend from college, Steve. He's been living down there for under two years, but already seems to have the city dialed in. After the tour, we had dinner and drinks in Newtown. What a remarkably cool cafe/restaurant/shopping district. It offers hundreds (!!!) of hip indie businesses, with nary a corporate outpost to be seen.

February 23-39: On Surfari!

When my sailing trip got cancelled do to monsoons, I shifted my plans for that week to surfing. Purely because their departures matched up nicely with my trip schedule, I decided to take a week-long surf lesson from Surfaris.com. < http://surfaris.com/ :> The Surfaris shuttle bus picks you up in Byron Bay, takes you to their surfinglodge on the coast, and teach you surfing for a week at great beginners' breaks. You get all meals, lodging, transport, gear and lessons for under $100 a day. And you meet a lot of cool fellow travelers. Here's a little music representative of my week:



Surfaris' lodge is located in Crescent Head, a small town 6 hours north of Sydney a with a campsite right beside the surf break! If you don't want to bring camping gear, you can rent cabins here too.

Most of my photos were taken at nearby Point Plomer. This beach is renowned for its consistently good surf, but has pretty good wildlife too: you see goanas wandering around (they look like big iguanas or small monitor lizards), kangaroos hopping, and the odd dingo nosing around for babies to steal. (OK, no one has ever proven that dingos eat human babies. But it is a popular rumor in Australia.) Dolphins like to play in the local surf, though we only saw them while hiking on the cliffs above the point. The combination of a good right-hand point break and a beach break makes this spot surfable a high S-SE swell is ideal for surfing here, and that tends to be best in fall and winter.

Tuesday, Feb 19: Byron Bay: Australia's famous hippie beach town

I lost my laptop AGAIN today. I left it sitting on the counter at the internet shop. Hours later I went back for it, and it was safely tucked behind the counter by the staff. Gotta love the Aussies!

I'm staying at the Arts Factory, a former hippie colony turned mega-hostel. It's built on a swamp, which was convenient when this area was known for its piggeries. And while the vegetation is lush, the fauna includes wild turkeys and huge goana lizards (good), but also marsupial rats called bilbies and worst of all, legions of mosquitos (less good). Still, it is one of the most fun hostels I've ever stayed in. Amazingly open crowd, easy to meet people, gather groups for surfing, and even borrow surf boards. Facilites-wise, they have a swimming pool and jacuzzi, volleyball court, and a great pub. Recommended.



I stayed in an "island hut," a form of tent cabin with integral shade structure, built over the swamp itself. Quite cool, reminded me of the tent cabins we stayed in at Yosemite when I was a child.

For my birthday, Katie gave me cash towards a surfboard rental. Here in Byron, I was able to stretch it to cover three full days of board use. Nice! The beach is right in town, an easy walk from the Arts Factory. Check the pix:

Sunday, Feb 17: The Age of Aquarius Lives! Two Days in Nimbin:

Nimbin is a famous hippie town in the mountains outside Byron Bay, Australia. It was the home of The Aquarius Festival of 1973, which was the Woodstock of the southern hemisphere. The Aquarius Festival was a celebration of the dawning of the `Consciousness' and `Protest' movements in the heady days of the Vietnam war, free love and marijuana - a festival of discovery .... It lasted 10 days and marked a watershed in Australian popular culture. Many of the hippies never left. Instead, they settled in this small town, which currently has less than 2000 residents.

Background from the Sydney Morning Herald: "The Australian Union of Students (AUS) chose the Nimbin Valley as the venue for an experimental Aquarius Festival. The festival was to be 'a total, cultural experience through the lifestyle of participation' and attracted students, alternative lifestylers and hippies from all over Australia. It was an extraordinary period when people put up tents and camped and talked and dreamed. Most of the weekend visitors returned to the cities and their regular jobs but a small number of idealists and visionaries stayed on and formed the basis of a lifestyle experiment."

Nimbin's culture is left of Berkeley or Bolinas. There is a marijuana bar in town, across the street from the marijuana museum. Dread locks and hippie skirts are everywhere. It is best to ask about cannabis content when you buy baked goods here. The surrounding area is rainforest, and perhaps pot plantations. Lots of artists and musicians live here too. For instance, I met a modern-day Janis Joplin at the monthly market day, belting out soulful, heart-rending tunes with Alanis Morrissette's anger but Ani DiFranco's confidence. Music agents, her name is Essie Thompson; get her now, she's still unsigned.

I got a tour from the uber-hospitable Marcus Endicott, founding father of the green travel movement. I've been a member of his Green Travel email list for more than a decade. When he heard I was headed to Oz, he suggested I meet him in Nimbin. Kindly, he also connected me with the Rainbow Retreat, my temporary home here.

The Rainbow Retreat's owner, Doug McKenzie, is a veteran of both Burning Man and the Rainbow Gatherings, so he knows what a good vibe is. Doug's a small-government, do-it-yourself, no-nonsense type, what they call an "Aussie battler" around these parts. Or a "rugged individualist" back in the USA. He's good people.

The Rainbow's staff appears to be exclusively made up of travelers who stopped here, and decided not to leave. I'll be back. The first weekend of May each year brings the Nimbin Mardi Grass (not mis-spelled). The town population is normally about 500, but this one weekend per year, it tops 10,000. Bring a tent, or reserve lodging very early.

As you know by now, at McColl Communications, we are always working to help our clients grow their businesses. From my Nimbin office,



...today I did some work for both my safari and polar expedition clients. With my laptop and WiFi, I can work anywhere. Life is good! A few more pix from the Rainbow Retreat and the Aquarius Festival in Nimbin:

Feb 15: "Roo: the other red meat" (Or, Kangaroos -- cute AND delicious):

Awe, wasn't that kangaroo from yesterday cute! In today's entry, we eat it, and it is as tasty fresh off the grill as it is cute when bopping around in Australia's bush.

Before I go any further, a note for my bleeding-heart liberal friends: kangaroos are not endangered. In some areas, they are intentionally culled, to prevent over-population. They do not eat commercial corn nor soy, and are harvested locally, so have no appreciable carbon cost. Free-range, organic, shade-grown kangaroo meat is about as ethical as it comes. And that's the only kind there is to buy. Now, onward....

The first thing you notice when prepping kangaroo BBQ* is the REALLY bright, red blood.





The meat is very lean, with the texture of a nice, tender BBQ'd tri-tip roast. The meat is 98 percent fat-free, so it is even healthy! The flavor is subtle, not at all gamey like venison or pheasant. We had it for dinner,



...grilled and served with garlic-sauteed vegetables and focaccia. The next day, I tucked into the leftovers, making an open-faced kangaroo-melt, with cheese and pesto.


Mmmm!

* I love that the phrase "kangaroo BBQ" rhymes. If I ever get a chance to name an album or a band, I may have to call it Kangaroo BBQ. (Yes, I am amused by simple things....)

Finally, here are a few photos of the city of Brisbane itself, to give you a feel for the place:

Feb 14: The Lost Schoolgirls of Hanging Rock, plus Kangaroos!

Today, Terry, Carmel and I went on a drive into the "hinterlands" west of Melbourne. We ended up at a craggy rock formation known as Hanging Rock:



This spot is best known as the setting for a famous novel and film titled "Picnic At Hanging Rock" about the mysterious disappearance of a group of local school girls during a picnic / field trip at the Rock in 1900. Spoiler: sweet, innocent Miranda was NEVER FOUND....

The short hike and the views from the top were very pleasant, and it was great to spend time with Terry and Carmel, whom I met during a sailing cruise in Turkey a few years ago.



As we hiked down from the peak, Carmel mentioned that there might be kangaroos out grazing at dusk. I'd never seen one in the wild. Seconds later, I spotted a whole group of them.

At first I couldn't get anywhere near to the kangaroos. But eventually I learned to stalk them (low to the ground, lion-style), and got a few meters away. Lots of fun! Aussie farmers think of them the way our gardeners think of deer, or the way New Yorkers think of rats and pigeons: pure pests. But damn, they are cute. Particularly when they bounce around.



(Note: while male kangaroos apparently do box with each other, as part of establishing dominance, they are NOT actually known to box against humans while wearing boxing gloves, as you see in the cartoons. Wanted to be sure we are all clear on that....)

More pix from my time in Melbourne here:

Monday, February 11: my 41st birthday, on Australia's "Great Ocean Road"

Here's a map of Oz, showing most of the cities I plan to visit: Melbourne, Brisbane, Byron Bay, and then Sydney. Today, I head southwest of Melbourne by road, to check out one of Australia's great drives: the Great Ocean Road.

This stretch of coastal highway was built in the 1930s, as a memorial to Australia's fallen soldiers from WW1.

This bit of coast is also home to some great surf breaks. The Rip Curl Pro, the world's oldest surfing contest, takes place at Bell's beach, one of Australia's classic surf spots.

The Great Ocean Road is a long drive, so sadly we had to turn back before reaching the famous rock formations known as the 12 Apostles. But thanks to Tourism Australia, here's a photo, so you can see what I missed:



One day I will come back and stay at the Pole House, do a little surfing, and get out to see the Apostles, if any remain. (At this blog's "press time" in 2008, there seem to be only seven left.)

A few more photos from the Great Ocean Road:



Evening Report: Monsoons hit eastern Australia:

Optimism is usually a good thing. This time, there is more nuance. My optimism led me to book a cabin for a few days of sailing in the Whitsundays Islands. Bad plan in monsoon season! As you can see from these photos, at least one passenger yacht washed onto the rocks and was destroyed.



I'll need to save the Great Barrier reef and the Whitsundays for another trip. On the positive side, that leaves more time for surfing. I'm now looking into doing a week-long surf camp somewhere near Byron Bay.

Sunday, February 10: Success! Arrival in Australia, 14 hours before end of my 40th year

I made it, but JUST by the skin of my teeth! I'mhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif in , having reached my continent #7, and feeling damn glad to be here.

I must have been pretty excited to be in Australia:



Now, the rest of my trip can be about relaxation. My mission is complete, and relaxation is my new goal.

My friend Terry picked me up at the airport, which was quite nice. I hadn't seen him since we met on a sailboat cruise in Turkey in 2005. We had a pretty instant rapport then, and it repeated today. He took the requisite phot of me in front of Australian customs, and then we headed for another friend's place, where I stayed my first couple of nights. Terry has a guest at his place now, so I won't shift to his guest room till later in the week.

Clearly, upon arrival I wasn't thinking straight. While looking in the mailbox for the key to my friend's apartment, I left my laptop on top of the mailboxes:



Within the hour, I realized it was gone. By then, the laptop was turned into the police station, a note had been left at the mailboxes,



...more so, an email had been sent by the local police to friends in Brisbane, letting them know my laptop was safe. There aren't many places in the world where a lost laptop gets turned in. Kudos, Melbourne! And thanks for the pleasant first-day surprise.

February 5 -- Dancing in Buenos Aires:

Part 1: I went to a hippy-ish music school's performance the other night, which turned out to be 2000 people dancing to some amazing drumming and electronica together, for 4 hours straight. One of the best parties of my life! Top 10, easy. Some of you may recall that I used to throw underground parties, so my party vibe standards are pretty high. If you find yourself in Buenos Aires, check this out:

La bomba de tiempo ("Time Bomb")
Ciudad Cultural Konex
From the event program: "A group of drums and percussion instruments leaded by Santiago Vázquez, each Monday they improvise and make audience dance. "


Part 2: Tango!
On a tip from the owner of Palermo House, I checked out a tango hall, rather than a tango show. The tango hall is a dance hall, where both couples and singles go to dance, not to watch professionals dance. The quality of dancing was excellent, and I liked the authenticity of seeing real couples dance for themselves, not for others.

The physical space at the tango hall was stunning.



Called La Catedral Club Social y Cultural, it is a place for "amigos del corazon del tango."

La Catedral looks like a warehouse from the late 1800s. It is fairly under cover; you enter through the ground floor reception, which appears to be an abandoned office building. Then you walk upstairs to see a wide open, dark and sultry space, with 30-foot ceilings and a huge, simple red chandelier over the dance floor.

Some couples always danced together, and some seemed to change partners often. The tango is very expressive, making it fun to watch how differently each couple dances it. One tiny 70-year-old gentleman (in full 1920s suit and fedora) seemed to be the alpha male here. Virtually all of the ladies danced with him at least one dance, even those with partners. He had a twinkle in his eye, and danced like he was 40 years younger. I hope I am having half as much fun as he is now when I reach that age.



Overall, something cool is indeed happening in Buenos Aires right now. I wasn't in Prague in the 1980s, so I can't make that comparison myself. But others are saying that today's BA has a level of "opportunity" that reminds them of Prague. The other day, I met Nate and Tom, a couple of US-expat DJs trying to make their mark here in Buenos Aires. They were kind enough to hook me up with a very cool Superbowl party. They also later got quoted in a NY Times travel article on the boom in BA.

Here's a photo of Tom (right) and his boss, the owner of Kim y Novak (left).

Saturday, January 26: Speed & Vodka; Wolves and Sheep

First, about the speed. It's not what you think. "Speed" is widely advertised here, and available at any bar. But it is a local, jacked-up form of the Red Bull energy drink, which is mixed with vodka. How strong is it? Well, it is almost 7am local time, and I am up right now, blogging, after drinking only 2 of these, many hours ago! It was a fun night, but I really hope I get sleepy soon. What's *in* that stuff ??!!

So yes, I got a chance to taste a bit of the local nightlife. Tonight was the birthday of one of my fellow travelers at the hostel. And so the cool staffers at Palermo House organized a big group of us to go to the local disco to celebrate. Mind you, we probably got to the disco at 3am, after a very Argentine day: a siesta (SO provincial, say the folks from Buenos Aires. But I like my siesta anyway!) Then a traditional parrilla (BBQ) http://www.orkut.com/Album.aspx?uid=416270798118341741&aid=1201382760 , starting around 10pm, and a classic Argentine soccer match (Boca vs. River, for those in the know, with Boca winning 2-nil.) Then cocktails at the hostel. All good fun, and with plenty of good conversation, until well past 2am. Which is about the right time to think about starting to go to a disco.

The disco scene here was full of insights into Argentine life. I went with large group, including a bunch of shy local 20-year olds, who clung to the walls like freshmen at the high school dance. The older Argentine men were nothing like that. Nothing. Even Italian men are not as aggressive with women. I had the pleasure of accompanying a pair of women: Iara, a local; and Renae, a Kiwi fellow traveler.

Renae taught the gaggle of shy boys in our group some classic dance moves: the "lawn mower" and "the sprinkler" were quite popular. But basically, it appears that most Porteno men don't really dance if they can at all avoid it. They are just too shy. I'll have to check out a tango club there, where I suspect the guys will make a better showing.

Both Renae and Iara have boyfriends who are not dancers, and thus stayed home. What fun to see how the Argentine men reacted to the apparently unescorted ladies. Both women were able to shoo them all away, but the lines they later repeated to me were audacious. "OK, so you have a boyfriend, no problem, he is not here. And you are very beautiful...." And "Where is your boyfriend?" To which Renae would answer in perfect Spanish "mi novio esta en el hostel." Inevitably these native Spanish speakers would suddenly lose all ability to understand their mother tongue, and say "No entiendo" (I don't understand.) But they would carry on.

Like world-class salesmen, they doggedly attempted to overcome every objection. Even their physical approach was hyper-aggressive and predatory. Really, if I was talking to one of the women, and dropped my napkin, by the time I stood up not one but TWO local men were chatting them up. They also position themselves in such a way to prevent the easy escape of their prey.

Here's an example, from the linguistic side: the local slang for "chatting up" (British English) or "picking up" women in Buenos Aires is "conquistar," or "to conquer." Explains a lot about the way Argentine men act....

The sad result of all of this is that most of the Argentine women I have met are vigilant to the point of paranoia. As a male, if you need directions in the street, don't bother asking women: around half of them won't even acknowledge your presence. They really are treated by their wolf-like men as lambs, and they develop an almost instinctive, deep protective barrier against all men. I've never seen anything like it in any other country I've visited. The end result is sad both for the men and for the women, since no one is happy. Maybe in a few generations the men here will chill out and become more respectful. But it will be a long cultural struggle.

Thursday, January 24: Scorecard: Mike: 49, Pick-pockets: 1

Thursday, January 23: Scorecard: Mike: 49, Pick-pockets: 1

It was bound to happen eventually. Per the global authority on these matters, I've now been to almost 50 countries. And today, they finally got me. I got pick-pocketed, successfully. And the pickpocket new his craft so well, I actually respect him. A true artist!

Ironically, a few years back, I gave a talk at London's Independent Travellers' World about avoiding travel scams. I even maintain a web page on avoiding scams against travelers. And I've been accused by more than one girlfriend of being paranoid about scams and theft. I like to think that I am realistic.

But regardless, today on a crowded subway, I met my match. It was the most crowded subway I've ever been in. At rush hour, in mid-summer. It was a bit comic. I even joked with fellow passengers about it. (At least you can't get knocked down, as the mass of other bodies keeps you vertical.) I had just come from a short side-trip, and stopped by an ATM on the way back to the hotel, to cash up. Ooops.

At some point, I felt like I might be in a risky position. Unknown people were pushing up against my backpack, and they might easily have stolen my camera without me ever seeing it happen. So I removed both my book bag and my pack, and put them on the ground between my legs. I'd have kept my hands on my wallet too, if not for the need to hold onto the handholds to keep from jostling other passengers as the train surged and braked.

I felt pretty good about the safety of my wallet, as it was in a cargo pocket in my hiking shorts, with both a velcro closure and a zipper. Tough to get through both of those without me noticing, especially since I was on alert. But alas, not impossible. When I left the subway and went to buy something on the street, the pocket was wide open, and the wallet was gone. NOOOOOO!!! I was angry, but at the same time smiling. Man, these guys are good!

Here's a little post-theft analysis. With luck, something here will keep one of you from unwillingly contributing to the International Pick-pockets Retirement Fund:

What worked:

"Divide or be conquered" is a good strategy when confronting pick-pockets. Keep your valuables in several different places, so you don't lose everything if you get . I had a hidden money belt, which saved my passport and one credit card. My book bag contained my air tickets, and my backpack contained my journal and my digital camera, full of not-yet-downloaded photos. These were my 3 most valuable items, and I saved all three. (Number 4 was my wallet. If they had to get something, I am glad they got that.)

What I could have done better:

1) Use taxis when carrying luggage, if at all possible. Keep your luggage in the cab with you, not in the trunk, to prevent any games involving your luggage being held hostage.

2) NEVER, EVER combine carrying luggage (or any other tourist trappings, such as cameras) with going to the bank or ATM. You might as well paint a target on your back.

3) Don't underestimate the pickpockets. If you can put it in the pocket, they can take it out without you noticing.

4) Use a "decoy wallet" if in high-risk areas (tourist spots, bus/train/air terminals, crowded subways and buses, street festivals.) A "decoy wallet"looks like a real wallet, but contains NOTHING OF TRUE VALUE TO YOU. I bought a cheap leather wallet for $3, and stuffed it with small bills and expired credit cards.

My real wallet is now an empty cigarette box I found on the street:



With a rubber band around it, my fake wallet holds my ID, credit card and a few large bills. The decoy wallet is the stereotypical target for the pickpockets. I'm giving them what they are looking for. But with nothing of value inside. All of the valuables are inside the empty cigarette box, which no thief would think to steal. I hope. We'll see if the camouflage wallet strategy works against the world's best pickpockets.

5) Assume that thieves may be watching you as you withdraw money from the bank. Assume they may even know which pocket you put your wallet in. Until you make a long stop somewhere (a meal, or returning to your hotel), stay on alert, as you may be followed until they find a good place to launch their pick-pocketing operation. Or an outright robbery. Few things make you a better target than a wallet full of money, fresh from the bank.

Hey, on the plus side, they didn't take my wristwatch. Apparently, not even a US Secret Service detail can prevent that: http://youtube.com/watch?v=5Y7BXv5sIFc (President Bush loses his wristwatch in Albania) or http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=nation_world&id=4786565 (one of the Bush daughters is a victim of a bag-snatching right here in Buenos Aires).

Friday, January 25: The Travel Gods Smile on Me
Success! Christina, my friend back home who is house- and cat-sitting for me, was able to navigate my, ehem, "filing system," and track down the PIN numbers to my Plan B and Plan C debit cards. So once again, I am connected to the international banking system. And more importantly, I have easy access to cash for buying things like food and shelter. One can use credit cards at fancy restaurants & hotels here, but that would wreak havoc on my plan to become a temporary local.

San Francisco-based friends: Christina may be available for house-sitting assignments starting in March 2008. She's awesome, she keeps your plants and pets happy, and her rates are fair. Drop me an email if you'd like more info.

Wednesday, January 23: A lazy day in Colonia, Uruguay

Just an hour away from Buenos Aires by ferry, the World Heritage site of Colonia seemed like a good side trip. It was built in the 1600s as a Portuguese trading post, and became rich as a site for free trade (avoiding the steep tariffs of Spanish-controlled Buenos Aires.) Today, it is a small, sleepy town with a decent beach and some gorgeous historic neighborhoods.



At the hostel, I met Pip from England, who is traveling solo for a year before heading to university. She and I borrowed bicycles from the hostel, and spent a day riding along 5k of pleasantly deserted beach. At one point, we found a restaurant on the beach, with umbrellas and strawberry daquiris. Not a bad excuse for a pit stop!

Pip had just come from a fascinating little journey by tandem bicycle. A guy named Dom Gill is riding from Alaska to Patagonia on a tandem bike, with one seat open to all takers. His website is Takeaseat.org . Very cool project. After a week riding with Dom the Andes mountains, Pips was in pretty good cycling shape, so she got back to the hostel a good bit before I did.

Friday, January 18: Writing from a WiFi-enabled hammock in Buenos Aires

I must be doing something right in life. 'Cuz this ain't bad. I'm in a hammock, overlooking a sycamore-lined street of Palermo Soho, Buenos Aires. Staying in a colonial-era building turned into a hip guesthouse. In an up-and-coming neighborhood, perhaps the equivalent of the Mission district back in San Francisco.

I may have to hang a hammock back in Oakland, this is just so, so much better than a desk in a cubicle.

Wednesday Jan 16: Rainy Day in Ushuaia:

The weather is ugly today, so I'm taking advantage of the time to catch up on my blog, and add some nifty features.

Two new photo albums:

First, a set of highlights from the passengers of the cruise immediately before mine. Passengers often load their best shots onto the guest computer in the ship's bar, to share with other passengers. Here are the "best of the best" of their photos:



Our group did the same thing, sharing photos on the guest computer. Here are some of the best shots from all passengers on my expedition. Where I know the photographer, I credit his or her name.

Tuesday Jan 15: "Operation Standby" meets Argentine Airport Chaos:

It is time to move on, even though Ushuaia has its charm. My friend and lawyer Alex, and my friend (& Alex's wife) Dina, are on vacation in Argentina right now. They'll be in Buenos Aires for the next 2 days. Since we see each other far too infrequently at home, I'm going to make an effort to see them here. Should be good to spend a night on the town in BA with friends from SF.

Of course, it is still high season here, and hotels and planes are completely full, so I'm far from certain to find a seat to BA. Fingers crossed!

6pm: the airport was madness! Maybe 1000 people at an airport that seems to only have a single gate! Police deployed to break up fights between angry passengers jockeying for space in confusing, serpentine, ad-hoc lines. Perhaps the cops are also there to protect airport staff; two days ago, angry Aerolineas Argentinas passengers rioted at the Buenos Aires airport, throwing chairs and breaking things, causing all ticket counter staff to flee. This has caused major disruption in flight schedules throughout the country. Looks like I'll be staying here for 2 more days, until I can fly out on a confirmed seat.

Jan 12-13: Battle for the End of the Earth!!

Saturday January 12
I had a nice, lazy day around town today. Some good local exploring, and some good pub conversation. And I actually managed to eat a little leftover BBQ for dinner. Mmmm, beef !!

Sunday January 13: Battle for the End of the Earth!!

Rivalries abound in the complicated relationship between Chile and Argentina. Many Argentinians are still angry that Chile helped the British during the Falklands crisis. (Apparently the French helped the Argentinians, so the French are popular here.)



One of the main problems this rivalry causes for travelers is that border crossings are limited and overly bureaucratic. I took a boat across the Beagle Channel today, moving from Ushuaia (the world's southernmost "city"), to Puerto Williams (the world's southernmost "town.") The ferry they use is a glorified Zodiac, an inflatable rubber raft. The international bureacracy has a loophole for tiny boats and for tiny airplanes. My Zodiac held 7 passengers. The tiny Mosquito single-engine planes carry a maximum of 4 pax. The Argentinians seem to be trying to prevent the growth of Puerto Williams. If it ever becomes a true city, then Argentinian Ushuaia will no longer be the southernmost city in the world. Both sides seem to be missing the concept of a rising tide lifting all boats. If they made it easier and more pleasant to explore this region, both sides would get more tourism revenue. But the provincial authorities remain unconvinced for now.

On my tiny boat, on the way across the Beagle, we stopped at a rocky outcropping to see the "Lobos marinos." That translates literally to "sea wolves," but they are what we would call fur seals. Very cute and somewhat feisty creatures!

Nobody was home when we got to customs in Puerto Navarino, so they told us to drive to Puerto Williams and proceed directly to the customs guy's house. We did that, but he wasn't there either. After a series of cell phone calls, the shuttle driver found the agent, and within minutes, we were legal visitors.

I walked through town, and found that only one of the 3 restaurants was open, so I had a nice lunch there. Then the proprietress, on her way to take a siesta, dropped me at the trailhead for the Cerro Bandera hike. After a couple of hours of up, I was looking out at the fjord-like Beagle Channel. The town of Puerto Williams was the only sign of development visible in any direction, and it was tiny! Southern Patagonia just isn't very populated.

After a nice hike, I stopped for a beer and a bite to eat at the same cool little cafe in town. Then off to bed, as I have an early morning business meeting tomorrow (??!!)

Friday January 11: Life in USH

Last night I managed to connect with No-Neck, the other guy who was trying to hitchhike his way to Antarctica. Sadly, he didn't make it, and he is giving up for now. We went out to dinner, where he shared his plan to apply for the artist-in-residence grants that most Antarctic research stations offer. Might be a good strategy. But for now, Antarctica is off his radar, and he's focusing on what's next. If my beef-overdosed mind recalls correctly, he's headed to Brazil or Peru. And that can't be bad.

Some nice big bruises are showing up on my thighs, right at "table height." When the seas are even a little high in the Drake Passage, you get tossed around a lot. And if the tossing isn't too bad, you usually stop when your thighs run into a desk, table or counter. Still, we seem to be getting off very easily, weather-wise.

I also have multiple nice cuts on my shins, thanks to the one-foot high bases across the bottom of the Shokalskiy's waterproof doors ("hatches," to the sailors out there). You would think I would learn to take the hatches slowly, but no, it doesn't seem to work that way. They could at least vary the bottoms of the hatches from deck to deck, so I wouldn't keep thrashing the exact same spot on each shin....

One of my shipmates claims that she was bounced up in the air right out of her bed 2 nights ago, and landed cleanly on the adjacent desk, where she awoke. Impressive!

Javier and his girlfriend Elsa whipped up a traditional Argentinian parrilla (BBQ) today, for all the guests of the Martin Fierro B&B.



The amount of meat and wine was astounding. Nearly a full bottle of wine per person. And more meat than you need to eat in a month! Still, at one point one of the other B&B guests leaned over to me and said, "This is awesome!!" And he is right, it was. It may take me 3 days to digest all that meat. But it will take longer than that to forget the warm, friendly vibe and the good conversation around Javier's dining room table. Good stuff!

January 8-10: Back to South America, plus trip learnings

Tuesday January 8: Drake's Shakes: seas relatively calm, sea day, nothing to report. However, I will share a quote from a famous explorer of these Antarctic waters:

"I watched the sky a long time, concluding that such beauty was reserved for distant, dangerous places, and that nature has good reason for exacting her own special sacrifices from those determined to witness them."
"Alone"
~Admiral Richard E. Byrd, Antarctic explorer

Wednesday January 9: Finish Drake's, sleep at anchor in Beagle Channel

Thursday January 10: Back to Terra Firma!

We pulled into port today at about 7am, and the whole ship was cleared of passengers by 7:30. I headed up to Javier's B&B, just in time for another coffee. My mission for today: dare to look at my email account. God knows how many messages await.

Trip overview: Antarctica offers many different kinds of wildlife, almost all of which made me smile when I spotted them. Seals and whales have expressive faces, and whales have very expressive eyes. But the penguin, more than any other animal, symbolizes Antarctica. So graceful in the water, so clumsy on land! Watching them porpoise alongside the ship is pure pleasure. Watching them zip under your Zodiac shows you their amazing speed. And watching partners reuniting at their next crow, dance and display -- it is just magic.

The topography and geology of Antarctica also surprised me. I expected a lot of flat pack ice, similar to what you see at the North Pole. But the Antarctic Peninsula is savagely jagged, full of peaks that put the Matterhorn and Half Dome to shame. Since so little vegetation grows here, erosion is slow. Largely granite and basalt, the sharp crags are only softened by snowfall, and eroded by wind and glacial action. The views are breathtaking!

In terms of the voyage itself (and remember, I am biased due to my new role as a Quark consultant), I'm pretty damn happy with my choice of ship. Those of you considering a journey to the Southern Continent should try to book the smallest ship they can afford. The Shokalskiy holds only 45 or so passengers, which means that we can all get on and off the ship (by Zodiac) in about 30 minutes. Imagine waiting hours to get ashore, on the larger ships. And imagine getting only 1 landing per day, when we now know that 3 landings in a day is not uncommon.

Economics: If you book at the last minute in Ushuaia, you can expect to get a discount of 20-50 percent. The discounts are best in November and March. Between those months is peak season, and discounts are minimal. If you book ahead of time, you'll generally pay full price. BUT, there will still be space available on the lists to to activities, such as sea kayaking, ice camping or SCUBA diving (!!!). If any of these activities interest you, it may be worth it to book early. Quite a few of my fellow passengers were disappointed to not be able to kayak (kayak capacity = 10 per voyage) nor go camping (tent capacity was 20.)

Monday January 7: Last Day in Antarctica: Beach Weather !!

Today is the end of our expedition, except for the long passage back to Ushuaia. We still have 2 more outings before we depart Antarctica. One is here at Niko Harbor. As I look through my cabin porthole, all I can see is glaciers on land, and icebergs and slush in the water. Amazing!

Later today, I'll add a new entry to my list of "the stupidest things I have ever done." Just before lunch, I'll be pushing aside some of those iceberg bits to take a swim in the Southern Ocean. What am I thinking??!!



8am landing at Niko Harbor, snow climb to 200m or so. From the pinnacle, we got a panoramic view of Antwart (sp?) Bay. God this place is gorgeous!

After lunch, I put on "the Patch," to prepare for our crossing of the Southern Ocean. It worked like a charm on my way down here. I hope it will do the trick again.

Just before lunch today, I joined the "polar penguin club" by swimming in the Southern Ocean, right about at the Antarctic Circle. It was rather ridiculous, I know, but you'd be amazed at what you can do if you put your mind to it.

The first 30 seconds are painful, as you can see from the facial expressions in the photos in this blog post. After that, you go numb, so it doesn't hurt anymore. The adrenaline just keeps on pumping though, so you are at high alert. After about 6 minutes you lose muscle control and drown. None of us stayed off the ship for more than 4 minutes or so.

I took the opportunity to test out my snorkle gear, and even to do a little sunbathing on top of an iceberg. Amazing weather, had to take advantage of it!

After lunch, we crossed the Gerlache Straight, and headed to the Milkier Islands for our final Zodiac cruise.

Angela's hospitality staff served dinner at 5:30pm, to allow time for digestion before reaching the rough seas of the open Southern Ocean. At 6pm, we began our return to Ushuaia.

Written that night: "It is now 9pm, and we're in the midst of the Drake Passage. The ship is rolling enough that you have to keep a hand on a rail at all times. We've been on the ship for 8 nights, but have had nothing but great weather. So most of us are stumbling clumsily through the ship's hallways. It'll take a while to get used to wave action again."

Sure enough, most of us had a few bruises before we reached the calm of the Beagle Channel. But we never had swells greater than 4 or 5 meters, whereas 20 meter swells are possible here. According to the staff, we had one of the easiest passages ever, and some of the best weather. Nice! January appears to be a very good time to visit Antarctica.