Second Leg: The End of the World

Hola from Ushuaia, the end of the world!

A few hours here before we board the boat en route to Antarctica. Just enough time for postcards, lunch, and a short post on the blog.

Windswept pair. Colder here than Buenos Aires.

Ushuaia, fin del mundo.

Adiós (Almost), Buenos Aires

We're nearing the end of our second and last full day in Buenos Aires. While here, we learned about the history of the ciudad, drank Malbec, and caught a tango show - a local tradition. There was a lot of walking involved so my problematic knee and ankle are both giving me a bit of grief right now, but it's nothing a bit of stretching, room service and a quiet night in can't solve, I'm sure.

El Ateneo Grand Splendid bookstore was once a performance theatre.
In 2019, it was named the world's most beautiful bookstore by
National Geographic magazine.

Quark Expeditions' local travel representative was on site at the hotel today to answer any last minute questions and hand out boarding passes for our charter flight to Ushuaia tomorrow - otherwise known as the "city at the end of the world" (recall: Buenos Aires to Ushuaia - second leg!). Looking forward to having the tour company take over from this point on.

Sidebar: the other night, I dreamed that I was running through Ushuaia looking for my parka to wear in Antarctica. Can't wait to see if the Ushuaia of my (literal, not even metaphorical) dreams looks anything like reality!

Our access to the connected world will be limited starting tomorrow. Hope to update you from the boat. If not, see you when we get back to civilization!

First Leg: Done

Hello from beautiful Buenos Aires!

It was a little surreal walking around last night - kind of like, "Holy shit. Are we really in South America?" Really though, I blame our dreamlike state on massive jet lag.

The journey so far:

• Vancouver to Toronto = 4.5 hours
• Toronto to Santiago = 9.5 hours
• Santiago to Buenos Aires = 2 hours

Therefore, to get here it only took 16 hours in the air plus all of the time spent in airports! Ain't no thang (yeah right).

Thankfully, we wandered around a little last night and found somewhere to have a big meal, which, combined with our overall lack of sleep, contributed to us sleeping 10 hours straight last night. Bueno.

Side note: Upon landing in Argentina, the flight crew was required to spray some kind of disinfectant on the plane, which kind of stunk. Too bad we didn't have any face masks on us.

In Other News
Woke up to the news that Kobe Bryant and his daughter were killed in a helicopter crash last night. Sad for the basketball community to lose a GOAT. #RIPMamba

Also, there is now one confirmed case of Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Ontario. Scary stuff.

Plaza de Mayo, Buenos Aires

First Leg!

Hello from YVR International Airport!

Legs
I don't know if it's a result of years of running long distance, but I've been thinking about this trip in legs. For example:

• Vancouver to Toronto to Santiago to Buenos Aires - first leg. 
• Buenos Aires to Ushuaia - second leg.
• The boat - third leg.

Then everything in reverse, but lumped together because that's "on the way home" which is inherently less exciting.

Treat Yo'self
We chose to treat ourselves and stayed at the Fairmont YVR last night, just to avoid having to get up really early for the mad dash to the airport. And what a joy that decision was. We managed to avoid the deluge that took place yesterday morning/early afternoon and again this morning, and even had the opportunity to sleep in (which for us normally means 7 AM anyway, but we would've had to get up earlier if we hadn't stayed in the airport last night).

Coronavirus Observations
Seeing a lot of people in masks around Vancouver - on the train to the airport last night - and also in the airport today. Hate to break it to these folks, but the masks are going to do nothing (probably). First of all, not enough is known about the transmission of the Coronavirus to be clear on how it is spread. Second, only N95 masks (like the ones worn in surgical environments) protect a wearer from breathing in potentially hazardous materials - but even then, this is usually small particles found in the air and not necessarily germs.

Again, did I mention not enough is known about how the Coronavirus is transmitted??

Perhaps I'm being too harsh, though. If wearing a mask that is technically useless makes these people feel more comfortable, then fine. So what if I think it's pointless and asinine and flies in the face of current science and knowledge. Whatever.

Not to say that I'm not worried about the virus. Of course I am. Just - I'm not going to start wearing a mask simply because I feel the need for a senseless security blanket.

No masks in these bags.
© Matthew Boulton

Gettin' 'er Done

Leaving day is almost here! And I still have so much to do!

Packing is (mostly) done. Devices are charged. Emergency entertainment has been downloaded. Cleaning and laundry still to do. I have to drop off Maple bun at the vet. And - I'd love to get one last workout or yoga class in, if possible. Where does one find the time?

Thankfully, I have today off. I can make it happen!

Will try and post from the "road" although, while this blog is supposed to enable sharing with all of you while we're away, we'll be in a place that is largely cut off from civilization and with very limited connectivity. The irony is not lost on me.

Oh well. I'll update when I can!

Preparing for the "Drake Shake"

© Quark Expeditions

No, this has nothing to do with the way Canadian musician Drake dances (wow, that was terrible, haha - but I apologize for nothing!).

On our travels, we will have to cross the Drake Passage - the body of water between South America's Cape Horn and the northernmost point of the Antarctic Peninsula. This can take anywhere from 36-48 hours depending on conditions. According to Quark Expeditions:

The propensity for high winds in the region can cause rough seas, and conditions sometimes referred to as the “Drake Shake.” Conversely, the “Drake Lake” is occasionally encountered when the passage is calm. Many people consider the Drake Passage a rite of passage on their voyage to the Antarctic.

Drugs, drugs, drugs

In many of their travel materials as well as in the video below, Quark Expeditions warns travellers to prepare for sea sickness - so I loaded up at the pharmacy last week.

I'd also love to hear about other remedies for motion sickness. What has worked for you? Message me or comment below!

Penguin Wallpapers (Alternate Title: I am a Crazy Penguin Lady)

Many years ago, a design-minded friend got me interested in changing my desktop calendars and wallpapers each month.

There are many designers who create wallpapers, but instead of seeking out individual designs, I tend to pick and choose from those compiled each month by Smashing Magazine.

Why do I mention this? Because I purposely downloaded a number of penguin-related wallpapers to get me through January until we leave - which, by the way, is in 9 days! Thought some of you might want to download for your own enjoyment and viewing pleasure. Here are some of my current favourites - so cute, right??

© Melissa Bogemans

© Veronica Valenzuela

© Veronica Valenzuela

On Snow and Packing: Part 2

Practice Makes... Sense?
Last weekend, I wrote about how I was going to do a "practice pack" to make sure I was under weight restrictions, etc. with my luggage. The trial went well, and I'm sure glad that Santa bought us a digital scale for Christmas in order for us to weigh everything.

But I still have anxiety about the packing, which I reckon is due to a couple of things - namely:

1. The suitcase I am planning on bringing is one I never use because I find it too big (I usually have a strict "carry on only" rule, which I'm going to just have to forget about for this trip);
2. While the trial pack gave me a good sense of how much I'll be able to carry on versus check, I discovered the weight restrictions for carry on are much too small for my liking (see details about "carry on only" in #1, above); and
3. The trial pack didn't include any "normal" items i.e. stuff to wear in Argentina where it's 30°C+ or during downtime on the boat, so it wasn't truly inclusive of what I'll actually end up bringing.

More "practice packing" to come, I guess. D'oh.

Snowmaggedon
It's snowing in Vancouver. Like, really snowing. And not just by Vancouver standards, either; I haven't seen snow like this since I lived on the prairies!

I tried to venture to the suburbs today, since I had signed up for a professional development session and there had been no indication that it was cancelled. But like some rookie west coaster, I decided to downplay the weather advisories and ended up getting caught in transit delays and Skytrain closures. In fact, I had to abort my commute about halfway to my destination and turn around, it was that bad - and I was a little more than concerned that I'd be stranded in the suburbs at the end of the workday with no way of getting home.

Props to @TransLink staff and crew for doing their best to keep everyone moving today. What a crazy day for a commute! Hope everyone is staying warm. #VancouverSnowStorm2020 #snowday #BCstorm

— Angie Natingor (@anatingor) January 15, 2020

Also, I know Vancouverites take pictures when it snows here because it's so, so pretty, etc. but I am not one of those Vancouverites. You know when I said I was enjoying the snow? I take it back. I'm so over it*.

*for commuting purposes, not Antarctica purposes (obviously)

However, a silver lining: I got to try out a lot of the new, proper winter gear I bought for the trip today! Findings: I done good.

P.S. Props to the baristas at the Waves Coffee on Kingsway and Olive in Burnaby, who took good care of all the icicles people (including me!) who wandered into their location after waiting too long outside for trains and buses early this morning. Bless your warm tea and free Wi-Fi-shaped hearts.

Lessons from the 1910 Race to the South Pole

Knowing about our upcoming trip, a work colleague shared this article with me (text copied below). Working in project and change management, she felt some of the lessons have great applicability to our work - namely, planning, preparation, and setting specific goals.

Hubs and I won't be anywhere near the South Pole on our trip, nor are we setting out to discover previously unchartered territory, so I feel like there aren't a lot of lessons from this article that we must necessarily heed for our own "expedition". But I'm still sharing as I found it to be fascinating history from this part of the world.

Warning: it's a long read. But again - fascinating!

What the Race to the South Pole Can Teach You About How to Achieve Your Goals
Brett & Kate McKay
April 22, 2012 (Last updated: May 28, 2018)

In 1910, two explorers began their quests to become the first men to ever set foot upon the southernmost point on earth.

It was the “Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration,” and the South Pole represented one of the last unexplored areas on earth. Robert Falcon Scott hoped to claim the bottom of the world for England; Roald Amundsen wished to plant the Norwegian flag there on behalf of his countrymen.

Despite their common goal, the two adventurers’ approaches to their expeditions were quite different—as were the end results. Amundsen reached the South Pole first and returned home on a trip that was relatively smooth and straightforward. Scott arrived at 90 Degrees South only to experience the crushing disappointment of seeing one of Amundsen’s flags flapping in the wind. He would never make it back; he and his four companions died of starvation, exhaustion, and exposure as they attempted to make the 700 mile return trip to their base camp.

Some have painted the differences between the men and their respective expeditions too simplistically: Amundsen as the brilliant leader, Scott as an utterly incompetent boob. In truth, both men had strengths and flaws, and both men made mistakes. And there is much merit in a struggle, even if it ends in tragedy (see the story of Nick Piantanida), and I personally greatly admire Scott’s courage and character and his stoicism when facing death.

The outcome of any endeavor is decided by the weights of a scale — on one side lies fate/risk/circumstance and on the other, preparations/tactics/heart. The adventurer cannot know exactly how much will be loaded on the luck side of the scale when he sets out, but he can overload the other side as much as possible, in hopes of tipping the chances in his favor. This is what Amundsen did, and how he did it reveals a number of strikingly clear insights into how we too can reach our goals.

Pioneer Your Own Path

Amundsen’s route had never
before been taken, but it put
his starting point 60 miles
closer to the Pole than Scott’s.

Scott patterned much of his trek after the Nimrod expedition Ernest Shackleton had undertaken in Nimrod and Scott’s own previous Discovery expedition had done, and he followed the same route to the Pole Shackleton had taken. Scott carried a record of the Nimrod expedition throughout his own march and checked his progress every evening against that of his predecessor.
1907, in which he had come within 112 miles of reaching the Pole (but had also nearly died of starvation on the way back). Scott chose to set up his base camp at McMurdo Sound, just as the Nimrod and Scott’s own previous Discovery expedition had done, and he followed the same route to the Pole Shackleton had taken. Scott carried a record of the Nimrod expedition throughout his own march and checked his progress every evening against that of his predecessor.

Amundsen, on the other hand, made his base camp at the Bay of Whales, setting up his winter quarters on the edge of the Great Ice Barrier. No explorer had camped at that spot previously, for it was feared that the ice could fracture and send you floating away on a berg. But Amundsen had studied the records of past explorers who had been in the area, and saw that their descriptions of the ice had remained unchanged for decades, which Amundsen believed pointed to the area’s stability. Amundsen felt that camping there was a risk worth taking, for it positioned his starting point 60 miles closer to the Pole than Scott’s, which meant a total savings of 120 miles round trip. From the Barrier, Amundsen pioneered a route no man had trod before, and he took the straightest path possible to the Pole, traveling along a line of longitude. He had no idea what kind of terrain he’d face en route to his goal, but he was prepared to go up and over it.

As Scott trudged to the Pole, he found reason to hope that he might arrive there first, for he saw no sledge tracks or footprints along the way, and he assumed Amundsen would be using the same established path. What he did not know was that the Norwegian was on an entirely different course 500 miles to the west and already hundreds of miles ahead.

Focus on One Goal at a Time
As you may remember from our discussion on willpower, picking one goal to focus on at a time is one of the most effective ways of conserving this vital inner fuel and ensuring you have enough energy and motivation to achieve your aim. Not only that, but psychologists tell us that when you work on more than one goal, and those goals conflict with each other, your willpower gets sapped even more.

Amundsen had one goal, and one goal only: to be the first to reach the South Pole.

Scott’s expedition, on the other hand, had dual purposes: to get to the Pole first and to gather scientific information about the Antarctic. These goals were at times in conflict; to reach the Pole first, time was of the essence, while scientific work and surveying required slowing down and making careful observations. At one point during Scott’s return trip from the Pole, he and his four companions had just five days of food left, with the next depot–a pre-laid cache of food and supplies–about five days away. The margin between the men and starvation was thin, and weather conditions were ideal for making up time, but Scott decided instead to stop and take geological samples–gathering 30 stones, adding 35 pounds to the sledges, and requiring 7-8 miles of work that did not get the team any closer to the life-saving food waiting at the next depot.

Scott’s desire to advance scientific knowledge was quite noble and very earnest, and the information and samples he gathered later proved to be useful to researchers. And that is of course what makes concentrating on one goal at a time so difficult; our other goals are worthy ones too, and we want to tackle everything at once; it’s hard to feel like you’re ignoring something that should be done. But it would have been better for Scott, and for us, to check off one thing before moving on to another; Scott was already planning on going out towards the Pole again once he returned from his first trip anyway; that trip could have focused exclusively on scientific work, leaving the initial expedition to be run purely as a race.

Amundsen’s only scientific work involved making and recording daily meteorological observations at his base camp. But he didn’t do any at night, which greatly diminished the value of even this small contribution. But Amundsen understood the importance of channeling all of one’s energy into a single aim, saying:

“Our plan is one, one and again one alone–to reach the pole. For that goal, I have decided to throw everything else aside. We shall do what we can without colliding with this plan. If we were to have a night watch, we would have a light burning the whole time. In one room, as we have, this would be worrying for most of us, and make us weak. What concerns me is that we all live properly in all respects during the winter. Sleep and eat well, so that we have full strength and are in good spirits when spring arrives to fight towards the goal which we must attain at any cost.”

Work Smarter, Not Harder
One of the biggest differences between the Scott and Amundsen expeditions were the forms of transportation each man chose for their journeys.

Scott gave himself four different options for transportation: ponies, dogs, motor sledges (primitive snowmobiles), and man-hauling. The motor sledges—which hadn’t been tested in Arctic-like conditions—quickly broke down. The ponies were ill-suited to the climate and the terrain—there’s no naturally growing vegetation to feed them, they sweat through their hides, which creates sheets of ice on their bodies, and with heavy torsos and slender legs, they sink deep into the snow with every step. Thus the ponies made slow and painful process and had to all be put down.

The dogs performed gamely, but Scott did not feel they were reliable or well-suited for the crevasse-pocked terrain he would be crossing, and he sent them back to camp once he had traveled halfway to the Pole. That left three-fourths of the journey there and back to be completed through man-hauling—getting into a harness and pulling 200 pound sledges, step by step (sometimes on skis), through the snow and ice for more than 1,000 miles and a rise of 10,000 feet.

This is what Shackleton had done on his expedition, and he and other British explorers believed that man-hauling was the best—and the most noble–way to go.

But among Nordic peoples, the advantages of using dogs as much as possible was clear. The wisdom in selecting dogs was confirmed to Amundsen during one of his previous expeditions, when he had stopped to learn as much about survival in Arctic conditions as possible from those who knew the landscape most intimately: the Inuit.

Dogs were low maintenance haulers—they could be fed a variety of foods (including each other), and they kept themselves warm by digging holes to crawl inside. They also made great companions—breaking up the morale-sapping monotony of trudging through freezing wind and bleak, faceless terrain with the same four other guys for 1500 miles. And of course they were quick and fast, scampering over the snow and taking the burden of hauling off the men; Scott often marched 9-10 hours a day, while Amundsen rarely went more than 5-6, and yet in that shorter amount of time, he would sometimes cover twice the ground Scott had. Finally, because dogs can travel in colder conditions, they can run both earlier and later in the summer season than ponies, allowing Amundsen to start for the Pole two weeks before Scott—a huge advantage.

For the British, man-hauling was a source of pride, a test of manhood—they liked the purity of it, the struggle between man and nature; Scott and his men actually looked forward to turning back the dogs and getting into the harnesses for the push to the Pole. Scott wrote:

“In my mind no journey ever made with dogs can approach the height of that fine conception which is realised when a party of men go forth to face hardships, dangers, and difficulties with their own unaided efforts…Surely in this case the conquest is more nobly and splendidly won.”

I do admire something of that attitude myself. But while all struggles require some effort and grit, the most painful way, does not always equal the best way.

Successful Men Make Their Own Luck, or Failing to Prepare is Preparing to Fail

“I may say that this is the greatest factor—the way in which the expedition is equipped—the way in which every difficulty is foreseen, and precautions taken for meeting or avoiding it. Victory awaits him who has everything in order — luck, people call it. Defeat is certain for him who has neglected to take the necessary precautions in time; this is called bad luck.” 

- Roald Amundsen 

Preparation. This is where the rubber really hit the road for Amundsen and Scott.

It’s not that Scott didn’t prepare. He did. But he based his preparations on the conditions he had experienced on his previous Discovery expedition and on those reported during Shackleton’s Nimrod expedition. He didn’t count on Antarctica being unpredictable, and left only a thin margin for error, a small buffer against accident or inclement weather. He didn’t prepare for the worst. And yet that was what he ended up facing—freezing temperatures that only come around every couple of decades or so and powerful blizzards.

For his part, Amundsen left nothing to chance. He designed his own goggles, skis, dog harnesses, and pemmican. For the members of his team he chose men who were good with their hands, and as they waited out the winter at their base camp in preparation for the start of the expedition, Amundsen expected them to work 9-5, six days a week honing their equipment and clothing, and getting all their plans and gear shipshape.

The men made a series of tunnels and snow caves and turned them into what Amundsen called, “just one big workshop,” in which they crafted two pairs of custom skis for each man (one pair for back-up), modified the skis’ bindings to be more efficient, created better designed and lighter tents (Amundsen’s tents could be put up with one pole; Scott’s required five), lightened the sledges, and sewed their clothing and remade their boots four times until they fit perfectly and wouldn’t chafe.

All of Amundsen’s equipment was field-tested at base camp and refined again and again. Amundsen saw all this tinkering and crafting as having two invaluable benefits: 1) the gear turned out much better than those mass-produced, and 2) having had a hand in making it, the men were much more confident in how the gear would perform out on the march.

Scott’s men did refine their equipment somewhat during the winter, but spent a good deal of the time writing letters, playing sports, and attending evening lectures given by each other.

Amundsen brought the same attention to detail he had given his equipment to one of the most crucial parts of his preparation: the positioning of the depots on the way to and from the Pole. Because the men could not carry all the supplies and food they’d need for a 1500 mile journey on the sledges, depots were placed at intervals along the route before the actual expedition began. Amundsen had spent a year creating a depot-laying plan for the expedition, and still felt it had not been enough time. He laid out his depots with regularity, along each line of latitude, and packed them with ten times more food (and including 42,000 biscuits) than Scott’s. While Scott and his men died partially from starvation, Amundsen’s team actually gained weight on their return from the Pole.

Scott hatched his depot-laying plan once he landed at McMurdo Sound and gave his men just a week to divvy up the supplies and calculate how much to stash at each depot. The depots ended up containing enough food to sustain the men, but just barely. Man-hauling has been estimated to burn 7,000 calories a day, and even up to a 11,000 when pulling uphill. Yet each man’s rations provided just 4,500 calories a day, leaving them weakened and demoralized.

And since the depots contained just a little extra fuel and food beyond what the men would need if they arrived on schedule, even if the men needed rest or could not make much progress in the weather, they had to keep pushing on to make it to the next cache of supplies; they often arrived at each depot by the skin of their teeth, with only a half day of food and fuel left.

But perhaps Scott’s greatest depot-laying mistake concerned the placement of “One Ton Depot.” During the depot-laying march before the main expedition began, the furthest depot was supposed to be laid at the 80th parallel. But the men were tired and the ponies were floundering, and Scott decided to drop the remaining supplies (2,200 lbs of them, or about one ton) right where they were, 37 miles shy of the target. This decision would prove fateful. On their return from the Pole, Scott and his hungry and exhausted men laid down to die just 12 miles from One Ton Depot. Had it been placed as originally planned, the men would have reached it, and perhaps have been saved.

On Snow and Packing

After more than a few days of anticipation, we finally woke up to (a light, almost imperceptible dusting of, but still) snow in Vancouver this morning.

Yay!

I've lived on the west coast for nearly 18 years but having grown up on the Canadian prairies, one of the things I did not miss when I left I was the snow. (As Nelson from The Simpsons might say, "Smell ya later snow... smell ya later forever.") And yet, looking out the window today, I was literally jumping up and down. I hardly recognize myself anymore. The only reason I can think of for this change of heart is our upcoming trip to Antarctica.

Prep Work
Today is going to be a "practice pack" day. I rarely do this for trips, but given our usual travel involves big cities with lots of stores and ATMs versus being sequestered on a boat away from civilization, I thought this might be a practical exercise. Also, I'm a little concerned about luggage weight restrictions, given the amount of weather-related essentials Quark Expeditions recommended we bring. So... not exactly the norm for us. More on the outcomes of this later.

A Birthday Greeting

Today would have been my dad's 82nd birthday.

Happy birthday, Dad. We miss you.

The Route

There are apparently a few ways one can get to Antarctica. In a nutshell, this is our route:

1. Fly to Buenos Aires, Argentina.
2. Get on charter flight in Buenos Aires organized by the expedition company and fly to Ushuaia, Argentina.
3. Get on boat.
4. Cross Drake Passage.
5. Arrive in Antarctica!

Antarctica on Social Media

If you're interested, I would highly recommend following the Quark Expeditions account on Facebook. They post really cool stuff about their destinations - in particular, the polar regions. 

For the penguin fans, Penguin Watch is also an awesome citizen science account run by scientists and "penguinologists" (no joke). 

Between these two accounts, I've become more familiar with the route and Ushuaia, and have (hopefully!) learned a little bit about what to expect when we get to the Antarctic Peninsula. 

© Quark Expeditions, Arctic & Antarctic Expeditions 2018.19

Fun Facts About Antarctica: Part 2

Last week, I posted Part 1 of Fun Facts About Antarctica. There may well be multiple parts in this series but for now, here is Part 2!

(Alternatively, I could call this particular post, "Things that travelers would normally want to know about, but may not necessarily apply in this case because, Antarctica.")

Time Zone
Interestingly, a quick Google search returns conflicting information about the time zone for Antarctica - likely due to its sheer geographic scale, the incredibly small number of people found on the continent at any given time, and the presence of the South Pole. However, this explantion from Wikipedia seems to cover it:

Antarctica sits on every line of longitude, due to the South Pole being situated on the continent. Theoretically, Antarctica would be located in all time zones; however, areas south of the Antarctic Circle experience extreme day-night cycles near the times of the June and December solstices, making it difficult to determine which time zone would be appropriate.

For practical purposes time zones are usually based on territorial claims; however, many stations use the time of the country they are owned by or the time zone of their supply base (e.g. McMurdo Station and Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station use New Zealand time due to their main supply base being Christchurch, New Zealand). 

Ushuaia and the Martial mountain range
© Mario Tama/Getty (2017)

As it happens, our boat will run on GMT-4 time, which is the same time zone used in Ushuaia, Argentina - the embarkation site for our trip.

Language
No, there is no official language in Antarctica. However, given the abundance of ice, Quark Expeditions has produced "A Glossary of Ice Terms" which I think is quite fun. Here are some highlights from the compilation.

Bergy-bit: A piece of floating ice, geneally less than 5 meters above sea level, and not more than about 10 meters across. It is generally of glacier ice, but may be a massive piece of sea ice.

Calve: When a block of ice breaks away from a glacier, an ice front, or an iceberg.

Frazil: Fine spicules or plates of ice in suspension in water.

Growler: A piece of ice awash, smaller than a bergy-bit. Growlers can be dangerous, because they are difficult to detect on ships' radar.

Ice blink: Silvery-white glare caused by the reflection of distant pack ice on the clouds.

Tabular berg: An iceberg that is flat-topped and more or less parallel with the waterline, and with no evidence of having rolled over. Formed by calving off an ice shelf.

Currency
There is no formal currency in Antarctica. However, Port Lockroy in the Antarctic Peninsula takes U.S. dollars, Pound Sterling and Euro (more on the location of Port Lockroy in another post).

I'm thinking subsequent "Fun Facts" might include Antarctic history, some of the wildlife we might see and places to visit. Anything else you specifically want to learn about? Let me know in the comments!

Port Lockroy, Antarctica
© Dietmar Denger

References

• Quark Expeditions. (n.d.). Antarctic Reader. A Glossary of Ice Terms. 
• Quark Expeditions. (2019). Currency (Antarctic). Retrieved from: https://www.quarkexpeditions.com/en/travel-tips/currency-antarctic
• Wikipedia. (2019). Time in Antarctica. Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_in_Antarctica