Most Inspirational Moment
There were three really great moments on the trip for me. The first was on the Falkland Islands, when we were at Port Stanley and we had done a brief guided walk around the town before being given free time - it was suggested by the Expedition Leader that the Globe Pub was a great place to visit as they serve good beer and fresh fish and chips! Unfortunately the chef was not working so there was no food available but as far as I was concerned we did better than that - there was a Falklands War veteran there, from 3 Paras who spent nearly 45 mins chatting with 3 of us. He was very emotional and he showed us on the map on the wall how they had done their manovers during the war.Secondly was visiting Sailsbury Plain on South Georgia where there were 250,000 King penguins, fluffy brown chicks and adults as well as many fur seals. It is very difficult to re describe seeing so many en-mass and with the noise and smell they produce! It was great and if you stood or sat still they would come very close and did not appear to be at all bothered by lots of people walking around in red clothing!Thirdly was our last zodiac ride in Fournier Bay on the Antartic Peninsular - the sea was flat calm for most of our time around the Peninsular (thankfully!) but as we sailed in to the circular Fournier bay, the sun was shining, the sky was blue, the glaciers and mountains were bright white and we had great reflections in the water. We dropped anchor before getting in the zodiacs. It was so calm and we had a bit of a speedy ride (for fun) before looking for wildlife on the icebergs. We were not disappointed and to me it was just how I had imagned Antarctica to be like. We found 3 penguins sitting on top of an iceberg which made for great photos, seals lazing in the sun on the icebergs and then about 24 penguins waiting to dive in to the water which they duely did! It was then ended by a celebratory champagne farewell on the boat as we set sail and even the whales did a "swim by!"
Thoughts on Group Leader
Boris Wise was our main Expedition leader - helped by a further 18 members of staff and about 45 crew. Every one was excellent and nothing was too much trouble for any of them. The whole trip was run in a very professional and slick way and a time schedule but nothing ever felt rushed.Safety was paramount at all times from getting on and off the zodiacs to being advised not to go out side as the decks were covered in ice. All the staff had radios so if for example you needed the doctor any one would just call for him.We also had an American professional photographer on board who gave talks and helped people with any camera issues, 2 excellent bird and wildlife spotters, 2 people who had worked / been involved with Antarctica and South Georgia for many years, a British professional wildlife artist as well as 2 kayak guides, zodiac drivers who all have good knowledge, massage and yoga professionals and excellent "hotel managers"Exodus as such does not provide a specific leader for their own clients on this trip (which is not a problem) as there are all the staff members as above. The boat was filled with various groups from places throughout the world and one of the larger groups did bring a fairly vocal agent with them! You just have to learn to turn a deaf ear to them!!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Just book it....it may be costly but it is worth it!I also did the option of going to the Iguassu falls (I believe Patigonia extensions are also available which is worth visiting too) which I did for 3 days before the start of the trip which I found to be very good as it meant I had caught up with any time changes. It also meant that I was also in Argentina and closer to Ushuaia - Areolinas Argentina sometimes delay and cancel flights at very short notice. Make sure you get to Ushuaia at least one day before leaving with the ship - there is plenty to do there and it is better to be early than miss the boat.We had very changable weather and discovered fairly early on that the wet skin tousers were not completely water proof - easy solution was just to wear a thin pair of water proofs under neath which also gave an extra layer of warmth (so pack your own just to be on the safe side).Take plenty of layers as you will definately need them - as the guide said on several occassions "put on all the clothes you have!" On a couple of times I had 8 layers on my top and 5 on my bottom half and I was very glad I did. If you think you may be going to feel sea sick, book a cabin on deck 3 as it is the most stable area of the boat in rough seas..........None of the cabin doors lock - this is for health and safety reasons (if some one was ill / had an accident it would be very difficult to gain access). However this was not a problem and infact many of the staff members left their doors wide open with all their belongings on show. There was a safe available on request.The power supply was 2 round pin plugs but worth taking a double adapter or multi plug so you can do lots of charging at the same time as the cold weather uses up your batteries and you will also take lots of photos / videos.The Shackleton walk is worth getting up at 530am for - it is medium to hard but walking poles are provided. Steep ascent to start and end but worth it for the views.
