Transitions

This trip started and ended in Frei Station on King George Island – the only place for commercial passengers to land and board vessels. It is amazing how quickly our senses and sense of normal changes. Last night at dinner Becky commented to Shannon how 2 weeks ago when they arrived this base had seemed like the end of the earth – so far from civilization. Now 2 weeks later as we pull in, we look at the base, with its lights, its humming generator, a hint of thumping music given that it was Friday night and we are shocked to see civilization! This once end of the world outpost is now all encompassing of man and civilization. We have definitely been blessed these last few weeks to be surrounded by the splendor of nature – the white continent still relatively free of the knowledge of the rest of the world – although of course this is naïve too, the core samples our Guest Scientist studies reveals all in terms of what is happening and has happened on our planet. but at least for 2 weeks we have disconnected, embraced whatever nature has thrown at us – whether it was Plan a, b, c or even h or g. We’ve gone with the winds and the weather, watched penguins at their finest, regaled in whales feasting on the summer bounty and the gloriously sculpted icebergs as they floated by us. And so for now we say goodbye to a wonderful group of guests – now friends. Fair winds.
– Laura