For Fram it is the last time in Ushuaia for this Antarctic season but we will be ending our Austral summer with a bang! The South Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula! Elephant Island and South Georgia! The Falkland/Malvinas Islands (or is it Las Malvinas/Falkland Islands)! Regardless, yippie! This is going to be one fantastic trip. I can't wait. Whales, seals, fur seals, penguins, albatrosses. Blubber, fur and feathers. Two different oceans. Ice everywhere - glaciers, icebergs. It will be non-stop adventure. It will be incredible scenery and amazing wild life encounters. And tonight our grand adventure begins.
We boarded Fram at 17:00 and were quickly and efficiently checked in. We received our room keys/picture IDs and were escorted to our cabins where our luggage was already waiting for us. The staff and crew were very friendly and we were certainly impressed with the excellent buffet at dinner.
At 20:00 we had a mandatory safety drill which was immediately followed by the Captain's welcome speech and cocktail.
Now we are in the sheltered waters of the beautiful Beagle Channel on our way to the open sea. Soon enough we will be plying the waters of the notorious Drake Passage. The Captain cautioned us that there may be some motion to the ocean tonight and tomorrow. We shall see.
