After the enforced stay due to the transport strike in Argentina we are on our way to Antarctica! Our 'home' port of Ushuaia looked magnificent in its coating of fresh snow on higher ground, which fell last night. This trip is a first for Fram- all our passengers are Chinese speakers.
Passenger flights arrived early and as soon as we landed we were on board MS Fram. Although tired after days of travel we soon got used to our new home for the next 9 days. We handed in our medical forms and were issued our blue expedition jackets. These were soon put to good use as we had our Muster practice in what seemed a gale force wind coming off the glaciers around Ushuaia.
We pulled away from the pier and headed east down the Beagle Channel. The wind was cold on our faces but the light was very impressive on the snow-clad mountains. The views kept getting better with the clay banks contrasting with the beech forest and snowcapped peaks above. We were followed by Cape Petrel, Black-browed Albatross and Shags to name a few. Some distance past Ushuaia we passed the most southerly town in the world- Puerto Williams on Isla Navarrino, Chile.
As we headed out into the Drake Passage the seas started to build rocking us all asleep, looking forward to the adventure ahead.
