This is Jakob, one of our trainees on board the Fram. As usual we ask our
trainees to write an edition of the blog and as mentioned the other day, your faithful bloggers are
thrilled when they accept (do they REALLY have a choice?!!!).
We are now
in the notorious Drake Passage after 17 days on board. All the way from Buenos
Aires to Antarctica, via Falkland Islands and South Georgia. It’s been an
amazing voyage with tons of wildlife, all types of weather and breathtaking
scenery. I’m very happy be in a place with 20 hours of sunlight compared with 4
months of darkness, and be close to harmless penguins instead of giant polar bears.
From my home
in Svalbard to Antarctica is about as far away as I can get. This is my second
time as a trainee in the expedition team, but my first time in Antarctica,
actually my first time in the southern hemisphere. I had a lot of fun learning
and thinking about the fundamental differences in the south of the planet. Just
the fact that the sun moves in the opposite direction when it’s going down, the
stars are different and my compass doesn’t work.
This is
truly the realm of the great explorers. I have walked in the footsteps of
Shackleton in South Georgia, spent a night tenting in Antarctica, just like
Amundsen. Kayaking in Neko Harbour was the best, with penguins and icebergs all
around. I'm looking forward to one more voyage down south.
(Eds. note- we are now heading for Ushuaia and the end of this fantastic cruise). It all starts again tomorrow with another trip so keep following the blog!)
(Eds. note- we are now heading for Ushuaia and the end of this fantastic cruise). It all starts again tomorrow with another trip so keep following the blog!)