Christmas in Antarctica - Thursday, December 25, 2008
Christmas in Antarctica - Thursday, December 25, 2008
By Blog.Admin
What a wonderful place to spend Christmas Day – we would all have a truly white Christmas. We had a lovely clear morning, with a blue sky and bright sunshine. After breakfast Nigel talked to us about emperor penguins, the ‘Lords of the South’, and we learnt how these remarkable birds breed during the Antarctic winter in very difficult conditions. Their lives are a real feat of survival against daunting odds, but they have become masters of this harsh environment.
Before lunch, Barrie talked to us about the Antarctic Ice Sheet, and this was timely as were soon crusing along the Ross Ice Shelf. The ‘barrier’ as it was known by the early explorers is breathtaking the first time one sees it. I have often marveled at how the early explorers managed to get up onto the top of it without the nimble little Mi-2 helicopters which we can use. After lunch, helicopter flightseeing was commenced, but Jonas explained due to the really cold wind, it would not be possible to leave the helicopter once they flew to the top of the Ice Shelf. However, everyone would get a window seat and the pilots would fly so each of us got to take in the spectacular views and take lots of photographs.
Before dinner, a briefing was held in the lounge. The staff talked about all we had seen and experienced in the past few days, and of course excitement was building as to whether we would get to visit McMurdo Station the next day. Many people are looking forward to visiting this US base which is the largest base in Antarctica. Due to the fact we will probably be quite some distance from McMurdo by the time the ship breaks into the fast ice, Jonas asked us to sign up for either a visit to Scott’s Discovery Hutt, or a visit to the station. A very tight schedule will be drawn up so everyone can visit one or the other and we should get about one and a half hours ashore.
This evening after dinner, Kerry and some other passengers invited us all into the lecture hall to join in singing Christmas Carols. Another passenger, Lyndall, played the piano and it was a very happy little group.
Being so far from home it was somehow comforting to be doing “normal” Christmas things with our new found shipmates. Even after the carol session was finished, a few passengers did some more singing in the bar, with Michael leading us in some excellent pub songs. Peter also introduced some good Aussie songs. I suspect Debbie probably had a rather late, (or should I say early morning), closing of the bar.
Christmas happens only once a year, but it it one of the most fun times of the year! Writers have said a lot about the Christmas holiday. Celebrate Christmas with these quotes from famous authors like Charles Dickens and Walter Scott.
merry christmas sms