I left the base today, and I saw a penguin yesterday. These are the reasons I clean toilets, because these toilets are in Antarctica and it is a beautiful place. I finally made it to the main excursion that everyone is after, Cape Evans. It only took me 4 attempts. The first time the trip was canceled due to weather, the second time I volunteered to give up my spot for a guy that could only go that day, and the third time I was sick. So finally on the fourth attempt I left the base today, for the first time since I have been here. Well that is if you count Scott base, Ob Hill and the ice runways really as just extensions of this base-don’t tell the Kiwi’s (New Zealanders) I said that.
Cape Evans is about 25 miles or so from here by road, across the sea ice. The trip can only be made for a few more weeks, because then the ice will not be safe to drive on then. The vehicles we go in (called Deltas) are huge, and need some thick ice to drive on. They are 25 year old vehicles, that seem older, that belong to the navy, and have a pax compartment in the back for 18 people, and a large cab that can hold 4 people. Cape Evans is at the foot of Mt Erebus, which often has a little tuft of smoke coming out of the top, and has blown a few times this century (CHECK facts). On a side note, an evacuation scenario if that thing ever has a major eruption, does not include getting us all out of here on time. I’m sure janitors are low on that list for spots on the plane. There is also a hut at Cape Evans that was built by Scott and later used by Shacklton ( throw in facts) The hut is still filled with lots of orginal equipment, bedding, clothing, gear canned food, seal blubber strips and a dead penguin. No that is not the one I refered to seeing yesterday, I will get to that story soon enough. As well as going in the historic hut, we went in a fish hut that has a hole drilled into it through to the sea. Of course I had to stick a hand and a foot in. Not at the same time though I am not that limber. We also found an little frozen lake where Brent, Kelly, Charley (a girl) and I had sliding competitions. It was a great day for it, not a cloud in the sky (there usually isn’t) but more amazingly no wind which means it was just 15 degrees, not 15 with an insanly cold wind chill as is often the case. It I have acclimated enough to think that 15 is warm, or down right tropical, amazing. So today s why I clean toilets, and it was a good day.
One of the goals of coming to this place has partially been met today. I can now confirm that small black specks in the distance do exisit on this continent. Of course these specks are known by another name that is more common, but harder to actually see, and that is Emperor Penguin. Six of them turned up down by the ice runway today waddeling along. I had a rare Saturday off (am working Sunday instead) and when I was checking the menu in the galley a shuttle driver friend of mine came in and said the news had gone out on the radio about the six visitiors. He was headed out there, so I went along for the ride. Of course he only had a truck and there were four of us, so I spent the ten minute trip in the back of a truck in 10 degree weather. By the time we got out there though, the were already being escorted, or ushered, or corralled really off the other side of the runway by the fire department. The Antarctic treaty says we are not allowed to disturb the wildlife, but exceptions are made when they are on the runway, and a plane is about to land. In fact the plane that landed today, had the passengers getting off and immediately seeing six penguins walking by. Essentially they could have gotten right back on the plane and flown back to Christchurch, two of the main Antarctic goals accomplished. Penguin seen, check, set foot on Antarctica, check, cold experienced, check, lets go. So unfortnatly when I arrived on the scene the little guys were on the otherside of the runway. Peons, AKA janitors without authorization are not allowed to walk across the runway. Firemen, Airforce personnel and just about everyone else seem to be able to, so I decided to go for it. I asked a lot of people around who I needed to get clearance form, and after a lot of I don’t knows, I decided to chance it (they said no plane was coming in) as I came 1000’s of miles to see theses little creatures, and did not want to stop half a mile short. But alas, by the time I reached the otherside of the runway (and then could not physically go further due to unsafe terrain) the fire men had already done there “duty” (another reason to be jealous of the firemen and their easy gig here) and I only got about 300 feet from them. Some shuttle drivers that were on the scene early have pictures from about 15 feet. But I have seen them, more than once. And its not really important how close, as Jesse says. He doesn’t really actually want to see one for seeing ones sake. He wants to see one (but hasn’t yet) because he wants to avoid this conversation at home:
“Wow Antarctica, that’s great”
“Yeah”
“Did you see any penguins?”
“well, no”
“Well did you see any Polar bears?”
“Actually, no the don’t exist on the continent , in fact Antarctica is from Latin meaning no bears. “
“Oh…………..hmmmm, so you were just cleaning toilets, and no penguins and no polar bears ehh? So why did you go down there?
So go educate your friends, no polar bears down here. But tiny black specks in the distance, there are, I can now confirm that.
Cape Evans is about 25 miles or so from here by road, across the sea ice. The trip can only be made for a few more weeks, because then the ice will not be safe to drive on then. The vehicles we go in (called Deltas) are huge, and need some thick ice to drive on. They are 25 year old vehicles, that seem older, that belong to the navy, and have a pax compartment in the back for 18 people, and a large cab that can hold 4 people. Cape Evans is at the foot of Mt Erebus, which often has a little tuft of smoke coming out of the top, and has blown a few times this century (CHECK facts). On a side note, an evacuation scenario if that thing ever has a major eruption, does not include getting us all out of here on time. I’m sure janitors are low on that list for spots on the plane. There is also a hut at Cape Evans that was built by Scott and later used by Shacklton ( throw in facts) The hut is still filled with lots of orginal equipment, bedding, clothing, gear canned food, seal blubber strips and a dead penguin. No that is not the one I refered to seeing yesterday, I will get to that story soon enough. As well as going in the historic hut, we went in a fish hut that has a hole drilled into it through to the sea. Of course I had to stick a hand and a foot in. Not at the same time though I am not that limber. We also found an little frozen lake where Brent, Kelly, Charley (a girl) and I had sliding competitions. It was a great day for it, not a cloud in the sky (there usually isn’t) but more amazingly no wind which means it was just 15 degrees, not 15 with an insanly cold wind chill as is often the case. It I have acclimated enough to think that 15 is warm, or down right tropical, amazing. So today s why I clean toilets, and it was a good day.
One of the goals of coming to this place has partially been met today. I can now confirm that small black specks in the distance do exisit on this continent. Of course these specks are known by another name that is more common, but harder to actually see, and that is Emperor Penguin. Six of them turned up down by the ice runway today waddeling along. I had a rare Saturday off (am working Sunday instead) and when I was checking the menu in the galley a shuttle driver friend of mine came in and said the news had gone out on the radio about the six visitiors. He was headed out there, so I went along for the ride. Of course he only had a truck and there were four of us, so I spent the ten minute trip in the back of a truck in 10 degree weather. By the time we got out there though, the were already being escorted, or ushered, or corralled really off the other side of the runway by the fire department. The Antarctic treaty says we are not allowed to disturb the wildlife, but exceptions are made when they are on the runway, and a plane is about to land. In fact the plane that landed today, had the passengers getting off and immediately seeing six penguins walking by. Essentially they could have gotten right back on the plane and flown back to Christchurch, two of the main Antarctic goals accomplished. Penguin seen, check, set foot on Antarctica, check, cold experienced, check, lets go. So unfortnatly when I arrived on the scene the little guys were on the otherside of the runway. Peons, AKA janitors without authorization are not allowed to walk across the runway. Firemen, Airforce personnel and just about everyone else seem to be able to, so I decided to go for it. I asked a lot of people around who I needed to get clearance form, and after a lot of I don’t knows, I decided to chance it (they said no plane was coming in) as I came 1000’s of miles to see theses little creatures, and did not want to stop half a mile short. But alas, by the time I reached the otherside of the runway (and then could not physically go further due to unsafe terrain) the fire men had already done there “duty” (another reason to be jealous of the firemen and their easy gig here) and I only got about 300 feet from them. Some shuttle drivers that were on the scene early have pictures from about 15 feet. But I have seen them, more than once. And its not really important how close, as Jesse says. He doesn’t really actually want to see one for seeing ones sake. He wants to see one (but hasn’t yet) because he wants to avoid this conversation at home:
“Wow Antarctica, that’s great”
“Yeah”
“Did you see any penguins?”
“well, no”
“Well did you see any Polar bears?”
“Actually, no the don’t exist on the continent , in fact Antarctica is from Latin meaning no bears. “
“Oh…………..hmmmm, so you were just cleaning toilets, and no penguins and no polar bears ehh? So why did you go down there?
So go educate your friends, no polar bears down here. But tiny black specks in the distance, there are, I can now confirm that.
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