There are moments in life when words are not enough to explain what one is experiencing, the first kiss, the first ‘I love you’… there is no way to describe them. The expedition to Antarctica is the same, it is something indescribable. The smell, the dry cold on the skin, the purity of the air, the silence… these are unforgettable moments and sensations.
The first thing to note about a trip like this is that it is not really a trip but an expedition. An expedition is a journey without rules, without a route, without a destination, with only one goal: in this case, to venture into a protected, unspoilt and inhospitable territory without any infrastructure. In short, it is an adventure.
The journey began in Santiago, Chile, and it was there that we began to realise what we had gotten ourselves into. Our trip started with a flight from Santiago to Punta Arenas, the southernmost city in the world, followed by a visit and an overnight stay there. The next day, we flew to King George Military Base in Antarctica, where we boarded a six-night cruise.
Upon arriving in Santiago, we encountered our first surprise: heavy snowfall in Antarctica the night before had left the runway unusable, which meant we couldn’t fly. The change of plans meant travelling to the southernmost inhabited town in the world, Puerto Williams, and boarding the cruise ship there the night before, turning the cruise into seven nights instead of six. It also meant having to cross the Sea of Hoces or Drake Passage by boat, the strait with the roughest seas in the world.
After a peculiar journey, filled with waiting, uncertainty and nerves, we arrived at the most inhospitable place I have ever been, remote and strange, silent and mysterious. The tiny landing strip and the boat in an almost abandoned dock awaited us. There we boarded. The boat is a dream, a haven of peace, a floating boutique hotel with haute cuisine, attentive service and attention to every last detail. Truly a superior luxury boat.
Antarctica is more than just an expedition
We were fortunate to cross the Strait of Hoces or Drake Passage with three-metre waves, a very pleasant crossing and a great experience, enjoying caviar and champagne; it is a luxury, something fleeting, and one has to pinch oneself from time to time to see that it is all real.
Once we were dressed in thermal suits and special boots, and had learned the instructions for going ashore, we began our forays into Antarctic territory; two days after arriving, we began to disembark. From the very first minute, you realise that you are in a special place. The strong smell of… fish? The pure white of the snow, the clear blue sky free of pollution, the silence, the peace, the absence of civilisation, all provoke in you the need to cry. To cry with emotion, with happiness, with… you don’t really know what.
As if that weren’t enough, the next day we sailed in a zodiac among icebergs, breaking through the frozen ocean… I’ll never forget the sound of the zodiac’s bow crunching through the sea,
and all this among icebergs the size of New York buildings, making you feel so small…
Every day was an adventure. We didn’t know what was going to happen, what we were going to find, or even where we were going. We saw penguins, hundreds of penguins. We saw them “working”, incubating eggs, flirting and even mating. We spotted killer whales, one of which came up to breathe through its blowhole just a metre away from our zodiac. Not only that, but we saw them swimming alongside
our boat while we had dinner, we saw a dead whale being devoured by other animals, seals posing in front of us… experiencing the best National Geographic report first-hand is priceless, impossible to forget… today, two months later, I remember it, and I still get goosebumps and my eyes well up… Few people can say that they have set foot in Antarctica in their lifetime. No one will ever forget visiting this incredible place.
