Neiko Harbor. Wednesday, February 13

Smell of guano. Neiko Harbour for penguins and uphill climb.  Tom went part way up while I concentrated on the penguins.  Many chicks at various ages.  Turned out to be our last Antarctica landing since we’ll need to change course plans for tomorrow to beat a storm through the Drake Passage.  The next couple of days should be interesting and definitely rougher than coming to Antarctica.  

·        I’m up by 745 and join MJP at window of observation bar.  Only 1 other person there. Views gorgeous. Waiting for ice to calve.  The times I go up there in the AM I like having the Nespresso coffee.  First couple times also pastries but they’re not very good and I learn to resist.  Become wary over time of all the sweets except the cookies.

·        11am our red group goes to land. Group never really coalesces the way I thought it would.  People are extremely anonymous when bundled up.  And quiet.  And we go over on appx.  8 zodiac runs.

·        Opportunity to climb a pretty big hill that most people do, but we don’t.  I get up 100 feet and stop because I notice that my boots are starting to slip. Actually escapes me how others could be doing it.  After staying where I was for a time I’m told to move on because I’m blocking multiple routes on the “penguin highway”, which I am.

·        Ice calving.  We’re at shore and they ask us to get up hill because they can’t predict tidal waves.

·        I’m getting tired of stupid people.  On our zodiac over a woman who tucks kleenex into her sleeve.  On the way back, an older guy who has the tips of his walking sticks pointed at the inflatable…  I ask him to move them and say I don’t want to swim to the ship.  Chris had told a story early on in the trip about a woman who was using a shower cap to shield her camera.  It blew away and staff ran after it.  She told them not to worry because she had another.

·        Late lunch around 1 with fawning service.  Able to get a refill on my diet coke.

·        At the expedition team presentation the captain announces bad weather ahead and says that we’re going to relocate the ship 100 miles north over night and do a drive by in the morning then head to Ushuaia.  Says that this will let a system pass in front of us and get us to Ushuaia ahead of a second one with “near hurricane winds”.