Life as a Global Nomad

Re-entry

2009-12-11T21:09:00.001+13:00

Round 2 of my explorations circumnavigating the globe by ship is almost complete. Three more days at sea until we dock in San Diego, CA. I can honestly say this has been the fastest 3.5 months of my life. Either I’m getting older or the world is becoming smaller, but it really went by with a blink of the eye. It has been an amazing journey and I can’t quit tell just yet what impression it will have on me in the long run but I know it will be a big one. My fondest memories are those moments I spent with locals, from breaking the fast during Ramadan with our colleagues in Morocco to shopping for Saris with our new friends in India. I will also cherish the amazing food and what I learned about the countries I visited and of course what I learned about myself. I don’t know where I am going next, but I am already exited.

Falling for the colors of Japan

2009-12-11T20:55:00.002+13:00

When I stepped off the train in Kyoto I emerged into an explosion of fall colors. Fall is my favorite season and having been away for the past 2 fall seasons has left a hole in my heart. That void was filled in 3 days in Kyoto. I felt like I was dreaming, having just spent 3 months traveling to mostly hot tropic climates to all of a sudden appear in this land of colorful trees and cool air. I could not have been in better company to enjoy the fall than with the Japanese. We arrived on a holiday weekend and crowds of people from all over Japan flocked to Kyoto to spend their holiday enjoying the foliage. As part of the fall celebrations select Temples in Kyoto set up lights to view the maple trees at night. Each night I was in Kyoto I went to a different Temple to see the bright red and orange leaves light up the night.

Put out the good China

2009-12-11T20:18:00.004+13:00

I never gave much thought to why people would refer to their dishes as China. I didn’t make a connection between the ceramic dishes and the country of their namesake. That is until I found myself in Shanghai, China. The Chinese perfected the art of making porcelain and the Shanghai Museum is home to a huge collection of the most amazing collection of ceramics. They are so beautiful, well crafted and also capture so much history. Different styles were created during different dynasties and the Emperors even had their own kilns creating ceramics just for their households. It was totally random but I really enjoyed diving into Chinese history through ceramics.

A Dosa Reality

2009-12-11T19:52:00.003+13:00

India was my favorite port before I had ever been there. It was a natural fit really, I love all things Indian, movies, music, clothes, food, and people. India is always a port that transforms people. When you step off the ship you are hit by a wave of heat and dirt as you enter the industrial port. Men walk around wearing only a garment around their bottom that resembles a diaper. So of course right away your impressions are that of a completely different world. Having previously been to India, 2.5 years ago, and already been through the culture shock, I couldn’t help but wonder what new revelations I would have on this trip. When I arrived, everything was just as I left it. The port, the school we worked with, the people I had met, the stores I shopped at and even the rickshaw driver that took us around. Where was my new revelation? Well, it didn’t happen. But what did happen was I made some amazing new friends, especially through the Rotary Club, whom we had been working with through the $100 Solution project. I think it might take a longer trip and more extensive traveling outside of Chennai to continue my India transformations. For now though, India is always a place I can call home because everyone you meet makes you feel like family. Oh and I am famous there. See below (it's my name on the sign)!

So Mauritius, So Delicious

2009-10-20T22:12:00.006+13:00

I made my return to the northern part of the island of Mauritius, where I had been, 2.5 years ago, on my last voyage. During my short stay, on the rainbow nation island, I relaxed by the beach and with the help of a scooter and an excellent driver; I explored some of the local neighborhoods. We left the tourists strip and cruised past beautiful public beaches and lively local neighborhoods many of which had colorful Hindu temples (52% of Mauritian people are Hindu). I chowed down on excellent roti and fresh pineapple which I ate as I sat on the beach.
As we were getting ready to depart this tropical paradise, the people of Mauritius were preparing for Diwali, stringing up lights over their houses and businesses and purchasing fireworks. Needless to say, as the ship pulled out of the harbor, Mauritius was lit up like the 4th of July.

Pretty

Our neighbor, Mr. Turtle.

My Return to the Western Cape

2009-10-14T02:57:00.004+13:00

Cape Town was the first repeat port! It was nice to go to a familiar yet foreign place. I hiked Table Mountain which made the view that much more spectacular and saw lots of wildlife without even going on a safari. I also spent time in a refugee camp where over 20,000 foreigners were relocated during the height of the xenophobic attacks. South Africa is full of so many complex issues that it’s hard to wrap my head around them all, especially in the midst of so much beauty.

The cure all soap

2009-10-14T02:47:00.003+13:00

Jon and I set out to film in a Liberian Refugee camp. After hours of travel, we arrived at the camp only to be denied access; our run and gun GNG style failed us. We decided to take it in stride and explore the neighboring area. There we met a group of girls that worked for a medicinal beauty product company called Rexcom. The company pays their rent, provides them with a van and they also earn commissions from sales. They spend their days packaging the products in their own home and take road trips all over Ghana to sell the goods. While the girls worked in their living room feverishly packaging the products their male friends who also live with them, rent free, sat around, unemployed, not even helping. Maybe we came on their day off. It was inspiring to see this group of young females embracing entrepreneurialism, working together and supporting themselves.

Ramadan tastes real good

2009-10-14T02:33:00.003+13:00

Is being in Morocco during Ramadan a blessing or a curse? The entire country is fasting so by default I too was fasting...sorta. I felt a sense of guilt as I snacked on a power bar to get me through the day. When the sun went down, the taste of food was legendary. To break the fast we ate dates, a veg soup that was full of chickpeas, hard-boiled eggs and sweet treats. After everyone broke the fast, they would take a nap or socialize with their families and then head out. Stores would open at 8 PM or 10 PM and stay open for a few hours during the late night hours. Everyone would eat a second meal between 12-3AM and that was supper. The whole country was on a very different time table than the rest of the world or the non Muslim world I should say. Sleeping during the day and working at night during the hours that they could eat. Of course there were plenty of people that did not have that luxury and had to work through the day without food or water. Is it cheating if you just shift your daily schedule to accommodate your fast? Does that defeat the purpose?

Where the wild things are…

2009-10-14T02:26:00.002+13:00

September 7th, 2009. 10:30 PM- Cadiz, Spain

The summer is coming to an end and kids are getting ready to go back to school. The children are running wild in the streets! While children in the U.S are asleep in their beds, kids in Spain are playing in a concrete jungle gym on the streets of Cadiz.

It's all coming back to me now

2009-10-14T02:18:00.002+13:00

I have fallen off the wagon and I don’t feel good about it. In the spirit of micro blogging I am going to shorten my blog entries to short recaps of select moments from my experiences and post pictures. Maybe this new style will keep me more on the regular this time around. Get ready for an explosion of updates!

Poutine not Putin!

2009-08-29T06:07:00.004+12:00

People say that you can't find good poutine outside of Quebec but while in Halifax I was determined to find the real deal. I did a quick computer search and jotted down the addresses of a few places I found online. On my first night in town I tried the poutine at a Alexandra's Pizza on Queen St. Instead of using curds they used mozzorella. Um hello those are Disco Fries! It seemed like everywhere I turned were signs that said 'Poutine with "real" curds'....meaning a blend of shredded cheese. On day two I decided to find a place I read about online called Bud the Spud. I found the truck parked in front of the public library. It seemed so promising. But once again no real curds. Across the way was another truck called Billy's. Billy's had this sign on the truck...

Could it be the real deal?

I think so.

Yum.

If you ever find yourself in Halifax go to Billy's truck on Spring Garden parked outside the library for real Poutine.

Feels Like Home

2009-08-27T12:47:00.014+12:00

On Monday, I headed down to Norfolk, Virginia to board the MV Explorer for the Fall ‘09 Semester At Sea (SAS) voyage. As I entered the ship, I took a deep breath and inhaled the cold, over air-conditioned ship air. It immediately brought back a wave of memories. The last time I sailed with Semester At Sea was in the Spring 2007. I had only been out of college for a little over a year and a half, - not much older than the students onboard. I struggled to distinguish myself from the 702 students on board and to feel confident in my role with GNG. I also didn’t fully grasp to what extent we could be a part of SAS and not just our own autonomous group onboard. But something I never expect to happen, happened when I returned home, I felt like an SAS alum. I felt a part of something above and beyond the work I did with GNG. I all of a sudden cared about what was going on with SAS and where the ship was going next and who the staff and faculty were. I gushed about the program with other alums when I happened to run into them. Some might say SAS Alums are a cult of sorts and it may be true. The most magical part of the experience was when I realized how badly I wanted to get back on the ship and do it all over again.

Now, two and a half years later I am back on the ship and it feels like coming home. I get a big grin on my face when I see crew members that were on my old voyage and they recognize me. I look forward to enjoying my meals on the 6th floor deck. When the snack bar opens I will be gobbling up veggie burgers and fruit shakes. And, when we dock in South Africa, our favorite cab driver will pick us up and help us get to where we need to go. In Ghana, we will get to meet our partners that we have videoconferenced with numerous times but have never met in person. In India, we will have the warmest welcome from the teachers and students and fed more than we could ever possibly eat. The list goes on and on of new places to make new connections and old places where we will return to old friends.

I could not be more excited to be back on the ship and to be a part of such a wonderful and unique program.

We arrive in Halifax, Nova Scotia tomorrow. Land Ho!

12 Pieces of Luggage.

Arriving at the ship.

Virginia is for lovers. The ship before departing Norfolk, VA.

My pimped out cabin. Window, desk, fridge, T.V what else could I need?

My bathroom

I thought I was frozen in time....guess not.

2008-11-17T20:45:00.008+13:00

It came to my attention today that I have 16 days left of this amazing journey! I feel like I just hit my stride and I can keep going. I have come to enjoy the simplicity of life here at camp and of course the magnificent beauty that makes you smile through your chattering teeth. I think I am some how adapting to the cold. Last night I slept in one layer of bottoms, two layers of tops and no socks. That's pretty much naked in Antarctica! Showering used to be a must morning ritual. I never felt awake until I took a shower. Now as soon as the sun and the cold hit my face I feel instantly ready for the day. All of the things we think are so necessary for our existence I have come to realize I can do without even hummus (the hummus bucket and I are at odds now due to a not so pleasant effect of the powdered hummus). Before leaving on this trip I feared I would lose my mind on this trip. I pictured myself sitting in my tent shivering and having panic attacks. The thought of being in such a remote place, isolated and removed from society completed terrified me. After being here I realized that the weather was more my enemy than my own thoughts. Time and time again I am surprised at just how adaptable humans are, how adaptable I am.

I find myself oddly saddened by the thought of this project winding down. Sure it will be nice to come home and see my friends, family and co-workers and once again enjoy all the wonderful things NYC has to offer but yet I have come to really enjoy life here.

Certainly during Happy Camper School I never would have expected to walk away from this experience with a very positive outlook but with each day I grow more found of this place. I want to do Happy Camper School again and show the forces of nature I have overcome!

It's not over yet though. I have two weeks left and I fully intend to enjoy my last days here. Who knows if I will ever return to this part of the world again.

Tomorrow I am heading back to McMurdo for some videoconferences. I am super excited for us to start videoconferences again after our two week hiatus. We still have 3 weeks of VCs left. In fact our last videoconference will be on the same day I leave Antarctica. What a way to sign off!

Penguins Rule!

So fresh and so clean clean

2008-11-14T18:03:00.007+13:00

On Tuesday I hit the one week without a shower mark. I felt alright and like I was going strong. I don't sweat and in general I exude a very pleasant smell even while wearing the same 4 layers of clothing all day every day. The only thing holding me back from being Ms. Antarctica 2008 was my hair. I normally wash my hair every day if I don't it just becomes a hot greasy mess. So now imagine my hair after a week without being washed. Let's just say you could power an alternative fueled car with the oil. Shakira saw the sad look in my eyes ever time I looked a my hair. So she offered to help me out. Here's how it went.

David was there to document this historic event.

We grabbed a basin and filled a measuring cup with hot water. Shakira gave me a nice scalp massage and lathered up my mop with shampoo and then combed in conditioner.

The water was a yukey gray! Who knew?

After that I felt like a million bucks and was ready for week two without a shower! The moral of everyone at camp really improved after my hair was washed. The breath of normalcy and pleasant scent just seem to lift spirits especially mine!

Just The Tip Of The Iceberg

2008-11-13T19:50:00.005+13:00

5:30 AM- Alarm clock goes off. I'm wrapped up like a mummy in a fleece blanket, hat and eye mask in my sleeping bag. My alarm clock is buried in my bag. I struggle to find it and hit snooze. Call it an Antarctica phenomenon call it what you will but my alarm never went off again!

6:30 AM- I pop outta my bag and run to the dining tent to film Luci preparing breakfast. I'm late.

7:00 AM- Breakfast time. Yogurt and granola just like home.

9:15 AM- GNG conference call

12:00 PM- Lunch time! Left over soup and Luci's special cheesey bagels.

1:00 PM- Trip to the iceberg with Luke and Shakira to get ice and take product shots of our Polycom unit.

2:45 PM- 7 PM Internet and editing time!

Other highlights include....the bathroom tent was moved! We sealed up our potty hole and moved on to another.

Just another day on ice.

Yeah it's pretty big

VC Poster girls

Camp Logistics

2008-11-10T09:49:00.012+13:00

The Offshore New Harbor Camp is located on 6-meter deep ice on the McMurdo Sound which is part of the Ross Sea. We are about 70 km from McMurdo Station and look right down the Ferrar Valley which is part of the continent.

Camp- View from Helicopter

There are 16 people at camp. Everyone sleeps in an unheated Scott tent, two to a tent. I share my tent with Kirsty Tinto, whom I also roomed with at McMurdo Station. Kirsty is a native of Northern Ireland who is a Grad student and resides in Dunedin, New Zealand. She is quite funny and pretty experienced in the way of Antarctica and expeditions. I have been learning a lot from her and could not have asked for a better tent mate. Plus she doesn’t snore, picks up my slack and has awesome nicknames for me like tiny, stumpy, dopey and sugar bear. Nicknames are a big part of camp life. We all have very official camp nickname like meat box, sausage tickle, noodle, goober, wet rope, cheese slab, windy crack, mad dog, captain skidoodle, warm bosom, uncle gravity, Cruella de Vil, sunshine and peaches. I am known as hummus bucket.

The Kiwi Drillers made ice steps in the entry way of their tent and fly their flag.

We have two heated structures which serve as our dining tent and science tent. Our toilet is located in a Scott tent and consists of a whole in the ice with a toilet seat on top. There is also a shower located in a Scott tent which consists of a solar shower bag which you fill with warm water and a propane space heater to warm the tent. The dirty water goes into a rubber containment burm and is then dumped into the gray water hole. I have yet to use it since I commute to McMurdo almost every week. No need to shower more than that. In fact most camps don’t have showers and people will go up to a month without showering. So a shower at camp is quite a luxury.

Diesel heater used to heat the dining and science tents. It also serves as the heat source for making all camp water.

Bathroom tent and pee flag for the men folk.

Trash is heavily sorted in waste bins inside the science tent and dining tent. When the bins are full the trash is brought outside and tossed into large boxes. All of our trash will be going back to McMurdo and eventually shipped back to the U.S. Waste water from brushing teeth and washing dishes is dumped in a whole in the ice.

In terms of food we have everything we will need for the entire time we are here. Before leaving McMurdo everyone pitched in to help our cook, Luci gather and box up all of the food. There are opportunities get some restock but the majority of the food we will be using is here and stored outside on the ice. Ever day Luci goes into the food boxes and pulls the food she will need which then has to thaw out. The goal is to eat everything and try and bring back as little as possible.

We have many types of fuel here to keep camp operations and our vehicles running. The types of fuel are diesel, gas, oil, pre mix (gas and oil), kerosene and propane.

Fuel and storage area for food, waste and other camp materials.

Fuel

More fuel

For electricity we have two solar panels and a generator. We use a combination of the two. Since there is 24 hours of daylight we try and power the camp using only the solar panels but during times of high usage we also run the generator. Luke, our camp manager, rotates the solar panels every time he walks by. He uses a sundial to find the exact point at which the sun gives the most power for charge.

Solar Panels

In terms of communications we have wireless internet, satellite phones and radios. We have a phone which gives us a local McMurdo Station extension. This phone uses a radio bridge as opposed to telephone lines. The satellite phone is Iridium and that is pretty self-explanatory. Mostly, while in the field we use VHF handheld Motorola radios. The radios work off a system of repeaters. The internet also works due to a similar set up of repeaters. All signals originate from McMurdo Station.

No videoconferences this week so i will be at camp for a full 12 days before returning to McMurdo for our next set of videoconferences. This will be my longest stretch out here and without showering!

Life on Ice

2008-11-05T07:43:00.023+13:00

Well I have had quite an eventful first 5 days on ice. It all started with my helicopter ride which I some how made it through without losing my cookies…just barely though. Our pilot, Murphy decided to take us on bit of joy ride since Shakira and I were both first timers. We started off cruising out around the back and over Scott Base, which is run by the Kiwis. Then he thought it would be fun to fly us up in the clouds and rotate the chopper from side to side as we weaved our way through a mass of whiteness. We dropped back down below the clouds and flew over a bunch of icebergs, pressure ridges and few other field camps. To top it off he landed us on an iceberg before dropping us off at camp.

The Chopper

Getting Pukey

McMurdo Station from the helicopter

Scott Base from the helicopter

Ross Sea Ice Shelf

Pressure ridges from where the sea ice meets the ice shelf

The iceberg we landed on/camp water source

Our backyard- Ferrar Valley

After the ride of my life I arrived at camp! What a site it was. Everyone was outside taking pictures and helping us with our bags. It was a pretty sweet homecoming especially since everything was all set up since we arrived fashionable late.

Camp

Dining tent and Scott Tents for sleeping

Inside the science tent

The first night I did not sleep at all. I was pretty cozy in my Arctic Storm Storm Storm sleeping bag but just could not relax enough to sleep. At 6 AM Steve, our fearless leader blew a conch to wake us up, yes I said that right a conch. Much like when I was at happy camper I was so ready to get out of that tent by 6 AM.

Breakfast was at 7 AM and by 8 AM everyone was scurrying off to the field for the day. I had the privilege of staying back to adjust and get myself set up. Since I was staying back at camp I was designated to take care of some camp chores. I did the team’s dishes and then cut blocks of ice to make water. Our water source is an iceberg that’s about a mile from camp (the one we landed on in the chopper). Just about everyday someone rides a snowmobile out there with a sled and cuts large chunks of ice off the iceberg. The blocks of ice are then brought back to camp to be chopped into smaller pieces for making water.

GNG Antarctica

Morning Chores- Chopping Ice

After dinner I went cross-country skiing with David, one of the grad students from Montana. We took off from the back of camp and headed towards the iceberg. It was gorgeous. The light, the mountains and the feeling of gliding across the sea ice was amazing. It was a prefect was to end my first day.

On day two at camp I was sent out with the team to start work on the seismics. We had a very productive morning but then by the afternoon things started breaking. It’s not worth getting into but let’s just say we have had lots of problems with equipment on this expedition. So my afternoon was spent going back and forth between standing around trying to figure out what was going on and hanging out in the back of the Piston Bully (Antarctica vehicle).

Day three was a day of rest for all since there was a lot of broken equipment. We all spent the day writing, watching movies, doing camp chores or fixing equipment. I also went out with our camp manager, Luke who went kite boarding. As he let the wind pull him over the ice on his snowboard I followed behind him on a skidoo (snowmobile). I helped him untangle his kite as needed but mostly just road around on the skidoo or as I like to say I skidoodled around.

Then by day four it was time to catch a chopper back into town (McMurdo Station) for some videoconferences. Before heading into town the moment I had been waiting for arrived….I saw my first penguin! The day I arrived at camp I found out that just about every day penguins had been coming up to camp. Since I arrived I had not seen any and thought they were purposely not coming around anymore. As I sat and waited for the chopper I got a call from Luci (our cook) and Luke saying there was a penguin. I ran outside and could not see a thing. I looked harder and off in the distance was a black dot. Could that really be a penguin? I grabbed my coat and off I went charging toward the dot. As I got closer I could start to see the shape of the penguin emerge. It was glorious. The penguin was indeed the cutest little creature ever. It walked right by us and made it’s way towards our camp. It waddled around by our tents and then took off.

Penguins are pretty much awesome!

Today I am heading back to camp for few days and then back to McMurdo for VCs next week. I am loving the back and forth.

Helo Offshore New Harbor

2008-10-30T14:50:00.003+13:00

In about an hour's time I will be on my very first helicopter ride! Shakira and I are the last to leave McMurdo for the Offshore New Harbor camp. Since the first team left on Monday I am sure they are pretty situated by now. I can't even imagine what the first couple of days have been like for them. I am excited to be reunited with the rest of the team and of course anxious to see what life on the ice is like. Let's just hope I don't lose my lunch or my head on the helicopter ride there!

Pic of the day....

'Ice on the Move' Videoconference

2008-10-29T21:23:00.010+13:00

Today we had our 3rd week of videoconferences. This week's topic was 'Ice on the Move'. Grad student/gravity expert/knows a thing or two about ice, Kirsty Tinto co hosted with Shakira.

We decided to change things up a bit and broadcast from outside instead of in the Crary Library. Needing internet, electricity and not frozen cables we set up shop on a loading dock at Crary. The equipment and myself were inside while Shakira and Kirsty were outside. Our goal was to try and give the students the feeling that we are actually in Antarctica and not just in a library. So Shakira and Kirsty suited up in their extreme weather gear (ECW) and showed the students just how cold it really was.

Location, location, location. Science Cargo Loading dock at Crary.

Kirsty answering a question.

Talking to kids via Polycom Mobile Responder.

Shakira and Kirsty having a good time.

Eric on camera and freezing his toes off.

Shakira and Kirsty's experiment. Which will freeze first, salt water or fresh water?

The team post videoconference and pre gng conference call. I turn around for a minute and this is what happens....Slackers....

Unit One Out

2008-10-27T08:47:00.000+13:00

Finally, the weather is looking picture perfect so unit one of our team is heading out to the Offshore New Harbor Camp. Today seven people will be doing a 5-7 hour traverse by snowmobile and piston bully. Two teams are left at McMurdo. One being me and team education who will head out by helicopter on Wednesday and Thursday and the other being team Thundersled. Team Thudersled, has been working night and day trying to finish construction of the house like structure that will be the main work space for the seismic study. They will traverse out to camp once construction is complete which will hopefully be any day now.

For now i am working on editing of our video footage and preparing for tomorrow night's videoconference. Hopefully i will have some videos posted today.

Because pictures are fun.....

My very first iceberg! It's a bit locked up by ice though.

My way cool wolverine gloves to protect by digits from the bite. I don't think any animals were hurt in the process of making my gloves but I can't be too sure.

The Bite

2008-10-26T15:20:00.000+13:00

For those of you interested or concerned about my frostbite....

This is it. I have an ET finger tip. Comes in handy to call home.

Antarctic STORM STORM STORM!!!!

2008-10-25T17:40:00.000+13:00

The storm is still a brewing. It's been snowing on and off and there is very low visibility out on the ice.

No one from the team has been able to leave. Something new every hour of every day.

The latest rumor for me is that am going to stay back till Thursday because of our videoconferences.

Here are some pics from the first VC (videoconference).

For this week's VC we will be broadcasting from outside at McMurdo! We are going to set up on a loading dock at Crary (science building). We are hoping that this will help give everyone back in the U.S the feeling that we are really here. Let's hope for good weather.

The not so happy camper and the most beautiful place on earth

2008-10-24T22:02:00.000+13:00

Well folks today I should have been off to the Offshore New Harbor camp but due to inclement weather we did not depart. So here I am still at McMurdo.

Over the course of this past week I have battled the harsh weather and have seen some of the most beautiful landscapes on this planet.

To start, I spent last Friday and Saturday at Happy Camper School. Happy Camper is a two-day survival crash course. A group of 20 people are taken out onto the sea ice to learn the skills necessary to survive outside in Antarctica. In other words they stick us outside with a few tools and see how we fare....and I did not fare well.

We were driven 20-30 minutes from McMurdo to the Happy Camper training grounds. From the moment we stepped outside survival was not a game or a topic of discussion it was very very real. The temperature was well below freezing. Humans are surely not built to endure that sort of weather. So there we were learning how to pitch tents, make water from ice, cut ice blocks, build shelters all while trying to stay warm. Although really the two go hand in hand. You have to move around to stay warm. I tried the best I could to move around and help the team with the various tasks but with 3 layers of clothes, a very large coat, huge boots, foggy goggles and large gloves my coordination was completely off. I felt like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. To say the least I was not the most helpful member of the team. Lucky for me I was with a lot of people that were very outdoorsy and experienced in the way of cold weather activities. If it weren’t for them I surely would not have survived.

The team manager to get all the tents up and make hot water for hot drinks and our freeze-dried dinner. After all of the chores were done all I wanted to do was crawl into my sleeping bag and get some sleep. As I lay in my sack wearing every article of clothing I had and hugging a hot water bottle between my legs I noticed I couldn't feel my fingers. I tried warming them up and slowly regained some sensation. I wiggling around to get warm but to no avail. I was absolutely bone chilled cold and could not sleep. All I could do was sing "Moving Right Along" from the Muppet Movie over and over again in my head as I shivered and counted down the hours. As soon as I heard our 6 AM wake up call I was up and out. I had just survived the hardest night of my short life. I felt cold like no one should ever feel. It is beyond the realm of the definition of the word.

We broke down camp and headed to the heated hut where we were spending part of happy caper day 2. As i sat in the hit I was overcome with joy by the warmth but something was terribly wrong. I still couldn't feel most of my fingers. I kept working on them but they were numb particularly my right ring finger. It was then that I realized that I had the bite... frostbite.

I didn't take any pictures because it is not something I want to remember. All you need to know is that is went from looking normal just numb to swollen and hard to black to a big blister. Right now it is still a big blister. My typing without my ringer finger has improved significantly over the past week though.

Yes, being cold and getting frostbite was not the most comfortable experience but in the midst of it all the site of Mount Erebus smoking right before my eyes was breathtaking.

After a day of rest we hit the ice again this time for Sea Ice School. Sea Ice School is a one-day course in which you examine the ice for cracks, take measurements and learn about the nature of Sea Ice. We spent the day driving around the ice searching for cracks and ended the day with a trip to an ice cave.

The ice cave is probably one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. We climbed up a wall of ice and crawled into the cave through a small opening. After passing though a tunnel like entrance way we emerged into a room of glowing blue ice crystals. Think Superman just a bit smaller.

From my short amount of time here I can tell you that being out in the harsh weather can be completely awful but at the same time the landscape can bring icy tears to your eyes.

McMurdo in Pictures

2008-10-19T22:54:00.001+13:00

The folloing pics are from McMurdo Station in Antarctica.

Most building are referred to by a number or abbreviation.

"155" is where i live and is also where the galley (dining hall), gift shop/general store, computer lab and some offices are located.

This is the living room section of my room which i share with Kirsty who is doing our gravity measurements for the expadition and Morgan who is on her was to the South Pole to work in Communications.

This pic was taken on my first night. Morgan now occupies the top bunk and Kirsty is on the other side of the room.

Dormitory buildings.

A bad ass looking fire truck.

The medical center. Just in case you were wondering they don't have a morgue. They keep bodies in the real deal ice.

Some buildings have freezer doors.

This is Crary where all the science happens! All of the science grantees have offices and labs here. We are also doing our videoconferences from the library of this building which has an amazing view. It's one of the nicer newer buildings here.

This building is referred to as the Chalet. The National Science Foundation (NSF) operates out of this building.

That's the abridged town tour folks. Things i left our are the 2 bars, a bowling alley, firehouse and lots of other workie buildings.

Pictures!

2008-10-13T09:45:00.001+13:00

Sorry the last blog was lacking in pictures. Here are a few from the journey.

New Zealand, First Flight and McMurdo

2008-10-12T14:34:00.000+13:00

After around 35 hours of traveling i finally made it to New Zealand. We arrived at night to the Windsor B&B. The next morning at breakfast we were served up a lot of gossip. Due to bad weather at McMurdo flights were not landing. Some people had been in Christchurch for a week waiting to fly out or in some cases boomeranging (flying out but having the plane turn around and return to Christchurch). In one case the plane circled around McMurdo and then flew back to Christchurch. The thought of staying a while in Christchurch sounded good to me. It would give Eric (our shooter) and I some much needed time to do some shooting and planning and maybe i would actually get to see a bit of Christchurch. The thought of flying out and having to return to Christchurch.... not so pleasant.

That afternoon we headed back to the airport to the US Antarctic program's CDC (Clothing Distribution Center). At the CDC we were given our gear to try on for size and check for damage.

"Big Red" and other Parkas in the clothing storage facility.

I was issued the hot white boots called "Bunny Boots"

While we were there we were given the word that we would actually fly out the next day. What??? I just got here! They must be mistaken! Then the panic sunk in. I am flying on some crazy military plane to Antarctica tomorrow afternoon. What am i doing? Everyone around me was so excited. Some people had been waiting years for this moment. I tried to block out my fears and harness everyone's positive energy and excitement.

The next day everyone showed up to the CDC to pack their bags (75 pounds including issued gear, 1 carry on and 1 boomerang bag). After packing our bags we moved through baggage check which is located next to the CDC. There our passports were checked, bags were weighed and scanned and dogs sniffed around us. By 2 PM we were bused out to the plane and boarding. At 3 PM they were fixing an engine problem which was delaying our take off. Always reassuring. At 4 PM we were taking off.

The plane was a U.S Air force C-17 with a crew based out of Washington State. Their mission, "Operation Deep Freeze". No joke (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Deep_Freeze)

After a 5 hour flight we landed on Pegasus Airfield. It was incredible. The sun was setting behind the air field as we all ran in a gust of wind to the vehicles waiting to take up to McMurdo. My sunglasses fogged up so i couldn't see a thing but i kept clicking away with my camera. At that moment i just could not believe where i was. It was so surreal, the vast stretches of white and the tiny shapes in the distance that made up McMurdo.

More to come on life at McMurdo next time.

Still en route!

2008-10-08T15:47:00.000+13:00

Welcome to Sydney Australia! We left LAX at 1 AM and due to our delayed flight by the time we made it to Sydney we missed our connection to Christchurch. As we exited the plane they herded us Christchurchers to a spot to give us the low down. Apparently there are 46 of us! Most of which are a group that work for Raytheon Polar Services (http://rpsc.raytheon.com/) and were coming from orientation in Denver, CO. We were escorted to immigration, given visas and bussed to a hotel where we were given rooms and lunch. So here i sit in my hotel room till a 4 PM shuttle takes us back to the airport. Not bad. Man i like how things are done around here. Although i do love the surly people at JFK who would leave you stranded on the curb with no luggage or a dime to your name.

I must say through these travel adventures i am starting to meet some interesting Antarctic bound people. At lunch i met this awesome old man with a handle bar mustache who is a shuttle bus driver at McMurdo. Back home he owns a farm in Illinois. At the airport i met a young man who quick his job in marketing a year ago to travel and here he is going to Antarctica to work at the dining hall. Not your normal bunch. Love it already.

No Sleep to New Zealand!

And so it begins....

2008-10-07T19:36:00.000+13:00

Welcome to Antarctica! JK...welcome to LAX. Right now my flight is delayed and i am hanging out with the rest of the sleepy Antarctica crew. We are headed to Sydney where we will catch a connection to Christchurch, New Zealand. Although at this rate we will miss our connection.

The airport is crawling with people going to Antarctica. Who knew LAX would be the hub for the deep south? I am have no idea what all these people are up to down there but i am sure i will find out.

Although it is 2.38 AM EST, i am in good spirits. What can i say i am just very excitied to be embarking on this journey.

20 + hours of travel still ahead.