29
reasons why you should holiday in Antarctica
An Indian on a mission to travel the planet checks
“seventh heaven” off his bucket list and presents ways you could too…
1. How often are you likely to start your
vacation with a chartered flight to the southern-most city in the world
(Ushuaia, Argentina), knowing that all the 150 passengers on this flight will
be your co-expeditioners for the next 10 days?
2. Marvel at how Earth’s seventh continent
seems like a totally different planet.
3. Chuckle over how your holiday feels like a
boot camp, with 7am wake-up calls and 8am arrivals at the mudroom to board a
Zodiac (an inflatable boat) for the water-cruising and island-landing
expeditions.
4. Be aware that the exotic wild creatures in
their own natural habitat are as fascinated by you as you are by them. (If
you’ve never been poked by a penguin, you really haven’t understood what
curiosity is.)
5. Put together lots of anecdotes about
crossing the Drake Passage from South America to Antarctica. This is like a
natural rollercoaster ride over and between 11-metre-high waves. This lasts for
two days and makes your cruise beds double as swings!
6. Make travel friends like no other – from
an eight-year-old kid who is a part of a climate change study group team, to an
80-year-old man who still loves to explore.
7. Dive into ice-cold water for the ritual
polar plunge, and swim with whales.
8. Know that even vegetarians are served
delicious food, and not just bread, pasta, and salad.
9. Smile when you think of the memories
you’ll have of an on-deck BBQ party, surrounded by icebergs and snow-covered
mountains!
10. Kayak in the calm sea, and enjoy the
showers from the whales’ blowholes.
11. Enjoy the adventure of being on a boat
that jumps on ice sheets to break them.
12. Pray that your Zodiac is not bitten
through by a seal or you’ll have to rush back to the ship to disembark.
13. Laugh hysterically thinking about your
summer wear in India as you bundle up in three to five layers of clothing,
complete with double socks and waterproof boots, all adding up to your own body
weight!
14. Appreciate the sun as you never do when
you’re home: you’ll be lucky to see it even twice over your whole trip. But
when you do, you’ll forget to blink as you try to take in all the beauty. And
the sunsets over crystal clear water, floating icebergs, and snow-covered
mountains? Spectacular!
15.You’ll be surrounded by penguins! Some
(the species called macaroni) even have yellow feathers! Oh, happy feet.
16. Don’t forget to enjoy the seals,
sun-bathing on sheets of ice, totally ignoring the predatory whales lurking in
the water.
17. Learn patience (you’ll have to), silently
holding your camera ready for an action shot of three different species of
whales, and their water ballets.
18. Discover how easy it is to live without
technology as there are no cellphone towers in Antarctica.
19. Contemplate camping and hiking in the icy
wastes.
20. Learn how lovely it is to live a
pollution-free existence.
21. Bring back thousands of picture-perfect
photos!
22. Paddleboat standing up, enjoying crystal
clear polar water, between whales on one side and the mountains on the other.
23. Gape at how artistic the icebergs and ice
formations are, mimicking everything from an arch to a tower to a huge
wall.
24. Think about the effects of climate
change. Even this pristine, uninhabited-by-humans land now suffers from
avalanches, larger-than-usual icebergs pointing to the melting of the pole, and
the changing behaviour of the penguins.
25. Add to your knowledge about whales,
seals, penguins, photography, exploration, climate change, and so on via the
experts on the ship.
26. Dress up for the captain’s cocktail
party, and the maitre-d’s welcome/farewell dinners, and enjoy watching movies
in the lounge. (Whales outside the window, Jaws inside.)
27. Learn to live without plans, ready to put
on your parka and report to the deck at a moment’s notice to see something
spectacular that the ship’s crew has just spotted.
28. See research stations and military posts
of several countries, all of whom are waiting for the Antarctica Treaty to
expire so they can claim the land as their own. This is the only human
civilisation in Antarctica.
29. Remember these experiences when you’re
back, and become an ambassador of environment protection, pledging to preserve,
respect and appreciate Mother Nature!
Arvind Jain HTBR 11JUN17
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