Voyage to the bottom of the earth: Antarctica

Would you travel four days to go to Antarctica? No? Well, I did.

It took two days to get there and two to get back, but in between were four days that made it the trip of a lifetime.

I’ve traveled quite a bit — Egypt, Iceland, Britain and Kenya among the destinations. In the last few years, I’ve focused on cold climates and nature. I’ve always been fascinated by Antarctica because it’s so remote, quiet, clean — and I’m a big fan of Ernest Shackleton, the Polar explorer.

I had wanted to go to Antarctica for decades but was afraid of the tumultuous Drake Passage, considered to be the most treacherous waterway on earth. 

But last September, I said to myself: You’re not getting any younger. Go for it.

So I booked the trip for January, summer in the southern hemisphere with temperatures in the 30s. It would be four days in the Antarctic peninsula aboard a ship carrying only 200 travelers. 

After a nine-hour flight from New York and an overnight stay in Buenos Aires, I flew another three hours to Ushuaia, the southernmost tip of Argentina, where boats headed for the great white continent sail across the Drake. After a one-night stay there, we were off, guided by the knowledgeable young staff of the Intrepid Travel Company.

The Drake Passage lived up to its reputation. The good ship Ocean Endeavour was rocking and rolling, and at 2 a.m. I woke up, feeling quite nauseous. I had plenty of company. Most of the other passengers were also seasick.

We stayed in our cabins, alternating between trying to eat, running to the bathroom and sleeping after taking “the little white anti-nausea pill” the staff gave us. By nighttime I was fine.

Recovered, I headed up to meet my “gals,” five single women, world travelers, bonding over the same table at mealtimes. Every day began with a televised rundown of the coming activities. It was put together by crew members who had already ventured out onto the ice to ensure the landing would be safe, free of crevices and full of penguins.

After breakfast the first day, all 200 of us were divided into groups of eight to 10 people with names reflecting the natural world around us — orca, leopard seal, chinstrap penguin, gentoo penguin and so on. 

Everyone was dressed for the expedition. For me, that meant four layers of socks under my heavy rubber knee high boots, three layers of T-shirt, sweater and sweatshirt, topped off with tour-provided light and heavy parkas, two pairs of waterproof insulated gloves, an 8-pound life preserver, and finally, a hat and scarf.

Our group — the minke whales — were helped into a Zodiac boat by the strong and upbeat staff, then off into the Antarctic peninsula. 

The first day, it was snowing beautifully in Antarctica. I was like a kid catching the snowflakes on my tongue. We trekked along the rocky coastline, obeying instructions to avoid the penguins (who looked like they couldn’t care less anyway) and taking in the towering snow-covered mountains, some as high as a 40-story building.

Each of the four days, it was Zodiac in the morning and again in the afternoon. After a break for lunch and maybe a nap, it was back onto the icy water, searching for breaching whales, getting close to seals lying on icebergs or just taking in the stunning landscape. 

One day the crew announced it was time for the polar plunge. One hundred twenty seven of the 200 on board signed up. Tethered to the boat, each jumped in for about 10 seconds into the 30-degree Antarctic water, then quickly clambered back on board to warm up in a cozy white terry cloth robe. (I didn’t partake.)  

Once each day was over, there was a cocktail hour with a video recap of what we saw. Posted on a big screen were the best pictures and video from the passengers, whether they were funny, awe-inspiring or educational. At the end of the trip, I had taken close to 300 pictures.

After four days and eight Zodiac trips, we headed back north across the unusually calm Drake Passage, hardly a wave in sight. Then it was back to Buenos Aires and back home.

I think the top of the world is next on my bucket list — the Arctic. After all, I now have most of the cold weather gear.