26th – 27th – Returning home

The entire trip home went without a hitch and according to plan. I got picked up at the hotel at 1130, got to the airport, had to wrap my backpacks now that somebody stole my flight bag, checked in and rested while waiting to board and take off. Got to see plenty of movies which resulted in me feeling like a zombie during my 5-hour layover in Madrid. Made it on board the next flight and fell asleep even before they started the security briefing. Woke up when the album I was listening to was ending, found another and instantly fell back to sleep until we arrived in Copenhagen.

And that was it.

It’s hard to describe how amazing this trip was. I had expected it to be something like the one to Svalbard but different, and while that was correct I wasn’t prepared for how different it actually was. The size of everything, the ice, icebergs was all so overwhelming. It’s hard to put down on photos the magnificence of it all. And all the fluffy fluffballs!

To my big surprise there were quite a few young people as opposed to my trip to Svalbard. There must have been at least 30 people below 40 years on this trip which made the parties and bar visits much more interesting as there was so much more energy. This also meant that a lot more Facebook connections were established the days after returning to Ushuaia which meant after coming home I asked around and suddenly I had a copy of the wakeup call that had been auctioned off in my possession. Success!

Big thanks to Jonathan R. Green (expedition leader), Lauren Farmer (assistant expedition leader), Mark Dalpes (kayak guide), Bismarck Sommerfelt (zodiac technician), Osi Shahaf (naturalist), Blaise Guld (musician), Scott MacPhail (historian), Kevin Morgan (marine biologist), Guy Esparon (naturalist), Gerard Baker (camping guide/naturalist), Dr. Alex Cowan (geologist), Lyn Mair (ornithologist), Dr. Annette Bombosch (marine biologist), Dr. Susie Newtown (ship's doctor), Renato Granieri (photographer) and Dr. Brent S. Stewart (scientist in residence/lecturer). Big thanks to the crew members Andriy Domanin (Captain), as always stunning Josi Silva (Hotel Manager), Margaret “I’m completing my 7 month long tour on this ship the 13^th of December and when I get picked up by my husband at the airport I’m going to be so indecent” Krzyzelewski (Deck Cadet) and the remaining 48 crew members I don’t know/remember the name of (bartenders, waiters, housekeeping etc.). 

Extra big thanks should be given to the captain and the crew on the bridge for some mighty fine sailing through ice where things got a bit intense, but was handled very well and got us where we wanted to be and gave us some absolutely stunning views on the way. Big thanks to you all!

Big thanks to Chris, Rebecca, Jessica, Page, Innis, Christine, Kiki, Jane, Simon, Emily, Peter, and everyone else I haven’t mentioned but should have. You were all a terrific bunch of people and were definitely part of the reason why the trip ending up being so amazing. I hope we’ll get to meet again, and considering a Facebook group for a possible reunion tour in 2018 has been created, maybe… 

This trip's guides. I unfortunately didn't get to take a group photo but luckily we were given an official one with the trip logs.

Back: Mark Dalpes (kayak guide), Bismarck Sommerfelt (zodiac technician), Osi Shahaf (naturalist), Blaise Guld (musician), Scott MacPhail (historian)

Middle: Kevin Morgan (marine biologist), Guy Esparon (naturalist), Lauren Farmer (assistant expedition leader), Jonathan R. Green (expedition leader), Gerard Baker (camping guide/naturalist), Dr. Alex Cowan (geologist)

Front: Lyn Mair (ornithologist), Dr. Annette Bombosch (marine biologist), Dr. Susie Newtown (ship's doctor), Renato Granieri (photographer), Dr. Brent S. Stewart (scientist in residence/lecturer)

Full album can be found here.