My trip to the 7th Continent

Two years in the making and I was finally ready for the adventure I’ve always been waiting for, to the bottom of the Earth. Ever since I was young, I have been fascinated by the many landscapes of our incredible world. After a Covid delay pushed my trip back from March 2022 to March 2023, you could say I was more than ready to get out and explore Antarctica!

After arriving in Ushuaia, Argentia a few days early to hike around Tierra del Fuego National Park and explore the city, it was time to board my home for the next 10 days, the MV Ushuaia. 

Once all checked in, I was ready to see what this vessel had in store for me. A simple but wonderfully comfortable space, and incredibly friendly staff welcomed me on board their final sailing of the season. Everyone on board was full of smiles and gratitude to embark on their final journey down to the Antarctic Peninsula. Once everyone was checked into their cabins, we enjoyed a glass of champagne with the Captain giving us a rundown of our days to come while we slowly made our way through the Beagle Channel. 

Without a doubt the place to be throughout the trip was the lounge. Free coffee and tea 24 hours a day, a bar where you can order drinks to start a tab to pay later, and there was always someone in there to chat with or a space on the delightful blue couches to relax. Passing the time between landings or while on the Drake was always enjoyable on the MV Ushuaia. 

Speaking of, next up was the dreaded Drake Passage. Truly my main concern while preparing for this trip, turned out to be so much easier than expected. This small but mighty ship took the rolling waves at a steady pace. Our expedition crew did mention that we were very lucky to indeed experience the “Drake Lake” rather than the “Drake Shake”, and how others do not have the same steady rocking we did. I was beyond grateful that I could spend the first two days crossing the pass getting to know my fellow travelers in the lounge without having to deal with any bout of seasickness. The Scopolamine patch behind the ear helped too, highly recommended.

After two days on the Drake, we made our first landing. Half Moon Island (pictured below). One of the potential locations among the South Shetland Islands. My first time off the ship in two days, and what a beautiful sunny day to see my first penguins and seals. Also, an end to the relentless rocking of the ship. The islands protected us for the remainder of the trip from the steady rocking of the southern seas.

Over the next week, we spent our days exploring the islands along the coast of the Antarctica Peninsula along with the Peninsula itself at Portal Point, my official continental landing. During an expedition adventure, and in a location as wild and remote as Antarctica, your day's adventures are completely at the mercy of Mother Nature. The wind, waves, and overall weather each day determined where we would be able to anchor, take the zodiacs out and land. Each evening after dinner, our expedition staff would gather us in the lounge and provide us with details regarding the following day's landings. Sometimes it changes hour by hour, but mostly, we were able to stick to the plans and go about our day without too much weather interference. 

All landings were separated into two groups, even and odd cabin numbers. Everyone patiently waited their turn before each and every landing. Carefully putting on their many layers of clothing in a timely fashion before their group departure to avoid being way too hot and waiting, or in a rush to layer up. Over the course of these several days, our whole ship settled into a rhythm. Waking up to enjoy breakfast, balancing personal time with social time, and preparing for our highly anticipated zodiac rides to the beautiful remote continent. I loved being on the MV Ushuaia because this ship provided only what I needed and nothing more. That also rang true for my fellow travelers. Everyone was there to enjoy the experience of Antarctica.

This ship was simple and wonderful, but that attracted many travelers who had a similar mindset to mine. Someone who was here to explore and disconnect. To enjoy a beer and a chat with your fellow passengers on this extraordinary adventure. This trip introduced me to many solo female travelers, who like me, came to explore this remote area of our Earth, simply because it called to us. There is truly nothing better than getting to connect with strangers and realize that you have so much in common. Even if you’re from very different areas of the world. Getting to know and spend so much time on a boat certainly doesn’t keep you strangers for long, and for that I am grateful. I got to share a cabin with two of the most wonderful people and that surely made my experience even better. We truly became “room sisters”. 

After back-to-back days consisting of icebergs and endless wildlife, we started to head north as our weather window for a smooth ride back over the Drake Passage was narrowing. However, in order to time it right, we had to make one more stop along the way and honestly, it was one of my favorite landings. Deception Island is an old volcano that exploded decades ago. The fresh white snow over the settled volcanic ash was without a doubt one of the most beautiful and unique things I’ve ever seen. It looked like an Ansel Adams picture in real life, absolutely stunning. 

 

Walking through this Interstellar landscape was our final glimpse at this marvelous continent before heading back to Ushuaia. Again, we were lucky to have just an ever so slightly “rockier” way back over The Drake, but still so calm compared to what could have been. Everyone was exhausted in the best way from the last week of exploring Antarctica and couldn’t have been happier. We partied our way back to Ushuaia where the group I connected with could barely get off the ship. We just didn’t want our time to end! Stepping off the MV Ushuaia after 10 beautiful days and looking out towards the mountains, my heart swelled almost to the point of bursting. I couldn’t believe the incredible journey I just had; I couldn’t have asked for anything better. 

Hugs and tears came from everyone as we departed and went our separate ways. The crew just finished up their season, and we couldn’t even express the words to describe how meaningful it was to all us travelers, just how much we appreciated them and all of their incredible knowledge. After saying our goodbyes, my group walked off the pier towards town where some needed to head straight to the airport, to the bus station or off to their next accommodations to get some well needed rest. Talk about tears, they were flowing. I truly met some wonderful people on this journey and will never forget the experience we had together at the bottom of the Earth. Thank God for Whatsapp group chats so those goodbyes aren’t forever.