Hello everyone,
Get ready for some general pretrip blatherings and email to pass on my new blog which I hope to be able to update periodically with the uber-kind assistance of Mike J.: http://betsyguide.blogspot.com/
After two days of plane travel, we landed in Buenos Aires, Argentina. We spent a glorious evening in my favorite city at Milonga Hostel: haircuts from dashing Argentinian lads that suggest "bangs?" and you say, "but of course!" b/c what else do can one say to a sultry, spanish speaking chico even when you end up with a quasi-mullet?! Really hoping it is not that bad but well, have bangs now...sheesh, sucker that I am. Then pedicures with a rotary tool to sand the wee pieds down to baby bum softness, a pamperingly good meal with some vino tinto...aahhh delicioso!, and a mad dash to try and find a battery recharger for my camera....idiot that I am to have not packed it!!!!! Then, one more flight to Ushuaia three days ago. The true success of the trip so far is that we have managed to check in and arrive at the same time as our 500 kilos of gear/luggage in 7 'wee' duffels without problems AND a half price discount, t'boot...what a relief here, in Argentina, where things rarely go to plan!
The Northanger crew welcomed us with open arms to our new home away from home and we (both Northanger crew and us) are so relieved to discover how lovely they all are and how well we get on together! We settled in, unpacked and loaded our bunks to the hilt with gear, ran some errands and found two battery chargers at the last-option-to-get-one camera store ...PHEW and YAY!!! I am soooo relieved that I have to say that again, YAY!!!...still feel like an idiot, though:) Then, dinner Argentinian style at 10pm and still broad daylight...got to love the south:) We spent the rest of the night getting to know each other over some good laughs and wee beers...
We are now in this beautiful and most southern city in the world staying at our good friend Alicia's appt overlooking the Beagle Channel! It is an utter oasis and Alicia is our hostess with the mostest/mother of the world whilst away from home and is taking such wonderful care of us. Meanwhile, the crew are reprovisioning with produce and food for the two month voyage and Keri is in the hospital today for some standard and microscopic surgery...she is out now and recovering well though.
Hayley and I are running around double checking our systems and gear and hunting down weird items that are not allowed on airplanes: like a bio wash for Hayley to use in order to wash her gear when she leaves one penguin colony for another...aka every day and landing...part of the permit application...
Otherwise, we are having a great time catching up with the family of Antarctic workers here in Ush-vegas (aptly nicknamed due to the burgeoning casino market...odd mix of Patagonian beauty, cruise ship passengers, general backpackers, and locals...kind of a hodge-podge medley of profoundly inspiring nature and a cross section of all the varied ilks of society similar to Tofino, really:)
Well, that is all for now. We will be departing Ushuaia around the 28th depending on a good weather window to start the trip down the Beagle Channel and out across the Atlantic for a roughly 7-10 day voyage to South Georgia.
Much love, thanks, and blessings to you all!
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