dukeman
Mar 28, 05, 9:17 pm
Here is a TR of my journey to Antarctica to run in the 2005 Antarctica Marathon. I hope to add to this report over the next few weeks. There is a 5 day gap between the last stop and our return flight. I also hope to post pictures from the trip shortly....Stay tuned. I hope you enjoy my writing.
Bill and Mike’s Antarctic Adventure
Friday February 18, 2005
Wilmington, Delaware and New York, New York USA
Our long journey to the end of the Earth began at 12:15pm. A car service picked us up in Wilmington, DE, and off we went I-95 North into Pennsylvania – across the Commodore Barry Bridge and onto the NJ Turnpike. Traffic was rather light for a Friday afternoon, considering it was a holiday weekend (President’s Day). Our driver got off and onto 287, not the route I would have taken (Outerbridge Crossing to the Verrazzano and onto the Belt Parkway), but it worked out just fine. Not quite 2 hours had passed since we left and we were dropped off at T-4, JFK.
Aerolineas Argentinas was our carrier for this trip. They wouldn’t have been our choice; however, we were part of a tour group going to run a marathon on Antarctica – yes, a marathon. (See www.marathontours.com/antarctica for more information.) Aerolineas has their own check-in staff and gate agents; however, they use Swiss for ground and luggage support. Bill and I had paid for Condor (business) class for our 11-hour flight to Buenos Aires, and even though our flight wasn’t until 6pm, there was a line of about 50 people waiting to check-in in the Economy line. There was a Condor Class line that was empty. After looking at our tickets and passports, the helpful agent directed us to the next open check-in agent. We were promptly given 2 BPs for 5G and 5H and told we were allowed to use the Varig Lounge. We got to the lounge around 14:30 and we were the only people there for the first hour. For those not familiar with JFK, all the airline lounges are landside and so off we went to the Lounge. The Varig lounge was nothing to write home about – some tables and chairs and a TV that offers one channel in Portuguese. The lounge does however offer a nice view of T-4 and the surrounding environment including Runway 31L. We enjoyed a few cocktails and used the wireless signal from El Al’s King David Lounge (which is next door). Shortly before 5pm, we headed off to the gate. The security line took about 5 minutes and then we had a long walk to the last gate on the stand – B-30. Upon arrival at the gate there were many runners milling around and chatting about our upcoming adventure. We chatted with a few other runners and at 5:20pm boarding began. We boarded the A340-200 through door 2 and were directed to the left into Condor Class. There are five rows in Condor for a total of 30 J seats. Row 5 it turns out is the first bulkhead row– don’t ask me what happened to rows 1-4. The interior of the cabin is a bit worn – the seating is a blue velvet material and the seats are manual, although they did prove to be quite comfortable though for the 11-hours flight. This A340 is the old interior with no overhead storage over the first 3 rows in the center section. Luckily we were on early in the boarding process and had the overhead above our seats. As Condor filled up, space was becoming hard to find, but the FAs were very polite and took several bags up to a closet up front. Boarding was rather efficient and before pushback we were offered canapés and sparkling wine from the purser and the 2 FAs up front. This was followed by the newspaper/magazine cart and then headphones (rather generic) and a basic amenity kit (toothbrush/paste, razor, shaving cream, earplugs, eyeshades, and socks). We pushed at 18:15, a few minutes behind because of a few last minute cargo containers that were loaded directly below our seats. As we pushed back, I could see the line for 31L and it didn’t look good – at least 25 aircraft in line for departure – ugh. To my surprise, we taxied past all the other planes and we were number 3 for take-off. Later I would find out that one of the runners we met in the terminal at JFK had a friend in the tower and we received an expedited departure!!! (Thanks, John.) Wheels-up time was 18:36 and an uneventful climb out over the Atlantic began as we turned south for our 5300-mile flight.
Shortly after departure menus and wine lists were distributed and the IFE began. Condor passengers have their own TV monitors while coach has monitors hanging from the ceiling and on the bulkheads. No AVOD, but there were a few different shows and movies that ran on a loop. I watched Sideways with Paul Giamatti – an ok movie but the wine focus was appreciated. I have to apologize for not being able to post the actual lists, as the menu was collected while I was sleeping. Service from the 2 FAs was very coordinated – both would simultaneously bring a cart up each aisle and serve row by row. First course of duck pate was served over a bed of lettuce and orange sections. I’m not a huge pate fan, but it was pretty tasty. I washed this down with a nice Argentine Chardonnay. The first course was served on a tray along with a basic green salad. All courses were served on ARs own china with “real” silverware. After serving the rest of the cabin, our FAs soon returned with the main course – I had beef served with rigatoni and grilled zucchini and yellow squash. The pasta and beef were in a brown mushroom sauce. Not the best airplane meal I’ve had, but certainly not the worst. When the beef was served, I requested some of the Malbec they were pouring. The FA without asking provided a fresh glass for the red wine and removed my chardonnay glass. Following dinner, the cart returned again with several cheeses and dried fruits. I believe I received some aged Gouda, a Pecorino, and a jalapeno jack of sorts, along with a dried fig and some dried apricots. The cheese hit the spot and I declined the dessert course of 3 ice creams with a variety of sauce offerings. The cart came through once more offering after-dinner drinks and coffees. I had a Chivas on the rocks and several glasses of water as the movie came to an end. Off to wash up in the 1 and only lav in Condor located on the left side of the cabin in front of the Row 5 (1) bulkhead. There was a small backlog for the lav, as many pax were preparing for a few hours of shuteye. After a 6-minute wait, which seems like 20 when you are standing in the forward galley, I was cleaned up and off to bed with the help of Ambien. I had never used Ambien before and I found myself thinking that it wasn’t working and that is the last thing I remember. Approx 7 hours later I was awakened as breakfast service began. One additional comment on the AR 340 – no individual air vents and the cabin was quite warm – no blankets necessary, but they were provided at every seat in Condor.
Breakfast was presented on a tray pre-set with a mini bagel, a croissant, a small fruit cup, and a coffee cup. Additionally on the cart each passenger was offered cereal or yogurt, an omelet with mushrooms, or pancakes. Coffee, tea, and juice were also on the cart. I had the omelet; it was a little bland, as it had no cheese. Bill had the pancakes and said they were good. While passing through the cabin to pick up the trays, additional coffee, etc was offered.
One hour later we were still cruising at 40,000 feet. The approach to EZE was very quick. We descended 30,000 feet in about 10 minutes and we were on the ground a few minutes later at 7am – 10 minutes early. Overall the flight was very good. The FAs were very attentive and friendly. I would say the service is on par with other international J products. The IFE and the cabin could use some updating, but were overall adequate. I didn’t measure the pitch, but would guess somewhere close to 50-55”, and the seats while not flat beds had decent recline. Perhaps it was the Ambien or also the fact that I had the time for a good night’s sleep, but I had the best sleep I’ve ever had on a plane and was never uncomfortable in my seat. I should also note that the flight went out full -- 29 in J with one seat for crew rest and 217 in Y. Upon arrival we found out that one of the tour participants did not get on the flight. The flight was oversold and she checked-in late for the flight and was IDB’d. According to the tour operator who met us here in Buenos Aires, this happens all the time with AR. He said they overbook every flight, and that the only time he encounters problems is the outbound flight from either JFK or MIA, as they check everyone in here for the domestic flights to Ushuaia and back to Buenos Aires and the connection back to JFK or MIA. I can attest firsthand to the overselling as when I checked ITN this week for my flights to/from USH from Buenos Aires, they were still showing J8 on the MD-80 with only 8 J seats and we have 2 confirmed J seats on that flight.
Saturday February 19, 2005
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Immigration was very quick and, despite being in the first group off the plane – the FAs and purser held the Y passengers back until the J passengers had deplaned, our luggage was already on the carousel when we arrived at baggage claim less than 10 minutes after arrival! After clearing customs, which was also very efficient, we emerged to find our tour leader. There were two buses waiting to take us to our hotel – approximately 100 people out of 200 on the tour took the JFK flight. AR only flies 3X per week to EZE from JFK. Tomorrow (Sunday) another group will arrive on the AR flight from MIA. If you live in the US you are pretty much required to take the AR flights, as that is your only guarantee in case of weather delays on your return from Antarctica, which happen occasionally. Participants from other countries are able to make other arrangements. This is one of the reasons we will spend four days in Buenos Aires, which will allow everyone to make it here since some carriers don’t have daily service. And don’t worry about the woman who was IDB’d; she is arriving tomorrow on the AR flight from MIA, and will be here in time for the trek to Antarctica.
The bus ride to our hotel took about 30 minutes. We are staying at the Marriott Plaza Hotel. It is an old hotel, but the rooms have been updated recently with new furniture. The bathrooms, while modern, are rather small, but the room is clean and clean goes a long way. Check-in was handled very well – they obviously have experience with large groups. Upon arrival we were taken to a meeting room, where after taking a credit card #, for incidentals we were given our pre-assigned room packets with keys.
After a quick shower, we set off to grab a bite to eat. We wandered around Florida – a pedestrian mall with lots of shopping. The merchants really try to hustle you – everyone tried to hand us a business card or flyer. Evidently leather goods are one of the local specialties, but we aren’t here to shop and we don’t have space in our luggage. Besides, if I have room at the end of my trip I will fill the space with some of the fine Argentine wines. We also saw some young children street performers, including a boy who couldn’t have been older than five playing the accordion while his father tried to get handouts. I guess that, like many other cities around the world, Buenos Aires has its share of panhandlers and crime. We found a café around the corner from the hotel – the food was good. I could get used to these prices!!! I had a prosciutto sandwich with Roquefort, roasted peppers, and olives. It was tasty. Bill had a mini pizza with ham and olives. We each had a local beer called Quilmes, which was also good. I finished the meal with an espresso. Total bill -- $11 US.
Around 4pm about 50 folks from the group met for an hour run. Even at 4pm it was quite hot. I’m not used to this heat after training in the Northeast over the past few months. I guess it doesn’t matter, as it will be substantially cooler on the 7th Continent.
Around 8pm we headed out for the evening. We sat at a café and had a few beers and then around 9:15 we wandered over to a restaurant Happenings on Avenue Alicia Moreau de Justo. Only two tables were occupied and the restaurant and the others on the avenue were all set for a full house, as the staff was milling about waiting for the onslaught of hungry patrons. First, we handled the most important decision of the evening – the wine. We ordered a 2002 Terrazas Reserva Malbec at the recommendation of our waiter. We started with a few appetizers of empanadas and some grilled provolone, which is exactly as it sounds: a nice piece of aged provolone thrown on the grill for a few minutes until it is soft and has some nice grill marks and flavor. For entrees, we both ordered the Prime Steak – a nice thick cut of tenderloin—and side dishes of creamed spinach and an assortment of mashed potatoes (both traditional and sweet). Everything was prepared perfectly and next it was time for dessert. I had a traditional chocolate mousse and Bill chose the Crème Brulee. I capped the meal off with a nice café con leche while Bill had a Limoncello. Around 11:30 we headed back to our hotel and the restaurant was 70% full. This is definitely a late dining town. To end the evening I enjoyed a nice glass of Johnny Walker Black on the rocks in the hotel bar, then off to bed to rest up for our big Sunday.
Sunday February 20, 2005
Buenos Aires, Argentina
After a nice sleep until 9:45am, we got up and headed down to one of the function rooms for breakfast – every day breakfast is provided for the marathon group. It is a very nice spread – omelets cooked to order, lots of fresh fruit, fresh squeezed juices, bacon, sausage, ham, French toast, assorted cereals, etc. We met a few people from the tour. As of today, we are about 150 – by tonight we will be 200 after the AR flight arrives from MIA. Following breakfast we wandered around the neighborhood surrounding our hotel. We are right next to the Plaza San Martin, named after the national hero of Argentina. There is a memorial here similar to the Vietnam Wall honoring those Argentines who lost their lives during the Falklands War in 1982. We also walked up to Av. 9 de Julio, which is the widest street in the world – 16 lanes wide. We went to take a few pictures of the obelisk at the Plaza de la Republica (looks similar to the Washington Monument). At 1:30pm we boarded a bus with our tour group for a tour of the city. Actually, there were three buses, as the group is quite large. Among our stops for the day was Eva Peron’s grave in a cemetery filled with mausoleums all above ground, similar to New Orleans. Some were very elaborate, while others were quite simple. We also visited the Presidential House, which is painted pink. Later we visited the neighborhoods of Recoleta and Caminito.
We returned to the hotel around 4:45pm with just enough time to change and head out for a 5pm group run. Again, we were towards the front of the pack. While I am sure some faster runners will emerge on race day it seems that this trip is dominated by slower, back of the pack runners. Even at 5pm, it is still very hot in Buenos Aires. The humidity is very high – it reminds me of Washington, D.C., in the summer. After our 50-minute run, we had time for a quick shower before our 6:30 cocktail reception, followed by dinner and a briefing on our trip. With 200+ people standing around drinking and talking, the pre-function space was very loud. This cocktail hour provided a good opportunity to meet many of the participants, as the MIA flight had arrived earlier Sunday morning. Dinner was served in the Ballroom of the Marriott. Caesar salad, Grilled Salmon over couscous with a cream sauce of sorts, and a dessert of molten chocolate cake served with raspberry sorbet. Of course, all courses were served with copious amounts of Argentine wines.
At the conclusion of dinner Thom Gilligan from Marathon Tours spoke about our upcoming voyage to Antarctica. There are 205 people signed up for the marathon and 20 for the ½ marathon. The course is a double out and back starting from the Russian science base. Over the first 6 miles we will pass the Chilean base and climb the Collins Glacier base before heading back to the Russian base and heading for the Uruguayan and Chinese bases. Then you return to the Russian Base and do the loop once again. Marathon Tours requires runners to cross the ½-Marathon within 3 ½ hours and to finish the race within 7 ½ hours. Of course, this is subject to change if the weather gets bad. There are a surprising number of runners who are returning to Antarctica to either run the marathon again or to try for the full marathon this time, having only completed the ½ on their first trip. There are also quite a few runners who will complete the quest for 7 Continents on this trip. At the end of the cruise, there is another marathon in Ushuaia (Tierra del Fuego) for those who want to get South America as well. There are over 100 runners from this trip who have signed up for this race, which is going to more than double the field. The race is called the Fin del Mundo Marathon. Bill and I have chosen not to run in this event, as we have the Boston Marathon coming up in April, and there is only so much our bodies can take. After the briefing, many of us headed for the bar for a few additional cocktails prior to bed.
Monday February 21, 2005
Monday morning dawned another hot sunny day. After breakfast Bill and I headed out and wandered around the Puerto Madero section of the city (15 minutes walk from our hotel). We also stopped and purchased tickets for BuqueBus (ferry) for a daytrip to Colonia, Uruguay, for Tuesday. We walked up and down both sides of the river checking out the shops and restaurants. We grabbed a bite at an Italian restaurant called Il Gatto. 2 salads, 2 individual pizzas, 2 Liters of beer, and 2 bottles of water – total cost $12 US. Around 4pm we headed back to the hotel for a short nap – this heat can really zap your energy. Around 6pm we went out for another 50-minute run. Guess what: still hot and humid. We went back to Puerto Madero for dinner at 9:30. We decided to eat at El Mirasol, a steakhouse that was quite tasty. Again, 2 appetizers, 2 steaks, 2 vegetables, 2 desserts, a bottle of Terrazas Reserva Syrah 2002, 2 after-dinner drinks and coffee. All-in -- $70 US. Our dinner was very good, but we both agreed that our dinner at Happening on Saturday was better. One of the other highly suggested Steakhouses is Cabana Las Lillas, which unfortunately will have to wait for our next trip to Buenos Aires.
Tuesday February 22, 2005
Buenos Aires, Argentina and Colonia, Uruguay
Today is the first day since arrival we had to set the alarm, as we have to be at the port for a 10am check-in. After breakfast we walked down to the port, making a few stops for some last minute items for Antarctica. We were promptly checked-in for our ferry and cleared both Argentine departure and Uruguayan immigration. We then headed to the 1st Class lounge (we opted for 1st class tickets to Colonia as they were only $10 additional round-trip). The crossing of the Rio de la Plata took 1 hour and we were soon on a bus headed into Colonia for lunch and a tour of the city. While not too much to see in Colonia, it was a nice change from Buenos Aires. This laid back, quiet town on the water has a very colonial feel to it: it is very clean, and there are some historic sites to see such as the 1st church built in Uruguay in 1588.
After returning to Buenos Aires at 6:45pm, we returned to the hotel to pack for the next leg of our trip. All luggage must be downstairs by 3:00am for a 3:30am departure to the airport. After packing, we ran out to get a quick bite. We went to Filo around the corner from our hotel. Carpaccio of beef and a mini-pizza and we were back to try to get some sleep. By the way – the female hostesses and servers at Filo were gorgeous – and the food wasn’t bad either. After tossing and turning for a few hours (you know the night before a trip when you try to go to sleep early and at the same time you are afraid you might oversleep) I did manage to get 2 hours of sleep before the 2:15am wake-up call.
Wednesday February 23, 2005
Buenos Aires and Ushuaia, Argentina
After dropping our luggage to be loaded onto the buses, we all met in the ballroom for a light breakfast. For 3:30am, the staff was very friendly and attentive. I grabbed a cup of coffee and some juice, still full from dinner a few hours earlier. At this time, the group was only 100 or so as the other 100 from the other ship had departed yesterday – we are spaced 1 day apart so that we are able to see the Antarctic sights with little traffic. Both ships, however, will meet up on Saturday for the race. After a quick 15-minute bus ride we arrived at the domestic airport (AEP). Check-in for the 100 of us was very efficient – there were at least 25 ticket agents working the counter at 4:30am! When we arrived at the security checkpoint it was not yet open and a long line formed. The line was opened at 4:45 and we all took our turn going through the metal detectors and bag x-ray. What was odd is that only one person manned each x-ray machine and that same person was responsible for checking out anyone who set off the metal detector. I don’t know if this is typical or only due to the early hour. Boarding began at 5:00 and Bill and I took our seats in business class, 2A and 2B on the MD-88 aircraft. This aircraft was configured with 8 J and 140 Y seats. We were the only 2 marathon participants in business -- needless to say, we got lots of looks and comments from our fellow travelers. The flight left full. I must say I am impressed with Aerolineas at this point, despite hearing some negatives from Thom (Marathon Tours) and a few others on FT. Pushback was right on time at 5:30, on the dot, as scheduled. Boarding was efficient and quick, especially considering that everyone from the marathon group had a large carry-on with stuff for the day in Ushuaia before heading to the ship and at a minimum everyone carried their running shoes in case of lost luggage. We were served a pre-departure drink of fresh OJ. The flight was well staffed with at least 4 FAs for Y, 1 for J, and the purser. We taxied out into the still dark morning among many of ARs aircraft. I counted at least 30 of their MD-80 series, and 737s sitting on the tarmac at 5:30am. Taxi was quick and we were soon airborne – no line at 5:30am. We took off over the port and were soon over Uruguay before turning south towards USH. The pilot announced flying time to be 3:20. Shortly after takeoff breakfast was served: fruit cup, several pastries (croissant, pain au chocolat, and another biscuit type pastry), another glass of juice and coffee. We were soon offered waffles with syrup – a nice breakfast but not if you are watching your carbs. We were not as we have a marathon in 4 days. The flight was very smooth and service was very good. The approach into Ushuaia was very cool. We began our descent and then leveled off to clear some of the mountains. Once we cleared the last of the mountains, the town of Ushuaia was directly beneath the aircraft. We were still rather high and a rapid descent started with the speedbrakes deployed. We flew directly over the airport and then began a series of left turns to line up with the runway while between the mountains of Argentina and Chile. The pilots flew a very nice approach and we were soon on the ground. The airport in Ushuaia only has one runway and is surrounded on three sides by water. Any landing that is either short or long will wind up in the drink of the Beagle Channel. After a brief taxi to one of two jetbridges, we deplaned and went to collect our luggage. Luckily our luggage did make it safely to Ushuaia. I believe that nobody was missing luggage on this trip. However, once on board the ship, we learned of a woman whose bag never made it to Buenos Aires. She had traveled on LAN through Santiago before connecting to Buenos Aires and AR was not responsible for her loss. So the staff of the trip did a very good job helping her get running gear for the marathon and many passengers of similar size volunteered different gear for her. She was also able to shop in Ushuaia for some additional clothing. Luckily, she had packed her running shoes in her husband’s suitcase so she at least had her own shoes.
Several buses picked us up from the airport. Our luggage was picked up by a truck that transported it directly to the ship. We were taken into the downtown area of Ushuaia and were given 6 hours to explore. Bill and I headed off to find a cab to take us up to the Martial Glacier. The 10-minute cab ride cost 7 pesos ($2.40). At the base of the glacier we rode a ski lift up 1180 meters. We then hiked up to the bottom of the ice. Parts were a bit steep, but we were rewarded with some great views of Ushuaia and the peninsula below us. Rather than take the ski lift back down to the base we hiked all the way down. It was a beautiful day with temperatures in the upper 40’s / low 50’s. At the base of the mountain, we grabbed a cab back to downtown. We found a nearby café and joined a few other marathoners for some lunch. We all got hamburgers (I hadn’t had a hamburger in five days – quite a long time for me as I usually eat McDonald’s two meals a day). After lunch we wandered around town, sent off a few postcards, and purchased gifts for the Russians on Antarctica. It was suggested by Thom that we each bring a little something for the base staff as a “thank you” for allowing us into their base and supporting our race. Bill and I bought them a bottle of vodka and a bottle of Malbec. Around 3pm we all started to gather down by the buses, even though we weren’t supposed to depart until 4pm. I think everyone was ready to just get going and board the ship. Finally the time came. We were bussed over to the ship where the staff was awaiting our arrival. Upon boarding, we had to surrender our passports (while we are running the marathon the ship’s staff will take them to the 3 science bases to get stamped). We were then marked off on the manifest and directed to our cabins. Bill and I got cabin #437 on the 4th deck. It is a nice cabin -- 2 lower bunks and a private bath. Many of the cabins have a shared bath with 2 or 3 other cabins. There is plenty of storage for our clothes and all the cabinets latch shut to prevent them from opening during rough seas.
At 6:30pm we sailed for Antarctica and had the mandatory lifeboat drill. Many of us stayed out on deck to watch the sun and the surrounding mountains as we sailed down the Beagle Channel. Dinner was served at 7:30pm and then Bill and I went to acquaint ourselves with the bartender Carmen and her liquid wares. Around 10:30 we headed off to bed, as we only had 2 or 3 hours of sleep the previous night. Of course, we also went to bed about the time we entered the Drake Passage, where the seas can be rough. Although the seas were a relatively calm 5-10 feet, the ship did rock quite a bit throughout the night and neither of us got a great night’s sleep.
Thursday February 24, 2005
Cruising the Drake Passage onboard the Akademik Ioffe
Our expedition leader David awakened us at 7am and everyone trudged down to the dining room for breakfast at 7:30am. The entire day would be spent on the Drake Passage at sea. The staff made a point to remind us how calm the seas were and how lucky we were, as the passage was usually much more treacherous. There were several lectures offered throughout the day. Phil, the resident whale expert on the ship, presented a lecture on the whales we would be seeing throughout the voyage. Bill Serues, our ship’s leader from Marathon Tours, offered a lecture on the history of the Antarctica Marathon. The race has quite a history since its inception in 1995. Different courses have been used and there have been some controversies among the participants in years past. One year only one of the two ships was able to get ashore for the 9am start. The other ship didn’t arrive until 2 hours later and the race for that ship was promptly started. The first finishers from the first ship complained that the weather conditions were better for the second ship and threatened to sue if they weren’t the winners, even though the best time was run by someone from the 2nd ship—and he won by a large time margin. Bill also described the 2001 marathon when the ship couldn’t get the participants to shore and the race was run onboard the ship (422 laps around the deck!!!). This year, for the first time, GPS was used to accurately measure the course and it was discovered that in previous years the course was probably a bit short.
After lunch lectures were offered by David McGonigal, our expedition leader, on photography in the Antarctic, as conditions are very different than any place else on the Earth.
Friday February 25, 2004
Onboard the Akademik Ioffe in the Antarctic Convergence
Friday morning dawned with another wake-up from David at 7am. We were out of the Drake Passage and in the Antarctic Convergence where the waters were very calm. Breakfast was served and another series of lectures began. The morning would have lectures by Jacques, the resident bird expert, about the birds of the Antarctic. The second lecture was by Alasdair McGregor who has written a book about Frank Hurley the photographer from the famed Shackleton Expedition. After lunch there were two compulsory lectures in preparation for our arrival in Antarctica. The first was presented by John Johnson (Shrek), our Assistant Expedition Leader, about the safety and boarding procedures for the Zodiacs we would be using for our landings on the White Continent. The second lecture was presented by David McGonigal about the Antarctic Treaty and the rules to which we passengers must adhere while on the continent.
One of the coolest things about Peregrine is the “open bridge policy.” Whenever there is a staff person from Peregrine on the bridge we are allowed on the bridge. The bridge is a great place to see whales and other wildlife while staying warm, as the outside temperatures are below freezing. This also allows the opportunity to watch the officers of the ship (all Russian) navigate and maneuver the ship. Friday afternoon I was on the bridge for our approach into Maxwell Bay, our anchor point for the night and for the marathon. The usually calm bridge got a little more tense as the Captain was present, along with several other officers and, for the first time, the ship was being driven by hand rather than autopilot. The Officers are very professional and rather friendly (I only wish I could speak and understand Russian). Our ship was the first into Maxwell Bay, as the Vavilov had spent the day on a landing while Thom and the others marked the marathon course. Once anchored, a Zodiac was launched to pick up Thom and the others ashore. They were brought to our ship for dinner, where they briefed us on the course for the next day before heading back to the Vavilov once it arrived in the harbor. I was very excited when the menus were presented for the pre-race dinner. Most runners have certain pre-race habits and superstitions that they are quite fanatical about. I always eat a steak and drink 2 beers on the night before a race. I was very excited when the menus were presented and, in addition to most runners favorite pasta offerings, there was strip steak. Ah – all was well in my world. After dinner the bar was empty and most headed off to bed. Bill and I packed our gear bag for taking ashore. It was almost like packing for this trip – a little of everything as we had no idea what conditions would be like and the weather can change very rapidly. After mixing up our bottles of Gatorade and prepping several water bottles we went to sleep. We have to provide our own water and drinks for the race.
Saturday February 26, 2005
Onboard the Akademik Ioffe and on King George Island
The day dawned with overcast skies and a very low ceiling. The Glacier, which was visible on the previous evening was nowhere to be found. The wind was only blowing at about 10 miles per hour and the temperature was 31 degrees Fahrenheit. Bill and I set an alarm for 6am in order to get some coffee and tea and allow the liquid to work its way out before race time. Breakfast was served at 7am and I ate half a bowl of oatmeal. Off to change and await the call to board the Zodiacs to take us to shore. After putting on our running gear we put on a few extra layers of fleece and our Gore-Tex suits, Muck Boots, and life vests. Added to this was my backpack full of running shoes and other gear, including my four bottles of water and Gatorade, and a bottle of wine for the Russians for allowing us to use their facilities. Everyone was encouraged to bring something as a small gift. Needless to say they probably had one hell of a party after we left. They received lots of vodka, wine, chocolate, and other delicacies purchased in Ushuaia. We all looked like the Michelin Man with all of our gear, a life-vest and a pack on top. At least the water was calm for our first Zodiac boarding. The ride to shore took about 5 minutes and after stepping out into water about 18 inches deep, we were on the beach.
Once ashore we all gathered around the Russian buildings to strip down to our running gear. Luckily, the Russian buildings are on stilts and allowed us all to store our bags underneath, protected from weather. A light snow was falling as we prepared for the start. The first start was called at approximately 9am for those running the ½ marathon, all women, and all men over the age of 60. 3 minutes later the rest of us were lined up and started. The course is a double out and back – 7 miles from the start at the Russian base at Bellinghausen out to the Collins Glacier after passing through the Uruguayan Base known as “Artigas.” We were instructed to carry one bottle of water or Gatorade with us and we would drop it about 1 and ½ miles into the course. This would allow us to drink at 1.5 miles and again at 5.5. To say the course is hilly is an understatement! I have never encountered a course so difficult. The course was extremely muddy as snow and ice have been melting in the warm weather. Parts of the course were like running in quicksand. After about 2.5 miles of sloshing up and down some very steep hills we arrived at “Artigas,” where we transitioned to the rocky beach where we had to slow even further to avoid turning an ankle. There was a group of about 10 Uruguayans there to cheer us on and it was certainly appreciated. Although we were briefed on the glacier, it still came as a surprise. The incline was 17 degrees and, because of the weather, it was very slushy and glassy. I don’t think anyone was able to run up the glacier and instead there were long lines of runners walking the ½ mile up the glacier to the turnaround. Once at the top it was possible to jog down, but you had to be very careful to avoid falling. Then back over the rocks through “Artigas” and up and down the muddy hills back to “Bellinghausen” after a stop for a drink at 5.5 miles where we had dropped our Gatorade. We made it to “Bellinghausen” in 1:08 (7miles) – this is definitely not a fast course. After a 1-minute stop to drink some water and take a gel, we headed off in the other direction.
At this point Bill and I were towards the front of the pack with approximately 15 runners ahead of us. We carried another bottle with us this time, which we dropped approximately 1.5 miles after passing through the Chilean Base. Another 1.5 miles over mud and rocks and over a small stream and we entered the Chinese Base, which was very rocky. We ran through the entire base to the very edge where they had four large fuel tanks. This was the turn-around, at approximately 10 miles. Back the same way up and down the hills, across the stream, over the rocks. The nicest part of the course is the 1-mile or so from the airstrip through the Chilean base and back to Bellinghausen. We stopped for another gel and some water and then off we went to cover the course again. We crossed the start line again at almost exactly 2 hours into the race. At this point I was actually getting comfortable and I at least knew the course ahead. I think the Marathon Tours staff did a very good job explaining the glacier; however, I think they underestimated the hills we would encounter over the course. It seemed like we were always either going up or down and the slopes were very steep. Add to that the fact that the course was very muddy and it wasn’t pretty. So we just kept running and before I knew it, we were back at the glacier and we had overtaken many more runners. As we approached the glacier, the leader was on his way off – he had a commanding lead. The glacier gave us the opportunity to see how we were positioned. On our way up the 2nd place runner was on his way down. At this point we could only see one person in front of us and he was on his way up too! After what seemed an eternity, the 3rd place runner finally reached the top and turned to start down the glacier. We were soon at the top and we, too, began our descent. There were about 10 other runners working their way up the glacier while we ran down. One of the nicest things about this course is that you can see your fellow runners who are either ahead of you or behind you as you work your way through the course. Among the 10 on their way up the glacier were a bunch of our shipmates. One of them had his camera in his hand and Bill and I stopped to pose for a picture for him. 10 seconds later we were continuing down the glacier. Everyone was very friendly and it was nice to have someone cheer you on or encourage you to keep on going, especially since there were almost no spectators on the course unlike most other races. Although there were over 200 runners on the course, we knew all of our 100+ shipmates and many others we had met in Buenos Aires. We were constantly yelling at one another. Just hearing your name can be quite motivating. So here we were with 10 miles to go and in 4th and 5th place! We had no plan when we started other than to try to maintain a steady pace and to finish. Neither of us had any thought that we could be in the top 10. We continued to press on at a comfortable pace. At the water stop 1.5 miles from Bellinghausen, we caught the 3rd place runner. I should also mention that it started snowing at this time, but it would only last 15 minutes or so. We cruised on through the muddiest part of the course and soon found our way to Bellinghausen where the race director confirmed that we were in 3rd and 4th places. We stopped for our last gel and some more water. I continued to scan for any runners coming up behind us. After about two minutes, we took off back onto the course. After clearing the Chilean Base we were near the airstrip and one of the race staff was there to point the way and make sure that no one made a wrong turn and headed out onto the runway. As we approached, he told us that 2nd place was only 8 minutes ahead of us. I laughed and told him that I didn’t think we had a chance of catching him with 5 miles left to run. He said “anything can happen on this course.” It didn’t matter – we were having a good time and would be thrilled to maintain our position. We just kept running. Finally we were back on the Chinese base. As we entered – the leader was on his way out. We pressed on and kept looking for the 2nd place runner. We would finally encounter him about 2 minutes from the turnaround. He had clearly lost some time as his lead now was probably 4 minutes. At the turnaround Bill fell back a little and told me to go ahead. I didn’t want to leave him, but it was the right thing to do. I still had a little gas left in the tank. As I exited the Chinese Base I came across William Tan, a wheelchair athlete who was attempting to become the first to complete the Antarctica Marathon. He was still on his first half. He stopped me and asked me to give him a little help as his chair had become stuck on some rocks. I started to push him and within 30 seconds Bill stopped to help too. We got William out of his jam and we were back on our way. After crossing the stream there is a giant uphill. And as I started up the hill I could see the 2nd place runner at the top. He was walking. This was my opportunity. I pushed myself up the hill and soon caught him. I yelled at him to get his wheels moving again and try to run with me. He didn’t even acknowledge me – he obviously wasn’t feeling very well. Evidently Bill tried the same thing when he caught him with the same result. So now here I am in 2nd place. I’ve never been in 2nd place for any race, let alone a marathon. What a weird feeling. To be on this unbelievable course at the end of the earth and to actually be in 2nd place – no words can describe how I felt. I was actually very comfortable at this point – I knew there were only a few miles to go and I still had some life in me and in my legs. One last stop for some Gatorade at the bottle drop and I was off to hold my position. At this point I really started to pass lots of shipmates (heading the opposite direction) and they all cheered and high-fived me and told me to keep going. Did I mention that we were having a little competition between the 2 ships? The times of the top 5 finishers from each ship would be added together and the lower number would win. As I entered the Chilean Base I was having so much fun. I wanted to finish, and at the same time, I wanted to keep going – this was an incredible feeling. I soon found myself on the final turn into the Russian base and then I saw the finish line. I took off into a sprint and charged over the line with my hands over my head. I had just completed the Antarctica Marathon in 2nd Place!!! My time – 3:59:38. My usual marathon times are in the low 3-hour range – this was one hell of a course! Bill was soon coming around the final turn and he finished in 3rd Place at 4:01:04! Who could have ever predicted that two Delawareans would finish in the top three spots? Now reality set in. It was cold and the temperature was dropping. We gathered our gear and headed into one of the buildings on the base where the ship’s staff had food and drinks waiting for us. I changed out of my wet clothes and into some dry warm fleece. The runner who had been in 2nd for a while finished in 4th and it turns out was severely dehydrated. The ship’s doctor attended to him with some electrolytes and salts along with some water. Because Antarctica is so dry and cold, the sweat just evaporates off so quickly that you don’t even realize that you are sweating and I think he just didn’t think he needed to stop and drink. I originally had intentions of watching the other runners finish; however, it was cold and I knew I couldn’t stay outside for long. When they announced that a Zodiac would be leaving for the ship – I jumped at the opportunity. I put back on all the Gore-Tex gear and my Muck Boots and life vest, grabbed my gear and trudged out to the water. It was now in the low 20s and it felt cold as we zipped along the water back to the ship. We were exhausted, but we were happy. After a nice hot shower we went down for some lunch. Little by little, more runners returned and the dining room filled. Everyone had a story to tell and the beer started flowing. At the end of the day, 35 runners would complete the ½ marathon and 177 runners would finish the marathon. The last person to cross the finish line did so in 8:02! My hat is off to all participants and finishers on this very difficult course. As a side note – William Tan did not meet his goal of completing the marathon, but he did complete the ½ marathon!!! Great job, William! The beer continued to flow and everyone was having a great time telling “war stories” and celebrating their accomplishment. Lunch became dinner and by 10:30pm most passengers had gone off for a well-deserved rest.
Sunday February 27, 2005
Onboard the Akademik Ioffe and Zodiacs in Wilhelmina Bay
As a reward for our performance on Saturday we were allowed to sleep in until 8am! We would cruise for another few hours to reach our destination, so I spent a good part of the morning on the bridge watching the ship’s operations and also the many whales in the area. At one point two humpback whales gave a little show at the bow of the ship. It was another beautiful day. After lunch we launched on our first Zodiac cruise of the trip. We spent 2 ½ hours cruising the bay in a Zodiac with 10 other shipmates. The sun was bright and the water was like glass – no wind at all. We followed a group of four humpback whales for a while and then cruised around the many icebergs and explored many small harbors and sites of interest. Back to the ship for some coffee and snacks and the 2nd launch happened around 4:30pm. Bill and I had the opportunity to do a little kayaking for this launch and we had a great time. The highlight was when a humpback whale decided to see what we were up to and breached directly in front of us. This was repeated several times and drew the attention of several Zodiacs in the area. Unfortunately the Zodiacs scared the whales away, but what an incredible display. I hope the photos come out okay. Due to the kayaking, I did not have my good camera, but a waterproof disposable. Before we knew it, we had to return to the ship for dinner -- another great day was coming to an end. We finished the evening with a few glasses of scotch and returned to our cabin for a few hours of sleep.
Monday February 28, 2005
Onboard the Akademik Ioffe, Cuverville Island, and Danco Island
Today we had a very busy day with Zodiac landings. After breakfast, the Zodiacs were launched at 9:00. We first headed to Cuverville Island, home of the largest colony of Gentoo Penguins. There are 25,000 pairs of penguins on the island. Most were in the process of completing their molting before the winter season arrives. While very cute and funny to watch, the smell of the excrement from 50,000 penguins can be overwhelming! Every time the wind shifted we would catch one of those, “take your breath away, hope I don’t vomit smells.” After 90 minutes of wandering among the penguins and watching the kayak racing heats, it was time to head back to the ship for lunch. Although 90 minutes doesn’t sound like a lot of time – it takes a bit of time to layer up for the weather, including waterproof pants, jacket and shoes. Upon our return to the ship we need to decontaminate our boots by washing and scrubbing them so as not to bring anything aboard ship and likewise to prevent us from transmitting anything to the Antarctic Continent. Then after that is done we have to remove and hang up our PFD (personal flotation device) and change out of our boots into other shoes before leaving the ship’s mudroom and heading to our respective cabins to change out of our gear and into more comfortable clothes.
Today we had a special lunch awaiting us. The passengers from the Vavilov arrived by Zodiac for a BBQ and awards ceremony aboard our ship. It was quite a scene to have 225 people gather on the aft deck of the ship in the sun while floating among icebergs. The beers were flowing and the kitchen staff from both ships worked hard to grill up hamburgers, ribs, steak, sausage, and many other treats for our hearty appetites. It was nice to meet up with our fellow runners and allowed us an opportunity to relive the events of race day. After everyone had eaten Thom Gilligan addressed the group and presented the overall and age group winners. Photos were taken, but all plaques, etc will be mailed after the trip. It was probably the one and only time I will be honored for placing 2nd in a race and it was kind of nice. Even more amazing is that only two runners completed the marathon in under 4 hours and I was one of them, even if only by 22 seconds! I had the opportunity to chat with the 4th place finisher who had the hydration issues and I was glad to see he was feeling much better and he offered me congratulations on my finish. After the celebrating we finished the party with two giant ice-cream cakes made in the shape of our two sister ships. Our friends from the Vavilov departed shortly thereafter and off we went to prepare for our next excursion.
The afternoon took us to Danco Island where a hike to the top of the mountain offered an amazing view down into the harbor below, where our ship looked like a model floating in a bathtub. The walk is a nice welcome to my recovering legs and helps to stretch them out. The one thing amazing about Antarctica is its sheer vastness. Everything is white (snow, ice, etc.) or blue (water). It is very difficult to estimate distances down there. Something may appear very close, but once you get into a Zodiac and start heading in that direction, you realize that it is often several miles away. Spending some time down here can really bring home just how small we really are in this big world!
Saturday March 5, 2005
Well, once we made it into the Beagle Channel, the seas calmed down and I managed to get a decent night’s sleep. David woke us up for the last time at 6:30am (I don’t know how we will function without a PA announcement to wake us up or tell us when to eat). When we left the cabin to head for breakfast, our luggage was already gone from the hall where we had to place it before bed. At 8am we were hurried off the ship to waiting buses. Those that were staying in Ushuaia for the Fin del Mundo marathon were taken to their hotel to check in and relax. There was only one bus for those of us who were heading home. There are three flights from USH to Buenos Aires, and some of our traveling friends were heading straight to the airport. We had several hours to kill in Ushuaia before the bus would return to pick us up at 1:30pm for our 3:15pm flight. So we wandered around the main shopping street (San Martin). Nothing was open at this early hour and we would soon find ourselves at the end of the street. So we turned around and found a café with wireless Internet access. I was able to check FT for the first time since leaving JFK and was also able to confirm that my upgrades on US for Sunday had cleared at the 7-day window. Thank goodness, because after 15 hours of flying I couldn’t imagine stuffing myself into a Y seat. Bill and I soon found ourselves back out wandering the street. We decided to grab a bite to eat and found a café with outdoor seating. The temperature was 60 degrees and we enjoyed an hour in the sun. At the appointed hour we met at the rendezvous point and soon found ourselves back on the bus enroute to the airport. Upon arrival at USH our luggage magically appeared and we headed for the Business class check-in. The line for economy was about 40 deep, but we were the only ones in the Business line. After checking our bags through to JFK and receiving our BPs we were soon heading to pay our departure tax (13 pesos – about $4). Security was a short line and we found ourselves in the gate area where we were reunited with several fellow marathoners from the other ship who had arrived at the airport earlier. The rest of the folks from our ship joined shortly thereafter, having checked their luggage, etc. Our flight was scheduled for 3:18pm and at 2:50pm boarding began. This flight had originated somewhere else and there were lots of people already onboard the MD-88. Our group soon filled the empty seats and at 3:17 the door was closed and we pushed from the gate.
Bill and I were again seated in 2A and 2B in this 8 seat Business cabin. Before the door was closed we were presented with a glass of champagne. Shortly after take-off, meal service began. The tray presented had a nice salad topped with beef carpaccio, two slices of fresh bread, and rice pudding for dessert. After finishing the salad, the FA returned with our entrée – I’m not sure what to call it, but it was rolled spinach pasta stuffed with cheese and seafood and served in a cream sauce. We washed our meals down with several Quilmes beers. Bill napped and I enjoyed the time watching the scene from the air and listening to my iPod. Service was good and we were offered several refills, but for the last 90 minutes of the flight the FAs were gathered in the galley and didn’t pay us much attention. Perhaps it is just my opinion, but I believe AR and Argentine ATC have different protocols for descent. Our approach seemed to be straight in with just a few minor turns necessary. And once the engines were brought back for descent our altitude would not stop dropping until we were on the runway. We went from cruising at 35,000 feet to touchdown in less than 14 minutes. The flight was very smooth and landing was on the numbers and we soon taxied into the domestic arrival area at EZE. As we parked the FAs asked those sitting in Rows 1-16 to utilize the front door to deplane while 16 and higher was asked to use the rear. We were all bussed to the terminal where, although we were connecting to another AR flight, we found ourselves landside, necessitating another trip through security. So we headed over to the Int’l terminal and paid our departure tax ($18US) before clearing security. Bill and I headed to the Club Condor lounge as we had 2+ hours until our 9:20 departure to JFK. The lounge itself was very nice with leather furniture, several PCs with Internet access and a nice view of the airport. As the sun set, we helped ourselves to the bar, which had all the basics, but nothing more. There was also a large refrigerator stocked with Coke, Coke light, tonic, juices and large bottles of water. We enjoyed several cocktails, but were disappointed with the snack offerings (some cookies and chocolates, but no real food). Our BPs said boarding at 8:30 and so we headed to the gate at that time. This is where the quiet ended. At the boarding area we were lined up to go through another bag check and be wanded by security and then we were held in a large holding area for another 30 minutes before actually boarding the aircraft.
Once onboard we made the left turn into Business class after the FA at door 2 checked our BPs. This time we were in 10E and 10F (the 2 middle seats in the last row of J). The cabin was soon full as was Y and the doors were closed about 20 minutes late. We were again offered canapés and champagne before departure. While still on the ground, we were presented with dinner menus and the wine list, an amenity kit, headphones and a selection of newspapers. Once airborne and after a brief video on US Customs and Immigration procedures, the movies began. I started watching a movie and dinner service began shortly thereafter.
The appetizer – Shrimp with pineapple salad served with tabouleh and endives.
The salad – Mix of green leaves served with 1000 Island dressing. The main dishes – the best Argentinean meat seasoned with chimichurri sauce and its traditional garnishes of fried potatoes and roasted sweet potatoes. Or Tortellini with mozzarella and artichoke enhanced with basil cream sauce. Or Pan fried salmon served with mushrooms and olives vinaigrette, mashed potatoes with chives and Provencal style tomato. The cheese/fruit – Roquefort, Gruyere, Gouda, Brie, Pyrenees sheep cheese, nuts, dried pears and plums.
Dessert – Homemade ice cream – Freddo (brand)
Wines offered:
White – Alta Vista Torrontes 2003, Saint Felicien Roble Chardonnay 2003, and Trapiche Roble Chardonnay 2003
Red – Villa Atuel Syrah 2002, Nieto Senetiner Malbec 2002, Solar Cabernet 2002
The appetizer and salad were just ok, but I did enjoy several glasses of the Malbec, which wasn’t too bad. Unfortunately, after our salads we were only offered the salmon for dinner. The other entrees were already taken as we were in the last row. I declined the salmon and reached for my Ambien. Within 10 minutes I was sound asleep as we zoomed north, skipping the entrée, cheese and dessert courses. Ambien is magic stuff as I would not awaken until one hour before arrival as breakfast service was offered. Breakfast was a fruit cup with grapefruit, kiwi, grapes, and strawberries. Additionally you had your choice of Eggs with mushrooms or Waffles with dulce de leche sauce. A bakery basket was offered with various breads, croissants, and pain au chocolat. Juice, coffee and tea were also offered.
We were soon descending for landing at JFK. It seems that AR isn’t as fussy about safety as the purser and FAs were busy preparing the cabin for arrival by moving the crew’s luggage to the space behind the seats on the right side of the J cabin and never asked a few passengers to move their seats to the upright position. Several passengers were still sleeping in the fully reclined position when we landed. They were rather surprised and hurried to wake up and get adjusted before we parked at the gate. Immigration was quick and within 25 minutes we had our luggage and made our way out to the arrival area of T-4 to find our ride. Bill would head home and I would head to LGA to continue on to MCO for a conference. I sent my luggage back to Wilmington with Bill and hoped that my wife and parents would arrive in MCO with clothes for me.
What an unbelievable trip! I have no other way to describe our adventure. I hope I have described Antarctica well; however, pictures and narrative don’t do it justice. I hope each of you has the opportunity to visit the 7th Continent to see its majesty for yourself. As it turns out the marathon was just a small part of the trip, yet provided a common bond for all of my fellow travelers. I met some great people and hope to continue some of the friendships via e-mail and travel. I’m off to Boston next month for the marathon of course, but hope to take it easy for a few months after the marathon. Stay tuned for future installments on my quest to join the 7 Continents Marathon Club. Rumor has it we may hit Europe in the Fall and Africa next Spring……
Bill and Mike’s Antarctic Adventure
Friday February 18, 2005
Wilmington, Delaware and New York, New York USA
Our long journey to the end of the Earth began at 12:15pm. A car service picked us up in Wilmington, DE, and off we went I-95 North into Pennsylvania – across the Commodore Barry Bridge and onto the NJ Turnpike. Traffic was rather light for a Friday afternoon, considering it was a holiday weekend (President’s Day). Our driver got off and onto 287, not the route I would have taken (Outerbridge Crossing to the Verrazzano and onto the Belt Parkway), but it worked out just fine. Not quite 2 hours had passed since we left and we were dropped off at T-4, JFK.
Aerolineas Argentinas was our carrier for this trip. They wouldn’t have been our choice; however, we were part of a tour group going to run a marathon on Antarctica – yes, a marathon. (See www.marathontours.com/antarctica for more information.) Aerolineas has their own check-in staff and gate agents; however, they use Swiss for ground and luggage support. Bill and I had paid for Condor (business) class for our 11-hour flight to Buenos Aires, and even though our flight wasn’t until 6pm, there was a line of about 50 people waiting to check-in in the Economy line. There was a Condor Class line that was empty. After looking at our tickets and passports, the helpful agent directed us to the next open check-in agent. We were promptly given 2 BPs for 5G and 5H and told we were allowed to use the Varig Lounge. We got to the lounge around 14:30 and we were the only people there for the first hour. For those not familiar with JFK, all the airline lounges are landside and so off we went to the Lounge. The Varig lounge was nothing to write home about – some tables and chairs and a TV that offers one channel in Portuguese. The lounge does however offer a nice view of T-4 and the surrounding environment including Runway 31L. We enjoyed a few cocktails and used the wireless signal from El Al’s King David Lounge (which is next door). Shortly before 5pm, we headed off to the gate. The security line took about 5 minutes and then we had a long walk to the last gate on the stand – B-30. Upon arrival at the gate there were many runners milling around and chatting about our upcoming adventure. We chatted with a few other runners and at 5:20pm boarding began. We boarded the A340-200 through door 2 and were directed to the left into Condor Class. There are five rows in Condor for a total of 30 J seats. Row 5 it turns out is the first bulkhead row– don’t ask me what happened to rows 1-4. The interior of the cabin is a bit worn – the seating is a blue velvet material and the seats are manual, although they did prove to be quite comfortable though for the 11-hours flight. This A340 is the old interior with no overhead storage over the first 3 rows in the center section. Luckily we were on early in the boarding process and had the overhead above our seats. As Condor filled up, space was becoming hard to find, but the FAs were very polite and took several bags up to a closet up front. Boarding was rather efficient and before pushback we were offered canapés and sparkling wine from the purser and the 2 FAs up front. This was followed by the newspaper/magazine cart and then headphones (rather generic) and a basic amenity kit (toothbrush/paste, razor, shaving cream, earplugs, eyeshades, and socks). We pushed at 18:15, a few minutes behind because of a few last minute cargo containers that were loaded directly below our seats. As we pushed back, I could see the line for 31L and it didn’t look good – at least 25 aircraft in line for departure – ugh. To my surprise, we taxied past all the other planes and we were number 3 for take-off. Later I would find out that one of the runners we met in the terminal at JFK had a friend in the tower and we received an expedited departure!!! (Thanks, John.) Wheels-up time was 18:36 and an uneventful climb out over the Atlantic began as we turned south for our 5300-mile flight.
Shortly after departure menus and wine lists were distributed and the IFE began. Condor passengers have their own TV monitors while coach has monitors hanging from the ceiling and on the bulkheads. No AVOD, but there were a few different shows and movies that ran on a loop. I watched Sideways with Paul Giamatti – an ok movie but the wine focus was appreciated. I have to apologize for not being able to post the actual lists, as the menu was collected while I was sleeping. Service from the 2 FAs was very coordinated – both would simultaneously bring a cart up each aisle and serve row by row. First course of duck pate was served over a bed of lettuce and orange sections. I’m not a huge pate fan, but it was pretty tasty. I washed this down with a nice Argentine Chardonnay. The first course was served on a tray along with a basic green salad. All courses were served on ARs own china with “real” silverware. After serving the rest of the cabin, our FAs soon returned with the main course – I had beef served with rigatoni and grilled zucchini and yellow squash. The pasta and beef were in a brown mushroom sauce. Not the best airplane meal I’ve had, but certainly not the worst. When the beef was served, I requested some of the Malbec they were pouring. The FA without asking provided a fresh glass for the red wine and removed my chardonnay glass. Following dinner, the cart returned again with several cheeses and dried fruits. I believe I received some aged Gouda, a Pecorino, and a jalapeno jack of sorts, along with a dried fig and some dried apricots. The cheese hit the spot and I declined the dessert course of 3 ice creams with a variety of sauce offerings. The cart came through once more offering after-dinner drinks and coffees. I had a Chivas on the rocks and several glasses of water as the movie came to an end. Off to wash up in the 1 and only lav in Condor located on the left side of the cabin in front of the Row 5 (1) bulkhead. There was a small backlog for the lav, as many pax were preparing for a few hours of shuteye. After a 6-minute wait, which seems like 20 when you are standing in the forward galley, I was cleaned up and off to bed with the help of Ambien. I had never used Ambien before and I found myself thinking that it wasn’t working and that is the last thing I remember. Approx 7 hours later I was awakened as breakfast service began. One additional comment on the AR 340 – no individual air vents and the cabin was quite warm – no blankets necessary, but they were provided at every seat in Condor.
Breakfast was presented on a tray pre-set with a mini bagel, a croissant, a small fruit cup, and a coffee cup. Additionally on the cart each passenger was offered cereal or yogurt, an omelet with mushrooms, or pancakes. Coffee, tea, and juice were also on the cart. I had the omelet; it was a little bland, as it had no cheese. Bill had the pancakes and said they were good. While passing through the cabin to pick up the trays, additional coffee, etc was offered.
One hour later we were still cruising at 40,000 feet. The approach to EZE was very quick. We descended 30,000 feet in about 10 minutes and we were on the ground a few minutes later at 7am – 10 minutes early. Overall the flight was very good. The FAs were very attentive and friendly. I would say the service is on par with other international J products. The IFE and the cabin could use some updating, but were overall adequate. I didn’t measure the pitch, but would guess somewhere close to 50-55”, and the seats while not flat beds had decent recline. Perhaps it was the Ambien or also the fact that I had the time for a good night’s sleep, but I had the best sleep I’ve ever had on a plane and was never uncomfortable in my seat. I should also note that the flight went out full -- 29 in J with one seat for crew rest and 217 in Y. Upon arrival we found out that one of the tour participants did not get on the flight. The flight was oversold and she checked-in late for the flight and was IDB’d. According to the tour operator who met us here in Buenos Aires, this happens all the time with AR. He said they overbook every flight, and that the only time he encounters problems is the outbound flight from either JFK or MIA, as they check everyone in here for the domestic flights to Ushuaia and back to Buenos Aires and the connection back to JFK or MIA. I can attest firsthand to the overselling as when I checked ITN this week for my flights to/from USH from Buenos Aires, they were still showing J8 on the MD-80 with only 8 J seats and we have 2 confirmed J seats on that flight.
Saturday February 19, 2005
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Immigration was very quick and, despite being in the first group off the plane – the FAs and purser held the Y passengers back until the J passengers had deplaned, our luggage was already on the carousel when we arrived at baggage claim less than 10 minutes after arrival! After clearing customs, which was also very efficient, we emerged to find our tour leader. There were two buses waiting to take us to our hotel – approximately 100 people out of 200 on the tour took the JFK flight. AR only flies 3X per week to EZE from JFK. Tomorrow (Sunday) another group will arrive on the AR flight from MIA. If you live in the US you are pretty much required to take the AR flights, as that is your only guarantee in case of weather delays on your return from Antarctica, which happen occasionally. Participants from other countries are able to make other arrangements. This is one of the reasons we will spend four days in Buenos Aires, which will allow everyone to make it here since some carriers don’t have daily service. And don’t worry about the woman who was IDB’d; she is arriving tomorrow on the AR flight from MIA, and will be here in time for the trek to Antarctica.
The bus ride to our hotel took about 30 minutes. We are staying at the Marriott Plaza Hotel. It is an old hotel, but the rooms have been updated recently with new furniture. The bathrooms, while modern, are rather small, but the room is clean and clean goes a long way. Check-in was handled very well – they obviously have experience with large groups. Upon arrival we were taken to a meeting room, where after taking a credit card #, for incidentals we were given our pre-assigned room packets with keys.
After a quick shower, we set off to grab a bite to eat. We wandered around Florida – a pedestrian mall with lots of shopping. The merchants really try to hustle you – everyone tried to hand us a business card or flyer. Evidently leather goods are one of the local specialties, but we aren’t here to shop and we don’t have space in our luggage. Besides, if I have room at the end of my trip I will fill the space with some of the fine Argentine wines. We also saw some young children street performers, including a boy who couldn’t have been older than five playing the accordion while his father tried to get handouts. I guess that, like many other cities around the world, Buenos Aires has its share of panhandlers and crime. We found a café around the corner from the hotel – the food was good. I could get used to these prices!!! I had a prosciutto sandwich with Roquefort, roasted peppers, and olives. It was tasty. Bill had a mini pizza with ham and olives. We each had a local beer called Quilmes, which was also good. I finished the meal with an espresso. Total bill -- $11 US.
Around 4pm about 50 folks from the group met for an hour run. Even at 4pm it was quite hot. I’m not used to this heat after training in the Northeast over the past few months. I guess it doesn’t matter, as it will be substantially cooler on the 7th Continent.
Around 8pm we headed out for the evening. We sat at a café and had a few beers and then around 9:15 we wandered over to a restaurant Happenings on Avenue Alicia Moreau de Justo. Only two tables were occupied and the restaurant and the others on the avenue were all set for a full house, as the staff was milling about waiting for the onslaught of hungry patrons. First, we handled the most important decision of the evening – the wine. We ordered a 2002 Terrazas Reserva Malbec at the recommendation of our waiter. We started with a few appetizers of empanadas and some grilled provolone, which is exactly as it sounds: a nice piece of aged provolone thrown on the grill for a few minutes until it is soft and has some nice grill marks and flavor. For entrees, we both ordered the Prime Steak – a nice thick cut of tenderloin—and side dishes of creamed spinach and an assortment of mashed potatoes (both traditional and sweet). Everything was prepared perfectly and next it was time for dessert. I had a traditional chocolate mousse and Bill chose the Crème Brulee. I capped the meal off with a nice café con leche while Bill had a Limoncello. Around 11:30 we headed back to our hotel and the restaurant was 70% full. This is definitely a late dining town. To end the evening I enjoyed a nice glass of Johnny Walker Black on the rocks in the hotel bar, then off to bed to rest up for our big Sunday.
Sunday February 20, 2005
Buenos Aires, Argentina
After a nice sleep until 9:45am, we got up and headed down to one of the function rooms for breakfast – every day breakfast is provided for the marathon group. It is a very nice spread – omelets cooked to order, lots of fresh fruit, fresh squeezed juices, bacon, sausage, ham, French toast, assorted cereals, etc. We met a few people from the tour. As of today, we are about 150 – by tonight we will be 200 after the AR flight arrives from MIA. Following breakfast we wandered around the neighborhood surrounding our hotel. We are right next to the Plaza San Martin, named after the national hero of Argentina. There is a memorial here similar to the Vietnam Wall honoring those Argentines who lost their lives during the Falklands War in 1982. We also walked up to Av. 9 de Julio, which is the widest street in the world – 16 lanes wide. We went to take a few pictures of the obelisk at the Plaza de la Republica (looks similar to the Washington Monument). At 1:30pm we boarded a bus with our tour group for a tour of the city. Actually, there were three buses, as the group is quite large. Among our stops for the day was Eva Peron’s grave in a cemetery filled with mausoleums all above ground, similar to New Orleans. Some were very elaborate, while others were quite simple. We also visited the Presidential House, which is painted pink. Later we visited the neighborhoods of Recoleta and Caminito.
We returned to the hotel around 4:45pm with just enough time to change and head out for a 5pm group run. Again, we were towards the front of the pack. While I am sure some faster runners will emerge on race day it seems that this trip is dominated by slower, back of the pack runners. Even at 5pm, it is still very hot in Buenos Aires. The humidity is very high – it reminds me of Washington, D.C., in the summer. After our 50-minute run, we had time for a quick shower before our 6:30 cocktail reception, followed by dinner and a briefing on our trip. With 200+ people standing around drinking and talking, the pre-function space was very loud. This cocktail hour provided a good opportunity to meet many of the participants, as the MIA flight had arrived earlier Sunday morning. Dinner was served in the Ballroom of the Marriott. Caesar salad, Grilled Salmon over couscous with a cream sauce of sorts, and a dessert of molten chocolate cake served with raspberry sorbet. Of course, all courses were served with copious amounts of Argentine wines.
At the conclusion of dinner Thom Gilligan from Marathon Tours spoke about our upcoming voyage to Antarctica. There are 205 people signed up for the marathon and 20 for the ½ marathon. The course is a double out and back starting from the Russian science base. Over the first 6 miles we will pass the Chilean base and climb the Collins Glacier base before heading back to the Russian base and heading for the Uruguayan and Chinese bases. Then you return to the Russian Base and do the loop once again. Marathon Tours requires runners to cross the ½-Marathon within 3 ½ hours and to finish the race within 7 ½ hours. Of course, this is subject to change if the weather gets bad. There are a surprising number of runners who are returning to Antarctica to either run the marathon again or to try for the full marathon this time, having only completed the ½ on their first trip. There are also quite a few runners who will complete the quest for 7 Continents on this trip. At the end of the cruise, there is another marathon in Ushuaia (Tierra del Fuego) for those who want to get South America as well. There are over 100 runners from this trip who have signed up for this race, which is going to more than double the field. The race is called the Fin del Mundo Marathon. Bill and I have chosen not to run in this event, as we have the Boston Marathon coming up in April, and there is only so much our bodies can take. After the briefing, many of us headed for the bar for a few additional cocktails prior to bed.
Monday February 21, 2005
Monday morning dawned another hot sunny day. After breakfast Bill and I headed out and wandered around the Puerto Madero section of the city (15 minutes walk from our hotel). We also stopped and purchased tickets for BuqueBus (ferry) for a daytrip to Colonia, Uruguay, for Tuesday. We walked up and down both sides of the river checking out the shops and restaurants. We grabbed a bite at an Italian restaurant called Il Gatto. 2 salads, 2 individual pizzas, 2 Liters of beer, and 2 bottles of water – total cost $12 US. Around 4pm we headed back to the hotel for a short nap – this heat can really zap your energy. Around 6pm we went out for another 50-minute run. Guess what: still hot and humid. We went back to Puerto Madero for dinner at 9:30. We decided to eat at El Mirasol, a steakhouse that was quite tasty. Again, 2 appetizers, 2 steaks, 2 vegetables, 2 desserts, a bottle of Terrazas Reserva Syrah 2002, 2 after-dinner drinks and coffee. All-in -- $70 US. Our dinner was very good, but we both agreed that our dinner at Happening on Saturday was better. One of the other highly suggested Steakhouses is Cabana Las Lillas, which unfortunately will have to wait for our next trip to Buenos Aires.
Tuesday February 22, 2005
Buenos Aires, Argentina and Colonia, Uruguay
Today is the first day since arrival we had to set the alarm, as we have to be at the port for a 10am check-in. After breakfast we walked down to the port, making a few stops for some last minute items for Antarctica. We were promptly checked-in for our ferry and cleared both Argentine departure and Uruguayan immigration. We then headed to the 1st Class lounge (we opted for 1st class tickets to Colonia as they were only $10 additional round-trip). The crossing of the Rio de la Plata took 1 hour and we were soon on a bus headed into Colonia for lunch and a tour of the city. While not too much to see in Colonia, it was a nice change from Buenos Aires. This laid back, quiet town on the water has a very colonial feel to it: it is very clean, and there are some historic sites to see such as the 1st church built in Uruguay in 1588.
After returning to Buenos Aires at 6:45pm, we returned to the hotel to pack for the next leg of our trip. All luggage must be downstairs by 3:00am for a 3:30am departure to the airport. After packing, we ran out to get a quick bite. We went to Filo around the corner from our hotel. Carpaccio of beef and a mini-pizza and we were back to try to get some sleep. By the way – the female hostesses and servers at Filo were gorgeous – and the food wasn’t bad either. After tossing and turning for a few hours (you know the night before a trip when you try to go to sleep early and at the same time you are afraid you might oversleep) I did manage to get 2 hours of sleep before the 2:15am wake-up call.
Wednesday February 23, 2005
Buenos Aires and Ushuaia, Argentina
After dropping our luggage to be loaded onto the buses, we all met in the ballroom for a light breakfast. For 3:30am, the staff was very friendly and attentive. I grabbed a cup of coffee and some juice, still full from dinner a few hours earlier. At this time, the group was only 100 or so as the other 100 from the other ship had departed yesterday – we are spaced 1 day apart so that we are able to see the Antarctic sights with little traffic. Both ships, however, will meet up on Saturday for the race. After a quick 15-minute bus ride we arrived at the domestic airport (AEP). Check-in for the 100 of us was very efficient – there were at least 25 ticket agents working the counter at 4:30am! When we arrived at the security checkpoint it was not yet open and a long line formed. The line was opened at 4:45 and we all took our turn going through the metal detectors and bag x-ray. What was odd is that only one person manned each x-ray machine and that same person was responsible for checking out anyone who set off the metal detector. I don’t know if this is typical or only due to the early hour. Boarding began at 5:00 and Bill and I took our seats in business class, 2A and 2B on the MD-88 aircraft. This aircraft was configured with 8 J and 140 Y seats. We were the only 2 marathon participants in business -- needless to say, we got lots of looks and comments from our fellow travelers. The flight left full. I must say I am impressed with Aerolineas at this point, despite hearing some negatives from Thom (Marathon Tours) and a few others on FT. Pushback was right on time at 5:30, on the dot, as scheduled. Boarding was efficient and quick, especially considering that everyone from the marathon group had a large carry-on with stuff for the day in Ushuaia before heading to the ship and at a minimum everyone carried their running shoes in case of lost luggage. We were served a pre-departure drink of fresh OJ. The flight was well staffed with at least 4 FAs for Y, 1 for J, and the purser. We taxied out into the still dark morning among many of ARs aircraft. I counted at least 30 of their MD-80 series, and 737s sitting on the tarmac at 5:30am. Taxi was quick and we were soon airborne – no line at 5:30am. We took off over the port and were soon over Uruguay before turning south towards USH. The pilot announced flying time to be 3:20. Shortly after takeoff breakfast was served: fruit cup, several pastries (croissant, pain au chocolat, and another biscuit type pastry), another glass of juice and coffee. We were soon offered waffles with syrup – a nice breakfast but not if you are watching your carbs. We were not as we have a marathon in 4 days. The flight was very smooth and service was very good. The approach into Ushuaia was very cool. We began our descent and then leveled off to clear some of the mountains. Once we cleared the last of the mountains, the town of Ushuaia was directly beneath the aircraft. We were still rather high and a rapid descent started with the speedbrakes deployed. We flew directly over the airport and then began a series of left turns to line up with the runway while between the mountains of Argentina and Chile. The pilots flew a very nice approach and we were soon on the ground. The airport in Ushuaia only has one runway and is surrounded on three sides by water. Any landing that is either short or long will wind up in the drink of the Beagle Channel. After a brief taxi to one of two jetbridges, we deplaned and went to collect our luggage. Luckily our luggage did make it safely to Ushuaia. I believe that nobody was missing luggage on this trip. However, once on board the ship, we learned of a woman whose bag never made it to Buenos Aires. She had traveled on LAN through Santiago before connecting to Buenos Aires and AR was not responsible for her loss. So the staff of the trip did a very good job helping her get running gear for the marathon and many passengers of similar size volunteered different gear for her. She was also able to shop in Ushuaia for some additional clothing. Luckily, she had packed her running shoes in her husband’s suitcase so she at least had her own shoes.
Several buses picked us up from the airport. Our luggage was picked up by a truck that transported it directly to the ship. We were taken into the downtown area of Ushuaia and were given 6 hours to explore. Bill and I headed off to find a cab to take us up to the Martial Glacier. The 10-minute cab ride cost 7 pesos ($2.40). At the base of the glacier we rode a ski lift up 1180 meters. We then hiked up to the bottom of the ice. Parts were a bit steep, but we were rewarded with some great views of Ushuaia and the peninsula below us. Rather than take the ski lift back down to the base we hiked all the way down. It was a beautiful day with temperatures in the upper 40’s / low 50’s. At the base of the mountain, we grabbed a cab back to downtown. We found a nearby café and joined a few other marathoners for some lunch. We all got hamburgers (I hadn’t had a hamburger in five days – quite a long time for me as I usually eat McDonald’s two meals a day). After lunch we wandered around town, sent off a few postcards, and purchased gifts for the Russians on Antarctica. It was suggested by Thom that we each bring a little something for the base staff as a “thank you” for allowing us into their base and supporting our race. Bill and I bought them a bottle of vodka and a bottle of Malbec. Around 3pm we all started to gather down by the buses, even though we weren’t supposed to depart until 4pm. I think everyone was ready to just get going and board the ship. Finally the time came. We were bussed over to the ship where the staff was awaiting our arrival. Upon boarding, we had to surrender our passports (while we are running the marathon the ship’s staff will take them to the 3 science bases to get stamped). We were then marked off on the manifest and directed to our cabins. Bill and I got cabin #437 on the 4th deck. It is a nice cabin -- 2 lower bunks and a private bath. Many of the cabins have a shared bath with 2 or 3 other cabins. There is plenty of storage for our clothes and all the cabinets latch shut to prevent them from opening during rough seas.
At 6:30pm we sailed for Antarctica and had the mandatory lifeboat drill. Many of us stayed out on deck to watch the sun and the surrounding mountains as we sailed down the Beagle Channel. Dinner was served at 7:30pm and then Bill and I went to acquaint ourselves with the bartender Carmen and her liquid wares. Around 10:30 we headed off to bed, as we only had 2 or 3 hours of sleep the previous night. Of course, we also went to bed about the time we entered the Drake Passage, where the seas can be rough. Although the seas were a relatively calm 5-10 feet, the ship did rock quite a bit throughout the night and neither of us got a great night’s sleep.
Thursday February 24, 2005
Cruising the Drake Passage onboard the Akademik Ioffe
Our expedition leader David awakened us at 7am and everyone trudged down to the dining room for breakfast at 7:30am. The entire day would be spent on the Drake Passage at sea. The staff made a point to remind us how calm the seas were and how lucky we were, as the passage was usually much more treacherous. There were several lectures offered throughout the day. Phil, the resident whale expert on the ship, presented a lecture on the whales we would be seeing throughout the voyage. Bill Serues, our ship’s leader from Marathon Tours, offered a lecture on the history of the Antarctica Marathon. The race has quite a history since its inception in 1995. Different courses have been used and there have been some controversies among the participants in years past. One year only one of the two ships was able to get ashore for the 9am start. The other ship didn’t arrive until 2 hours later and the race for that ship was promptly started. The first finishers from the first ship complained that the weather conditions were better for the second ship and threatened to sue if they weren’t the winners, even though the best time was run by someone from the 2nd ship—and he won by a large time margin. Bill also described the 2001 marathon when the ship couldn’t get the participants to shore and the race was run onboard the ship (422 laps around the deck!!!). This year, for the first time, GPS was used to accurately measure the course and it was discovered that in previous years the course was probably a bit short.
After lunch lectures were offered by David McGonigal, our expedition leader, on photography in the Antarctic, as conditions are very different than any place else on the Earth.
Friday February 25, 2004
Onboard the Akademik Ioffe in the Antarctic Convergence
Friday morning dawned with another wake-up from David at 7am. We were out of the Drake Passage and in the Antarctic Convergence where the waters were very calm. Breakfast was served and another series of lectures began. The morning would have lectures by Jacques, the resident bird expert, about the birds of the Antarctic. The second lecture was by Alasdair McGregor who has written a book about Frank Hurley the photographer from the famed Shackleton Expedition. After lunch there were two compulsory lectures in preparation for our arrival in Antarctica. The first was presented by John Johnson (Shrek), our Assistant Expedition Leader, about the safety and boarding procedures for the Zodiacs we would be using for our landings on the White Continent. The second lecture was presented by David McGonigal about the Antarctic Treaty and the rules to which we passengers must adhere while on the continent.
One of the coolest things about Peregrine is the “open bridge policy.” Whenever there is a staff person from Peregrine on the bridge we are allowed on the bridge. The bridge is a great place to see whales and other wildlife while staying warm, as the outside temperatures are below freezing. This also allows the opportunity to watch the officers of the ship (all Russian) navigate and maneuver the ship. Friday afternoon I was on the bridge for our approach into Maxwell Bay, our anchor point for the night and for the marathon. The usually calm bridge got a little more tense as the Captain was present, along with several other officers and, for the first time, the ship was being driven by hand rather than autopilot. The Officers are very professional and rather friendly (I only wish I could speak and understand Russian). Our ship was the first into Maxwell Bay, as the Vavilov had spent the day on a landing while Thom and the others marked the marathon course. Once anchored, a Zodiac was launched to pick up Thom and the others ashore. They were brought to our ship for dinner, where they briefed us on the course for the next day before heading back to the Vavilov once it arrived in the harbor. I was very excited when the menus were presented for the pre-race dinner. Most runners have certain pre-race habits and superstitions that they are quite fanatical about. I always eat a steak and drink 2 beers on the night before a race. I was very excited when the menus were presented and, in addition to most runners favorite pasta offerings, there was strip steak. Ah – all was well in my world. After dinner the bar was empty and most headed off to bed. Bill and I packed our gear bag for taking ashore. It was almost like packing for this trip – a little of everything as we had no idea what conditions would be like and the weather can change very rapidly. After mixing up our bottles of Gatorade and prepping several water bottles we went to sleep. We have to provide our own water and drinks for the race.
Saturday February 26, 2005
Onboard the Akademik Ioffe and on King George Island
The day dawned with overcast skies and a very low ceiling. The Glacier, which was visible on the previous evening was nowhere to be found. The wind was only blowing at about 10 miles per hour and the temperature was 31 degrees Fahrenheit. Bill and I set an alarm for 6am in order to get some coffee and tea and allow the liquid to work its way out before race time. Breakfast was served at 7am and I ate half a bowl of oatmeal. Off to change and await the call to board the Zodiacs to take us to shore. After putting on our running gear we put on a few extra layers of fleece and our Gore-Tex suits, Muck Boots, and life vests. Added to this was my backpack full of running shoes and other gear, including my four bottles of water and Gatorade, and a bottle of wine for the Russians for allowing us to use their facilities. Everyone was encouraged to bring something as a small gift. Needless to say they probably had one hell of a party after we left. They received lots of vodka, wine, chocolate, and other delicacies purchased in Ushuaia. We all looked like the Michelin Man with all of our gear, a life-vest and a pack on top. At least the water was calm for our first Zodiac boarding. The ride to shore took about 5 minutes and after stepping out into water about 18 inches deep, we were on the beach.
Once ashore we all gathered around the Russian buildings to strip down to our running gear. Luckily, the Russian buildings are on stilts and allowed us all to store our bags underneath, protected from weather. A light snow was falling as we prepared for the start. The first start was called at approximately 9am for those running the ½ marathon, all women, and all men over the age of 60. 3 minutes later the rest of us were lined up and started. The course is a double out and back – 7 miles from the start at the Russian base at Bellinghausen out to the Collins Glacier after passing through the Uruguayan Base known as “Artigas.” We were instructed to carry one bottle of water or Gatorade with us and we would drop it about 1 and ½ miles into the course. This would allow us to drink at 1.5 miles and again at 5.5. To say the course is hilly is an understatement! I have never encountered a course so difficult. The course was extremely muddy as snow and ice have been melting in the warm weather. Parts of the course were like running in quicksand. After about 2.5 miles of sloshing up and down some very steep hills we arrived at “Artigas,” where we transitioned to the rocky beach where we had to slow even further to avoid turning an ankle. There was a group of about 10 Uruguayans there to cheer us on and it was certainly appreciated. Although we were briefed on the glacier, it still came as a surprise. The incline was 17 degrees and, because of the weather, it was very slushy and glassy. I don’t think anyone was able to run up the glacier and instead there were long lines of runners walking the ½ mile up the glacier to the turnaround. Once at the top it was possible to jog down, but you had to be very careful to avoid falling. Then back over the rocks through “Artigas” and up and down the muddy hills back to “Bellinghausen” after a stop for a drink at 5.5 miles where we had dropped our Gatorade. We made it to “Bellinghausen” in 1:08 (7miles) – this is definitely not a fast course. After a 1-minute stop to drink some water and take a gel, we headed off in the other direction.
At this point Bill and I were towards the front of the pack with approximately 15 runners ahead of us. We carried another bottle with us this time, which we dropped approximately 1.5 miles after passing through the Chilean Base. Another 1.5 miles over mud and rocks and over a small stream and we entered the Chinese Base, which was very rocky. We ran through the entire base to the very edge where they had four large fuel tanks. This was the turn-around, at approximately 10 miles. Back the same way up and down the hills, across the stream, over the rocks. The nicest part of the course is the 1-mile or so from the airstrip through the Chilean base and back to Bellinghausen. We stopped for another gel and some water and then off we went to cover the course again. We crossed the start line again at almost exactly 2 hours into the race. At this point I was actually getting comfortable and I at least knew the course ahead. I think the Marathon Tours staff did a very good job explaining the glacier; however, I think they underestimated the hills we would encounter over the course. It seemed like we were always either going up or down and the slopes were very steep. Add to that the fact that the course was very muddy and it wasn’t pretty. So we just kept running and before I knew it, we were back at the glacier and we had overtaken many more runners. As we approached the glacier, the leader was on his way off – he had a commanding lead. The glacier gave us the opportunity to see how we were positioned. On our way up the 2nd place runner was on his way down. At this point we could only see one person in front of us and he was on his way up too! After what seemed an eternity, the 3rd place runner finally reached the top and turned to start down the glacier. We were soon at the top and we, too, began our descent. There were about 10 other runners working their way up the glacier while we ran down. One of the nicest things about this course is that you can see your fellow runners who are either ahead of you or behind you as you work your way through the course. Among the 10 on their way up the glacier were a bunch of our shipmates. One of them had his camera in his hand and Bill and I stopped to pose for a picture for him. 10 seconds later we were continuing down the glacier. Everyone was very friendly and it was nice to have someone cheer you on or encourage you to keep on going, especially since there were almost no spectators on the course unlike most other races. Although there were over 200 runners on the course, we knew all of our 100+ shipmates and many others we had met in Buenos Aires. We were constantly yelling at one another. Just hearing your name can be quite motivating. So here we were with 10 miles to go and in 4th and 5th place! We had no plan when we started other than to try to maintain a steady pace and to finish. Neither of us had any thought that we could be in the top 10. We continued to press on at a comfortable pace. At the water stop 1.5 miles from Bellinghausen, we caught the 3rd place runner. I should also mention that it started snowing at this time, but it would only last 15 minutes or so. We cruised on through the muddiest part of the course and soon found our way to Bellinghausen where the race director confirmed that we were in 3rd and 4th places. We stopped for our last gel and some more water. I continued to scan for any runners coming up behind us. After about two minutes, we took off back onto the course. After clearing the Chilean Base we were near the airstrip and one of the race staff was there to point the way and make sure that no one made a wrong turn and headed out onto the runway. As we approached, he told us that 2nd place was only 8 minutes ahead of us. I laughed and told him that I didn’t think we had a chance of catching him with 5 miles left to run. He said “anything can happen on this course.” It didn’t matter – we were having a good time and would be thrilled to maintain our position. We just kept running. Finally we were back on the Chinese base. As we entered – the leader was on his way out. We pressed on and kept looking for the 2nd place runner. We would finally encounter him about 2 minutes from the turnaround. He had clearly lost some time as his lead now was probably 4 minutes. At the turnaround Bill fell back a little and told me to go ahead. I didn’t want to leave him, but it was the right thing to do. I still had a little gas left in the tank. As I exited the Chinese Base I came across William Tan, a wheelchair athlete who was attempting to become the first to complete the Antarctica Marathon. He was still on his first half. He stopped me and asked me to give him a little help as his chair had become stuck on some rocks. I started to push him and within 30 seconds Bill stopped to help too. We got William out of his jam and we were back on our way. After crossing the stream there is a giant uphill. And as I started up the hill I could see the 2nd place runner at the top. He was walking. This was my opportunity. I pushed myself up the hill and soon caught him. I yelled at him to get his wheels moving again and try to run with me. He didn’t even acknowledge me – he obviously wasn’t feeling very well. Evidently Bill tried the same thing when he caught him with the same result. So now here I am in 2nd place. I’ve never been in 2nd place for any race, let alone a marathon. What a weird feeling. To be on this unbelievable course at the end of the earth and to actually be in 2nd place – no words can describe how I felt. I was actually very comfortable at this point – I knew there were only a few miles to go and I still had some life in me and in my legs. One last stop for some Gatorade at the bottle drop and I was off to hold my position. At this point I really started to pass lots of shipmates (heading the opposite direction) and they all cheered and high-fived me and told me to keep going. Did I mention that we were having a little competition between the 2 ships? The times of the top 5 finishers from each ship would be added together and the lower number would win. As I entered the Chilean Base I was having so much fun. I wanted to finish, and at the same time, I wanted to keep going – this was an incredible feeling. I soon found myself on the final turn into the Russian base and then I saw the finish line. I took off into a sprint and charged over the line with my hands over my head. I had just completed the Antarctica Marathon in 2nd Place!!! My time – 3:59:38. My usual marathon times are in the low 3-hour range – this was one hell of a course! Bill was soon coming around the final turn and he finished in 3rd Place at 4:01:04! Who could have ever predicted that two Delawareans would finish in the top three spots? Now reality set in. It was cold and the temperature was dropping. We gathered our gear and headed into one of the buildings on the base where the ship’s staff had food and drinks waiting for us. I changed out of my wet clothes and into some dry warm fleece. The runner who had been in 2nd for a while finished in 4th and it turns out was severely dehydrated. The ship’s doctor attended to him with some electrolytes and salts along with some water. Because Antarctica is so dry and cold, the sweat just evaporates off so quickly that you don’t even realize that you are sweating and I think he just didn’t think he needed to stop and drink. I originally had intentions of watching the other runners finish; however, it was cold and I knew I couldn’t stay outside for long. When they announced that a Zodiac would be leaving for the ship – I jumped at the opportunity. I put back on all the Gore-Tex gear and my Muck Boots and life vest, grabbed my gear and trudged out to the water. It was now in the low 20s and it felt cold as we zipped along the water back to the ship. We were exhausted, but we were happy. After a nice hot shower we went down for some lunch. Little by little, more runners returned and the dining room filled. Everyone had a story to tell and the beer started flowing. At the end of the day, 35 runners would complete the ½ marathon and 177 runners would finish the marathon. The last person to cross the finish line did so in 8:02! My hat is off to all participants and finishers on this very difficult course. As a side note – William Tan did not meet his goal of completing the marathon, but he did complete the ½ marathon!!! Great job, William! The beer continued to flow and everyone was having a great time telling “war stories” and celebrating their accomplishment. Lunch became dinner and by 10:30pm most passengers had gone off for a well-deserved rest.
Sunday February 27, 2005
Onboard the Akademik Ioffe and Zodiacs in Wilhelmina Bay
As a reward for our performance on Saturday we were allowed to sleep in until 8am! We would cruise for another few hours to reach our destination, so I spent a good part of the morning on the bridge watching the ship’s operations and also the many whales in the area. At one point two humpback whales gave a little show at the bow of the ship. It was another beautiful day. After lunch we launched on our first Zodiac cruise of the trip. We spent 2 ½ hours cruising the bay in a Zodiac with 10 other shipmates. The sun was bright and the water was like glass – no wind at all. We followed a group of four humpback whales for a while and then cruised around the many icebergs and explored many small harbors and sites of interest. Back to the ship for some coffee and snacks and the 2nd launch happened around 4:30pm. Bill and I had the opportunity to do a little kayaking for this launch and we had a great time. The highlight was when a humpback whale decided to see what we were up to and breached directly in front of us. This was repeated several times and drew the attention of several Zodiacs in the area. Unfortunately the Zodiacs scared the whales away, but what an incredible display. I hope the photos come out okay. Due to the kayaking, I did not have my good camera, but a waterproof disposable. Before we knew it, we had to return to the ship for dinner -- another great day was coming to an end. We finished the evening with a few glasses of scotch and returned to our cabin for a few hours of sleep.
Monday February 28, 2005
Onboard the Akademik Ioffe, Cuverville Island, and Danco Island
Today we had a very busy day with Zodiac landings. After breakfast, the Zodiacs were launched at 9:00. We first headed to Cuverville Island, home of the largest colony of Gentoo Penguins. There are 25,000 pairs of penguins on the island. Most were in the process of completing their molting before the winter season arrives. While very cute and funny to watch, the smell of the excrement from 50,000 penguins can be overwhelming! Every time the wind shifted we would catch one of those, “take your breath away, hope I don’t vomit smells.” After 90 minutes of wandering among the penguins and watching the kayak racing heats, it was time to head back to the ship for lunch. Although 90 minutes doesn’t sound like a lot of time – it takes a bit of time to layer up for the weather, including waterproof pants, jacket and shoes. Upon our return to the ship we need to decontaminate our boots by washing and scrubbing them so as not to bring anything aboard ship and likewise to prevent us from transmitting anything to the Antarctic Continent. Then after that is done we have to remove and hang up our PFD (personal flotation device) and change out of our boots into other shoes before leaving the ship’s mudroom and heading to our respective cabins to change out of our gear and into more comfortable clothes.
Today we had a special lunch awaiting us. The passengers from the Vavilov arrived by Zodiac for a BBQ and awards ceremony aboard our ship. It was quite a scene to have 225 people gather on the aft deck of the ship in the sun while floating among icebergs. The beers were flowing and the kitchen staff from both ships worked hard to grill up hamburgers, ribs, steak, sausage, and many other treats for our hearty appetites. It was nice to meet up with our fellow runners and allowed us an opportunity to relive the events of race day. After everyone had eaten Thom Gilligan addressed the group and presented the overall and age group winners. Photos were taken, but all plaques, etc will be mailed after the trip. It was probably the one and only time I will be honored for placing 2nd in a race and it was kind of nice. Even more amazing is that only two runners completed the marathon in under 4 hours and I was one of them, even if only by 22 seconds! I had the opportunity to chat with the 4th place finisher who had the hydration issues and I was glad to see he was feeling much better and he offered me congratulations on my finish. After the celebrating we finished the party with two giant ice-cream cakes made in the shape of our two sister ships. Our friends from the Vavilov departed shortly thereafter and off we went to prepare for our next excursion.
The afternoon took us to Danco Island where a hike to the top of the mountain offered an amazing view down into the harbor below, where our ship looked like a model floating in a bathtub. The walk is a nice welcome to my recovering legs and helps to stretch them out. The one thing amazing about Antarctica is its sheer vastness. Everything is white (snow, ice, etc.) or blue (water). It is very difficult to estimate distances down there. Something may appear very close, but once you get into a Zodiac and start heading in that direction, you realize that it is often several miles away. Spending some time down here can really bring home just how small we really are in this big world!
Saturday March 5, 2005
Well, once we made it into the Beagle Channel, the seas calmed down and I managed to get a decent night’s sleep. David woke us up for the last time at 6:30am (I don’t know how we will function without a PA announcement to wake us up or tell us when to eat). When we left the cabin to head for breakfast, our luggage was already gone from the hall where we had to place it before bed. At 8am we were hurried off the ship to waiting buses. Those that were staying in Ushuaia for the Fin del Mundo marathon were taken to their hotel to check in and relax. There was only one bus for those of us who were heading home. There are three flights from USH to Buenos Aires, and some of our traveling friends were heading straight to the airport. We had several hours to kill in Ushuaia before the bus would return to pick us up at 1:30pm for our 3:15pm flight. So we wandered around the main shopping street (San Martin). Nothing was open at this early hour and we would soon find ourselves at the end of the street. So we turned around and found a café with wireless Internet access. I was able to check FT for the first time since leaving JFK and was also able to confirm that my upgrades on US for Sunday had cleared at the 7-day window. Thank goodness, because after 15 hours of flying I couldn’t imagine stuffing myself into a Y seat. Bill and I soon found ourselves back out wandering the street. We decided to grab a bite to eat and found a café with outdoor seating. The temperature was 60 degrees and we enjoyed an hour in the sun. At the appointed hour we met at the rendezvous point and soon found ourselves back on the bus enroute to the airport. Upon arrival at USH our luggage magically appeared and we headed for the Business class check-in. The line for economy was about 40 deep, but we were the only ones in the Business line. After checking our bags through to JFK and receiving our BPs we were soon heading to pay our departure tax (13 pesos – about $4). Security was a short line and we found ourselves in the gate area where we were reunited with several fellow marathoners from the other ship who had arrived at the airport earlier. The rest of the folks from our ship joined shortly thereafter, having checked their luggage, etc. Our flight was scheduled for 3:18pm and at 2:50pm boarding began. This flight had originated somewhere else and there were lots of people already onboard the MD-88. Our group soon filled the empty seats and at 3:17 the door was closed and we pushed from the gate.
Bill and I were again seated in 2A and 2B in this 8 seat Business cabin. Before the door was closed we were presented with a glass of champagne. Shortly after take-off, meal service began. The tray presented had a nice salad topped with beef carpaccio, two slices of fresh bread, and rice pudding for dessert. After finishing the salad, the FA returned with our entrée – I’m not sure what to call it, but it was rolled spinach pasta stuffed with cheese and seafood and served in a cream sauce. We washed our meals down with several Quilmes beers. Bill napped and I enjoyed the time watching the scene from the air and listening to my iPod. Service was good and we were offered several refills, but for the last 90 minutes of the flight the FAs were gathered in the galley and didn’t pay us much attention. Perhaps it is just my opinion, but I believe AR and Argentine ATC have different protocols for descent. Our approach seemed to be straight in with just a few minor turns necessary. And once the engines were brought back for descent our altitude would not stop dropping until we were on the runway. We went from cruising at 35,000 feet to touchdown in less than 14 minutes. The flight was very smooth and landing was on the numbers and we soon taxied into the domestic arrival area at EZE. As we parked the FAs asked those sitting in Rows 1-16 to utilize the front door to deplane while 16 and higher was asked to use the rear. We were all bussed to the terminal where, although we were connecting to another AR flight, we found ourselves landside, necessitating another trip through security. So we headed over to the Int’l terminal and paid our departure tax ($18US) before clearing security. Bill and I headed to the Club Condor lounge as we had 2+ hours until our 9:20 departure to JFK. The lounge itself was very nice with leather furniture, several PCs with Internet access and a nice view of the airport. As the sun set, we helped ourselves to the bar, which had all the basics, but nothing more. There was also a large refrigerator stocked with Coke, Coke light, tonic, juices and large bottles of water. We enjoyed several cocktails, but were disappointed with the snack offerings (some cookies and chocolates, but no real food). Our BPs said boarding at 8:30 and so we headed to the gate at that time. This is where the quiet ended. At the boarding area we were lined up to go through another bag check and be wanded by security and then we were held in a large holding area for another 30 minutes before actually boarding the aircraft.
Once onboard we made the left turn into Business class after the FA at door 2 checked our BPs. This time we were in 10E and 10F (the 2 middle seats in the last row of J). The cabin was soon full as was Y and the doors were closed about 20 minutes late. We were again offered canapés and champagne before departure. While still on the ground, we were presented with dinner menus and the wine list, an amenity kit, headphones and a selection of newspapers. Once airborne and after a brief video on US Customs and Immigration procedures, the movies began. I started watching a movie and dinner service began shortly thereafter.
The appetizer – Shrimp with pineapple salad served with tabouleh and endives.
The salad – Mix of green leaves served with 1000 Island dressing. The main dishes – the best Argentinean meat seasoned with chimichurri sauce and its traditional garnishes of fried potatoes and roasted sweet potatoes. Or Tortellini with mozzarella and artichoke enhanced with basil cream sauce. Or Pan fried salmon served with mushrooms and olives vinaigrette, mashed potatoes with chives and Provencal style tomato. The cheese/fruit – Roquefort, Gruyere, Gouda, Brie, Pyrenees sheep cheese, nuts, dried pears and plums.
Dessert – Homemade ice cream – Freddo (brand)
Wines offered:
White – Alta Vista Torrontes 2003, Saint Felicien Roble Chardonnay 2003, and Trapiche Roble Chardonnay 2003
Red – Villa Atuel Syrah 2002, Nieto Senetiner Malbec 2002, Solar Cabernet 2002
The appetizer and salad were just ok, but I did enjoy several glasses of the Malbec, which wasn’t too bad. Unfortunately, after our salads we were only offered the salmon for dinner. The other entrees were already taken as we were in the last row. I declined the salmon and reached for my Ambien. Within 10 minutes I was sound asleep as we zoomed north, skipping the entrée, cheese and dessert courses. Ambien is magic stuff as I would not awaken until one hour before arrival as breakfast service was offered. Breakfast was a fruit cup with grapefruit, kiwi, grapes, and strawberries. Additionally you had your choice of Eggs with mushrooms or Waffles with dulce de leche sauce. A bakery basket was offered with various breads, croissants, and pain au chocolat. Juice, coffee and tea were also offered.
We were soon descending for landing at JFK. It seems that AR isn’t as fussy about safety as the purser and FAs were busy preparing the cabin for arrival by moving the crew’s luggage to the space behind the seats on the right side of the J cabin and never asked a few passengers to move their seats to the upright position. Several passengers were still sleeping in the fully reclined position when we landed. They were rather surprised and hurried to wake up and get adjusted before we parked at the gate. Immigration was quick and within 25 minutes we had our luggage and made our way out to the arrival area of T-4 to find our ride. Bill would head home and I would head to LGA to continue on to MCO for a conference. I sent my luggage back to Wilmington with Bill and hoped that my wife and parents would arrive in MCO with clothes for me.
What an unbelievable trip! I have no other way to describe our adventure. I hope I have described Antarctica well; however, pictures and narrative don’t do it justice. I hope each of you has the opportunity to visit the 7th Continent to see its majesty for yourself. As it turns out the marathon was just a small part of the trip, yet provided a common bond for all of my fellow travelers. I met some great people and hope to continue some of the friendships via e-mail and travel. I’m off to Boston next month for the marathon of course, but hope to take it easy for a few months after the marathon. Stay tuned for future installments on my quest to join the 7 Continents Marathon Club. Rumor has it we may hit Europe in the Fall and Africa next Spring……