Well, here we are–30 American (and one Italian) Jews sailing on a ship amoungst just 200 people from around the world, having just converged on the MV Fram for Expedition Antarctica. Yesterday we sailed through the infamous Drake Passage, a body of water where the Atlantic and Pacific meet and where we have been warned are the potentially roughest seas on earth.

Donning medicinal patches, pressure point wristbands and seasickness pills, we emerged from “the passage” mostly unscathed…save for just a few queasy uneasies. Truth is, most folks awoke in time for breakfast and then headed back to their cabins for mid morning reprieves in prone positions. As the day wore on and we left rough seas for the calmer waters of the southern ocean, life began to spawn once again. For those up and about, the first day aboard the MV Fram was laden with educational opportunities–a collection of lectures and films to help us understand the land to which we will be visiting and the accompanying wildlife that will share our space. “Interesting” is an understatement, but actual experiences will prevail. Proof in the pudding occurs as I write this; we are sailing amongst the first land masses–a collection of islands–known as the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica,and their accompanying icebergs. One of those monoliths is seen freshly downloaded above.

The rushes of people towards the window has just listed the vessel towards the starboard side. In just a few hours, however, we will embark upon Half Moon Island, our first real footprints on the continent. Anticipation and excitement is mounting. We’re really here!

As the departure date of our amazing adventure to Antarctica has loomed closer and closer, the looks, questions, dazement and amazement from people who love to armchair my travels has taken on new meaning. The questions like , “Antarctica? Why are you going? What will you see?” were more common than I had expected.

To me and our 30 passengers embarking on this truly amazing journey, the idea of traveling to Antarctica is merely the next step on a journey of journeys; a quest to see and do the world like few ever do. We are-at this writing-a mere 12 hours away from embarkation to our Antarctica bound cruise ship. I write this from our “staging” area of Buenos Aires; the arrival of all 31 passengers in tact, save for two pieces of missing luggage ( a miraculous feat given the monster weather we were suffering from in the midwest, northeast and south over the last week) . Over the course of the next 10 days, I will seek and post a collection of pictures and experiences “from the front” as we journey to the bottom of the world. And, I shall answer those questions of why we are going and what we will see. It’ll be amazing…you’ll see.
Stay tuned….

While trying to get up in the air, the two words most feared by air travelers are definitely “Delayed” and “Cancelled”. George Cloony’s wondrous hit movie didn’t hit on this aspect of flying!

A while back I shared an article by Barbara Russek,
one by of our recent AJ passengers, written by her for a local newspaper in Tucson, AZ. Barbara enlightened readers of this blog with an interesting perspective on one of her experiences while on our National Parks of the Southwest tour. I was so impressed by her unique perspective of things that I decided to print (with her pemission, of course) yet another installment from the same trip.
This story isn’t so much about the journey of 45 people as it is about one special person with whom we had a brief and for most, inoculous, interaction. But seeking the gemstone in every dessert, Barbara uncovered something that most people may not have even noticed. After reading this article, I took a minute to remember… to remember; to remember to smell the roses. To remember that great things come in small packages. To remember that traveling is about the journey, not just the destination. To remember that the finest things in life are free.

Please enjoy:

As our tour group recently drove into breath taking Monument Valley (within the Navajo Nation on the Northern Arizona-Utah border) we began to understand why visitors come here from around the world for this feast for the eyes. Majestic red rock formations dominated the area. Many had descriptive names such as Left and Right Mitten, Totem Pole and Snoopy on his Doghouse. The sky was a brilliant blue, leaving city skies literally in the dust. The air was crisp, in the 50s, with just a hint of a breeze.

After spending but a few minutes in this wondrous area, one can see why it has been the backdrop for so many movies, from Stagecoach to Windtalkers. Nature has simply topped any set man could have devised. I put it all in my memory bank, not realizing that the most meaningful memory was yet to be made.

Invigorated by the beauty we had seen during our three-hour tour, we were also a tribute to the old saying that there is nothing like fresh air to whip up the appetite. Luckily, Stagecoach Dining Room, part of Goulding’s Lodge in Monument Valley, was open. As we all filed in, stunning views of the area could be observed through large picture windows. Members of the Navajo Nation were scurrying about–waiting on tables, busing, taking reservations. So, when the restaurant manager, Barbara, came to take our order, I was startled to see a smiling Anglo woman, with eyes as blue as the skies of MV and platinum blond hair. “I think there’s a story behind this,” I remarked to her later, and indeed there was.

After dinner, Barbara graciously welcomed me back to her office, took out some scrap books and began. “I was living back in Chicago, married with four grown children. After my husband Dale retired from his trucking business, the two of us moved to Lake Powell, UT, where we enjoyed the good life for eight years before Dale passed away unexpectedly from a stroke.”

Having to make a new life for oneself after the loss of a husband, especially as an empty nester, is one of the greatest personal challenges a woman can face. Yet, even in the wake of devastating loss, Barbara never lost her sense of adventure and love of people. In 1998, at the age of 53, she decided to accept the offer of a managership at Stagecoach Dining Room, one of the few non-Navajos ever hired for this position.

Securing housing was the easy part. Goulding’s provided accommodations on the property. A much greater challenge was to learn the Navajo language and culture and how to interact with an entire Navajo staff that she would be managing. For this momentous task, she would need a mentor. Lorenz Holiday, a 33-year-old Navajo from MV was given that role. A bachelor living with his parents, he was a chef and supervisor of the restaurant’s cookouts for visitors. As things turned out, a better person couldn’t have been selected for the job.

As time went by, Barbara began to realize that not only did she like Lorenz’s gentle way of explaining things and his patience with her questions, she liked him. Lorenz started to have feelings for Barbara too. Their first date was hiking in MV, considered sacred and off limits to visitors. As Lorenz and Barbara got better acquainted, they decided to make a game out of teaching one another Navajo and the finer points of English respectively. At the end of each week, whoever was the slower learner had to make dinner for the other. Barbara admitted to me that she wasn’t all that unhappy at losing most of the time and having to make dinner for her new friend.

About a year later, Lorenz lost on purpose. It was now his turn to provide dinner. The two had never even held hands, much less kissed. Nevertheless, when Lorenz invited Barbara out to meet his parents and extended family, he presented her with a totally outfitted palomino horse in front of everyone and asked her to marry him. “I was in a state of total shock,” she told me. “Only one word came out of my mouth: ‘Yes!’” The two were married about five months later on Lorenz’s birthday in a traditional Navajo wedding. Lorenz’s father, a medicine man, performed the ceremony. The couple traveled to Las Vegas for the civil ceremony. “I’m a cougar!” Barbara added with a mischievous smile.
Today Barbara and Lorenz are busier than ever. In addition to living and working on the Goulding property, they own Moonlight Springs Ranch, about seven miles away, inherited from Lorenz’s late grandmother. For the past five years, they have been restoring and refurbishing the ranch. It includes a hog’an (room built for ceremonial purposes), a lady weaver’s loom for Navajo rug weaving demonstrations and much more. Family members, dressed in traditional garb, volunteer to host the many visitors to the ranch. Horses, sheep and cattle complete the picture of traditional Navajo life. “This past Thanksgiving was extra special,” Barbara added. My kids and granddaughter from Tennessee came to visit and spend the holiday with Lorenz and me. Food, games, conversation and much laughter were all a part of the celebration. My daughter–in-law is Black. I only mention this small fact because we truly are a family of different colors and we get along wonderfully”

I asked Barbara for the secret of this harmonious blending of different races, languages and cultures. “I think respect for one another and being open to others’ thoughts, traditions and religions is the answer,” she said without hesitating. I have embraced Lorenz’s family and they have embraced me. We may be far from life in the big city, but I never feel alone.”

Airline prices may appear to be low at times, but that’s just a flight of fancy. In fact, all the airlines have done is shifted their costs to nickel & diming you to death. The most unpopular fee these days is that of being forced to pay for checked luggage. At $20 a bag, a family of four will pay $80 each way, or $160 round-trip. Don’t even think about adding a second checked bag, which adds another $60 round-trip, per bag.

*Bring fleeces instead of sweaters (too bulky)
*Choose one pair of shoes that can be either for dinner or for casual stuff.
*Bring clothes that can be layered rather than bringing multiple wardrobes.

Royal Caribbean sparks heated debate about timing; industry defend actions.

There are hundreds of ways to help the victims of the Haitian earthquake. My previous blog referenced a valiant effort by Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines; an effort that seems to have incited a variety of emotions about their decision to keep on bringing vacationing passengers to an uneffected part of the island.

See this article on the valuable contributions and efforts being made, and a response by the CEO: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34953850/ns/travel-news/

In a statement issued last week Royal Caribbean Cruises, one of Haiti’s largest foreign investors for almost 30 years, announced plans to provide at least $1 million in humanitarian relief in response to the catastrophic earthquake in Port-Au-Prince. Royal Caribbean will be partnering with charitable organizations – such as Food for the Poor, Pan American Development Foundation, and the Solano Foundation, the company’s foundation in Haiti – to provide additional assistance to the people of Haiti.

Many past AJers have had the pleasure of Barry Asman’s company on one or more of their trips. While not a full time Amazing Journeys host, Barry’s place on a tour means not only another friendly & helpful face, but also the added benefit of photography genius to help everyone enhance their valuable vacation memories. From “Barry’s Photo Tips” at our group events, to his now famously coined “one…two…three…EXXXCELLENT!”….to the DVD slide show he creates for the group on the fly during the trip and then generously fine tuning it at home to send as a memento to each passengers, Barry has shared his passion of picture taking with thousands of Amazing Journeyers over the years.

Photography on this trip (or in any cold environment) will present some interesting challenges as they pertain to the climate and temperature. Luckily we will be experiencing the Antarctic Summer and will be enjoying their “warm season” with temperatures likely in the 20°s and 30°s (Fahrenheit). Warm in this case is strictly in comparison to the winter temperatures of -40°F.

Preparing for taking pictures in Antarctica can be divided into two categories: 1) taking care of your camera and 2) taking care of yourself.

Most importantly-and most basic-is to take care of yourself. This means staying warm. How you personally choose to to that I’ll leave this to your own determination, however, the one thing that I do want to address is the relevance of keeping your hands warm. As you would expect, gloves are the key. You should plan bring a pair of regular warm gloves normally used in a winter climate, as well as a special pair of “fingerless” gloves so that you’ll have dexterity to operate a camera in the cold. There are several types of these fingerless gloves to use. My suggestion is to go to a sporting goods store (or on line) and head to the hunting section. Here is an example: http://www.rei.com/product/305045 .

Now, let’s talk photography! There are two issues that make photography in the cold interesting; power and water. First let’s talk about power (batteries). The thing to remember is that, in cold temperatures, battery power goes down quickly. There is an easy solution to this; carry extra batteries. If you camera uses regular batteries, just pop a couple of extra sets in your coat close to your body (to keep them warm). When the set in your camera gets cold and stops working, just change them out for a “body warmed” set. The cold set, meanwhile, will come alive when warmed up again. If your camera takes only proprietary rechargeable batteries, go to the camera store (or order online) a second battery. Keep one warm while you shoot with the other; then just swap them out. Easy enough!

Now let’s talk about water, two kinds: Ocean Spray and Condensation.

Ocean Spray: Since we will be getting to shore by Zodiac rubber boats, there is the chance that you, and therefore your camera, may get wet. The solution is to transport it to shore in a waterproof bag. While a sealable baggy may be adequate, I prefer a “Dry Bag” to really protect my camera (here is the kind I have: http://www.rei.com/product/784157 ). The size you get depends on your camera size.

Condensation. If you’ve been outside for a while in the cold air, then go inside the warm house; what’s the first thing that happens? Your glasses fog up. This occurs when your cold glasses hit the warm air. The same thing will happen to your camera. If you take your Antarctic cold camera onto the warm ship, the camera will instantly form condensation (water droplets) not only on the camera, but also inside the camera. Remember, water and electronics are not happy together, i.e. your camera’s guts will fry.

Preventing condensation on your camera is very important and not too difficult. Here’s the solution: While your camera is still Antarctic cold, put it in a sealable plastic bag, and seal it tightly. Leave it in the sealed bag until, once back onboard the ship, the camera slowly warms back up to room temperature. Problem solved! (Going from warm to cold should not be a problem, only cold to warm.) I’m actually going to throw a couple of those Silica Gel desiccant packs (the kind that comes with your new shoes to keep them dry) in my camera bag and the plastic bag for added protection.

Now, some of the above advice may be overkill. It’s not going to be THAT cold, but you can never be too prepared.

My final words of wisdom: Take plenty of memory cards and plenty of batteries and appropriately sized sealable baggies (see above)

If you’re going to get a new camera for the trip, get it now and learn how to use it now. Don’t wait to open the box on the plane on the way! Practice using your camera and all of its settings. Being familiar with your camera will pay off in improved pictures.

I look forward to seeing everyone soon. Happy shooting!