Downers Grove Magazine September 2019 Fall Premiere Issue

Iwill admit to not even dreaming about Antarctica while planning my ultimate “Around the World Trip”. Six out of seven continents was just fine by me. But when you’re gearing up, you hang out at REI a lot, and when you do that, you run into guys like “REI Jim” who would became my travel guru. Jim looked at my itinerary and saw I was going to Patagonia, and opined, “well, if you’re going that far south, you might as well get down to Antarctica.” My bags were essentially packed and all adventures planned and paid for, so this little “etcetera” definitely added more than a few frantic moments, but in the end I booked an “Adventure Cruise” to Antarctica for February 2012. The “normal” Antarctic cruise takes eleven days with prices between $5,000 and $20,000 depending on the berth. For this you’ll be exposed to an amazing environment during the days and see star-filled skies through the night, weather permitting. You’ll venture off the boat in the inflatable “zodiac” boats, cameras at the ready and even visit a science station based on the land. All in all, an adequate exposure to this remote location. But as with many things I’ve done away from home, I found another way. The “Adventure Cruise” category assumes that everyone onboard wants to do more than ride in a zodiac boat. At a slightly higher price point ($7,000 to $25,000) the ship follows the same path as the others, but it’s totally different after that. Here To The End of the Earth ANTARCTICA PHOTOGRAPHY AND WORDS BY MARK CHALABALA WWW.BIENTHERE.COM

the “zodiac” was just transport. There was kayaking, snowshoeing, mountaineering, camping and even scuba diving. The extra cost also bought you an extra day “down south” and I wanted it all. After two days of rough seas getting “down,” the ship dropped anchor and within an hour I was in a kayak paddling towards the British science station. We couldn’t have been in the water more than tenminutes before my berth-mate somehow rolled his kayak and needed a coordinated water-rescue to pluck him out from among the icebergs. We all just figured he’d call it a day after that, but we were “adventurers” and was keen to carry on, once he dried off a bit. And away we went. My berth mates and I were in the cheapest room onboard; $7,000 per person, and for this, our “window to the world” was a small portal right at the water-line. During our week “down below” the ship was a buzzing hive of lycra and gortex-clad bodies in motion, either bundling up for heading out, or stripping out of water-soaked gear on the way in. Dinner was a raucous affair, the sharing of the day’s doings, and hopes for the coming dawn. The truth is harsh in Antarctica. You will get wet, OK soaked. Sometimes that’s rain, or sometimes you’ll strip down to a bathing suit and do a “polar plunge”; but you WILL dry off. It IS cold in Antarctica, but if you live in Chicago, you will have endured much worse weather up here. When you travel the world, there will be many “special places” along that journey, and like many things in life, there may be an “additional charge”. While these fees may seem extreme at first, I can honestly say that most fees are warranted; these places add something you can’t find anywhere else. I don’t regret the decision to “go get” Antarctica; the camera and I had a fantastic time. Sure the budget took a big hit, but it’s always important to listen to your guide, and REI Jim was dead on, when you’re that close, you have to go. ■