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It’s Not Ninety Degrees At Ninety Degrees South Latitude
Marie Brown views Antarctica from the Corinthian II’s deck for the first time. (Photo courtesy of Marie Brown)
By Suzanne Waring When most people think about a winter vacation, visions of beaches and warm water in Mexico or Hawaii come to mind. Instead, last year Great Falls’ Marie Brown, 60, dreamed about a two-week trip to Antarctica. After flight stopovers in Orlando, and Buenos Aires, Brown embarked on the Corinthian II at Ushuaia, Argentina, on January 10, with a touring group of close to a hundred people. “Everyone was required to have a signed statement from their physician stating that they were healthy and strong enough to take on the trip activities,” said Brown. “I found the group to be friendly and helpful to one another when needed.” The group started out its trip by “Drake-proofing” the ship in anticipation of the rough seas they would soon encounter. The 400-mile Drake Passage between South America and the Antarctica is famous for having some of the roughest seas in the world. In preparation, a rod was put through bureau drawer handles to keep the drawers from coming out. Underneath tablecloths, wet pads were added. This kept the dishes from rolling off the tables. “I inquired about a strap lying on my bed and was told that I would need to strap myself into bed. The first night, I told myself that I wouldn’t need it, but I did,” said Brown. The ship was rolling so much, Brown, like most of the travelers, became ill for a day before they reached calmer seas. January is summer time in Antarctica when the daytime temperature hovers around 32° F, and daylight is almost twenty-four hours long. The group took advantage of the sunshine to visit several islands beginning two days after leaving Argentina. They had been issued heavy jackets and Wellington boots that they disinfected between land visits to avoid carrying invasive microbes or seeds from island to island and onto the mainland. To leave the ship, travelers had to climb down ladders onto zodiacs, which are motorized rubber rafts. Preceding the first expedition from the ship, the group was taught how to exit the ship onto the zodiacs in case the two vessels were rolling in the seas at different heights. (Continued on page 81)