01 January – 53˚10’S, 70˚56’W
We’re “camped” in a hotel in Punta Arenas, a Chilean city of 120 000 that claims to be the southermost one in the world.
Our equipment, shipped ahead, was waiting for us when we came – nothing damaged, nothing missing. All of us have been busy dividing up into our pulks, and we’re almost done. We’ll call it a night now and do the rest tomorrow. On Friday our aeroplane departs for Antarctica, at least that’s the plan. Delays are known to happen when your destination is the South Pole, and you have to be prepared to take that in stride. The last flight to Antarctica left one day behind schedule, which is considered a minor delay.
Last night we celebrated New Year’s at a friend of mine here in Punta Arenas. It was quite a feast, with plenty of asado (grilled sheep), bread and red wine. The sky was clear and the fire welcome, since the evenings are rather cool, even though it’s in the middle of summer here in the Southern Hemisphere.
It was a fine way to greet 2008!
The last member of our team arrives tomorrow, but we’ve prepared his equipment to. Don’t worry, we’ll even the score by assigning him some extra tasks when we get to Antarctica. I think all of us share the thrill of expectation, just three days before we hope to set foot on the ice.
South Americans sure can teach us a thing or two about partying!
New Year’s Eve by the fire – Nick, Otto and Børge.
