Itinerary for today: Get on LAN Flight to Santiago, Chili from Miami. Don't die of boredom. Today has been extremely boring. Spending the day in the Miami airport is no fun, and expensive. Fortunately, I was able to find a nice little lounge in the airport hotel to connect from. Security has been a lot of fun with all the camera equipment I'm carrying, and I also found one of those notes in...
Today is going to be a "tidy-up" day. I've done my best to tie-up loose ends and get processes in place in case something goes wrong while I'm away. Something is going to break, a competitor is going to do something we won't be able to fight back against online, an employee is going to have an issue I can't fix. Boss, be ready. If something does happen, you can borrow a phrase from my Dad -...
It is time for my least favorite part of the trip - packing all my junk. I've already cut a lot out, and I'm still scratching my head on how I'm going to fit this mess in 2 bags. I think i've got everything covered on what I was told to bring, and I added a few things extra: 2 Gallon Ziploc bags and 2 rolls of waterproof duct tape. I can MacGyver anything now! In all seriousnous, the bags and...
Thanks for the farewell thread Dave: http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=636814 I usually don't participate in the monthly photo contest, but the theme was timed just right this month: Birds. If I don't have too much trouble getting online, I will be aiming to win this sucker: http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=636706 ....the only question is: Should I win with a...
I'm only 7 days away from hopping on a plane for the trip of a lifetime. At this point, I'm very ready to go. There are only a few minor things left to do: Haircut Buy a battery charger Format External Hard Drives Make guide for people to follow if something goes wrong at work Give Mom a key to my house so the mail doesn't pile up Pack I'm super excited! I'm also a little depressed about...
I was born and bred in Virginia Beach, VA and couldn't have this blog going without saying something about my hometown. As it relates to travel, Virginia Beach is an excellent place for getting away on weekends. The Shenandoah Mountains are only a 4 hour drive West along the Blue Ridge Parkway, Washington DC is less than 4 hours away, the Outerbanks of North Carolina are less than 2 hours...
These are some of the largest birds on the planet and the Wandering Albatross has the largest wingspan in the world: almost 12 feet on a body that is almost 4.5 feet in length! The smaller of the Antarctic albatross, the Light-Mantled Sooty Albatross, has a wingspan over 7 feet! Albatross are giants whose true size is rarely shown in photographs. The name "Albatross" is believed to be an...
This article is a complete re-print of a review by on the Cruise Critic website. It is the most detailed review I've found on the ship, and gives a good idea of what to expect from Lindblad Expeditions while traveling on this vessel. The Endeavour is the vessel I'll be sailing on to visit the Falklands and South Georgia. Main Review "If the old adage of "Don't judge a book by its cover" was...
Fur Seal ength: 6.5 feet | Weight: 200-250lbs Representing one of the greatest come backs in over-hunting by man, the Fur Seal is now a highly populated species of the antarctic converge. Males are extremely territorial during the breeding period to protect their harem. They are faster than a human on land and I have heard stories about tripods having legs sheered off trying to keep a Fur...
With over a year and a half to prepare for this voyage, I've had a lot of time to think about gear and preparedness. It would be one thing if all I had to worry about was clothing and a set of binoculars, but my main focus is photography. Already having a good deal of photographic equipment to choose from has sparked numerous debates in my head, but I'm approaching the "just over a month-away...
Here's a great site showing the various Penguin species around the globe and where they can be found. In this article I am only concentrating on the species found around the Falklands, South Georgia, and the Eastern Antarctica Peninsula. Information for this article was collected from the Bradt guide to Wildlife in Antarctica and the Cool Antarctica website, and National Geographic. Falklands...
A recent commentor brought this gallery to my attention. The photography is by Don Paulson, and I think he has some fantastic shots! On top of that, he has some depictions of what to expect and see there. I'm highlighting those here. If you want to see Mr. Paulson's complete gallery CLICK HERE. Don - great photos and I'm hoping I get the same weather you got. It looks like you had some...