Got some great pics of Antarctica!

This one I call "Nureyev catching the moon." One nice day on the deck, I saw a lady rubbing the front of Nureyev's statue. I asked if she was molesting him. She answered, "he's not responding!"

A little history about the Marco Polo, our ship to Antarctica. The Marco Polo was a Russian ship, the Alexander Pushkin when she was built, I believe in 1983. That's the reason a statue of Rudolf Nureyev is on the back deck. She was later purchased by Orient Cruise Line and changed to the Marco Polo. My wife, my brother and his wife, and I cruised on the Marco Polo in 1996 from Istanbul to Athens. That was also a very special cruise.

ci--awesome pix and it looks and sounds to have been an amazing experience. wow.

I adore the seals playing; the ice floe looks like someone on her back floating!

The pix in the moonlight, those amazing mountains!

I hope there's more to come! These rock!

Great pic, ci. Thanks. And did I see that you are next off to Hong Kong?

rjb, Yes. On February 6.

Last four pictures. It's a bird.

Esperanza Base on the seventh continent. We were fortunate to have the base commander, Col Ramirez, as our guide on the base. The base is operated as a biological and geological research center, and is operated by the Argentina government. This was an extra treat for us, because this 'landing' wasn't on our itinerary.

This is Elephant Island where 22 of Shackleton's men were stranded for over three months. We were supposed to do a Kodiak landing here, but the Captain of our ship said it wasn't safe enough.

This is the last picture. It's a picture of Cape Horn while we sailed towards Ushuaia, Argentina, the southernmost city of the world where we were able to spend one whole day. I rounded the Horn two years ago, but it was too foggy to see the Cape. What a way to end a fantastic voyage to Antarctica.

That looks like one nasty rock to try to survive on for three months. Jagged snowy mountains, grey rocks and gray skies, surrounded by freezing ocean.

Your pictures are great CI!

rosborne, An admiral I met on my Trans-Atlantic cruise in November recommended the book Endurance when I told him I was going to Antarctica. I read the book before the journey to Antarctica, and I also highly recommend the book to anyone interested in the exploits of Ernest Shackleton and his men - all extraordinary in my book.

Unbelievable pictures cicerone. You not only must have
a really good camera, you also have an eye for the scenes
to capture the perfect spot.

I enjoyed traveling with you and I'm looking forward
to seeing pictures from your upcoming trip. I've been
to Hongkong and Singapore many moons ago, and I'm
curious to see if and how they've changed.

Hongkong is a very rich city, I've never seen so many Rolls Royce while arriving at the airport. Like taxis they stand
one bye one in line....

If you're interested in that stuff, I also recommend Lennard Bickel's Shackleton's Forgotten Men.

Also good is Jennifer Niven's The Ice Master about the Karluk, a ship that was stranded in the Arctic at roughly the same time as the Endurance. Let's just say the outcome wasn't as good. I know that sounds dreary, but it's a good study in contrast. Knowing what happened on the Karluk really underscores the magnitude of Shackleton's achievement under similar circumstances.

This is a picture of Ushuaia, the southernmost city of the world. It has one main shopping/restaurant street where most tourists spend their time. I hope you enjoyed this 'trip.'

CalamityJane, The reason my pictures look good are two-fold; 1) yes, it's the camera, but 2) it's also because I took over 1,000 pictures on this trip. Thanks for the compliment, though, I appreciate it.
Platypus, Thanks for those recommendations. I'll order those books after my return from Asia. I'm leaving tomorrow, and must pack.

c.i., are you leaving for Hong Kong?
A Chinese New Year begins on Feb 9, you know.

Interestingly, a newspaper in India has an article about Hong Kong..

Want to Party? Head to Hong Kong

satt_fs, Yes, I'm heading for HKG tomorrow for three nights to celebrate Chinese new years before we head to Singapore for one night. I have two families I now consider friends in Singapore, and I'm meeting them for dinner on the eve of the 11th; they're going to pick me up at the hotel. The first couple I met on my tour of Scandinavia in 1990. When I visited Singapore in 1995, they treated me to a personal tour of Singapore, dinner at a seafood restaurant, and drinks at the Long Bar at the Raffles Hotel. The other couple I met on my tour of England, Scotland, and Ireland in 1998. Unfortunately, I came down with the shingles during that tour, but the good doctor had pain medication which he shared with me, and I was able to complete the tour. I was looking forward to treating both of them to dinner and drinks because of their kindness on my visit to Singapore on this trip, but they insist on treating me and the other couple to dinner. I am overwhelmed by so many people who have been so good to me - it boggles my mind.

Have a pleasant journey.
Waiting for photos.

This is the La Boca or Italian district of Buenos Aires.
Italians make up 60 percent of the population, and seems it rather strange to see Italians speaking Spanish. Buenos Aires seems more like Europe than it does South America. At one time in Argentina history, they were the fifth largest economy of the world, but recent times have seen economic difficulties with their currency losing value.