Cape Town



Ian, Dale, and I arrived in Cape Town within a few hours of each other yesterday morning.  I was the last in at 11:30.  I had enough bags to require two luggage carts.  However, to move them you have to push down the handle.  It turned out to be almost impossible to wheel both at the same time.  Luckily, a generous security guard helped with the carts through customs.  I had no problem getting through.  I showed the agent my detailed packing lists and said it was equipment for work in Antarctica, and he waved me though.  
Outside, Dale, Ian, and I consolidated the luggage onto 3 carts and went to wait outside for our ride from Oleg of ALCI (Antarctic Logistics Center International), the contractor who is providing our travel logistics.  We were ready early, so had a bit of a wait.  Once Oleg showed up, we went to the warehouse where most of our gear for heading south is being stored.  We repacked some of the things we brought, and left much of our luggage there.  
Making a list of all of our cargo... Dale, Raymond, and Ian
Ian’s two silver cases look like ones German groups always use, so they will be specially marked to make them clearly ours.
Only the wood crates with orange x’s are ours - as Ian put it, 6 coffins and a cube.
We also sorted through some food and came up with a list of things to buy.  We will be eating mostly freeze dried food, provided at 52% retail cost by BackPacker's Pantry!  However, we need some snack foods, drinks, etc.  ALCI had purchased a bunch of instant soups, tea, coffee, oatmeal, nuts, chocolate bars, and pancake mix at Dale’s request.  We’ll need to add powdered milk, dried fruit, crackers, and a bunch of other things. 

We overlapped at ALCI with the Antarctic ICE team.  They have a great adventure ahead while skiing and sailing to the south pole and back around, following the katabatic winds!
In town, we checked into the Cape Town Hollow Hotel, right off Long Street.  I have a beautiful view from my room!

We spent the evening walking down long street, consuming a couple of beers and a burger for dinner.  Then it was an early bedtime.  I slept very well!

Popular posts from this blog

Day 14 in Antarctica

Image
December 10, 2013 Today was sunny all day with 25 knot katabatic winds in the afternoon.  It was warmer. I spent all day on microscopy, photography, and sorting photos.  It was a very productive day. The quad bike quit starting, and Devin, Anne, and Tyler pushed it back to camp.  None of them new what to do to figure out what was wrong.  I got ready to help when Ian came back to camp.  He has a lot of experience with engines, and once we found the tool kit and pulled the spark plug, we solved the problem:  the plug was fouled.  A new one fixed the problem.  We can add "engine repair" to the list of field skills needed! Our only means of transport besides walking is a quad bike (ATV).  We have a sled to help carry gear between the huts/sleeping tents and the science tent and dive hole.  It is also good for carrying the drill and other gear around the lake.
Read more

Toothpaste Freezes

Image
There are so many little things I didn't think of before the first time I went to Antarctica that make a difference.  I like having clean teeth, so brushing twice a day is very important to me, even in the field.  I can handle dirty hair, but not dirty teeth. It's hard to brush your teeth when your toothpaste is frozen into its tube. That small hole at the top requires the toothpaste to deform to get out. And that part gets cold the fastest, often getting clogged with a plug of toothpaste ice. This isn't so much a problem in December in the Dry Valleys, nor was it a problem at Lake Untersee, because although the temperatures are often below freezing, sunlight heated my tent sufficiently during the day that the temperatures inside could be up to 20°C (70°F!).  However, in October at Lake Joyce, I couldn't get any toothpaste out of a big tube without warming the top of the tube against my stomach. There is a little secret, though: small tubes warm up faster.  Wit
Read more

Footwear, including New Boots!

Image
My new Glacier Sorel boots arrived!  With extra liners.  Plus liners for my old, less warm Sorels. They go with my skirt! The Glaciers are rated to -100°F or -73.3°C. I find the increase in the number of significant digits after a unit change amusing. Are they really rated to exactly -73.3°C? I'm sure that if it gets down to -73.4°C, my feet will get cold! I typically wear size 8 women's shoes.  However, I bought size 9 men's boots.  One of the key things I have found for foot comfort is to be able to wear a couple of pairs of socks and still have my boots loose around my feet.  That allows good blood circulation to my feet, which is essential for keeping them warm, particularly when standing around handling lines for divers under the ice.  However, I think most people would think that the boots feel way too big.  They do have good laces at the ankle, and I can tighten them down so they won't fall off.  And my feet and ankles are very strong, so I don't
Read more