The Journey on the JCR

Bye bye Falklands, civilisation,
penguins and green stuff!

The JCR is short for James Clark Ross which is one of two ships mainly used by BAS. (for more info: http://www.gm0hcq/jcr_update.htm)

Home for the next
5 days!

We left Stanley Port on Saturday morning (15/12/12) at about 9.30am. Shortly after, we anchored in the bay close by. At 10.30am we (more or less) suddenly heard the emergency signal (seven or more short blasts followed by one long blast). Being well prepared through the Personal Survival Technique Course (Sea Survival) and the briefing on the previous day, everyone knew where to get the immersion suit and lifejacket from in the cabin. After mustering and putting lifejackets on everyone had to disembark the ship and enter the closed lifeboats. Those not being claustrophobic were pretty lucky (thank god I am not ...). After being strapped into our seats we were talked through the next steps (how the lifeboat would be released with pulling one string; how we would not get any food or drinks for 24hours but had to go to the toilet – psychological thing apparently, if you don’t go, you might really struggle afterwards; how the fuel lasted for only a certain amount of time; how we would try to meet up with the other lifeboat – basically gang up together against the ocean; how we should really take the seasickness pills being handed out – one person starting vomiting, enclosed area, really warm, smelly ... probably don’t need to go into more detail; how there was an EPIRB attached to each lifeboat). Afterwards it got serious, the string was pulled AND ... just kidding, we all got out again and gladly passed the test of being prepared for any eventuality. Note: Since a ship had a major incident during the night after leaving port before everyone had taken part in the necessary drill, regulations state that the drill has to be done before the ship leaves. As we had to leave port, we anchored in the bay!

In the liferaft!

All ready to go!

At some point in the afternoon we finally left and I nearly missed it (luckily someone woke me up). Paranoid about getting seasick, I had taken one of those seasickness tablets and it had put me straight so sleep. No more overly exciting things happened today (except for the whole fact of being on a ship and sailing towards Antarctica!!!).

Falkland Islands

Me trying on that immersion suit. People
only knew me for a souple of hours and were
already keen to get my mouth covered up ...

We arrived Thursday evening on the JCR and other than a late dinner, a few drinks at the bar and a good night sleep, nothing else was planned. As people were supposed to leave the ship on Friday morning, we had to share cabins which were crowded but no problem. On Friday morning (14/12/12) we all met up to go through the safety briefing (how to behave on the ship in general and what to do in an emergency – mustering, bringing and putting on the survival suit and buoyancy aid and finally getting into the lifeboats). I was the only one, who had not travelled on a research vessel before so I was the lucky one to demonstrate how to put the survival suit on! Good fun though ;)

Magellanic Penguin hiding.

After lunch 5 of us ventured outside to walk around for a bit. And it was finally time for me to see real-life wild penguins!!!! People who know me will probably be able to picture my excitement. Not constantly jumping up and down was pure self-restraint. I of course took 1000s of pictures. By the time we got back I was absolutely tired and it was soon time for dinner. Tomorrow we would leave the Falklands and the journey to Antarctica would carry on. I was hoping that the Drake’s passage would be kind to us as I had no idea whether I would get seasick or not.

lonely Gentoo Penguin
and my first penguin :)

The JCR! (nooo, just kidding)

Lots and lots and lots of
Magellanic Penguins <(")

Finally, the JCR ;)

The Flight

Once upon a time, there was a girl who loved penguins. One day she decided it was finally time that she saw them for real in their natural habitat and so she packed all her stuff, became a scientist and went off to Antarctica to go on an incredible adventure...” (Sarah Brand)

One of many meals.
And it had Leberwurst!!

The last palm trees I am
going to see in quite a while.

Yes, so here I am, the flight was actually due to take off with just a little bit of delay. About 16 hours flight in total with a stop on the Ascension Islands. Halfway through, I realised that it was the first time that I crossed the equator. So we went from snowy UK over really warm Ascension Islands to autumn like Falkland Islands which would soon be followed by icy Antarctica. The flight was good but very loooong. One of the highlights certainly were the Ipads we were handed which had

The cage which we were kept in whilst they
sorted out the plane on the Ascension Islands.

Our welcome committee on the Falklands.

movies on them to watch! Until I looked at my picture I totally forgot the best thing!! When we got close to the Falkland Islands, we got greeted by military planes (unfortunately, I am not sure what you call them). The accompanied us for a bit before we landed (this is standard practice). After we arrived, we had to collect our luggage from a Hangar where it got all lined up. A bus picked all folk up going to Stanley which we joined as well. They dropped us off just by the ship! It was beginning to get more and more real! I don’t think BAS was joking when they said they would send me to Antarctica ...

Pre-gone (bye byes)

fun in Oban

I just would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has made my last couple of weeks in the UK and in Germany so special. I have been to Plymouth, London, Bangor, Oban and to home in only 6 weeks (two of which I spend in Germany). If I wasn’t so sure that you guys just wanted to make sure that I would really bugger off, I would have thought you actually like me ;)

view from my bed in Oban
(not the BAS trip though ;))

So what happened before I left? Our winter here in Antarctica has just about started and I am struggling to remember all the amazing things I did. Kathy and I went to London together and also went to see the Harry Potter Studios which was absolutely amazing. I went to Bangor straight after the

Goodbye lovely Plymouth.
You have been my home for 3 year!

Powerboating Course from where 4 of us went to Oban and had 3 days of sunshine (yes, sunshine in Scotland) and diving. I went to Plymouth for a weekend to start saying goodbye and it was really nice to see people before I leave. Bangor again after that weekend for party, the cinema,

The Last Supper in Plymouth!

some beautiful countryside and unfortunately “The Thing”

(I am sure that will go down well during night shifts). Plymouth again after that where we had a classic night out with penguin cake (thank you Claire) and a slight hangover. In between weekends and work I spend my evenings trying Octopush, joined the Cambridge BSAC and tested some local pubs (thanks everyone in Cambridge for taking me in during the short time!). After that it

Awesome penguin cakes for the
two wannabe polar heroes!

Fun in the pool with my little brother!

was time to go home for two weeks. I had everything I wanted: my family, Christmas market, one last diving adventure (only needs a pool, the right kind of people, toys, dive kit, Fleischwurst and some booze). The semi-surprise party organised by my amazing mummy rounded the time home off nicely. Excitement was now at a high (although I was still waiting for BAS to turn around and tell me it was all just a joke). On Monday (10/12/2012) I was back in Cambridge. Monday evening (I thought I got finally rid of them), the Bangor crowd showed up again (I knew now not to forget my rescue pig in case the ship would sink ...) as they picked up

my lovely little car. My hangover on Tuesday was cured with the Christmas meal at BAS which included free

No comment ...

whine. Tuesday night I lodged at Emily’s (thanks again so much!!!) which included a lovely meal with friends from diving and enough Cider that I was actually able to go to sleep before the big day. Wednesday!!!

12/12/12 ... I had to wait until 4pm for the taxi to pick us up! Finally in

Best parents ever :) And lovely food
at my goobye party.

there, I could not believe that we were actually on the way to Brize Norton. The only thing in the way now was the chance for icy fog!

I know I have said this before, but I just wanted to thank everyone again who has been part of my journey so far. Without every single one of you I would not be where I am today! Thanks to my amazing family, friends, lectures, mentors and everyone else who does not fit into one of these categories!