Having left the interesting, most southerly city of Ushuaia and its surrounding National Park of Tierra del Fuego I headed South. The good ship Vavilov and I sailed 1600 nautical miles to Antarctica.

I had high expectations for this trip and I have to admit these were exceeded by a thousand times. Something I wasn’t expecting is how amazing the scenery is and how huge everything was. We were blessed with blue skies and mirrored waters expressing how pure and peaceful the seventh continent really is. We saw icebergs galore and the penguins kept us entertained, whilst the seals weren’t perplexed by our presence.

What is most important to remember about your once in a lifetime trip to Antarctica is that everything is an experience. So stay up until the early hours and witness everything that is happening around you. At 2am in the snow I saw my first sighting of Antarctica, coming out of the mist on the horizon like a long lost pirate ship. All this adds to the excitement and the challenge of the journey to get to the white continent. The Drake Passage was also memorable, especially having witnessed a rogue 15 meter wave at eye level whilst on the 5th floor, but again what an experience which shouldn’t be feared or dreaded. The crew on board the Vavilov are gifted at making you feel at ease. A night camping under the midnight sun is also offered on the Vavilov, an opportunity not to be missed and probably never to be repeated again, but I was very happy to have experienced it. Canoeing is also an option for those who pre book. Take as many photos as you like, there are facilities on board to down load your digital pictures, however don’t witness everything through the lens as images last longer in the brain.