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The first few days
The first few days
Thanks for being patient with me getting this website up and running. The last few days have been a whirlwind of trainings, obtaining our Extreme Cold Weather gear and helping set labs up with the equipment, chemicals, and instruments that will be used in our research. Plus, this life-long Kansas girl had A LOT of questions about ships and seafaring. Luckily, I am working with some very kind people who are excited to teach me about tugboats and help me remember the port, starbird, aft and fore parts of ocean vessels.
My aim for this blog and website is to keep you all informed of what I am doing and follow along on my journey. However, posts may not come every day. I hope to get at least 2-3 per week, though!
I arrived in Punta Arenas, Chile roughly 26 hours after departing from Wichita. First, I flew to Atlanta, then Miami, then Santiago, then Punta Arenas. The flights were all incredibly uneventful, which is the best I could have asked for. I was hoping to get a window seat on the flight from Santiago to PA so that I admire the dramatic peaks of the Andes as we flew over them, but I had an aisle seat instead. Still, I got a small glimpse of this breathtaking mountain range.
The first few days here have been incredibly busy, so my photos and thoughts are a bit scattered. Nonetheless, I will share a few noteworthy photos and things here.
Dinner at Luan's
Dinner at Luan's
Our options for restaurants were limited since we arrived on a Sunday afternoon. We settled on Luan's and got to practice our Spanish!
Morning run views
Morning run views
My new friend and current post-doc researcher, Kristin, agreed to run with me early on our first morning in PA. We have noticed lots of great street art.
Our morning run started off cloudy, rainy and very windy. A few minutes later, the weather improved (except the wind) and we saw a double rainbow.
The rainbow was beautiful as a backdrop for the historic city of Punta Arenas on a quiet Monday morning as we walked to the ship for the first time.
The small city has about 130,000 people and is laid out in a convenient grid, which makes it easily walkable and navigable.
The NBP and me
The NBP and me
This photo was my first time seeing our vessel, the Nathaniel B. Palmer, up clse and personal. It's waaaay bigger than it looks in photos! Most of the space on the ship is dedicated to science labs and equipment that allows for scientists to conduct research in the Southern Ocean.
Obligatory sign picture
The statue man was pointing right at our ship, so I had to as well.
In this photo you can see the driver's Chilean national flag as well at the "state" flag for the Provincia de Magellanes. This is one of 16 officially recognized regions in Chile. The area is also sometimes referred to as Patagonia.
We slept on the ship last night even though we are still in port. This evening, will will leave PA and head for the infamous Drake Passage which leads us to Antarctica.
The captain and others who work on the NBP have said that the Drake Passage is pretty rough right now. I've got my seasickness medication and an adventurous (but safe!) outlook on the whole experience.
Check back in a few days for a report on the crossing!
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