Happy SUNSHINY day, our last on Antarctica.

Day START?  a LOVE of LIFE Antarctic dip.  Just the feet – but yikes!  Let’s ya know you’re ALIVE!  Gotta/hafta/MUST DO.  Icy, FRIGID, C-O-L-D!

Plenty o’ time for a grounds walk of both Chilean & Russian Research Stations.

Chilean Station:  Chapel visit (Santa María Reina de la Paz), asked/learned ‘bout Brown Skuas (dirty-brown sea gull cousin/feed on penguin chicks/bunch during my run).

Russian Station:  Eyed the Island’s beautiful Orthodox Church from afar.  Some got an inside tour, some not – hurry, hurry up, wait.  My circle stayed trapped at a makeshift Russian gift store (room inside a modular container).  Handful of maps & bobbles, cash only – I bought a $20 lid.  On vacation/no regret.  Antarctica purchase.

Day Highlight:  walkabout at a nearby penguin colony.  Russian air boat, Russian driver.  Life jacket readied.  Greeted by a resident chinstrap when boarding.  Bird swam up, waddled inland amongst us (as if on queue), value add/all part of the show.  HA!

So much LIFE, too little TIME.  Day ago I ran 30+ miles.

Legs remembered 🙂  Gracefully fell in & later back outta our rubber raft.  No skillz, no moves.  Up, over, THUD, REPEAT.  LOL>  Balance nada.  Good laughs.

Boat ride – AWESOME.  Penguin walkabout – AMAZING.

Gentoo Penguins:  Beaks brightly colored, bigger than either Magellanic or chinstrap varieties.  LOVE LOVED.  Luckily, arrived day after the BIG MASSACRE.  Leopard SEAL NatGeo style kill.  Penguin flippers still littered the beach.  Surviving adults collectively tended a nest of 7 adolescents (assume, most newly orphaned).  Circle of life.

Boat return, another graceless plop on shore, hurry up & wait.

Da plane, da plane.

62 runners now FAMILY.  Jokes, stories – GREAT ENERGY.  ANTARCTICA LOVE PARADE continued Chilean late nite.  Dinner, more laughs.  Nearby bar.  Some really poor life choices, whole lotta memories.

Goodbye White Continent.  2019, I was there.

Antarctica CAMP (Day 2)