Whether you're a laid-back traveler or planning a visit, our intrepid readers have loads of travel ideas for you. They explored Lisbon and the Azores, did a polar bear dive in Antarctica and did the film thing in Los Angeles. Now they share their adventures and travel suggestions with us.
This week we hear from a Los Gatos couple who traveled south for icy adventures. Read on for details and find more travel inspiration at www.mercurynews.com/tag/wish-you-were-here/.
Wish you were here
ANTARCTIC: In February, Los Gatos residents Carol and Jim Graham undertook an 18-day voyage from Argentina to Antarctica, landing on the Falkland Islands, South Georgia Island and South Orkney Islands, in addition to several stops, says Jim, ” on the actual Antarctic continent”. It was spectacular and impressive to stand on the only unoccupied continent in the world. The transfer to the various piers took place via Zodiac, and quickly
See why waterproof gear is essential! We saw penguin colonies with thousands of penguins on the coast, whales, seals and an albatross with a 10 foot wingspan!”
It's a long route – more than 20 hours of travel from the Bay Area – but “all in all, it was a once-in-a-lifetime event, an incredible adventure filled with dramatic land vistas and rare wildlife that was absolutely spectacular.”
TRAVEL TIPS: “Don’t pack too much. A water-wicking base layer and a lightweight top layer work well. But make sure your gloves are waterproof! The cruise line will provide you with boots and pants and give you a really nice two-layer parka that you can keep.” Temperatures ranged from 24 to 33 degrees, Jim says, and travelers should prepare for heavy seas, especially in the Drake Passage . “As offshore sailors, this wasn’t a problem for us,” he says, “but some days the dining room was pretty empty!” If you’re susceptible to motion sickness, bring some seasickness patches behind your ear.”
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