Claire of the Antarctic

Following a slight delay from the powers that be in the world of IT my diary contribution for the BAS website is now online and can be accessed by clicking on the link below:

http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/living_and_working/diaries/rothera/2010/02/index.php

Enjoy!

Our banquet consumed we then retired for drinks and dancing in the bar. All aboard the ship know for another traditional reason to try to keep us aboard for as long as possible… For whilst we are enjoying a gastronomic feast aboard, the outgoing winterers and summer staff are performing a tradition of their own; practical jokes all around base, our rooms (which are always unlocked, we do not even have keys!), our work spaces, and the communal areas too. And we were all aware of this too, so decided to enjoy the party at sea whilst all havoc was being wrought on base!

This was certainly not a food I was anticipating to enjoy down South! A most pleasant surprise!

Cheese & Terri cannot contain their excitement at the impending culinary delights; for me I was also rather excited to see a photograph of Tower Bridge! I am actually really missing London!

The winterers dinner is a tradition, whereby the crew of the ship performing final call invite aboard the ingoing wintering group for a sumptuous meal; the menu certainly promised a feast.

The arrival of the Shackleton brought the Rothera 2010 complement to their full number of 22 bringing Andy Wilson, the new boating officer and Bruce Maltman, head Mountaineer to Rothera. The Winterers dinner was the first time we were all together and looking around the group knowing that these were the only faces we were to see for the next 7 months, the reality of our imminent adventure was certainly apparent, and incredibly exciting.

The fur seals were quite numerous around on East Beach, and quite keen to demarcate their territory, even running Adelie penguins away.

Dedicated working hours and relatively good dental hygeine amongst our wintering contingent benefitted Burjor with a few hours of free time at Rothera to explore the environs. A rite of passage for all new arrivals is a trip around the point, the penisula upon which we are base. At this time of year Fur seals abound, viscious seals who bare their teeth and have been known to bite, and remarkably fast at running and far more adept than humans running in knee high snow. Burjor forunately had encounted fur seals previously on South Georgia, and so knew a few tricks to clear our path; banging rocks together in ones hands is a remarkably effective deterrant.