Tag Archives: aktravel

Expedition to Antarctica in December 2019

I first flew to Buenos Aires, where I spent a few days exploring before joining the Abercrombie & Kent (A&K) expedition cruise group. We flew to Ushuaia, where we boarded the Ponant ship “Le Lyrial.” From there we set off to the frozen continent – my seventh.

Peru – Lima, Cusco, and Machu Picchu – Aug 2015

I tried getting to Machu Picchu two times previously, with the hope that this – the third attempt – would be the charm. Attempt #1 was in 2013. I made it to Lima, but had left DC with my wife having a broken foot and taking care of an elderly dog. My second morning inContinue reading “Peru – Lima, Cusco, and Machu Picchu – Aug 2015”

Moscow & St. Petersburg – Aug 2016

My trip to Russia in August 0f 2016 was, in some ways, a way to connect back to my grandparents’ homeland. Accept that – while they were from the “Kingdom of Russia,” three of the four of them were from Ukraine – in-and-around Kyiv (the fourth was from Poland). So, while Russia was still excitingContinue reading “Moscow & St. Petersburg – Aug 2016”

Antarctica 2019 – Ice of All Sorts

We lucked out with virtually no wind the whole time we were in and around the continent, which meant we would get reflections in the water like you see in some of the photos.  In the depths of winter, we wouldn’t be able to see any of the mountains – they would be entirely coveredContinue reading “Antarctica 2019 – Ice of All Sorts”

Antarctica 2019 – Cruising the Seas & a Few Islands

After we made landfall at Brown Bluff, we were supposed to head to into the Antarctic Sound, but the weather and ice weren’t cooperating, so we headed to the Weddell Sea instead. This is where Ernest Shackleton’s ship, the Endurance, got stuck in the ice (um, that didn’t happen to us). From the Weddell weContinue reading “Antarctica 2019 – Cruising the Seas & a Few Islands”

Antarctica 2019 – Arriving at the Frozen Continent

Apparently there are restrictions on how many people can make landfall on an Antarctica site at any one time, and that number – I think – is 100. So, our group of 150 or so guests was divided into two groups. Each group would have two “landings” per day (assuming a landing was being madeContinue reading “Antarctica 2019 – Arriving at the Frozen Continent”

Antarctica 2019 – Crossing Drake Passage

In Ushuaia, on December 9, 2019 we boarded our expedition cruise ship, “Le Lyrial,” from the French Ponant line. Overall, we had about 200 passengers on-board, all traveling with A&K. The ship had 4 decks with guest rooms, and carried about 150 guests, about a dozen A&K company staff, and the crew. From Ushuaia, we’dContinue reading “Antarctica 2019 – Crossing Drake Passage”

Antarctica 2019 – A Few Days In and Around Buenos Aires

I spent my first day in Buenos Aires exploring on my own. The first photo shows the famous cemetery in Buenos Aires – The La Recoleta Cemetery – where Eva Peron and other either famous and/or fabulously wealthy are buried.  These crypts house the dead, some above ground, some below, and it is jammed packContinue reading “Antarctica 2019 – A Few Days In and Around Buenos Aires”