Spending Summer At The Bottom Of The World September 9, 2010
Posted by janey in : travel general , trackbackLooking for an unspoiled, out of the way vacation spot where you won’t be bothered by crowds? A lot of people are into traveling to the ends of the earth to find such a place where no one else has been to before. It is the plan of the sightseers from New Zealand and South America to converge in the icy continent of Antarctica.
From explorers, to scientists, to sealers, they are the ones who have been to the continent found in 1820. An ice blanket running at about 7,000 feet prevent as much traveling as possible even in a place the size of the United States and Mexico combined.What is necessary to get there is to be on a ship strong enough to handle the impact from ice and sailing through stormy seas. Temperatures rarely go above freezing and there are always 24 hours of sunlight there. You will find that further information on affordable antarctica tours is on that site.
This group of 14 men and 12 women were the first ones in the south of the Antarctic Circle not to mention 2,000 miles south of and New Zealand in the Mcmurdo Sound area. In the past, British explorers faced much hardship and death in this area but now there is a US Navy facility here housing 800 sailors and scientists. If it is summer in the Northern Hemisphere, it is the winter time here in the south.
With the exception of two airline stewardesses who landed here briefly in 1957, no women have ever set foot in this part of the world. Even so, the Navymen at McMurdo Station still greeted them without any kind of enthusiasm when the women arrived. Without any women for a year the sailors have learned to adapt and they did not want this to break the efforts they could boast about later.
Even the ships arriving in January and February are not eagerly awaited to by the people at McMurdo. Many sailors, scientists and civilian technicians here see themselves as adventurers and explorers, or feel that they have been specially selected for rigorous jobs. When tourists start arriving, the edge and romance of Antarctica will dissipate. Every trip comes with warm pants, mittens, a red parka, and kodachrome from the travel service but laundry, seasick pills, tips, and drinks are optional.You can get the best antarctica vacations information by visiting this website.
The only people here since 1955 included American scientists and US Navy personnel. Other than this, nine nations maintain scientific stations here as well as on the nearby islands. How can tourists affect the position of the Navy?Considering how a territorial claim is absent, the commander of naval forces in Antarctica said that they cannot control who comes here. When it comes to their stations, they can allow or disallow people from coming.
Restricted from entry are those who are not self supporting. No problem like this is match for a well quipped ship. Proper safety precautions must be taken for the safety of those involved. Based on the provided operation plan, the travel agency is seen to provide much safety.
Wandering around the base here, tourists can see Antarctica’s first nuclear power reactor, visit the ship’s store or post exchange, attend services at the Chapel of the Snows, or have a few drinks at a number of enlisted men’s clubs and an officers’ club. Other than hikers, the group also comes with bird watchers and conservationists, and so the possible activities they may be engaging in include searching for penguin rookeries and places where seals, skua gulls, and killer whales stay in not to mention exploring several of the huts left by early explorers.
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