Toluca Lake, California

A few travel-related notes for once…

I’m working out the details with Greg & Thalia for the 2006 Galapagos trip. Interest has been high for this one, so I’m hopeful that a good group will sign up for it pretty quickly. I’m trying to determine the feasibility of doing the standard Galapagos trip, followed by a scuba trip to Darwin and Wolf — I should hopefully know more before the end of the month.

South Georgia is only three weeks away now, and more details of the trip are coming into focus:

• It will take four flights spread over four days to get from Oakland, California to Stanley in the Falklands.
• From Stanley it will take another three to four days, depending on weather and currents, to sail to South Georgia.

• The captain of our yacht, Jerome Poncet, is a legend in the South Atlantic. I’ve heard several stories already, and can’t wait to meet the man in person.
• We’ll have approximately eighteen days on South Georgia. Ted is planning to take three days to retrace Shackelton’s route across the island with part of the group, but unfortunately my lack of experience traveling over snow and glaciers is going to cause me to miss that one.
• On Ted’s advice I’ve purchased a set of alpine touring skis, which are basically light downhill skis that allow the heel to unhinge, thus doubling as cross-country skis. They’re pricey, but should be great for the terrain we’ll experience.
• Snowfall was lighter than normal this year, and temperatures are expected to be mostly between thirty-two and fifty-five degrees fahrenheit, much cooler if we go inland.
• In addition to the new digital camera I’ve purchased a new tripod, so with luck the pictures will come out well.
• Following the South Georgia trip I’ve booked two weeks in the Falklands, mostly at guesthouses on outlying islands. It should be isolated enough that I may not know who the next President is until nearly tens days after the election.