The weekends

It's Sunday night and I can not keep up with the updates because within one day occurs more than I can describe. I've come to the conclusion that this is an experience that will never be completely understood by others who have not been here themselves. I don't know if it is the crusted layers of frost that covers this continent (I won't call it snow), the freezing temperatures, or expired beer. But it doesn't matter because it belongs only to us, with people I most probably wouldn't have met otherwise.

My department is going to shifts tomorrow so we had a pre season party. I'll start on nights working 1800 to 0600 with 2 days off per week. We'll switch midway through and I'll finish off the season working 0600 - 1800. The normal work week schedule is 6 10 hour workdays, with Sunday off, so although my days are a little longer I prefer it in exchange for the extra day off.

After our department party we went up to the "carp" shop (carpenter's shop) as they were hosting a "get together" as well and as the creative geniuses they are a stage was set up and those with various musical talents played some great tunes.



This afternoon some of the guys and I attempted a hike up Ob Hill (Observation Hill) right here in town. This is McMurdo station, the largest research station on Antarctica. There are approximately 1000 people here in the "southern" summer, and about 250 in the winter.

Ob hill is a steep hike on unstable rocks and in the high winds we only went 3/4's of the way. The fabric of our coats and scarfs that was near our mouths was frosted over from our breath. And when I went to drink some water from my backpack it was, well, frozen. I'm not sure of the temperature but there was a negative sign involved.



It was at this point we noticed a Weddell seal sitting out on the ice below us and I immediately lost interest in continuing to the top. They agreed and we trekked on down to the sea ice, and was rewarded with this lovely creature sunning under the cloudy sky just a short distance away. She is my first real sighting of the Antarctic wildlife. However, I was beginning to lose feeling in my fingers and face and I heard my name being called. It was my old friend hot chocolate in the galley. It's the packaged kind of stuff but it did the trick.

After dinner we went over to Gallagher's, proof that you'll find an Irish pub on every continent. At closing our party had shrunk to 4 and we moved it to one of the dorms and watched the movie Beowulf. I read the book what seems a lifetime ago, and in many ways it was, but this time the story made sense to me. Does this make me a literary idiot?



On a clear day with no wind Mt. Erebus erupts. It is an active volcano, and erupts often.