Punta Arenas, Chile – Antarctica here we come!

Beautiful woodland above Punta Arenas

“Hurry up and wait!”

is the unofficial BAS motto. (Not sure what the real one is mind). So after weeks of changed departure dates in the UK – getting all excited and rushing around only to be delayed again I finally left Heathrow on 2 Nov. We then kept “hurrying” around various airport systems and “waiting” in numerous queues in baggage claim, customs and immigration.

The process continued in Punta Arenas. You have to be at breakfast early every day and assume you will be flying that day only to almost certainly be told that you are not and you can have the rest of the day off. However don’t go far just in case the plan changes again…

Hurry up and Wait…. spot on!

We did manage 1 great day out. Hired bikes and cycled through town out onto dirt roads and up to the nearby national park which also has a ski hill. There we dumped the bikes and had a lovely walk through dense stunted woodland. All the trees were covered in hanging mosses which was catching the sunlight in a magical way. All being well my next post will be from Rothera as we are due to fly at lunchtime today. Excitement is clearly building in everyone in the group.

The coastline from Punta Arenas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Punta Arenas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Patagona - a street sign reminder of where you are.