Antarctic Center 20 Feb 2006

 
  IM003785 IM003786 IM003788 IM003789 IM003790  
 
  Very cute signs Follow the penguin signs The US provides most of the transport (via C-130's) to and from the interior of the continent, so the US has a large presence here. The coldest, windiest, driest place on earth. South America is the closest to any part of the Antarctic continent, but New Zealand is closest to the Ross Sea and McMurdo Station, where much of the research is done. There are many nations with a presence in Antarctica, at various locations around the continent.

 
  IM003792 IM003793 IM003794 IM003795 IM003796  
 
  Horace! BEFORE you buy your tickets to the Antarctic Center, you want to grab this free guide map - available at the AC. On the back page are many many coupons - including to the AC. We noticed it _after_ we'd bought tickets :-( More cute signs. The blue/red circle with X means no standing / stopping here. The hagglund was a cute ride, tho Bob wasn't impressed. [I was impressed with the machine. I just did not need to ride in it. --Bob] Very capable vehicle

 
  IM003797 IM003798 IM003799 IM003801 IM003802  
 
  The driver showed what the vehicle can do - here were crossing over a 2-foot-wide "crevasse" The long treads on the vehicle allow it to cross ditches without falling in. Here's a depression in the ground - we'll circle around it and in it This shows that the vehicle can handle a 30 degree sideways slant.

 
  IM003803 IM003805 IM003806 IM003807 IM003809  
 
  Through water We float through the water and come out the other side. It was fun It can handle a 45 degree slope, up or down, too. Sue. Bob didn't think the ride was worth it. [But it was a great sales pitch for the machine. I want one. --Bob]

 
  IM003810 IM003811 IM003812 IM003814 DSCF0026  
 
  Inside the Antarctic Center. No more dog teams down there. Interesting info about the treaty controlling the continent. Since no one owns it, there's no passports needed going in and out. The centre also had TONS of way interesting videos playing all over, about all the birds, seals, flora & fauna, living conditions down there... but it was way too cold in there to stay long enough to see all of them. Fun since we'd just touched an iceberg in Mt Cook park :-) Horace in the jaws of death!

 
  DSCF0027 IM003815 IM003816 IM003818  
 
  Penguins - the different kinds down there. Remember south pole is a continent with penguins, seals and no polar bears. North pole is ice (no land) with polar bears not penguins. I always had them mixed up. Sue with penguins! Well, stuffed ones anyways. Even the cafe had cute penguins for their food delivery numbers. Looking back at the Types picture - the color doesn't match any of them - hey it's an "All Blacks" :-)

To parent directory

created with igal