Before Antarctica
At the time, I was a child, there were not a portable, nor of Internet, and very few images on the television news. The television news of afternoon existed and I saw my grandfather who never missed them by need for information during my holidays at my grandparents. In 1982, it spoke about the war of the Falklands between Argentina and Great Britain; it did not have almost any image on the news. The technology of communication was so old and one did not hope to go to Antarctica.
I was at the elementary school and I put questions for the first time about Antarctica with a teacher. He answered me that in Antarctica, there are ice and ground, and in the North Pole, there is only ice.
In 1992, I was with the training course of the chemistry laboratory at the University of Neuchâtel, a student told me that he knew somebody who went to Antarctica for scientific research, and he found that he has much chance to go to the inaccessible continent. I never believed a day; I will go to Antarctica.
During ten years, I did not take with serious for Antarctica. After my studies of chemical engineer, I watched a French emission in TV, it told that an American who sought a place for cruising in Antarctica in Ushuaia and waited three weeks to find a place better gone. There was an article of the French newspaper Le Monde about the voyages in Antarctica, I started to interest me and I consulted sites of Internet, then I found the very effective American agency. An agency for the Antarctic in Switzerland did not exist yet.
Antarctica in 2004
At the time, I was not scuba diver and I did not know that one could dive in Antarctica, I reserved just in time a last place in eight month of the voyage to an American agency. The voyage in Antarctica was particular and one did not hold as that one went to the tropical countries, the reservation very early was necessary and the total payment was to be in advance of more than three months. My first voyage in Antarctica was in Christmas 2004 and the places of plane were very complete, I also reserved just in time the plane tickets in April 2004.
During all the summer and all the autumn, I waited little patiently and I contacted and put often questions with American which organizes this voyage, he answered me quickly and effectively. I was in December and I left nervously to the airport Basle-Mulhouse.
When I arrived at the airport under the radiant sun, I had a nasty surprise, this flight domestic for the correspondence in Paris was cancelled due to very thick fog in Paris, but he proposed another flight, six hours to me later. Fortunately, I had reserved the flight domesticates twelve hours before the international flight, I was "parano". I waited always more nervously under the radiant sun and I wondered whether there were a strike because of fusion between Air France and KLM. Six hours later, it was OK to take a small plane and a very pleasant hostess accompanied me personally.
I arrived at the airport of Paris under the thick fog and I telephoned to my mother for saying that I am in Paris, it answered me that there is the strike. I was even more nervous, but I did not shout. I asked a guard, if there were the strike, he answered me with joke yes especially in the sector of French domestic flights. After several hours, I started to smell badly with the belly and breathing. When I could see the confirmation of the international flight for Buenos Aires, I bought a French magazine " Questions and Answers", I was never heated also pleasant in my life by reading it of the very enthralling answers.
The flight Paris - Buenos Aires lasted thirteen hours and half, it was my longer flight of my life. I was comfortably installed and the stewards were pleasant. I slept during the flight, then I awoke by seeing Colonia Suiza, founded by Swiss colonists in Uruguay, seen since 10 000 meters (33 000 feet) in height. By flying over Buenos Aires, I started to see a white megacity like a plate of computer, it was immense.
Arriving at the airport, I was surprised by calms and the courtesy of the Argentinians. By travelling by the taxi, I saw the landscape which did not resemble in Europe and I could not say to what, it resembled itself. The international airport was to 50 km of the downtown area and the course was long. I arrived in the pleasant hotel two stars of Hispanic style with the covered interior court, it cost 21 USD per night. It was the least expensive room ever seen at the time where Argentina was in bankruptcy.
I ate my first beef where Argentina is its great specialty. I walked for the first time in the town of Southern Hemisphere and I was mistaken in orientation with the sun, in spite of my abilities. I had forgotten that I was reversed between the south and north. I went to a Night Tango, it was the most beautiful music ever heard and the most beautiful dance ever seen.
I travelled by the plane for Ushuaia since the domestic airport very near to the downtown area. Arriving towards Ushuaia, I saw a little tundra as I was in Norway. It was romantic to see it.
I stayed several days in Ushuaia and I visited the disproportionate city by town planning and the national park. Even I was in Ushuaia, I were not sure of going to Antarctica, I requested several times from the port, if a ticket were known, they answered me yes. In spite of the answer was positive, I had always difficulty to believe.
After several days "of boredom" in Ushuaia, I entered the enclosed port nervously, then I directed towards the boat. Since on the boat, I felt sure that I would go to Antarctica. The boat left and I observed the general sight of Ushuaia with snow-covered tops.
After the crossing on the Channel Beagle, hardly left the channel, I felt the very icy wind and of the waves more agitated while entering the passage of Drake in the very dark twilight. I could not remain more than five minutes without special clothing. English asked me which bird, I answered him "albatross".
I awoke under agitation, I still smelled forms some and I arranged clothes in the cupboards, but after several minutes, I started to feel the sea sickness, then, I stopped and I had the breakfast. I wanted to vomit and I was not hungry, but I had not been able to vomit, because my belly was hollow. I went back to the bed to tranquillize me. I understood that I did not have to be concentrated and to remain quiet to avoid the sea sickness.
After two days of crossing to the passage of Drake under agitation, I saw for the first time Antarctica very white with much of picturesque icebergs. I walked for the first time to Antarctica on the Paulet Island where there were a thousand Adelie penguins, I heard cries like the concert and that smelt bad. It was very pleasant to see penguins which walked around me, they approached sometimes with a meter (3 feet) me.
After several days of uninterrupted visit, I entered Paradise Bay under the radiant sun, I were stupefied to never see the most spectacular landscape considering. I fixed myself to observe this landscape during several hours and I let myself burn with the face by the sunstroke. Then, I walked in bay by zigzagging icebergs to the zodiac.
In my first voyage, there was more half of passengers which was Finnish. I slept with a Finnish "pensioner" who spoke hardly English in the cabin. I celebrated Christmas in Antarctica.
Returning to Ushuaia, I had a small blow of depresses. I greeted several times at the passengers in the streets of Ushuaia. I had already visited the peninsula of Antarctica and I did not have an idea to return.
Two months later, I arrived at Maldives and I saw the lagoon which gave the impression to me which it was very cold remembering by the turquoise color of iceberg. Then, I passed my first certification of the scuba diver.
