Antarctica Is One Trip Well Worth Adding to Your Bucket List

Antarctica is a place I have always dreamed of visiting.

I began thinking about it a lot when I was in high school, living in the tropics. I remember quite clearly turning up a little late to a talk someone was giving on that strange icy continent.

There was a slide show of what it was like to visit Antarctica, I was instantly captivated. When the lights came on, I looked around the room and was the only person who didn’t have gray hair.

I guess I was in good company, surrounded by wisdom perhaps. Or people nearing the end of their lives, renegade risk-takers with nothing left to lose. Either way, the idea of Antarctica captured me.

Antarctica is like a reminder of what the planet might’ve been like before the influence of man. Huge expanses of pristine oceans, enormous variety and quantity of marine life, found nowhere else. Unspoiled beauty.

Some interesting facts about the place:

• It is the largest desert in the world.
• It is the only continent with no reptiles.
• 90% of the world’s fresh water is in Antarctica.
• Antarctica only has 1 ATM.
• There are pink icebergs—this is caused by algae.
• In some parts of Antarctica, it hasn’t rained or snowed for 2 million years.
• Husky dogs have been banned from Antarctica since 1994.
• Antarctica is the only continent without a time zone.
• You cannot work in Antarctica unless your wisdom teeth and appendix are removed.
• The largest iceberg ever measured is bigger than Jamaica.
• The coldest place on Earth is a high ridge in Antarctica with temperatures below -133°F (-93°C).
• There are no polar bears! Do not confuse it with the Arctic.

This magnificent short film featured is made by Swedish filmmaker Kalle Ljung. He decided to catch up with his 73-year-old father, who was off on a three-year journey sailing around the world on a yacht, for the best leg of the journey—Antarctica.

They started from Ushuaia in Argentina, and went to Port Williams in Chile, rounded Cape Horn, and crossed the Drake Passage towards the Melchior Islands in Antarctica.

During their 16 days in the Antarctic, they got to experience the most amazing scenery and wildlife.

I like the aerial footage of the icebergs and the flow of the shots. And they look like they were so lucky with sunny weather.

I had always imagined myself visiting Antarctica in a big icebreaker, but I wouldn’t turn down a yacht. Or it would be nice to have some kind of wingsuit that could take flight and experience Antarctica just as we saw in the film. Yes please!

www.visiontimes.com