11.04.2010

From Icebergs to Earthquakes...

Teleconference!!! Well, not quite, here we are waiting for the shuttle to take us out to the runway.

I took a last quick glance at McMurdo Station.

Okay, that's enough, time to get out.

To de plane..

C-17.

Halfway through the flight I peaked outside the window and saw icebergs.

Everyone was passed out.

I'm sorry for this guys, but I had to do it haha.

4 hours after takeoff the sun set. Night again :)

We landed and went to the CDC where we packed/unpacked our winter gear. After that we catched a taxi to our hotels.

I arrived at my hotel around 11 PM. At midnight I took a shower and guess what... the floor shook and my belly felt like I was swinging. It was an aftershock and almost every day you can feel one, or two, or three.... I've heard locals talk about the next big one and there seems to be a hint of fear amongst some. Others just wish the ground would stop shaking. Each time that there is a big aftershock, like the one last night, engineers have to walk around the city and inspect each building. Due to last night's shake several buildings were found to be structurally unsafe, thus shutdown. Now you understand why store owners and residents are unhappy about the whole ordeal.

At each doorway is either a green, yellow or red sign. Green means the building is okay, yellow means caution and only the owners are allowed in, and red means the building needs to be condemned. What goes up must come down...

Yet, the vibe of the city is still there. Tourists and locals mingle outside of Cathedral Square.

Flowers shine in the sun and trees stand tall. The natural beauty of the city is just as radiant as it was before the quake.

A couple having a relaxing time.

For an hour I ran through every patch of greenery I could find... oh the site, the smell, the sweat, the freedom and power of nature!


11.02.2010

Adios South Pole

Our 2010 winterover group photo has been hung next to the decades of other crew photos...

And the weather was just right for our departure.
I have been packed for more than a week and have spent my days cleaning up bits and pieces of summer camp. While hanging out in the 'Slump' this morning the call came out on the radios that de plane was on it's way to pick us up.
All around the station folks were getting their last photos. So many smiles.
The waiting...
Then we heard it land. A few members of summer crew brought de plane in. It's been 9 months we've waited to see this site.
The big hugathon.
More new peeps for the South Pole.
Loading our bags into de plane.
Inside :)
Oh yeah.
For an hour we had a great view of the majestic transantarctic mountains.
Then we hit ice again.
The back door was dropped as we came to a stop.
The ice runway at McMurdo Station.
McMurdo Station.. again.

It's 1:30 AM and we're supposed to fly to Christchurch around 9 AM, so I better get some sleep. Good nighty.