The next day we made two more landings, both on the Peninsula itself. After the excitement of the previous day, everything ran like clockwork. Delphin took us over in the zodiac to the first landing at Waterboat point, where two British researchers spent a year living in a shelter made from an upturned whalers boat in 1921. There is not much evidance left of the boat, its location is now covered in snow and nesting penguins under the Chilean Flag. Also at this location is the Presidente Gabriel Gonzalez Videla Staion, that is manned in the summer only. When we arrived, the four chileans had arrived only a few days prior and had just finished digging their summer home out of the snow.

The chileans were nice enough to let us look around their station, complete with a ping pong table. in the basement. Laurie had brought a bottle of wine to thank them for letting us visit, and Jonathan had brought an Irish souvenir to thank them (Chile) for helping to rescue Ernest and his men back in 1916. I wasn't sure what it was those guys did there, they seemed sort of military-like, even though the Antarctic Treaty prohibits military presence on the continent. I can't exactly see them counting penguins though. Maybe they are just there to make sure no ther country claims it. After getting our passports stamped (yay! my 7th continent!) and having a look at the nesting gentoos that had taken over the place, some of which seemed to be religious, we headed back to the ship.

In the afternoon, we made another continental landing to Neko Harbour. As we approached, we could see the guano highways of the gentoos nesting there. The harbour is right next to a glacier, which we were warned could calve at any time. I heard a few crumblings while on land, but nothing enormous. Laurie and Delphin led us up to the top of the hill where we got great views of the harbour and the glacier. However, the main reason we hiked up all that way was so we could slide down the side of the hill! Weeeeeeeee!!!

Ok Juli, here are the penguin feet you requested! :)

If you enjoyed reading this entry please post a comment. I like to know who is out there e-traveling with me! Thanks!