Hello from the Freezing South – not that South !

 ​Yep – we have lots of photos of snow and ice and penguins and whales and orcas – and yep – we saw all of that in the Antarctica region!
 
Many of you who know me are aware I do NOT like the cold – I avoid it like the plague. When we have freezing weather in Texas, I bundle up and stay home – well - there are exceptions to every rule!
 
The Drake Passage can be some rough seas leaving the tip of South America to reach Antarctica and we were very blessed to have rolling seas but nothing too bad.  Though we all looked like drunken sailors trying to walk that day.  Next stop – Antarctica and let me tell you – I was working on my computer trying to get caught up on some things and when I stopped and looked up I almost fell out of bed – Oh My – the views are more than impressive. Walls of white mountains and so much deep blue in the ice – it was inspiring. And yes – there were lots of penguins! You can see them standing in the background behind me (the one in red lol).

​One of the nice things about Viking is that they gift you that parka (and the under jacket too) but all I can think is where the heck in Texas am I going to wear that thing! LOL.  Oh well.  The ship had lots of perks – great food – somehow I managed to only gain two pounds and I am thrilled! Then there is the best hot tub in the world with one heck of a view! 

​One day, I'm playing cards with some ladies and we noticed the ship is sort of slowly spinning - we think 'I guess the Captain needs to turn around' - next second a voice comes over the PA : Folks the Captain has spotted ten or so Orcas playing and he's turning the ship - How the boat didn't just tip into the ocean is beyond me - I swear - All three hundred passengers were at the front of the boat –
 
Turns out there were whales and Orcas - and we had a blast following the 'blows' and splashes and tails (the whale tail is in another post) - the sunlight makes the orcas look more brown - but they were black and white (in third photo) and put on quite a show for us!
 
We think... and that's a big 'think' - that the mama whales were pushing the juveniles closer to the ship to get away from the Orcas - because until now, all the whales have been really far away and these guys were real close - one was practically kissing the ship.

​Now whales breach really fast – but somehow with all of us snapping photos like crazy – we managed to get these great photos! 

​And as much as I hate to admit it, with no humidity, when there was no wind, I think it was warmer in Antarctica than most of y’all back home in the states!  I didn’t go outside all that often – remember I don’t like the cold – but some days, even in capris and sandals, as long as I had on a ¾ or long sleeve shirt, I was perfectly okay outside!  

​My friend lugs around three different cameras so she got some great shots – some of these were hers! And since no Antarctica trip would be complete without a few other lazy animals – here are a few shots of penguins and seals too!  The last shot is me in Ushuaia Argentina - the southernmost city in the world - and the last stop for our ship!  

And that - is my trip to Antarctica - while  I've got your attention, I want to thank everyone for picking up a copy of Sweet Rescue that released last week -  SO very thankful for my fans!