The cold earth sleeps below, above the cold sky shines

Going nowhere fast.

We're still waiting but the time seems to be nigh.  The first flight will likely leave in the AM tomorrow.  We're next, maybe on Sunday (Saturday in the US). We wiled away the day at Hanmer Springs, about two hours north of Christchurch in the foothills of the Southern Alps.  The drive was quite beautiful, with bright green hills dotted with sheep and snow-covered mountains in the distance.  In Hanmer Springs, we went for a hike and then soaked for a bit in the pools before heading to a pub just ahead of a drenching downpour. I finished Scott and Amundsen: Their Race to the South Pole on the way back.  It's a gripping tale of leadership, preparation and organization (Amundsen) and lack thereof (Scott). Of personal interest, Amundsen tried to leave for the pole at the end of August but was constrained by the weather, turning back and not departing again until mid-October.  Hopefully, we won't have to wait that long.

Visibility in Antarctica is still too limited for travel so we're "stuck" in Christchurch.  For the program, the delays are expensive.  USAP has to put us all up in ever-shifting hotels, pay us, and, of course, none of us can do our jobs.  On top of that, the season in Antarctica is short and lost days can't be made up. Tomorrow, Dean and I plan to commiserate with USAP from a hot spring in Hamner.  It's a tough job... Snow in the distant Southern Alps

We continue to be delayed due to bad weather on the ice.  I'm sitting in the lobby at our hotel at 6 AM drinking a latte given to me for free for the second day in a row by the lovely, Macedonian-immigrant bartender/barista who was taking pity on me slaving away on my computer.  Too bad we have to change hotels today. Avon River walk We've done a lot of walking in Christchurch, buying things that the Antarctica pros say are musts.  My bag is now brimming with "freshies" (fresh vegetables) to share with those who wintered over on the ice and a new knitting project.  As to the city itself, it abounds in green space and, in the distance, the snow-covered alps sparkle on the occasion the sun appears.  Restaurants and particularly the wine can compete with the best of the Bay Area.  Unfortunately, though, damage from the 2011 earthquake is everywhere apparent, particularly to the iconic, old buildings like the cathedral pictured above.  The Kiwis ...

The US Antarctica Program Building, Christ Church Today was originally our "Ice Date", the day we were to arrive at Antarctica.   We knew two days ago, though, that we'd be delayed.  To use our time efficiently, today we had our "On Ice Orientation" here at Christchurch.   A few quick factoids:  In the winter season, there are 500 people living in all of Antarctica--an area 1.5 larger than the US--at the thirty permanent international stations.  At McMurdo, the largest station, there are currently 150 people.  At peak in November and December, 5000 people will call Antarctica home,  900 at McMurdo.  The weather right now is still quite harsh and it is dark, dark, dark.  Yesterday, the current doctor wrote: "You missed the first sunrise today.  I mean, so did we with the storm that blew in".  He then requested I bring down gummy candies :-)   We all have our needs. All dressed up and nowhere to go...