Arrival in Christchurch, first impressions

The Journey
Monday, December 5: There was light snow in Cincinnati Monday morning as I waited for my departure time.  I only had a 45 minute layover in Chicago between the incoming outgoing flights, so I decided to take an earlier flight just in case.  As I write I am in LA at 3:30PM (local time) waiting for my 8:30PM departure.  

Most remarkably, on the Cincinnati-Chicago flight I sat next to a woman who has a friend who writes science articles out of McMurdo.  I’ll see if I can find her friend when I arrive.  Small world.

All of my electronics is keeping me company.  It all gets recharged in LA, so I spend time searching for outlets.  Ever look for an electrical outlet in an airport?  If you can find one at all they are in the most awkward locations.  Everyone else is looking for an outlet too (for their ipods), so when you find an empty one you have to grab it and guard it.  

Wednesday, December 7: I have finally arrived in Auckland only to find that my luggage did not.  It got a special treat – it will go to Melbourne before catching up to me tomorrow. The flight was tedious.  I can hardly believe that a human being can be cramped in so small a place as an airplane seat for more than 12 hours at a stretch without it satisfying some definition of torture.  But we pay for the privilege!

Again I met interesting people – some also going to the Ice, including Scott-Amundsen Base at the South Pole, and many nationalities, such as Chinese, Irish, and Dutch.  They work on various projects – the Penguin Ranch (I am looking for an invitation to visit), meteorite hunt, ice core drilling, and ICE CUBE (at the Pole), among others.  I even met the self-proclaimed “garbage man.”  He has the contract to take care of the recycling and garbage at the bases, and hires others to do the dirty work, so to speak.  He gets to visit for a couple of weeks every year, though.

Polar Programs and clothing issue
Upon arrival in Christchurch, I met up with a Polar Programs representative.  She already knew my luggage was lost!  Amazingly organized. There were about 10 of us on the flight, and after everyone else collected their belongings we walked over to the Polar Programs office and began the process of getting our clothing issued.  As I suspected, I really did not need to bring anything with me.  Essentially everything I could need was issued to me.  I have four hats, seven pair of mittens or gloves, light and heavy long underwear (the heavy is fleece), and much else.  But no luggage.  I went shopping for the basics – underwear and socks – and will spend a few days with minimal gear at McMurdo before my bag catches up.

We tried on our gear to make sure it fit. Here I am looking awfully hot, so to speak, in full Antarctic gear.

In Christchurch
Thursday, December 8: I spent my first evening wandering the town.  It has more of a European feel than American.  The streets are wider than European, but are pedestrian and bike friendly.  Old buildings are stone, old houses are wood, and new buildings are concrete (they haven’t developed the American love of glass yet, I guess).  Here is a shot of Cathedral Square.  Behind me as I took the shot is a Starbucks, where I am now as I write this, using the wireless internet access.  Access is not free here, unlike in cafes across the US, but you can get the equivalent of a phone card to use up minutes on.

The plan was to go out to the Polar Programs site at 6AM and begin the process for departure to the Ice.  This involves suiting up again and then waiting around for the plane to load.  I got a call at 5:15AM (I was already up and wandering around) informing me that the flight is delayed due to weather until at least 11AM.  I took that time to wander around the incredible Christchurch botanical gardens.  They rank as the best I have ever visited, and that includes comparison to the English Gardens in Munich, and London’s parks and gardens.  The trees there are tremendous! They even have giant sequoia – no joke!  

The rose gardens (both of them) were spectacular.  I have always been a sucker for a rose, especially one that smells good.  A rose bud is powerful package of pure potential.

New Zealanders: First Impressions – In wandering around yesterday I met many people.  New Zealanders are friendly, outgoing sorts who speak with an accent.  I get the impression that many are transplants.  There is a thriving Asian community, and I heard a great variety of languages while wandering around.  

Several of the folks I met were more American than some Americans.  A store clerk found I was from Cincinnati and immediately engaged me in a conversation about the Bengals and their prospects.  A diehard Raiders fan, she has had a disappointing year but is optimistic.  She tries to get to the States for a few football games a year, but is missing this year for a variety of reasons, so she has to get her football fix vicariously.  She was far better informed than I am about football teams this year.


Departure update
I went in at 11:30 and began to dress up in my Arctic gear again.  After 30 minutes we were told that the flight was cancelled for the day, and to back tomorrow at 6AM.  So, this afternoon I snooze in the park and have a beer this evening with other Pole sitters.  Er, sorry, that should read “This afternoon I work hard on all the work I brought with me, and this evening I go to bed early.”  Sorry for the mistake.

Friday, December 09, 2005:  Arrival in Mcmurdo!  More later….