Fog at Union Glacier provides a new twist....

After being told we had to be on 45 minute standby, we have now been told that fog has moved in and although they remain confident we will be off early afternoon, it's not certian when we will fly now.... All interesting plays on emotions, but I feel I am toughening up each play, and the fear seems to have totally subsided and I just want to get out out there now and start the journey.....  

I'll be going in my expedition gear to the airport, as once we land it will be FULL On Antarctica, and there isn't any need for 'civy clothing' down on the ice.

Here is the before changing pic, outside our apartment door, with my big backpack....Still haven't made the decision yet!

And here is the after one, not quite full on expedition gear, the down jacket is for 'evenings', and the windsuit top, complete with wolverine ruff, and face balaclav is missing!

Now before you all comment on the 'typical' Howard Fairbank weird colour scheme, the colours weren't my choice, and hey being on my own out there I'll be leading the fashion in my own world!!!

Very soon I'll be packing my laptop away after this post, and it will stay in Punta Arenas until I come back....  I guess we all know the love affairs we have with our LP Tops / iPads etc.... Leaving it for 2 months seems like I am leaving part of me behind!

Last night we had a 'team' dinner at Club Chile Restaurant, and were treated to the traditional Cuaranto meat, sea food, and starch dish.....  plus the mandatory few bottles of delightful Chilean Carmenere Vino tinto....!

From left to right:  Chris, Michael, Kathy, Ruth, Richard.....  Other than Ruth, they will be my kiting team buddies for the adventure back from the Pole!

Close up of Curanto:

From there we 'popped' into our 'favourite' Karoake restaurant pub, where as usual (we have only been there twice now) we were the only guests and made Vincente the karaoke DJ's evening by providing him with both a listening 'crowd' and then his entertainment! 

The entertainment being inthe form of me getting up to sing the Uriah Heap classic, "Easy Living".... A song that inspires, motivates, and excites as it strangely seemingly dysfunctionally connects right into the heart of my journey ahead.  (BTW, I have never been a big karoake fan, and this was my 1st ever up on the stage, so it must be to do with a craziness in my head at the moment!) 
 

Vincente is this quite remarkable guy, who spends six months on the karoake / club music circuits down here, and then six months working on the serious fishing boats that base themselves in the Falklands islands. He was telling me about his REAL adventures:  Three months at a time, out fishing in the Southern Ocean, with no returns back to port in that time...you really get to be friends with the sea and your few buddies onboard!


I guess these last night activities all provide necessary distraction from the sometimes harsh reality of the serious mission ahead. Sometimes I do allow a specific detail of being out there on the ice alone come into my concious mind, and I have to say, I just react by telling myself to put that thought back into the subconcious and awy from my fear zone!!!