It's the Time to go to Antarctica!

Few things provoke the imagination like the idea of going to the South Pole.  The worlds of forbidden travels, the walls and mountains of ice, the stories of Shackleton.  It's been the subject of movies, and the seed that really started the worries about global warming.  Even for those that don't like the cold, there's a mystique that makes us all consider making that trip someday.  Well, I think it's time that we worked it in.

Back in the 1980's and early 1990's it would cost you around $20,000 to climb onto a redesigned Russian icebreaking ship and take a cruise to the land of the unknown in Antarctica.  You might get to stop at McMurdo Station if the weather was promising.  Only around 1,000 people went until sometime in the 1990's.  But, tourism has been on a steady climb since that time.  Now, nearly 40,000 people go down there each year.  Think about that.  There's only a couple of months a year that we can even go.  That's a lot of traffic.

That's not all.  It seems that everyone has some kind of a science station in Antarctica these days.  They come in all shapes and designs, and one of the British collection can walk.  That's amazing.  They build them in all kinds of designs for weather, budget, light reflection and whatever.  My point is that it's getting crowded down there.  Who wants to go to the world's most amazing frontier and find thousands of people milling about?  That's why I say go now before it gets even more out of control.  People worry about global warming, it's effects on Antarctica and the hole in the Ozone layer down there, but let's pump it full of people.  That  will help.  Sure.

These days there are a ton cruises that go to Antarctica.  I don't know of any way to fly to Antarctica unless you are a visiting scientist.  They used to take some tourist flights from New Zealand to Antarctica, but one of them crashed and everyone was killed.  This lead to them being deemed to dangerous and discontinued to this day.  Some of the cruises leave from other places, but most of them run out of Ushauaia, Argentina.  There are a lot of places that you can visit along the way.  I've talked about these trips before, so you can look at previous posts and find out some about them.  Ushauaia is a fascinating spot in and of itself.  This is a huge jumping off point for cruises around Antarctica and the Scotia Sea, but they also have trips specifically to Cape Horn.  Ushauaia is the southernmost city in the world, and it has a flavor all it's own sitting amongst the glaciers of the southern Andes of Patagonia in one of the world's most interesting climates.

The cruises of today go to many locales along the Antarctic Circle.  The Falklands are a regular stop for cruises these days.  These remote islands have been the subject of some of the strangest conflicts I've ever heard of.  The British are the proud owners of these remote islands with harsh weather and virtually no resources.  In the 1980's they actually went to war with Argentina over the islands.  Today they remain British and the Argentinians remain angry about it.  They are a pretty set of islands and Port Stanley is the capital and virtually only city.  There are things to do in the Falklands.  You can see a lot of historic sites, learn all about the war and the conflict between England and Argentina over them.  There are also some great nature spots to go and see.

There's not much on the South Georgia Islands, but there are people there.  This will be your first big penguin stop on your way to Antarctica, so that's cool.  Remember that there are several different kinds of the bird to see along the way, and they each have their own separate area to live in.  There are signs of the Shackleton Expedition all along the way, so enjoy the history.

Most likely, you'll visit the South Sandwich Islands.  These islands are highly volcanic and they are full of wildlife.  You will be taken to see a colony of penguins while in the Sandwich Islands on most tours.  It is an incredible experience to see penguins up close.  They are a curious bird and want to know about us almost as much as we want to know about them.  Just remember, they are wild animals and treat them with respect.  If they don't want to come to you, don't force it.

There is no way to cruise to Antarctica from Argentina without crossing the Drake Passage.  Bring your Dramamine.  This is some of the roughest waters in the world.  There are myths and stories from many generations about this body of water.  It's fascinating and beautiful, but it will kill you.  The waves will come and the seas will be unpredictable.  Tourists who take the cruise out to Cape Horn only run about a %50 chance of getting to step on land there, because the waters are so unpredictable.

But the passage is worth it, because oh what an amazing world lies on the other side.  Paradise Bay is one of the more well noted spots along the way, but the icebergs are amazing, the water is clear, the whales are there in the winter months and the wildlife is diverse.  There are all kinds of penguins as I mentioned, whales, seals, and the monstrous Leopard Seal.  This predator was made famous in "March of the Penguins" and is one of the more dangerous animals on that continent.  At any rate, there is a lot of wildlife to enjoy.  There are the stations to visit too.  Different cruises visit different stations, but you most likely will get to set foot on the continent and see some of what goes on there.  There are no permanent settlements on Antarctica, but the science stations are mostly staffed year round.

Here's the one that blew me away.  Not only are some of the tour companies including chances to take excursions out into the land of Antarctica, but Victory Cruises are offering a side cruise to sail along the coast of the continent.  You visit several stops along the way, see the wildlife up close and personal, get to sail a boat and they will take you for a sauna and a swim.  I'm not joking.  You go with Victory, and you will have a chance to swim in the Antarctic.  Beat that.

So, Ushauaia is the spot and there are many tours that you can take these days.  Most of them run around 14 days, but the cost has come down and one person can go for under $5,000.  I don't normally talk about a subject twice, but I just see it becoming so common that I really think that it should happen before the place looks like Vegas.  It's a really good time, because it's still rugged and the animals are still in force and amazing.  It's also a good time to go, because the trips have been expanded to see even more amazing places, peoples, animals and natural phenomena.  Taking a swim in Antarctica is certainly a once in a lifetime experience as is a cruise to Antarctica.  It's that once in a lifetime thing that you will never forget and it is truly an Adventure for Anyone.  Enjoy!

http://www.seabourn.com/find-luxury-cruise-vacation/SpecialOffers.action?destCode=S
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Where is Ashgabat?

I was writing about Ferris Wheels the other day, and I got completely enveloped in a location, and I've done nothing but investigate it since.  It turns out that the city of Ashgabat, Turkmenistan just made my bucket list.  There is absolutely nothing usual about the place, and I have to see it.  There are problems with visiting the country like the fact that it sits between Iran and Afghanistan.  It also borders Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan along with the Caspian Sea.  Quite a location, and therefore, quite a history.

These days Ashgabat is known as the City of White Marble, because it was being rebuilt; but this city and country have an amazing history.  The country has been a battlefield for everyone from Alexander the Great to the more modern day Soviets.  A massive 9 on the Richter Scale earthquake nearly flattened the place in 1948.  Most of the country is desert like which makes water an issue as well.  Most of the farms that the country uses are irrigated from long distances by canals.  The Turkmen are the residents of this country along with notable populations of Russians, Uzbeks, and even some Taters.  Ashgabat is home to around 1 million people today and is a very ultra modern city.  What fascinates me is how it got that way.

After the Soviet Empire crumbled, the people of Turkmenistan were just kind of hanging out there.  They hadn't been in control of their own destinies for a while.  Their first President, Saparmurat Niyazov became one of those crazy dictators and he had a vision for the city of Ashgabat.  What we see today is largely his vision, and it's somewhere between old Soviet style and Star Trek.  Niyazov called himself Serdar Turkmenbashi or Great Leader of all Turkmen and he was such a cult of personality that the people pretty much followed along.  He did all of the things that the dictators have done in North Korea like building amazing avenues and parks with monuments everywhere.  But in the case of Ashgabat, it's made the place surreal and amazing.

There are monuments to the country's past and present all over the place and some of the most amazing parks in the world.  The city became a regular in the Guiness Book of World Records as well.  It holds the world record for the most buildings finished in white marble at 543.  It has the world's largest fountain complex at over 15 hectares.  It has the world's largest monument to a star, the tallest flagpole, the largest enclosed Ferris Wheel and some more.  It's obvious that Niyazov was keeping track of some measurements world wide.  You never know what a surpreme leader will come up with to distinguish themselves in the world.

Not all of the monuments in town had meanings for the people, Niyazov made some monuments to himself as well.  There are kilometers of parks and monuments in Ashgabat.  They are everywhere, and so was Niyazov's face.  There were even more statues of him when he was alive, seeing as he was somehow made President for life.  He was known to change the names of the months on the calendar and change the curriculum of the Sunni Muslims that inhabit the country to include reading the Ruhnama, a history book designed to tell the story the way that Niyazov wanted it to be told.

But, as most crazy dictators go, Niyazov had some good ideas as well, even though some of them are odd as well.  In addition to beautiful mosques for his people to use, he designed what he called the health path for them to get in shape.  This path runs about 8 km up the side of a mountain, but it does have great views at the top.  And the parks all over the place were there so that people had a convenient place to get out.  The wide avenues were prepared to meet little to no traffic, so that is something else that people don't have to deal with in Ashgabat.  Trees were planted to try and green up the place, even though it's spot at the foothills of the Kopet Dag Mountain Range is also along the edgest of the Garagum Desert.  The city is only about 20 miles from Iran as well.

The architecture is the most amazing part of the city, however.  Niyazov built all kinds of things.  One of the more interesting is the Arch of Neutrality that he built declaring that his country would remain entirely neutral forever.  This was done when the country entered into one of the NATO treaties.  Another amazing monument is the Constitution Monument which is self explanatory and the monument celebrating ten years of freedom.  There's the President's Palace as well and the list just goes on.  The city is white and beautiful.  It just looks so surreal that it's hard to tell between actual photos of the city and artists' renditions of proposed new projects.  It all looks like an artist's rendition, but a lot of it is real.

What Niyazov started hasn't necessarily stopped either.  The white marble and the amazing architecture has become part of what makes Ashgabat who it is.  The current president, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow has continued some of the directions that Niyazov started.  Is it just another corrupt dictator?  Nobody knows for sure yet, but the country isn't going downhill.  There are many factories in Ashgabat and the country is still famous for their amazing rugs.  Things aren't as prosperous as they would like, but isn't that the way in most countries?  Time will tell.  But, the Wedding Palace or Palace of Happiness is one of the more recent additions.  It's an amazing place to hold a wedding, and the people seem to like it so far.   There are a lot of tourist expectant luxury hotels cropping up as well.  The Alem Entertainment center is another place that just waiting for tourists with the enclosed Ferris Wheel and other activities.

But what do the residents do when it's time to get away from giant avenues and everything shining white?  There are some things that tourists would go out to see.  I don't know about the residents.  This city is kind of an oasis on the old silk road and you'll most likely take a flight or a train to get there.  You can drive, so the idea of going out of the city isn't out of the question.  The normal way to get around is to hitchhike.  Unusual?  Yes, but it's the way of the area.  You can also take tours for day trips with several local companies.

One of the stops outside of town is the Kow-Ata Underground Lake.  It is raved about by tour operators that take trips into the area, but it's pretty dilapidated from what I read.  It's still a hoot if you've never been to a thermal heated underground swimming hole in a cave.  You can visit any time of year, but don't stay too long, because the sulfur isn't actually that healthy.

The Darvaza Crater or the Gate to Hell is also just a day trip from Ashgabat.  This crater is a natural wonder.  It caved in like a sink hole back in the 1970's and has been burning natural gas ever since.  There are many surreal things in the area, from the nearly drained Aral Sea to this crater.  It's something that goes well with an entire trip that is not only completely surreal and Star Trek like, but an Adventure for Anyone.  Enjoy!

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Wheels

Niagara was one of the spots I visited last year, and one of the things that had me psyched was that they had put in a 175 foot tall skywheel since the last time I'd visited that area.  I've visited a lot of places over the years, and a lot of them had some kind of ride that was special.  But nowadays, everyone has a wheel, and lately the contest for the biggest one has been on.  I remember the days of going to Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio and riding their huge wheel.  I always ride the big wheel at Lake Compounce in Bristol, Connecticut.  But, why is it that this has become a thing around the world?  What's the deal with the Ferris Wheel?

Let's take a look back in time and see where it all started.  It all started in Chicago, Illinois.  His name was George Ferris, and he invented the wheel to celebrate Columbus.  I'm not joking.  Chicago had a Columbian Exhibition back in 1893, and it was to celebrate Columbus, not the country of Columbia.  Ferris wanted to build something that would be as amazing as Gustave Eiffel's tower in Paris.  It was called the Great Wheel, not the Ferris Wheel at that point; it was 264 feet tall and opened in the summer of 1893.  It really started something, because there have been Ferris Wheels around ever since.  The one in Chicago went away in the 1930's, but George Ferris' memory has not died.  Navy Pier, Chicago's urban amusement park now has the Navy Pier Ferris Wheel.  At 150 feet, it's not nearly the size of the original, but Chicago just wouldn't be the same without a Ferris Wheel.

Even though the original wheel is no longer, there are some amazingly old wheels around, and the oldest chimes in from Vienna, Austria.  The Wiener Riesenrad has been parked in the Prater Park in Vienna since 1897.  It stands 212 feet tall and is open all year round.  I know because I rode it in January once.  It's an amazing piece of history that's survived just about everything including a James Bond movie and WWII.  It's the old style like the Great Wheel of Chicago and is a living piece of the Ferris Wheel history.

The 150 foot tall Wonder Wheel joined us in 1920 at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York.  I love this one, because the open cars slide around on the wheel while the wheel turns around.  New Yorkers do things their own way and the result is a true one of a kind.  No one else anywhere has a wheel quite like the Wonder Wheel.  Of course, if you like history, the world famous Cyclone Roller Coaster is at Coney Island as well.  Now, New York is at it again.  They are planning a world record breaker over on Staten Island that they hope to have open soon.  The planned New York Wheel would stand 630 feet tall and break all existing records.  Good luck New York.

Speaking of the one of a kind Ferris Wheel, Welcome to Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.  This is a very forward thinking community in this former Soviet Republic.  A lot of buildings in this city are surreal looking and appear to come from the future or another planet.  The Alem Entertainment Center is an indoor facility for fun.  They have all kinds of rides and games in there and they have the world's largest enclosed Ferris Wheel.  Not only is it 190 feet tall, but it's enclosed in a wheel shaped building.  It should really stand out on the landscape, but like I said, the whole area is a little surreal looking.

The current world record holder for the tallest wheel goes to the brand new High Roller in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Like everything else in Vegas, it's huge, chiming in at 550 feet tall.  It hangs over the strip, so you can't miss it and glows in the dark like everything else in Vegas.  Already the owner of their own Eiffel Tower and Grand Canal as well as pyramids and the New York skyline, this one should fit right in.

Until very recently the Singapore Flyer was the world record holder at 541 feet tall.  Singapore is another place that likes to compete in the biggest and best contests.

Before Singapore there was the London Eye in the UK coming in at 443 feet tall.  The London Eye became a real world famous landmark because of it's exposure.  Not only is it huge and sitting on the Thames in Downtown London, but it was key in some huge celebrations like the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the 2012 Olympics.

But, what is it about the wheel?  Did George Ferris have any idea where his one time creation was really going?  I remember the days when we would all seek out the Hard Rock Cafes and buy a tee shirt to prove we'd been there.  They were all over the world, and it was like a scavenger hunt.  It was an added thing to our travels.  That's what these wheels have become in recent years.  It seems like everywhere you go, there they are.  It's really neat that the countries are competing with the size the way they used to with skyscrapers and long bridges.  But, just remember, you should ride them all if you can.  There are nearly 100 worldwide.  The Eurowheel is in Mirabilanda, Italy at 300 feet high.  The Changsha Ferris Wheel of Changsha, China is 394 feet tall.  The Great Smoky Mountain Skywheel in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee is 200 feet high.  The Star of Puebla in Puebla, Mexico is 262 feet tall.  The Paris Big Wheel is 200 feet high and portable.

You will find wheels in places that you never thought.  We know that the Asian countries have several.  Japan is full of them, but they also have popped up all over China and there are big ones in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and the Philippines.  There are a few in Australia as well.  In Beijing, China there's supposed to be a world record breaker coming, but as of late it seems like a myth.  In Saudi Arabia they are building yet another whopper called the Jeddah Eye.  But, here's some that I found interesting.  In Georgia, one of those countries that you never hear much about in the tourism arena there is the Tbilisi Ferris Wheel at Mtatsminda Park in Tbilisi.  This one is 262 feet high and has a great view of the surrounding mountains.  Moscow, Russia is home to the 240 foot tall Moscow 850.  There's the Mashhad Ferris Wheel in Mellat Park in Mashhad, Iran that comes in at 262 feet tall.  One of my favorites is the Baghdad Eye standing 180 feet tall over one of the most war ravaged cities in the modern era.  It's amazing where the wheels are.  People love Ferris Wheels.

So, whether you like the Eastern Style 200 foot tall wheel like the Asiatique Sky in Bangkok, Thailand, or you like something with a little more originality; Ferris Wheels are a great way to get a great view of the place you are already visiting.  I would say that it is one of the things that you should check out before going on your next trip.  You could check out the list of wheels on the web and find out if there is a wheel in the area.  You could also use that list as a check list for a modern day scavenger hunt.  See how many wheels you can ride.  George Ferris would approve.  Enjoy!

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