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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Nov 20, 2010 07:00 PM To the north! To the warm north!
Day at sea: good time to make the laundry and to write. It is still cold in the cabins of "Marion Dufresne", and it is now not only me who is sneezing and coughing, so we are happy, that we are sailing north. We expect that every day it should be slightly warmer. The weather is foggy with moderate wind and swell of the sea. In the morning we were watching the movie from the 12th French Mission to Kerguelen in 1961. At that time military personnel guys wear army uniforms. Now they look like civilians and do not have any weapon with them. So why they are here? -To prove that those inhospitable islands belong to France! In the afternoon we had emergency evacuation alarm again. New people - mostly scientists - embarked our ship on Crozet and Kerguelen and they should know what to do just in case. But we were carrying our thermo-immersion suits two decks up already for the second time!
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Nov 19, 2010 07:00 PM Kerguelen - Port Jeanne d'Arc
This is "the must" place if you are looking for the remains of the
history on the Kerguelen. At the end of 19th century two Bossiere brothers got from the French Government the concession for the colonization of Kerguelen. They brought 3 families and more than 200 sheep to the Port Covreux in the north of the island. People soon escaped to Europe and sheep to the wilderness - I saw them on the slopes from the ship. Then the brothers encouraged British-Norwegian company to establish onKerguelen the whaling station. They built it in the deep, inner bay and named Port Jeanne d'Arc. Remains of the station still exists, and this was our target for today. It was only 4.30 am, but already clear when "Marion Dufresne" began to cruise between the picturesque, rocky islands of the bay. One hour later we passed with a minimum speed through the dangerous narrows.
After another hour of sailing we reached PJDA - how the locals call the place. In the middle of nowhere I saw few old-style houses at the bottom of the slope. Also a piles of metal barrels and rusted tanks and other installations once used to process the grease. Nobody knows how many whales lost their lives here. Annual production of oil was 3000 tons. Maybe this is the reason why so far we cannot see any whale in the sea...We had a sunny day, but it is hard to say "lovely day" because of extremely strong, icy wind. After landing I visited a little exhibit in the building restored by TAAF. They try to restore the station as a museum. Workshops and the quarters are already reconstructed and few people can sleep there (if they are ready to survive the cold). We took the walk along the bay visiting the remains of the little cemetery (but most of thewhalers were buried on the Cemetery Island in the bay). I saw a dozen of rabbits and a little herd of reindeers introduced by Norwegians. Big skua bird tried to land on the head of my friend Patrick not to attack him but just to check who entered its territory. People appear here onlyfew days per year.
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Nov 18, 2010 07:00 PM French Base on the Kerguelen
French tried to colonize this archipelago several times - with no success. Now, in the only settlement on the island - Port aux Francais limited number of scientist and technical staff live here: 73 people now - in the summer and only 50 in the winter. I had a chance to visit the base. They have satellite tracking station, meteo station important for the air and sea traffic, a big canteen, library, post office and the shop. It sounds ridiculously but today in the
shop they were accepting only payment by cheque of the French Bank. In the post you can pay also by cash euro. But nobody, (also the staff on the ship) accepts credit cards. Do they know that you can use "plastic money" to pay evenin Russia and China?
On the outskirts of the base, on the hill they built a big chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Winds. The name is so right! - at any time strong and icy wind is blowing there and only fat elephant seals residing around do not care
about that. You will be surprised to find not too far from the church a little, well-fenced garden where they grow a local endemic plant - the Kerguelen cabbage. Why it is fenced? To protect them from the local plague - the rabbits,
introduced years ago by the people from Europe. If there will be no fence -there will be nothing to show to the visitors. Rabbits are everywhere! Not only the rabbits, also wild cats. And nobody knows how to fight with them!
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Nov 17, 2010 07:00 PM Captain Cook was here too!
The biggest glacier on Kerguelen is named after the captain James Cook. He arrived to the archipelago just few years after Kerguelen - in 1776 and it was just Chistmas time.
The bay in the northern tip of the island where he landed has the name Port Christmas. Both explorers at this time called the archipelago Desolation Islands. Without any single tree, without any people living on it, with extremely unpleasant, windy and stormy weather Kerguelen Archipelago really appeared like a deserted, inhospitable and harsh land. I cannot see many changes.
It is cloudy and I do not have a chance to see attractive Cook's Glacier even from the distance. You can try to find it on the satellite map. In the afternoon I took the heli flight to take back my fellow travelers from distant (28 kms) Ratmanoff Cottage. It is hard to say that it is picturesque place. Located in the boring, flat plateau of Courbet Peninsula some 500 m inland from the beach this cottage can accommodate 12 people on the bunk beds. The only attraction is trout fishing in the little river and optional walk to the beach with king penguins and elephant seals - but we already know them well. To spend the night in the cottage you have to bring your own sleeping bag (zero deg. Celsius range required - organizers do not provide them).
Do you think is this worth to carry such a bag from Europe to use it only twice in the outback cottage?
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Nov 16, 2010 07:00 PM Kerguelen - An excursion to the harsh interior
TAAF, who organize the program for the tourists from "Marion Dufresne" offers on Kerguelen overnights stays in the interior.
They have two cabanas (little shelters) in the interior.The only possible access is by helicopter. First one - Labourer is located in the far end of the narrow bay, near the waterfall. Second one - Ratmanoff - on the eastern coast.
Since I am still weak, coughing and sneezing I decided to fly with my fellows just for the short photo-stop at Labourer and to come back to the ship on the second flight of the helicopter. It was a good idea. We were flying in the strong wind but with a temporary clear sky, so I had opportunity to enjoy the lovely insular landscape and to took few pictures of Labourer bay and surroundings.
In fact there is not much to do in the cottage since in this location there is practically no wildlife - the serene landscape contemplated in the strong wind is your only advantage there.
We have periods of snow today, but they say it is Antarctic summer.
My temperature went down to 37.7.
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Nov 15, 2010 07:00 PM Kerguelen Islands on the horizon!
Our captain gave us a chance to see on the arrival the best known
landscape attraction of the Kerguelen. They call it L'arche des Kerguelen –
The Arch of Kerguelen.
Now they are only two natural rock towers rising at the tip of the
little peninsula.
The lighting was not the best when I was taking pictures from the
bridge, but I hope I will show them to you later.
Kerguelen is the furthest point of my voyage. On the map of the
Southern Indian Ocean it looks like a very little point. It is hard to believe,
but it is quite large territory.
The main island of the archipelago, as big as French Island of Corsica
is surrounded by more than 300 smaller islands, islets and reefs.
They were discovered in 1772 by Yves-Joseph de Kerguelen-Tremarec
(they like long names!). Kerguelen came again to the islands in December
1773 and the new French territory was named after him. When he returned to France from his first journeyhe reported that he discovered new continent.
Few years later during his second voyage to the south he recognized
that it is only island.After his return to the homeland they put him to the jail.
France forgot Kerguelen Islands for more than hundred years. Only in January 1893 they send the ship "Eure" to put there French flag again.
My temperature is decreasing, it seems that the my health crisis is
over. I hope tomorrow will be better.
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Nov 14, 2010 07:00 PM Fever!!!!!
It is not my habit to complain for something stupid. But as an active
person I am very unhappy if I cannot work normally. So I write the true: I had a fever in the night, and even stronger during the day.
Dr Celine brought to me some new tablets. It seems that I am the first
victim of the cold cabin on "Marion Dufresne".
Can you imagine: they say that they can do nothing. The ship's installations were designed on this way. In the corridor the temperature is higher than in the cabin - I keep the door open if possible.
I strongly recommend to those of you who plan to sail this route in thefuture to bring an electric heater.
In every cabin they have at least two power outlets 220V, 5A - so 1000 Watt heater will work well and you have a chance to avoid the sick.
But "Marion Dufresne" is sailing onward. At 5 am we felt that ship's machine stopped. My cabin mate took his camera (a big gun!) and went quickly to the upper deck expecting that the whales appeared. Sorry, it was only a drifting buoy left by the fishing boat.
They picked up the garbage and switched the speed to "full ahead" again.
After French breakfast we were watchinginteresting film about elephant
seals (those who make love on the beach). Their weight is imposing (male can weight till 5 tons and female till 900 kgs. But even more
interesting is that they can dive 1600 m deep, and to swim up to 2500 kms during one journey!
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Nov 13, 2010 07:00 PM Sailing through the "Roaring Forties"
That's how the sailors call the latitudes from 40 degrees south. They have very bad opinion regarding strong winds and bad weather conditions. Nobody goes there unless forced. We go tothe Kerguelen Archipelago now - it is 1420 kms from Crozet to Kerguelen. Can you imagine? It is like crossing Europe
end to end! Captain estimated that we will need 2 days and 3 nights to reach Kerguelen, assuming that we will sail with a speed of 14 knots (standard for our ship). Since our departure from Reunion 8 days we met only one ship. Waves are high today, like the ones I experienced sailing out of the Bouvet Island. Believe me - writing this message I am wondering sliding with my chair around the cabin, according to the strong rolling of the ship. You need one hand to keep the table, and then you can use the second to write. Some of us do not come for the meals. Those who are sea-sick resistant have to act in the mess like in the circus - not to find their meal on the floor. If you slide with your chair on the floor it is better to leave you plate on the table... That's the ocean.
Do you still keep your fingers crossed for me? It is cold in the cabins and that's probably why I have a problem with my throat. But our ship' doctor Celine (what the eyes she has!) said that is nothingserious and gave me citron tablets to chew. She said also that the low temperatures in the cabins are observed on each voyage. So be prepared! This is not a cruise ship!
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Nov 12, 2010 07:00 PM Scientific Base Alfred Faure - Crozet
I had a chance to visit the base. 45 friendly people (French nationals only) work here in the summer, but only 22 during the harsh winter.
Marianna is at the moment the head person
(I was calling her Marianna - the Princess of
Crozet ? ) They have a little hospital and a doctor (not much work - he said). Boutique or the shop (souvenir T-shirts with penguins on sale) and the post office where they offer a lot of stamps, postcards, envelopes etc. Some
6 % of the total TAAF budget comes from the philately. I was impressed by the little catholic chapel - very nice inside, but can accommodate only 5 persons at a time. It is named Our Lady of the Birds. At 4 pm in the strong
wind (prognosis: 100 km/hour) "Marion Dufresne" set sails (or rather the
motors) to the east. Just 10 miles away we passed second-large island of the Crozet archipelago: Eastern Island. I must tell you that it is even nicer regarding the landscape then Possession Island. It remind me a ruined castle
rising from the sea. When we were sailing along its southern coast I took some nice pictures. And then. When we sailed out from the protecting island "Marion" experienced high swell of the sea. It was hard night for all of us.
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Nov 11, 2010 07:00 PM They make love just on the beach!
Tourist do not have priority on this ship - it is supply vessel sailing south to bring scientists and all they need to work in this remote region. In the morning we unloaded people and stuff in Laperouse Bay on the southern coast.
Before the clouds covered mountains I saw the highest peak on the island: sharp Pic du Mascarin - it has 934 m. They say that it is possible to climb it from the base (it takes 3 hours eachway). Then along the southern coast we sailed back to the base. Helicopter took us to the American Bay on the NE coast. Scientists have there little shelter accommodating 4 people. King penguins and seals are wondering around.
American Bay or BUS - like they say here - took the name from American sealers which worked here during few seasons in the early 20th century. We saw the foundations of their houses - but it is nothing special. Then we crossed a river (rubber boots are necessary) and took a walk up to the bottom of the Morne Rouge hill. Skuas, giant petrel and rockhopper penguins were on our way. But the biggest attraction was view in the La Petite Manchotiere - another king penguin colony. Penguins share the beach with giant elephant seals. And elephant seals were just making love in front of them. And I do not think they were ashamed!
Rain started when we returned to BUS and the evacuation to the ship by helicopter was rather dramatic - Pascal, our master-pilot decided to fly just over the surface of the water around the island.
Now it is the time to dry all stuff - they have free dryer on our deck.
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