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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............ 
Mar 17, 2006 07:00 PM Access to Inaccessible Island
Tristan da Cunha is archipelago of 3 islands. But only the main one has
settlement. You need a permit from administrator and you are obliged to
take local guides to visit Nachtingale and Inaccessible islands.
Nachtingale, where we landed in the morning has interesting landscape
due to the presence of two little islets located at its coast. Fur seals
were waiting there for us. From the landing place on the rocks (it was
dry landing) steep, muddy path climbs to the plateau. It is most
difficult part of the trail ? the guides installed there ropes to make
the access easier. In the 1,5 m high tassac grass there is a lot of
nests of wandering albatrosses with big, funny chickens on them. I took
there a lot of pictures. The left branch of the bath took us to the
colony of Rockhopper penguins. I saw them for the first time and I was
very sorry to spend there only 10 minutes or so? It was like a run
through the island?
In the afternoon we moved to the Inaccessible Island (what a name!).
From the distance it reminds the castle rising from the sea. With a help
of ours local guides we found at the bottom of the cliff little stone
beach suitable for short landing. There was high but diminished
waterfall with seal?s puppies playing in the pool at the bottom. We
found also rare bird ? the rail living only on Inaccessible Island. The
access to the interior of Inaccessible Island was not possible?
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Mar 16, 2006 07:00 PM Tristan da Cunha ? the most remote?
Only 274 people live on this little island located in the middle of
South Atlantic. In fact it is 2-km high sleeping volcano with a little
plateau on the northwestern side ? the only settlement is located there.
The landscape of high, green and steep slopes is beautiful? It was warm
and sunny when we landed at 2 pm. Just above the miniature port I saw
big sign: ?Welcome to the most remote island?. Is Tristan the most
remote or maybe it is Pitcairn where I have been few years ago?
Supply ship is coming to Tristan 6 times per year.- it collects the
crayfish ? the main source of income of this small society. There are
two tiny churches ( but no priests), public hall, pub and the post
office. Sorry, no internet facility to check my e-mail box via webmail.
People are little shy, they speak strange dialect of English. 40 cars
but only 6 km of road. They have free education and health service
(there is even a doctor). I was climbing little volcano erupted in
1961-62 for the nice view of lava flows going to the ocean and for the
panorama of the high cliffs. One more exotic place on earth to my
collection?
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Mar 15, 2006 07:00 PM Land on the horizon!
End of the storm? After six days at sea we finally saw today a piece of
land on the horizon. It was Gough Island. Due to the lush vegetation and
thousands seabirds nesting there UNESCO put the island on the World
Heritage list. But landings are not allowed. There is only South Africa
Weather Station where 10 people work from September to September.
According to the program we should arrive to Gough today in the morning.
But we reached it at 3 pm. According to the program we should board our
zodiacs and make a cruise along the coast enjoying the scenery. But it
is too late. So the ship will only pass along the eastern coast of the
island and? we can delete the next position from the program of the
expedition? Bad luck! ? or bad planning...
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Mar 14, 2006 07:00 PM Only the lonely 'Maryshev' in the ocean?
Storm. Since 12 days we didn't see in the ocean any other ship. Very
limited number of commercial vessels sails to the deep South Atlantic.
Lack of info. Some of my wealthy fellows have private satellite phones
with them, so every evening they can check what is going in New York or
San Francisco. I am feeling isolated from the rest of the world: no TV,
no printed news, no radio? I think it is good idea to take for such a
expedition with many days at sea miniature shortwave radio. I left my at
home. Pity!
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Mar 13, 2006 07:00 PM Empty horizon?
One more sleepless night. We are still rolling on the high waves. In the
dining room they use wet table clothes to avoid permanent movement of
the plates and other stuff. But it does not help much. Sometimes I am
finding cornflakes in the orange juice or cheese sprayed by jam. The
Russian crew is doing its best. I like them - they are hearty, open
people always ready for the joke. All of us are tired due to this stormy
weather. It is difficult to smile after third sleepless night. But we
try anyway?
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Mar 12, 2006 07:00 PM Through the rough Southern Ocean...
Second day at sea to Gough Island. Few people slept last night. The ocean is extremely rough. The walls of water are
virtually exploding under the bow, generating "fountains" as high as the bridge. At least I found in our expedition two
people travelling my style. Jeff from California and Michael from Geneva. They also organize their voyages on their own,
travelling alone to the remote destinations, crosing overland exotic continents. It was so nice and surprising to find that
Jeff and me stayed in the same hostel in Bukhara/Uzbekistan. Small world... Three of us are ready to visit Tibesti if the
situation will be stable. So our next meeting could be on Sahara.
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Mar 11, 2006 07:00 PM Thousand miles to Gough Island...
The ocean is showing his power. We are sailing against strong wind. The bow is jumping up and down. Limited visibility due
to the heavy fog. With both motors on we can afford only the half of usuall speed -5,5 knots. We gain about 10 hours
departing from Bouvet in the morning instead in the evening. But the boss says that on the next place - Gough Island we will
have only 3 hours for the cruise along the coast. I am not sure if this expedition is reliably planed: after 5 days at sea
they offer only 3 hours for the visit of the island!?
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Mar 10, 2006 07:00 PM Bouvet Island - fur seals are surprised
At 6 am the first shines of rising sun put delicate rose color on the snowy peaks of Buvet. In the icy-cold wind I went to
the terrace over the bridge to take pictures. 10 minutes later I jumped into the zodiac dancing on the high waves. Only 11
people decided to try to land ashore for the second time. We approached the little beach west of Cape Valdivia. Then we were
waiting about half an hour for the better wind. No chance! First zodiac on the beach. Hurry! Jump into icy-cold water!.
Ufff! I am already on the little stones covering dark sand. In te distance of 3-4 m few families of fur seals is watching
me - they are so surprised! Did they ever see any man on their beach??
So, I finally landed on this remote island in cold Antarctica. It is satisfaction, but I decided to take the risk of landing
with a hope for the good pictures of the coast and the wildlife. Few people had opportunity to take them. Hurry up!
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Mar 09, 2006 07:00 PM The most remote island...
Located 2600 km from Cape Town Bouvet Island seems to be one of the most isolated islands on the globe... Early wake-up and
run to the bridge. Here it is: lonely rock on the horizon covered by snow cap with some icebergs floating around. It is
sunny weather - we are lucky! At 10.30 am we droped anchor at Norsoya - opposite to the little plateau where Norvegians put
container used by their expeditions. After an hour all zodiacs (we have 5 of them) were on the water and we were sailing one
by one to the coast. Only three of them took a risk of landing on he narrow beach full of the fur seals. My zodiac - the
fourth - was crusing along the coast for about 40 minutes waiting for the opportunity to land. Sorry! The leader decided to
stop further landings due to the increasing wind. Those of you who have zodiac experience know that if the wind is against
it is much more difficult to go back from the shore then to land... They used long rope and another tug-zodiac to pull-off
wet explorers back to the open sea.
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Mar 08, 2006 07:00 PM Dancing on the waves
South Atlantic - third day at sea. Huge icebergs floating in the navy-blue ocean. We saw albatrosses and dolphins in the
morning - they are fast and it is not easy to photograph them. The waves are still high and the temperature onboard is
rising: we are more and more excited. Tomorrow the ship will finally reach Bouvet Island. How will be the weather? Shall we
land or not?
We have quite large group of TCC members. On their list Bouvet is recognized as separate country or territory. If they will
land, they will gain an extra point!
We had a lecture about Bouvet. The island has only 49 sq.km of land but the glaciers cover 93 percent. Rocky cliffs up to
500 m high and glaciers reduce access to the coast. Bouvet usually is cloaked in clouds or thick fog. 20 passengers (but not
me) want to be in the first zodiac. The leader announced: there will be a lottery!
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