Antarctic Trip, December 26, 2019 to January 3, 2020, 南极之旅, 2019年12月26日至2020年1月3日

Antarctica, the southernmost continent and site of the South Pole, was very mysterious to us, but after this trip, it becomes so ordinary: it just has a lot of glamorous scenery, snow and ice for thousands of years, countless penguins and seals, and giant whales. This is because going to Antarctica is no longer expedition, thanks to the heroic explorers who have paved the way for people like us to a once-challenging place, making it yet another tourist destination.

We joined in a group tour for Antarctica during the Christmas and New Years holidays. Because Antarctica is close to Punta Arenas, the southernmost city of Chile, we flew to Santiago by LATAM airline first, then took a bus to Punta Arenas, from where we flew to Antarctica. We arrived two days early, in order to tour several famous Chilean cities, Valparaiso, the capital Santiago, the beach cities Vina Del Mar and Punta Arenas before going to Antarctic excursion. Valparaiso is where the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda used to live. In its center city, next to Plaza Sotomayor is a very artistic street with graffiti on both sides of wall. Santiago is the cultural, political and financial center of Chile, and it is very modern. Vina del Mar is a beautiful coastal city, featuring blue sky and white clouds, fresh air, and street performers everywhere.

Punta Arenas is the southernmost port of Chile, from where tourists could take flight or cruise to Antarctica. After arriving at Punta Arenas, for safety reason we had to postpone our flight to Antarctica for a day due to strong winds. This extra day gave us more time to explore Punta Arenas.

南极洲，最南端的大陆和南极点，对我们来说曾经非常神秘，但在这次旅行之后，它对我们来说已经如此普通：它只是有很多魅力四射的景色、千年的冰雪、无数的企鹅和海豹，还有巨大的鲸鱼。 这是因为现在去南极洲已经不再是探险了。这要感谢那些英勇的探险家，他们为像我们这样的人开辟了通往曾经充满挑战的地方的道路，使之成为又一个旅游胜地。

在圣诞节和新年假期期间，我们参加了南极洲的团体旅游。 因为南极靠近智利最南部城市蓬塔阿雷纳斯 (Punta Arenas)，所以我们先坐LATAM航空公司飞往智利的圣地亚哥，再乘大巴到蓬塔阿雷纳斯，从那前往南极洲。 我们提前两天到达, 为的是在去南极以前顺道在智利的几个著名的城市瓦尔帕莱索(Valparaiso)，首都圣地亚哥 （Santiago)，海滩城市比纳德尔马（Vina Del Mar）和蓬塔阿雷纳斯游览。 瓦尔帕莱索是个港口城市，智利诗人巴勃罗·聂鲁达居住地。在市中心索托马约尔广场 (Plaza Sotomayor) 旁边有非常富有艺术气息的街道，街道两边的墙壁上满是涂鸦。 圣地亚哥是智利文化和政治金融中心, 非常现代化。 比纳德尔马是座美丽的海滨城市，蓝天白云，空气清新，街头艺人随处可见。

蓬塔阿雷纳斯是智利最南端的港口，游客可以从这里乘飞机或乘船前往南极洲。我们到达蓬塔后，因为风大，安全起见我们推迟了一天飞往南极。 这额外的一天让我们有更多时间游览蓬塔阿雷纳斯。

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After an anxious day of waiting, the weather finally turned. We boarded the plane in the afternoon and arrived at Chilean base in Antarctica in less than an hour. When we arrived, it was sunset time (pitifully, no sun). The sky was cloudy, and the temperature was well below 15 degrees Fahrenheit. After getting off the plane, we walked about 1.5 miles from the base to Port Lockroy. The port had boxes-like buildings above ground, which looked like a pavilion in the air, surrounded by mountains, clouds and mist, with heavy ice and snow. From the port we board the cruise ship Ocean Nova.

Over the next 5 days, we stopped by different places including the Antarctic Peninsula, Paradise Harbor, and dramatic icebergs, and watched amazing wildlife. The temperature in Antarctica is always low, and the weather is unpredictable. It was cloudy most of the time with snowing intermittently and sun shining occasionally. The reflection of the snow irritated people unable to open their eyes. Luckily we were outfitted with weatherproof clothing and coats, boots, gloves and sunglasses, and the weather didn’t stop us from climbing snow-covered mountains, paddling on the ocean, enjoying watching the lumbering penguins, lazy seals and vigilant whales. Sometimes the scenery was so attractive that I forgot taking pictures, but that scene would stay in my mind forever.

焦急地等待一天后，天气终于转好，我们在下午登上飞机，不到一个小时就到达了南极洲的智利基地。 到达时已是日落时分（只是见不到太阳)，眼前群山是一片云雾缭绕，温度远低于华氏15度。下了飞机， 我们从基地步行约 1.5 英里到达洛克罗伊港（Port Lockroy)。到了那里真有四山雉堞绕云雾，半空楼阁摇玲珑的感觉，只是这里是冰天雪地。 从港口我们登上游轮 Ocean Nova，开始真正的南极之行。

在接下来的 5 天里，我们游览了不同的地方， 包括南极半岛、天堂港、引人注目的冰山，见识了令人惊叹的野生动物。南极之地温度一直很低，天气变幻莫测。 大部分时间多云，间隙性地下雪，阳光只是偶尔露一下，雪的反光让人睁不开眼。好在我们配备了防风雨的衣服和外套、靴子、手套和太阳镜，天气没有影响我们爬雪覆盖的山脉，在海洋上划船，欣赏笨拙的企鹅，懒散的海豹和警惕的鲸鱼。 有时侯风景夺人心弦，忘且了摄影，但那一幕却永驻脑海。

On New Year’s Eve, several brave members jumped into the sea to start the New Year’s celebration. While I didn’t jump into the ocean, I shared their joy in the coldest place of the world.

新年前夕，几位勇敢的团员跳入大海，开始了新年的庆祝活动。 虽然我没有跳，但我还是在这个世界上最寒冷的地方分享了他们的快乐。