Sadly, our long voyage on the Orion had to end. We sailed back into Ushuaia overnight in a gale so bad we had to retreat from the harbour after a few failed attempts to dock, and wait for calmer weather in the morning. So, reviewing our experience on the Orion as an expedition vessel...
The Expedition Staff
What a team! Shaun Powell is so smooth, so competent. We have no-one to compare him with, but we simply cannot imagine a better expedition leader. He is all of knowledgeable, enthusiastic, energetic, flexible and diplomatic. He dealt with weather, tides and ice to vary the program on a moment's notice to take advantage of any opportunity for a new experience.
Shaun PowellShaun's offsider Johanna Werminghausen was a fabulous contributor to the expedition. She seemed to get all the dirty work dealing with the punters and their boots while Shaun was out scouting exciting new landing locations.
Joahnna WerminghausenTom Ritchie, a staff naturalist who has been with Lindblad for 40 years, was the resident guru. He is the goto man for any question. He was full of dry humour, and his many presentations were always a relevation. On land, he was the man to stand beside for insightful commentary.
Tom RitchieDoug Gould, top bird expert and great photographer, was always fun and helpful. He knows every bird by name, and has photographed them all. We understand Doug is leading the Orion's next expedition.
Doug GouldMarieke and Steve Egan, naturalists who taught us more about birds and whales than we ever thought we'd need to know. Steve, at heart a laconic Aussie, lives in Broome with his action-wife Marieke, who thrives on a few unexpected thrills and near spills in the outings.
Marieke Egan
Steve EganRobert Alexander and Erin McFadden are the dive team on the Orion, and thrilled us with brilliant movies of their underwater exploits in almost every place we stopped in these freezing waters. Erin, a Scottish lass, is a brilliant undersea specialist, and her symbiotic (and vital) close partnership with Robert (a firefighter in Hawaii, in his day job) was apparent for us all to see.
Robert Alexander
Erin McFaddenThe whole expedition was touted by Lindblad as a great photography opportunity. Indeed it was, and an extended workshop too. The photography team was Dan Westergren (National Geographic, brilliant at composition and light), Ian Strachan (a photo instructor, so helpful on getting composition and settings right, with a hilarious presentation on the mating habits of zodiacs) and James Napoli (the video chronicler - amazing what he can put together so quickly). We were given a professionally finished DVD of the entire expedition before the Orion had pulled into Ushuaia.
Dan Westergren
Ian Strachan
James Napoli
All hands on deck for a wet landing!The Deck and Engineering Crew
Orion Captain Martin Graser is the most personable skipper imaginable. He cheerfully gave us a navigation or seamanship lesson every time we were on the bridge. He or his navigator showed us where we were on the charts or the instruments, and told us what the issues ahead were. He was delightful company in the dining room, where he often took a meal with his girlfriend Dorothee, and he frequently spoke to all passengers in the lounge. Martin and Dorothee participated in many passenger activities, particularly the zodiac excursions.
Captain Martin GraserWe met many of the crew. Whoever was on duty in the bridge followed the Captain's lead and welcomed all visitors at any time. Apart from the officers, the only crew members we really came across were the able bodied seaman who often piloted the zodiacs and helped us in and out of them from the transom. Unfailingly, they were all polite, friendly and very helpful. All members of the Orion's crew have obviously been drilled in customer relations.
The Hotel Crew
Ian Vella was the manager of the large (mostly Philippine) Orion hotel team, which included Lothar Greiner, the head chef, the galley crew and the restaurant and bar staff, not to mention the cabin attendants, including ours, Melvin. These folk are too many to mention by name, but like the deck crew, they were all so attentive, courteous, friendly, well-trained and just fabulous. Just no grounds for even the slightest criticism here.
This is probably true of all luxury holidays, but the Orion's food was both extraordinary and copious. The real challenge is to manage your consumption. We hope we did that pretty well, by skipping some meals altogether, and avoiding delicious and frequent between meal snacks.
There was also Kathrina Victoria the purser and her offsider, Rowan (a Zetland lad) and Kim, the wellness lady from Bulli who unfortunately broke her wrist in a zodiac incident and had to fly back home from Ushuaia - all great company aboard the Orion.
The Passengers
It goes without saying that the passengers on this expensive expedition vessel were well-to-do, and that was visibly so, but for some at least, this trip was a major budgetary expense. Apart from being wealthy, we thought our co-passengers were generally well-educated, friendly and open, well-connected, enthusiastic, committed to the environment, energetic and intrepid. This last characteristic because virtually everyone on the boat, including the older and frailer, cheerfully fronted up for the most difficult excursions.
Most passangers were in "couples", although there were quite a few singles. There were only a few instances of small groups travelling, and even these were only 2 or 3 couples who knew each other. Accordingly, there were few cliques at the start, and they didn't form. We adopted a "sit with anyone" strategy in the lounge and in the dining room, and we reckon we've chatted with just about every passenger at some stage.
Many passengers were retired, but equally, many were still working. We discovered a wide range of professions, lawyers, professors, pilots, librarians, engineers, and even a nuclear power plant operator! There was a wide range of ages from 30's up to 80's.
Most passengers were from the USA, with 11 from Australia, and 4 British people living in Kenya - no-one else. The Americans and indeed the Australians were from all over. We enjoyed talking to them all! Usually, we have the most arduous journey home, but this time we will enjoy a long but direct flight to Sydney from Santiago. Others have complicated itineraries lasting up to 40 hours with multiple connections and long layovers.
Health
Dr Joe Rizzi looked after the health of everyone on board. He didn't have too much to do, and we saw him frequently looking after his own fitness on the treadmill. He was on duty for the Polar Plunge, but wasn't needed. The main problem was a few upset tummies early in the trip (the welcome reception or the catamaran cruise in the Beagle Passage suspected), and some motion sickness, not to mention Kim's wrist. Most passengers seemed to be well prepared for sea-sickness with ginger tablets, medication and behind the ear patches. The crossing of the Drake Passage was thankfully pacific, and allowed most of us to earn our sea legs. By the time we encountered really rough seas, between South Georgia and the Falklands, we were all pretty well sea-worthy!
A lot of people on board Orion seemed to have coughs and colds, but fortunately we didn't succumb to these ills at any time. Hand sanitizer dispensers were all over the vessel - we used them liberally, which may have helped.
The Ice
It's like Uluru! No photos, no description can prepare you for the sight of those tabular icebergs in the Weddell Sea. Or the feeling of motoring through a field of pack ice on the other side of the Antarctic Peninsula. Someone commented that these were the only times that we all went quiet! So unbelieveably awesome.
IceThe Wildlife
To see a blue whale close-up is a fabulous experience, but it's matched by the sight of 300,000 penguins. You have to go to South Georgia for these wildlife thrills - that incredible island was the unexpected diamond in our expedition itinerary. Or the Falklands for 100,000 albatross.
WildlifeWe had a few hours to enjoy Ushuaia under our own steam. Some guests headed straight for the Stern jewellery store, but we thought the highlight of this town was the Maritime Museum. It's located in the star-shaped old jail for intractable criminals, Ushuaia's previous main reason for being, until President Peron closed it. We learned about the Yamanas, a local tribe of Amerindians who appeared to live in canoes - they had strong upper bodies but emaciated legs - and were completely wiped out by European diseases.
Yamana couple and canoe, in the Maritime Museum.
Reconstructed cell at Ushuaia Prison.
Unreconstructed cell block at Ushuaia Prison.The town itself sports all the characteristics of a tourist haven - backpacker accommodation, cheap souvenir shops and lots of kiosks selling tours. Lindblad (bless them) had arranged access to a cafe in the Metropole Hotel, where we could get free coffee and snacks, whilst awaiting our bus to the airport for the Lindblad charter flight to Santiago.
Hotel Albatros in Ushuaia.
The pier in Ushuaia Harbour is full, cargo and expedition ships.Ushuaia's airport confirmed our earlier impression as being possibly the worst we have ever encountered. It's got a very new and good looking terminal, but the procedure for exiting Argentina was horrendous - a one hour queue with the manual inputting of the same passport data as when we arrived, as well as compulsory photographing and fingerprinting again. Through a glass panel, we could see the arriving Lindblad charter flight passengers going through the same arrival formality agony as we had three weeks ago.
Only 6 of us were scheduled to take the Lindblad Easter Island extension tour, so, on arrival at Santiago we farewelled the almost 100 other Orion passengers. A Lindblad agent helpfully escorted us 6 to the airport Holiday Inn Express which was, most conveniently, only one pedestrian crossing away from the arrivals area and baggage claim. We stayed here the night, for our outgoing flight the next day.
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