Los Gatos couple returns from Antarctica

Whether you're an armchair traveler or planning a trip, our intrepid readers have plenty of travel ideas to share. They have explored Lisbon and the Azorestook a A polar bear dives in Antarctica and I did the cinematic thing in Los Angeles. Now they share their adventures and travel tips with us.

This week we hear from a couple from Los Gatos who traveled south for some frosty adventures. Read on for more details, then find more travel inspiration at www.mercurynews.com/tag/wish-you-were-here/.

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ANTARCTIC: In February, Los Gatos residents Carol and Jim Graham took an 18-day trip from Argentina to Antarctica, which included landings on the Falkland Islands, South Georgia Island, the Orkney Islands of South and several stops, Jim says, “on the present-day Antarctic continent. It was spectacular and impressive to be on the only (almost) unoccupied continent in the world. The transfer to the different landings was done by Zodiac, and you quickly
understand why waterproof gear is essential! We saw penguin colonies with thousands of penguins on the shore, whales, seals and an albatross with a 10 foot wingspan! »

It's a long drive – more than 20 hours of travel from the Bay Area – but “overall, it was a once-in-a-lifetime event, an incredible adventure filled with spectacular scenery, views of rare wildlife, absolutely spectacular. »

TRAVEL TIPS: “Don’t overload your luggage. A water-wicking base layer and a lightweight overcoat work great. But make sure your gloves are waterproof! The cruise line provides you with boots, pants and gives you a very nice two-layer parka to keep. Temperatures were between 24 and 33 degrees, Jim said, and travelers should prepare for rough seas, especially in the Drake Passage. “As ocean sailors, this was no problem for us,” he says, “but some days the dining room was pretty empty! If you are susceptible to motion sickness, bring “seasickness patches” behind your ear.