Going to Antarctica Dec 7 2104

ShelleyM

Hi--

I know it is a long time away but wondering if any of you are going and would be interested in going to Iguazu Falls first?

rhodyman

How ironic, I will be on the December 7, 2014 Tauck Antarctica Trip and spent nearly a week at Iguazu Falls in 2013. My wife and I did 2 days in Buenos Aires before Iguazu and 2 days in Rio after Iguazu. This time I am going to Easter Island before the Antarctica Trip rather than Buenos Aires and joining Tauck in Ushuaia. Here is our Iguazu/Iguassu itinerary:

We stayed at Hotel Das Cataratas on the Brazillian side and did all excursions from there. It is nice since it is a true classic hotel and also you can hike from the hotel down to the falls, even each evening when the park is closed since the Hotel is in the park.

Day 1: Toured Brazillian side of the falls
Day 2: Toured Argentine side of the falls and Guir Oga Animal Sanctuary.
Day 3: Spent day jewelry shopping and hiking using the free in-park bus service.
Day 4: Toured Jesuit Ruins and precious gem mine and shop in Argentina
Day 5: Visited Guarani native people in Aldea Indigena Mborere

We arranged all day trips through our travel agent before we went everything worked out great.

Steve in Pennsylvania

ShelleyM

Hi Steve in PA!

Thanks for getting back to me. Sounds like you had a great trip to the falls--I appreciate all the details. Looking forward to meeting you and your wife on what sounds like an amazing trip to Antarctica.

Best,
Shelley in CA

rhodyman

Since we are in PA and have been in the Polar Vortex this winter, I am using this weather to assemble and test clothing that I can easily pack for Antarctica. I started with their recommended list and got the Muck knee boots they recommend. It turns out that everybody that rides or works with horses knows all about Muck boots and they are easy to find. They fit my legs fairly snugly so I made sure my sox, long johns, and pants were all compatible. We are having great sales on ski clothing so I am able to take advantage of that. I had to get some new stuff since some of mine was cotton and very slow drying. Also, I needed to get glove-mittens that would work with my camera. I have been looking forward to all of our snow storms so I can test the gear while I am shoveling.

I have been checking maps and I don't think our tour goes below the Antarctic Circle. I did some research on the climate. There is a small British Station at Port Lockroy. Their December temperature averages +31F but can range from -3F to +71F. The average wind is 10-15 mph. They get about 32 inches water equivalent of precipitation each year. Tauck says to pack for +20F temperatures. So I guess it is best to be flexible for almost anything.

Steve in PA