After all of the excitement from the previous days, we were ready for a day to relax. However, Drake had other plans for us. I woke up in the middle of the night to rolling waves and a deep shuddering. The shuddering was so intense I thought I was going to vibrate right out of the bed. I don’t normally get sea sick and I had taken Meclizine tablets in preparation the night before, but despite my best efforts I woke up feeling like I was going to be sick.
For about an hour I had bounced back and forth between thinking that I was going to throw up and then reminding myself that I was going to be fine. After that hour, I finally decided to wake Andy up to get one of his motion sickness patches. Once I had that, I started to feel better pretty quickly and was able to fall back asleep.
The expedition team had some activities planned for us – and a lot of different lectures that we could attend during the day. We watched a few from our room and then went to the buffet for lunch since it was on a lower floor. (We were hoping it would make the motion sickness better). But as we sat near the window, we saw just how big the swells were – we later found out that they were about 25-28 feet. It’s really hard to do these waves justice in pictures/videos, but I assure you they were bad!
We were grateful that we didn’t have the Drake Shake both ways, because it really put a damper on the morale of the ship because so many people were sick.
We made the best of it though, and we attended a Bridge tour. We’ve done a handful of cruises in the past, and this was our first time being able to see what it looked like. The crew were incredible – they actually allowed me to pretend to be the captain and use their binoculars. It was really cool and a lot different than I thought it would be.
After that, we attended the Officer Q&A, which was pretty fun to hear the different questions and answers. I naturally wanted to understand how the restocking process works since we don’t stop at any ports. Come to find out that they only restock once a month for non-perishable items, and then restock each time they dock in Ushuaia with the perishable items. The hospitality manager said that we had let her down when it came to the amount of beer and wine we had drank during that cruise, and we had more left than she thought we would have. (We all saw this as a challenge, naturally! 😂)
Most people weren’t feeling their best, and so most of the sessions were pretty quiet. The crew let us know to expect similar conditions the next day, which none of us were thrilled to hear.
Shockingly, it was another relatively smooth day on Drake Passage. Some guests didn’t feel great from the waves, Andy didn’t feel 100% so took it a bit easier than normal. It was another ship day, so we spent more time exploring the ship and sitting in different lectures.
We had to attend a mandatory IAATO briefing that let us know what we could/could not do Antarctica. I’d like to say that it was common sense, but I have learned common sense isn’t so common anymore. 😅 For example, how far away you should stay from penguins (15 feet) and other wildlife, leave no trace, how many tourists can be on land at one time, etc. In order to get off the ship you had to attend this briefing.
Our expedition director
Part of the IAATO treaty was also making sure that you vacuumed out all of your outside layer for any foreign objects. So we also made sure to vacuum all of our hats, mittens, snow pants, backpack, etc. that could leave any material behind. They had stations set up around the ship so we could all do our part in not bringing in any invasive materials.
On different cruise lines, they are known for their entertainment, food, activities, etc. HX is an expedition company, so they are very focused on educational programs, which was great for us to learn more about Antarctica!
We were told that we would be sailing into the Antarctic Convergence. What is that you ask? The Antarctic Convergence Zone is where the cold waters from Antarctica meet the warmer waters from the sub-Antarctic. This creates a super productive area in the ocean, full of nutrients that support tons of wildlife like krill, penguins, seals, and whales. It’s also known for its wild conditions: strong currents, frequent storms, and rough seas. Basically it’s a cold and stormy region that lets you know that you are nearing Antarctica!
Regardless of the cold, we hopped back into the hot tub again. It was pretty funny how much difference a day can make!
By early evening, we started to see our first icebergs – which got. us very excited!
After departing Ushuaia, we were heading straight for the Drake Passage en route to Antarctica. The Drake Passage is the body of water between the southern tip of South America (Cape Horn) and Antarctica, connecting the South Pacific and South Atlantic Oceans. It’s known for its rough seas and unpredictable weather: strong winds, large waves, and frequent storms, which make it one of the most treacherous routes in the world.
This was the only part of the trip that scared me – I had seen so many videos on social media of giant waves rocking the ship violently, and following other people’s journey and knowing how seasick they felt on the passage.
Thankfully, we both felt fine and had learned from previous cruises what worked for us. Andy had patches that he wears behind his ears and I use Meclizine to combat seasickness. Others on the trip complained about not feeling well, which really sucked for a lot of people. However, we were blessed with relatively calm waters (all things considered).
We spent some time exploring the ship that day – it was still relatively warm. We were one of the only couples out in the hot tubs! It was pretty funny to watch people walk by all bundled up and both of us were in our bathing suits!
This ship also has a wonderful sauna that has a panoramic view to the water, which is definitely a highlight! (Andy loves it – I can’t sit in there for more than 5 minutes at a time).
It also comes equipped with a science center, which is pretty cool. There’s a variety of skeletons and different displays that show the difference in the animals found in Antarctica. They also have quite a few microscopes set up – each day we are in Antarctica they will be sending out science boats that are optional. I’m sure that’s where the microscopes will come in handy!
The HX team kept us busy – we had picked up our jackets the day before and now we needed to get fitted for our expedition boots. Unlike the jacket, these boots would have to be returned at the end of our cruise. However, they are required for all of our landings and zodiac trips during the cruise. We were also assigned our groups – how HX would organize our different activities – so we received our animal patches.
Our group is the Snow Petrel, which is an adorable bird. However, I think we were both hoping for something bigger – like an Orca Whale or Humpback. But we will take what we can get!
We rounded out the evening by spending time listening to the ship’s pianist in the Observation Lounge. After some peer pressure, I was able to get a few Millennial favorites: Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys.
We woke up the next morning still tired from the long travel day the day before, but filled with excitement! We were going to make a quick day trip to Uruguay – a new country for us – by high-speed ferry.
I had assumed it would be pretty similar to trains in Europe, where you can show up 20-30 minutes before the train departs and be fine. But before I fell asleep, I had translated our e-tickets and saw a note that we needed to be there two hours before our departure time. Our departure time was at 12:15 – so we needed to get there around 10AM. We realized that it was Christmas in Argentina, and that most businesses were completely shut down.
So we had a beautiful walk in Buenos Aires over to the port to catch our ferry. We quickly realized that the ferry there was more similar to an airport experience. You had to check in – go through security – go through both Argentina’s customs AND Uruguay’s in the same area. Because I’m paranoid, we had plenty of time to get through all of these hoops and hurdles.
Not to mention, I had booked “business” class because it wasn’t that much more than the normal seats. We had no idea what it all included, but we stumbled into the VIP lounge and finally found food and much needed coffee.
Unfortunately for us, our Spanish has become rusty over the years. All of the announcements were in Spanish, so we were relying on the other passengers to understand what was going on. It turns out, our ferry was running over an hour late… and this ferry also could bring cars over. We heard (but can’t confirm this) that there were over 200 hundred cars loaded onto our ferry as well!
What was supposed to be a 2.5-3 hour event in Uruguay – ended up getting more and more delayed. By the time we got to Colonia del Sacramento, we had 20 minutes before we had to check back in with security again. We had planned on having lunch and strolling through the historic district (which is a UNESCO world heritage site), but ended up power walking through the district instead.
The ferry terminal in Colonia del Sacramento was much smaller, and less organized than the one in Buenos Aires. But we made it through the same security/customs we had cleared in BA – and then sat down in a cafeteria area. We had met our first fellow Americans while in line, they were at the end of their trip – we enjoyed sharing different travel stories with one another.
We quickly realized that we were on the same ferry as we traveled over on – and had a good laugh that the crew would see us and wonder what we were doing back so soon. (Only one woman noticed us – and we had shared a knowing smile).
This time the ferry was on time – there were far fewer cars that needed to be loaded on this leg of the trip. If you’re in the area, I’d highly recommend traveling with BuqueBus – it’s allegedly the fastest ferry in the area, but I’m sure other providers are good too.
Once we made it back to BA – we started our search for restaurants that were starting to open up. I had read that most things were closed on Christmas, but if they were going to open it would be around 6 or 7 and only for the dinner service. We found a burger joint – we resisted the temptation of the Hard Rock Cafe and found a local spot instead.
After dinner, we made our way back to the hotel to relax. The next two days would be pretty low-key as Andy was working remotely. I’m going to provide a quick highlight of our time in BA below!
Buenos Aires highlights: – Puerto Madero: a vibrant and upscale neighborhood, known for its stunning waterfront views and fun dining and entertainment options. It was originally an old port district, it has undergone a dramatic transformation into a trendy hub, featuring luxurious hotels, stylish restaurants, and high-end office buildings. – Puente de la Mujer (Bridge of the Woman) is another famous landmark, a pedestrian bridge that is shaped like a sailboat. -Lots of shopping and restaurants near the hotel. We ate dinner at a few – interestingly enough there were a ton of Italian restaurants (of course in addition to all of the Argentinean steakhouses). – Tango shows: we didn’t have enough time to do one of these, but I did a lot of research and wish we could have made it work!
We had another early start this day – there would be a lot of driving! We were set to see some desert castles and then head to the Dead Sea in the afternoon. We hadn’t really looked up too much about the castles ahead of time, but we were sure they were going to be pretty cool.
The first stop was in the middle of nowhere. It was one of the only structures in the area. They believe the structure was to have been built in 718 AD – and what it was used for was up for debate. But you could see that there was a central courtyard and there used to be balconies facing the interior. The thought was it could have been a stopping point for the camel caravans.
From there, we made our way to a bathhouse that is a UNSECO world heritage site (Quseir Amra). When we pulled up, it felt like something that inspired Star Wars with its rounded roof. Inside, there were beautiful murals all around. It also served as a hunting pavilion – you would see the connection in some of the murals.
The last castle we visited was one of Lawrence of Arabia’s strongholds. This one had been in pretty bad shape and had been restored. It was made of black stone – and you could tell it had been put back together. Things felt a little, well shaky? And some of the areas had holes in the roof so if you didn’t watch your step you could fall through!
Carved into the floor was the game Mancala. A small earthquake would take this whole place down- thinking like a Californian…
Our favorite part was the doors to the main entrance is composed of a single massive hinged slab of granite weighing roughly 3 tons, was hinged with palm oil, it was created in a way that was hard to enter, which slowed down would be attackers, so they could pour hot oil from above. The doors would basically close after you entered, quite a cool aspect of this castle considering they still worked. We had fun trying to open them because it took a lot of effort!
Smarter with just one door?Or an attempt at brawn?Thanks for coming to my crib!Who entered faster?!
We haven’t seen Lawrence of Arabia, but we did leave feeling inspired to watch it now knowing it was based on a true story!
After this last castle we boarded the bus to make our way to the Dead Sea – we were about 2+ hours away now. Our tour group paid for day passes at one of the Dead Sea resorts. It was a beautiful resort! We wish we could have stayed there for a night. (And would highly recommend that area if you are making your way to Jordan!)
Once we got there, we had lunch before changing up to head down to the water. As soon as we got down there I made a bee line for the water. It wasn’t super warm, but this was a once in a lifetime opportunity! Others from our group were already in the water and they said to just sit back and then you’d float.
Standing on the East bank of the Dead SeaWe lucked out with the weather, it was a quite decent day!
And sure enough, that’s exactly what happened! I just leaned back and my feet popped up from underneath me. What an extraordinary experience! Andy stayed on the shore to take a few pictures and videos before joining me.
We climbed out of the water to do a mud bath. The resort we were at offered the mud for free – but knowing I didn’t want to get water in my eyes or mouth I only did half of my face. Also, wasn’t too sure if it would stain my swimsuit so tried to only put on my skin that wasn’t near that.
If you’re heading to the Dead Sea, some words of wisdom. Do not, and I repeat do not get the water in your eyes or your mouth! We heard a few people say how vile it tasted – and I can only imagine how badly it burns. The Dead Sea is 9.6% saltier than the ocean. And what we wished we would have known is that the salt can stain your swimmies – so bring something you don’t care if it gets stained. We rinsed ours off 2-3x and ours were fine!
You can actually see how salty the water is!
We were at the Dead Sea for lunch and floating for about 2-3 hours before we made our way back to Amman. We did make one more stop at a place that gave us a “special” discount for 50% off – but coincidentally we heard them tell 2-3 other groups the same thing. We figured we could likely get something at the airport for cheaper so we skipped.
This was the last day we would see our tour guide and bus driver – we tipped them and then went back to the room. We freshened up at the hotel and packed up as this was our last night in Jordan.
We didn’t want to do the banquet again, so we walked over to our new favorite spot – the Amman International Hotel. Our server from the previous two nights had the night off, so we had a new server. He was great too! Stefan and Nicky joined us – and we had a great final dinner together.
They were off to Petra again at 7 the next morning. And we were getting picked up at 7:30 to head to the airport.
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The next morning, we transferred to the airport with our Canadian friends. They were moving on to Egypt – and we were so excited for them! But once we got to the airport we quickly went separate ways due to flying different airlines. However, the Amman airport was super easy to navigate and we took advantage of the Royal Jordanian lounge access before getting on our plane.
This was a REALLY cool lounge – they had a little coffee shop. A buffet. Two totally different seating areas. It looks like later in the day a dessert place would open AND a pizza place! Definitely a highlight.
Our return flight connected in Chicago vs. JFK. THANK GOD! We didn’t want to deal with that again. There actually was a long line even for Global Entry, but it moved pretty quickly.
There weren’t any lounges – and it was St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago. So the Irish-themed restaurant was busy so we just found another restaurant and sat for a while.
We weren’t thrilled to learn that the tour company booked us with American Airlines, who I had vowed never to fly again (for the second time) in January. Thankfully, we made it home on time and didn’t have any issues at all. I still will avoid them at all costs in the future. Fool me once…
March 9, 2024 – We woke up bright and early to make our way to the airport. I was trying a new approach and decided that I was going to fit everything into a carry on and personal item. This is a feat in itself, because I don’t know how to travel light.
We’ve experienced this with other travel groups, and didn’t want to have to wait for our luggage once we go to Jordan. Unfortunately, there were no direct flights into Amman, so we flew from San Diego into JFK.
Our flight was smooth – it was supposed to be a full flight but somehow we had an open seat next to us. It allowed us to be a bit more comfortable. In New York we had a 3 hour connection, which we thought would be plenty of time to find the American Express Speakeasy. We were so wrong. We had to exit our terminal, get on the AirTrain, and go to another terminal to get there.
We realized that we took the wrong train – and decided we were going to opt out of the Speakeasy. We made our way to our terminal – and thankfully we did. Because it was an international flight (even though we were in JFK…) our TSA pre check didn’t work. So we had to get into one of the worst security lines we’ve seen, ever. I don’t say that lightly.
JFK TSA has to be one of the least efficient organizations around. We barely made it through security when our flight started boarding. We made it with plenty of time, but didn’t get a chance to eat in the airport and honestly, most of the time it’s the roll of a dice if the airline will have good food.
Because this is our 10-year wedding anniversary trip we took a chance and put a bid in for business class, and they accepted! It was a great way to kick off our trip – we were thrilled that on our 11 hour flight we had the option to lie flat in our seats. It’s going to be tough going back to economy, where we belong!
Super comfy!Legs barely touched, but I’ll make do!
The flight itself was pretty uneventful – and I actually did sleep for about 5.5-6 hours, which may be a new record! With the time difference, we landed around 4 pm.
The Coast of the West BankThe southern tip of the Dead Sea as we flew into Jordan
We quickly deplaned and found our guide from Exoticca. This is the second time that we’ve traveled with Exoticca, the last time was in Egypt. We had a great experience with them, and hope they are able to match our Egypt experience!
There was only one other woman on our flight traveling with Exoticca. Tia – from Maine. An adorable little thing that reminded us of a combination of two our friends, so we became fast friends.
What we didn’t know – is that in Jordan their weekend is actually Friday and Saturday (no work) and Sunday was the start of their week. We got stuck in pretty bad traffic.
Our driver had to stop to get gas, and Tia went to use the restroom. She confirmed that Jordan indeed also has squatty potties (throw back to Thailand and Sri Lanka! The real ones remember the infamous squatty potty story in Sri Lanka).
We made it to our hotel around 6 pm and freshened up before going to dinner at the hotel restaurant. It’s pretty common for the restaurants to just have buffets – and not necessarily menus to order from.
We weren’t too surprised to learn that the restaurant didn’t carry wine, but this made us wish that we had packed some to celebrate our anniversary with. Oh well!
We got settled in because we knew the next day we were set to do some sightseeing and Petra by night, which meant it would be a long day.
Scribbles and Snapshots 