● December 8, 2000 local time:
about 5:30 a.m.

I finally arrived in Ushuaia, arrived at the hotel; I took a shower; we had a meal together;
I thought it's here that, before going aboard a ship, I could access to the Internet after going for a call to Tokyo and back;
I turned on the computer...
and I fell asleep without doing anything else...

I wondered if the bed was oddly too soft, or if I suffered from jet lag; in leaving it unclear, I woke up a little.
Because light shone in through the opening between curtains, I thought the morning had come already, and I looked out of the window.
It was so beautiful that I was moved; I called to a companion sent from the office to wake up, and we went out for a walk.
After rambling for a while, just when we were going to go to the end of the port, a patrolman restrained,
and also because snivel began to trickle down, we decided to come back to the hotel.

What's the temperature?

It may be wormer than Chicago on the way here; it was snowing there, and my breath looked as pure white
as I couldn't distinguish the cigarette smoke and the breath.

Oh, yes, I had a strange dream again.
It seems that all the entertainers should live in a same building (huge one)...
or, do all my acquaintances live in the building?
There I met a friend who disappeared long time ago. "Where were you so far?!!"
I complained to him in tears... Hey, Naga... Where are you actually?

Because I'm sleepy, I will get sleep a little.

Midday

It seems to me that the sunlight is too dazzling. If only the curtains are open, the eyes are tired.
I will get on board a ship around six in the afternoon to depart for the South Pole.
Oh, yes, I came only a half of the way. I still have two days of voyage.
A staff member says everyone will certainly vomit. Oh, certainly...?
Then why don't we get on board having a hangover?

I will spend my time before boarding a ship in eating and rambling in Ushuaia anyway.
By the way, we ordered steaks rare and medium for dinner last night, but
we got too much broiled and juiceless ones. How on earth about lunch to eat later?

And at the dinnertime, something occurred to me: why does every prince and king in the world have plain features?
It's different from fairy tales!!! (I don't remember clearly the reason why such a topic came up.)
It seems that I'm talking too much. Is it because I can hardly wait to go to the South Pole?

Ushuaia: it seems to be the southernmost town in the world; there seems to be the farthest land museum.
It seems that we can get a commemorative stamp there.w Is that all?

I'll upload photos. It's for nothing, but I feel little satisfied because I'm in no condition to update except my diary, so...

Ah, you may download the photos only for keeping by yourself; but upload photos of landscape!! (From someone who doesn't want to see my face.)



↑A view of Ushuaia from my room at the hotel

If you want to see more beautiful one though it's heavy,
please click here.

● December 10, 2000 -local time -4:30p.m.

I said "local time", but in the middle of the ocean, I can't tell where I am now.
How long have I been on board the ship? Is it about two days?
It seems that we will arrive at the South Pole around seven p.m.... It's very soon.
Whew, I got used to pitching and rolling of the ship at last, and now I can watch the computer like this.
Yesterday, when I send something from a camera to my computer, I got sick,
and I was down; a house in my dream was also pitching and rolling very much!!
Then I woke up. But I have not yet thrown up. Did anyone do?

I feel strange as expected in such conditions like almost the midnight sun.
The sun begins to set after ten o'clock in the evening here, doesn't it?
And it is totally dark at twelve o'clock, or, is it eleven o'clock? Well, it doesn't matter.
And the sun begins to rise before three a.m....
If anyone open bar, pub and so on here, is there any customer?

Oh, yes, I slept very soundly last night, though only seven hours or so.
And then, I woke up around eight; soon I heard an announcement that whales are near us;
I hurried to get fully outfitted against the cold though I had traces of lying on the left side of the chin;
I picked my camcorder up, and go up to the top of the ship;
I began to gaze at the whales.

They were quite far at first,
so I could only see the water exhaled from their back;
but our ship seemed to run after them, and we gradually got closer.
Finally we were so close as I could see them at our side, but they showed us only the back.
Because we were in the cold wind with runny eyes and nose, it's so regrettable...
...Is it only I?
Anyway I was happy, ha-ha.
But still it's hard for me to do it as soon as I wake up.

Oh, there was an announcement just now: we will be able to go ashore (in Antarctica and take a walk). There seems to be penguins.
However, I've just taken a short course: because it is possible that their poo and the like contain viruses, please brush and wash the soles of your shoes WITHOUT FAIL when getting on board after enjoying there!!
That is to say, it is not good to bring them to the other continent.
......But our poo and the like have more viruses than theirs, don't they? lol
Moreover, we do it on the ship then it goes directly to the ocean, don't they?

Ugh, I'm getting seasick...

9:00p.m.

Oh, yes, though it was only at a small island near Antarctica, we made the first landing yesterday!!!!! Clap-clap.
It was a great affair in a lifetime, wasn't it...? The whole island was covered with snow and penguins.

The most species is called Chinstrap Penguin because it has a black line under the chin.
It seems to me that the size of it is, um, about that of a general large-sized PET bottle.
There were also another kind of penguins, but not many; and there were seals, too.

Though the other people went toward the flock of penguins, I went oppositely toward the place where no one was.
Because it seemed to me that snow not yet trampled over was so lovely, I felt like going there for some reason or other. I crunched my way through snow on a small hill-like place.




As well as before, the large one is here.

... heh-heh... it's fun.

I arrived at the top of the hill, and then I found a seal lying, so I immediately walked again toward it, making crunching sound.

Crunching sound.

I got pretty closer, and watched my dear seal carefully.
Near the seal, a penguin was also watching me and lying on its stomach... "On its stomach" struck me as fine.
The seal... It's sooo beautiful!! ...Though it is very thick, it gives us an impression of slimness.
It also sometimes looked at me and lay down, then looked at me and lay down all over again. Finally, I don't know why, it began to eat snow for a pillow.
It took a bite of snow, looked at me and munch-munch, then took a bite of snow, looked at me and munch-munch all over again.
It's great.

Did it affect me that it seemed to enjoy eating? I also got to want to eat snow.
But many wild animals are there, so the snow is actually littered with feces here and there. Fortunately,
I was not near the flock of penguins, so it seemed to be covered by brand-new snow around there;
I dug up as low part of snow as possible, and I ate it, too.

It's really delicious!!!

The atmosphere is delicious; I don't know why, it's delicious anyway.
And I forced the staff members to eat it, so that even if I have any stomach trouble, I will not be the only one. w

After that, I took the same posture as the seal, that is, lay down; it was still beautiful. I got to want to hug it; its eyes were so beautiful.
Our eyes began to meet each other... it can be interpreted also as glaring at each other. w
But I myself thought that I gazed at a beautiful thing with affection.
It seemed to feel unpleasantness or fear (because of glaring at),
or it hated such a situation that some people were in view (because the staff members were around there), it began to move,
so I also decided to move.

The South Pole treaty or something provides the followings: the permissible shortest distance to a wild animal,
behaving not to make them nervous as far as possible
and so on, and besides, no eating, no drinking (without water), no peeing,
no taking out (something like a souvenir), and besides, no smoking... no smoking is quite a blow...
I think it would be enough that we take the ash and the stub back.
Though I can understand why such things are provided,
it seems to me that ship exhaust fumes should be worse.

And then I went toward the flock of penguins and joined the other people.
After watching the penguins for a while, we left the island.

Anyway I feel so happy; I feel also it is an event to be commemorated; since I went on board at Ushuaia,
I have been in that pitching and rolling, and it was "the first time"
to feel like drinking!!
And then, after going on board, we gathered in the barroom; cheers! w

Oh, yes, I forgot to write that it was a whale day... I was awakened by the tumult of whale in the morning; we met whales again just before landing;
in addition, because we were on a zodiac (a kind of reinforced lifeboat?) at that time,
we ran after the whales, got pretty closer and watched them. Moreover, they showed their fins many times, it was really great! By the way, that whale is called Fin Whale, isn't it? Great, Fin Whale!

I drank too much, and I had a hangover completely next morning (this morning); I woke up feeling ill. Ugh.

Today I did the first diving after coming here. That point is at a remote island, and it seems to be above a crater,
which was formed after a volcanic eruption 30 years ago. But it seems to be still alive; I actually saw a hot spring there.
The diving master (he took on the role of guide) said this point was also a new experience for him to dive; because of the crater,
there is mainly mud under water, so the visibility and the transparency should be bad.
But because we were not the only passengers to the South Pole, we had to consider the others' wishes,
and in conclusion, it seemed to be the most acceptable to dive at this very moment at this very place.

Anyway, because it was the first diving after arriving at the South Pole, we had various things to check up;
it was also the first time for me to dive into cold water, so it should be check-diving considering various things, and then we decided to dive here.
And it was only a crater...

My impression of the diving was that, first of all, it was so cold as expected; my hands and feet felt it in particular.
My trunk felt less cold because I wore a dry suit (watertight type),
but it was very hard on me that my hands and feet felt pain because of cold. The transparency was bad.
It was just like diving into the so-called "miso-soup-like sea" at Izu, wasn't it? w
Besides, I saw seaweed so much, it seemed to be kelp.
I felt fear a little at first because the visibility was bad; if we go apart a little, we cannot see each other;
moreover, various cables of equipment were entangled,
and my weight was too heavy; I got flurried a little, and I rose to the surface at that time.

And then, after recovering my breath, I dived slowly following after the diving master.

Anyway, when I arrived at the bottom, though the transparency was bad as well, I saw a whole lot of small shrimps...
That's all, I think, and there was also seaweed...ha-ha...

Actually, at the South Pole, there are not so many colorful creatures as worm places; relatively speaking,
there are lots of such small shrimps and small fish; penguins eat them, and whales also come and eat them, that is,
the number of them is so many. Shrimps and kelp, it is indeed miso soup. w
Because it was above a crater, there is no way about the transparency; it was the muddy bottom. But those shrimps were really cute; relatively speaking,
I got to want to eat them. They were the size of a half or a quarter of peanut, and all of them are fresh and elastic.
If we get many and fry them up, it might be tasty. The temperature was about 2° C, wasn't it? I don't know the exact one. The water temperature was 0° C.

0° C! It's 0° C!!

If you want to experience such a feeling, fill a bathtub with water, add some ice, and jump into it.
I finished check-diving in cold water for the present, and it was pleasant in the result.
Because diving itself is a pleasure for me, I don't care if I cannot see various things...
...but I still want to see something, I hate diving into miso soup any more.

It seems that the direction of the wind has changed, and the ship shifted the direction toward Antarctica over tonight.
If we take the original direction, we will meet with the high waves, then people will not be able to do anything because of seasick.
Besides, it was supposed that we would not yet arrive at a good point for diving tomorrow, but...

That is, it seems that I will be able to dive at a good point + land in Antarctica. Wonderful!!
Though I'm very happy, still I'm not vigorous enough to drink again today.
Because I'm tired and the waves are getting a little higher, I'll go to bed.

Oh, yes, when I look out of the window in my room, I can see penguins sailing in about five cases out of ten.
...This is the happiness......?! ww

● December 14, 2000 11:00a.m.

The thought that I can see the scenery of the South Pole only two more days makes me sad a little.
I dived yesterday, which was the last diving at the South Pole.

As for the good point for diving, that of yesterday seems to be the last one.
After this, land of the South Pole will be the main destination, won't it?
Anyway, I think I had the most harvest of diving I have ever had yesterday.
Because it seems that there is still a lot of plankton in summer, the transparency of water is simply bad.
I dived near an ice floe yesterday. I felt that it was the first literal ice diving. Heh-heh.

After diving, we landed in the vicinity.
Anyway, the sea was so calm, there was no wave, just like a lake; it was a fine view. No, if anything, it was beautiful.
The whole view was reflected in the sea mirror; no wind is blowing; so calm...it was beyond words, beautiful anyway.
On the calm lake-like sea, we made our way by zodiac toward land where many penguins were.
It was just like crossing a smallish stream between ice floes.


By the way, it is our battleship that is seen in the centre.
The large one is here.

And I enjoyed penguins at my dear penguins' spot. The penguins, they are so cute.

The other people went for camping in the evening, and we stayed in the ship. It seemed to be a camping of just sleeping,
it's OK for me, but I didn't feel like going. Was it because of fatigue? Moreover it is in a state of the midnight sun here.
But I drank a little with staff members and Russian sailors on the ship...It may have not been a little; after that, I went to bed.

And then I was woken up for breakfast this morning; I thought all of us were basically exhausted.
After breakfast, the ship seemed to move toward the next point, and it would take four hours or so,
and basically, everyone was sleeping.
I was also thinking of going to bed, but I was in my room and watching something that I myself took with a digital camera and a camcorder during these two days.
They were very good pictures, I felt happy a little.
By the way, it's a fine day today, too.

Oh, yes, well, I was somehow getting sad a little, and I felt sorrow a little by myself,
so I was watching the present view outdoors to brand it in my eyes.

But,

the eyes were getting tired, so I came back to the room.
You know, it was so dazzling. I think taking a picture is different from branding on my mind.
Ugh, I've got sleepy.

7:30p.m.

Ugh, Something seems to be the matter with my stomach.

May be I smelled the engine oil of zodiac too much; besides, pitching and rolling may cause it, and the fatigue, too. We finished landing just now.
I've been to a ravine-like place; there were pelican-like birds and about seven seals on the land.
There was a dead seal among them.
...I feel so sad; it was cold there and it was dead in a fine appearance, but I'm sad...

Before landing, I tried kayak. I went to a place where many ice floes were, and I was watching the view, I also saw a lump of ice falling from the top of an iceberg.
I'm so lucky. It is a rare scene, or rather, everything that I saw at the South Pole is rare, or if anything, it's never seen usually.
Ugh, I'm done for; I feel melancholy today.

I, once I'm in melancholy or angry mode, it takes very long time for me to find a way out.
And when I'm in such a mood, sometimes I'm a nuisance to others; no comfort works with me; or I have lived in settling it by myself, have I?
I don't have fun very much with my friends; though I did in the old days, I may not have told them my mood; it seems that I always tried to settle it by myself, doesn't it?
I didn't tell my family either; is it because my parents were seldom at home? Does it cause me that I grew up in two kinds of culture?

...Ugh, I'm getting muddled up.

Oh, yes, I, just like a baby, it might be the most effective to be said "diddums" and relieved. ...Diddums.

We have landed at islands only. We should land in the continent tomorrow, I believe. If not, we have no more chance;
it seems that we will sail for Ushuaia tomorrow evening. Tomorrow is the last day...

● December 19, 2000 (Japan time)

It's nine in the morning...Isn't it?
I rather get to lose a sense of time.

I'm already in an aeroplane from Buenos Aires for Frankfurt. Maybe three hours have past since I left there.
I can see a monitor indicates that we will arrive in about nine hours, so it's probably right.

I'll give a brief explanation of the time until now.

On 15th (local time), we landed in Antarctica (the continent) at last. How long? Maybe we were there for an hour or so,
because it seems that we were behind the schedule. But because it is an event to be commemorated, we had a champagne toast together.
And then we were took a commemorative photo of us all together. I realized that it was really a group tour... ― д ―

That was the end of the tour; we sailed for Ushuaia after that, and I intended to work at my website, but
...soon after going on board...terrible pitching and rolling began. My room was at the top of the front, so...
I felt that the pitching and rolling was doubled. And indeed, it continued for full two days; it didn't abate; on the contrary
at the last day, it became the most intense one I have ever experienced. I was like a sick cat; on the bed,
I seemed to leave myself as I rolled... On the floor as well...because if I had resisted it, I would have thrown up...
All the things on the desk flew away. I heard there was a room where an ashtray also flew away; mine didn't because I had fixed it with gummed tape beforehand.

It takes two days, more than 48 hours...

What I did for the first 24 hours: I woke up in the morning; no sooner had I taken breakfast than I felt ill, so I went back to bed immediately.
And I got up for lunch; as soon as I ate it, I got to be on the verge of death, so I went back to bed...and for supper...
I got up again and took some bites of it, and then I really got to be in critical condition, so I rushed into bed;
...was it my fault for taking food in such pitching and rolling...?

As for the latter 24 hours, there was little difference...moreover, because of the bad weather,
it seemed that we should arrive at Ushuaia far behind schedule...that is to say, we should miss the aeroplane.

That's a problem; actually I have an assignment of Lavender in Hong Kong on 20th; from the outset,
I planned to arrive at Hong Kong just at noon on 20th;
but because of the weather, the ship would arrive at 12:00, though the aeroplane would take off at 9:00...yippee!!
For this reason, we had someone arrange everything; when we were close to Ushuaia, because the ship seemed to be able to gain no more speed,
we had a patrol ship carry us, and a car drive us at top speed from the nearest shore, and then we arrived at the airport of Ushuaia safely and barely in time.

It's like 007 to transfer from a ship to another, w.

Anyway because of that pitching and rolling, I don't want to go to the South Pole again...I will go only if I can go there by aeroplane...indeed once is enough.
...though after all, I didn't throw up even once.

And then,

I'm in the aeroplane.

My way back was consist of 3 hours from Ushuaia to Buenos Aires, about 12 hours from Buenos Aires to Frankfurt,
7 hours of waiting at the transit lounge of Frankfurt and about 10 hours from Frankfurt to Hong Kong, wasn't it? I don't remember well...

...I
...hit upon an idea.

Why am I on such a long voyage...? Isn't it better to play at UO in a carefree mood...?
The South Pole itself is really beautiful anyway. Though we saw only a tiny part of the continent,
it's extremely beautiful...the pitching and rolling is the only defect.
We should go there once in a lifetime anyway.

I'm grateful to NHK. Please pardon me for complaining during the trip.
It was really pleasant; I'm also thankful to them for giving me such an opportunity. Thank you very much anyway;
please allow me to express a word of thanks here:

to Miyazaki, Turtle Lady, Takeuchi, Seal, Kemboh (happy birthday to you), Nagai (will you really quit?), the Japanese ancestry Bill,
Tahnaka (are you OK about shuko-shuko-shock?), Satoh who was with us as far as Okinawa (don't I look like your husband after all?),
one who is well-bred, uh, I can't remember his/her name, oh, yes, Ishida, the Argentina Roppongi
and Yana who decided to divorce because of the daughter of the very first Bill...

Thank all of you very much. By the way, you found my Digital Camcorder, did you? TT

PS: It seems not to be found...T0T　　

Lastly...

After reading over what I wrote, I realized that I wrote rather a silly story.
Well, it doesn't matter because it's a record of my feelings.

A trip to the South Pole is a really wonderful experience.
I had thought that it would finish only in impressiveness of beautiful scenery and cute animals.

But I felt that it reminded me of something we human beings have forgotten.
Though it is visible not only in such a place as the South Pole,
but also nearby, indoors and outdoors.

I think, however, for surviving in what we call human society, we are pursuing our desires and ideals,
so we are too busy in managing everyday life or something to see it.

Yes, maybe I'm right; once we see it, everything seems trivial,
though it is difficult. ^^

Let's satisfy our desires; let's pursue our ideals; if we do that, then we live a life worth living.
But I will never forget that

the earth is not "only for human beings".

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