South Georgia & The Southern Sandwich Islands - My First Job In A Galley!

King chicks, very curious! 

I have to pinch myself - I distinctly remember my first job in the Falkland Islands, the 24/25 summer, a lodge chef on one of the outer islands.  We'd get cruise ships visiting and most of those passengers would come to the lodge for morning or afternoon tea.  It was one of those visits, early season, when they talked of their next stop being South Georgia and thats where Shackleton's grave was. What?!?! a) I never knew that and b) I thought to myself 'how can I get a job that takes me there, it has to happen'.... and it did! Just under two years later! 

South Georgia

My first foray into the shipping world and Im with a small company that operates 3 small vessels. One is based in the Falklands which is how I came about getting an interview and planning for my break this year to get sorted what I needed - STCW cert was first and foremost. 

Church at Grytviken

This first trip was a month - that includes 4-5 days each way for travel, with crew and 12 guests.  The guests were a group from France, going to South Georgia for back country skiing.  

Yes, I get sea sick.  Lets get one thing straight - like altitude, sea motion, in a big sea especially, is completely foreign to a land -based brain! What struck me more though was a migraine. Once Id had my horrific day with that, the rest of the trip was ok but I wasnt up to cooking in the galley and it shocked me there were actually people up and about and ready to eat.  I must say though - we did get two really calm days too, and the same thing happened on the way home - huge seas at the start, me bedridden with a migraine and then smoother sailing into Stanley.  

Shackleton's headstone, Grytviken

The pre and post pack up of the ship takes a week and she's currently locked up again, and ready for us to reload for the next trip - 3 months in Antarctica. 

Our trip was down and back up the north coast of SG, starting in the old whaling station of Grytviken.  We arrived very early that morning and the weather was absolutely stunning, wow! And to get a shore and go for a wander was amazing - and this is where Shackleton is buried.  His grave sits in a small graveyard, with a tall post like headstone. There was still a lot of snow, so I didnt really capture the base or body of the headstone or grave but, having been to his hut at Cape Royds in Antarctica, and then to his grave, well it still blows me away.  

Humpback whale off the stern

A lot of Grytviken remains - the outer buildings are gone but the guts are there, theres also an intact church and a great museum - despite the museum staff having not arrived for their summer yet, we were so lucky that the immigration officer that had stamped us entry, opened the museum and the post shop for us.  Awesome! 

Grytviken

We saw a LOT! And I dont recall every place - I work inside and would sometimes just dash out to snap a picture and get some footage of places.  So I cant tell you every single place but heres what rings bells for me - whaling stations of Leith, Stromness (famed for the White House, the managers house Shackleton stumbled into after his notorious crossing to get help, and its still there!) and Husvik.  All these stations are off limits and maintain a no-go zone due to the buildings being full of asbestos - bar Ocean Harbour which has minimal remains. You can still get a great view from a ship though.  And some of the other areas I remember are Right Whale Bay, Salisbury Plain (that was INCREDIBLE)and Fortuna Bay - home of Whistle Cove, where Shackleton and his two men reached the coast after crossing the island in May 1916.  

Beautiful mountains

Wildlife?  Thousands of King penguins, and we visited St Andrews Bay - home of the largest king colony, with up to 150,000 breeding pairs plus their chicks!  Antarctic fur seals, elephant seals, leopard seals and whales! Humpback whales galore! The day we left Grytviken and dropped off the skiiers across the bay, we then left to go and meet them at their point B, and happened upon a huge pod of Humpback whales feeding.  It was pure magic! 

King penguins with glacier

We saw plenty of glaciers and the mountains and ranges that were just so stunning. For some reason Id assumed SG would be like the Falklands but theyre nothing like alike! The highest peak in SG is Mount Paget 2,935m (compared to Mount Cook in NZ at 3,724m), and we were there in very early spring so still lots of snow.  

I've had a week of big sleep, am focused on hydrating and looking forward to getting fully back into my yoga and pilates during this break. Ciao for now! 

Whistle Cove

 

My Trip To Machu Picchu

 Firstly, I wish I could easily remember how to spell it!  Even still, after being there, I have to think. Did you know Quecha is commonly spoken in Cusco and is the language of the Inca? I didnt, and I have a really hard time remembering the spelling of a lot of the ruins around the valley.

Ok, Machu Picchu! (Il refer to it as MP from now on).  I arrived in Cusco for two months vacay, so booked my tickets for a month after being here - on August 1st, which is heavily in the 'busy' season.  I booked via Get Your Guide while I was still in New Zealand, 2 months before the trip date.  (On that note, I had a nightmare with the company that was taking me, via GYG.  I wrote to them and they assured me I was booked on the much coveted Circuit 2A, great! 3 days before my trip they told me I didnt have that booking, and instead, Id be on Circuit 1B - which according to AI is second best, and then the day before they told me no, thats not true either, I have to settle for 3B AND lose my 6am entry slot for 7am.  

A little of the history -

Built during the height of the Inca Empire, it is thought to have been constructed in the 15th century, probably around the reign of the Inca ruler Pachacuti.

The Incas created Machu Picchu at an extraordinary location, around 2,430 metres above sea level. Rather than being a conventional city, it appears to have served several purposes, possibly as a royal estate, ceremonial and religious centre, and retreat for the Inca elite. Its carefully constructed terraces provided space for agriculture while also helping to stabilise the steep mountainside and manage water.

The engineering is one of Machu Picchu's most impressive features. The Incas built extensive drainage systems, stone terraces, stairways, fountains and buildings from precisely cut stone, often without mortar. The construction had to cope with heavy rainfall, steep terrain and the constant movement of water through the mountain. Much of the site was constructed using local granite.

Several structures appear to have had particular ceremonial or astronomical importance. The Temple of the Sun, with its curved stone wall, is one of the most distinctive buildings. The Intihuatana, a carved stone often associated with astronomical observation and ritual, is another famous feature of the site.

Machu Picchu was occupied for a relatively short period by Inca standards. By the 16th century, the Spanish had conquered the Inca Empire. Interestingly, there is no evidence that Spanish conquistadors ever discovered Machu Picchu. The site appears to have been abandoned, although local people continued to know of its existence. They remained largely unknown to the outside world until the early 20th century.

In 1911, American explorer and historian Hiram Bingham reached Machu Picchu while searching for Vilcabamba, one of the last strongholds of the Incas. His expedition brought international attention to the ruins, although local people were already familiar with the site. Bingham's role in the "discovery" of Machu Picchu has since been debated, particularly because the site was not truly unknown before his arrival.

Archaeological research has continued ever since, revealing more about the people who lived and worked there, the sophisticated engineering behind the site, and its place within the wider Inca landscape.

Today, Machu Picchu is one of Peru's most important cultural and archaeological treasures and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Millions of people are drawn to its terraces, temples and extraordinary mountain setting each year.

Yet perhaps the most fascinating thing about Machu Picchu is how much remains uncertain. We still cannot say with absolute certainty exactly why it was built, how every structure was used, or why it was eventually abandoned. Part of its enduring fascination lies in those unanswered questions, sitting quietly among the mountains more than five centuries after the Inca builders left.

My takeaways from the whole MP trip are - 1) Dont be disappointed if you get Circuit 3B!!

2) A 7am entry is potentially better than 6am, I got amazing light!

3) Dont be put off when you see the bus queues to go up to MP - the whole system runs like a well-oiled machine and you will be entering the site at your allotted time and people are spread out and theres room on the bus! 

4) I had a guide, there was me and one other, necessary? No.

5) It costs to use the toilets at the entry area and theres no toilets inside the ruins. 

6) From Cusco, break the trip by doing the San Pedro train to Aguas Calientes one way, and train and bus / car the other way

7) If you do catch a mini van either from - to Cusco / Aguas Calienties, they wont leave until therye full, and they take 18 pax. (When I left Ollantaytambo I ended up sharing a private car with two others, Id already been waiting for 2 hours for the minivan to fill, and it wasnt even half full)

8) So many people were walking so quickly through MP and missing so many cool shots! Dont hurry! 

9) Once youre in there you can take youre time, my circuit took onlyl a couple of hours and that wasnt rushing

10) People talk about guides taking bribes and getting you on another circuit once inside.  I asked my guide out of interest and he said thats crap as theres cameras everywhere now and its a lot stricter. Maybe it used to happen but not anymore.

11) Dont rush your stay.  I could have done with a second night in Aguas Calientes, just to chill after seeing MP.  I got on my train though but when it stopped at Ollantaytamnbo I decided to have a night there and break up my trip. Pleased I did because I had no idea of the Inca significance of that town.