The Antarctica Chronicle

Hello everybody. Back here after a long while. Research has finally shown some positive signs and I am hoping to graduate soon. But I am not here to talk about research. Right now I am sitting in the den of Cruz del Sur, a nice homely hostel with a dog named Kren, in the town of Ushuaia in the Tierra del Fuego province of Argentina. In three days time I will be catching the expedition ship ‘Ushuaia’, crossing the Drake Passage, exploring the Weddell Sea and docking at various points on the Antarctic peninsula and the South Shetland islands.

Yes, Antarctica!!! I hear you ask the inevitable question, one I have heard several times over the last one year, when my friends and I started planning for the trip - why Antarctica? Honesty, I don’t know what else to say, other than, why not; and then point you to Ernest Shackleton and the ill-fated loss of Endurance followed by the daring  rescue, Amundsen and Scott’s expedition to the South Pole; and, if the pleasure of travel and sense of wonder seeing new places doesn’t do it for you, then I’ll show you this photo. Actually, forget the rest. The photo alone should do.

Courtesy: http://antarcticjourney.wordpress.com/

Make no mistake, it is an expensive, most likely once-in-a-lifetime trip; and, a proper chronicle or diary is a must when it comes to these once-in-a-lifetime affairs. So with multiple follow-up posts that’s what I’ll do. Right now, I’ll sign off with the following photographs from the very windy Ushuaia.

One day, maybe I’ll climb some of these

It must be wonderful living in such a cradle

Looking at the southern most tip of the Andes

Ushuaia

If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe.

The title of the post is a quote attributed to Carl Sagan. Creating the universe may be impossible, save for the schizophrenic few, but we can always do the next best thing - marvel at the mysteries of the universe before us and indulge in some apple picking in an orchard nearby. Ya, you can use them to make pies, if you want to, but if you are like me and find cooking a chore, then the marveling part alone should entice you. Yet, it took me two years to take a bite.

Apple picking is an activity that is highly popular here, in the northeastern United States. Every Fall, orchards are open to public and consumers can pick their own apples from the sprawling fields. Yes, this is essentially a method of purchasing apples, given that you pay pay per pound in most places, but, it is widely seen as a social activity and a popular dating ritual.

A popular fall pastime, maybe, but for the last two seasons whenever I received club emails talking about apple picking trips, I never understood the fuss; they are just apples for heaven’s sake. How can apples be anyone’s idea of a time well spent. Yes, apples have touched the lives of many - from Norse mythology to the Newtonian legend, from the Garden of Eden to Steve Jobs’ legacy; but, apple picking? Are you kidding me? I would rather struggle up a mountain than dance around trees.

But I must admit I was wrong. This time, when RPI’s photography club sent their email out, I thought I would check what the fuss was all about, if only to get away from my godforsaken thesis. With a camera in hand and the changing fall colors in the background, the orchard really is a paradise. Here are a few pics from yesterday afternoon. They don’t do full justice to the serenity of a pristine, clean and picturesque landscape.

Would I go again? Just to clarify. I would still rather struggle up a mountain than go apple picking.  But, for a bored afternoon, an apple orchard is a great place to be with your camera in tow. Moreover, the sky was gloomy yesterday. I would like to capture the landscape under blue skies.

Until next time.

Cheers.