INACH

We are in our last day of quarantine! Tomorrow we leave Punta Arenas, Chile and fly to Escudero Base to begin our field work!

Base Escudero is run by the Chilean Antarctic Institute. In Spanish, that is the Instituto Antártico Chileno, or INACH. Chileans have a close connection with Antarctica, because they are not very far apart. The distance between Punta Arenas and Escudero is about the same distance between Phoenix, AZ and Dallas, TX, or the distance between Phoenix and Yellowstone National Park. 

INACH scientists have done a lot of great research over the decades. I am excited to be working with them this year at their research base, and proud to be officially outfitted in my INACH gear!

Do you see my little friend in my coat? He is my research partner this season.

The water in between Chile and Antarctica is the Drake Passage, which is well known for having rough seas! (That is what makes the Strait of Magellan so important. It is a safer way for ships to cross from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean!) Luckily, we get to fly over the Drake Passage, instead of being tossed around on a ship. Our return trip in March will be on a ship, though, so we will be tossed around later.

My week in quarantine was turned into an extra adventure because the airline lost my luggage on the way here. All of my clothing and research gear were missing! All I had for my week in quarantine was one extra set of clothes and a small emergency bag of toiletries. Since I was not allowed to leave the hotel, I couldn't go shopping to replace anything! For the past 6 days, I spent every evening washing my clothes in the bathroom so they would dry for the following day. The staff from INACH were very kind, and went shopping for me so that I could have toothpaste and clean underwear. 

After a few days, we worried that my bag might never arrive. The staff from INACH and the U.S. Antarctic Program helped me gather the supplies I would need for Antarctica. They packed warm clothes for me to wear and some extra research equipment. You can see here some of the things that they brought me to stay warm and dry: long johns, fleece pants and coats, hats, boots, water-proof gloves, ski pants, and a big coat.

It was very stressful to lose my luggage, but luckily I have a lot of good friends here in Punta Arenas that helped! My luggage FINALLY arrived in Punta Arenas last night at 10 pm. That was just in the nick of time, because this morning, Pablo from INACH came to pick up all of our luggage so that it can be loaded onto the plane for our flight tomorrow. Then, our science will begin!