Gearing up

Today we spent some time in the warehouse collecting our gear to stay warm and dry while in Antarctica. The U.S. Antarctic Program stocked us up on what we call “extreme cold weather” gear, or ECW. This includes everything from warm hats and waterproof gloves to the full-body “immersion suits” hanging on the back wall, which can keep you afloat and stave off hypothermia if you fall in the water.

Hannah contemplates her ECW fashion choices. Does she want her snow pants in black, or black? Is orange the “in color” this season?

After we packed our ECW, we had some time to enjoy Punta Arenas. One of the items on the dinner menu was  guanaco. Guanacos (pronounced hwa-NA-kos) are large herbivores related to llamas and alpacas. However, guanacos are wild animals, whereas llamas and alpacas only exist in domestication. (In fact, guanacos are possibly the wild ancestor of the domesticated llama.) Guanacos are native to South America and are common down here in Patagonia. 

There are traditional dishes that use guanaco meat, and it can be found on menus at some restaurants. When you are visiting a new country, it is fun to try those unique dishes… like guanaco stew! (Don’t worry, guanacos are not endangered, so there are not concerns about over-hunting them for food.) The verdict after trying it: it tastes like tender stewed red meat.