Paradise Harbor & Ronge Island – Jan. 2nd (Afternoon & Night)

In the afternoon we went to Paradise Harbor.  It was named by whalers because it was such a protected anchorage.  Deep and glaciated, it is a favored location for zodiac cruising, particularly around the glaciers of Skontorp Cove.  The area is also home to the Argentine station Almirante Brown.  The station was partly burnt down on April 12, 1984 by the station doctor who couldn’t bear the idea of spending another winter there.  He stated that the years of jail time was preferable to an Antarctic winter.  The best part of this landing was that it was our first continental landing as opposed to landing on islands.  This was the day of our camping as well.  For only an extra $250, sixty of us chose to leave the comfort of our nice warm beds on the heated ship and we slept outside on the cold ice.  It was a miserable/wonderful experience.  You can probably imagine why it was miserable (cold, snowy, hard ground, bucket for a toilet), but it was also wonderful to sleep with the sounds of the water lapping on the land, penguins noises, and ice cracking.  I originally thought we’d get to sleep under the stars, but then I remembered that I doesn’t get dark so there were no stars.  Some people say they slept well.  I didn’t sleep very much at all, but I still think it was worth it.